Local Spotlight: Rob Siegel w/ Quince Essential

Rob and Paula lived in Chile for 25 years before moving to Oregon in the late nineties. They brought their love for education and research along with their affinity for quince fruit-- which was easily found in Chile. In Corvallis, however, quince was almost unheard of. Quince is native to Central Asia, but has made its way around the world by explorers thousands of years ago. This ancient fruit is the reason the crew headed by Spanish Explorer, Magellan, who found the Straits of Magellan in Chile didn’t die of scurvy (along with other communities as well!). Fascinated by its history and health benefits, and thanks to their acquired culinary habits in Chile, Rob and Paula started their own quince orchard in Benton County, Oregon.?

From the very beginning, the Siegels planned to manage their orchard in a biological and holistic way, staying clear of sprays and chemicals. In the third year, they asked Earthfort for help in creating a diverse and healthy compost tea for their orchard.

?

How has Earthfort helped you? Do you still use any Earthfort products?

“I am only using Earthfort products! ProVide and ReVive are applied 4 times a year. When the trees are dormant, I’ll spray the trunks and eventually, the leaves. The rest of the applications are just around the base directly on the soil.”

The compost teas and biological farming practices have produced fruits that are incredibly beautiful and healthy. Rob mentioned that their customers are always complimenting the beautiful fruit at the markets, some stating that they look almost artificial.?

Since they have taken a chemical-free approach, their biggest problem is weeds. Operating the farm themselves (from spreadsheets to harvests and markets) forces them to stay ahead of the orchard management. They mow all of their weeds throughout the season to ensure none of them reseed and come back stronger in the next season. As long as they stay on top of it, their weeds eventually give way to native Oregon grasses.?

Along with the fresh fruit, Quince-Essential sells their quince paste at the summer Corvallis Farmer’s Market. Their spread is still available at the winter market through the Mariposa booth - local cheese makers. Quince paste and cheese are an incredible match!?

Quince is a unique fruit, and Rob loves to encourage people to try new things and to take advantage of a new experience. This is what he considers his biggest success when it comes to their family operation. There are shared recipes from clients on their website (https://quince-essential.com/recipes).