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Essex, Vermont - September 10, 2008
The Chapin Orchard welcomes visitors with pumpkins and mums displayed on its front lawn.
But it knows the apples are the main reason people flock here each fall.
"Our most popular apple is the macintosh, the Vermont standard," said Jim Bove, the orchard's manager. "Many, many of our customers wait all year for the macintosh."
Half of the orchard's 1500 acres are devoted to the macintosh.
"We like the macintosh and that's what's ready now," said Ericka Yetto, who was picking apples with three kids. "They're good for making applesauce."
While everyone has their favorite, Bove said some new varieties are winning fans, too.
"We're getting more requests every year for the honey crisp," he said.
And science is helping them meet demand. A new variety can grow much faster from grafting than from a sapling. He explained how golden russets were growing on a liberty base.
"You can take an existing tree, can cut it off, and in the spring, before the trees leaf out, you can take a piece of the variety you want, split the trunk and set it into existing tree," he explained. "And the new variety will take hold and grow."
Grafting means honey crisps, ginger gold, and golden russets are growing on bases of other trees -- and growing in popularity as people "branch" out to new varieties. Chapin's now has thirty varieties of apples, but Bove said he doesn't expect the mighty mac to fall.
"People that like macintosh are very loyal," he said. "I can't imagine honey crisp taking over."
Kate Duffy - WCAX News
