The State of Today's Wholesale Apple Industry in the Hudson Valley
Dan Donahue, Tree Fruit Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
During our winter fruit conference program in February 2020, just prior to covid shutting down our in-person meetings, Mike Basedow and I devoted the entire second day to the question of "What apple variety should I plant?". After a full day of listening to growers, marketers, nursery producers, and academics tackle the question from different angles, the path towards future success remained fuzzy at best. The question has remained foremost in the minds of our Eastern New York producers and the answer continues to elude us. Today, for the first time in many years, nurseries have trees available for purchase without prior contracts and many producers have slowed or even delayed their replanting plans. With establishment costs heading north of 25K $$$ per acre and faced with the task of top-working young blocks of the last, but now past, new variety star to more reliable options begs the question: "What variety do I plant" or perhaps more telling, "should I be planting anything at all?"
The State of Today’s Wholesale Apple Industry in the Hudson Valley (pdf; 165KB)
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Upcoming Events
Rulfs Orchard Vegetable and Berry Field Meeting
August 4, 2026
Peru, NY
Join CCE vegetable specialists Elisabeth Hodgdon and Chuck Bornt for a vegetable and berry field meeting at Rulfs Orchard, in Peru, NY. We'll tour the farm's fields and talk about integrated pest management of sweet corn and cucurbit crops. Then, we'll view a drone demonstration and discuss new technologies for pesticide application and spotted wing drosophila management in berries. Light refreshments will be provided. A rain date will be announced if adverse weather is predicted.
Field Day at Philia Farm
August 6, 2026
Johnstown, NY
Visit organic seed production trials and tour the farm to see small-scale production systems at work, including tarping, cover cropping, and the use of assorted mulches and covers to modify the growing environment.
Capital Region Orchard Twilight Meeting
August 11, 2026
Rexford, NY
Join the ENYCHP and Cornell scientists on August 11 for the Capital Region Orchard Twilight meeting in Saratoga! We will be touring Bowman Orchards and reviewing seasonal recommendations for pests and diseases for apples, plums, and berries, as well discussing crop insurance.
NYSDEC Pesticide Applicator Recertification Credits: 1.25 in categories 22, 1A, & 10. Refreshments will be provided.
Free to attend, however we do ask that you register ahead so we know how many people to expect.