My orchard was USDA certified organic for about 10 years. In the beginning, it was small growers working hard and petitioning the USDA for recognition. When we finally got it, big ag moved in and threw us under the bus. The organic/conventional differential premiums became just much for them, I guess, esp when when they could write the …
My orchard was USDA certified organic for about 10 years. In the beginning, it was small growers working hard and petitioning the USDA for recognition. When we finally got it, big ag moved in and threw us under the bus. The organic/conventional differential premiums became just much for them, I guess, esp when when they could write the rules, and have retailers force us out. Certification soon got too expensive, and the rules were a joke. Cases in point--transitioning guides for conventional to organic. And what stuck in my throat are crop boundaries. In some of the windiest orchards in the nation (think pesticide drift), grower organic and conventional plots are side by side. New regs allow this, but growers are told that the crop of the first 6 organic rows will be marketed conventionally. Yep, the honor system, rows are quite narrow, depending on rootstock, and the main tool of the orchardist is the sprayer/mister.
I 100% agree with buying from someone you know, whether certified or not.
I did some for a bit, loved them, but the diseases were too much for me to control organically, and quite a few trees died each year. Generally, I could get a whip grown out and have 2-3 years of production, then Katie bar the door. The last of the trees were cut down this spring, not worth it.
There are organic peach growers, I think variety selection is crucial. I had selected for heirloom and new cultivars climatically adapted for my site. Talk with local, reputable nurseries for disease resistant cultivars suited for organic production in your area.
Selecting for disease resistance is tantamount for the home grower, especially for tree fruits. If their care becomes too much, or you grow tired of the work, or whatever, cut the tree down. Otherwise, your trees become the reservoir for the fruit's pathogens.
Thanks for the tips. I learned over the years that peach trees are replaced every few years. I have 2 now, one has already had curly leaf fungus despite my best efforts to buy a tree that would be resistant! I'll keep trying. I haven't noticed other diseases however, not even the borer worms.
I have 2 plum trees, Italian or German variety that bear fruit late in the season and find them easy to grow and care for. My neighbour has pears, bosc and bartlett grafted onto 1 tree that are also easy care.
In my area, I don't know of any growers growing organic peaches. I'm in southern Ontario.
My orchard was USDA certified organic for about 10 years. In the beginning, it was small growers working hard and petitioning the USDA for recognition. When we finally got it, big ag moved in and threw us under the bus. The organic/conventional differential premiums became just much for them, I guess, esp when when they could write the rules, and have retailers force us out. Certification soon got too expensive, and the rules were a joke. Cases in point--transitioning guides for conventional to organic. And what stuck in my throat are crop boundaries. In some of the windiest orchards in the nation (think pesticide drift), grower organic and conventional plots are side by side. New regs allow this, but growers are told that the crop of the first 6 organic rows will be marketed conventionally. Yep, the honor system, rows are quite narrow, depending on rootstock, and the main tool of the orchardist is the sprayer/mister.
I 100% agree with buying from someone you know, whether certified or not.
Great comment & thanks for the info. Did you grow peaches? I'd still love to know if it's possible to grow organic peaches. I've never seen them.
I did some for a bit, loved them, but the diseases were too much for me to control organically, and quite a few trees died each year. Generally, I could get a whip grown out and have 2-3 years of production, then Katie bar the door. The last of the trees were cut down this spring, not worth it.
There are organic peach growers, I think variety selection is crucial. I had selected for heirloom and new cultivars climatically adapted for my site. Talk with local, reputable nurseries for disease resistant cultivars suited for organic production in your area.
Selecting for disease resistance is tantamount for the home grower, especially for tree fruits. If their care becomes too much, or you grow tired of the work, or whatever, cut the tree down. Otherwise, your trees become the reservoir for the fruit's pathogens.
Thanks for the tips. I learned over the years that peach trees are replaced every few years. I have 2 now, one has already had curly leaf fungus despite my best efforts to buy a tree that would be resistant! I'll keep trying. I haven't noticed other diseases however, not even the borer worms.
I have 2 plum trees, Italian or German variety that bear fruit late in the season and find them easy to grow and care for. My neighbour has pears, bosc and bartlett grafted onto 1 tree that are also easy care.
In my area, I don't know of any growers growing organic peaches. I'm in southern Ontario.