2014 Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) Festival

[ricshaw]

I hope to be able to make it this year.

[fyliu]

Richard, were you there last year? I know you were at Edgar's last year.

[lajolla]

how does this work and was the field day worth going?

[simon_grow]

Awesome, thanks for the heads up, I'm going to try to make it. Hope to see everyone there!
Simon

[ricshaw]

how does this work and was the field day worth going?

You can decide after looking at my video:

http://youtu.be/nuoXmGaVaeI

Richard, were you there last year?

No, I attended the 2011 and 2012 Saturday Field Days.

[ricshaw]

On Sunday, several Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) growers open their home/farm to visitors.

IMO the Saturday Field Day is the highlight and in the past has included free cuttings of named varieties.

The rest is geared more towards commercial growers.

Dragon Fruit guru Edgar Valdivia lives near me and is one of the growers that opens his home to visitors on Sunday.
I have attended his "tour" the last three years.

[ricshaw]

Matts Landscaping's 2010 YouTube upload showing UC Dragon Fruit field test at Pitahaya Festival.

http://youtu.be/KQs7l5F5Klk

Note: There is NO part 2.

[ricshaw]

The registration form can be found on the link on the Right:

http://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/

Register early, this event has sold out in the past!

The Festival & Field Day costs $40.00 this year.

The $40.00 helps with expenses, includes lunch, and I am assuming 5 cuttings.

When I attended in 2011 & 2012, I felt that it was worth going to.

Where else are you going to see lots of Dragon Fruit growing, get to taste so many varieties (and choose which varieties YOU like), and get some cuttings of named Dragon Fruit varieties?

[fruitlovers]

how does this work and was the field day worth going?

You can decide after looking at my video:

Richard, were you there last year?

No, I attended the 2011 and 2012 Saturday Field Days.

Oh my god! Dragon Heavon! 

[durianwriter]

This looks awesome! I'm one of the odd ones who count dragonfruits among my favorite fruits

[ricshaw]

Pitahaya Dragon Fruit Festival 2014

by Edgar Valdivia
http://www.edvaldivia.com/

Hi Everyone, What a success! The University of California Cooperative Extension, under the direction of Ramiro Lobo once again put on a wonderful program.

Friday's thirteen lectures were packed full of practical information covering everything from pest control, to marketing, to the expansion of the pitahaya/dragon fruit plantation, to different locations around California.
At last, the DNA of all the pitahaya/dragon fruit that is growing at the South Coast Field Station has been done. We now realize, something that we had already suspected:  Many of the same plants are being grown with different names.  You will be glad to know that a website will be established by the University showing all the data and activities related the the pitahaya.

The lunch was wonderful and gave everyone an opportunity to visit and exchange ideas. As always there was a fruit tasting and delicious pitahaya/dragon fruit ice cream..

Saturday, we started with a wonderful breakfast and then off to the fields to see the progress and learn more about the plantation. Each year our numbers seem to grow and because of the high attendance we split into three groups - rotating from the field to a powerpoint presentation (regarding the most up to date events with this fruit)  that I gave along with Linda Nickerson.

After a delicious lunch, fruit tasting, and  more delicious ice cream, we lined up for cuttings of the various varieties that are being grown at the Field Station.

I was so pleased with the wonderful job that is being done by the University. Each year just gets better and better. Ramiro and all his team of hard workers deserve a big round of applause and thank you.

I am attaching a link that will show beautiful pictures posted by the University of the different varieties that are being grown there.

By the way, the people attending were from all over, no only the U.S. but foreign countries as well.

Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) link:
http://ucanr.edu/sites/alternativefruits/Alternative_Fruits/Pitahaya/

[dmk]

Ric, any videos from this year's fruit festival?

[ricshaw]

Ric, any videos from this year's fruit festival?

I took a ton of short video segments...  but need the time to sort through them.

I am off today to Ed Valdivia's open house for more Dragon Fruit activities.

I will share videos in this thread.

[simon_grow]

Thanks for all the information, I couldn't make it this year but would love to hear about everyone's top picks this year. Anyone have info on which varieties had the highest brix?

Simon

[wslau]

Thanks for all the information, I couldn't make it this year but would love to hear about everyone's top picks this year. Anyone have info on which varieties had the highest brix?

Simon

Simon,
I saw another post from ricshaw showing a dragon fruit Variety Evaluation chart from Univ of CA Coop Extension.
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=228.800      pg 33
Yellow Dragon 21.15 / Colombiana 20.09 were the highest brix, but it appears these published scores were not from yesterday's event.

