Apple-Fever is Setting In

Sarah Sobanski

Chances are that as October gets underway, you’ve been apple picking, or like many drooling Canadians, you’ve been patient for fresh locally grown apples to appear in bushels at grocery stores across the province. Apples are a long standing favourite dating back to prehistoric times, originally cultivated as far back as 3,000 years ago by our first civilizations.

Archibald's single bushel apple baskets. Photo: Sarah Sobanski.

Archibald’s single bushel apple baskets. Photo: Sarah Sobanski.

Across 16,000 acres of apple orchards in Ontario there are approximately 16 different types of apples grown. The McIntosh variety accounts for roughly 27 per cent of the annual apple crop grown in Ontario – Empire apples coming in second at 19 per cent and Red Delicious apples at 12 per cent. Each type of apple matures at a different time, resulting in a general harvest time between August and October. Our top five based on acreage are McIntosh, Empire, Northern Spy, Red Delicious and Gala.

Eastern Ontario soils and climates are acclaimed for their apples, pears, strawberries and raspberries. Our proximity to Toronto makes ‘pick-your-own’ a popular and profitable sales option for Ontario fruit growers, apples alone worth $60 million total farm gate value annually, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for Ontario. Only about 10 per cent of apple revenues are from exports – roughly two thirds of our apple exports going to the United States and the remaining third to the United Kingdom.

Like many agricultural products, the apple sector operates under a supply management system represented by the Ontario Apple Growers (OGA), a marketing board conceived in 2004. Representing 215 commercial orchards, defined as growers with 10 or more acres of orchards, this organization acts as an agent for growers, and lobby, research, inform and negotiate pricing for apple juices for their members who pay fees based on their acreage.

So many different ways to use fresh local apples; ciders, wines, pies, jams ect. Photo: Sarah Sobanski.

So many different ways to use fresh local apples; ciders, wines, pies, jams ect. Photo: Sarah Sobanski.

Orchards with larger trees are generally older, but not for the reason you might think. In order to develop efficiency, the use of ‘size-controlled’ or ‘dwarf trees’ has become more popular because pickers do not need ladders for smaller trees. Annual pruning stunts the growth of trees, keeping dwarf trees short while maintaining a 15 to 20 year life span. A single semi-dwarf apple tree can produce up to 500 apples a season. Half of the Ontario apple crop is sold fresh while most of the other half is processed into juices, and the remaining becomes sauces, pie fillings and other delicious apple products. According to the OGA, the best mulit-purpose apple, from eating fresh to baking, is the Crispin, while Honey Crisp apples are best fresh and Northern Spy apples are best for baking and sauces.

Unfavourable weather conditions during this growing season have affected this yearès crop which is estimated to reach only half normal levels, so there will be fewer apples on the market this fall. This is particularly true in this region, and Charles Stevens of Wilmot Orchards in Newcastle, Chair of the Ontario Apple Growers, lost half his crop due to a late spring frost.

This has also shortened the pick-your-own season, with local orchards Archibald and Algoma orchards closed for this activity. They remain open for other business, and Archibald has a wonderful store and family friendly interactive environment while Algoma is operates as a locally diverse grocer that feels more like a farmer’s market. For more apple experience, visit local farmers’ market including this Sunday’s Millbrook market where you will find some heritage varieties to sample. Happy Fall!

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