Feb 27, 2019

IFTA tour highlights innovative orchardists

The International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA) annual conference and tours hit the road Tuesday, Feb. 26 to learn from growers near Rochester, New York who have been trying new things in their orchards.

The group braved chilling winds and temperatures below 20° F for an interesting and even enjoyable day among friends and trees. A second round of tours is scheduled for Thursday.

Here are stops from that first trip:

 Zingler Farms

Mike Zingler and 26-year-old son Jimmy showed us a planting of Aztec Fuji coming into its fourth year in a plot a mike from Lake Ontario. Jimmy’s plan was a 7-wire fruiting wall system with intensive pruning. They hope robotic harvests will be possible in the future. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/qkqBHZYGxe

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 26, 2019

Zingler Farms was established in 1991 by Mike Zingler when he was 24 years old, and today he his joined in owning and operation by his son, Jimmy Zingler. They have 350 acres in apples and eight in freestone peaches in addition to strawberries and raspberries. Jimmy recently was allowed to take his own lead in planting a new orchard, which is the one the tour visited.

Mike Zingler exhorted other owners to “give up some of your control. … You’ve got to let these young guys in.”

Kast Farms

Looking at some @CornellCALS rootstock trials at Kast Farms. G.935 had the highest cumulative yields; Red Delicious was the variety. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/591e7HpaDw

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 26, 2019

Kast farms was established in 1884 and the fifth generation of the family is working on it today, including owner Dave Kast, general manager Gary Davy, orchard manager Brett Kast and field crops specialist John Kast.

Gennaro Fazio of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service gave a presentation on a rootstocks trial, where 40 different rootstocks were grafted to Red Delicious, and the resulting tree’s yields, and other factors were tracked. The G.935 rootstock had the highest cumulative yields so far.

Lamont Fruit Farm

Jose Iniguez of Lamont Fruit Farm gives an impromptu clinic on scoring tree trunks with loppers to control vigor. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/P0w3aARQXt

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 26, 2019

At Lamont Fruit Farm, IFTA president Rod Farrow and his partners Jose Iniguez and Jason Woodworth gave a tour of their precision orcharding planning and techniques. The farm has 600 acres of apples and 30 nursery acres.

The farm counts buds on its trees and thins accordingly. They have recently been able to increase the number of apples per tree with help from Poliana Francescatto, formally of Cornell. Jose gave some demonstrations of his pruning techniques.

Sandy Knoll Farms

At Sandy Knoll Farms, they pruned big branches off these 3-D galas to make a 2-D orchard with VERY tall spindle structure. Luis Garza operates a hedger, which is used to set the box. They then follow up with hand pruning. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/vcjIwxpQa5

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 26, 2019

Sandy Knoll Farms has 300 acres of fruit and a 10-acre Nursery. Owners and key personnel include Patrick Woodworth, Nelson Woodworth, Rachel Woodworth, Luis and Marlene Garza, James Olinger and Todd Klatt.

At Sandy Knoll, Cornell’s Terrence Robinson highlighted how Luis and Patrick had worked to bring new life to an older orchard that had become somewhat overgrown. After substantial pruning, the Galas are still fruiting well and the orchard rows are wide enough and in good enough order that Robinson said it was friendly for automatic harvesting.

Orchard Dale Fruit Company

At Orchard Dale Fruit Company, the Brown family sawed off some Jonagold trees and “Beaver-grafted” Minneiska (@SweeTango ) into wedge cuts. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/2LnFLisBUo

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 26, 2019

Orchard Dale Fruit Company has 300 acres in apples as well as significant acreage in strawberries and blueberries. The family farm began in 1804 and the eighth generation is now managing the farm.

The innovation at Orchard Dale was a rare grafting technique, “Beaver grafting,” used to put SweeTango scions into a wedge cuts of what had been Jonagold trees.

Excelsior Farms

Roger Bannister expiramented with a four-leader fruiting wall with Pazzazz and Honeycrisp apples at Excelsior Farms. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/3CHZd4gQZH

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 26, 2019

The farm was purchased in 1958 by LeRoy and Doris Banister and the first high-density orchard was planted in 1987. Today, Excelsior Farms is owned by Roger Bannister, Christine Bannister and Christine Bannister. They grow 65 acres of apples and 4 acres of freestone peaches. In 2015, the family started growing multi-leader trees.

Roger and Cornell Extension’s Mario Miranda Sazo admitted to some difficulty in growing what was a very innovative system, and discussed what they would do differently if they were to try the project again. They asked Washington State University’s Stefano Musacchi for some input, and after saying, “You did a good job,” Musacchi suggested the canopy could be pruned less heavily.

Here is a video by Roger Bannister about the project:

Social event: ArtisanWorks

At a social event in the evening, IFTA attendees networked and discussed over dinner at ArtisanWorks, a Rochester venue filled with provocative art instillations.

IFTA President Rod Farrow was presented with a gift in recognition of his many labors as the organization’s chief volunteer.

At the social event tonight, @iFruitTree President Rod Farrow was given a compass as a gift in recognition of his service. He is a sailor and so this is a functional gift as well as a symbolic one. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/XKZli5hp54

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 27, 2019

Rod opening his gift. #IFTA2019 pic.twitter.com/REvDRLpnL7

— Fruit Growers News (@FGNews) February 27, 2019

– Stephen Kloosterman, FGN Associate Editor