Latest News From Apples

With their pink skin and sweet tart flavor, Pink Lady apples are great for Valentine’s Day promotions, according to Yakima, Wash.-based Domex Superfresh Growers.

While Honeycrisp sales are up compared with a year ago, other major variety categories lagged in November, according to retail data. 

Cashmere, Wash.-based Crunch Pak is sponsoring the first official app of the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival.

An orchard update from Yakima, Wash.-based Domex Superfresh Growers gives insights on how and why the company is transitioning from traditional orchards to trellis systems.

Read up on the latest from companies featured in The Packer's Apples Marketing profile.

Shiny new apple varieties get a lot of attention, but locally grown legacy varieties still generate plenty of sales and enhance the health of the category in general, marketers say.

Apple marketers say they’re just beginning to see the marketing boost that social media offers, whether it’s interactive communication with consumers, sharing recipe ideas or linking apples to community events.

The RubyFrost apple, developed at Cornell University and grown in New York, is back for another season.

Newness sells apples, and club varieties are proving it, marketers say.

Apple marketers have plenty of fruit to sell in 2018, although U.S. production won’t approach record volume, according to a report from the Vienna, Va.-based U.S. Apple Association.

The Oppenheimer Group and East Greenwich, R.I.-based Dave’s Marketplace has partnered for the second year of their “Put the Crunch on Hunger” campaign benefiting the Rhode Island Food Bank.

Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers is urging retailers to get a jump on promo planning for 2018 by featuring Pink Lady apples for Valentine’s Day and as the apple of the month in February.

China Has Its Own Apple Launch That's Nothing to Do With IPhones

Midwest retailer Meijer has voluntarily recalled several Meijer brand packaged products containing sliced apples that are potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Domex Superfresh Growers wanted to do something special to mark its 2017 Autumn Glory apple season. So the company sent an Autumn Glory apple 116,000 feet up into the stratosphere.

Envy apples joined an elite club this week when they arrived at the International Space Station as part of a resupply mission.

Sparta, Mich.-based Jack Brown Produce Inc. is recalling gala, fuji, Honeycrisp and golden delicious apples.

The first commercial season of New York- and Washington-grown Koru apples is off to a good start.

L&M Cos. and Washington Family Farms are enjoying a positive consumer response to their proprietary apple Crimson Delight.

Naturipe has a new line of fresh fruit cups.

Good supply of both organic and conventional apples in Washington state will help retailers recover from a slow start to the apple marketing season.

A later harvest in Washington delayed promotion of some apple varieties in October, but crowd favorite Honeycrisp shined bright in Nielsen retail scan data.

Doug Culbertson is CMI Orchards’ new food safety manager.

Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers' Juici apple is enjoying brisk holiday demand in more than 3,000 stores, and the company expects to add another 740 retail carriers in January.

Cashmere, Wash.-based Crunch Pak has joined The Produce Moms’ family of trusted partners.

A homeless shelter, a culinary program for at-risk youth, an elementary school class, a radio station and an individual received Jazz and Envy apples as part of the #GivingTuesday campaign by Allan Bros. Fruit.

Growers have larger volumes of Kiku this season and anticipate continued positive response from consumers.

After promos such as a blogger orchard tour and apple pie workshop, more than a million people have engaged with Autumn Glory social media content a month into the season.

“Ich mochte ein Apfel kaufen, bitte,” I told the produce vendor tentatively, hoping my rusty German wouldn’t cause me to say something absurd.

SweeTango continues to gain popularity, the only club variety to rank among the top 10 apples at retail in September.

Chelan, Wash.-based fruit grower-shipper Chelan Fresh reports 100% year-over-year growth in its organic program in 2017, thanks to its deal with Columbia Valley Fruit.

Stockton, Calif.-based Farmington Fresh is now the exclusive provider of sliced Opal apples.

Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers will be ramping up organic apple and pear production to meet continued demand.

To bring warmth and sales to the produce department during the holidays, Stemilt Growers LLC suggests retailers promote the company’s Pinata apples.

(UPDATED, Nov. 14) China is expected to demand more apple imports from the U.S. and other countries in 2017-18, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol is coming to the fresh-cut section of the produce aisle.

Finding in favor of U.S. apple export interests, the World Trade Organization has upheld their ruling that Indonesia’s import licensing regulations for imported fruit violate WTO rules.

CMI Orchards and Applewood Orchards both expect to have more than double the Kanzi volume they produced last season.

Giving away about 82,000 apples, the New York Apple Association celebrated its 20th year as a sponsor of the New York City Marathon.

(UPDATED, Nov. 14) The U.S. apple industry continues to curb fresh production of red delicious while increasing output of newer varieties, with a double-digit drop of red delicious and rapid growth of Honeycrisps.

Building on its message that SnapDragon apples are ideal for active lifestyles, Crunch Time Apple Growers, Wolcott, N.Y., handed out more than 50,000 apples as post-run snack to New York City Marathon runners Nov. 5.

Consumers have a chance to win one of five Schwinn bicycles each week in November in a sweepstakes co-sponsored by SnapDragon apples and Schwinn.

September apple volumes and sales were down this year at retail compared with last year because of a harvest gap, Nielsen Fresh Facts data show.

Kaari Stannard wakes up at 4:20 a.m. to hit the gym by 5. Then it’s off to work at the job she loves.

Autumn Glory apple harvest is increasing for Yakima, Wash.-based Domex Superfresh Growers.

Boosted by gains in apples, some citrus varieties, blueberries and tropical fruit, U.S. fresh fruit per capita use grew a strong 3% in 2016.

Envy apples are now available at retail, three weeks later than last season, and an increase in production is being met by higher consumer demand.

Fuji apples from Rice Fruit Co., Gardners, Pa., are almost ready to hit the market.

NEW ORLEANS — Rena Montedoro, director of marketing for Crunch Time Apple Growers, said the group is expanding marketing efforts for New York’s ascending SnapDragon and RubyFrost varieties. 

NEW ORLEANS — Randy Steensma, general manager of Honey Bear Tree Fruit Company, Wenatchee, Wash., said recently harvested Smitten apples have been enthusiastically received by retailers.