How We Grow

What exactly is IPM, you ask?  

“A sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health and environment risks.”  

Our aggressive IPM goal is to care for our orchard in the most holistic way possible. By anticipating problems, selecting disease and pest-resistant varieties of trees, keeping our orchard clean, and keeping a close eye on our trees, we try to keep the pests away in the first place!

We use and consider all available tools, and the absolute last resort is to use an application of pesticide. We are always looking to do even better as we learn new best practices.

"Each of us shares in the lasting success of local agriculture. No longer will I assume food just appears at the supermarket regardless of the season. The local growers who provide my sustenance are people I need to know. I understand that their livelihood is intimately connected to the vibrancy of my community.  It matters to me how my food is grown and that it comes from nearby. Paying full worth for a life-enhancing food supply is more than a matter of shopping for the lowest price.  Making agriculture sustainable is as much my responsibility as the farmer’s. "

From The Apple Grower by Michael Phillips