[fyliu]

I think Armando was new from last year, so maybe it's from last year.

[ricshaw]

Thanks for all the information, I couldn't make it this year but would love to hear about everyone's top picks this year. Anyone have info on which varieties had the highest brix?
Simon

Like I said to ClayMango on the Dragon Fruit thread...  Do you want my picks?  Or somebody else?  There was no group taste poll again this year.

Taste depends on the individual and a higher BRIX score is not the final indicator of what tastes the best. There are acidic taste and other tastes that influence the taste preference for individuals. At yesterday's Pitahaya Dragon Fruit Festival, my new CRFG friend Donovan and I had opposite opinions of the new El Grullo variety (originally from Mexico). I thought it was the worst tasting variety we tasted, and Donovan said it was his favorite.  My favorite was the the sweet white-flesh Mexicana variety.

Today Donovan and I continued our Dragon Fruit tasting at Edgar Valdivia's open-house and garden tour.  What a treat! We tasted some of Edgar's new Dragon Fruit varieties.  The big hit was Edgar's Asunta #3, a Condor x epiphyllum x guatemalan pitahaya cross with a a hint of cinnamon taste and a BRIX score of 23!

[fyliu]

Wow, asunta #3!

[ricshaw]

Today Donovan and I continued our Dragon Fruit tasting at Edgar Valdivia's open-house and garden tour.  What a treat! We tasted some of Edgar's new Dragon Fruit varieties.  The big hit was Edgar's Asunta #3, a Condor x epiphyllum x guatemalan pitahaya cross with a a hint of cinnamon taste and a BRIX score of 23!

Asunta #3 BRIX score

[nullzero]

That Asunta #3 looks really good, the epi crossed into it may have introduced some nice new flavors?

[ricshaw]

That Asunta #3 looks really good, the epi crossed into it may have introduced some nice new flavors?

Yes, we got to taste the fruit from the epiphyllum parent. Although not very good tasting, we could taste where the cinnamon came from.

[simon_grow]

Thanks for all the information, I couldn't make it this year but would love to hear about everyone's top picks this year. Anyone have info on which varieties had the highest brix?
Simon

Like I said to ClayMango on the Dragon Fruit thread...  Do you want my picks?  Or somebody else?  There was no group taste poll again this year.

Taste depends on the individual and a higher BRIX score is not the final indicator of what tastes the best. There are acidic taste and other tastes that influence the taste preference for individuals. At yesterday's Pitahaya Dragon Fruit Festival, my new CRFG friend Donovan and I had opposite opinions of the new El Grullo variety (originally from Mexico). I thought it was the worst tasting variety we tasted, and Donovan said it was his favorite.  My favorite was the the sweet white-flesh Mexicana variety.

Today Donovan and I continued our Dragon Fruit tasting at Edgar Valdivia's open-house and garden tour.  What a treat! We tasted some of Edgar's new Dragon Fruit varieties.  The big hit was Edgar's Asunta #3, a Condor x epiphyllum x guatemalan pitahaya cross with a a hint of cinnamon taste and a BRIX score of 23!

Hey ricshaw, what were your favorites at the festival? Also, do you recall if there was a berry or acidic component to the asunta#3? Thanks!
Simon

[ricshaw]

University of California South Coast Research & Extension Center Pitahaya Irrigation Research Trial Field.

http://youtu.be/FDTwpVb0nPM

[fyliu]

Cool. I'm glad they're doing an improved trial with with the data they got from the original one. The 6ft trellis had hanging branches that don't nearly touch the ground. 5ft or even lower should be much better for managing the plants.

[ricshaw]

The irvine Pitahaya Irrigation Research Trial is one of three (I heard) that the UC is doing in the state.  Another one is in Fillmore, CA.  I met the owner of the land.

[ricshaw]

Hey ricshaw, what were your favorites at the festival?
Also, do you recall if there was a berry or acidic component to the asunta#3?
Thanks!
Simon

My favorite this year was Mexicana and Armando.  In the past it has been Delight, Halley's Comet, and Sin Espinas.
Sugar Dragon and Valdivia Roja are good too.
My taste buds do not prefer Lisa and El Grullo. It is different for others.

I do not remember an acid or berry component to Asunta #3.

Was it worth it?

Getting up at 5 AM and driving 110 miles to Irvine, CA on Saturday and then driving 30 miles to Simi, CA on Sunday?

I think so.

This is my reward (5 cuttings) from Saturday:




and my reward from Sunday:




Not to mention all the Dragon Fruit I ate, information, and new friends!

