article thumbnail

Getting the Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) demonstration project off the ground!

Caff

CAFF’s Ecological Farming team has been busy the past several weeks setting up the Biologically Integrated Orchards Systems (BIOS) project at six demonstration sites located in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. The post Getting the Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) demonstration project off the ground!

Orchard 52
article thumbnail

Guide To Starting a Fruit Orchard on Your Farm

Farmbrite

Starting a Fruit Orchard on Your Farm Growing fruit trees or nut trees on your farm is a great way to be more self-sufficient and a great way to add items to your CSA, use the unwanted fruit to supplement feed for your animals, sell at your local farmers market or for personal use. Fruit trees need lots of sun and space to grow properly.

Orchard 52
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Whole-Orchard Nutrient Management & On-Farm Composting at Heartwood Farms

Caff

On April 10th, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) hosted a field day at Heartwood Farms in Linden, CA with farmers Franz Eilers and Emma Wade to discuss all things compost and pest management on their biologically-integrated walnut and cherry orchards. The compost created from ground-up walnut prunings and cover crop mowings.

Compost 52
article thumbnail

The Pawpaw, a Beloved Native Fruit, Could Seed a More Sustainable Future for Small Farms

Civil Eats

They had tasted the hit-or-miss wild varieties that grow in the fertile soil along the Susquehanna River, but got hooked during a visit to Deep Run, a Maryland orchard with a range of pawpaw cultivars among its 1,000 trees. Now, Horn Farm Center runs the show. The Canadian NC1 ripens early, with fewer smooth black seeds than other varieties.

Seeding 141
article thumbnail

BIOS Field Day at Chinchiolo Farms

Caff

(Photo by Nolan Kirby) The Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF) held a Biologically Integrated Orchard System (BIOS) field day at Chinchiolo Farms on April 20th. After a very wet winter, attendees enjoyed the nice weather as they gathered in the orchard to discuss a novel mower prototype, pruning, and nematode management.

Orchard 52
article thumbnail

Unraveling the Mystery of Woolly Aphids

Kavya Organic Farm

Woolly aphids, belonging to the Eriosomatinae family, are intriguing insects that can wreak havoc on plants in gardens and orchards. Here are some specific control methods: Pruning and Sanitation Regularly prune and remove heavily infested plant parts to prevent the spread of aphids to healthier sections of the plant.

Ecology 98
article thumbnail

Peach farmer ‘Mas’ Masumoto talks about farming with ghosts

Food Environment and Reporting Network

On his family’s organic peach, nectarine and grape farm south of Fresno, he points out pruning scars from long-time workers, and walks down rows of trees he planted with his father. He says the labor and lessons of his ancestors are in the soil and the grapevines and orchards, and he’s passing these on to the next generations.

Farming 52