M IDWEST O RGANIC T REE F RUIT G ROWERS N ETWORK

J UST P ICKED
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3 F ALL 2009

W ELCOME AND F AREWELL

-Deirdre Birmingham
In this Fall 2009 issue of Just
Picked you will find informa-
tion on and an application
for the new Organic Tree
Fruit Association. Be sure
to consider joining this
unique association of grow-
ers that has grown out of
our Network through the
efforts of its advisory coun-
cil.
Another development is the
increased support coming to
organic farmers from the
USDA. Read about two
programs that you should
consider using: EQIP and
CSP.
And to continue the alpha-
bet soup, crop disaster assis-
tance, known as NAP, has
an important November
deadline approaching for
2010 coverage.
Patty McManus updates us
on research on the use of
copper to control cherry
leaf spot.
Michigan State University
researchers update us on
their ongoing research with
Jim Koan of Al-Mar Or-
chards to integrate organic
pork and apple production.
Jim also provides an outline
of his 2009 management
strategies and thoughts that
he shared at our June field
day at his orchard. Matt
Grieshop updates us on his
work with Jim to grow hops
organically as a complemen-
tary crop to apples. Nu-
merous handouts from that
field day are up on our web-
site.
Lorraine Berkett of the Uni-
versity of Vermont and her I NSIDE TH IS ISSUE :
research and extension team
have received continued
M ANAGING SCAB 2
funding for the OrganicA
R ESISTANT
project from the USDA
A PPLES
Organic Research and Edu-
cation Initiative. Their pro- D ISASTER 2
ject objectives are outlined. C OVERAGE
Janna Beckerman has a new A PPLE P ROJECT 3
Purdue University Exten- E XTENDED
sion publication on manag-
ing scab-resistant apple va- USDA R EWARDS 4
rieties. While these are G ROWERS
highly recommended for F I EL D D AY
6
organic growers, they also R ECAP
require an integrated man-
O R GA NIC A PPLE 7
agement approach to keep
H OUR
scab at bay. Kathleen De-
late of Iowa State University C O PPER S ULFATE 8
released a new publication F UNGICIDE
at our August field day ti-
tled “Organic Apple Pro-
A PPLE & H OG 9
duction in Iowa.” Thank
P RO DU CT IO N
(Continued on page 2)
O R GA NIC H OPS 9
OTFA U PDA TE 10

Deirdre Birmingham, Network Coordinator

Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network OTFA 11
7258 Kelly Rd., A PPL ICA TIO N
Mineral Point, WI 53565 C ALE NDAR 12
TEL: 608-967-2362
deirdreb@mindspring.com
Network http://www.mosesorganic.org/treefruit/intro.htm
Newsletter layout by Anna Maenner, ACM Inc.

