SJB Family marks 100 years in orchards
The fruit crate labels show an idyllic San Juan Valley, a
patchwork of leafy green orchards amid verdant pastures framed by
the purple Gabilan Mountains and a pastel yellow sky. In the
foreground of the lithograph hangs big, ripe apples and pears, the
staple of the Freitas family’s 100 years of growing fruit in the
valley.
SJB Family marks 100 years in orchards
The fruit crate labels show an idyllic San Juan Valley, a patchwork of leafy green orchards amid verdant pastures framed by the purple Gabilan Mountains and a pastel yellow sky. In the foreground of the lithograph hangs big, ripe apples and pears, the staple of the Freitas family’s 100 years of growing fruit in the valley.
This Eden-like view is a bittersweet memory to 75-year-old Alice Freitas, who still has a few acres of Fuji apples in production.
“This valley had the most beautiful orchards; the most fruitful looking and green wonderful and luscious orchards, and now so many orchards have been pulled out,” says Freitas from her home off Olympia Avenue.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of growing, packing and selling apples, Alice’s daughter, Barbara Sandles, has created a miniature fruit crate stuffed with candles modeled after Newton pippin apples and stamped with a replica of the Freitas family’s label, developed by Alice’s husband, Lawrence.
“On Father’s Day I was reminiscing about my dad,” says Sandles. “I was in the kitchen and I looked at his label and I thought, “What can I do that would really do something with this beautiful label?”
Later that day she ran into her cousin, Bob Baptiste, a graphic designer who said that he had actually just been thinking about that label. They collaborated on a redesign. Bob modified the label by replacing the pear with another green apple, and put a small flame on the stem to indicate the apples included are candles.
“It’s a way of paying tribute to my family,” says Sandles, who now owns and operates the florist shop Precious Petals with her daughter, Kim.
Alice Freitas appreciates the tribute, and fondly recalls raising fruit in the San Juan Valley. Her father-in-law, Manuel Freitas, immigrated to America from the Azores and before the turn of the century was living in Watsonville working in an orchard. He loved the orchard so much he bought land in San Juan Bautista and started growing apples and pears. In time he was also growing cherries, prunes and walnuts, his farm had grown to 100-acres, and he had four sons helping him. His youngest sons were twins, Lawrence and Clarence, who went into business together.
“Clarence took care of the men in the field, and Lawrence took care of the shipping and packing,” says Freitas from one of the remaining orchards of Fuji apples behind her home. In its heyday L and C Freitas packed and shipped fruit from 17-area growers, and exported top-notch pears as far away as London, England.
“Our San Juan Valley is known by everyone. They say ‘How blessed you are.’ The ground is fantastic,” says Freitas.
In the early days the family relied on Chinese seasonal workers who came to the area for the shipping and packing work. Later, whole families from Eastern California would come, and Alice is still in contact with some of them.
Another branch of the Freitas’ still grow apples in the San Juan Valley, but since Alice’s husband Lawrence died in 1998, L and C Freitas has faded to a memory. In a shed at her ‘home ranch’ Alice blows the dust off lithographed labels near an old crate-making machine and tractor. Except for the 10-acres of Fujis in her backyard, the rest of her land is leased, mostly to row crops. The loss of orchard land is a distressing subject for Freitas, who still dearly loves apples.
Distressing also is the way people treat apples.
“What tickles me is that a lot of people just love the fruit they purchase in the store because it has such beautiful color. But what they don’t realize is that they go through hot water, hot wax and hot light,” says Freitas. “They look polished and beautiful, but in two weeks the center of the apple gets punky, it gets soft. Apples and pears have a coating of their own to protect them. You don’t need to do anything till you wash them to eat them. Mother Nature has a way of taking care of everything, she takes care of us,” says Freitas.
For Freitas, the best apple to eat out of hand is a gravenstein, or the now rare bellflower variety. But when she’s making applesauce, or her top secret Dutch crisp, she prefers one of the delicious varieties. Here’s her simple recipe for homemade applesauce.
Peel, quarter and dice 10 apples and two pears.
Simmer in a four-quart pot with ¼-cup water for about 15 minutes.
Stir as it simmers, but let it remain chunky.
Let it cool and then add cinnamon and nutmeg.
