May 2009 • New Directions                                www.americanfarm.com

 ‘Challenge of growing’ draws couple to re-start orchard

By KEVIN GEORGE

Editor

FEDERALSBURG, Md. —

Getting something from nothing sounds like the ultimate ticket to

Easy Street.  Another interpretation of the phrase, though, is what attracted

Steve and Lynda Blades to take over one of the larger orchards in

Delmarva last year.  “It’s the challenge of growing things, bringing in customers and

coming up with new ideas,” Steve Blades said. “Each year, you start

with nothing, and you grow it to the best of your ability.”

Blades Orchard, formerly Friendship Farms at 4822 Preston Road

in Maryland ’s Caroline County, is beginning its second growing season.

But the Blades are taking small steps while they find their way.

“We pretty much have to go with the previous owner’s footprint” on

where to plant specific crops,” he said.  “We did move a bunch of apple (trees)

this early spring — they were in an area that was really getting crowded

out by a little section of woods.”  “Short of taking out the woods,

which I didn’t really want to do, moving the apples was the easier of

two evils.”  Some of the older existing crops have been removed to put in different

crops, like pumpkins, he noted.  Blades said he has gotten guidance

from other orchard growers in the area and has also gotten help

from the University of Maryland’s Wye Research and Education Center and Penn State

Extension representatives

— “If they don’t know it, they put me in touch with somebody

that does” — and others in the Mid-Atlantic orchard industry.

“We’ve become friends because we’re kind of the minority around

here,” said Blades of fellow orchard growers. “If you’re not a chicken

farmer or a row cropper — you’re thinking way too far outside the

box,” he added with a grin, Blades said they are preparing for

an orchard of 20 acres of 30 different varieties of peaches “mixed in with

some nectarines plus pears,” and about four or five acres of 12 different

kinds of apples.  Small apportions of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries

are also planted on the 62-acre farm, which includes about 10 acres devoted to a

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetable operation with more

than 100 families registered.  Blades credited his wife with the

idea to open a CSA.  “It’s a way to bring people to the orchard,” he said. “Along with that,

you get a substantial influx of cash early in the season to help you kind

of start off.”  Blades, who used to own Wishing Well Liquors in Easton, Md., until 10

years ago or so, said his wife encouraged him to try this new career path.

“She asked me what I wanted to do, and I told her that I always wanted

to be a farmer,” he said. “This (property) sat on the market for

1,200 or 1,500 days — about three or four years — and I noticed one day

the (for-sale) sign came down and the previous owner was cutting grass.”

From there, Blades said, negotiations took about 18 months, “finding

a bank, putting together a business plan ... all that fun stuff.”

Blades said he has wagon rides planned for customers this fall to get

them to the pick-your-own apple and pumpkin areas of the orchard.    

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