According to a number of our customers, our SweeTango(R) apples are better than the ones they have purchased elsewhere.  This is interesting, since one objective of having a managed variety is to keep the quality standards up, no matter where the fruit is purchased.  Perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising, though, if you think about it.  Dave works hard to grow the best quality apples that he can, and spends a lot of time with the crew at harvest to ensure gentle handling.  The apples are promptly stored in our cooler.  When we take the apples to the market, it’s just a short little drive, and then our staff continue the gentle handling that prevents bruising.  The apples have traveled perhaps a mile from the tree to the consumer.

Contrast that with the grower who has to truck his apples long distances to a packing house, which then sorts and bags them and puts them in another truck to go to a store.  Bumpity-bump go the trucks over the roads.  The apples may get put in a large bin in the store, where customers can handle them roughly.  Hmmm.  No wonder there can be a qualitative difference.  There is nothing that’s quite as good as fresh from the orchard!