Holistic Orchard Network Support

Remember the baseball movie, Field of Dreams? Build it and they will come spoke to a different theme than ours. And yet we're planting a community orchard (of the virtual sort!), holding faith that enough growers will see the worth of supporting an active website and coordinating orchard research based on holistic parameters. We could say plant it and you will come . . . and now, thankfully, you have indeed arrived. Let's talk in detail about what the Holistic Orchard Network is about. Here in the Northeast, a couple dozen "alternative-minded" apple growers have been meeting every March for nearly 20 years. The lessons shared in this inquisitive circle have helped each participant become a better orchardist.

A book appreciated by many, Michael Phillips's The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist, took its inspiration at these gatherings. Michael saw a need to provide continuous updates to fellow growers, and initially launched the notion of grower research pages within his own orchard website. Everyone soon came to realize that if holistic-minded orchardists could share a separate network center, then even more could be achieved. That set the stage for the fuller vision you now find laid out here at Grow Organic Apples.

This network is about bringing Orchard Health to the fore. Health is not a concept emphasized in the national organic certification standards. Nor does Health necessarily have value in research trials where a "natural spray" must match the results of the chemical it's being tested to replace, more often than not in a non-holistic setting. Reductionist agriculture will never be able to grasp the worth of woodsy compost, fungal allies, herbs, biodiversity, tree-ripened fruit (with flavor to boot!), and grassroots marketing. The Health contained in nutrient-dense fruit supports our Health. That is "the word" driving all we are going to achieve in community-based orchards as we learn how to grow wholesome fruit.

State-of-the-art thinking emanates from growers who love the trees and the soil and the community they serve. Networking allows us to discern biological nuance, communicate results that build Orchard Health, and fine tune local challenges in the light of holistic thinking. Grow Organic Apples is the place to do this; a Holistic Orchard Network makes connections happen. End of sales pitch, okay?

Any such effort requires support so that the burden isn't all on a few. Network funding from growers covers the direct costs of maintaining this orchard website as well as professional compensation for the in-depth research and writing that makes our Biologic Curriculum so relevant. Apple lovers contributing to the cause enable the vital research needed for community-based orcharding to succeed. The financial past as well as future budgetary prospects of this vision are spelled out on a separate page we're calling The Boring Bit. Please spend a moment and evaluate for yourself what it takes to make this site possible.

So? Will you consider making a supporting donation now to the Holistic Orchard Network? Our "public radio model" for accepting donations is set up in increments of $5. You decide the value of what this networking effort is worth to you -- one suggestion on the table is that appreciative growers consider a support level of $25 per year. Growers who reach the cumulative support level of $100 (whether in increments or right-off-the-bat) will receive a "free web listing" in our Community Orchard Listings, provided your growing philosophy comprehends and agrees to certain Holistic Core Values. And if the years roll by successfully . . . yes, yes, yes! . . . please know that your ongoing support will continue to be just as vital beyond this basic membership amount. All contributors will be recognized in upcoming Community Orchardist newsletters, be you a grower, apple lover, organization, or company promoting healthy orchard products.

The network as it now exists is set up as Michael's baby, if you will. Going the route of non-profit status and an advisory board is perfectly acceptable to "our coordinator" if indeed the energy builds to go that route. That kind of step is definitely about mutual commitment to the cause. If we reach the level of funding coordinated research trials -- and maybe even helping to send an "orchard ambassador" to other countries to report back on organic innovation elsewhere -- then it may indeed be time to enact a more formal organizational step. Trust and honesty can take us a long way in the meanwhile. Again, every penny will be accounted for in The Boring Bit as best as Michael and other core members are able. This is about as flexible a group as you might ever join!

Knowing that tangible support is forthcoming calls for a toast.

Cider glasses, everyone . . .