New York Apple Sales (NYAS), is now shipping latest-harvest apple varieties from Nova Scotia to customers in the U.S. and beyond. Orchards that are part of the Scotian Gold Cooperative grow and harvest Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, and Sonya apples grown in the Annapolis Valley, near the Bay of Fundy. The three Nova Scotia-grown varieties being imported and distributed by New York Apple Sales offer interesting differentiation from their domestic counterparts.
“Warm days, cool nights, and the best agricultural soils in Atlantic Canada are three keys to why we produce such beautifully vibrant, well-colored apples,” says Waldo Walsh, president/owner of Birchleigh Farms Ltd. “These factors also contribute to wonderfully firm, flavorful fruit that has a bright, intense flavor profile.” Nova Scotia has the latest apple-growing season in North America. Trees don’t bloom until the later weeks of May, with the Honeycrisp harvest typically starting during the last week of September, and Ambrosia and Sonya picking to follow.
“The Scotian Gold Cooperative maintains high standards, uses superior technology, and completely understands the importance of paying attention to every aspect of quality agriculture, from planting to harvest to storage,” notes Kaari Stannard, owner of New York Apple Sales.
The Scotian Gold Growers have been providing apples to New York Apple Sales for three years. “At our orchard, we’ve always said we’ll never settle,” says Lisa Jenereaux, a fifth generation farmer and co-owner of Spurr Brothers Farms. “And that we want to be constantly learning and always trying new things. The people at New York Apple Sales demonstrate the same vision and are also dedicated to total quality. I believe that’s why we work so well together.” In terms of trying new things, Scotian Gold growers take advantage of high-density planting, dwarf rootstocks, and using smaller trees for better light distribution as just three examples of their forward thinking.