Funded by the USDA Risk Management Agency

P AGE 2
W ELCOME AND F AREWELL C ONT ’ D
(Continued from page 1)
you to Paul Rasch for hosting that event.
Samuel Pratsch encourages you to use the Eco-Apple and Organic
Apple Conference call recordings.
Many of our growers are interested in heirloom apples for market-
ing purposes, while many more are concerned with preserving the
biodiversity of apples. Read about Slow Food’s Renewing Amer-
ica’s Food Traditions Project that is working to conserve apple bio-
diversity in the Great Lakes region.
And lastly, as planned, this is my last issue of Just Picked. When I
started helping form this grower Network and provide its services, I
had just grafted my first 200 trees. Now my trees are more numer-
ous, more are to be planted, and they are starting to bear fruit. So
my orchard needs me. Yet I look forward to continuing with you to
share information and encourage research to improve the organic
production and marketing of tree fruits in the Midwest.
“Organic Apple Production in Iowa”
is a new Extension bulletin by Kathleen
Delate at Iowa State University.
Contact her at kdelate@iastate.edu or
515-294-7069 for a copy.
D ISASTER P ROGRAM —C ROP I NSURANCE
The Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, known as
NAP, is a Farm Service Agency program that has provisions for un-
insured crops such as tree fruits. The NAP “was designed to reduce
financial losses that occur when natural disasters cause a catastrophic
loss of production.” It provides coverage similar to catastrophic
crop insurance provided by insurance agents. See the Fall 2008 issue
of Just Picked, page 9, for a grower in our Network who uses NAP
and the USDA’s “limited resource farmer” provision.
One must apply for the coverage by specific dates. For tree fruits the
date is November 20,, 2009 for coverage in 2010. The form to be
completed is called CCC-471. An application fee of $250 per crop
applies with a limit of $750 per county in which you have crops.
The application fee is waived for limited resource farmers. Limited
resource producer status can be determined using the USDA Lim-
ited Resource Farmer and Rancher Online Self Determination Tool
at http://www.lrftool.sc.egov.usda.gov/tool.asp .
J UST P ICKED
M ANAGING S CAB R ESISTANT A PP LES
Janna Beckerman of Purdue University provided information on
managing scab resistant apple varieties in our Spring 2009 issue of
Just Picked. Further information is now available in an Extension
bulletin titled “Managing Scab-Resistant Apples” at http://
www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-76-W.pdf .
She also adds: “We have found scab on Enterprise, Pristine, Pixie
Crunch, Redfree and Liberty.” So “effectively managing these trees
to prevent further erosion of scab-resistance” is key. “Successful
apple scab management …combines resistant cultivars, good horti-
cultural practices, sanitation, and fungicides.”
An excerpt from her Extension bulletin relevant to you now is
“Sanitation.” “The fungus that causes apple scab overwinters on
fallen leaves and develops fruiting bodies in the spring. Thus, a key
step in apple scab management involves preventing fruit body for-
mation.” “Growers can increase leaf decomposition and prevent
the apple scab fungus from successfully overwintering on fallen leaf
litter. Mulch mowing or flail mowing in the fall or early spring
(prior to green tip) to shred leaf litter can reduce the risk of scab by
80 to 95 percent if all of the leaf litter is shredded.”
Importantly—“The incorporation of Vf-resistance into commercial
apples has successfully protected apples against scab since 1926. By
implementing and integrating a few minor management tactics,
growers can protect this valuable genetic resource for use in future
breeding efforts and reduce the amount of pesticides necessary for
apple disease management.”
AND NAP U PDATES
When one has NAP coverage, they must file a “Notice of Loss”
within 15 days of when the loss is apparent. The causes for loss of
tree fruits are usually freezing temperatures in the spring and hail.
For more information on NAP coverage, contact your nearest Farm
Service Agency office.
The 2008 Farm Bill created permanent disaster programs for a vari-
ety of crops and livestock. Many of the disaster programs created
through the 2008 farm bill require some level of crop insurance cov-
erage, the “Risk Management Purchase Requirements.” Producers
must be aware of these requirements for 2009 and future years if
they want to be eligible for benefits under these programs once a
crop loss or disaster occurs.
Excellent information on crop insurance for organic growers can be
found on the MOSES website under Resources at http://
www.mosesorganic.org/cropinsurance.html . Check out the AGR-
Lite that is currently offered in WI, MN, IL and more.
P AGE 3
U NIVERSITY OF V ERMONT O RGANIC A PPLE P ROJECT E XTENDED
Lorraine Berkett, Professor of Plant Pathology and IPM Specialist
at the University of Vermont, reports that their project titled “Using
New Alternatives to Enhance Adoption of Organic Apple
Production through Integrated Research and Extension”
has been funded by the USDA Organic Research & Extension Initia-
tive for another three years. Congratulations! And now for some
excerpts from her project summary.
While apples are an important component of New England's diversi-
fied agriculture, there are very few organic apple orchards in New
England, in part, because of the challenges of growing their tradi-
tional apple cultivar, McIntosh. Growers want to know the potential
for sustainable and profitable organic production with newer apple
cultivars that are being planted in the region.
The project will explore the following:
1. Cultivars and Organic Apple Systems: The research initiated in
2006 to determine the opportunities and challenges of organic
apple production with the five cultivars planted in two orchard
systems will continue in the two certified organic orchards at the
UVM Horticultural Farm in South Burlington, VT. In essence,
this is a feasibility/profitability study asking the following ques-
tions:
(i) What are the opportunities and challenges of
organic apple production with the five cultivars planted in
the two orchard systems? These cultivars are: Ginger Gold,
Honeycrisp, Liberty, Macoun and Zestar! The two orchard
systems compared are a new orchard planted with young
nursery trees and an older orchard top-grafted to the new
varieties.
(ii) Is organic apple production profitable and sus-
tainable with the knowledge and tools we have and with
these cultivars?
(iii) Will there be a long-term difference in profit-
ability between the two organic orchard systems?
2. Field-Test the Impacts of Seaweed Products: The questions we
seek to answer include:
(i) Given adequate mineral nutrition and water
availability, is there an effect on tree growth, fruit yield and
quality, attributable to applications of commonly used sea-
weed products?
(ii) Does application of seaweed products increase
tree health such that incidence of disease and arthropod
damage is reduced on fruit and foliage?
(iii) Can the use of seaweed products improve tree
health to a point where they can better resist attack from
pests, thereby reducing the need for pesticides used in the
orchards?
J UST P ICKED
3. Ground Cover Management. The University of Maine will con-
