Eco Apple^TM Program

For more information about our Eco programs, including our Eco Stonefruit pilot, click here.

Eco Apple orchards are family-owned, small to medium-size farms; (one, Scott Farm, is owned by a preservation land trust.) All are in the northeastern U.S. Only apples grown by orchards which are certified as partners in this non-profit marketing program are labeled Eco Apple. Visit our grower page to see a complete list of Eco Apple orchards in 2010. Below are some frequently asked questions about Eco Apple.

How are Eco Apple^TM apples different from certified organic apples?
Eco Apple apples are not the same as organic, but many of the methods used by Eco Apple growers and organic growers are the same. Certified organic producers are regulated by strict USDA National Organic Program standards that apply to apple all producers nationally and even worldwide. They allow the use of some pesticides and substances, and prohibit the use of many others. Both eco and organic growers use Integrated Pest Management methods in their orchards. Eco Apple farmers use an advanced IPM protocol for pest control that is specifically designed for apple production in the northeastern United States.

Some Eco Apple growers also grow organic apples. But organic apples are extremely tough to raise in commercial quantity and quality in the northeastern United States, due to pests specific to this climate, such as the plum curculio beetle and apple scab. Organic-approved pesticides for these pests and diseases must be applied frequently and in large quantity to be effective here; and some, such as sulfur, can have detrimental ecological impacts if used in the quantities required for commercial production in the northeast. For those situations, Eco Apple producers choose the least toxic, minimal-impact methods based on what is best for the orchard ecosystem.

One way that Eco Apple production and organic production are similar: the Eco Apple protocol prohibits the use of all organophosphates on the fruit itself, a class of pesticides that has been linked to a number of serious health concerns.

Do Eco Apple growers use Organophosphates (OPs) on their apples?

Eco Apple producers have been working steadily to eliminate OPs, and no OPs have been applied to Eco Apple fruit for several years. The Eco Apple protocol prohibits all use of OPs on the fruit itself.  Since 2008, only one specific OP, chlorpyrifos, is allowed in restricted use for a specific pest, early in the year, to tree trunks only, and only as a last resort. (Chlorpyrifos is sold as Lorsban and several other generic brands.) The protocol is reviewed annually.  For the current 2009/2010 season, we are carefully monitoring whether any grower will need to use chlorpyrifos on any trees, and we will provide complete disclosure before we begin shipping product to market.

How is Eco fruit different from regular fruit?

Eco farmers use advanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control insect pests, weeds and diseases in their orchards. They rely primarily on the least-toxic and natural methods such as biological controls, along with extensive monitoring of trees, pests and environmental conditions. Conventional chemical pesticides are used only in limited, very targeted circumstances. These practices can be more expensive and labor-intensive, and require more monitoring, than conventional programs. Any producer may incorporate  IPM practices on their farm, but Eco growers use ONLY the strict practices outlined in our written protocols.

How are Eco Apple^TM standards set?
An important part of the Eco Apple program is an annual review of the protocol, working closely with a group of scientists from Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts, who are researching new pest management strategies and looking for alternatives that protect health and environment. Changes in climate, pest resistance, and apple varieties are some other reasons the standards must be reviewed and updated. The goal is to constantly push toward least-toxic, most ecological practices, and to improve continuously as we learn more about reduced-risk alternatives and what it takes to implement them and grow high quality apples.

The Eco Apple advisory group, which includes growers, scientists, and others, also recommends priorities for further research and helps to push for funding and support for research into ecological methods. Pubic funding of this type of research has been cut drastically over the past several decades, so programs like Eco Apple are an important source of new research and information for farmers.

What criteria are used to determine pesticide use and restrictions for growing Eco Apples^TM?
There are more than 1,200 pesticides allowed for use on apples! This list includes both synthetic and natural products used in conventional and organic production. Pesticide options currently in use or suggested by growers or others in this region, are evaluated for potential to contaminate groundwater, pest resistance, and for hazards to humans, natural enemies and other non-targets. They are also evaluated for necessity to produce quality apples in the Northeast in commercial quantities.

One of the tools used to analyze pesticide hazards is the database at www.pesticideinfo.org. This on-line tool, created and maintained by the Pesticide Action Network of North America, collates information from recognized authorities such as international watchdogs and state and federal regulators such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

All pest control methods are used only after systematic scouting and weather monitoring, and only when pests exceed science-based thresholds.

How is Red Tomato able to develop such a comprehensive program?

The Eco Apple program is supported in part by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grant Program, the USDA Crops at Risk Program, the USDA Northeastern IPM Center and the EPA Region I Strategic Agricultural Initiative Grant Program. Research partners include scientists at the University of Massachusetts, Cornell University and others.

Trust the farmer. Know the orchard. LOVE the fruit.