MoFresh
MoFresh
Something’s always fresh in Modesto,
and our world-renowned fruit season runs April – August.
Farm Fresh & Ripe for the Picking—Your Guide to Local Produce
Savor the Season: The Summer Kickoff in Modesto
The valley heat is rising and so is the flavor. May and June in Stanislaus County are all about the harvest. This is the peak of u-pick season for our legendary cherries and sun-ripened berries. Our local farm stands are bursting with fresh-picked apricots and local favorites. Grab a bucket and find your center in the heart of the orchards. Your summer adventure starts with the taste of the valley and the scent of lavender on the breeze.
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Fresh Produce
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Early summer in the Central Valley means the orchards are heavy with fruit and the harvest is in full swing. This is the vibrant heart of the growing season. Our world-famous cherries, apricots, and berries have ripened under the California sun and are ready for your table. Local farm stands are overflowing with the year’s best yields. You will find baskets of sun-ripened stone fruits and rows of fresh-picked berries at every turn. As the countryside transforms into a lush landscape of deep greens and bright harvests, it is the perfect time to explore our backroads and experience the bounty of Stanislaus County straight from the source.
Wondering why the Central Valley is such an agricultural powerhouse? Check out this TikTok explaining our unique geographical location!
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Learn a Little More About Modesto
Your Ultimate Early Summer Checklist
Get ready to experience the most iconic season in the valley. Early summer in Modesto is a celebration of legendary Graffiti history and peak agricultural flavors. Explore our u-pick orchards for the freshest cherries and apricots or wander through a local lavender farm for a true sensory escape. From vibrant downtown events to quiet moments in the orchards, your perfect summer checklist starts here. Start your adventure today and find your center in the middle of it all.
U-Pick Orchards & Lavender
Can’t Miss Summer Events
What Is A Stone Fruit?
In case you were wondering what a ‘stone fruit’ is there are a few explanations but it all boils down to the pit (the stone). Any fruit that has pulp around a stone is considered a stone fruit. The stone is NOT the seed…the seed is inside the stone. Most commonly, stone fruits are considered peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines and cherries. Where it gets kind of odd is with the stone fruits often considered berries; cherries, raspberries and blackberries. That ‘odd list’ goes on with mangoes, coconuts and even olives being stone fruit. But we digress.
Let’s talk stone fruit right here in the heart of California’s Central Valley: Modesto. Many food and travel authors have listed the peaches from here as being the best you may ever find. There’s white, there’s yellow, there’s Fay Alberta and more. But those are not all on farm stands yet…you need to wait until the summer to really have peaches you’ll remember for years! Then there’s the pluot; these incredible fruits are a hybrid between the Japanese plum and an apricot. They were created right here in Modesto by the late Floyd Zaiger, founder of Zaiger’s Genetics and a legend in the business as a stone fruit breeder.
Don’t wait to grab peaches and pluots by the flat…start getting your fresh stone fruit right now. Whether it’s at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market or one of the many farm and ag stands in the area, you’ll find lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to take home. Check out our seasonality chart to see when your favorite fruits and vegetables are freshest. Looking forward to seeing you at a farm stand soon!
