Unlike with some other types of produce, growing apples takes a large commitment. You need a lot of time and a lot of land to support your trees. If you have both, you are ready to get started, but you need to do some reading first.

It makes no sense to put together your apple orchard and then decide what to do with it. It is a lot smarter to stop and take in some apple growers education and training so you can learn the following things:

1. How to pick the best apple varieties to grow in your area of the country;

2. The best way to care for your apple trees, upon first planting and later in life;

3. What other apple growers are doing to successfully market their products.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine what type of apples you would like to grow in your apple orchard

Some apple trees are temperamental and need a very specific climate, requiring apple growers to carefully pick and choose their locations. Distributors of apples also want to pick a type that sells well in the area where they plan to run their businesses.

I recommend: Go to Vance Publishing's FruitAndVeggieGuru to begin your research. The site has good information on apple varieties, as well as where they grow and how much they're selling for. Then do some more in-depth reading at All About Apples. It covers literally hundreds of different apple types, including harvest times, flavors and descriptions of the trees.

Learn how apple farmers care for their trees

You won't have much of an apple grower company if all of your trees die within the first year. That's why you have to give them the utmost care, starting from the day you plant them.

I recommend: Visit the University of Maine's site and read its tutorial on planting and caring for apple trees the conventional way. If you don't want to use pesticides and, instead, plan on growing apples organically, check out the extensive informational site put together by the Holistic Orchardist Network.

Decide how you're going to market your wholesale apples

Once you've got your gorgeous apple orchard, you need to learn how to sell your apples or you won't have much of a business. Read about ways to sell them locally and over the Web.

I recommend: Go to AgriSeek and look around for awhile. It is a huge networking site for apple distributors and buyers alike. Read the descriptions to learn how to promote your apples and see what buyers are looking for. Then head to the USDA's farmers market site to find markets near you. Write down all the markets that are within reasonable driving distance and then consider where you would like to sell. Starting out local is a great way to get word of mouth on your product.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use common sense in your apple growing initiative. Only plant trees in states that produce apples. Don't try to start your first apple farm in Hawaii when you are much better off in New England.

Apple farmers produce millions of apples every year in a variety of flavors and textures. They are grown in most every shade of red, green and yellow, used in many different products such as apple sauce, apple pie and apple fritters and are most commonly eaten whole as a snack food.

Apple growers work hard to continuously provide one of the most popular and healthy fruits available. Farmers must work hard to keep a surplus of the crop available at all times in order to meet the demands of the public. Here are a few statistics about the large number of apples that are grown and consumed worldwide:

1. There are up to 7,500 varieties of apples that are being grown by world apple producers.

2. Farmers in the United States produce 2,500 types of apples.

3. There are 36 states that produce apples for commercial purposes, but they are grown in every state.

4. In the United States, the average person eats around 19 pounds of apples every single year.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase a diverse crop of apples from apple growers

Most any apple orchard will produce several different types of apples. They are grown in different sections of the orchard so that every variation can be kept separate and enjoyed for its individual qualities. Distributors of apples work with a large variety of brands and offer the public the ability to order the type of apple they desire. Visit an online apple vendor and try an assortment of what they have to offer.

I recommend: The Apple Barn & Country Bake Shop sells a variety of apples in gift packs. Have apples and other fruits shipped to your home from Gourmet Grocery Online Inc. Order giant apples that are plain or dipped in toppings from Apple Country Gifts. Honeycrisp Apples are created from a blend of Macoun and Honeygold and are available seasonally from the Honeycrisp Apple website.

Find farms that are growing apples organically to provide extra health benefits

It is currently possible to find an organic version of almost any product you want. Organic foods are popular because they have not been sprayed with the large amount of pesticides and chemicals that are used on most other foods. Many people are interested in healthier lifestyles and food products that are safer to eat and better for the environment. Give an organic apple a try and compare the taste to other apples to determine what is best for you.

I recommend: The World Society for the Protection of Animals will ship organic Granny Smith apples to your home. Order Organic Fuji Apples from Plumgood Food.

Buy product in bulk from a wholesale apple fruit supplier

Small business owners who wish to sell apples can make deals with wholesale apple growers to purchase any type of apple for reselling purposes.

I recommend: Order apples from Borton & Sons Inc., United Apple Sales Inc. or CMI Inc.

Start growing apples

When you grow apples you get the opportunity to plant and nurture your own fresh food and save some money. Apple trees only require a small amount of room and can fit into most back yards. Purchase some apple seeds or an apple tree and create your own supply of the popular fruit.

