I wanted to write a blog today to talk about our pest management practices at Mt. View Orchards. We care for our land and how we raise our fruit matters to the friends of our farm so I thought I would share more about our farming philosophy because I think there are a lot of questions and concerns about we protect our trees, bees, people and harvests here on the farm.
As many of you know we live right in the heart of our 50+ acre orchard. My dear ole parent's home was completed 6 days before I was born and growing up here as a farm kid was absolutely magical. I have so many fond memories running through sprinklers with my sibs, catching frogs, picking peaches, milking our dairy cow Alice and picking apples right off the tree to take to school with me as I walked to the bus stop.
My parents went to University of Oregon in the 60's and were school teachers in the Eugene/Springfield area till they got pregnant with my older sister and decided they wanted to grow fruit for their community. So they moved back to Parkdale and farmed right besides my grandparents and aunties and uncles here in the Hood River Valley in the early 1970's.
The style of pest management we use here is called Integrated pest management (IPM). IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Soft sprays are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed according to established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment.
We are farmers who love love love bees, lady bugs, swallows/birds, fish, rivers teaming with life, rich soil, their loyal employees, their families, their kids, their neighbors and our communities. We are a generous farm and we provide fruit each and every year for local schools, youth groups, non profits, the oregon food bank, the Christmas project and more. We grow fruit for our communities and we care deeply about growing a harvest that is equally safe as it is delicious. It is very expensive to grow fruit and we cannot afford as farmers to certify organic. But it is our commitment to grow fruit for you all and we feel ethically good about raising. Mt. View Orchards is our HOME and want everything farmers here to be 100% safe for all living creatures.
Did you know we have an All Fruit CSA and we would love for you to friend our farm and consider joining it. Please sign up here. xoxo your grateful farmer, Trina