Growers urge Ontarians to buy local this apple season

Vineland ON – As the first new apples of the season hit the market, Ontario’s apple growers are encouraging consumers to buy locally grown fruit this year. Whether at the grocery store or while visiting a market or pick-your-own farm, consumers can expect a wide variety and quantity of delicious fresh apples available this year.

“The 2024 growing season saw an abundance of rain in some areas of the province and very little in others, so we have an excellent crop of apples of all sizes that are ripening earlier than normal this year,” says Brian Rideout, who farms in Chatham-Kent and is Chair of the Ontario Apple Growers. “Ontario growers have the expertise and the technology to grow excellent apples and consumers will have plenty of great quality locally grown apples to choose from this year.”

Ontario’s most popular apple varieties are Gala, Honeycrisp, and Ambrosia – trees that produce the juicy, crisp and sweet fruit that research has shown Ontario consumers love. They are part of the approximately 15 main apple varieties Ontario farmers grow in the province’s main apple growing regions along the shores of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

A combination of inflation, price increases on inputs – supplies growers need to produce a crop – and competition from lower priced imported apples has made the last year a tough one economically for the Ontario apple industry. That’s why it’s more important to growers than ever for consumers to choose Ontario apples when they’re shopping, Rideout adds.

“2023 was beyond tough for the apple industry, with many growers seeing record low prices for their crop,” Rideout says. “That’s not sustainable for any business in the long-term, and we’re hoping for a better year this year. So we are really encouraging Ontarians to support local food producers by reaching for those Ontario grown apples when they’re making their food purchasing choices.”

Apples are popular as a snack that’s both convenient and healthy but also make excellent ingredients in meals, baked goods, desserts and more. And although fall harvest is when apples come off the tree, Ontarians can enjoy fresh locally grown fruit all winter long thanks to innovative storage technologies.

The Ontario Apple Growers represents the province’s 200 commercial apple farmers. Visit www.onapples.com for recipe ideas and grower profiles or follow Ontario Apple Growers on Instagram (@ontarioapples), TikTok (@ontarioapples), and Facebook (@Ontarioapples).