Along the “apple belt” in Niagara County, apples in shades of red, green and gold are ballooning out of branches like shiny ornaments on a Christmas tree. It’s peak apple season. Scott Donovan, an apple grower along the Lake Ontario shoreline, plucked two varieties from trees on a recent sun-drenched afternoon.
One was sweet and snappy with a loud, satisfying bite. The inside shone like a polished tooth. The other was mushier by contrast, still juicy but less appetizing.
After a couple of minutes, its interior started to yellow. The first was a Honeycrisp. The second was a Somerset Redstreak, which Donovan uses to make hard cider.
As Donovan compared apples to apples, it was clear which one was a more desirable snack. “The growers used to call them ‘moneycrisp’ because you got a lot of money for them, but now, it just gets saturated and prices go down,” Donovan said. Superstar apple varieties, such as Honeycrisp, aren’t generating as much income as they used to, but at least they’re still profitable.
The big problem is that many other apple varieties from local growers are no longer making money. As a result, Western New York apple growers are struggling to make a profit as they face the worst apple market collapse of their careers. Farms are shrinking.
Some growers are uncertain about the future of their businesses. “It’s devastating,” Donovan said. “Not sure how much longer I want to stay in this industry if it doesn’t show signs of turning aroun.