duct research on ground cover management for weed control.
Ground cover management strategies of close mowing, mulching,
and an organic herbicide will be compared on Honeycrisp trees on
G.11 and M.26 as to their impact on weeds and tree health.
4. Extension and Outreach. They will provide information via their
OrganicA website (below) and eOrganic, organized tours of organic
apple farms and of their research orchards, organize a regional work-
shop and develop a Practical Guide to Organic Apple Production.
Read more about this project, its weekly blog with photos during
the growing season, and its first Progress Report for 2006- 2009 at
http://www.uvm.edu/organica/ .
You can contact Prof. Berkett at lorraine.berkett@uvm.edu.
A PPLES AT R ISK !
The upper midwestern states surrounding the Great Lakes host
tremendous food diversity from both its native and immigrant
cultures. However, since World War II, this food diversity has
been diminishing, including 36 apple varieties.
“Right now most grocery store chains sell just eleven varieties.
But there used to be thousands of varieties eaten … across the
country,” according to Dan Bussey who has maintained a diverse
orchard of heirloom and cider apples in Edgerton, Wisconsin for
29 years. The reasons for this decline are varied. Bussey be-
lieves the changing economics of orchard production and market-
ing, and the increasing age of the average orchard-keeper are
among them. Gary Nabhan, founder of the RAFT Alliance (see
below) laments that “we are not merely losing heirloom apple
varieties in the upper Midwest, but we are also losing America’s
unique apple culture.” The “Shiawassee Beauty, Milwaukee, Pe-
waukee, St. Lawrence and Windsor Chief formerly reminded
many of the deep relationships that linked particular foods to
particular places and cultural communities. Fortunately, the
dozens of farmers’ markets and community-supported agricul-
ture projects in the Midwest are rekindling interest in place-
based heritage foods.”
Slow Food has initiated a project with a host of partners called
Renewing America’s Food Traditions or RAFT. For example,
they are linking chefs with orchardists who can help them explain
to customers the best uses for these heirloom apples, such as
pies, sauces, and juice.
C HECK OUT TWO NEW PIECES ON THE RAFT WEBSITE
HTTP :// WWW. SLOWFOODUSA . ORG / INDEX. PHP /
PROGRAMS / RAFT _ DETAIL / RESOURCES /.
(Continued on page 11)
P AGE 4
USDA R EWARDS O RGANIC P RODUCERS
-by Harriet Behar of MOSES and adapted by Deirdre Birmingham for tree
fruit growers
The 2008 farm bill recognized that natural resource conser-
vation and organic agriculture share many of the same goals. Two
programs, EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) and CSP
(Conservation Stewardship Program), offer cash benefits to organic
farmers. It is important that all organic growers know about and use
these programs to help them be better stewards of their land re-
sources. For growers transitioning orchards to organic management,
this program could help ease the transition costs.
These USDA programs recognize and reward farmers for the
beneficial activities they pay for and maintain that provide a healthy
environment for people and wildlife. Since the vast majority of our
land is privately owned, these programs are a way to help private
landowners ‘do the right thing’ for natural resource conservation and
protection.
Some programs have a “continuous sign-up”, with periodic
times when the farmers who have signed up by a specific date are then
ranked in a pool. New applications can continue to be accepted after
signup dates, which will then be ranked in the subsequent ranking
period.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
The EQIP program had three parts that can help organic
farmers.
1. The main EQIP program is open to all farmers and
encourages them to address a specific resource concern, (such as wa-
ter quality), with payments for specific activities, (such as cover crops
or nutrient management planning). Each county has separate pools
that are ranked for payment according to the importance of the re-
source concern and the effectiveness of the activity to address that
resource concern.
There are specific dollar amounts given, state by state, for
specific practices. For example, in Wisconsin, cover crop payments
are $18 per acre. Remember that EQIP is an incentive to do the right
thing and is not meant to pay for all costs incurred for implementing
the practice. It is meant to help the farmer with dollars that can con-
tribute to the cost of implementing a resource conservation practice.
Also, the practice must be new to the farm, or be somewhat en-
hanced.
Many EQIP contracts are for multiple years, usually five
years, and provide payments every year for the length of the contract.
2. The EQIP Organic Initiative was the new addition
this year. This new program runs parallel to the traditional EQIP
program but offers higher payments for the same practices to farmers
whose management practices are either currently organic or in transi-
tion to organic. There are six core EQIP practices where the usual
J UST P ICKED
FOR C ONSERVATION A CTIVITIES
payment rate is increased by a percentage or multiplier effect. Ap-
plications were ranked higher this year if they used two or more core
practices. The signup period for this program is closed, but it does
appear there will be a similar program next year, although the spe-
cific core practices and multipliers may be different. These are on the
NRCS website under the electronic Field Operator’s Technical
Guide, or eFOTG, for each state. It would be good for tree fruit
growers to learn now about the variety of practices that EQIP could
fund to help you be prepared when this program opens for enroll-
ment next year.
Three of these core practices may be most applicable to tree
fruit growers: Pest Management, Cover Crops, and Nutrient Man-
agement. For example, Ken Mandley, operator of Deedon Lake
Orchard in NW Wisconsin, is using these three practices. To use the
Cover Crops practice, he plans to drill clover and perennial flower
seeds to increase bio-diversity, attract pollinators and other beneficial
insects, and add nitrogen-fixing plants to the existing grasses. Since
there is only grass, this is a new activity and is thus fundable. He will
receive 42% more per acre than in the main EQIP Cover Crop Prac-
tice of $18/acre. (In WI $18 + $7.56= $25.56/acre). This covers
less than half his costs to buy and plant the seed, but is still helpful.
For the Pest Management practice he is moving from a cover spray to
an IPM approach. The orchard was abandoned until Ken started
managing it three years ago with organic methods. But he was not
highly selective as to when and what was sprayed. For this practice
he is proposing to purchase weather monitoring equipment to help
determine appropriate timing of pest interventions. For the Nutrient
Management practice, he plans to undertake soil and tissue testing to
pinpoint foliar application of nutrients to increase fruit yield and
quality.
The Pest Management practice may not work in all cases. A
producer may not be eligible specifically for the pest management
unless they are addressing a specific resource concern, although a
case might be made for increasing birds or bat habitat in the orchard
