The apple season is love at first bite for Loren Queen, marketing and communications manager for Domex Superfresh Growers in Yakima, WA. “I’ve just had my first Gala of the new crop and it was terrific,” he told The Produce News Aug. 24. “We could not have had better weather for growing apples this summer. We still have not had one single day where the temperature reached 100 degrees. I believe that must be a record. This means the fruit will have terrific internals and a nice finish to the outer appearance as well.”

Apple harvesting activity has begun for Borton & Sons Inc. “We started packing Galas today, and Honeycrisp will be next along with Golden Delicious,” Director of Sales and Marketing Darrin Carpenter told The Produce News Aug. 30. The company is headquartered in Yakima, WA and is a grower-packer-shipper of quality apples.

Shipments of early Galas on Aug. 29 led the way for Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers’ 2011 apple season, and Dan Wohlford, national sales representative for the Wenatchee, WA-based grower-shipper, said quality looks superior this year.

“Mother Nature really helped us out, and weather was very good for bringing sugar and sizes up,” Mr. Wohlford said Aug. 30.

“Goldens, Grannies, Jonagolds, Honeycrisps, Red Delicious and Fuji should get started in mid-September. Braeburns and Cameo will start in early October. And Pink Lady comes in late October,” he said.

Partnering with a national program to encourage healthy eating and physical exercise and playtime for youngsters, Chelan Fresh Marketing of Chelan, WA, is taking an active role in the fight against childhood obesity.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is a campaign launched this year by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League, with additional partnership support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Keith Horder, director of business development for L&M Cos., had to chuckle a little when he contemplated the coming apple season. “The consistency this year is inconsistency,” he told The Produce News Aug. 29. “Growers have been hesitant to make predictions about crop size and product size.”

Stemilt Growers Inc., headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, continues to grow its organic apple program. “Twenty-five percent of our volume is organic,” Director of Marketing Roger Pepperl told The Produce News Aug. 30. “It continues to be a big, big part of our program.” Stemilt places strong emphasis on apples farmed for flavor and marketed under the “Artisan Organic” label.

“Retailers with good organic programs are seeing double-digit growth,” he said.