Patience

Farming is NOT for the impatient

In my not so often humble opinion, of all the ingredients one needs to be a successful farmer - especially a grower of perennial fruits - the most valuable is patience.

Trees generally grow slowly when allowed to do naturally, and according to their own rhythms. Sure, they may grow quickly in tropical areas and more slowly in colder regions, but in general they grow slow and to the beat of their own drum. This means they mature and come to fruition when they’re ready. Grow the tree, then grow some fruit.

As the old saying goes, “one should plant trees that you may not have the pleasure of sitting under.”

In commercial tree fruit production, high-density cropping systems are used to circumvent the natural cycles of trees. The use of dwarfing rootstocks, soil fumigation, intense fertilizer (not fertility) programs, expensive fertigation, and toxic sprays tend to push the trees along faster than they would prefer. This certainly leads to quicker production, but it also leads to unhealthy trees, orchard, and soils.

The lifespan of a high-density orchard is on the order of 25 years or so; the life span of an apple tree can be on the order of 150-200 years, and for pears even longer. Stone fruit not so much, but that’s a story for another time. Vines (which are of course not trees) can also live centuries. These long-lived elders are long-lived because they are generally “allowed” to grow according to their own surroundings and rhythms, not the artificial dictates of impatient farmers.

Impatience is also not good for the farmer. When farming is conducted according to balance sheets and profits margins, it puts undo pressure on the farmer to produce produce produce, creating a scenario that leads to a dismal life. Impatient farming ignores the reality of life itself for the farmer, trees, vines and all living things.

“The River knows this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday.” - attributed to AA Milne/Winnie the Pooh

Pushing growth and production does not end well - unless you are just looking for big returns on your investment. It leads to impermanence and a truncated story. And the story, the story of your orchard or vineyard or farm, is the backbone of culture, the real meaning behind terroir. Patience leads to happy healthy trees, nutritious fruit, and sane farmers. Plus you get to experience nature in motion, and to be a part of the process. Otherwise you’re just growing trees and fruit.

Invest in patience and compassion, as well as the trees and your orchard, eschew the possibility of being shot out of a cannon. It’ll come, it’ll come, and everything will be better off for it.