I completely agree with you Evan. Where would honeycrisp be today if
Explosively Crisp was able to get their hands on it before it was sold to the
growers? It would be a minor apple instead of the one of the most popular
apples in Michigan. Also if there was not the demand for Honeycrisp, it would
not be worth growing it.
Annette Bjorge
Fruit Acres Farms
Coloma MI
- Original Message -
From: Evan B. Milburn
To: Apple-Crop
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:25 AM
Subject: Apple-Crop:
Hello all,
Club varieties??
As of now, our orchard markets our apples 20% PYO, 60% on farm
retail market, and 20% to chain store and commission houses.
For the last 51 years every variety that has been introduced to
the industry has been planted in our variety test block to check out the pros
and cons, the effects of our microclimate and its potental profitabilty and
weather or not to plant large blocks. The result being learning more NOT to
plant than to plant.
Now comes along CLUB varieties.
We prefer to grade and pack all of our apples in our own packing
house, with our own lablel All US Extra Fancy, All wholesale packs tend to
bring among the highest prices on the open market. ( That is Eastern Apples )
Apparently, as I understand it , will ,in the future, not be able to
compete in the open market with my fellow growers. I guess this is going to be
the general trend to have someone else dictate how to grow, to pack and where
to sell our products. So be it.
All of these varieties will not make it simply because the major
chains will not make large displays of something new, at $2.99 per
pound.,versus large displays of comodity varieties at $1.00 per pound How many
customers will even buy them to try them?
These new scions should be made available to on the farm retailers
and farm markets at a very high royalty. Only in these suroundings can these
new varieties be introduced by giving out samples, explaining their uses and
promoting their virtures .If they are as great as the patent holders say they
are, word would spread quite rapidly, creating the large demand the chains
have to have.
These small retailers who pay the high royalties would not be
perrmited to sell to the chains or commission houses. This could be emplented
by the co-op and chain agreement to buy only from approved sources.
Remember ,there is no better way to relalate to customers than to meet
the grower.
Evan B. Milburn
www.milburnorchards com
