Header image
-Welcome to
Penryn Orchard Specialties
  

Sustainability


 
 
 

There is a lot of talk about sustainability these days.
So what does it mean, practically, for a small farm?


By definition, to be sustainable is to be able to last, to keep farming.
In order to do so, an awareness of the environmental, social, and economic consequences of our actions is required.

Honeybees are crucial to the pollination
of most food crops. Without bees,
flowers do not turn into fruits.

honeybees

Bees are severely threatened by environmental
pollutants, diseases, and pests, so Jeff planted a wildflower patch and seeded the orchard floor
in clover to give them something to eat year round.
The orchard proudly hosts its own hive of wild
honeybees, that find shelter in the decayed trunk
of an old oak tree. We would love to taste the honey,
but we don't want to bother the bees.

Since taking charge of the orchard in 2002,
Jeff has worked hard to increase its
population of beneficial insects:


- Ladybugs and their larvae keep aphids in check. Soldier beetles eat a varied diet of many harmful bugs. Sightings of praying mantises, lacewings, beneficial wasps, and other good guys are now so common
that we have observed another good sign of a healthy ecosystem: increased population of frogs,
lizards, and birds.
No sprays that harm beneficial insects are used,
even if they are organically approved.
 

Environmental sustainability

  • Nourish the soil so it can feed the trees and plants.
  • Don't contaminate the aquifers.
  • Use water wisely and sparingly.
  • Work with nature rather than against it, by enlisting the help of beneficial insects and animals, and companion plants whenever possible.
  • Learn everything you can about what you grow and how to care for it.
  • Use sprays only when absolutely needed to protect the crop, even when they are organic.
  • Take only what you need, and use all you take.

Social sustainability

  • Nurture relationships with neighbors, community, suppliers, and customers.
  • Don't treat people like tissues. Support locally owned businesses, share your knowledge, be an educator.
  • Reliably and consistently deliver the best product and service possible, and stand by it.

Economic sustainability

  • Develop a diversity of markets and products.
  • Always give the customers value for their purchase, while earning enough to keep the farm financially viable.

Grinding the prunings with a flail mower
instead of burning them adds organic matter to the soil and helps keep the sky clear.


New irrigation lines were dug to deliver the right
amount of gravity-fed water to the trees based
on daily monitoring of evapotranspiration rates
following a scientific model provided by UC Davis,
coupled with data from the local weather station.

Horse manure hot from composting
before being spread out in the spring

Composted manure seres both as a fertilizer and as a mulch under the trees to impair weed growth and encourage worms.

 

I manage the orchard using Integrated Pest Management techniques (IPM)
for more information on IPM methods, please visit

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/crops-agriculture.htm

DID YOU KNOW?

Unlike homeowners, who are allowed to spray whatever toxic chemicals they want at any time and for any reason, California farmers are subject to strict rules. Growers may only use materials that have been approved for their specific crops, and only in concentrations and at the frequency that has been determined safe for food crops. They must file a monthly report detailing the pest control materials they used with their County Agricultural Commissioner. You can view the growers' reports at your County Ag Office.
For specific information about pest control materials,
please visit www.greenbook.net