Apple Delight

The Great Lakes State produces a growing number of varieties such as Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Idared, Jonathan, McIntosh, Northern Spy, Paula Red, Red Delicious, Rome, and Winesap. Most apple production occurs just northwest of Grand Rapids on what is referred to as the “Fruit Ridge.”

Ohio
Traveling southeast, we arrive at Ohio, which produced 45 million pounds of apples last year. The Buckeye State grows many of the same varieties as Midwest leader Michigan, including Empire, Fuji, Gala, and Ginger Gold, as well as Cameo, Crispin, Jersey Mac, Law Rome, Lodi, Melrose, and Suncrisp.

Other Midwestern Producers
Another notable Midwesterner is Wisconsin, a few million pounds shy of Ohio at 41.7 million pounds for 2013. Commercial orchards can be found in 46 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties with the highest producing regions in Crawford County, Door County, Bayfield County, and the greater Milwaukee area.

Other notable heartland producers include Indiana (29 million pounds), Minnesota (19.2 million pounds), Iowa (17.3 million pounds), Missouri (13.5 million pounds), and Illinois (13 million pounds). For further information on Midwestern production and wholesalers, see the “Midwest Road Trip” spotlight later in this issue.

Out East
The East Coast region, with its harsh winters and volatile springs, is still a top apple-growing region. New York leads production and Pennsylvania is next in line, though with significantly less production than its northeastern neighbor.

New York
New York apple production is ranked third in the nation; in 2013 the Empire State’s bounty reached 1.02 billion pounds of apples. Top growing areas can be found in Champlain Valley, Eastern Hudson Valley, Western Hudson Valley, Central Lake Country, and the Niagara Frontier region.

New York’s top ten varieties, based upon production, are McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Rome, Idared, Crispin, Paula Red, and Gala.

The New York Apple Association, located in Victor, southeast of Rochester, has been promoting New England’s apple growers since 1935. Recently, the organization took several significant steps to promote the region’s apples including an updated website and fall media campaign. The new website is built around consumers, with plenty of facts, figures, and FAQs (frequently asked questions).