6 Week of October 14, 2015 MC WEEKLY Doud Orchards wants to know... HOW ABOUT THESE APPLES? Orchard develops new variety for Indiana Photos by Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune ELENA RAMIREZ (left) and Rogelia Hernandez sort through apples last month at Doud growing conditions and marketability Orchard. BY CARSON Finding the next popular Now, they think they might ple think. various combinations using Since then, well over 50,000 GERBER apple variety that can compete have found it in “375,” or an- If it’s a big enough hit with traditional, non-GMO tech- seedlings have been distrib- MC WEEKLY with the new, big-name variet- other variety dubbed “911.” consumers, the MAIA will niques. uted to members to grow and ies like HoneyCrisp, Pink But what they think doesn’t patent the variety and begin Around 5,300 seedlings evaluate. Lady and Jazz is what Doud matter. It’s up to the consumer marketing it and selling it. In 2007, seedlings began DENVER – Steve Doud has were grown from the first and a group of apple growers to decide if the new apples are But the taste tests are just year’s breeding, and breeding fruiting and the first selections worked for more than a de- were identified for propaga- cade developing a new experi- have been working at since good enough to go the dis- one of the many steps on the continued each year after. 19 97. tance. long road to discovering a tion and further evaluation. mental product. It doesn’t The association had its first have an official name yet. That’s when he and fellow “You might think a certain first-of-its-kind, mega-hit ap- growers formed a new group new variety is interesting and ple, Doud said. bigbig success in 2012,2012, whenwhen itit Doud just calls it “375.” releasedreleased a new varietvarietyy But there’s only one thing called the Midwest Apple Im- something you like, but in or- The genesis of the 375 and provement Association. der to make an impression on 911 started back in the spring calledcalled EverCrisp.EverCrisp. TheThe fruifruitt you need to know about the treetree was growngrown fromfrom a mysteriously named creation: The founding goal of the people, it has to really, really of 1997, when participating It’s delicious. grassroots organization was to good,” Doud said. “So the growers with the MAIA made CONVERSECONVERSE “375” is a first-of-its-kind create new apple varieties that question is: How good do they the first crosses with apple va- ELEMENTARY experimental apple variety grow well in states like Indi- have to be?” rieties chosen for their crop- STUDENTSTUDENT COOPERCOOPER that was created and grown at ana, Ohio and Illinois that are That’s what the orchard has ping reliability, disease resis- LYNCHLYNCH takestakes a bitebite outout Doud Orchard, located north tasty enough to become a been trying to find out over tance and flavor and quality ooff an aapplepple he of Denver, Indiana. The apple commercial success. the last month. The first batch attributes. ppickedicked at Doud And for nearly two decades, of the new apple varieties GoldRush, Sweet Sixteen, is crispy, sweet and bursting OOrchardrchard durinduringg Doud and his wife, Connie, were harvested early this year, Scarlet O’Hara, Crimson with flavor. a scschoolhool ffieldield And Doud hopes it will be have been trying to develop and the Douds have been Crisp, HoneyCrisp, Rome tritripp last the next blockbuster hit in the that superstar apple variety on holding taste tests all across Melrose, Fuji and Golden apple world. their fifth-generation orchard. the state to find out what peo- Delicious were hybridized in momonth.nth. I HAVE RETIRED! THANKS FOR YOUR BUSINESS! I CAN BE REACHED AT 574-753-0303 9th AND ERIE AVE. • LOGANSPORT, IN 46947.