Despite a tornado damaging several orchards in the Thornbury Blue Mountain area, this year’s apple harvest is looking very juicy indeed.
The Chair of the Ontario Apple Growers Association, Brian Gilroy says the crop is looking very good, despite the challenging growing year they had with all the rain this summer.
He says while this is not a one in ten year for the crop, it is in very good shape and the fruit quality in the Georgian Bay area this year is excellent.
Gilroy says while they are looking a bumper crop for local apples, it is still a challenge to get those local apples on to the local grocery store shelves.
He says the stores in the Meaford and Thornbury area are doing a good job promoting and selling the local apple crop — but once you get past the immediate local area, the producers have a lot of obstacles to over come to get into the local market place.
Gilroy puts the blame not on the local store owners, but the officials at head office who make it difficult for local department stores to carry local produce.
He says if they are going to make a dent in the local produce market at the retail level then this is the crop year to do it with an incredible volume of large fruit available.
Gilroy is asking the public to look for local apples on their grocery store shelves, and if they are not on prominent display then ask the store manager why not.