Kevin Starr
County Extension Director
N.C. Cooperative Extension Service

June 20, 2008

APPLE SEASON IS HERE!

It’s been a good season for fruit lovers. There have been strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and juicy peaches. Even figs have been available at the farmers market. But the fruit crop for which our area is best known is apples. The harvest season has begun with the earliest varieties, the best known of which is ‘Gala’. ‘Gala’ is a small sweet apple with a nice aroma. The harvest will continue well into the fall and local apples will be available until almost Christmas.

While the number of apple growers is small, these producers still grow a significant amount of fruit. They have a good mix of varieties ranging from the all-purpose ‘Golden Delicious’ to ‘Pink Lady’. ‘Pink Lady’ is a late-maturing apple which a lot of consumers have adopted as their favorite in recent years.

At least one grower has added Asian pears to go along with his apples. I didn’t really understand the popularity of this fruit until I tasted one that had been allowed to ripen fully. They will melt in your mouth with a flavor that is distinct from our regular pears.

The two area apple orchards which operate roadside stands are Davis & Son and Knob Creek. Davis & Son is located on Highway 18 about 1½ miles north of the intersection with Highway 27. Their phone number is 704-276-2647. They also have a second location on Highway 150 in the Pumpkin Center area and can be contacted there at 704-735-9077.


Knob Creek Farm & Creamery is located on Highway 18 about ¼ mile south of the intersection with Highway 27. Their phone number is 704-538-1405.

These growers along with other retailers of fresh produce are listed on www.foothillsfresh.com. This website received a dramatic upgrade this year and now covers six counties in the western piedmont and foothills region. Paper copies of the Foothills Fresh directory are also available from participating farms.

If you have questions related to this column or other topics, please call Cooperative Extension at 704-736-8452.

(Inclusion of business names in this column is for educational purposes only. It does not imply endorsement by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service nor is criticism implied of businesses which are not listed.)