I have 8 acres of apple trees, it is not for my consumption. I will sell them.
Me too.
This little apple orchard, 7+ acres, has always been contracted to a neighbor to operate combined with his larger operation because it is too small to be economically rational. The whole neighborhood was a gigantic single orchard long ago, then around 1905 many little one-horse parcels were subdivided off. One neighbor made a living off his 40 acres of apples until he retired in about 1965 then none of these other smaller parcels has been operated alone since then.
The larger neighbor who operates mine operates some 200 acres of apples or grapes, has so many tractors that he leaves 2 or more at each site he operates during harvest season, has a dorm with 12-16 laborers living there, has 3 generations of experience to coach him, has long term contracts to sell the apples, etc etc. I learn something from him every time we talk.
Even with all that infrastructure, I've suggested he semi-retire and hand daily operation to a manager, and he replies he doesn't make enough to live off of and pay a middle-class salary to someone else.
Primary organic spray here is lime-sulphur. I don't know what else he applies but he posts the required '48 hour re-entry' tag after he sprays.
I think you will find you are over your head if you try to operate commercially on such a small parcel. If you can find a larger operation that will combine your operation into theirs you can have the economy of scale needed to be viable.
We've averaged 70+ tons per year in my era. The historic record shows my grandfather got up to 140 tons long ago. That was before many semi-dwarf trees were used for replacement to reduce labor (and injury!) cost for pruning, thinning, harvest. You need to make a plan to pick that quantity all at once, and to market it while fresh.
The you-pick operations I'm familiar with don't allow customers on ladders so you will still need some paid harvest labor.