as a way to improve the environment and lessen the use of any type
of pest control inputs. Ground that is being transitioned to start an
orchard might qualify for the pest management practice. A sympa-
thetic and creative NRCS district conservationist would be helpful in
this situation, but it might not be approved at the state or federal
level. Since understanding of organic production systems is new to
the NRCS at both the state and federal level, more activities may be
approved in the future as the EQIP Organic Initiative matures.
3. Organic Transition Plans Another addition to EQIP
was payments to help farmers, both new to organic and currently
organic, to write a plan and assess land to transition to organic man-
agement. One does not have to be in the EQIP main or Organic
Initiative to apply to this program. Technical Service Providers
(TSP) write these plans. They are familiar with both Natural Re-
source Conservation Service (NRCS) and National Organic Program
(NOP) requirements for resource conservation and certified organic
P AGE 5
production. Plans written for those transitioning to organic produc-
tion would identify additional funding that might be received through
the NRCS EQIP or other programs. A grower needs to find a TSP
recognized by the NRCS in his or her state.
For those in Wisconsin, Jeff Gunderson at MOSES is certi-
fied by the NRCS as a Technical Service Provider (TSP) to write tran-
sition plans. He works with the grower to develop the plan and sub-
mits his invoice to the grower. The grower pays the TSP and is reim-
bursed by the NRCS on a cost-sharing basis. In WI, the NRCS pro-
vides 80% of the plan’s cost, up to $1040 for an organic grower tran-
sitioning more land to organic and up to $1465 for a non-organic
grower transitioning land. For beginning farmers and socially disad-
vantaged farmers, the NRCS covers 100% of the cost, up to $1700.
In addition, to applying for the Organic EQIP Initiative, Ken Mandley
applied for funding to have a transition plan written by Jeff Gunder-
son. They will be finishing that plan next month and submitting it to
the NRCS for approval.
Rates for the various practices and for the plan development
are outlined in the NRCS “cookbook” for each state. The link for
Wisconsin’s cookbook is ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WI/
eqip/2009/cookbook09.pdf . A new cookbook is expected in 2010
that may have some rate changes. The cookbook also describes each
NRCS practice.
While tree fruit farmers may be interested primarily in the
Organic Transition Plans, the 2008 Farm Bill also had two other types
of planning assistance, Forestry Plans and Energy Audit Plans, that
include resource conservation components.
Ken found the NRCS in his county to be quite helpful but
because the program was new they were on the same learning curve
as he was. Ken may not have gotten his application completed on
time if he did not take time and initiative to dig for information on
the new program. So far Ken believes the program will be worth-
while to his orchard. He is currently Certified Naturally Grown and
without this assistance probably would not have pursued organic cer-
tification because of the cost of planning and documentation. By us-
ing forms and guidance from the certifier he chose, MOSA, in the
Transition Plan he believes the work he is doing with Jeff will prepare
him for inspection and certification.
Conservation Stewardship Program
The new 2009 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
replaces the old Conservation Security Program (CSP) covered in the
previous farm bill. This program might be a better fit for orchards
that are already certified organic. Both CSPs tie payments to conser-
vation activities done by farmers on their working lands. The new
CSP also emphasizes and provides payments for new conservation
activities. All CSP contracts are now for five years, with a potential
renewal option for an additional five years. The old CSP was open to
farmers only in targeted watershed areas and enrolled approximately
20 million acres in total.
J UST P ICKED
The new CSP program allows 12.8 million acres nationally
to be enrolled for each of the five years of this current program and is
open to all farms having a “farm record number” with the Farm Ser-
vice Agency (FSA). If your farm has participated in any commodity
payment programs or the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP),
you would meet this requirement. If you are not listed with the
FSA, you will need to make an appointment to create a farm record,
bringing proof of ownership (deed) or lease of the land, location
maps outlining crop fields and other land uses as they are currently
managed and any business related legal papers (article of incorpora-
tion, trusts, etc.). All acreage under your management must be in-
cluded in your farm record, both owned and rented.
Additionally, all of your farm acres must be enrolled, in-
cluding pastures. This is a whole farm program. An orchard with a
lease contract for five or more years could be included.
The two upcoming deadlines for CSP are September 30,
2009, and mid-January 2010. CSP is available to farmers or ranchers
who have both cropland (which includes, row crops, pasture, forages
and vegetables) and/or private (nonindustrial) forestland on their
property. Ten percent of the funds will be given to forestland own-
ers nationwide who have demonstrated conservation with their tim-
ber management. The first payment for both the September and
January ranking periods will be dispersed in October of 2010.
To apply, the producer must first establish eligibility with
FSA, then sign a program application at the NRCS office. Applicants
then make an appointment to work with their local NRCS person to
complete the Conservation Measurement Tool, which describes and
documents your current and future conservation activities. This is a
lengthy process that may take 90 to 120 minutes. The data developed
in the Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT) is used by the NRCS
to rank applications and develop stewardship plans and contracts. In
addition to the CMT, local NRCS personnel will visit your farm to
verify the CMT information and review documentation for existing
conservation practices. Farmers who demonstrate good current con-
servation on their farm as well as willingness to perform additional
conservation measures should consider applying for the program.
In Wisconsin, the main priority concerns are soil erosion,
water quality, protection of plants and animals, as well as conserva-
tion that leads to less reliance on nonrenewable energy sources.
Check with the NRCS in your state for its priority concerns. Each
state is divided into “ranking pools”, where the farmers in these pools
are ranked against others only within their pool.
The amount of dollars or approved acres for each ranking
pool will limit the number of CSP contracts that can be accepted.
The cap for payment is $40,000 per year, or $200,000 for the five-
year period. The NRCS estimates that payments will average $18
per acre nationwide, but this will vary by region, land use and the
individual level of existing and planned stewardship. Contact your
county NRCS person to find out the boundary of your ranking pool
area and your state’s specific priority concerns.
(Continued on page 11)
P AGE 6 J UST P ICKED

