A new apple variety hits area grocery stores, courtesy of Eckert’s Farms in Belleville
Eckert’s Farms recently announced the distribution of a special apple to all Schnucks stores.
The EverCrisp apple was developed over the last decade, according to a Nov. 30 release, as Eckert’s worked closely with the Midwest Apple Improvement Association.
Eckert’s increased the number of EverCrisp trees planted in its orchards and is now one of the first farms in the U.S. to source the apples to grocery stores, the release states.
“We were one of the few farms to test grow this apple over a decade ago, and now, thanks to our partnership with Schnucks, a larger audience can try the EverCrisp,” stated Chris Eckert, president and CEO of Eckert’s Farms.
“It has been very well received, and we suspect that it will be one our top selling apples in the future,” Eckert stated
The Eckert family, with a group of other farmers, founded the Midwest Apple Improvement Association “to discuss the needs for our industry and region,” said Eckert, who also sits on the association’s board. “There was a desire for an apple with the crunch of Honeycrisp that also ripened in October. After careful development, the EverCrisp was born.”
The much-desired Honeycrisp apples were not developed to thrive in the Midwestern climate, according to the release. After years of testing, farmers involved with the research discovered a cross between the Honeycrisp and Fuji apples that could handle the region’s unpredictable weather patterns.
“In 2010, we tested 5-10 EverCrisp trees in our orchard, and by 2013, we had planted over 1,000,” said Eckert. “We’ve just now been able to produce a yield large enough to warrant distribution beyond our pick-your-own experiences at our farms.”
More than a million EverCrisp trees are now grown worldwide; however, Eckert’s is this area’s largest grower and one of the first farms to bring it to the masses.
For more information about Eckert’s Farms or the EverCrisp apple, visit eckerts.com.
