Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/514197
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JUNE 2015 31 "I have no evidence to back this up," he said. "But I'm thinking Ambrosia will be one of the dominant varieties." Ambrosia is already British Columbia's second ranking variety (after Gala) with 775,000 cartons produced last fall out of a total apple crop of around 5 million boxes. Site specifi c Mennell expects to see some increase in production but said Ambrosia is some- what like Honeycrisp in that it's not suit- able for all locations. In British Columbia, it matures at the end of September or early October, and it needs a good range between night and day temperatures in the fall to develop full color. "It starts to show its true colors about two weeks before harvest," Mennell said. "There needs to be the right temperature conditions to trigger that." McDougall is optimistic about the variety's future, but whether it becomes one of the major varieties remains to be seen, he said. Like Mennell, McDougall warns that Ambrosia won't suit every location and probably won't do well in hot conditions. "It really isn't an apple that would do well in, say, Mattawa or Wahluke," he said. "It's an apple that's more or less site specifi c. It's an extremely diffi cult apple at harvest time. "The challenge is, it has a very short harvest picking window, and it requires a rather large labor force to pick the fruit and get it into storage so that it will have the appropriate shelf life," he added. "I think there probably would be a concern about the integrity of the apple if grow- ers got involved with Ambrosia and they didn't have the right kind of labor to go ahead and pick the apple properly. They could be disappointed with the quality. That's a concern." Columbia Marketing International is the exclusive marketer of Ambrosia in the United States and specifi ed export markets. Steve Lutz, CMI's vice president of marketing, said there are three reasons for the success of Ambrosia. First, it was one of the earliest man- aged varieties, so it gained a foothold in the market place ahead of many newer varieties. Secondly, he credits McDougall's expertise in terms of horticultural and harvest practices. "McDougall's have done a really spectacular job of fi guring out how to overcome the challenges of producing that apple and what you need to do to get it to the consumer in really great condi- tion," he said. "Like any variety, it's got its quirks. I don't think it's as easy as sticking a tree in the ground and having instant success." And, third, he thinks CMI's marketing efforts and colorful promotional materi- als have helped make it a hit with retailers and consumers. Mennell said discovering the variety and seeing it be so successful has been a wonderful experience, "but amazingly shortlived. "As far as I'm concerned, the thing of the greatest value is that it survives as a successful apple, and that's reliant on it being a really good eating apple, and that's really what it's all about," he said. "It owes its success to the growers that have done such an excellent job with it." • Red Delicious Gala Granny Smith Fuji Golden Delicious Honeycrisp Cripps Pink Braeburn Jazz Ambrosia SOURCE: WASHINGTON STATE TREE FRUIT ASSOCIATION GRAPHIC BY JARED JOHNSON/GOOD FRUIT GROWER Washington's top ten apples (2013 crop in millions of boxes) 30 million boxes 25 million 20 million 15 million 10 million 5 million 5/13/15 Good Fruit Grower 5" x 6.5" - REVISED James R. St. Jean A U C T I O N E E R S 1-800-639-1810 . www.jsjauctions.com ME Lic. #818 NH Lic. #2279 IMPORTANT FORECLOSURE SALE AT PUBLIC AUCTION RE: MAINE APPLE COMPANY 491.2± ACRES • APPLE ORCHARDS • SUPPORT BUILDINGS 7 PARCELS IN MONMOUTH, WINTHROP & BUCKFIELD, MAINE FRIDAY, JUNE 12 BEGINNING AT 10:00 AM Attention Developers, Investors, Apple Business Owners, Timber Harvesters! Excellent opportunity to acquire prime Maine Real Estate which is currently operated as Apple Orchards. These (7) parcels total approx. 491.2± acres, range in size from 120± acres to 1.1± acres, and are situated in 3 towns. The parcels will be offered in 3 auctions, separately, in groups, and in the entirety, and sold by the method which brings the highest aggregate amount. ID #15-212 • AUCTION #1 • 10:00 AM Parcels #1 & #2 - 155 Norris Hill Road, Monmouth, ME FOR COMPLETE TERMS, DETAILS, PLOT PLANS & PHOTOS, PLEASE CALL OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE All information herein is believed but not warranted to be correct. The Mortgagee does not warrant the condition or existence of any feature described above. ID #15-213 • AUCTION #2 (Sale A & B) • 12:00 Noon • 349 Paris Hill Road, Buckfield, ME SALE A: Parcel #3 PARCEL #3: 349 Paris Hill Road, Buckfield, ME con- tains a farmhouse with attached barn & shed, and 2 out- buildings, all set on a 1.1± acre lot. Deposit: $5,000. SALE B: Parcels #4 thru #7 - Surrounding Properties total 299.6± Acres PARCEL #4: Tax Map 6, Lot 1-3, Buckfield, ME is mostly vacant land, 91.5± acres with split frontage totaling 1,121± feet along the northerly side of Paris Hill Road. Deposit: $5,000. PARCEL #5: Tax Map 6, Lot 3-17, Buckfield, ME is 88.6± acres, mainly vacant land being used as an apple orchard with split frontage totaling 1,238± ft. along the southerly side of Paris Hill Road. Deposit: $5,000. PARCEL #6: Tax Map 2, Lot 5-1, Buckfield, ME is 116± acres, currently utilized as an apple orchard. Deposit: $5,000. PARCEL #7: Tax Map 11, Lot 1-15, North Hill Road, Buckfield, ME is 3.5± acres, currently used as a commercial apple orchard. Deposit: $5,000. ID #15-214 • AUCTION #3 • 2:00 PM • OFFERING ALL 7 PARCELS IN THE ENTIRETY To be sold from 155 Norris Hill Road, Monmouth, ME and also from 349 Paris Hill Road (and surrounding property), Buckfield, ME. Deposit for entirety: $50,000. PARCEL #1: 155 Norris Hill Rd., Monmouth, ME is improved by a 50,304± SF light industrial space presently used as a packing plant & warehouse, plus dining hall building, 4 bunkhouses, a few small outbuildings, and con- tains 120± acres w/1,000± ft. of road frontage. Deposit: $10,000. PARCEL #2: Plossay Shores, Monmouth & Winthrop, ME totals 70.5± acres and is currently being utilized as an apple orchard offering nice southern views of Wilson Pond with some pond frontage. Deposit: $10,000. Parcel #1 Parcel #3 Parcel #2