“I don’t remember who decided it would be a good idea to plant pear trees, but they did,” Neuharth says. “Our pear orchards have been what’s been carrying our business. They’re what’s providing our bread and butter.” Keeping them through farming’s ups and downs, he adds, “was the smart decision.” Also paying off is a decision his father, Tim, made about 20 years ago: converting the farm to organic production. “Getting that fresh market value out of the crop rather than the cannery crop, has been quintessential in keeping our heads above water,” Neuharth says. Long time growing Some of those pear trees have seen a day or two. Among Neuharth’s pear trees are some that were planted in about 1888. Yes, 1888. As in 135 years ago. “Lots of water, good pruning and just really paying attention, keeping after it all the time, keeping your pest problems down,” is how Neuharth describes the work needed to keep these arboreal centenarians in production. And here’s the kicker: He may retire before the trees do. A while back, he says, he asked a neighbor about a pear tree’s life expectancy and was told about 160 years.
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July/August 2023
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