By C.J. Walke, Orchard Program Manager Sometimes I feel like a broken record, skipping back to the same themes and concepts, but always out of concern for organic growers and backyard orchardists who are just as susceptible, if not more so, to the common challenges of growing organic tree fruit in the Northeast as we
By C.J. Walke, Orchard Program Manager Plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) is considered one of the most destructive insect pests in apple and plum orchards and has been referred to as the “Achilles’ heel” of organic orcharding because of the difficulty controlling this pest with cultural methods and materials approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute
By C.J. Walke, Orchard Program Manager As we approach the end of winter and the beginning of spring, one of our favorite and best-attended orchard events is the Seed Swap & Scion Exchange held near the end of March each year. This year, the event is on March 24, from noon to 4 p.m., at
By Lauren Cormier I was one of many volunteers at the first tree planting day in the Maine Heritage Orchard eight years ago in the spring of 2014. Then, hardly a plant was in sight within the precipitous gravel pit that descended sharply to a pond. It had recently been terraced and regraded when we
By Anson Biller The appearance of the first taproots of our future chestnut trees emerging from their shells was a pivotal moment at Full Fork Farm in China, Maine. Never mind that I was observing them after the seeds had sat in plastic bags in a walk-in cooler for four months. This was big: The
By Jack Kertesz Within a few weeks, the threat of our most frigid temperatures should abate and pruning work can begin with the assurance of less damage to trees. This is a good time to take the opportunity to review the condition of all tools used to make these cuts and apply the appropriate response.
By Jacob Mentlik There is a lot more than just apples growing at the Maine Heritage Orchard. While most commercial orchards lean toward monoculture, featuring long even rows of one particular species of fruit tree, the goal at MHO is to create a polyculture orchard, with many species growing together in harmony, mimicking the diversity
By Lauren Cormier Even with the best intentions of buying local and avoiding produce from many miles away, it can be difficult to resist the temptation of apricots when they’re sitting on the grocery store shelf. It might be our only chance to eat them! Apricots are a stone fruit along with peaches, plums, cherries,
By Sonja Heyck-Merlin In Denver, Colorado, Steve Farr was a full-time computer systems engineer at a university and later at a consulting firm. “Being gone 10 to 12 hours a day, I felt like I hardly knew my children,” he says. “I wanted to do something different, and my wife Kari and I came to
By Jacob Mentlik “Most fruits which we prize and use depend entirely on our care … but the apple emulates man’s independence and enterprise … making its way amid the aboriginal trees.” -Henry David Thoreau It is believed that the origin of the apples we all know and love can be traced back to south
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