~ Practical Guide for Organic Apple Production ~ |
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Welcome to OrganicA - a resource for organic apple production
The pages of this site are intended to provide information to New England apple growers who are interested in organic apple production and who want to examine the opportunities of organic production given the shift in cultivars and the new research-generated information that is available. This website is a product of The OrganicA Project.
The OrganicA Project is a collaborative partnership among three land-grant universities and stakeholders throughout in the region. The project includes both research and a closely integrated organic apple outreach program which is disseminating research findings, information, and insights. The long-term goal of this multi-state, multidisciplinary project is to enhance adoption of organic apple production in New England through research that advances the scientific knowledge base and provides practical information to stakeholders.
The OrganicA Project is holistically examining the opportunities and challenges of organic production within the two major orchard systems growers are using to change to new cultivars and with five of the top apple cultivars that growers identified as important to the future of the industry. The project was initiated with these two systems in 2006 with the 'orchard establishment' phase completed in 2009. Phase 2, the 'early bearing' phase, is underway. Based on findings from the initial research, an additional orchard was planted in 2011 with eight scab-resistant apple cultivars in a high density orchard system.
Major funding for the project comes from the USDA Organic Research & Extension Initiative. Additional funding sources are listed at: Project Funding Sources
If you are considering organic apple production, it is important to thoroughly know the regulations and process of organic certification right from the beginning. It is the grower’s responsibility to ensure that any crop production practice or material used in the orchard is acceptable in their particular state’s organic certification program. Some materials deemed organically acceptable on the National List may not be acceptable in some states. Contact your certifier to know what is acceptable and to ensure compliance with regulations in your state.