Subject: Re: fruit residuals utilization

From: "Thomas W. Christ" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 17:18:42 -0800

[email-masked] wrote:
> 
> We're interested in learning about the types of systems/uses processors
> and orchards are using to handle their residual/waste fruit. Contact
> BioCycle Magazine at [email-masked] with information. thanks

I have been told that the West Virginia Fish and Game Department 
purchased or was given several loads of pomace from a cider pressing 
facility.  Using a manure spreader, they spread this onto an area which 
had been clearcut of its timber a few months earlier.  They then did some 
sort of mechanical effort to work the seed below the soil surface 
(perhaps a drum chopper, drag, or very narrow disk).  The purpose was to 
create a natural apple grove, and I never did hear how it worked out.  I 
should think that the principal problem would be competing growth from 
suckers and early-succession taxa like Mountain Maple.  Still, it's a 
nice thought for the wildlife:  a big grove of apple trees growing out in 
the mountains.  Just to blue-sky, if there were 1,000 seeds per gallon of 
pomace, and a 0.1% germination and survival rate, that would mean 1.0 
trees per gallon.  Assuming that a gallon would cover a couple of square 
yards, that would provide for about 2,000 surviving young apple trees per 
acre, which is way beyond the carrying capacity of an acre (which is 
probably 100 trees or so on the best ground).  Anyhow, an interesting 
application of fruit processing waste.  Tom.

---

From: Larry Arsenault <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1996 15:25:55 -0800

We bought a small piece of land with a family sized orchard (35 apple,
pear and cherry trees) abdly neglected.  After adding a few apricots and
apples that do better in our wet, late springs, we started getting some
production but not the quality for market yet.  We also had purchased a
few "Babydoll" Southdown sheep to see if there was a market for this
"semi-exotic, pet".  The reason we chose Babydolls was they would fit in
with our orchard without harming the trees.  Because they're pretty
blocky and only 2' max at the shoulder we keep them in with a low 2'
fence.  They have worked out pretty well for us - they eat up all the
windfall, keep the grass on the 1 acre orchard down low, deposit a
little manure and don't bother the mature trees.  As for the new trees  
2" chicken wire around 4 posts works just fine.  We clean out the barn
4 times a year and pile the manured hay around the trees sometime in
mid to late winter and let it soak into the ground so that if we get a
good spring the trees display great vigor and bloom.  This also helps
buld up our thin, clay/rock soil.  
If all goes well, we should be getting marketable fruit into the
organic market in the next 2 to 3 years.

I can't recommend sheep as the solution to everybody's problem, but
it's a nice cycle to develop, especially if you're in the organic
market.  It's certainly working well for us.
Larry Arsenautt

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 3 Dec 1996 12:00:10 GMT

---

From: "counides,m" <[email-masked]>
Date: 7 Dec 1996 16:05:02 -0700

We have heard of pulp being used as cattle feed