December 6 was a cold, damp morning, but spirits certainly lifted for the 15 Young Grower Alliance members as we gathered under the porch of Brown's Farm Market in Loganville, Pa. We were greeted by the cheerful proprietor and his orchard production expert, Stan Brown and Matt Etter respectively, whose building is the quintessential on-site farm market. The market is overflowing with fresh fruit in the entrance room, arranged in eye-catching displays, and both well lit and staffed. Every time I turned there was a friendly face ready to answer a question or assist in finding an item. Stan and Matt walked us through all of the many rooms behind the market floor. The Browns put a lot of effort into finding and/or creating niche items that are hard to replicate elsewhere. In fact, their pies and gift baskets are legendary in the surrounding area! Read more by Alana Anderson here.
IFTA European Study Tour Jen Snavely wrote an article about the IFTA Study Tour, where she visited tree fruit operations in England, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Read what she had to say here and also check out the photos on the IFTA Facebook site!
The Young Grower Alliance visited Kauffman's Fruit Farm and Market in Bird-in-Hand, PA and Cherry Hill Orchards in Lancaster, PA on March 17, 2011.
Corey and Vicky McCleaf also hosted the young growers on a tour of their Biglerville farm before the Penn State Extension Twilight Meeting held in April.
Sidney Kuhn and Ben Wenk wrote articles about both trips that appeared in PA Fruit News. Click on the photo at right to read about the YGA tours:
In late July, growers from North America and beyond boarded three coach buses in Rochester, New York for a pilgrimage to Mecca—Terrance Robinson’s “Mecca of tall spindle apples,” that is. In a tour lasting three days, Cornell Cooperative Extension guided the 2010 International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA) study tour of the western New York fruit industry focused on the tall spindle production system and the machines built for it. The tour stops included old and new tall spindle plantings, grower-built equipment and platforms, innovative high tunnels, and farm markets. The event had strong young grower participation—from stops hosted by first generation horticulturists, to the Young Fruit Growers of Lake Ontario who helped host the tours, and the several Young Grower Alliance (YGA) members who were in attendance.
For a day-by-day review of the study tour, check out this fantastic article by YGA member Russell Holmberg!
June 17, 2009 (Kearneysville/Martinsburg, WV)
In June, the Young Grower Alliance embarked on an all-day journey to West Virginia to tour the USDA Appalachian Fruit Research Station as well as Orr’s Farm Market and Orchards. The purpose of the field trip was two-fold: to give the researchers from the Fruit Research Station direct accessibility to young growers in order to share their newest discoveries and innovations in agriculture, and to expose the young growers to new technologies and business ventures (found at Orr’s Family Farm) in order to encourage future innovations. It was a great educational opportunity for YGA members and it attracted a dozen young farmers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut.
Read all about the trip here in an article by PSU intern Amelia Jarvenin.
July 22, 2009 (Biglerville, PA)
YGA members gathered for a special specialty crop automation session as part of the Penn State FREC Field Day. New innnovations in agriculture were featured, such as mechanical blossom & fruit thinners, novel bin fillers, spray patternators, specialized herbicide applicators, and even orchard robotics!
Participants learned about recent research and applications to their tree fruit operations. Todd Hultquist and Mark Seetin of U.S. Apple Association also met the young growers and shared ideas about promoting tree fruitproducts to the public.
July 16, 2009 (Northborough, MA)
Several members of the Young Grower Alliance attended the MFGA Annual Summer Meeting which was hosted by the Tougas family. Andre Tougas, a YGA member and president of the MFGA, led a tour of his family’s 120 acre pick-your-own farm. Andre highlighted some of the new equipment and techniques he has adopted, including an Italian platform used for tree training, pruning, and harvesting. Participation in the YGA by these progressive growers has inspired research on orchard innovations at institutions such as Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, Purdue, and Washington State Universities.
June 25, 2009 (Flushing, MI)
Jake Koan, a Penn State Cooperative Extension intern and YGA member, hosted a field day with his family at Al-Mar Orchards in Flushing, MI. The Koans own the largest certified organic orchard in the Midwest, and offered a tour of their extensive high-density planting system, apple pressing operation, and packing line. Invited speakers included fruit researchers specializing in organic production methods. While at Penn State, Jake shared stories about the operation’s most innovative methods (e.g., hard cider marketing & production, piglets for pest control)....fascinating!
April 8, 2009 (Princeton, NJ)
Gary, Pam and Tannwen Mount of Terhune Orchards kindly took us on a tour of their family farm, market, greenhouses, and bakery. The farm boasts 36 different crops, a considerable pick-your-own operation, and a year-round farm market. Gary and Tannwen shared their experiences with fruit and vegetable production, while Pam gave the growers some excellent tips for advertising, market lay-outs, and customer service. A summary of the tour by Ellie Hollabaugh Vranich is here.
See the YGA Down Under blog for pictures and details about individual trip stops.
