Frog Hollow Farm P.O. Box 872 Brentwood, CA 94513 Telephone: (925) 634-2845 Fax: (925) 516-2332 E-mail:  peaches@froghollow.com Website:  www.froghollow.com

Frog Hollow Fantasy
Frog Hollow Farm is a fantasy come true for Al Courchesne. On a rainy Sunday in Honolulu 23 years ago, he was fantasizing with a friend about what fun it would be own a farm. That casual discussion brought into focus what he really wanted to do for the rest of his life. He decided to leave Hawaii, where he had been teaching 8th grade for 10 years, moved back to the Bay Area, where he grew up, and purchased a 13-acre parcel of land in Brentwood, about an hour's drive due east from San Francisco. He planted some fruit trees and began to fulfill his fantasy. The Frog Hollow logo captures the magic that fills his life today:

Why So Many Varieties?
Frog Hollow Farm has developed into a 53-acre orchard where Al now grows 33 varieties of peaches, 24 varieties of nectarines, 4 varieties of cherries, 5 varieties of apricots and 4 varieties of Asian pears.

Since the season for each variety is usually only about 10 days long, to have tree-ripened peaches and nectarines to bring to the Market every week throughout the summer, Al carefully researched and selected varieties that ripen in succession. Here's a sampling of what you're likely to find at the Market each week:

Al is very proud that he was able to convert Frog Hollow into a certified organic farm in 1989.

A Summer-Long Celebration . . . that Goes Until New Years
There is a festive air around the Frog Hollow stand throughout the summer. "Farmer Al", clad in his blue farmer's overalls, generously offers free samples and beckons everyone to taste his juicy tree-ripened fruit. His exuberance easily spills over into his customers (and down their chins!) as they try a slice (or two).

Al will never allow his fruit to be picked before its time -- just before it's about to fall off the tree. So you can always be sure that his peaches and nectarines have reached their maximum juiciness on the tree under the Brentwood sun. It's not an easy job says Al, because letting the fruit to go that stage inevitably means that some fruit drops to the ground and is lost.

As the peaches and nectarines taper off toward the end of August, Al's Asian Pears are just ready to harvest. So you'll find him at the Market from the end of May through Christmas. If you can't make it to the Market, he will gladly ship by UPS a case of anything that's ripe that week (along with some Frog Hollow magic!).  Check out the Frog Hollow website at http://www.froghollow.com.

June 1996; updated September 2000.

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