It's time for the big apple harvest

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By NANCY TULLIS

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

fter keeping frost, hail and pesky deer at bay since May, the Simmons family is busy with apple picking and packing going into the most hectic part of this year's apple harvest at Peace Valley Orchards in Rogers.

It's hectic now through the end of October as various varieties of September and October apples ripen and are ready to pick.

Although some area growers lost some crops to frost, most are enjoying a good crop and a good profit margin, said Dan Simmons Jr., Peace Valley co-owner. He said the orchards have produced a good crop so far, including two recent varieties patented by the orchard, DanDee Red and Buckeye Gala. Both varieties are picked and in the cooler, but Red and Golden delicious trees are still heavily laden with fruit.

Growers in Washington state lost about 30 million bushels of the apple crop there to hail, boosting the price of apples in the Midwest and East, he said.

To put that loss in perspective, Simmons said New York and Michigan are No. 2 after Washington state for apple production, and the crop yield annually of those two states combined is about 26 million bushels.

Simmons said customers won't see much difference in price of apples in stores, but growers will receive a little more profit because of Washington's loss.

What's involved

The science of apple growing involves knowledge of ideal oxygen levels and temperature, and the natural chemicals that fight spoilage, Simmons said. Just a few seconds of hail, however, can spoil a season of work.

The business of running a family orchard has changed over the years, and more so in recent years as growers try to keep pace with a fast-paced society that keeps moving faster every year.

Running an orchard is as much about public relations and entertainment as it is growing and picking apples, he said.

Where once a trip to the orchard market in September was a family trip in itself, now it takes extra offerings like homemade pies and cookies and events such as hay rides and a petting zoo to bring families together.

In demand

A popular apple, however, has been bringing people to the Peace Valley market this year.

Honeycrisp, a newer variety of apple grown at Peace Valley, is much in demand. The apples were picked in the first few days of September, and the yield of 700 bushels is nearly gone, Simmons said.

At Peace Valley, Honeycrisp is a top-shelf variety good for eating without extras such as caramel dip or peanut butter. The crisp, juicy apple is available at Peace Valley but often hard to find in venues other than orchard fruit stands, Simmons said.

He said Honeycrisp is seldom sold in grocery stores because large stores don't want to pay the higher price.

Peace Valley Orchards is at 5667 Adams Road, off state Route 46. September and October hours for the market are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

tullis@vindy.com

Sunday, October 1, 2006