NORTHLAND APPLES, CIDER, AND A NEW APPLE VARIETY 

Autumn is all about the local apple season. It’s when we get to experience fresh, crisp, sweet, and tart apples, just perfect for baking or snacking, along with locally pressed apple ciders from northland orchards!  

Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin have some of the best climates for growing apples. Even though apple trees can grow in almost any hardiness zone, apples grow best in climates where it’s moderate in summer with medium to high humidity and cold in winter. In fact, apple trees need cold weather (referred to as chill hours) to properly bud and flower to produce fruit. 

We are lucky to have multiple local orchards in the northland. Many of them supply the Co-op with apples, such as Paul’s Memorial Orchard in Two Harbors, MN, and Dixon’s Orchard in Cadott, WI. Other orchards, like North Wind Organic Farm, produce delicious, locally pressed apple ciders!  

Northwind Organic Farm

Tom Galazen and Ann Rosenquist of North Wind Organic Farm make delicious cider in their dedicated on-farm facility near Bayfield, WI. Tom and Ann’s goal has always been to grow nutrient-dense, chemical-free fruits and veggies for local and area consumption while respecting and enhancing the environment. Tom told us, “We press our apple cider because it is an excellent use for excess and/or cosmetically blemished apples and is a tasty and sought-after product. We like to offer our cider in canned quart jars because they are a safe, toxic-free container that can be returned or reused many times, thus saving energy and lowering environmental impact.” 

Another important environmental aspect for Tom and Ann is that their crops must be produced per organic requirements. Tom said, “No artificial fertilizers or chemical sprays are used on our crops. We avoid plastics like the plague, and our farm has been off the grid since the 1980s, using only solar and wind power. Environmental and climate impact are constantly a factor in our practices. In fact, that is what they feel is one of their primary difficulties; to continue growing food in an ever-changing and warming climate. 

Northern Harvest

Still new to the challenge of growing apples in our ever-changing northern climate but not new to the concept of growing delicious food without the use of artificial chemicals is Northern Harvest Farm! 

Many Co-op Owners are familiar with Northern Harvest Farm, based in Wrenshall, MN. Since 2005, they’ve been supplying Whole Foods Co-op with organic produce like kale, lettuce, cucumbers, beets, cabbage, cilantro, parsley, squash, zucchini, and, most beloved, carrots. In 2015, they “branched” out and began planting apple trees.   

Rick Dalen, owner and operator of Northern Harvest, told us, “We started with a fairly wide variety of cultivars, but over time, we narrowed our focus to varieties that have proven themselves in our northern climate.” Since 2022, Northern Harvest has been growing a significant apple harvest. Some of the varieties available will include Honeycrisp, Sweet 16, First Kiss, Triumph, Liberty, Frostbite, Snowsweet, and the Duluth Pink.  

The Duluth Pink was created by grafting scionwood, aka, twigs from an established tree, and in this case, an unknown variety of apple tree. The Duluth Pink apple has a fun background story. While Rick was pressing cider with friend Paul Steklenski (a.k.a. Cider Man), Paul exclaimed, “Rick, look at these apples, aren’t they pretty!?” and he agreed they were – they had a wonderful flavor and a vibrant, slightly pink color. While neither knew what kind of apples they were, Paul knew where he had picked the apples, and Rick got permission to collect some scionwood. With the help of Adam Kemp, owner and operator of Uff-da Organics, based in Wrenshall, MN., they grafted some trees and planted them in the orchard. “We tried and tried to find out what the variety was, without success,” Rick said, “so in the end, we decided to call it Duluth Pink. The Duluth Pink debuted in 2023 to great reviews!

So, whether it’s a delicious, locally pressed apple cider produced with an eye to a low environmental impact or a great new variety of locally-grown organic apples from one of our long-term produce providers, you’ll find an abundance of local apple love at Whole Foods Co-op!