At Orchard Valley Farms, we understand and practice principles of sustainability. We control erosion, use technology to minimize salts from entering the water supply, and by maintaining soil health, we reduce the amount of carbon returning to the atmosphere. We provide reliable working and living conditions, along with a safe and pleasant atmosphere for our farm workers.
Orchard Valley Farms uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. With IPM we have many pest management tools in our tool box.
For example:
- Use insect mating disruption.
- Monitor pest populations by observation and traps.
- Use pest resistant root stalks.
- Learn to tolerate small amounts of pest damage.
- Use organic chemicals when appropriate as well as soft chemicals.
- Raise a cover crop between rows to discourage insects from attacking the vines, trees and fruit.
- Understand the life cycle of pests to know the best time to use control measures when the insect is most susceptible.
These control methods can be very effective and cost efficient and present little or no risk to people or the environment. Using sustainable agricultural practices is better for you and your family, our workers, and for the earth.
Starting when he was a strapping youth of 16, owner Lee Bradley learned the traditional method of pruning fruit trees while balancing on a pair of stilts! Since then he's developed the legendary green thumb for growing luscious fruit.
