Change is constant in an orchard. \u00a0We grow many different fruits, and there is always change about us: a new planting, a different tree in bloom, another fruit to thin, a different fruit to harvest, winter pruning. \u00a0But just as each of these chores has its beginning, all of these chores eventually end. \u00a0It is a constant cycle of activity that repeats itself each year, until it ends.<\/p>\n
And all things come to end. \u00a0This year my neighbors decided to end their fruit business. \u00a0At one time, they were the largest orchard in the area, probably the county. \u00a0But like almost all orchards, they have reduced acreage over the last few decades as wholesale profit margins have diminished, \u00a0labor becomes harder to find, and long-term sustainability becomes more uncertain.<\/p>\n
As they stand at the edge of retirement, they look forward to more time, more freedom, and less responsibility. \u00a0Life is short, and the sudden death of a beloved farming neighbor has reminded all of us that, as my father says, “life is not a dress rehearsal.”<\/p>\n
But I of all people know how difficult this process has been for them. \u00a0We fruit growers are long term planters. \u00a0After all, the life span of a tree in an orchard is about the same as a child in a home. \u00a0And sometimes, for better or worse, we make connections to our trees that can be almost as hard to break.<\/p>\n
So I am saddened by the loss of an orchard. \u00a0Saddened that a family tradition like my own has ended; saddened that the horticultural assets of our industry, namely our trees, are so unprofitable that our fields may be worth more without the trees than with them; and saddened that it is not unlikely that I too may face the same day as my neighbor.<\/p>\n
If that day comes, I hope I handle it with as much fortitude and certainty as he has exhibited.<\/p>\n
For now, as the season closes, I am thankful to be done with the labor of the year, and am working on planting plans for future years. \u00a0It is the time of the year for me that new orchards are conceived, and those connections to the land become more deeply rooted. \u00a0For today, I’d prefer to focus on new beginnings.<\/p>\n
Endings are just hard.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Change is constant in an orchard. \u00a0We grow many different fruits, and there is always change about us: a new planting, a different tree in bloom, another fruit to thin, a different fruit to harvest, winter pruning. \u00a0But just as each of these chores has its beginning, all of these chores eventually end. \u00a0It is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=134"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions\/136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}