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If you’ve seen any of our videos, you have probably heard Silas say, “It is very important to identify your goals before starting any project”. Prior to purchasing this farm, we spent hours figuring out our goals, and then really searched for a place that would help us achieve them. We bought the farm, enjoyed a few camping trips, and then it was time to get to work.
Before purchasing any land, we knew what variety of trees we wanted to plant. We were looking for a large variation in the size of the nuts coming from our trees. This is so we could be sure our harvesters were doing their job, even with different sized nuts. We also wanted low input varieties as we weren’t planning on putting in enough trees to justify owning spray equipment. In addition to testing, we also planned to use our orchard for product pictures and videos. Having a photogenic piece was a must!
Once we found property, more planning had to be done. We looked for the best place to actually plant the orchard on the property. Three key factors went into deciding where to plant. First, we made sure we had a spot with good drainage. Second, we looked for a place with good airflow to help keep scab at bay and aid in pollination. Third, we found a spot with easy access.
As with everything we have done on the property so far, we really want our kids to be involved. They were so young when we got started, but we had them out in the field helping measure and mark for our trees!
Now that the orchard site was figured out, it was time to get our hands dirty! We began sourcing trees and getting them into the ground. Check out our Nut Dynasty videos on planning out your own orchard here – video:
