On a chilly winter day at the farm an essential annual task in the orchard may be "suckering". Many orchard trees are grafted - meaning that a desirable fruit-bearing tree strain is surgically attached to a hearty root stock (the foundation of the tree).

Pictured, this tree clearly displays the old grafting line by the significant bark difference. This root stock below wants to flourish and reproduce by sending up shoots (suckers) from the base, but since this is not the desired tree that was grafted on top, these suckers are trimmed off so they don't drain vitality from the primary fruit tree. And thus we can provide the community with superb fruit!

-Michael Z, Intern Winter 2015