North Bay Produce apple growers were picking fruit in late July with the heavy harvesting set to kick off in the second week of August.

Paula Reds, Ginger Golds, Galas and Honeycrisps are the earliest to harvest, typically starting in early August and finishing in early October with Evercrisp, Fuji and Pink Lady apples. North Bay Produce, based in Traverse City, MI, offers about 18 apple varieties, led by Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious and Macintosh, said Ken Korson, North Bay’s apple category manager.

Michigan’s main apple region is the Fruit Ridge area, northwest of Grand Rapids.

“The growing season has been very good so far, but we are starting to get dry, so we need timely rains for sizing,” Korson said. “Additionally, we prefer not to have too much heat or rain during the harvest.”

Retailers in Michigan are keen to feature new-crop apples grown in the state.

“They are always excited about the new crop of Michigan apples,” he said. “Retailers are bringing apple displays back to the front of the store in high-traffic areas and run ads to promote local apples to get consumers excited about the new season.”

Korson credited the Michigan Apple Committee, based in Lansing, MI, for its support of growers and others in the supply chain.

“The Michigan Apple Committee passionately champions Michigan apples at food shows and meets with customers, and offers a vibrant social media presence to inspire consumers to embrace the goodness of apples,” he said.

There are five Michigan apple growers that are shareholders of North Bay Produce that provide local apples throughout the season.

“We also collaborate with additional companies as required, depending on our customer needs,” Korson said.

Media reports in recent months have focused on the lack of labor in specialty crop growing regions, citing the Trump administration’s immigration policies and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Michigan’s Fruit Ridge apple growers, packers and shippers, however, haven’t had difficulty caring for the trees in the off season.

Use of the H-2A temporary visa program, which provides seasonal labor, has been growing rapidly over the years.

“To date, we have not encountered any challenges related to labor, and we once again plan to utilize the H-2A program for the upcoming harvest of our crop,” Korson said.

North Bay Produce is a year-round shipping provider of Michigan apples, “offering a wide range primary varieties to meet retailers’ and foodservice needs throughout the year,” he said.