Farm History
Paul Madden Orchards has been in Paul's family for 99 years - 4 generations of family.His 40 acre farm is on the banks of the upper Columbia River innorth central Washington near the town of Brewster. Paul organically grows eight varieties of apples and two varieties of cherries in his orchard.
The orchard has been organic since 1990 and before that, Paul's father practiced both IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and Low Impact pesticide use (minimal, low concentration spray).
Around the turn of the century Paul’s great grandfather, H.L.Martin was offered his own orchard by the Everett Orchard Company if he would travel across the treacherous North Cascade Mountains and plant ten different orchards in the Methow valley. The orchards were a success and the Martins raised their family in Winthrop Washington. Their son-in-law George Madden helped in the orchards but soon expanded his enterprise to include a blacksmith shop. George’s son Blaine (Paul’s dad) became a farmer and also had his own orchard in Winthrop. Paul’s great grandfather Newt Williams ran the stagecoach and mail route up and down the Methow valley. Newt’s daughter Gertrude, married Lee Cooper and they planted orchards near Brewster Washington where Paul continues the farming tradition.
Many people ask Paul why he was interested in developing an organic orchard. His simple response, "To keep myself and my family safe from dangerous concentrations of chemical pesticides and fertilizers". After a few years, I came to love and passionately embrace this style of farming.
Soon, other small family farmers who embraced the ECO philosophy joined the venture.
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