Apple industry basics have remained unchanged, Core Farms veteran says
Apple industry basics have remained unchanged, Core Farms veteran says
HARTFORD, MI — When 72-year old Roger Kropf says he has been in the apple business all of his life, he means it. He started working with his parents in the apple business when he was “10 or 12 years old. When I was 17 years old, my mom died.” His dad then put him on the road to sell the fruit.
Kropf, who is the owner of Core Farms LLC, based here, said that for all the changes, in many ways the apple business has remained the same.
“An apple tree is an apple tree is an apple tree. We have the same insects doing damage as we had 50 years ago.”
What has changed are laws and rules that affect business. And, growers can create their own problems with long-term production mistakes, such as chemical use practices leading to insect resistance.
“There are a lot of good things” that have changed in the industry, he said, noting that consumption is up. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is promoting fruit and vegetable consumption and schools are serving healthier lunches.
Of his own firm, Kropf said Core Farms is a grower of 200 acres and markets “a substantial” volume of acreage produced by independent apple growers.
“Our strongest suit is Red Delicious and Golden Delicious,” he said. “Red Delicious is still the number one variety in the world. It’s second in the USA. Gala is overtaking the number one spot” in the United States. Gala is Core’s third-largest apple variety by volume. The firm also ships McIntosh, Jonathan, Braeburn, Fuji, Jonagold and Rome apples.
The Red Delicious genre includes new strains with high color and is now “a hard, crunchy” apple, showing a large upgrade from problems of mealiness that once faced the variety. Its firm 15 to 16 pounds of pressure makes Red Delicious a strong apple for export markets, Kropf said.
