News — Education

The Masonic Village orchard has been a proud steward of the land for 100 years. We practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on our farm in order to preserve sustainable agriculture for our generation and generations to come. There are currently over 400 insects, 200 fungi, bacteria, molds, rots, rodents, and mammals that either damage fruits and vegetables or the plants they grow on. In order to grow healthful, affordable, eye-appealing produce we combine biological, cultural and conservation practices with modern technology to control these pests. We strive to reduce chemical pesticide usage in order to produce safe, environmentally friendly food...

Farmer Tad often gets asked "What's the difference between all of these fruits in a jar? What works well on toast? What would I like best?" Jelly: Jelly is made with strained fruit juice. There are no pieces of fruit in jelly. Jam: Jam is made with mashed fruit. Preserves: Preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit. Some fruits such as blackberries or raspberries will not stay whole during the processing so there may not be much difference between raspberry jam and raspberry preserve. Fruit spreads (only fruit): These are 100% fruit with no sugar added. If needed, a sweet fruit...