3 minute read
Saving the Red Delicious Apple
When comparing apples to apples, third graders in Dana Gaither’s class have a strong liking for the Red Delicious variety. It’s always a popular choice when the snack basket is passed around. So imagine their dismay when they learned that the reign of the Red Delicious apple might be ending.
This shocking discovery came about in early February when Ms. Gaither was searching online to find out whether or not the groundhog had seen his shadow. He had, and just as she was absorbing the distressing news that we must endure another six weeks of winter, she spotted another news flash that sunk her spirits. “Death of Red Delicious: Premium ‘Club’ Apples Are Taking Over,” the headline blasted.
“What?” she thought. “How can this be?”
“This” can be because premium apples like Honeycrisps have grown in popularity and deliver better returns to farmers. According to the article written by Lydia Mulvany, a food and agriculture reporter at Bloomberg Business, the Red Delicious has been the most widely produced apple for the past 70 years. “But its production is declining now,” Ms. Mulvany wrote. “In contrast, Honeycrisp output increased 275 percent and prices rose 41 percent from 2010 to 2017.” The article goes on to explain that consumers are willing to pay for premium apples, “leading growers to develop new varieties and upgrade their orchards to produce more expensive fruits.”
How do you like them apples?
Ms. Gaither shared the upsetting apple news with her students, who felt the full weight of a toppled apple cart. We must do something, they agreed. And do something they did. These young apple activists took pencil to paper and embarked on an impassioned letter-writing campaign to save their beloved Red Delicious apple. Ms. Gaither helped her students package the letters and send them o to Ms. Mulvany at Bloomberg News in New York.
“I LOVED receiving your letters, which were so thoughtful and well written,” Ms. Mulvany responded in an email to the class. “I could see that you had a lively debate with your classmates, and you certainly seem to know your apples. Next time I’m speaking with an apple farmer, I’ll tell them what I heard from you.” The Bloomberg reporter went on to respond to each student individually. “I totally agree with you, Thomas,” she wrote, “that maybe one day Honeycrisp apples will go out of style and Red Delicious apples will come back.” And, “Bianca, I also cannot imagine a world without that famous Red Delicious Apple.” She responded to all 15 ardent letter writers.
For now, Norwood’s apple activists are relieved to know they will still find the Red Delicious apple in the snack basket and in grocery stores and farmers markets. Most of all, they are thrilled to have heard back from a “real live” reporter. “They understand the power of their voices and their opinions,” said Ms. Gaither. “They also recognize the importance of standing up for things they believe in. I am so proud of my students. They are the apples of my eye.”
At the core of their letters, third graders stated...
THOMAS: “I think the farmers should be patient about their fruit. You never know, maybe one day Honeycrisp will go out and the Red Delicious will come back. So even if they do stop making them, keep the seed so then you could bring the Red Delicious apples back.”
BIANCA: “Who could ever imagine a world without them?”
ELLERY: “A lot of people will be unhappy about the decision to stop selling the Red Delicious apple. That decision could even cause people to stop buying apples at all. Please take this matter under consideration.”
NATHAN: “This is America and everyone should get a choice of what apple they want to eat. And Red Delicious apples are good in apple pie and apple sauce.”
WILLIAM: “If you go to the grocery store and get apple juice, they might not have the kind of apple juice you want. Someone’s grandma might not be able to make apple pie. If you take Red Delicious apples away, the whole world would change.”
CHARLOTTE: “I think everyone should have a choice of food. If the farmers take away Red Delicious apples, that’s like taking away white bread! It’s America!”
SAM: “Red Delicious apple farmers deserve French fries because they do hard work.”