[ricshaw]

At every UCCE Dragon Fruit tasting event...  they have served delicious homemade Pitahaya Ice Cream and Pitahaya Sorbet.

This year I got the recipes.

Pitahaya Sorbet (my favorite)

Ingredients:

2 cups Pitahaya pulp
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 cups CranApple juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Place ingredients in an old fashioned ice cream maker.


Pitahaya Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups Pitahaya pulp
2 1/2 cups half & half
1 cup sugar

Place ingredients in an old fashioned ice cream maker.

[ClayMango]

Ricshaw... I'm debating on Mexicana and Delight becuase of their nice pink/white flesh and high tier ratings...it seems Mexicana is more prefered with a brix level of 14 while delight is pushing 18 on the brix scale...what is it about Mexicana if the sweetness factor is a non factor here? very curious.

[ricshaw]

Ricshaw... I'm debating on Mexicana and Delight becuase of their nice pink/white flesh and high tier ratings...it seems Mexicana is more prefered with a brix level of 14 while delight is pushing 18 on the brix scale...what is it about Mexicana if the sweetness factor is a non factor here? very curious.

The factor is TASTE!  They both taste very good to ME!

My advice if you only have room for "one" more DF plant is to buy a good self-fertile Vietnamese white for a pollinator.

[ClayMango]

Ricshaw... I'm debating on Mexicana and Delight becuase of their nice pink/white flesh and high tier ratings...it seems Mexicana is more prefered with a brix level of 14 while delight is pushing 18 on the brix scale...what is it about Mexicana if the sweetness factor is a non factor here? very curious.

The factor is TASTE!  They both taste very good to ME!

My advice if you only have room for "one" more DF plant is to buy a good self-fertile Vietnamese white for a pollinator.

I plan on getting Cebra, Sin Espana, Rosa, and Delight or Mexicana...possibly haleys Comet becasue I want at least one Dragon fruit with the purple flash....Welp...there goes a huge chunk of the key lighting areas of my vegtable garden wall that spans about 100 ft

[ricshaw]

I plan on getting Cebra, Sin Espana, Rosa, and Delight or Mexicana...possibly haleys Comet becasue I want at least one Dragon fruit with the purple flash....Welp...there goes a huge chunk of the key lighting areas of my vegtable garden wall that spans about 100 ft

Great!  You will be making the same mistake fyliu and I made (see Dragon Fruit thread Reply #822) IMO unless Mexicana is self-fertile.

[ricshaw]

I think you (Dragon Fruit growers) will like this!

I did not attend the festival Friday seminars, only the Saturday Field Day and Sunday visit to Edgar Valdivia's.

The UCCE sent me copies of the speaker presentations handouts.

One was a Postharvest Quality of Pitahaya pdf with information about 2013 research of 6 DF varieties at harvest and stored that includes sensory evaluation.

A couple teaser frames:






to see the rest of the handout pdf:  http://ucanr.edu/sites/sdsmallfarms/files/197438.pdf
enjoy

[ricshaw]

Some more pictures I took at Edgar Valdivia's open-house and garden tour.

Edgar's new unnamed variety he is calling Asunta 3.




Condor




Delight




Edgar holding his Tricia.

[ricshaw]

MVP Farms Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit Field Day

Friday, October 3, 2014




This is an opportunity to tour the UC Dragon Fruit research trial (irrigation, fertilization, shade, trellis systems) at MVP Farms, get some named variety cuttings, and a second chance at the seminar information presented at Irvine 2014 Pitahaya Festival in August.

[ricshaw]

Today Ramiro Lobo brought up to Santa Paula, CA Dragon Fruit cuttings from Irvine, CA research center, for Friday's MVP Field Day participants.

[optimist4747]

Do you happen to know the names of the varieties given out today Oct3,2014 at the Fillmore MVP farms Field day..vs. the numbering marked on the cuttings? I cannot find the names mentioned anywhere vs. the numbers...I was in attendance today but failed to write all names down but do have the cuttings marked with numbers...thanks in advance..

[fyliu]

Do you happen to know the names of the varieties given out today Oct3,2014 at the Fillmore MVP farms Field day..vs. the numbering marked on the cuttings? I cannot find the names mentioned anywhere vs. the numbers...I was in attendance today but failed to write all names down but do have the cuttings marked with numbers...thanks in advance..

See this document for the list: http://www.edvaldivia.com/images/University_Results_2007.pdf
Linked from this page: http://www.edvaldivia.com/Tasting_Results.html

[ricshaw]

UCCE MVP Farms Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit Field Day
October 3, 2014

http://youtu.be/0PQtTYheWy8