/24-7PressRelease/ - UNIVERSITY PARK, PA, April 17, 2008 - Hollabaugh Brothers, Inc. Fruit Farm and Market in Biglerville, PA has been growing fruit for over five decades using growing methods that are better for the environment and produce a high quality, safe and nutritious product.
The family operation relies on a variety of integrated pest management (IPM) methods to reduce the amount of pesticides needed to grow their fruit. IPM is a highly effective alternative to excessive pesticide applications. IPM aims to manage pests - such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals - by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and environmentally compatible.
Co-owner Brad Hollabaugh says consumers are increasingly concerned about food safety and the chemicals used to grow them. "IPM reduces our reliance on pesticides through a combination of biological, chemical, and cultural methods supported by weather prediction data, pest development models, and scouting information from the orchards," Hollabaugh explains. "We also attend on-going education seminars so we understand the life cycles of the pests we are dealing with, pest identification and habits, and the latest in reduced risk treatments."
Hollabaugh says they started using IPM techniques on their 500 acre farm years ago after realizing its many benefits. "Not only are we reducing pesticide use, which benefits the environment and consumer, it also promotes natural plant defenses that can better withstand damage from pests and increases the number of beneficial organisms that are already present in the orchard environment."
Hollabaugh uses IPM techniques such as planting trees and plants that are more pest resistant, incorporating insect mating disruption to control pest insects, and using beneficial insects such as ladybugs to eat pests like aphids. They also utilize sex pheromone traps as part of their monitoring program so they can make better pest control decisions. "The traps are especially useful for more accurate determinations of a pest's life cycle such as the beginning of moth flight or the peak flight activity. Often, traps can also be used as a tool to study insect behavior, dispersal or survival," Hollabaugh explains.
In addition, many of the newly registered reduced risk pesticides are highly "species specific" and often require very precise timing of applications to achieve the best pest control. "It's extremely important we know the specific insect pests that are present in our orchards," says Hollabaugh. "This allows us to use less-toxic pesticides that target specific pests instead of killing all the insects in an orchard with a broad-spectrum product."
Besides using best pest management techniques, Hollabaugh says family ownership and involvement is key to the success of their farm and market. Currently, Hollabaugh Brothers grow thirty varieties of apples, asparagus and other vegetables, apricots, peaches, plums, pears, Asian pears, pumpkins and a variety of berries. They also conduct interactive tours of their farm for schools and other groups. For more information about the fruit farm and market, visit their web site at http://www.hollabaughbros.com/ or email them at info@hollabaughbros.com.
About Pennsylvania IPM Program
The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and urban settings. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://www.paipm.org. To view our archived news releases, see Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/10.htm.
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