Mead Orchard Management Practices: 

• Mead Orchards uses a sustainable, science-based approach called Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to produce healthy, delicious fruits and vegetables.

• This practice relies on careful monitoring to minimize the risks of the Hudson Valley’s humid climate and pests and diseases that can harm trees and fruit.

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Principles that Guide Our Practices:

• Growers using IPM and organic approaches both apply natural and synthetic sprays to protect fruit trees as a last resort.

• Mead Orchards first prioritizes using biological, cultural, and physical methods to create the best environment for fruits and vegetables to thrive (e.g. the use of pheromone traps, wood chip mulch, and netting instead of applying a chemical tool).

• When the application of a chemical is necessary, we always take care to select and use products in a manner that is safe for humans and our beneficial insects. 

•  Constant monitoring of crops enables Mead Orchards to make informed management decisions so any spraying can be highly effective and limited to very controlled quantities.

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Partners in Fruit Growing:

Mead Orchards’ ecological approach benefits from the deep experience of third-generation orchardist, Chuck Mead; weekly on-site planning with our Crop Consultant and Research Manager; and guidance from the EPA, FDA, and Land Grant Universities.

 

Local, Sustainable, and Transparent:

Stewards of the land since 1916, conserved as forever green since 2002 through Dutchess County’s Farmland Protection Program, Mead Orchards has long contributed to Red Hook’s history of agricultural innovation, Hudson Valley ecotourism, and the health of its customers, farm workers, and regional food system.