Stone
Ridge Orchard
The oldest trees at Stone Ridge Orchard are a stand of old apple
trees, clustered around a majestic oak at the top of a hill.
The classic varieties-- McIntosh, Cortland, Golden Delicious,
and Stayman-- are a testament to a two hundred year history
of apple growing on this beautiful farm in upstate New York.
Tucked away in the Rondout river valley between the Shawangunk
and Catskill Mtns., the continuous production of top quality
apples is what the folks at Stone Ridge call “fair proof”
that the mountain climate is perfect for raising produce. Many
things have changed over two centuries in the orchards here,
and the combination of deep history and modern ideas are part
of the unique charm.
In the mid-70s, many of the old trees were replaced by modern
varieties planted on smaller, semi-dwarf rootstock. The modern
style of planting allowed the orchard to produce fruit that
Stone Ridge orchard manager Mike Biltonen says is bigger, sweeter,
redder and easier to harvest than before.
In 2000, another 1000 trees were added to the orchard, on fully-dwarf
rootstock that allows even denser planting per acre. Varieties
including HoneyCrisp, Gala, Ginger Gold, Macoun and Fuji were
added to old favorites. Today, the orchard contains many other
fruit trees-- sweet cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums and
Asian pears—as well as berries, pumpkins and melons. But
apples remain the centerpiece, watched over by the weathered
stand of ancestors on the hilltop.
Stone Ridge has a strong commitment to ecologically friendly
methods, and a longstanding appreciation for the complementary
approaches of organic and IPM methods. This visionary perspective
makes them a perfect partner for Red Tomato’s Eco Apple
program.
Stone Ridge describes their philosophy of sustainable farming
this way:
“At Stone Ridge Orchard we’ve chosen a unique path
to ensure that our farming practises are environmentally friendly
and our fruit achieves the highest quality….Our land stewardship
philosophy is about a thought process as much as it is day-to-day
operations. We are always looking to the future. We’re
constantly innovating and pushing the envelope trying to bring
us one step further. Over the next few years we will transition
even more of the farm to organic. But organic practices are
only a part of the process. In fact, we have already started
looking at what we feel is the next big leap: biodynamics.”
Stone Ridge Orchard supplies Red Tomato with Eco Apples. Visit
their website at: www.stoneridgeorchard.com
