Lodi Blooms Cherry U-Pick will be opening for the season on Mother’s Day Weekend.
Lodi Blooms by the Chinchiolo Farming Co., Inc., is opening for cherry season with a three-day event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 8 through Sunday, May 10, at 11560 N. Lower Sacramento Road in Lodi.
“Come celebrate Mother’s Day and enjoy the first taste of summer at the Lodi Blooms U-Pick opening weekend!” a Lodi Blooms Facebook post states. “Free entry and parking. No reservations required. Pay for what you pick.”
There are a variety of cherries grown at Lodi Blooms: these include Bing, Brooks, Coral Champagne, Lapin and Tulare cherries.
According to the Lodi Blooms and Chinchiolo Farming Co. website, cherry season is usually from mid-May to mid-June. Cherry U-pick days at the orchard are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for general admission and 7 to 8 a.m. for tours and V.I.C.P Pass “Very Important Cherry Picker Season Pass” holders on Friday through Sunday and Memorial Day.
“Nestled in the verdant heart of California, Lodi Blooms is a beautiful and historic orchard that offers a harmonious blend of tradition and forward-thinking practices that culminate in an unmatched cherry experience,” the Lodi Blooms website states.
The history of the Chinchiolo family legacy dates back to a century ago, with James Joseph Chinchiolo, an Italian immigrant, according to the website.
According to previous reporting from The Record, Chinchiolo arrived in the U.S. via Ellis Island from Palermo, Italy, around 1912. He settled in Massachusetts, where he worked as a fruit dealer bringing grapes into Boston from California.
Six years later, Chinchiolo settled in California and founded the Chinchiolo Fruit Company with his brother. They began to grow juice grapes, cherries, pears and more.
“Each generation has expanded and nurtured their agricultural heritage,” the website states. “Today, James Patrick Chinchiolo continues this tradition with the cherry orchard, Lodi Blooms, keeping the family’s dedication to farming alive and thriving.”
James Patrick Chinchiolo is a fourth-generation farmer and the great-grandson of James Joseph Chinchiolo.
According to Lodi Blooms, U-Pick cherries are $6.50 a pound. Cash and credit cards are accepted for payment.
To learn more about the Lodi Blooms Cherry U-Pick, visit chinchiolofarming.com/pages/lodi-blooms.
Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers business and community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Lodi Blooms Cherry U-Pick opens for the season Mother’s Day weekend
Reporting by Angelaydet Rocha, The Stockton Record / The Record
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