Apple Delight

Apple pie is the quintessential American delight, a go-to treat from the Fourth of July to Thanksgiving to virtually every occasion in between.

And although apples are a symbol of America, apple trees actually originated in a region between the Caspian and Black seas, and may have been consumed as early as 6500 B.C. Today, apples are grown across the nation and commercially in 36 states, with Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California leading production.

With more than 7,500 known varieties worldwide and 2,500 grown in the United States, only about 100 apple varieties are sold commercially—from classics like Granny Smith and Red Delicious to newer varieties such as the RubyFrost, the University of Minnesota’s ‘MN55,’ or the new ‘WA 38’ still in development at Washington State University.

Growing Regions
The Northwest
The Northwest is the U.S.’s top production region, accounting for nearly 70 percent of apples grown for fresh consumption, with as much as half this amount exported to countries around the world.

Washington
As most would guess, Washington led domestic production in 2013 with 5.95 billion pounds, though the total decreased from 2012’s phenomenal 6.45 billion pounds. Harvest usually begins in mid-August with Gala apples and continues all the way to November (for Cripps Pink) in the Evergreen State’s five main growing regions: Okanogan, Lake Chelan, Wenatchee Valley, Columbia Basin, and Yakima Valley.

Washington’s top varieties include the perennially popular Red Delicious, which usually comprises nearly a third of all production, followed by Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious as the top six, followed by Cripps Pink, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Cameo gaining favor with retailers and consumers.

Every year 10 to 12 billion apples are picked by hand, with many shipped to customers in Asia, Canada, Mexico, and South America.

Hailing from Yakima, Borton & Sons, Inc. has been in the business of selling apples (as well as pears and cherries) for more than a century, growing fruit from a fourth generation farm.

Eric Borton, vice president of international sales and marketing, marvels at the evolution of marketing strategies in today’s highly digitized world. The future is here, he believes, and social media marketing tools will continue to be a boon to the industry.

With consumers more interested in knowing where their food is coming from, many are equally interested in the stories behind family-run operations. Borton says having easily accessible information on the company’s website has paid off, and so has working with retail partners to promote locally-grown fruit.