From Orchard to Table: A Journey Through the World of California Walnuts with the Bertagna Family Farm

Jimmy Bertagna During Harvest.

As National Walnut Day approaches, we embark on a journey to explore walnut farming, deeply rooted in family traditions and sustainable practices. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of walnuts, from their life cycle to their unique benefits, sourced from the local Bertagna family farm right here in Chico, California.

Posted on May 17th, 2024

An Almond Farmer’s Life at Harvest

An Almond Farmer’s Life at Harvest Here at Maisie Jane’s we love to give you an authentic look at the almond farmer’s life.  One of the most exciting and busy times of the year for us is HARVEST!  The farmer must be the master scheduler, paying the up-most attention to their every orchard.  You see, […]

Posted on September 4th, 2021

“Am-end” or “Almond”?

If you grew up in Chico or anywhere in the Northern California region you may know about the almond pronunciation debacle. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve travelled elsewhere, mentioned the word, and gotten a look of puzzlement. Well, today we want to explain to you why this four generation farming family of […]

Posted on June 9th, 2021

Symbolic Wisdom from the Walnut Tree

Today I came across a couple of interesting articles about the symbolism of walnuts and walnut trees. I have an ongoing fascination with what various plants have symbolized to human beings since ancient times. We’re a strange species, seeing meaning in all sorts of things. Sometimes, the symbolism is hard to figure out. You’d need […]

Posted on April 14th, 2020

How Do You Pronounce “Almond”?

Shaking the Almond Trees

Silly question. You pronounce it “all-mond, right?” Well, maybe, if you live almost everywhere in the United States. But not if you live in Chico, CA! Here we say “am-end” with “am” pronounced like “Sam.” Where on earth did that come from? If you ask farmers, they’ll pretty much tell you the same joke: that […]

Posted on September 26th, 2019

Fun Facts About the Pistachio

Pistachios

Fact #1: Pistachios are associated with happiness! The pistachio is known as the “happy nut” in China and the “smiling nut” in Iran because if you look at the nut in its shell it looks like it is smiling. The nuts are often given as a gift during the Chinese New Year because they symbolize […]

Posted on August 6th, 2019

Almond Peach Cobbler

Almond Peach Cobbler

Did you know that almonds and peaches are related to each other? They are both part of the botanical family Prunus that includes almonds, peaches, plums, cherries, and apricots. One way you can remember that is that—similar to peaches— what we call the almond nut is actually the seed inside the stone (or pit) of […]

Posted on July 12th, 2019

Almonds are Mutant Superheroes

Almonds Cracking Open

In superhero comics mutants are a frequently feared and misunderstood subgroup of humans with amazing powers that they use to save the day. Generally thought of as monsters or freaks of nature, an entire genre of comic books and movies stems from their struggle to help the rest of the world accept them as potentially […]

Posted on July 10th, 2019

When Good Almonds Go Bad

Dry Roasted Almonds

Everyone knows how good almonds are for you. They’re one of the healthiest snacks you can eat. A handful a day can help lower your cholesterol, is good for your heart, good for your brain, and can even help you lose weight! But can a good nut go bad? You know what I mean. You […]

Posted on June 4th, 2019

Heal Your Gut with Almonds!

happy belly

Did you know that every living thing on the planet could not survive without the microbiology that lives in our bodies along with us? Most of us grew up being terrified into thinking we need to avoid microbes like the plague . . . because, you know, the Plague! Some kinds of bacteria and other […]

Posted on May 13th, 2019