Gilcrease Orchard open for business

Got a taste for fresh zucchini, green tomatoes and pecans picked right off the tree? Well, the folks at Gilcrease Orchard, located at the corner of Whispering Sands Drive and Tenaya Way, hope you do because they've been busy all spring tending to several crops, which they'll introduce to valley residents today.

In addition to several vegetable crops, Gilcrease offers preservative-free apple juice in pints, quarts and gallons.

"It looks like it is going to be a great year for some of the local favorites," said an orchard employee. "We had a good spring growing season and the zucchini looks like it came out of a magazine. As far as the green tomatoes go, we are still a bit early. There are just limited amounts on hand right now, but we have staggered our planting season so we are looking for a possibility of three seasons for ripe tomatoes."

This year the orchard will charge a $2 entry fee for adults and $1 for children to help cover operation costs.

Next month, the orchard anticipates being able to offer apricots, which showed a particularly strong growing season, as well as herbs like a oregano, basil and cilantro.

By mid-June, Gilcrease Orchard will have its Web site, www.Gilcrease.com, up and running to receive online reservations for school tours and various educational activities.

Soon-to-be-available crops include peaches and melons in mid-July; and eggplant and peppers later in the month.