“The New York Apple Association will be actively promoting New York’s new apple varieties — the SnapDragon and RubyFrost — this season,” said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association headquartered in Fishers, NY. “But as always, we’ll also be strongly promoting our other favorite New York varieties.”

Cornell University announced the two new varieties in August 2013. The apples were developed in partnership with New York Apple Growers.

The two new varieties, both developed by Cornell breeder, Susan Brown, underwent a year of rigorous consumer testing, and both have been a decade in the making. How they’ve gone to market is a first for the Cornell apple-breeding program and the New York apple industry.

New York’s new RubyFrost apple variety.Historically, public universities developed new apple breeds and released them to the industry. But in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act gave universities the right to retail the intellectual property rights for their research, with limited plant-based royalties.

Greater quality, better storage and disease and insect resistance have long been the goals of Cornell’s apple breeding program.

In addition to the SnapDragon and RubyFrost, Cornell has released 66 apple varieties since the late 1890s, including the popular Cortland, Macoun, Empire and Jonagold.

“We’re promoting all of our favorite New York varieties,” noted Allen. “Besides those mentioned, our popular list include the McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Zestar and numerous others.”

The NYAA also works tirelessly to help retailers promote the state’s apple crop. It provides marketing and point-of-sales materials for direct marketers.

“These materials help to educate consumers and dress up retailers’ displays,” said Allen. “There are many items that consumers will enjoy and find useful in learning about the health benefits of apples and identifying New York’s great tasting varieties.”

Allen noted that New York apple producers are expecting a later than normal season based on the cool spring the state had experienced so far [as of April 23]. The stocks on hand are at lower levels nationally than at this time last year, which means that inventories should be more than manageable for the new crop.

The NYAA and its grower-members are always giving from their hearts. They support the New York City Marathon every year, in addition to many other donations to needy causes. In March, it announced that it was donating more than 3,000 pounds of apples to Masbia, the New York-based nonprofit kosher soup kitchen and food pantry.  

New York Apple Sales, Inc., headquartered in Castleton, donated an additional 3,000-plus pounds of state apples. Masbia staff and volunteers parceled the apples with other charoset ingredients into take-home kits for 2,500 client families.

Allen also works continually to make the apple industry better for growers, receivers and consumers alike in many other ways. In February, the NYAA announced that after a push by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY), apple exports from New York State to Canada are now moving at a swifter, more cost-effective pace because of a measure included in the farm bill.

The first shipment of apples that were not subject to inspection because of the farm bill crossed the border in mid-February without incident. Gillibrand and Owens worked to exempt bulk shipments of U.S. apples to Canada from inspection required under the Apple Export Act, saving growers as much as $300 per truckload and allowing growers to create their own distribution schedules, thus eliminating costly after-hour inspection procedures.

In a press release on Feb. 26, Allen said, “After more than two years of hard work, we finally have succeeded with the elimination of the inspection requirements of the Apple Export Act. We are very grateful for the Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Owens for listening to our concerns and acting on our behalf.

“NYAA growers continue to practice GAP and third-party auditing to assure the safety of our apples,” Allen continued. “As the new federal food-safety laws, commonly referred to as FSMA, continue to be shaped and implemented, New York apple growers are now and will continue to be in compliance.”

Allen added that all New York apples are locally grown because there are millions of local “branches” near everyone. He wrapped it all up with one catchy cliché, “How do you like them apples?”