Category Archives: Farming

Heirloom Apple Orchards Get a Nod of Approval

The old apple and pear orchards got a big nod of approval from an expert organic orchardist this month.

On a windy May 11 more than two dozen people came to McCollum Orchards for a Field Day called “The Thorough Orchardist – Planningfor Success with Tree Fruit.” It was organized by the Northeast OrganicFarming Association-NY as a technical consultation for us Journeyperson participants and open to all those interested in learning about planning, planting and caring for organic orchards. We hosted it and gave a brief introduction to the farm and our vision.  The main speaker was an expert orchardist, Mike Biltonen, from Red Jacket Orchards in Genesee, which offers delicious tasting fruit juices and has almost 10 acres certified organic of its 600 acre commercial orchards.

Bracing against a chilly breeze with hot coffee and brownies, we crowded onto the loading dock of the 100-year-old apple packing shed – a fitting place to talk about orcharding.  We covered three main topics:

  • Land preparations needed for a successful orchard
  • Growing requirements of apples and pears (and other tree fruits well-suited to the area)
  • Organic management considerations, financial expectations for tree fruit crops

 

Telling our story about how History + Learning Bears Fruit!


These issues are at the top of our minds as we plan out the 5-10 acres of fruit trees for the u-pick section.  After clearing the final 8 acres this spring, we are at the stage of preparing the soil. Mike explained that, as with other perennial plants, it is much easier to minimize weeds and amend the soil before planting your crop. He recommended ordering hardy rootstock and disease-resistant tree varieties, preferably semi-dwarf or standard as opposed to full dwarfed varieties, which are less hardy. Orchards should be in north-south rows to maximize sunlight.

Pests and diseases came up often during the discussion. The list of insects and diseases for tree fruits is not long, but worth studying to know their insect life cycles and when to expect certain types of pests, such as coddling moths, apple maggots, etc. The typical organic spray is copper.

“The trees used to be thiiiis tall.”

Some orchardists are moving toward holistic methods to disrupt the insect life cycle with pheromones or use other methods like trap trees and adding beneficial insects for more of a balancing act than total control. Aspects of holistic orcharding appeal to us for a couple reasons. Namely, the old trees are simply too tall to spray effectively and we think the trees could be healthy and productive with the right holistic management.

In searching for resources for organic orcharding, apparently, you just have to know who to ask. Mike passed around a chart of disease-resistant rankings of apples that he and other organic growers have been working on for a few years. The Holistic Orchard Network, run by the author Michael Phillips, has a lot of good information and an active forum. They also have a seasonal orchard checklist, which is helpful for busy growers to stay on top of tasks.

Other issues we covered for First Year Orchard Considerations included groundcover, irrigation and fencing and the costs for orchard start-up. We got the recommendation to move away from the conventional orchard grass as a ground cover and toward a diverse group that includes wildflowers to attract pollinators and field radishes if we are concerned about soil compaction. Luckily we plan to plant the cutting flowers between the pears, so that will work out well.

The most fun was when we all trooped out into the orchards and got some hands-on demonstration by Mike on pruning and pest scouting. Now, we have worked hard to bring back the overgrown orchards. But, we know that they are not the prettiest trees. Some are rotted out in the middle. We were prepared for critique. So, our jaws hit the floor when, while looking at the apple orchard, Mike said it looks like a very healthy orchard.  Even though it is overgrown, he is excited about the trees’ potential! The unique variety, Northern Spy, is very appealing and has steady demand. With some more care over the next 3-5 years, we could get an estimated 3,000 bushels from the trees!

Once we picked our jaws up off the ground, we listened to Mike’s recommendations intently. Turns out that we are pruning them too aggressively. Instead of removing all the smaller branches, we should focus on opening up the upper canopy to let through more light to the lower branches and then start training some of the lower shoots to become branches. These will produce fruit in a few years. Training them will give us more low and mid-range bearing surface. So, less work for us in the spring time (but more work harvesting in the fall!) To train the new shoots, we can simply bend them to a 45 degree angle when they are still young and flexible and tie them to the trunk with twine and secured with a nail. If we are worried about the hollowed out branches breaking off, there is no reason we cannot just prop them with posts.

