Continuing a legacy begun when their family immigrated from Spain in the late 1800s, Fred and Alice Manas are known for delicious stone fruit. Fred and Alice began growing peaches on their farm in Esparto at the mouth of the Capay Valley in 1980. Touted as some of “The Best Peaches in the West” by Sunset Magazine, Manas Ranch’s quality, flavor, and customer service keep people coming back year after year.

Fred and Alice chose a direct marketing approach once their first peach trees began producing, selling them first from the patio of their house. The ‘farmstand’ eventually moved to a covered shade area by the barn, and is now a packing shed and store. The Manas Ranch store is open from mid-June to early September and carries not only their peaches but also the ranch’s apricots and cherries, as well as other produce, nuts, and honey grown in the Capay Valley. The Manas’ also raise grain-fed natural beef which can be ordered direct from their Double Bar O Angus Ranch.

The sweet Lapin cherries grown by the Manas’ are a late season variety known for their dark, ruby skin, deep red flesh, and large size. Though they may not make it home, much less be left over for storage, keep uneaten cherries in the refrigerator. They last longer if they are unwashed and left loose in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper. For long-term storage, pit cherries and freeze up to a year.

For directions to Manas Ranch, or information about ordering and shipping go to www.manasranch.com or call 530.787.3228.