I recommend: Gurney Seed and Nursery Co. sells apple trees and seeds. Purchase an apple tree from the TyTy Nursery.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Apples are a great source of fiber, an essential part of any diet.
• •  Slice up apples and eat them as a healthy and nutritious option when you want a snack.
• •  Purchase wholesale apples when you need a large amount of them for bigger groups.

The apple tree (Malus domestica) is a small, deciduous tree in the rose family and is one of the most widely cultivated fruit trees. Its flowers are white with a pink tinge and blossom in the spring. The apple fruit can exceed three inches in diameter and ripens in autumn. Apple trees originated in Central Asia, and were one of the first trees to be cultivated. They were brought to North America by the first colonists in the 1600s and are currently one of the most important fruit crops in the United States.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Malic acid

Malic acid is the component in an apple that gives it a sour taste. Apples have a wide range of malic acid content, and this characteristic is an important consideration in developing new varieties of apples.

I recommend: Minnesota Harvest contains an extensive glossary of terms used by apple growers, including malic acid.

Grafting

Grafting is a process in which a section of a stem with leaf buds is attached to the stock of a different tree. Apple trees are commonly reproduced by grafting in order for them to breed true.

I recommend: The University of Minnesota Extension provides a more detailed description of grafting and the reasons for performing this procedure.

Carpel

A carpel is the structure of a flower that contains the incipient seeds. If the ovary can be divided into segments, each segment is a carpel. An apple consists of five carpels.

I recommend: Pollinator.com provides a list of terms for flower structures, including a more detailed definition of carpel.

Pome

A pome is an accessory fruit composed of five or more carpels in which the outermost layer of fruit forms an inconspicuous layer. The fruit of an apple tree is a type of pome.

I recommend: The University of Georgia has a glossary of terms related to fruit crops, including pome.

Cultivar

A cultivar is a cultivated variety of a plant that retains a specific set of characteristics when it is cultivated. Apple trees have an extremely large number of cultivars.

I recommend: The California Backyard Orchard provides a glossary of terms that are commonly used in growing fruit trees, such as cultivar.

Apple scab

Apple scab is a common fungal disease of apples that usually affects the fruit and leaves. Resistance to Apple scab is a common consideration when selecting which variety of apples to grow.

I recommend: Fruitful Land provides a detailed description of Apple scab, including photographs.

As distributors of apples, it's imperative to stay current with any updates to the industry. You don't want to be caught violating new rules or standards of selling the fruits simply because you were not aware of the updates.

There are numerous places you can find updates for apple farmers, and most are available online. Utilize the Internet and grab as much information as possible from the comfort of your home or business. Consider the following when locating ideal apple growers news and trends:

1. Follow along with blogs or post in forums geared toward distributors of apples.

2. Subscribe to publications that discuss tips on growing apples organically.

3. Attend conferences or seminars to network with other apple farmers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Dive into forums or blogs that discuss the apple grower wholesale industry

Blogs and forums are an ideal place to look for apple news and trends. It may seem overwhelming to digest all the information out there on apple growers, but you should try your best to stay informed about any changes in the industry. Bookmark the pages and check them daily for updates if possible.

I recommend: All About Apples features its own forum, where you can post questions you might have about the apple business. You can also peruse the questions already posted, and you might have the perfect answer to post. The Michigan Apple Committee has its own blog where you can follow along with recent apple news.

Subscribe to publications geared toward apple farmers

If you receive a subscription to a publication geared toward apple distributors and farmers, then you can have firsthand information about news and trends in the industry. You should also determine if any of these publication websites have newsletters that can be sent directly to your e-mail inbox. This allows you to have instant access to changes that occur between issues.

I recommend: The Packer, from Vance Publishing, is a popular newspaper geared toward the produce industry. Garner a subscription to its publication. It is published weekly and has been doing so since 1893. You can also subscribe to its RSS feeds or search through previous issues online. The California Apple Commission has an e-mail newsletter that you can subscribe to and have sent to your inbox.

Locate conferences that bring together apple shippers and buyers

Attend a conference or seminar sponsored by leaders in the apple industry. These meetings are an ideal place to be notified of changes to the way apples are bought and sold, as well as any national standard updates. You can also easily network with others who share a common interest in the apple business.

I recommend: The U.S. Apple Association hosts an annual conference for those who sell wholesale apples. The North American Fruit Explorers also hosts an annual meeting for those who have an apple grower company, or other fruit company.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider joining a networking website, such as MySpace or Facebook, to find others that might own an apple orchard, are an apple fruit supplier or just enjoy the fruit.