Save an Apple and Help a Farmer

I wrote a couple weeks ago about how much I love Gravenstein apple season– and now it’s here! We will be making deliveries the weeks of August 21 and 28. You can experience this endangered heritage apple and support farmers by ordering our 17th annual Gravenstein Apple box.

When we first started this box in 2006, we wanted to share this endangered Sonoma County apple with as many people as possible nationwide and support the farmers who grow it. In addition to purchasing these apples, we provide an additional 16% of the proceeds from each box sold. Farmers Stan Devoto and John Kolling of Sebastopol, CA are both longtime partners of The FruitGuys. Hear in their own words how your purchase of this box impacts them and what they’ve done with the proceeds:

Gravenstein apples are an “endangered American food,” included in Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste, a living collection of heritage foods in danger of extinction. Housing development, more profitable wine-grape production, and cheaper overseas imports for apple juice and sauce are among the factors that have greatly reduced the number of Gravenstein apple orchards around Sebastopol in Sonoma County. Only a handful of farmers continue to grow Gravensteins in the area.

I look forward to Grav season every year and I’m happy that we are able to bring them to those who love them too. For all the other fruits we have to offer in your area, please visit our regional mix pages to see what’s in your box (mixes are updated every Sunday).