Moving Michigan Apples

Highlighting the varieties, flavor and diverse use boost consumer purchases.

Michigan apples have a distinct advantage over apples from other regions, which creates marketing opportunities for supermarket produce departments.

“Michigan’s climate provides a growing season of mostly cool nights, warm sunny days and plenty of moisture — ideal factors in producing a flavorful crop of apples,” says Diane Smith, Michigan Apple Committee (MAC) executive director.

Shelby Miller, who handles marketing and business development for Applewood Fresh Growers LLC, Sparta, MI, agrees that the climate, along with a central location, gives Michigan apples an edge.

“Due to our proximity to the Great Lakes, our nutrient-dense soil is a top choice for apples,” says Miller. “We also have a climate advantage with the cool nights and warm days — pushing the apples to develop in higher flavor and color. Being centrally located, Michigan can deliver to both coasts and the Midwest faster and fresher than other regions.”

She expects the 2025 crop volume to mirror 2024, with Gala and Honeycrisp continuing in popularity, and Ambrosia and EverCrisp gaining traction. Last year’s crop was 28-30 million bushels, which equates to about 1.28 billion pounds of apples.

“Our primary goal is to increase consumption of Michigan apples, which is why we have focused our efforts on consumer marketing,” says Smith. “Most of our messaging centers on the themes of health, affordability and convenience — concepts our target audiences care about most.”

Messaging consistency is key to building brand recognition, she adds.

“We continue to focus our consumer marketing efforts on social media, with messaging about Michigan apples as a healthy, affordable and convenient fruit for snacking or incorporating into meals.”

The MAC reports Michigan apples are sold through 12,000 retail grocery stores across the U.S.

WHAT’S SELLING

Joe Randazzo’s Fruit and Vegetable Market, which has a wholesale department and retail locations in Detroit, Dearborn Heights, Roseville and Westland, MI, has been family-run for more than 70 years.

“We carry more than 20 different varieties of apples throughout the year, and beginning in September, more than 10 of those will be locally grown in Michigan,” says Sarah Urbani, marketing director.

“Applewood Fresh by FirstFruits are the pioneers of managed/club varieties grown in Michigan,” says Miller. “We specialize in premium flavor varieties, like Rave, SweeTango, Kanzi and Kiku, alongside our classic varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, Red Delicious and so on. Michigan does continue to grow heirloom varieties, like McIntosh, Jonathans, Jonagolds, etc., that accommodate well to our regional customers.”

North Bay Produce, headquartered in Traverse City, MI, anticipates that the 2025-26 apple season will be equal to, or just slightly more than, last year’s.

“Last year’s crop was very good at approximately 28,000,000 bushels,” says Charles (Chuck) Yow, North Bay Produce’s business development and account manager. “There is still more to be determined for next season, including the amount of thinning required and the expected rainfall, which determines fruit sizing.”

He notes that Honeycrisp remains a desirable variety in the Michigan region, with Ambrosia and Evercrisp increasing in demand.

“Last year, we started the season early, so we are later than we were last year, but we are more aligned with a typical season,” Yow says. “Early varieties started in full about Aug. 11 and increased in volume, and more varieties were available in late August. Gala, Honeycrisp, Macintosh, Early Golds and Paula Reds were in production in the middle of August in Michigan. Most others tracked for normal harvest timing in early to mid-September. Ambrosia, Evercrisp and Pink Lady apples will be available with varying dates starting in October.”

Riveridge Produce Marketing in Sparta, MI, expects the 2025 crop to be slightly larger than last year, with both Gala and Honeycrisp as top sellers.

BelleHarvest, Belding, MI, also will have slightly higher volume this year versus last season, due to some younger trees coming into production. The selling timetable is late August to June.

“Honeycrisp and Gala apples are the most popular,” says Mike Fuher, BelleHarvest’s sales director. “Some BelleHarvest apples will go to Florida, Alabama and Texas.”

IMPACTFUL PROMOTION

In addition to stacking apples adorned with handwritten signs, Joe Randazzo’s uses social media to connect with the community.

“We share seasonal produce facts, recipes, new product announcements, giveaways, daily deals, and more to keep our customers engaged and attract new ones year-round,” says Urbani. “This combination of in-store experience and consistent digital engagement ensures that both longtime shoppers and new customers know exactly where to find the best Michigan apples at the best prices.”

With Michigan apple crops varying each year, marketing and selling tactics will also shift.

“We are seeing a continued rise in a need for education on the health benefits of apples,” says Applewood Fresh’s Miller. “We are here to support retailers in communicating this to consumers through in-store signage, sampling stations, social media outlets and bold signage. We also are using seasonal hooks on in-store signage, along with color contrast breaks on shelves [for yellow, green and red apples].”

Consumer buying habits are also evolving, with more people opting for online ordering, home grocery deliveries and store-side pickups.

“These changes have led to fewer spontaneous purchases and more planned buying decisions,” says Yow. “Therefore, we need to adjust our marketing and sales strategies to meet these new consumer patterns.”

Yow recommends retailers highlight the strengths of each year’s crop, for example, by offering different bag sizes or types of packaging, depending on what the crop can provide.

“We now have access to more data, which helps us understand how consumer preferences and buying habits are changing, particularly in response to increased competition from year-round fruits,” says Yow. “It is crucial to maintain shelf space and come up with creative ideas to generate revenue in the competitive produce department.”

North Bay provides flavor profile cards and a collection of apple recipes on its website. The company also actively engages with retailers to promote its crops throughout the season.

“We sell apples year-round and are creating more social content to highlight the health and lifestyle benefits of apple consumption,” says Trish Taylor, Riveridge’s marketing manager. “Our YouTube channel includes a small spend targeting health-conscious demographics and those making food purchasing decisions, showing ways apples can play a role in their active lifestyles.”

PLAY UP LOCAL ANGLE

Buying local has become more important to both retailers and consumers. “Where and when available, retail stores try to make sure their apples are from their region,” Taylor says.

“Local can mean fresher, a smaller environmental footprint because the food hasn’t traveled as far, but most importantly, it means supporting your community and the folks who grow your food.”

This is what Riveridge emphasizes with its marketing tactics.

“For us, it’s about showing apples are grown by families,” Taylor says. “All Riveridge apples come from family-operated orchards. We like to show the faces behind those who grow apples, from the families to their employees to the seasonal help. Everyone in the chain is an important piece — from those producing the apples, transporting the apples, to buying the apples. We all play a role in supporting one another.”

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Over the past few seasons, Applewood Fresh Growers has implemented several changes to streamline distribution for its retail partners. These include investing in more efficient packing-line technology, upgrading cold storage facilities to extend freshness and adopting advanced inventory tracking systems for real-time order management.

“We’ve also optimized our trucking schedules and expanded our logistics partnerships, allowing us to reduce transit times and improve on-time delivery rates,” Miller says. “Combined, these updates ensure that retailers receive fresher product faster, with greater consistency and fewer disruptions.”

At North Bay, the most significant improvement is the combination of increased storage capacity and technological advancements for storing fruit, which enables the company to operate year-round on some varieties and extend Honeycrisp into June in some seasons.

“We expect Honeycrisp to become a year-round product very soon, possibly this season, as more orchards come into production,” Yow notes. “Additionally, Michigan is improving its color by implementing new high-density orchards and newer subvariety strains, which provide more color and a better combination of tray fruit and bag sizes. Diversifying the variety mix in Michigan allows for more fruit on each truck, which cuts down transportation costs.”

Riveridge apples travel broadly east of the Mississippi River, with up to one-sixth of them moving throughout Michigan.

“The last few seasons and moving forward, thanks to our grower network investing in their orchards and more volume coming online, we have a consistent supply year-round,” says Taylor. “This allows retailers to continue to source from one vendor.”

By integrating AI directly into its electronic sorting software, Riveridge’s operators have increased accuracy and efficiency at tailoring pack specifications during production, including color, size and external defects.

New initiatives at North Bay include forecasting based on its grower-owned co-op objectives of more scientific and data-driven processes, implementing the newest best practices regarding controlled atmosphere storage and more scientific approaches for growing and increasing yields in its orchards.

“There has been an abundance of new [Michigan apple] varieties introduced in the past several years, but to help with the confusion, North Bay has focused on the best varieties to please consumers,” says Yow. “We are excited to sell more fruit, extending our customer base and shipping regions, and offering year-round options for our customers.” 

• • •

what the experts are saying

“It is crucial to maintain shelf space and come up with creative ideas to generate revenue in the competitive produce department.”
– Charles (Chuck) Yow, North Bay Produce, Traverse City, MI

“Where and when available, retail stores try to make sure their apples are from their region. Local can mean fresher, a smaller environmental footprint because the food hasn’t traveled as far, but most importantly, it means supporting your community and the folks who grow your food.”
– Trish Taylor, Riveridge Produce Marketing, Sparta, MI