A Perfect Day for Harvest at the Orchard

September 21st 2016

(All photo credits go to those who contribute to our photo cache in our department. Video credit goes to Stafford Richter.)

Although the warmth of the summer sun was not with us this week on the orchard, at least the weather was favourable for a big day of harvesting. We started off class with a short talk from one of our fellow classmates about the variation in style and size that exists in root crop harvesters. After a short discussion, the clear sky and cool breeze kept the atmosphere hopeful as we completed the harvest of the potatoes and the carrots. 

We were most fortunate to have most of the harvested potatoes still in good enough shape to sell as well as some of the carrots. Most of the crop that had been damaged, though, was due to a little worm with a voracious appetite, the wire worm. Although not many were found during the harvest on that day, their presence had prompted a serious discussion on possible control methods for future crops. Several methods exist, although difficulty arises when attempting to identify which method would be allowed in an organic operation. It will be interesting to see what method is used and, most importantly, what the outcome is. 

A little wireworm...

At the end of that day, when we looked out on the areas that we had completed harvesting from, we were already discussing what cover crop would be put into the ground. It amazes me how much of agriculture is truly a never ending cycle against the chaotic and often random forces of nature that humans works so hard to create order out of. Physical labour, smart planning, good tools and just a bit of luck are what allow a successful crop to come out of the ground at the end of the growing season. It is a bit like a chess game, although mother nature sometimes does not play by the rules. Unfortunately, we are seeing this happening more and more often; fruits and vegetables are ready sooner than they usually are while winters and summers are warmer than they used to be. This makes growing food more difficult every time mother nature cheats, meaning the farmer must put more physical labour into their work, implement smarter planning methods, create better tools and, perhaps, hope for just a bit more luck in making it through the harvest. The coming together of the agricultural community, no matter what is farmed, must begin to take form to create better tools and better planning methods for all so that farming can continue through these times of uncertainty. And, much like the seeds we will sow for the cover crop out at the orchard, we as agriculturists must encourage others to be the future of farming by creatively continuing the fight against disorder to produce food for all.