J UNE 2009 F IELD D AY AT A L -M AR O RCHARDS

Many who could not attend our field day at Al-Mar Orchards have asked for copies of handouts. While many were provided there and
are up on our website, this one may be the most sought after. It was written by Jim Koan who owns and operates the farm with his wife,
Karen, to describe not only this year’s management scenario and strategies, but also some of their bigger picture considerations. (Please
see the Spring 2009 issue of Just Picked for his soil preparation system.)
AL-MAR ORCHARDS HAS POOR SOIL, A POOR SITE (LACKS AIR DRAINAGE) AND A POOR MARKET LOCATION …
BUT OUR FAMILY HAS MANAGED TO MAKE A LIVING HERE FOR 35 YEARS IN ADDITION TO PUTTING FIVE
KIDS THROUGH COLLEGE
Biggest Challenges This Year
1. Managing crop load for this year and next year because of a 25% crop last year
I need only a 2% fruit set
Thinned with salt 3-4 times plus lime sulfur/oil on some varieties once or twice
Thinning didn’t follow normal response – some varieties set too much and others were over-thinned
2. Too much rain and too much wind before and after each scab event
3. A lot of mice damage from last winter’s record snow fall and extended snow cover

Fertility Program
On older, more established trees – no fertility inputs
On younger trees where we are growing a tree and a crop of apples – 400 to 600 lbs. of dried chicken manure per acre,
banded under the tree in December
On trees on their 1st through 3rd leaf, I apply fish at 1 gallon/100, plus Chilean nitrate at 5 lbs./100 every 3-4 days, May to
August.
Higher density trees are grown under Swiss Sandwich Management where they are rototilled 4-5 times per season and mid-
dles are mowed with a Seppi mower that throws the grass back under the trees

Pruning Program
Older trees are chain-sawed only and high-density trees are pruned with hand limb-lockers

Spray Program
Apple scab -- copper/lime or sulfur/lime sulfur from
green tip to July prior to every scab infection
Plum curculio -- perimeter lures and Surround at petal fall
and Pyganic perimeter sprays when needed
Codling moth -- mating disruption at 400 ties/acre plus
virus and oils if above threshold (1 trap/ 2 acres; oil at 150 to
200 degree days base 50 past threshold; virus at 250 DD past
threshold [virus first generation and oil second generation])
Apple maggot – border traps and then GF120 as needed
European red mite – oil late July, 1% oil/100 gallon wa-
ter, then mid-August during codling moth outbreaks

Cultivator for weeding along tree rows.

P AGE 7 J UST P ICKED

** All inputs except labor pruning cost approximately

$1000/acre
** 80% of fruit goes to processing for juice and sauce
with some done on the farm
** 20% of fruit goes into fresh market
** 15-20 cents per pound is considered “break even” for
the farm
** Questioning whether sulfur works effectively with
Surround
** Questioning if Bud9 is a good rootstock to use in
organics due to mice problems

Future Visions
Need more sustainability and to buy less inputs
Replanting to mostly scab-resistant varieties
More on-farm processing of apples, meats and other Jim Koan owns and operates 120 acres of certified organic apples in Michigan.
products
Future will have all high-density plantings
Diversifying our farm products
Moving towards less retail and tours while everyone seems to be moving toward more retail and tours. (Retail and organic may
not be compatible.)

T HE O RGANIC A PPLE G ROWER ’ S H OUR IN 2009

This past spring the Eco-Fruit Project at UW-Madison’s Center
for Integrated Agricultural Systems in cooperation with the Or-
ganic Tree Fruit Association offered free conference calls with
organic orchard consultant Michael Phillips. Author of The Ap-
ple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist, Michael Phillips is a
pioneering organic apple grower. He is a consultant for or-
chardists across the nation and compiles holistic apple research
on his website, GrowOrganicApples.com. Michael manages a
two-acre organic orchard in Groveton, New Hampshire (Zone
4), and faces many of the same challenges as growers in the
Midwest.
The Organic Apple Grower’s Hour calls explored a number of
holistic approaches to orchard management including holistic
disease management, balancing insect dynamics, orchard health,
fungal allies, soil fertility and ecosystem thinking. The calls
were recorded and can be accessed either over the phone or the
Internet. There is an archive of all call recordings that can be
accessed over the phone. First, dial: 641-715-3800, enter this
access code: 95226, then follow the directions to listen to any
of the Organic Apple Grower’s Hours from the 2008 or 2009
seasons. The calls are also available through the Apple Talk
blog. Contact Samuel Pratsch, at spratsch@wisc.edu or 608-
265-3637 to get a login and password for Apple Talk. The blog
can be accessed at www.thinkipm.org/appletalk . From the
blog’s main page, click on "conference calls" link to see summa-
ries for a couple of different conference call series. Click on the
summary you want, then scroll down to download the audio
recording.
While the Organic Apple Grower’s calls concentrated on the
concerns of intermediate to advanced midwestern commercial
growers, beginning orchardists, backyard gardeners, and grow-
ers from other regions are more than welcome to listen in.
What a great opportunity to explore the nuance of orchard
health, insects, and fungal events while reflecting on this season
and planning for the season ahead!
For questions please contact call coordinator Samuel Pratsch at
spratsch@wisc.edu, or 608-265-3637.
P AGE 8 J UST P ICKED