From left: Bree, Mike Biltonen, Rich

It felt great to know that we are on the right track with the trees. The recommendations we received make us more prepared to both bring back the old orchards and plant new orchards, too. Seeing the orchards’ future reminded me of the century-old year old banyan tree in Hawaii, that covers 200 square feet. Or the 150-year-old orange tree in California that has been moved twice from flooding. Or the original Red Delicious apple tree in Peru, Iowa, originally called the Hawkeye, that was cut down several times and kept re-sprouting. In this time of such tragedy in Oklahoma and uncertainty everywhere, being amongst some trees that keep giving despite a harsh climate is a small way to feel some peace and resilience.

Seeing the Veggies through the Trees (Clearing Farmland)

Big news for McCollum Orchards. This fall, we cleared eight acres of overgrown farmland. Over 30 years the property had changed from maintained orchards and farmed land to a scraggly, overgrown wooded area. The land was densely shaded. There were old, rusty trash heaps and burn piles. Beneath the tall swamp maples were rows of dead plum trees. Areas flooded where clay drain tile had broken long ago. Clearing it back to its original plane was the key to bringing the farm back to life. In order to expand production, we need more cleared land to grow vegetables, hops and fruit on.

 

Big changes in just 18 months

In October, we hired a crew recommended for agricultural land clearing. It took them a week to clear eight acres. Watching them work was fascinating. A large dozer uprooted the trees, then pushed them over to the excavator.  With its claw attachment, the excavator would lift a tree high up in the air and drop it. Repeatedly. This shook the top soil off the rootballs. (Afterward, the top soil got spread back onto the land.) The excavator would then do a maneuver where it gripped the tree in the middle, spun around and tossed it on top of the wood pile.  We are stuck with a few, strategically placed, giant piles of deadwood for now.  Whatever can’t be used for firewood will decompose. The piles also still provide the habitat that solitary bees need.

The excavator does its thing

Now, the place is starting to look like a farm again. In fact, the clearing uncovered a massive rock wall made with field boulders along the east side of the apple orchard. What we thought was a natural rise on the land is actually a manmade terrace. From the barn, the vista opens up onto the orchards and wheat field and sky. Many neighbors have stopped by to say how good it looks. Seeing the cleared land lets us visualize what the farm will look like in the future.  That’s both exciting and makes this whole endeavor very, very real!

With the land cleared, we can move ahead with the next several steps that have to be done before we can actually plant anything. First,we tested the soil on the cleared land and are waiting to find out the  composition and if we need to add any amendments.  Then, we need to clean up the stray roots and branches that were left behind and pile up the rocks that got upturned. (Ugh, what a big job.) In the spring, we will do heavy discing to loosen up the soil and smooth it out.

Taking soil cores

Next year, we expect serious weed pressure. The long dormant weed seeds have now been exposed to sunlight. We are already working on a weed management plan with Cornell Cooperative Extensionon how to best manage them next growing season.

Now, we can start to see the forest through the trees, so to speak. The land has taken shape into four main plots. We plan to farm two fields next year and the other two we will prepare for perennial plantings, like berries. We are chomping at the bit to get that beautiful soil back into production.

View of the barn, house and hops yard from the cleared field

 PS: Things that were uncovered in the land clearing: 1) two metal fire escapes 2) a V-8 Engine 3) a swing set 4) half a pick-up truck (not near the engine) 5) countless beer bottles and cans 6) a broken arrowhead 7) a doll’s head 8) a sleigh bell 9) lots of wild garlic

Our First Hop Harvest – A Cascade of Fun

Packaging loads of hops at McCollum Orchards


The hop harvest is in! Saturday, August 25 was our first commercial hop harvest. About 30 people braved the blazing heat to come and harvest a whopping 50 pounds of wet (fresh) Cascade hops!
We teamed up with the fine folks of Community Beer Works – a local nano-brewery – to make the party a success. Along with promoting the event, they brought along a sample of the amazing “Wet Frank,” a rendition of their popular pale ale, wet-hopped with McCollum Orchards’ Centennials harvested a week earlier. Wet Frank debuted at three Buffalo bars Coles’, BlueMonk, and Mr. Goodbar.

