North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>]

Murph,

 

This season we harvested about 80 bushels of Honeycrisp and sold them for $19.95 per peck (about $2/lb.)  They lasted 2 days!  We should have charged more, but I can't justify the price for the very reason you point out.  I'll take a good Royal Empire any day over a Honeycrisp, but the Gen X crowd in the Chicago area will pay over $3.00/gal for gas to drive 2 hours in their SUV, Volvo, Audi, Lexus, etc...  to Royal Oak Farm for the Honeycrisp!  What was it P.T. Barnum said....There's one born every minute!!

 

And....yes, we are planting 500 more Honeycrisp trees next spring to give us over 2,000 total.  We are also adding about 400 of the new Snow Sweet from UMinn.  You can check it out at  http://www.apples.umn.edu/nurseries/snowsweet.html   We're getting them from Stark Bros.  I'll let you know how they do on B9.

 

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
http://www.revivalhymn.com

----- Original Message -----

From: Richard MURPHY

To: nafex

Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 10:03 AM

Subject: [NAFEX] honeycrisp market

We have Honeycrisps in the Supermarket in a 'special Basket' for $3 a pound.

There they sit; highly polished, and un-blemished by the hands of curious customers.....

 

Right next to them are some gorgeous Empires for $1.50

 

If Honeycrisps are ever to be accepted by the masses, they need to get real about the  price.

 

A 'double priced unknown' ain't gonna fly in my neighborhood.........

 

If they were $1.50, at least the women would TRY a few....

 

Murph