June 10, 2022
While in Alamogordo, NM, I wanted to tour a pistachio grove, but I didn’t want to walk on my sore ankle. I noticed Pistachio Land had open air tour buses. I felt I could easily do a sitting tour.
So on Wednesday, we walked over to Pistachio Land since it was just across the road from the campground.
The tours start on the hour until close. Bruce paid for the tickets and I think tickets were $3.50 a person.
Here, I am posing with the world’s largest pistachio.
They had some picnic tables by the pistachio sculpture and some old farm equipment.
We went on the tour in this little green open air bus.
The tour started at the vineyards. The grapes vines were loaded with grapes.
The tour continued to the pistachio groves. The first pistachios were planted 40 years ago. Due to the nature of the soil, the pistachios are all grafted trees. The root stock is mesquite, the trunk is oak, and the top is pistachio.
They have two types of pistachios, but I don’t reprehensible names. One is rosy while it grows and the other is green. Pistachios are male and female trees.
The tour guide mentioned they did free wine tasting. Bruce wanted to try the wine. He enjoyed his wine tasting enough to buy two bottles of wine.
It was a fun tour and the tour guide was very informative about the grapes and pistachios.
Retirement RV Dream 
I would not have thought of New Mexico as a wine-producing locale. I am guessing the root stock is mesquite because of the tree’s ability to send deep roots for water?
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Yes, and it is tough enough to handle the saline water. Alamogordo used to be a sea at one point and it left the water somewhat salty. The rains in July and August flush the salt from the soil, but it will build up again as the trees are watered.
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I’ve never seen pistachios growing on a tree. Thanks for the photos.
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I hadn’t seen pistachios growing before either. It was interesting and fun to see.
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Julia,
It sounds like you’re having a lot of (informative) fun. That’s great! Hope the ankle continues to improve.
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I over did yesterday and my ankle is swollen more again. Ah, more icing it and I will do better about staying off of it.
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What a fun and interesting tour. It never would’ve occurred to me to visit a pistachio farm so I’ll check if there’s such a thing in Sicily where they’re grown.
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It was worth it! The pistachios we purchased were the best we’ve had.
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How much water do they pull to grow those nuts? It seems strange to me, too, to grow them in such an arid climate.
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One gallon a day. They are native to Iran and Iraq so the climate is very similar.
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Such a nice place!
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