We kicked off the harvest party with a tour of the hopsyard and the renovated 100-year-old apple packing shed, where we showed off the dryer and sorting system we recently built. Then, with all eyes on him, Rich climbed a ladder and cut down the first hop bines. Volunteers then took them to the tents and tables in twos, carrying bines between them like a victorious hunting party back from the jungle.

Getting ready to harvest the first hop bines
Soon, everyone was gathered around long tables set up under tents and harvesting. In no time, full bushel baskets of fresh-picked cones were ready to be sorted. Rich and a smaller group managed the sorting station inside the hop house. They spread the thousands of fragrant, emerald green cones on 3×6-foot burlap-covered screen trays, and cleaned out extraneous stems (called sprigs) and leaves before sliding the trays into the dryer. As an aside, most large, commercial hop merchants require at least 96% “clean” hops from farms. But, our pickers and sorters did such a good job that our harvest was 99.9% clean!

Check out the lupulin inside the dried hop cone


The party was a place for people to get acquainted and have fun around loads of fresh hops. The crowd was a great mix of homebrewers, hops growers and local Lockportians. We were thrilled that local brewers joined us. In addition to C.B.W., folks from Big Ditch Brewing, Gene McCarthy’s, and Nickel City Brewing came out. Our good friend set up a homebrewing demonstration with fresh (wet) hops that had just been picked.

Pouring the Brew


Our friend, and top-notch wine and beer writer for New York Cork Report, Julia, posted a superb write-up about the harvest. (And here’s C.B.W.’s write-up, too.) The harvest was the culmination of over a year and a half of hard work and problem-solving to grow the hops into healthy bines. Seeing her report and everyone’s photos of brewing with McCollum Orchards’ wet hops was, in a word, awesome.

Getting to harvest them and see them put to good use in local brews made the whole endeavor come full circle. I’ll leave you with this image. As you turned in a circle, you could see the hopsyard, the harvest under the tents, the sorters and drying, the homebrew demo and a finished keg being enjoyed. Now, that’s a “farm to table” event – something only local producers can achieve together.

Results of a very good day


At the end of the looong day, a full seven pounds of fresh hops went home with local homebrewers…and 43 pounds went into the dryer! A week later, we packaged and stored 11 pounds of dried Cascade hops. They, along with our Nuggets and Centennials, are available at the farmstand on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and maybe more locations soon. We cannot believe the harvest is nearly over this year. We are already thinking up ideas to make next year’s harvest party even better. A big, huge, hoppy thank you to everyone who made our first harvest a success!

Pennies, Pipes and Prophecies

We are pretty sure we got a sign from the ancestors on Monday.

Raised beds made from old stone windowsills (used to be along driveway)

On Monday evening, Rich was finishing up a few raised beds in the garden. He reused some old stone windowsills as edgers. The beds will house herbs and lettuce this year. Once more acreage gets cleared, we plan to convert this garden space into a designated herb and “show-and-tell” garden.

One idea is to plant a historical ‘1883 garden.’ Last fall, while organizing some old papers, Rich found a seed purchase receipt from the farm dated April, 1883. It is fascinating to see what the family grew four generations ago. Rich had the idea to try to find the same seed varieties and plant an ‘1883 Garden’ in 2013 – for the 130th anniversary. We want to get school groups involved as a fun way to learn about farming and history.

