“We are excited about this year’s crop,” said Michael Hacker, vice president of sales and marketing for the company, which has farms throughout central and western New York. “We have been experiencing some drier conditions this season that has cut down on the sizing a bit. But the coloring of the product is great, and we are extremely confident that the drier season will result in enhanced flavoring of our crop.

“Right now, demand is really strong particularly in the southeast region of the country where a lot of northeasterners have moved to, though we expect that to level off a bit as the new crop hits the market,” continued Hacker. “Overall, we expect demand to continue as consumers get more excited about the flavor and the quality of the crop this fall.”

The Fowler booth at the show will highlight the company’s long commitment to the apple category.

Hacker said that the booth will feature a new lighted backdrop that will showcase the varieties Fowler Farms carries.

“We have an apple for everyone, and we want everyone to know it,” he said. “We also want to emphasize our continued focus on quality and flavor that we are confident will spur greater consumption. As always, we are looking to build on the great partnerships we have developed through six generations of sustainable farming.

“Another thing we will talk about is our commitment to great customer service and our commitment to the environment,” Hacker continued. “We are extremely eager to renew our relationships with the industry at the show.”

Hacker added that Fowler will introduce its first sellable volume of the Sweet Maia variety, an apple that he said features vibrant colors and a great flavor.

“Normally, many early varieties do not have great flavor or firmness when they are first introduced,” he said. “This one checks all the boxes for flavor, color and durability.

“The Southern Innovations show is one of our favorite shows. It is a very intimate setting and has an easy-to-work environment,” Hacker said. “That gives us a great opportunity to have in-depth conversations with our customers, talk about our varieties and what we are doing at our farms. Visitors to the booth will also have the chance to sample many different varieties of apples and see what fits for them.”

Fowler will also look to continue to promote its SnapDragon and SweeTango varieties, with Hacker noting that demand for these popular apples continues to grow at a strong pace. “We want to continue to promote these varieties to get more and more consumers to experiment with them,” he said. “Once they try them, experience the flavor, we think they will keep coming back.”

The key is always to educate people, whether it is the retailer or the consumer. This year it is also to discuss the new Heroes for Healthy Kids campaign that will get more apples into school systems and encourage more young people to make apples part of their diets.

“The future is to continue to shape the marketplace and develop varieties that fit our customers’ demands,” Hacker said. “We want to really work with retailers to find new ways to get the right product on their shelves and make sure we have enough of that product in the ground to support their needs.”