April 2021 - 25

FARM MARKET & AGRITOURISM
new challenges COVID posed comes in
addition to the usual pest management
challenges on an organic farm.
Riverdance is surrounded by pollinator
plants to bring in natural enemies to pests
and hosts many insectivorous birds.
" We have a (natural) crew to work
with, so we don't want to disrupt it too
much, " said Lashbrook. " But sometimes
it just isn't enough. "
The farm may do one or two
organically-approved sprays in the
spring for the cherries, which, Lashbrook
said, is the most of anything that has
been sprayed in quite some time. When
spotted wing drosophila first appeared
and was invasive, it destroyed half of
Riverdance's cherry crop. This year, there
has been a slight uptick in worm damage
in the walnuts. With the majority of
the Central Valley being planted with
tree nuts, Lashbrook acknowledges that
the surrounding conventionally-grown
orchards could bring her more problems
as she becomes less and less island-like
with her crop.
" We have to monitor more now, " said
Lashbrook.
Tackling the imported red fire ant is
next on the list for strategizing a control
method. Though Riverdance has never
used out-of-state bees for pollination,
the ants made an appearance after the
county began placing traps.
FOOL'S GOLD
anyway, but that's getting harder to do. "
The year ahead
Planning for 2021 comes with two
different sets of plans - one if coronavirus
restrictions are lifted, and one if they
aren't. Every year, Riverdance hosts
the family-friendly, weekend-long
Annual Pick and Gather Festival, where
visitors can pick organic produce, camp,
fish, participate in crafts and games,
geocaching, kids' science classes, food
preservation classes and more. The event
usually brings in over 1,200 visitors and
Lashbrook hopes the festival can return
in 2021, but is preparing to go without it.
The 2020 event was cancelled, but U-pick
reservations were made available.
The reservation system proved a smart
choice. Riverdance has been able to serve
the needs of people wanting better quality
food and to explore safe outdoor areas in a
state with frequently changing
stay-at-home orders. Not only that, but for
a farm like Riverdance - too big for smaller
markets, but too small to entertain buyers
from major operations - the happy middle
ground lies in gaining the attention of those
wanting a recreational outdoor experience.
Because of this, Lashbrook plans to make
Riverdance's offerings increasingly more
diverse, including more stone fruit to stretch
the U-pick season. This way, there's almost
always something to pick, she said.
Lashbrook also hopes to get her organic
goods directly into the hands of consumers
via Barn2Door, and is considering forming
a farm membership where members can
visit the farm and participate in a variety
of activities, including pick food, picnic,
garden and camp.
" I love people who love to be here; it
makes me happy. If I can find more ways
to have people come pick their own or
pick up their own, and possibly even have
a community garden plot of their own,
we might work something like that out, "
Lashbrook said. VGN
RAISING THE BAR
Fool's Gold is a 10-14 pound upright, tan
pumpkin with a beautiful dark green handle.
Rupp trial cooperators tell us that, at their
roadside stands, Fool's Gold is one of the first
to sell out.
Riverdance Farms is great for families,
kids and teens. Even in the off season,
U-pickers can still pick persimmons,
or enjoy a picnic or time by the river.
Photo: Crystal Nay
" Ten years or so ago, (the county)
first started monitoring for it and
leaving stuff around, so they might have
accidentally brought (the imported
red fire ant) with them. And the ants
are happy to be in our fairly sandy soil
without much disruption, so that's
something that's difficult to manage with
biocontrol, " said Lashbrook.
A few different options have been
deployed on the farm to varying degrees
of success, including boiling water,
diatomaceous earth, baits, spinosads and
others. Lashbrook continues to research
additional organic-friendly options, with
a d-Limonene-based product next on
her list.
Labor is another complication. Not
only is labor limited, it is costly. Wage
requirements are increasing while
prices farmers get for their harvests are
decreasing.
" As we have to pay a dollar or more
an hour each year for labor, which I'm
happy to do, the price to us for our
products has been going down each year,
so it's getting very difficult to balance, "
said Lashbrook. " We always try to pay
a couple dollars over minimum wage
FORT KNOX
WHITE GOLD
Fort Knox is a dark orange 5-7
pound pie pumpkin. This high
yielding pumpkin from Rupp is
known for its huge handle and
strong powdery mildew tolerance.
White Gold pumpkin will hold its
color better in the fall than other
whites. Growers love this 90 day,
8 pound Rupp pumpkin. The white
fruit with a contrasting dark green
handle make White Gold a great
addition for fall displays.
YOSEMITE
Yosemite is a 6-7# small pumpkin
from Rupp Seeds. The fruit are
a deep red/orange color and are
taller than they are wide. The extralong
handle on Yosemite makes it
an attractive addition for your farm
market display and a nice option
for kids to carry.
RAISING THE BAR
IN QUALITY, FLAVOR, AND YIELD
Visit ruppseeds.com to request or download your copy
of our 2021 catalog including 40 new products.
800-700-1199 * ruppseeds.com
VGN | APRIL 2021 | 25
http://www.ruppseeds.com http://www.ruppseeds.com
April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021
