Follow your dream. There are always going to be a learning curve and upfront expenses no matter what you do. Talk to the people who you are going to buy from and get all the information you can get from them---to suppliers, who buys, where they sell etc...heck even ask if you can call on them once in awhile if you are encountering a problem(s) Did you really know how to run a deli when you first got into it? Did you realize the problems you would encounter running a deli? You learned as you went and you took it all in stride. Your family will thrive especially your children by having you there all the time--even if you are just sharing chores around the farm-your children can and will adapt and will learn many new things. I would hazzard a guess and say they were not allowed to be in the deli for many, many reasons-even it it was to just help mom or dad with there chores! This can be a really fun time for your family--heck get some chickens and sell eggs. Get a dog! You will need to make sure you have money put back for those emergencies etc.....unexpected anything. Your dreams of all you would like to do sound wonderful. Before you sell the deli outright-a word of caution---maybe one of you should commute for a while just to keep the money flow and as suggested by CPP in the above post---hire a manager but keep your finger in the pie--say for another year? You could still buy the orchard, it would be hard work but think of the end result. This is just one Mothers opinion!

I have sometimes suffered some phototoxicity apparently from applying oil between 10 and 14 days following Captan. The label of either the oil, Captan or both clearly warns of incompatibility but there is no written indication that residue from Captan could create a problem this much later. Only certain varieties, particularly Tomkins King have had this kind of response to so late an interval between Cap and oil- also pears are particularly sensitive. Oil probably wouldn't leave as lasting a residue-it evaporates very quickly, at least if you use some kind of summer oil. I like Purespray. The 10 to 14 day interval for PC protection is for Imidan only. Most other available materials will require a tighter interval and at least an additional spray unless you are very attentive or lucky. Imidan is exceptionally rain-fast for a non-systemic. The manufacturer doesn't even recommend a sticker. As far as historic PC protection results, you never can be sure what your chemicals are doing for you unless you see the PC in your orchard and then spray. In recent years in the Northeast PC has become somewhat less predictable on some sites based on my observations. In 2 of the last 4 years I have seen unsprayed sites produce apples without PC damage. These are large trees with lots of apples. PC often leaves the russeted old-strain Yellow Delicious alone as well. Too bad I don't much like them although they're a lot better than the new strains. PC disagrees with me and attacks those newer strains. Imidan is not nationally restricted and the government is stearing its use away from homeowners because they don't trust them to follow the label. It now has a 3-day REI, probably because it can be tracked indoors, especially off a dew covered grass. Once it is brought indoors it is almost as durable as DDT, outside it breaks down quickly. I wouldn't do any hand thinning of fruit until about 2 weeks after a spray myself which is very inconvenient. On varieties I'm almost sure will overcrop I remove a lot of flowers because I don't use chemical thinners. The Imidan label says not for residential use but according to code I now believe this means indoors, from what I read while studying for certification renewel. I called the NYDEC and was told that it is OK to use in resedential areas. In NY it is restricted to commercial applicators unless you are a commercial grower. In CT it is sometimes available from suppliers catering to commercial landscapers and is not restricted. It can legally be sent through the mail 1 package at a time. I can even have it sent to NY from another state even if I don't prove I'm licensed to use it here. Of course it would be illegal for me to use it if I wasn't licensed.

100 trees is a good starting point, but I have not seen any discussion about rootstocks, cultural practice or the budget designed to hit your goals.. Each of these points merit careful consideration. The current "state of the art" in apple production seems to be some form of tall spindle with trees 3 or 4 feet apart in rows 12 or 13 feet apart. With a tree density of over 800 trees per acre, plan on spending around $15K per acre for this type of orchard not including the fence! Trees cost around $10 each and you have place the order at least one year or perhaps two years ahead to get what you want. Some nursery will custom bud any variety you choose it they do not have it in their catalog. The most useful information I have seen is in YouTube or other video from Umass or Cornell. Also, T Robinson (Cornell) has produced a lot of research explaining and advocating tall spindle systems. Last year I saw a new 100 acre planting of dwarf trees in Virginia which must have cost over a million dollars It was a very impressive site. The smart money in the orchard business from all over the country seems to be on board with tall spindle system Don't forget the berries and brambles. They fit perfect with your plan and cost a lot less to get started than tree fruit

There have been many discussions of bagging on this forum. Glenn and Michael have been involved with a lot of it. For Bart and Poaky, the gist of bagging is this: Apples generally need spraying for plum curculio before the bags are put on. Apples do best w/ cheap ziplock type plastic bags. The bags generally protect against fungus and insects once installed. As Planatus mentioned, stone fruits are more difficult to grow organically. They will rot inside plastic bags and several people have reported footies won't keep out lep moths under heavy pressure. Some have reported good luck keeping out leps w/ footies soaked in Surround. As w/ apples, peaches will need protection from spray before the bags are installed, if plum curc. is a problem. Scott has posted his success using cotton drawstring bags. The bags are thick enough to keep out leps, but thin enough to still allow the fruit to breathe, which helps with the rot problem. Some folks have reported problems w/ earwigs damaging fruit in the bags, but this doesn't appear to be a widespread issue. Pest pressure is very regional. As Planatus points out, pest pressue is light enough in some locales, cultural controls are all that are needed (pruning, thinning, sanitation, etc). Other areas, pest pressures are significant enough that they cause not only cosmetic damage, but will completely destroy the harvest. Wormy fruit tends to ripen prematurely, which can detract from the flavor. Additionally, worms significantly reduce the storage capability of the fruit. However, if all your getting is black spots on the fruit, your pest pressure is very light, and I wouldn't even bother w/ bagging. Black spots on peaches are probably bacterial spot, or a light case of scab.