• Organic Tree Fruit Certification
  MOSES Fact Sheet (4 page PDF)
  Whether you are transitioning a currently bearing orchard, planting a new one or renovating an old orchard, there are similar issues you will need to address in order to grow and market organic tree fruit.
• Planning the Organic Orchard
  MOSES Fact Sheet (4 page PDF)
  This fact sheet is written for the small-scale, commercial tree fruit grower in the upper Midwest planning at least one half-acre of orchard to be managed organically.
• Considering Risk Before Starting an Organic Orchard
  MOSES Fact Sheet (2 page PDF)
  A grower must carefully weigh all areas of risk before entering any enterprise. In the case of establishing an orchard that will be managed organically, some additional factors need to be considered.
• Resources for Organic Orchardists
  MOSES Fact Sheet (2 page PDF)
  This fact sheet is a supplement to the MOSES Upper Midwest Organic Resource Directory to provide additional info on resources specific to the organic production and marketing of tree fruits.
• Summertime Grafting Techniques. Video tutorial on T-bud and chip bud grafting techniques for fruit trees. Midwest Fruit Explorers.
• Uncommon Fruit: Delectable, pest-resistant, exotic and attractive. by Lee Reich, who writes: “Most growers gravitate toward the familiar when considering what fruits to plant. But grow these fruits and you’re competing on the world market... ” http://www.newfarm.org/features/2006/0906/uncommonfruit/reich.shtml
• Tree Fruits: Organic Production Overview - ATTRA, 32 pages
• "Seasonal Checklist for the Home Orchardist" by Michael Phillips, 3 pg. http://www.herbsandapples.com/orchard/seasonal_checklist.html
• "The Community Orchardist";  the newsletter of Michael Phillips. "This newsletter is written for commercial orchardists who ponder the healthiest ways to grow good fruit for their local community."  To be on the e-mailing list contact Michael@HerbsAndApples.com
  
• The Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden. Stella Otto. Otto Graphics. 1993.
  
• Organic Orchard, Vineyard, and Berry Crop Documentation Forms - ATTRA, ~22 pages
• Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory:An Inventory of Nursery Catalogs Listing All Fruit, Berry, and Nut Varieties. Seed Savers Exchange. 3rd Ed. http://www.chelseagreen.com/2001/items/415
• Fruit Crop Ecology and Management Book. MSU Extension Bulletin Office. 517-353-6740. http://www.emdc.msu.edu. $16 plus S&H.
• "Food Quality: A Comparison of Organic and Conventional Fruit and Vegetables." This study conducted in Europe focused on food quality differences in apples.
  FoodQualityFinal.pdf
• The Orchard Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to Healthy Fruit Trees. Steve Page and Joe Smillie, Ag Access. 1995.

• Sustainable Soil Management - ATTRA
• Alternative Soil Testing Labs - ATTRA
• Alternative Soil Amendments - ATTRA
• Sources for Organic Fertilizers and Amendments - ATTRA
• Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures. Preston Sullivan. July 2003. ATTRA publication. http://ncat.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html 16 pg.

• Scouting Resources for Orchards Available from Michigan State University.

  The MSU IPM Program has developed two web-based resources featuring photos and descriptions from the popular pocket-sized scouting guides for apples and stone fruit. 

  • Scouting for pests in apples: http://ipm.msu.edu/apples.htm
  • Scouting for pests in stone fruit: http://ipm.msu.edu/stonefruit.htm

  MSU Extension also has print publications that are pocket-sized guides on water-resistant paper with color photos, and pest ID and damage descriptions.

  • A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Michigan Apples. Price $14. Bulletin E-2720. (Spanish E-2720SP).
  • A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Stone Fruits. Price $12. Bulletin E-2840 (Spanish E-2840SP).

  A Practical Guide to Scouting Apple Orchards is a DVD that compliments the scouting guide.  It gives apple growers and consultants easy access to information that helps demystify the pest management decision-making process.   The 90-minute DVD contains 21 modules covering topics from choosing a weather monitoring system to discussions on degree-day models and monitoring primary disease and insect pests.  The DVD is designed for those who want to learn about specific topics at any point during the growing season by simply choosing the desired tracks from the DVD menu.  Request DVD273 (price $29.95).
  To order the DVD or pocket guides, contact the MSU Extension Bulletin office at 517-353-6740.  If you would like to borrow this DVD from the Network’s lending library, please email OTFAinfo@gmail.com.  A deposit will be required.

