Red Barn Orchard, North Minnesota

[foggy]

Today I (finally) got a chance to stop by the Red Barn Orchard, which is located 1 mile west of Jenkins MN. I talked a bit with Jon the owner. Super nice guy. Jon is a bow hunter and also was interested, at one point, in joining the QDMA in Pequot Lakes (which does not exist - grin). Some day I will have to tell him that story.

Anyway......Jon has a successful apple orchard in the North Country and does give some classes on grafting and such from time to time. He has over 500 apple trees, in several varieties. Mostly the trees are semi dwarfs. He is also a bee keeper, has some "plotting" experience, he is an avid bow hunter, and hunts with a gun too.

He may be interested in giving a class at some point if we could generate enough guys to do so. I invited him to this site and I hope he could tolerate a few of us. ;)

If you get into the area....this would be a good time to stop as he has apples and cider and such now. I bought 1/2 peck of apples......and stiffed him for $2. - as I didnt have the right change. :D Gives me a reason to stop back and see him again.




Jon has his orchard fenced and keeps a hot wire top and bottom to keep the deer and bears off his trees. Also had an osprey pole up with a nest.....in hopes of them keeping away some other apple predators. No dice yet on the osprey. Very knowledgeable guy.

 

[foggy]

Art....you need to stop here. :)

Kinda wonder if enough guys would do a short "tour" at my place and have an apple day with Jon at the VFW with beer and barbecue again. Could get a private meeting room again. I could host it in early December?.....cause then I gotta migrate south till Spring.

Kinda would plan a similar venue as last year? (maybe shorter at my place)..... But do some apple talk instead (or in addition to) deer density.

......just thinking out loud here. :D

More pics at his site: Redbarnorchard.com

 

[sandbur]

Did he give you suggestions on amending the light soils we have up there?

 

[foggy]

Did he give you suggestions on amending the light soils we have up there?

He did say he uses some poultry litter and lime. He plants buckwheat and some other cover crops too.....some of the buckwheat for his bees. But, we did not get too deep into soils.

 

[sandbur]

Poultry litter does wonderful things on the lighter soils on the Anoka Sand Plain. Does it hlep pH also?
Any manure helps, but I remember Ben from the dark side saying that he threw a spadeful of poultry litter at each of his apple trees.

 

[sandbur]

ph becomes less and less relevant when soil quality and OM goes up.

And when you plant crab apples?

 

[foggy]

Does he have irrigators of some sort?

As I drove off......I realized that I forgot to ask about that. (he had a phone call and I was somewhat interfering in his day) I did not see any irrigation......but I gotta imagine he has some means to water trees.

I'm gonna stop back to pay hime the $2 I owe him. Maybe I can ask a few more questions about his apple operation.