"Doug Kanter" > wrote

> If the variety's the same year-round, then you're the victim of a syndrome
> I can't explain. I'm from Rochester, and I'm acquainted with a guy who
> works for one of the largest apple growers in the Northeast, Fowler Farms.
> He says that at this time of year, they *always* have enough nice, new
> autumn apples to ship to NJ, Long Island, or New England. Here, we can get
> about a dozen varieties, all from the current harvest, all grown within 50
> miles of here.

We do actually still have orchards here, believe it or not, but I don't know
that they sell to the major chains.

> My company's headquarters is in Long Island, and when I visit, I'm usually
> asked to bring apples. Like you, they only seem to get the lamest
> varieties, usually from Washington State or overseas, and only those which
> ship well, but don't have much taste.
>
> Check the link below and see if there's a Wegman's supermarket nearby. If
> so, check there for apples with Fowler Farms stickers on them. If the
> stores are anything like the ones here, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
> And, if they have Cortland apples, be prepared to eat nothing but apples
> for a couple of months. Beginning in a month or so, you'll may notice a
> shinier wax on the apples than you see now. Obviously, this is because the
> harvest is over and the effort begins to preserve freshness as long as
> possible. Fowler does a pretty good job of this. Empire apples tend to
> last well into the spring. Cortlands taper off sooner.

Thanks for that great story. I will go to Wegman's ... not only do I live
about 15 minutes from a new Whole Foods, I live about 15 miles or less
of 2 different Wegman's. I'll make it over there one day this week, not
just for the apples.

nancy