About FruitFarming.org
We’re an independent reference for people who grow fruit or plan to. That includes backyard growers with a few trees, small farms selling at markets and farm stands, and anyone weighing a fruit business.
Every guide is built on USDA data, federal rules, and university extension research. The source sits beside each figure, and the region it applies to is named, because fruit advice that works in California can fail in Maine.
FruitFarming.org is operated by Jummas Organic Fruits Farm.
Why this site exists
Good fruit growing information is public, but it’s scattered and local. USDA publishes the national numbers. Extension services publish hundreds of bulletins, each written for one state’s soils, winters, and pests.
That’s the problem. A planting date, a variety, or a chill-hour figure that suits one region can fail in another, and most pages online never say which region they mean. We gather the research, compare it across regions, and explain it plainly, with the source and the region named every time.
What we do, and what we’re not
What we do
- Answer real questions from people growing fruit, from one tree to a commercial planting
- Name the source beside every figure
- Name the region or climate with every planting date, variety, and chill-hour figure
- Show both figures when respected sources disagree, instead of averaging them
- Explain the rules that apply to growers: organic certification, plant quarantines, and produce safety
What we’re not
- Not a nursery. We don’t sell trees, plants, or fruit.
- Not a plant diagnostic lab. We can’t identify a disease from a photo.
- Not a source of pesticide rates. The label is the law, and we never publish rates.
- Not a product tester. We don’t claim hands-on testing of tools or equipment.
- Not a replacement for your county extension office or a certified crop adviser
Where our guidance stops
A fruit planting lasts for years, so mistakes last too. Four rules apply to every guide on the site.
We describe. We don’t diagnose.
A guide can explain what fire blight or citrus greening looks like. Your county extension office or a plant diagnostic lab confirms what your tree has.
We publish no pesticide rates.
Pesticide labels are legal documents under EPA rules. We explain what a product type does, never how much to use.
Region comes first.
Planting dates, chill hours, and variety picks change by state. Every guide names the region its figures come from.
Quarantines are followed.
We never suggest moving plants out of a quarantine area. Citrus greening rules, for example, restrict moving citrus trees and fruit.
Who we write for
The guides cover plantings of every size, from one apple tree in a backyard to acres of berries for a farm stand.
Backyard growers
A few fruit trees or a berry patch, the right varieties for the area, and care through the year.
Small farms
Orchards and berry fields sized for farmers markets, farm stands, and local buyers.
U-pick and farm stand owners
Planting for a long season, harvest timing, and produce safety rules.
Future fruit businesses
Site selection, startup costs, financing, and the years before the first crop.
Organic growers
USDA organic rules, the 36-month transition, and approved methods.
Students and master gardeners
Clear explanations of how fruit growing works, with the sources to cite.
The team
Four people research, write, check, and edit the guides, each in a defined area. Guides carry a shared Editorial Team byline because every guide passes through more than one of us.
Team Member One
Research lead
Tracks USDA reports and federal rules, and decides which source answers each question.
Covers: statistics, organic rules, quarantines
Team Member Two
Orchard care writer
Turns extension research on planting, pruning, and irrigation into plain, usable guides.
Covers: tree fruits, small fruits, soil and water
Team Member Three
Fact checker
Opens every cited source and confirms each figure and its region before a guide goes live.
Covers: figures, sources, corrections
Team Member Four
Editor
Keeps guides short, clear, and focused on the question a reader actually asked.
Covers: structure, clarity, reader questions
How a guide gets made
Every guide follows the same five steps, whether it covers drip emitters or organic certification.
Start with a real question
We write for questions people search for and send us, such as when to plant fruit trees or how long apple trees take to bear.
Go to the primary source
USDA reports, federal rules, and extension publications. Not summaries, and not other blogs.
Match the region
We check which climate a figure was measured in, and compare sources from other regions before writing.
Check every figure
A second person opens each source and confirms each number before the guide goes live.
Review and update
Statistics are refreshed when USDA publishes new data, and rule pages are reviewed whenever a rule changes.
Our sourcing standards
We start with the most authoritative source available and work down from there. If a claim can’t be traced to a named source, it doesn’t go in a guide.
Sources we use
- USDA agencies: NASS, ERS, APHIS, AMS and its National Organic Program, NRCS, and the Farm Service Agency
- The FDA for produce safety and the EPA for pesticide labels
- Land-grant university extension services, matched to the reader’s region
- Peer-reviewed horticulture research
- Manufacturer specifications, for tools and equipment only
Sources we don’t use
- Forums, social media groups, and comment threads
- Nursery catalog claims presented as facts
- Other blogs and content sites
- Statistics with no date or no named publisher
Corrections and updates
When we get something wrong, we fix it and note what changed and which source the fix came from. We don’t quietly swap a number. Growers often spot problems first, and we treat every correction as a favor.
Get in touch
Corrections and sources
Tell us the page, the figure, and the source you’re comparing against.
Corrections usually go up the same week.
Everything else
Questions about the site, permissions, or a page that won’t load.
We aim to reply within three business days.
Sick tree or strange pest?
Your county extension office can identify pests and diseases, and many states run plant diagnostic labs.