Apples
Apples are a perennial favorite with consumers: 90% of all consumers buy apples, according to The Packer 2026 Fresh Trends Report. The ever-growing number of apple varieties creates marketing opportunities for Produce Retailers.
The Oberlin, Ohio association has come up with a half-dozen varieties that enable small growers to offer great-tasting apples without the expense of the pricey managed varieties marketed by larger growing operations.
The 775 family farms that cover 34,500 acres play a vital role in the Michigan apple industry, the largest and most valuable of the state’s fruit crops.
Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers is back on the road this year with The Great American Rave Race, according to a news release.
CHICAGO — With apologies to Mother Nature, there is just one boss for apple marketers and retailers, one Walmart executive believes.
CHICAGO — Describing how consumers are adjusting their shopping habits in response to inflation, retail consultant Tom Barnes outlined strategies for success for marketers and retailers.
CHICAGO — Reflecting reduced expectations in Washington state but an upward revision in the Michigan forecast, the U.S. Apple Association estimate for the 2022 U.S. apple crop is down 4.2% from the USDA’s estimate.
CHICAGO — Praised by his peers for his passion for industry advocacy, Phil Glaize Jr., owner of Glaize Apples, Winchester, Va., is The Packer’s 2022 Apple Person for All Seasons.
The U.S. apple crop for 2022 is projected at 10.7 billion pounds or 255 million bushels, 2.7% higher compared with last year’s production but 3.5% less than the five-year average.
The largest apple producer on the East Coast, New York had a Hot Growing Summer. With the help of irrigation systems, the growing season did well for a fall harvest of apples sizing well in many varieties.
The Washington fresh apple crop is projected at 108.7 million standard forty-pound boxes, an 11.1% decrease from 2021’s 122.3 million boxes, according to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.
The USDA’s 2022 U.S. apple production estimate is 10.1 billion pounds, up 3% from the previous year.
The company is ramping up production on the Rave apple variety in Michigan, which will allow the company to service more Midwest customers, said Brian Coates, vice president of sales and business development.
BelleHarvest Sales Inc., Belding, Mich., plans to grow its partnership with the PAW Patrol animated kids TV series, said president Nick Mascari.
The Lansing-based Michigan Apple Committee is using social media, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to build interest in the coming Michigan apple harvest, said Diane Smith, executive director.
With shorter trips for distribution to high-density population centers, Eastern apple shippers benefit from a reduction in fuel costs and emissions.
Daryl Johnston will serve as Okanagan’s vice president of sales and business development, while Don Westcott has been promoted to senior vice president of the company.
The pests were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and have since spread to 11 states in the eastern U.S.
Elgin, Minn.-based Honeybear Brands reports it is marking progress on its year-two sustainability results.
Fruit technology solution provider Hectre is finding industry acceptance with Spectre Top Down, a tool the company reports is capable of sizing more than 5,000 apples straight off the truck at receiving stations.
Evans Fruit has remodeled its Yakima plant with a new 40-lane advanced packing line, said Scott Hennessey, sales representative for Evans Fruit, Yakima, Wash.
CMI Orchards has advanced several positions within the company in preparing for a period of expected tremendous growth.
Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. has announced the marketer will have Sugar Bee apples for the 2022 crop marketing season.
Hazel Technologies, Inc.’s Hazel 100 bin sachets have become a versatile and reliable solution for small, midsize, and even larger apple growers and cold storage operators, according to a news release.
While the state’s 2022 fresh apple crop may be shorter than some years, the Wenatchee, Wash.-based Washington Apple Commission is gearing up for another big year of promoting fresh apple exports.
Finding varieties that appeal to consumers is one way the leading state for U.S. apple production continues to innovate and evolve.
Yakima, Wash.-based FirstFruits Farms has started its 10th year of growing and selling the Sweetie branded apple.
Oppy expects a good quality season for its proprietary apples, says Roger Aguirre, director of apples and pears for the Oppenheimer Group (Oppy).
With orchards spanning Washington state from the Columbia River to the Canadian border, Domex Superfresh Growers offers a full range of apple varieties.
Smaller gala sizes in Washington state will open the door to increased retail promotions of bagged apples, according to Brianna Shales, director of marketing for Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, Wash.
Wenatchee, Wash.-based Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers is expanding sales and distribution of the proprietary Juici apple variety, said Dan Davis, director of business development for Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers.