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It’s just one of many chores essential to the operation of his orchard in La Crescent. For his efforts, Hoch, his wife, Jackie, and his family have been named the University of Minnesota Extension Service’s 2008 Winona County Farm Family of the Year. The Hochs — one of the state’s 68 county-honored farm families — were recognized two weeks ago at the county fair in St. Charles. On Aug. 7, they’ll be officially recognized in a ceremony at the annual Farmfest near Redwood Falls.
Hoch is a second-generation grower on the 95-acre farm — 40 in production. His father founded it in the 1950s and ran it through the ’70s. Hoch earned an associate degree in horticulture in 1985 and ran the farm until 1989. He left the farm shortly after he married his wife, Jackie, but the family returned in 1997.
Today, apples are their primary crop.
The Hochs raise more than 50 varieties — including all those grown in Minnesota — on six acres of originally planted trees and 25 acres of younger trees. Recently, they’ve expanded into other fruits such as raspberries and strawberries, Hoch said. Like his apples, the other fruits are packaged at the farm and shipped to stores in the Twin Cities and local food co-ops.
The couple’s daughter, Missy, helps out on the farm and farmers markets during summer breaks from college.
Going organic
The Hochs want their orchard to produce the best products while being environmentally friendly and economically feasible. Some of their crops are raised organically, and the family wants to convert the entire operation to organic by 2010, according to the U of M Extension Service.
As an organic grower, Hoch’s packout is lower than that of conventional growers who use high amounts of pesticides to increase yields. So to make use of all the fruit he produces, he opened a new facility on his farm that makes the family’s own jellies, ciders, apple sauces and preserves. It also packages apples for shipment to the market.
“We’re taking, what would be $2 a bushel to sell these processing apples to another cider facility, and turning them into high-end jellies, jams, or our own high-end cider,” he said. “We wouldn’t have tried to convert this whole farm into organic if we didn’t have a place to utilize organic, processing-grade apples.”
Sharing knowledge
The Hochs use interns on their farm. They used to employ migrant workers during the season, but because the farm has diversified, Hoch said, it was hard to find workers who would work by the hour on different crops and in packing and processing.
He says the interns bring several advantages: “One is that they live right here on the farm with us, and most of them come in earlier in the season, so they get an opportunity to learn the whole farm and learn where things are,” he said. “Most of the people who come into this program already have a degree in agriculture or some kind of farming experience … so I’m getting people who are experienced in horticulture and already have an understanding of soil science and entomology, and it’s a lot easier to train people in to do specialty things.”
The interns also provide the Hochs with a cultural experience. They have four interns from four countries: Peru, Honduras, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
“I always learn something from the interns,” Hoch said.
