Business Management

Along with a significant investment in time, starting a fruit farm requires sound business management skills. In this section, access information on farm management and budgeting for fruit crops. Find advice on planning and planting an orchard, fruit crop budgeting, crop insurance, and diversification. Information on FSMA regulations, and safety and risk management is also available.

Fruit Farm Management

Fruit trees, as well as small fruits, can be successfully grown in both orchards and small-scale farms. For efficient and profitable production, however, it’s critical to choose a suitable fruit crop, create a business plan, build a strategy, and plan your production budgets.

Take the Orchard Management: Site Planning and Preparation online course to learn more about determining the best tree fruit species for your site, preparing your site before planting, and developing an orchard map. Information is also available for fruit producers interested in reducing farm energy use by focusing on conservation and efficiency.

The Specialty Crop Tours offer additional opportunities for young growers taking over a family operation, developing a new enterprise, or innovating production practices. New, young, and minority farmers may further benefit from the "Models for the Future" on-farm apple demonstration plots. These plots are designed to aid new farmers in experiencing and learning innovative management practices.

Fruit Production Budget

Production budgets are an important part of any successful fruit enterprise. They help lay out the estimates of costs and returns associated with the farm’s production. Fruit enterprise budget tools are typically used to estimate profitability, assist in business planning, and project cash flows.

Fruit growers can find valuable spreadsheet tools for assessing the benefits and costs of sustainable practices in apple farms, strawberry plantings, and more.

Fruit Crop Insurance

The Federal Crop Insurance Program is a program designed to protect growers from yield losses from natural causes. The program is administered by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) within the USDA.

Crop insurance is sold by independent companies; however, it is still overseen and regulated by the FCIC. Producers can access additional information with Penn State Extension resources on crop insurance for fruit plants, including apple trees, pears, peaches, and nectarines.

Orchard Safety and Risk Management

Creating and managing a healthy and safe workplace should be a top priority. In orchards and farms, most fatalities are associated with transportation incidents, including tractor overturns. To prevent serious injuries – as well as costly repairs – it is critical that equipment operators perform a pre-operation check before starting a tractor.

Penn State Extension provides numerous resources on reducing the risk of overturns, preventing serious injury on the farm, and using personal protective equipment. Information on tractor safety best practices in Spanish can be found, as well.

Good Agricultural Practices for Fruit Producers

In fruit production, obtaining proper training and certification is essential. To ensure the safety of the produce, fruit producers should follow Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). GAPs assist growers in keeping consumers healthy, preventing yield and financial loss, and enhancing business performance.

Food Safety Standards for Orchards

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has set out several science-based food safety standards for growing, harvesting, and packing fruits. FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule, for instance, covers hygiene measures to prevent contamination from ill or injured workers, requirements for visitors, and water quality requirements.

On this page, fruit farm owners and employees can make use of Penn State Extension’s resources on managing a fruit farm, ensuring produce quality, and meeting all food safety regulations. During the FSMA: Produce Grower Certification Training, for instance, growers can learn more about produce safety best practices, including worker health and training, soil amendments, and postharvest handling. FSMA training is also available in Spanish.