June 17, 2009 (Kearneysville/Martinsburg, WV)
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.