Why are there so few organic orchards?
While organic vegetable farms can be found in nearly every corner of the country, organic orchards remain elusive, an impossibility in the minds of many farmers. Fruit trees are bothered by such a variety of pests and diseases that the prospect of success seems small. But Jim Travis and Tim Clymer, the authors of this resource, have successfully grown organic fruit. Through this site they will provide a path for the aspiring grower to become a productive organic orchardist. More than just how-tos, the concepts in this resource train the budding orchardist to think critically through the myriad decisions necessary to successfully produce organic fruit.
“There is beauty and productivity in the natural harmony of the organic orchard.”
The Organic Orchard’s Vision
To set new orchardists on a solid foundation
To write a practical guide to organic fruit production
To provide hope and a solid foundation for those looking to grow organic fruit in challenging climates
To advance the science and art of organic orcharding
To shift the orchard mindset from one of domination of nature to that of cooperation with it
Meet the Authors
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Dr Jim Travis, Author
Jim Travis retired early from Penn State to start Travis Organics fruit farm with his wife Donna and his son Mike. Mike's wife Maggie later joined them in marketing once the orchards began to produce fruit. They grew organic peaches, apples, and pears for 10 years (8 of them USDA certified organic). Over the 10 years, Jim’s organic orchards were founded on a balanced approach to fruit growing that included carefully selected varieties, training systems, sunlight, air movement, and an understanding of pest biology, diseases, and beneficial organisms.
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Tim Clymer, Author and Web Editor
Tim Clymer is a former software developer turned orchardist who started Threefold Farm with his wife, Katherine, in 2014. Threefold Farm is an organic orchard in south central Pennsylvania that specializes in commercial production of unusual fruits like figs, pawpaws, and kiwi berries. In working on this project, Tim hopes to write the resource he wishes he had when starting off on his orcharding journey.
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Caitlin Etherton, Editor Extraordinaire
Caitlin Etherton began farming organically in 2011, most recently working as a farmer and greenhouse manager at Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s BCCF. She is a poet, essayist, and frequent writer and researcher for National Geographic Magazine. She hopes this site will equip and encourage future orchardists to grow more organically and steward their land more holistically.
Why build this site?
Jim and Tim have had unique opportunities to learn and experience organic fruit growing and now they want to give back by sharing their knowledge with others.
When Jim was born his father owned a fruit farm in south central PA, one of the ideal places to grow fruit in the country. All his life Jim grew up around fruit. Some of his earliest memories are of his father’s orchard and fruit plantings. He pursued college degrees focused on fruit to improve his knowledge of the science of growing fruit. Later he worked at a major university teaching the fruit growing to farmers and college students. Over time he realized that the components to grow organic fruit in south central PA were there if the best methods and practices for organic fruit growing could be developed into a successful program. He retired early and started an organic fruit farm growing apples, peaches and pears with his wife and son. Over ten years he tried and tested organic fruit production practices. He kept careful daily notes in diaries which detailed his failures and successes. Although there were many areas for improvement, after 10 years he concluded that high quality organic fruit could be grown successfully. Over the course of Jim’s life and career he was generously mentored by others with no expectation of payment. His goal now is to share what he has learned by mentoring the next generation of organic fruit growers through The Organic Orchard.
Tim wasn’t born into fruit growing but rather started his working life as a software developer. The transition from software developer to organic orchardist was exciting but Tim quickly discovered a real lack of solid, authoritative information on organic fruit production. The prevailing perspective seemed to be that it was close to impossible. However, through a variety of circumstances, Tim was introduced to Jim who in fact was growing organic apples and peaches in a challenging climate. They were mutually encouraged to write this handbook for growers interested in a workable path forward for organic fruit production.
SDG