Molly Golden, director of marketing for the New York Apple Association headquartered in Fishers, NY, will be gracing the exposition floor and meeting with customers and potential customers at the 2014 Southern Exposure conference and expo on Feb. 27 to March 1. The event will be held at the Caribe Royale Conference Center & Hotel in Orlando, FL. She’ll especially be spreading the word on the new and already highly acclaimed “Ruby Frost” apple introduced earlier this year

“We have been members of the Southeast Produce Council since its inception, “said Golden. “We attend every year, but we do not exhibit. But I will be talking up the fact that New York state is blessed with an excellent supply of winter apples for retail this season —quite possibly the best we have had in some time.”

She added that New York apples being packed out of controlled atmosphere storage are in excellent condition this year, also among the best the state has had in some time.

“Our growing season was extraordinary and we did not suffer any growing concerns such as high temperature and dry conditions as some major apple areas did,” observed Golden. “We are in an excellent position to supply our markets throughout the rest of the marketing year. As other commodities are being adversely affected by either cold or dry weather, our fall harvest apples have the just-picked flavor and conditions that customers want all winter long.”

A member association, the NYAA is an offshoot of what was originally the New York & New England Apple Institute, which was formed in 1935 to promote the consumption of fresh apples. In 1994, the New York & New England Apple Institute dissolved. Eastern New York growers and the Western New York Apple Growers Association unified to create the New York Apple Association.

Today all New York apple growers pay an assessment on each bushel of apples they sell in accordance with the New York State Apple Marketing Order. The New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets collects the assessment funds and annually awards the contract to NYAA to spend the money in support of the New York apple industry.

The NYAA staff manages a range of programs in support of the New York apple industry. They include promoting demand for New York state produced and packed apples and apple products through advertising as well as promotional and educational work with retailers, handlers, consumers, processors and others. The organization also represents its members’ point of view to buyers, the public, state and federal legislative and regulatory entities. It coordinates and performs agricultural and market research activities and it is highly cooperative and collaborative with similar associations or agencies in helping to achieve any of the above purposes and all things that affect the mutual interests of the New York state apple industry.

Golden said that consumer favorites of New York apples include the Empire, McIntosh, Gala and Jonagold.

“New York’s new ‘Ruby Frost’ made its debut early in January in upstate New York, and apple critics are raving over the condition, flavor and the high red color of this apple,” she added.