The attraction of opposites: Using both soil and soilless production to enhance diversified vegetable and fruit operations - Part 2
Peach Hill Orchard, Martinsburg, PA-
On this mid-summer
morning in central Pennsylvania, it turned out that tomatoes were not
the first thing on Ammon Martin’s mind. While Ammon and his son
Dave were certainly willing to discuss their greenhouse hydroponic
tomato production with me, he explained with a smile that right now
it was peach picking season. So, it was going to be the orchard that
would consume much of their time over the next few days. This simple
explanation very clearly illustrates both the opportunities and
challenges that greet diversified direct marketers like the Martins,
who have owned and operated Peach Hill Orchard, in Martinsburg, PA
for over two decades.
Ammon started his
production over twenty years ago with fruit trees and vegetables. To
widen his season and therefore marketing window, he began growing
tomatoes in high tunnels. However, the management and production in
soil with unheated structures contained more yearly and seasonal
variability than he desired. In order to have more control over his
growing environment and therefore his crop productivity, he installed
a CropKing hydroponic greenhouse about 20 years ago. Beefsteak
tomatoes were their most important hydroponic crop, but European
cucumbers were grown as well to add variety to the early spring
produce selection. Along with hydroponic production, the Martin’s
also produced bedding plants, vegetable transplants and hanging
baskets in adjacent, but separate greenhouses. These protected
environments were combined with both field vegetables and fruits for
a wide diversity of crops to market.
For many years,
they sold these varied crops through a small roadside stand at their
dairy farm in addition to selling through the local flower and
produce auctions. To enhance their direct-marketing ability and
establish a year-round business, they built a permanent farm market
about five years ago that was certainly well stocked with both
produce and customers on the morning I visited. Various fruit crops
and vegetables, along with meats and cheeses, provide consistent
selection for all seasons. The hydroponic tomato crop, though, still
played a key role in providing spring and early summer fresh produce
to attract customers. However, as the summer season progressed each
year, field vegetable crops, sweet corn, and the fruit trees consumed
more and more time. To address the labor needs of their diverse
operation, Ammon simply decided to end their hydroponic crop in late
July of each year to focus on other farm responsibilities. The
hydroponic tomatoes, along with a few cucumbers, are produced and
sold in the months of March through July. Field vegetables, fruit,
and cider then become the focus of Peach Hill Orchard.
Over time, the
Martin’s found they were direct marketing essentially all of their
produce and rarely needed to sell at the produce auction. In fact,
they even discontinued growing bedding plants and hanging baskets
because they found those markets were more crowded. Growing
hydroponic and field vegetables and fruit for their market, it turned
out, was a more profitable use of their time. This past year, they
even added a small CropKing nutrient film system to grow hydroponic
lettuce for their customers in the spring. Peach Hill Orchard, now
run by Ammon along with his son Dave, demonstrates the potential of
coordinating traditional fruit and vegetable production in soil with
greenhouse hydroponic crops. This crop combination provides the
Martin’s an opportunity to provide a diverse and high quality
selection of produce to their customers throughout the seasons- and
it certainly seems to be working!