Effects of Copper-Sulfate Fungicide on Tart Cherry Fruit Quantity and Quality

-by Barrett R. Gruber treatment program once pits had hardened. Collections were re-
Former Graduate Research Assistant peated about every 7 to 10 days until late July when fruits were ma-
and Patricia S. McManus ture. The average number of fruits per terminal shoot, as well as the
Vaughan – Bascom Professor of Plant Pathology average fruit fresh weight and soluble solids concentration (SSC,
Extension Plant Pathologis, University of Wisconsin – Madison quantity of carbohydrate in fruit juice) were recorded. Images of
leaves collected from the integrated copper program were digitized
to measure the percentage of leaf surface exhibiting bronzing.
The fungus Blumeriella jaapii causes cherry leaf spot disease (CLS) on
tart cherry and to a lesser extent on sweet cherry. Early symptoms of
CLS include spotting and yellowing of leaves. If symptoms appear
early in the season, trees suffering from CLS may fail to produce a
premium crop. Diseased leaves can fall prematurely and, in severe
cases, the entire canopy may be defoliated several weeks before nor-
mal leaf senescence. Premature defoliation makes trees more prone
to winter injury and can limit return bloom the following spring.

All commercially acceptable varieties of tart cherry are susceptible to

CLS. For that reason, conventional growers in the Great Lakes region
rely on synthetic fungicides to control CLS, although their efforts
have been thwarted as B. jaapii has developed resistance to different
fungicides. Although copper has been used for more than a century to
protect crops, there are no cases of copper-resistant fungal patho-
gens. Some formulations of copper-based fungicides are approved for
organic production and are effective in controlling CLS. Thus, copper
has potential benefits for both conventional and organic cherry grow-
ers. However, a side effect of copper-based fungicides is the appear-
ance of bronze-colored lesions, especially on the undersides of leaves
(see photo). It is not clear if this bronzing is merely cosmetic or if it
could impair photosynthesis and in turn affect fruit quality. Our re-
search group has recently completed experiments investigating the
effects of copper-associated leaf bronzing on tart cherry fruit quality.
Our work was not conducted using organic practices, but some of the
findings should be relevant to organic growers who experience leaf
bronzing after using copper fungicides.
Experiments
Field experiments were conducted at the University of Wisconsin –
Madison Peninsular Agricultural Research Station in Sturgeon Bay,
Wisconsin. An orchard of ‘Montmorency’ (on Prunus mahaleb root-
stock) tart cherry trees was established in 1995 and was used for all
trials. Groups of trees were randomly assigned to one of three differ-
ent spray programs in 2007, 2008, and 2009: (i) integrated copper
program consisting of both copper-sulfate fungicides and synthetic
fungicides; (ii) conventional program consisting exclusively of syn-
thetic fungicides; (iii) nonsprayed check. Fungicide applications began
at or shortly after petal fall and continued every 7 to 17 days until late
July.
To monitor leaf bronzing and the quality of developing fruit, cherries
and leaves were collected from terminal shoots from trees in each
Copper-associated leaf discoloration on the underside of a tart cherry
(‘Montmorency’) leaf. Discoloration is characterized by discrete, bronze-
colored lesions on the veins and diffuse or mottled bronzing of the tissue be-
tween veins.
Findings
In the three years of our study, the average number of fruits per
shoot, fruit fresh weight, and SSC were similar among the two fungi-
cide programs and nonsprayed check. Within a given year, the num-
ber of fruits per shoot was similar for the two fungicide programs
(integrated copper and conventional synthetic) and nonsprayed
checks. In each year, fruit fresh weight and SSC increased throughout
late June and July until fruit were ready for harvest. Average cherry
fruit fresh weight and SSC did not differ among the two fungicide
programs and nonsprayed check on the last collection date, in late
July, in all three years. Fruit fresh weight ranged from about 4.5
grams to 5.3 grams per cherry and fruit SSC ranged from about 14%
to 16% per cherry for the two fungicide programs and nonsprayed
check during the last week of July in all years.
Copper-associated leaf bronzing had little effect on tart cherry fruit
fresh weight and SSC. On the last collection date in every year, leaves
sampled from the integrated copper program had a maximum of 6%
to 22% of their surface affected by bronzing. In 2007, as leaf surface
P AGE 9 J UST P ICKED

