Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/132109
Liberty was bred at Cornell University in 1955 by crossing Macoun with Purdue 54-12, which carried the gene for scab resistance from Malus floribunda. Not only is it resistant to scab but also to fireblight, cedar apple rust, and mildew. Its name was chosen to mean it was free of disease. "If it is stored for four weeks before sale, it mellows and has a wonderful balance of sweet tart flavors," Cowgill said. "A direct marketer willing to educate the public can plant an apple that will appeal to the taste buds of a wide range of customers and be easier to grow." Will it store? Besides being a goodtasting apple, Fuji does well in the market because it stores. That's very valuable for wholesalers and apple sellers who want to keep familiar varieties in their shelf space all year. But, Cowgill says, even direct marketing by growers is becoming less seasonal. Many of the Greenmarkets in New York City are open all year, and many farm markets are as well. "I never thought I'd see CA storages at farm markets," Cowgill said, "but there are some." To keep a farm or farmers' market open though the winter means having more to offer than root crops and squash. In the apple category, several are doing well; one is GoldRush, another scabresistant apple from the PRI (Purdue, Rutgers, University of Illinois) Cooperative Series of apples. It ripens really late— the first week of November—and then likes to be stored for months for the color to deepen to gold and the flavor to come out. "We've had people buy second refrigerators just so they can fill them with GoldRush to eat during the winter," Cowgill said. "It's an awesome apple for people who will take it home and keep it until Christmas." The second apple that is being planted for late sales is Cripps Pink. "It too has the crunch factor, and is highly attractive with a unique, tangy-tart, sweet flavor. In northern New Jersey, we pick it in mid-November." Is it adapted? There is more talk lately among apple growers about what wine grape growers would call terroir, the matching of a variety to the geography, geology, and climate of a region. There is no doubt that some apples color better when grown in more northerly climates or won't color in some areas because of a lack of cool weather, and certainly regions like to claim their fruit tastes better because of where it's grown. But apple varieties tend to be widely grown. It was once thought that northern New York and Michigan couldn't grow Granny Smiths or GoldRush, or that Fuji and Cripps Pink matured too late for those areas. "It looks like cold weather might trigger maturity," Cowgill said. At least, northern growers are managing to grow long-season varieties. If adaptation to an area is important for a variety, apple growers have a lot of work to do creating appellations like the wine growers have. Certainly, varieties seem to be locally popular. Consumers in the Northeast still love their McIntosh. New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania have a thing about Macoun. In Pennsylvania, Nittany apples are snapped up by customers but virtually unknown elsewhere. • 4 We're with you from the ground up For more than a century, KeyBank has delivered a unique combination of agribusiness knowledge, experience, and flexible service. We have solutions to help our clients, whether you're a grower, processor, packager, or distributor. Our tailored solutions spring from our understanding of the cycles of farming, seasonal dynamics, and the unique risks associated with the industry.. KeyBank is one of the nation's leading agribusiness lenders. We specialize in: 5 www.goodfruit.com These services can help protect you from the inevitable Contact us today. We want to help your business grow and thrive. To learn more, call Mike McKay, Northwest, at 800-346-8828 or Scott Rueff, Great Lakes/East, at 574-295-2910, or visit key.com/agribusiness. * Securities products and services such as investment banking and capital raising are offered by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Member NYSE/FINRA/SPIC. Banking products are offered by KeyBank National Association. All credit products are subject to credit approval. Key.com is a registered service mark of KeyCorp. ©2013 KeyCorp. KeyBank is Member FDIC. KeyBank is an Equal Housing lender. ADL6291 GOOD FRUIT GROWER June 2013 11