Of the autumnal rituals listed under, “to be completed before the crunchy leaves and crisp temperatures give way to barren trees and a subzero wind-chill,” picking apples is a top priority for many Minnesotans.

“It’s definitely a fall tradition,” said Senior Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major Ryan Dobbs.

The fall months are a unique time when residents of the state can eat apples grown by local farmers rather than those imported from long distances, and if they are ambitious enough, pick a few of their own.

“Nothing that grows on a tree can quite compare with the apple,” Professor of Environmental Studies Jim Gilbert writes in his book, Through Minnesota Seasons.

“The apple is one of the loveliest of our earth’s fruits and we grow some of the best of them here in Minnesota.”

“A lot of people think an apple is an apple,” Gilbert said, “[but] there is much more [to the fruit] than that.” Some people may not distinguish between apples, but Senior Biology and Dance Major Christine Dornbusch is not one of them.

She looks forward to being able to eat Minnesota-grown Honeycrisp apples every fall. Biting into a Honeycrisp is, “like a tidal wave of organic freshness,” Dornbusch said. For her, the appeal of an apple lies in its crunch. “I want to be disruptive on the third floor of the library when I bite into a Honeycrisp. It has to be loud.”

Junior Steven Turner agrees with Dornbusch about Honeycrisps, but Senior Biology Major Nathan Ebnet prefers Haralson. Senior Psychology Major Holly Anderson is a fan of Pioneer Macs, and Linnaeus Arboretum Naturalist Bob Dunlap sticks with Honey Gold.

Dobbs appreciates tart Granny Smith apples. “I really appreciate the contrast between the Granny Smith and the caramel, the sweet and the sour.”

Whatever your preference, a variety of commercial orchards can be found in Minnesota, growing an assortment of apples. “It’s a good apple-growing area,” Gilbert said. “The Northern tier states are where apples grow better because they need a cold resting time.”

Cold is something Minnesota has, in addition to a long history of developing techniques to overcome the elements to grow produce. “The Minnesota climate is colder than most fruit-producing regions,” the University of Minnesota’s apple website explains (apples.umn.edu).

Gilbert points out that in the arena of commercial growing, Minnesota does not compete with states that have huge commercial production, like Washington. However, Minnesota’s apple-growing industry does have points of distinction. The University of Minnesota is one of them.

“We have a very strong applied biology and agricultural school,” Gilbert said. “Within the agricultural school, we have a department of horticulture, and they work on apples.”

The University of Minnesota’s Horticultural Research Center (HRC), located at the Landscape Arboretum, is one of three major apple-breeding programs at the country’s universities according to Jim Luby.

Luby is a professor of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota and has supervised the HRC. “The University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center is home to the oldest continuous fruit breeding program in North America,” Luby said.

In 1878, when the state was just 20 years old, the legislature appropriated money to develop an organization to be the center of fruit breeding for the state.

At the time, most Minnesotans lived on farms and depended on the food their landed provided to survive. “As 19th century settlers on the northern Great Plains discovered, this region was one of the most inhospitable of any in the young nation for fruit production,” Luby said.

The HRC has come a long way since its inception in the nineteenth century. Its research extends past academia and influences residents of the state on a daily basis. “Over two-thirds of the apples grown in Minnesota are U of MN-developed varieties,” Luby said.

By the time a new variety of apple reaches the public, it has already survived a long process of trials to test it.  “Apple seedlings are put through harsh trials of cold and disease,” the HRC website states. “It takes 25 years to develop a new variety and only one in over 10,000 seedlings is good enough to find a place in the market.”

One seedling that has definitely secured its place among other apples is the Honeycrisp – developed by the HRC. Erik Larson, produce manager of the St. Peter Food Co-op, just ordered new Honeycrisp apples to fill the store’s dwindling supply.

When in season, “Honeycrisp is the best-selling produce item,” Larson said. The St. Peter Co-op gets their apples from Greggers Orchard in Waseca, MN. In the off-season, apples are provided by countries like New Zealand and Chile. “We don’t completely discontinue them – we’ve got to have apples,” Larson said, “but locally grown produce is a priority.”

Gustavus Dining Services share a similar philosophy. Catering Manager Margi Willmert said that the cafeteria sells locally-grown produce whenever possible. “When anything is in-season, we try to get [produce] from here,” Willmert said.

River Rock Coffee Shop in St. Peter currently has drink specials featuring apples grown locally and purchased at the town’s farmer’s market. River Rock employee Montana Rasmussen said that utilizing locally grown food is an important value for the coffee shop.

“It supports the local economy, ensures freshness and the best possible flavor while lowering our footprint,” Rasmussen said.

A long history follows the apples stacked in supermarkets and plucked from trees, and a part of that history is rooted in Minnesota. “We learn by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting,” Gilbert said. Perhaps the first step in learning about the apple is to take a bite of one.