• Bio-Intensive Integrated Pest Management, ATTRA
• ATTRA’s Ecological Pest Management Database This online resource identifies least-toxic pst management products and methods for insect and vertebrate pests, weeds, and plant diseases. It focuses on “bio-rational” pesticides-formulations with little or no long-lasting environmental impact- noting which have been reviewed by the Organic Materials Review Institute. www.attra.ncat.org/index.html
• Updated, expanded and re-released:  Biological Control of Insects and Mites: An Introduction to Beneficial Natural Enemies and Their Use In Pest Management. Daniel L. Mahr, Paul Whitaker, Nino M. Ridgeway. North Central Region Publication 481. September 2008. Now available both in print at UWEX publication A3842 and as a free PDF at http://learningstore.uwex.edu/product2.aspx?Product_ID=1248 
• Fact Sheet from UW-Extension to help one diagnose insect and scab damage of mature apples. 6 Oct 2008 http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/fruits/apple/Diagnosing_Apple_Problems.pdf
• "Seasonal Integrated Pest Management Checklist for Orchards." Orchard*A*Syst. FAS 105. December 2001. Michigan State University Extension. 7 pg.
• Mites as an Ecological Sustainability Indicator in Orchards http://whalonlab.msu.edu/mites/Mite_Website/Mites.htm
• Mites as Ecological Indicators (PDF) Michigan State University, Center for Integrated Plant Systems, East Lansing, MI, Oregon State University, Department of Entomology, Corvallis, OR.
• Plum Curculio and Look-Alike Beetles Plum_Curculio_and_Look-alike_Beetles.htm
• General Guidelines for Trapping Apple Insects in Commercial Orchards
  A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Michigan Apples. MSU Extension Bulletin Officewebsite or call 517-353-6740. $14, plus S&H.
• Complete Plum Curculio Information is available at http://web1.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/plumcurc.htm

General

Rootstocks, Cultivars and Orchard Setup

Top

Thinning Strategies:

• Efficacy and physiological effect of oil/lime sulfur combinations. Jim Schupp et al. Jim Schupp has done a lot of work with lime sulfur as a thinner. One of his most recent articles is at: http://jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu/wtfrc/PDFfinalReports/2006FinalReports/AppleHortP
• Powerpoint presentation by J. Schupp, from a study done in 2000-2003 primarily on combined fish oil and lime sulfur (FOLS) http://www.massfruitgrowers.org/nefrtmtg/proc--2003D/organic_apple_thinners.pdf
  

Managing Pests

Note: It is important to be able to identify insect pests, diseases and weeds, as well as beneficial insects, in order to manage them. There are pictures and descriptions of these on many websites produced by the colleges of agriculture at land-grant universities of most states. Use these websites to learn about various pests including their life cycles and critical times to manage them.

Sample sites are:

• Cornell University: http://ipmguidelines.org/treefruits/
• Iowa State University Apple IPM: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~appleipm/appleIPMMod/appleScab/index.html
• IPM Images is a joint project of the USDA Forest Service and the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia - Tifton at www.impimages.org

General:

Diseases:

Insects:

Value-Added:

• Organic Apple Production for Processing Pilot Project. 1991.
  http://www.organicagcentre.ca/DOCs/res_proc_apples.pdf

General:

Insects:

Diseases:

• Plum_Curculio and_Look-alike_Beetles
  Plum curculio, an important insect pest of stone fruits.  It is important to be able to identify this pest and distinguish it from other similar looking beetles.
  
• Peach IPM Program Introduced
  The Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program at the University of California has released a year-round IPM program for peach production. The program recommends seasonal practices for a monitoring-based IPM program that reduces water quality problems related to pesticide use. The program recommends specific activities for each season, with links that provide information on how to monitor, forms to use, and specific management practices. Progress throughout the year is tracked on an annual checklist form.
  Related ATTRA Publication: Organic and Low-Spray Peach Production
• A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Stone Fruits. MSU Extension Bulletin Office. 517-353-6740. http://www.emdc.msu.edu. $12 plus S&H.
• Organic and Low-Spray Peach Production Horticulture Production Guide By Steve Diver and Tracy Mumma, NCAT Agriculture Specialists. March 2003. Original by Guy K. Ames, 2000. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/peach.html

• How to Manage the Blue Orchard Bee: As an Orchard Pollinator.
  Jordi Bosch & William Kemp. Sustainable Agriculture Publications; sanpubs@uvm.edu, 802-656-0484. $9.95 plus shipping and handling.
• The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is a nonprofit organization that features a Pollinator Conservation Program, which works to support the sustainability and profitability of farms while protecting pollinator insects. For more information, visit www.xerces.org.

• Orchard Deer Fence with Grape Arbor . Del Stubbs, Minnesota. Del Stubbs kindly provides a description and detailed photos of how he built his combination deer fence and grape arbor. Download here.
• The Orchard Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to Healthy Fruit Trees. Steve Page and Joe Smillie, Ag Access. 1995.
• Information Bulletin. Organic Farming Research Foundation. www.ofrf.org. 831-426-6606. PO Box 440, Santa Cruz, CA 95061.
  OFRF has a competitive, small grants program to which farmers are encouraged to apply. OFRF has funded at least 16 projects on apple production, five projects general to tree fruit production, five project on stone fruits, particularly peaches, one on pears, and a 2004 grant awarded on ecological soil management in cherry orchards.
  Research reports are summarized in the Information Bulletin, which is available without charge.
  Full research reports of selected projects are available on their website or by calling. A donation of $2 per report printed and mailed helps to defray costs incurred.
• OrganicAgInfo.
  On-line database of research reports, farmer-to-farmer information, outreach publications, and more. Information can be accessed free of charge. http://www.organicaginfo.org. Also available from homepage of www.ofrf.org.