During this packed field day we’ll tour two certified-organic orchards with different approaches to creating sustainable businesses.  Both have planned and planted with an eye to organic management, and we’ll look at how that impacted their decisions in layout, variety selection, and marketing, and the methods and tools they use in their fruit production.  We’ll also hear from Wisconsin researchers on current topics of interest to fruit growers.

Rami Aburomia, of Atoms to Apples started a diversified orchard on a farm he purchased after years of searching for a site around Madison, WI and managing a conventional apple orchard.  His acreage suitable for perennial fruits is small, so all plantings are high density.  Tree fruits include about 30 varieties of apples, pears, and stone fruit.  We’ll also tour a block of berries that include raspberries, blackberries, grapes, blueberries and strawberries.  One goal of Atoms to Apples is to be a one person operation, with a focus on efficiency.  The field day will look at the work that went into site preparation, planning for organic management, orchard equipment, and marketing.

Chris and Juli McGuire operate Two Onion Farm together with their children and six seasonal employees on 12 acres in Belmont, Wisconsin.  Chris and Juli began growing organic vegetables on the farm in 2003.  After managing a vegetable CSA for many years, they experimented with a variety of fruits and have incorporated an organic orchard into their operations and marketing.  Two Onion Farm has almost an acre of high density apple trees planted in scab resistant varieties.  Trees were planted between 2012 and 2016.   Tour topics include organic pest and weed management in apples, orchard equipment, and the challenges of integrating fruit into a diverse vegetable farm.

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