Pioneering organic apple growing in the Northeast
There’s a reason why most domestically-grown organic apples found in grocery stores come from the West coast (and not orchards local to the Northeast). Our humid climate doubles the numbers of diseases that growers in our region must handle compared to those out West.
While tree fruit growing conditions in the Northeast are challenging — high humidity encourages fungal disease and scab — the mineral-rich soils and cool fall days and nights produce a superior apple.
We are partial to fresh picked apples off the Vermont hills. We are also partial to our organically grown fruit that is the result of decades of on-farm investment in research and grower-driven experimentation.
Our farm received our first organic certification in 1996. To our knowledge, we are the only commercial-sized organic operation in the Northeast. Every year is different and we are always learning, refining, and experimenting with ways to bring a healthy crop through the often very wet seasons of Vermont weather (growing increasingly extreme under the changing climate). We combine our growing program with adding value to non-marketable fruit via on-farm cider and vinegar production.
Nearly all of our produce is farmed with only allowed organic practices and materials. For a much smaller portion (roughly 15% of the apples we raise) we employ a practice that provides what we call “clean fruit“.
This “clean fruit” approach applies to that small portion of apples, only — not the rest of our produce:
- Blueberries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plums
- Grapes
- All vegetable crops
Organic vs. Conventional vs. “Clean Fruit”
What is “organic”?
“Organic” is not just a philosophy about sustainability, but is a strictly defined labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through without synthetic pesticides, disease control agents, or fertilizers.
OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) provides review of materials, such as spray materials and fertilizers, and determines if they are allowed for use in organic production.
Most of our fruit is grown using only OMRI-allowed spray materials and fertilizers, like we have done for 20+ years as certified organic. We see results of our more gentle, sustainable practices not just in residue-free crops, but in the healthy populations of songbirds, ground-dwelling birds and animals, ponds full of amphibians, and many beneficial pollinators.
What is “conventional”?
Conventional fruit growing broadly describes a disease and pest management program reliant on synthetic fungicides and insecticides. These methods are employed by most farms, especially orchards in the Northeast, given the wet climate and efficacy of the materials in managing disease and pest pressure unique to our region.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a common component of conventional programs, and can refer to using biological controls, insect trapping, or other ecosystem-based methods. IPM has high utility because it helps reduce usage of expensive synthetic pesticides. The marketing of IPM-grown fruit can be confusing to consumers, as growers typically do not ever use more spray than necessary by default (costly inputs reduce crop values).
What is EcoCertified — Are “eco apples” organic?
Similarly to IPM, where the “eco apples” or “eco certified” label is applied, this fruit is grown using methods including IPM techniques, synthetic pesticide sprays, and synthetic fungicides for disease control.
Neither EcoCertified nor IPM are the same thing as organic — both fall under the conventional umbrella.
What is “clean fruit”?
The “clean fruit” protocol at Dwight Miller Orchards concentrates on a brief, pivotal timeframe early during the fruit’s growth cycle. During this time, a targeted conventional spray program gets the crop through a short, critical period of time.
The final 3-4+ months of the fruit’s growth period happen without any conventional spray methods. This assures that fruit tests negative for any synthetic insecticides and fungicides at harvest time.
Clean fruit practice
Why “clean fruit”?
- Provides healthy, delicious fruit to our customers.
- Allows our family farm to be resilient and self-sustaining in the face of unpredictable, and often wet, northeast springs.
- Teaches the next generation of our farm how to problem solve and employ all of the orchard practices – both organic and conventional, to carry on our family tradition of growing apples.
