Hi my name is Justin and I have an 80 acre farm where I raise cattle at the southern tip of Illinois, about 5 miles east of the Mississippi river and surrounded by the tributaries of the cache river basin, the northern most cyprus swamp in the US. Our topography is rolling hills and hollows. My farm is situated between a hollow ( holler), with the house and backyard orchard perched on top of the hill right at 600ft above sea level and bordered by Shawnee national forest on 2 sides. Soil composition is clay heavy with limestone bluffs and shale around the creeks. The Laurentide ice shelf stopped about 100 miles to the north creating the many bluffs and rock formations that make the local state parks like Giant City and Garden of the Gods famous. The area is known for its peach and apple orchards as well as dozens of vineyards and wineries. I started my backyard orchard about 3 years ago and currently have a little over 20 fruit trees that are at various stages of just beginning to bear fruit. I have a degree in horticulture and have experience in regenerative agriculture. My current fruit trees are

Peaches/Nectarines - O’henry, Red Haven, Belle of georgia, Elberta, White Lady, Flavortop, and Rose Princess

Apples - Original Winesap, Arkansas Black, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji

Pears - Ayers, Bartlett, Moonglow, D’Anjou

Cherries- Ranier, Burgandy pearl, Bing

Currently interested in J plums and have planted AU Rosa and a Spring Satin plumcot, the latter if which I was able to sample this year and am now planning many many more plums/ interspecific hybrids