Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
11/15/99
Contact:
Elaine Edwards, Extension Communication Systems, (515)
294-5168, eedwards@iastate.edu
Yard and Garden Column for the Week Beginning Nov. 19
Organic Orchard Project is A Winning Opportunity
By Linda Naeve
Horticulturist
Special to ISU Extension
Fall is a rewarding season. It is harvest time in gardens, orchards and fields -- the end to months of work and hope. As the last basketful of ripe-red tomatoes are harvested before frost, gardeners get that special feeling that comes at harvest - a sense of pride and accomplishment. I believe it is an inherent bond between people and the soil.
That concept or belief is what The Homestead builds and grows on. The Homestead is a private, non-profit, agricultural-based living and learning community for Iowans with autism. Located just east of Des Moines, it provides education, training and consultation for people concerned with this unique disability.
In its tranquil setting, The Homestead staff use gardening and other horticultural activities as a means to reach and help clients. Under the caring supervision of the staff, The Homestead residents are actively involved in the production of bedding plants in their greenhouse and vegetable production in their garden. Although many of the bedding plants, pumpkins and other crops are sold, The Homestead gardeners enjoy eating the crops they have grown. They watch the seasons change through agricultural activities that help their physical and mental well-being.
In 1997, Steve Muller, executive director of The Homestead, met with faculty at Iowa State University to discuss other ways The Homestead can serve its clients through occupational opportunities in agriculture. The concept of an organic orchard was proposed. Interest in the project grew as people recognized the potential of this project to provide apple growers with valuable information on organic apple production and provide meaningful work for The Homestead residents.
Why an "organic" apple orchard and not a traditional apple orchard? One reason is there is a demand for organically produced crops. According to a recent study by the Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, the retail market for natural foods has increased 15 to 25 percent a year since 1990. In a report on organic foods marketing strategies, the Wallace Institute cited estimates that the organic market may reach 10 percent of overall food sales within a decade. With this increasing demand for organically produced food, Iowa fruit and vegetable growers will need additional technical information on organic production techniques.
The Homestead provides the perfect setting for this project, not only for the location with its rich, deep Iowa loam, but also for the human resources it offers. People with autism are often an overlooked segment of our population who can make a meaningful contribution to society's workforce. Many of the labor-intensive tasks involved in growing apples organically can be performed by Homestead residents. Organic production also is important in this environment because the residents are not handling or exposed to chemicals when using organic methods. Researchers at ISU will use the orchard as an outdoor laboratory to determine effective fertility and pest-management strategies that can be used by other apple growers. ISU Horticulture students and students from Central College have already learned to prune and train young trees and have researched pest management options.
With funding assistance from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, a one-acre orchard was planted in spring 1998 by Homestead residents and staff and ISU faculty. The orchard contains 360 dwarf disease- tolerant apple trees. The varieties planted were Redfree, Liberty and Jonafree. The trees are being trained to a three-wire trellis system so that staff and residents can prune and train the trees and harvest the fruit without the need for ladders.
As horticulturists know, an apple orchard consists of a community of several different varieties of apple trees in which each variety is necessary and serves a purpose in the orchard. Like the apple orchard, The Homestead Organic Orchard Project involves many different individuals within the community, each serving an important role in the success of the project and contributing to the well-being and continued educational growth of the community. Thanks to the continued support from the Leopold Center, The Homestead residents, ISU students and faculty, and local businesses can work together to produce a crop for local consumers. Together they will develop and evaluate organic production methods and procedures that can be implemented by other apple growers and serve as a model for other institutions. Everyone wins from the partnerships formed through this project. For more information on The Homestead and the organic orchard project, visit their Web site at http://www.thehomestead.org.
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