bronzing increased, fruit fresh weight decreased slightly and SSC in- O RGANIC H OPS : A N A LTERNATIVE FOR
creased slightly. While the effects in 2007 were statistically signifi-
cant, they likely do not translate to biologically significant relation- T REE F RUIT G ROWERS ?
ships between leaf bronzing and fruit quality. In 2008 and 2009, there
was no effect of leaf bronzing on fruit fresh weight and SSC. The na- -by Matthew J. Grieshop, Ph.D.
ture and development of copper-associated leaf bronzing is not clear, Department of Entomology, Michigan State University
and it remains to be seen if this discoloration has effects on tart cherry (517) 432-803; grieshop@msu.edu www.opm.msu.edu
tree health other than fruit quality. However, previous studies have
demonstrated clearly that CLS reduces fruit quality, yield, and tree We had interesting results for the new organic hops project on Jim
health. Koan's AlMar Orchards in Flushing, Michigan. This one-year project
was funded by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF)
Bottom Line
with the objectives of determining the feasibility of adapting high-
The minimal effects of copper-associated leaf bronzing are almost density apple horticultural methods to hops production and to iden-
certainly outweighed by the disease control benefits. A spray program tify promising hops varieties for the upper Midwest.
consisting of both copper-sulfate and synthetic fungicides had little or Sixteen hops varieties were planted in a single berm with 16' trellis
no effect on the average number of fruits per shoot, fruit fresh weight poles and a two-wire trellis system for support. Ten vines were
and SSC, compared to a conventional program which only consisted planted for each variety in March 2009 and plots were monitored for
of synthetic fungicides. Leaf bronzing had little or no effect on tart growth and pest populations on a weekly basis. The 16 varieties se-
cherry fruit fresh weight and SSC. While our studies were conducted lected for testing were: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Williamette,
at just one site, trials were run over three summers and provided Fuggle, Magnum, Mt. Hood, Nugget, Perle, Pride of Ringwood,
results that were comparable among years. We acknowledge that Northern Brewer, Sterling, Kent Golding, Brewers Gold, Galena,
copper is generally toxic, however, and is injurious not only to leaves and Golding.
and pathogens but also some beneficial organisms in orchard systems. Summer 2009 proved to be the 10th coldest in recorded weather
As with any pesticide, copper fungicides should be applied judiciously history in Michigan. Hops growth was slow with an average maxi-
and as part of an integrated approach to disease management. mum height of 76" reached by Centennial. (We expected twice
this.) Brewers Gold, Chinook, Pride of Ringwood and Cascade were
Patricia McManus can be reached at 608-265-2047 or
the only varieties to produce cones in their first year with an average
psm@plantpath.wisc.edu
wet yield of 2.78, 2.64, 2.0, and 0.14 oz/per vine, respectively.
(Continued on page 12)

Integrating Organic Apple and Hog Production— A Project Update

by David Epstein and Matt Grieshop
MI State University Department of Entomology
The hog project at Jim Koan's Al-Mar Orchards continued de-
spite very limited funding in 2009. The research plots for grazing the
hogs were moved to a higher density Ginger Gold planting (7' X
15'), and the plots were doubled in size to 2 acres.
We were primarily interested in seeing whether hog grazing
and rooting in a high-density planting resulted in damage to the tree
and/or tree roots not seen in the lower density (15' X 22'), mature
Mac and Ida Red planting where the hogs had grazed for 2 years pre-
viously.
We were also interested in increasing plot size to better under-
stand the relationship between the number of hogs grazed and the
consumption of June drop apples potentially containing plum curcu-
lio (PC) and/or codling moth larvae. In previous years, 25-30 graz-
ing hogs (under 60 lbs) consumed over 99% of dropped apples
(average of 127/tree) in one-acre plots during the June drop period.
The hogs grazed in 2009 were a bit smaller in size (25-35 lbs).
Twenty-five to thirty pigs were rotated every 3 days between each
of 3 grazed plots throughout the June drop period. No damage was
noted in any of the plots to either trees or tree roots. There was a
minor amount of feeding on fruit from branches close to the ground,
but not to an extent where Jim considered this feeding to be a con-
cern.
The mean number of aborted fruit per tree was 65.5, 13.7% of
which contained plum curculio oviposition scars. Even with a dou-
bling of plot size to 2 acres, the grazing hogs still consumed 94.3%
of the June Drop apples in about the same number of days spent
grazing as in 2007 and 2008.
Weed stand density did not appear to be as significantly im-
pacted in 2009 as compared to 2009. Final results for weed stand
density and codling moth damage will be released pending final data
collection and analysis.
This data provides us with more information to use in eventu-
ally determining the optimal number of hogs per acre necessary to
consume potentially insect infested apples as a pest management
tactic.
P AGE 10
O RGANIC TREE FRUIT ASSOCIATION
- by Harry Hoch, Acting Chair
Review of this year’s activity
We have filed our Articles of Incorporation in the State of Minnesota
as the Organic Tree Fruit Growers Association (OTFA). We are go-
ing to apply for 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
We have a draft of our bylaws posted on the Network Website. We
are currently taking comments from paid OTFA members and listen-
ing to suggestions from Network list serve participants.
We applied for and were awarded a USDA Specialty Crops Block
Grant through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. We are
working with MDA to create our funding contract. The grant pro-
posal is posted on the Network Website on the OTFA page.
The OTFA board is in the process of hiring an individual to develop
membership materials for OTFA and work on a membership drive.
Goals for 2009
Finalize Bylaws
Put a final draft of the bylaws up to a membership vote
before November.
Membership Meeting
We are planning a membership meeting in December. We are
working out the details to have this meeting in Grand Rapids,
Michigan following the Organic Fruit session at the EXPO. Our
goal is to hold our first election for board members at this mem-
bership meeting.
Look for a new publication in 2010
“The Apple in North America, a Compendium of
Apples Grown in North America 1629 to 2001”
by Dan Bussey
and published by the Ceres Foundation.
The book includes the complete apple watercolor
collection (some 3500 images) from the National
Agricultural Library, Special Collections Dept. of the
USDA. This will be more of a reference book than
something most growers will be able to afford.
J UST P ICKED
(OTFA)
Membership Drive
Create membership materials and invite more growers to par-
ticipate.
New Board of Directors
We hope to get some new faces to participate in the manage-
ment of OTFA. Our acting board of directors is ready to hand
over the leadership of this organization to a group elected by the
membership.
We are inviting you to become a charter member of this
new organization and participate in developing its structure and pur-
pose. In February of 2008, we formed the temporary board of di-
rectors and agreed on a rough idea of what we wanted this new
group to do. In the past year, we defined our goals a little more
clearly, set a $50 membership fee, filed our articles of incorpora-
tion, and started working with a consultant to help build the Asso-
ciation. We also funded the activities of the Tree Fruit Network and
increased its activity. We organized a grafting workshop at the
MOSES conference, advocated for and got an Organic University
session on advanced apple production, set up a scionwood exchange
and hosted a social event for grafting and meeting other tree fruit
growers at the MOSES conference. We had two very successful
summer tours.
The Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network will
not change at this point in time. The Network will continue to be
the communication arm of OTFA and will continue to be a free ser-
vice to all individuals interested in organic tree fruit production. If
you choose not to be a member of the Association (OTFA), you can
still participate in the list serve, access information from our web-
site, receive the newsletter, and attend the field days and retreats.
We sincerely hope you will seriously consider becoming a member
of the Association and participate in its development. If you have
questions feel free to contact any of the acting board members.
Harry Hoch, Chair, La Crescent, MN; hoch1@acegroup.cc
507-643-6329
Jim Koan, Flushing, MI; almarapple@aol.com 810-659-6568
Tom Rosenfeld, Berrien Center, MI; tom@earthfirstfarms.com
312-399-7820
Maury Wills, Adel, IA; maury.wills@idals.state.ia.us 515-281-
5783
P AGE 11 J UST P ICKED

