For many Apple Hill Grower farms, every day is Earth Day. The worldwide event on April 22 is a reminder that we are all stewards of our environment.
The Apple Hill Growers™ spend their days managing the land in ways that provide safe and affordable food for our region and beyond; but many are also working to preserve the planet for future generations. These farms don’t just preserve the natural beauty of the foothills; they contribute to clean air, water, and wildlife habitats. Many of our farms currently grow organically and have become certified while other farms are working to transition to organic while others are using innovative sustainable farming techniques to reduce both the use of water and pesticides.
Here’s a look at all our farms:
- 24 Carrot Farms (Certified Organic)
- Drew Bean Farms (innovative sustainable farming techniques)
- Collina di Mela (Certified Organic)
- Edio Vineyards at Delfino Farms (in transition to organic)
- Fudge Factory Farm (Certified Organic)
- Grandpa’s Cellar (innovative sustainable farming techniques)
- Harris Family Farm (innovative sustainable farming techniques)
- Madroña Vineyards (innovative sustainable farming techniques)
- Patrick’s Berry Farm & Garden (innovative sustainable farming techniques)
- Rucksack Cellars (innovative sustainable farming techniques)
The family behind Fudge Factory Farm has been farming since 1985. They are certified organic and have made the decision to use sustainable practices and grow their apples, raspberries, blueberries and other berries using as few chemicals as possible. They’ve adopted things like hand-pulling weeds instead of spraying, bug zappers that attract pests at night with lights and repurposing cardboard boxes as bands around tree trunks to keep pests away. They also recently received an air quality grant to get an all-electric UTV.
Guests who attend the annual Lavender Blue Days every June know that Bluestone Meadows is beautiful, but they also work to be good stewards of the environment and also just received their all-electric UTV.
Edio Vineyard is in the process of moving the winery to organic certification. They don’t use any herbicides and use cover crops to naturally deliver nitrogen to the grapes. The farm is also home to an adorable flock of baby doll sheep who eat those cover crops and in turn create their own, low-emission fertilizer. Neighboring Delfino Farms will be getting a new all-electric tractor as will their neighbors down the road, Madroña Winery and Rucksack Cellars.
On your next visit, stop by one of our farms to learn more about how they are preserving the environment while providing first class produce and wine grapes for all to enjoy.
“Farmers are always learning and adapting their methods,” said Pam Harris, owner of Harris Family Farm and president of the Apple Hill Growers. “We are lucky for the close-knit collaboration among our Association’s many small family farms, which helps us all learn and support each other – not just for now but for the future.”
For more information and a map of the area, please visit http://applehill.com/ and follow @applehillofficial on Facebook and Instagram for up-to-the-minute information and more on how Apple Hill farmers are using sustainable practices to be stewards of their land.