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Location:
Corvallis and Sweet Home, Oregon
Providing
the Co-op with: Apples, cherries, peaches, plums, and
hazelnuts
Farming practices: Certified Organic, except for the
apple orchard in Corvallis which is in its first year of transitioning
to Certified Organic
Acreage
farmed: 20 acres of fruit and hazelnuts
Crew
size: One full-time, three part-time
Farming
since: David began in 1968 raising beef cattle and sheep,
then began growing apples in 1992
Products
used to control weeds, pests and pathogens: Hand and mechanical
weed-control; oils, mating-disruption* and biological control
for insects; sulfur spray and using resistant varieties for
disease control
"We
began farming fruit in 1992 with Liberty apples. We intentionally
chose this variety because we could reduce the external inputs
to manage diseases in the Willamette Valley and because of
its excellent dessert and cooking qualities. As apple variety
breeders continue to develop disease-resistant varieties,
we will incorporate them into our orchards. Look for the Sanza
Apple in the future!
Teaching
and learning about the food system is important to us. The
farmers' markets are great for this! We love the outdoors
and being part of the natural system called nature. Farming
is not a job, it's a life!"
What
is "mating disruption"?
Male
coddling moths have a lot to worry about in this world, what
with having to find apple, pear or walnut trees to infest,
avoid farmers' pesticides, and finally find a mate. Their
job got a little harder six years ago, when a UC Santa Cruz
entomologist named Sean Swezey encouraged apple farmers to
decorate their trees with alluring decoys. The devices confuse
male moths, and prevent them from mating with females. No
sex means no larvae, and no larvae means no little brown worms
to surprise unsuspecting apple eaters.
This
technique relies on the fact that male moths "smell"
females with their antennae. Lusty male moths leave females
waiting in the branches while they court a grey or red twist
tie or shiny flap of aluminum covered in the sex scent females
exude to attract males - called a pheromone. With 100 to 400
dispensers per acre, males are too overwhelmed by the scent
of these sexy gadgets to find females and mate. They are adrift
in an aromatic fog, searching in vain for expectant females.
In
the ever-escalating battle between pests and farmers, this
latest weapon of the farmer has reduced damage from pests
in a smorgasbord of fruits and vegetables and has successfully
battled the coddling moth. It's easier than spraying, it's
non-toxic, and it doesn't kill off beneficial insects - a
big problem with chemical pesticides. Some "good"
insects help pollinate or may be natural predators of coddling
moths and other pests.
For
more information, visit: http://scicom.ucsc.edu/scinotes/9601/Moths/00Intro.html
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La
Mancha Ranch