Marketing Apple Diversity

Marketing Apple Diversity

Summary

• Presented survey to 60 Ohio/Fruit Growers Marketing Association (FGMA) growers regarding disease-resistant apples and surveyed volume grown. Few growers were currently growing disease-resistant varieties; if they were, they were growing them under their standard pesticide regime; some available disease-resistant varieties growers were unaware of

  Educational session at FGMA meeting on disease-resistant apples

  Disease-resistant apple display and tasting at Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association (OPGMA) meeting with 75 growers

  Fabulous food show consumer event in Cleveland OH Nov 6-8 with Ohio/FGMA apple tasting with 6 groups of 4 varieties tasted; each group evaluated by more than 100 consumers (757 consumers total)

  Honeycrisp most preferred variety; followed by 7 disease-resistant varieties or selections; then Fuji; then 2 disease-resistant selections; then Gala; then standard commercial varieties Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious.

  Consumer preference highly positively correlated with apple crispness.

  Survey of consumer apple consumption and purchasing habits (757 consumers), results still being analyzed

  Professional taste panel analysis of 8 Midwest Apple Improvement Association (MAIA) selections

  Excitement among growers to test new MAIA selections (and previously released disease-resistant varieties) at the on-farm market scale

  Awareness among FGMA, MAIA, OPGMA members of new varieties on the near horizon

  Beginning relationship with grocers and Ohio State University (OSU) food service to test market disease-resistant varieties that we have now identified as consumer-preferred varieties

Objectives/Performance Targets

• Present grower survey regarding knowledge of, and attitudes toward, disease-resistant apple varieties

  Develop marketer survey and identify marketing collaborators

  Present apple taste panels to consumers to identify disease-resistant varieties preferred by consumers and essential apple attributes

  Present information to growers on preferred disease-resistant varieties and their cultivation
  Professional taste panel descriptions of apple attributes

Accomplishments/Milestones

• Grower survey presented to 60 MAIA/FGMA growers

  Marketer survey developed and 6 potential marketing collaborators identified

  More than 100 consumers presented apple taste panel of 4 apple varieties at Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland OH (Nov 6-8, 2009); 6 different groups of 4 apple varieties used; 757 consumers total tasted apples

  757 consumers filled out consumer survey about fruit/apple preferences and purchasing habits
  Information on disease-resistant varieties and their cultivation presented to MAIA/FGMA and OPGMA grower groups (more than 150 growers)

  Abbott Labs professional tasters evaluated 8 interesting apple seedlings for characterization of flavors and textures

  Superior and preferred disease-resistant varieties were identified for future marketing research

  Continual guidance on the project provided by MAIA/FGMA board members (growers)

  Extension presentations on the project given to Ohio, Missouri and Midwest (MAIA) apple growers

• Consumer apple tasting, Fabulous Food Show, Cleveland OH, Nov 6-8, 2009
• consumer apple tasting; Fabulous Food Show, Cleveland, OH Nov 6-8,2009
• Ohio apples and apple tasting; Fabulous Food Show, Cleveland OH Nov 6-8,2009

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

• Increased awareness of new varieties among growers and consumers; and documented increased interest and excitement among both groups

  Major finding that crispness is essential trait in consumer preference in apples

  Increased grower knowledge on culture and consumer preference of disease-resistant varieties

  Appropriate terminology for traits learned from professional tasters

  2 journal articles in preparation on findings from project thus far (I am not presenting data in this report in order to avoid compromising the publications); extension bulletin on apple varieties planned

Collaborators: