814-Uncsmr Farming, SaturdiytJUy 23, 1992
Hausman Fruit Farm: Where The Finest Fruit Is A
Few Steps From The Orchards
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
COOPERSBURG (Lehigh Co.)
“In our business, it seems like
we must be always planning ahead
at least five or six years and then
we are still a couple of steps
behind,” said Ray Hausman of
Coopersburg.
But the Hausman Fruit Farm
and Fruit Shoppe has made an
impressive impact with their conti
nual efforts in improving the land
and in marketing innovations.
In fact, Hausman and his son
Keith, who is in partnership in the
business, were named the 1991
Outstanding Conservation Farmer
in Lehigh County.
“They earned the award," said
Sam High, district conservationist
with the U.S.D.A. Soil Conserva
tion Service, “for their continual
practices to not only conserve their
own farmland but also the acres
they rent.”
the award based on a lifetime of
achievement was a complete sur
prise to the Hausmans. But it
wasn’t a surprise to those who
know the Hausmans and their
commitment to conserving the
hilly slopes for fruit and vegetable
growing.
Hausman’s father. George, pur
chased the 70-acre Lower Milford
Township farm in 1916. At first,
George grew potatoes on the land,
but soon he developed a large
poultry operation and hatchery. In
1928, his interest in fruit trees
began and the orchard has been
blooming ever since.
When Ray purchased the farm
from his father in 1965, the first
thing he did was contact the Con
servation Service immediately for
a plan for the 5- to 10-percent
slopes. He decided to switch com
pletely to fruit and vegetable grow
ing and he saw a need to control
erosion.
“The county has mostly Norton
or Chester soil that tends to wash
hard and cause gullies,” Ray said.
The SCS designed a series of
conversions.
“That first summer there was a
noticeable improvement. The
diversions really stopped erosion,”
Ray said.
But soil conservation was far
from over. Extensive plans were
drawn.
“Unlike most plans based on
crop rotation, orchard rotation
requires 25 to 30 years. We don’t
&
Ray axaminaa tomatoes that tha family grows In three
District conservationist Sam High, center, discusses contour planting with Keith, greenhouses. Although growing tomatoes are labor Inten
left, and Ray, who together were awarded the Outstanding Conservation Farmer of the alve, Ray said, they are one of the most profitable crops the
year by Lehigh County Conservation District. family grows.
want to uproot productive trees so
we need to wait until the trees need
to be replaced to finish the conser
vation plans in each orchard. The
2S- to 30-year plans look really
strange to most people,” High said.
When the old trees are bull
dozed down, new trees are not
planted immediately because the
land does better if it is planted in
com or other crops for about four
years before being replanted with
trees.
“I don’t like to see water run
away so we modify plans as things
change,” Ray said.
Water control structures inter
cept flow of storm water into a
pond, which is used for irrigation.
The pond water is a big help in
dry seasons. Although many far
mers suffered severe drough last
year, the Hausmans said that they
had enough to get them through.
“We had several thunderstorms
hit our acreage that bypassed near
by areas," Ray said.
When Ray first began soil con
servation, he had a 20-year-lease
on 60-acre plot that he rented. “I
put in diversions and did all con
tour planting there,” Hausman
said.
That 20-year-lease has now
expired, but Hausman continues to
rent it and other land on a year to
year basis.
The Hausmans prefer to keep
most of the orchards in grasses to
prevent soil erosion. They also let
50- to 75-percent sod in driveways
between each 12 to 14 rows of
com.
Despite almost 30 years of soil
conservation, the Hausmans are
not yet finished. They recently
acquired 40 acres on which they
are implementing a plan for the
peach orchard they intend to plant
there.
They have already established
contour lines for the orchard and
constructed sod waterways. Even
tually they will install an irrigation
pond to route storm water into it
While some farmers frown on
the shorter, contour rows required
in soil conservation, it doesn’t
bother Ray.
He said, “My grandfather
always said that you can get more
from a crooked row than a straight
one so I guess that goes for trees
also.”
The Hausmans are excited that
the new acreage is virgin soil for
trees. “Orchards always produce
The Hausman family includes, from left: Keith, Carol, Justin, 11; Kerl, 4; Courtney,
6; Kelsey, 9; Ray, and Miriam.
better when planted in virgin soil,”
Ray said. “We don’t have as many
problems with soil bore and para
sites. We stick with reputable
nurseries to make sure we don’t
bring any parasites in.”
They plant trees with
'A -to'/j -inch trunk diameters.
“It doesn’t do any good to plant
a bigger trunk because the shock
on the system isn’t as hard on the
smaller trees. Within five years
you can’t tell the difference
between trees that are planted with
larger trunks and those with small
er ones.”
When Ray first took over his
father’s business, it was geared
mostly to wholesale customers.
“I felt the income was too low
for wholeselling so we went to
retailing,” he said.
He built a store on the farm that
is open year-round.
’That meant we needed more
variety to extend the season,” Ray
said. “We expanded from five var
ieties of apples and one of peaches
to include 11 apple varieties. 16
peach varieties, 5 pear varieties.
JM
w
nectarines, strawberries, sweet and
sour cherries, blueberries, toma
toes, pumpkins, and sweet corn.”
They also started keeping the
fruit in cold storage and controlled
atmosphere, which means they
now have apples to sell from late
July through June 1.
The whole family works
together, but each has his or her
responsibility. Ray controls spray
ing of fruit trees and pays the bills.
Keith controls spraying of the
strawberries, sweet com, blueber
ries and marketing. Detailed
records enable the Ha us mans to
know that produce is operating at a
profit or loss.
“We stopped raising capons
because we couldn’t make money
on them,” Keith said. “Sweet com
is definitely profitable to retail but
not very good for wholesale so we
cut our sweet com acreage.”
Tomatoes are one of the Haus
man’s most successful crops.
About six years ago, they put up
three greenhouses where they
grow tomatoes. About one-third of
the crop is wholesaled while the
remainder is retailed.
(Turn to Pago BIT)