Fall in Georgia is a really special season. It’s a return to
school routines for the kids,
football games, the Braves and maybe even the World Series.

Fall is particularly hectic for the apple industry in the north
Georgia mountains.
Harvest began about the first of August with the picking of
Ginger Gold. It will
continue into November when they finish up with Arkansas Black,
Granny Smith and
Yates.

Sandwiched between the early- and late-season varieties are many
other apples of
superb quality. These apples can be used a multitude of ways,
from pies to salads to
muffins to fresh eating. And they come in a taste range from
sweet to tart.

For more than half a century, Georgia apple growers concentrated
on growing a
handful of varieties they shipped to distant markets.

In recent years, however, they’ve expanded their variety
selection to meet the demands
of retail customers. On a given day, it’s not unusual to find 10
or more varieties in a
north Georgia apple grower’s retail market.

Depending on the market, you may also find sourdough apple
bread, fried apple pies,
cider, jellies, frozen cider drinks, a restaurant — you name it!

Once you might have found only Red Delicious, Golden Delicious,
Rome Beauty and
Arkansas Black. But look at a few of the apple varieties you’ll
find today. Not every
grower has all of the apples listed in the chart. But many may
have other varieties.

Few fruits or vegetables are better for you than apples. So
throw a few in the picnic
box for the football game or in your child’s lunch box.

If you’d like to know more about the many uses of Georgia apples
and a guide to retail
markets, drop a note to the Georgia Apple Commission, 328
Agriculture Building,
Capital Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. They’ll be glad to help
you.