Back to Monday night. Rich, who has a knack for finding things (which is probably why he enjoyed archaeology), swung the hoe into the soil and caught the glint of metal. He bent down and picked up a small, round, earth-caked object. He brushed off the dirt and corrosion and discovered a coin.

With a little more cleaning, he realized it was an Indian Head Penny dated 1883. Right in the place where we plan to plant the 1883 Garden! We have a saying around here, when something that we need or have been looking for suddenly appears, that ‘The House Giveth.’ But, this find takes it to a new level.

1883 Indian Head Penny found in the garden


When we are so busy with hard work that is also so new to us, and a future that is largely unknown to us, we cannot help but want a little sign that we are on the right track. This was one of those moments that makes you marvel at the many ways this old house connects our past to our future. We feel lucky to just be here now, right where we are.

Hope it’s not a pipe dream! (Clay pipe from early 1800s)


PS: The very next day Rich also found an old clay tobacco pipe in the same area. What could our ancestors be hinting at now?

Farming in the City: Variances Approved

In the springtime


We are very happy to report that all of our variance applications were approved on Tuesday by the city zoning board! This is a huge step in our efforts toward trying to save this family farm property. The meeting proceedings even made it into the local news, in the Lockport Union Sun & Journal and the Buffalo News.

The Process

We found out last month that the whole 100-acre property, that has always been farmland, was zoned residential. In order to operate it as a farm, we needed to apply for variances for land use, retail to sell in the barn, some signs and a place for people to park. Notices were sent to all our neighbors. Well, since we are located in a city, that totaled about 60 residences around the perimeter of the property. The process included a zoning board meeting that is open to the public. About 40 people attended and were able to hear our proposed plans and voice their concerns and opinions. We were able to address them with further clarifications. In the end, the board passed each of the variances unanimously.

Next, the plans go through the County Planning Board for recommendations. This is because our property line touches the town border. After that, they will go through the City Planning Board. These address more technical issues, such as size of the parking lot. For this, we will have to hire a landscape architect because all the plans need to be drawn up to scale.

This was an unexpected process to do this Spring. But, just like healthy soil for plants, we realized that it is a necessary step to make sure our farm business is on a solid foundation. Fortunately, the process has been well laid out and people have been very helpful, even though it is uncommon for the city to see this kind of business start up. We’ve come to find out that it is not all that uncommon anymore. More and more farms are being tilled in private and vacant lots in cities around the country.

Barn & sheds, view from the yard

We’re Not Alone

To prepare for the meeting and for our own knowledge, we reached out to friends who knew about the urban agriculture movement and to pretty much anyone who might be able to provide information or share experiences. We got a lot of responses. A school friend active in Louisville’s local food movement was even willing to help go through ordinances with us. It is not just farmer’s markets anymore. People are moving the farming right into the cities.

We were surprised and thrilled with what is occurring across the country. In February, the Boston mayor kicked off a zoning process to encourage community farming, as it beautifies the city and widens access to fresh, healthy food to people who can’t usually get it. In 2010, Cleveland passed a very progressive recoding policy to make it as easy as possible to start farming in the city limits because it attracts and keeps residents. One of Milwaukee’s two booming urban farms, Growing Power, is hosting the 2012 Urban & Small Farm Conference: Growing the Good Food Revolution. In Buffalo, there are four gardens/farms that we learned of who are growing fresh produce within the city limits: Wilson Street Urban Farm, Queen City Farm, and Cold Spring Coop, and the Massachusetts Avenue Project aquaponics project. Right here in Lockport, Hall Apple Farm is a historic farm that is in both Lockport the city and the town.

So far, we have mostly thought of our efforts as preserving this special house and property that has somehow remained intact and in the family by making it our home and restarting the farm. This week, we realized how much bigger it is than just our little corner. It is connected to the neighborhood, the city, and even to a trend that is taking a many people back to their roots and to the roots. We may have many more meetings to attend and rows to hoe, but we are more committed to offering fresh locally grown produce from our barn doors. Thank you to all those who have encouraged us along the way.

Sunset over the fence