Growing Methods

Organic Apples in the Northeast

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Growing Methods

We manage our entire farm
organically, but our
organic apple production
sets us apart.

      Apples: "The Holy Grail" of Organics

      Talking with growers in the Northeast, reading about extension projects, and searching for data on organic apple production in our state and region yields information that is conflicting, inconclusive, and confusing (aka, "the jury is still out").

       The wet, humid climate of the Northeast and heavy pest pressure make growing marketable apples a daunting task. Consumers are used to large, blemish-free fruit. Conventional apples as a commodity crop leave the grower so little profit margin that earning premium prices for fancy grade fruit are necessary to cover costs. It is really hard growing apples 'by the book,' let alone on a track that some consider at best to be experimental and is by others' evaluation impossible. By our observation, efficacy of organic tools is exceedingly weather-dependent and results are much more variable than in conventional systems.

                  We've weathered many different storms, so to speak, and
                 we're proud to have the privilege of continuing on this course.


~ This means we sell our fruit directly to the customer whenever possible, on farm and pick-your-own.
      ~ We market tote bags of mixed #1 quality and fancy grade fruit for fresh eating. This is the part where the educated consumer, knowing that a perfect apple isn't all its cracked up to be, helps us stay in the organic game.

          What is "#1 quality?" Probably better looking than pre-WWII apples were!
      Apples do exist in small sizes, or with superficial blemishes (such as scab or the dark blush of sooty blotch).
     These apples (#1 quality) are delicious, and as a result of our management,      have more phytochemical nutrients (the good stuff) and are clean of synthetic residues.

      ~ We press and wholesale fresh sweet cider and ferment our own raw apple cider vinegar for sale in bulk to dairy farmers and, as of recently, for bottling on-farm and distributing for table use.

      ~ We also press apple cider for trade with local wineries.

      ~ We grow a variety of crops to spread the risk around, including rhubarb, blueberries, stone fruits like peaches and plums, row crops, acres of winter squash, pears, greenhouse tomatoes, and now pastured pork, chicken, and eggs.

We go beyond IPM and low-spray methodology to produce apples with NO SYNTHETIC RESIDUE.
Highly sophisticated laboratory tests have confirmed that our fruit is clean of synthetic residues. No organophosphates, period!

Cultural techniques are critically important in maintaining orchard health in our organic system.
A systems-level approach to understanding apple tree biology also includes a familiarity with the complexities of orchard microbiology. Timing of mowing, careful planning of fertilizing, timed response to disease pressure, disruption of pest cycles, and pruning techniques are hallmarks of our program.
The law of 'know the why in order to understand the how' applies here.

Our spray materials are naturally occuring and elemental in form.
This means that the sprays don't break down into substances that are more toxic than the original spray. These materials include calpolysulphate (calcium, lime, sulfur), and plant compounds such as seaweed solution, extract of garlic and chrysanthemums, and oil of neem. Experiments with biological compounds to combat rots have proven promising.

Our spray materials nourish and protect the orchard ecosystem as a whole.
We see proof of orchard health in the biological diversity: more beneficials give us very low mite populations, forages nurture healthy and active colonies of bumblebees. Since going organic we've documented nests of woodcocks in the orchard and gazed at numerous hawks, owls, buntings, bluebirds, grouse, scarlet tanagers, orioles- even a clutch of turtle eggs in the middle of our adjoining strawberry field!