J OIN OTFA T ODAY !

Organic Tree Fruit Association – 2009
Your name(s):

Farm Name:

Street Address:

City/Town, State, Zip:

Email: Phone:

Membership is $50 annually. Please make your check payable to the “Organic Tree Fruit Association” and mail it to: Maury Wills, OTFA
Secretary, 33130 Panther Creek Rd., Adel, IA 50003
My tree fruit production and marketing to date: (Include types of fruits, # of trees, acres of trees, certified organic or not, direct market,
wholesale, or combination)

USDA R EWARDS C ON TINUED A PPLES AT R ISK C ONTINUED

(Continued from page 5) (Continued from page 3)

Examples of conservation activities include use of cover
crops to prevent soil and water erosion, enhancing plant biodiver-
sity, and improving wildlife habitat. These items would meet Wis-
consin’s priority concerns. If a producer decides to also put in na-
tive pollinator habitat, this is beyond the priority concern for Wis-
consin, but could still receive some points in the Conservation
Measurement Tool. Changing cropland to perennial pollinator
habitat would be an example where the producer would forego
income in favor of a conservation activity.
Forestland owners who are participating in timber stand
improvement or regenerating old windbreaks may also find CSP a
beneficial program to aid them in their conservation efforts.
Additional Resources
Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program
http://sustainableagriculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/
CSP_FarmersGuide_final_September_2009.pdf
Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service- MOSES-
www.mosesorganic.org 715-778-5775, 608-872-2164 or har-
riet@mosesorganic.org
F ORGOTTEN F RUITS M ANUAL & M ANIFESTO - A PPLES
(DRAFT)
The purpose of this booklet—half manifesto and half manual—is to
help chart a plan of action to restore apple diversity to farms, back-
yard orchards, restaurants and home tables. They welcome com-
ments and feedback on the draft.
P LACE - BASED F OODS AT R ISK IN THE
G REAT L AKES
This booklet includes a working list of rare
place-based foods, including a list of Great
Lakes apples, with unique traditions in Great
Lakes landscapes, waterways and cultures.
There are also essays from Great Lakes resi-
dents who are working to protect and revive
these foods. Slow Food invites you to add, amend or "champion”
foods on this list. Send all list additions and edits to raftalli-
ance@slowfoodusa.org .
 M IDWEST O RGAN IC T REE
F RUIT G ROWERS N ETWORK
7258 Kelly Rd.
Mineral Point, WI 53565

JOIN OTFA TODAY!

MEMBERSHIP FORM ON
PAGE 11.

H OPS (continued from page 9) CALENDAR

Harvests were lower than expected for a first year planting; we had hoped for as NAP 2010 Application Deadline
much as 4oz. wet weight per plant. It is likely that most of the hop plants’ first year November 20 Contact your nearest Farm
growth went into establishing roots. Thus, we expect to see improved growth and Service Agency office to enroll. See inside
for more information.
yield in the second year.
Two-spotted spider mites and powdery Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and
mildew were two pests of consequence Farm Market Expo December 8, 9 and
in our planting and seemed to prefer 10. Grand Rapids, MI. www.glexpo.com
Cascade and Chinook varieties. We also Dec. 10 features organic tree fruit
lost a few vines to "mower blight" and production, sweet cider and hard cider
sessions.
may have had damage associated with
deer feeding and Japanese beetle. OTFA Membership Meeting immedi-
ately following the organic tree fruit ses-
We are still collecting data for this pro- sions on December 10th.
ject. A full report will be on the OFRF
website (www.ofrf.org) in early MOSES Organic University and
2010. We intend to request additional Conference February 25-27, La Crosse,
funds from OFRF for the 2011 year in WI.
anticipation of a better second-year har-
vest.

Funded by the USDA Risk Management Agency