LANSING, Mich. — A number of apple growers and others in the industry in Michigan have gotten together to provide apples to school children in this time of disruption.

Diane Smith of the Michigan Apple Committee (MAC) hatched the idea and it wasn’t long before quite a few local growers, along with Gleaner’s and the Food Bank Council of Michigan, were distributing three truckloads of apples to kids all over the state. Three truckloads of apples as in 346,000 fresh apples and 726,000 sliced apple packages to kids who are currently out of school due to the COVID-19 crisis. MAC also worked with apple shipping, processing and sales organizations across the state to make the donation happen.

“I was talking with somebody in the industry about all the news we’ve been having about school kids not in school being able to keep getting the food that they would normally get,” said Smith, who is executive director of MAC. “We approached some growers and everyone said ‘yes, yes, yes.’ Kids love apples, they’re a great snack.”

Smith went on to explain that the main issue was the logistics of getting all the apples trucked and delivered to where they needed to go.

“We worked with a number of food banks and even some shipping companies donated their services,” she added. “They were able to get them delivered to pretty much all over the state, including Detroit, Battle Creek, Lansing, Flint and elsewhere.”

As part of the same overall effort, Peterson Farms of west-central Michigan donated a large number of apple slices for school children in its own territory. Peterson Farms is based in Oceana County, Mich. Michigan apple shippers and processors donating apples include Applewood Fresh Growers of Sparta; Belle Harvest Sales, Inc./Michigan Fresh Marketing of Belding and Comstock Park; Jack Brown Produce, Inc. of Sparta; North Bay Produce, Inc. of Traverse City; Rasch Brothers Apple Storage of Grand Rapids; and Riveridge Produce Marketing, Inc. of Sparta.

“We were fortunate to be able to provide apples when the Michigan Apple Committee made the call out,” said Dan Schwallier of Rasch Brothers Packing. “One of our growers had a newer variety that doesn’t have much volume yet, so it was destined for processing; but it is a great eating apple. The grower stepped right up and we were able to provide for the cause.”

“Recent weeks have been as brisk as fall with apple orders so this was a nice pause for us to help out our community,” said Kari Soldaat of Riveridge Produce Marketing. “Apples are such a versatile fruit and we were fortunate that they found their way into so many homes in need.”

Three trucking companies donated services as well: those were SFL Companies of Rochester, which donated their services completely free of charge; Burns Produce LLC of Grandville and Destin Logistics LLC of Coopersville made partial trucking donations, with the Michigan Apple Committee covering the remainder of the costs.

Michigan ranks third in the country in apple production, behind only Washington and New York, with 28 million bushels harvested in 2018. There are more than 14.9 million apples trees in commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms in Michigan.

Michigan Apple Committee is a grower funded nonprofit organization devoted to marketing, education and research activities to distinguish the Michigan apple and encourage its consumption in Michigan and around the country, and world. For more information, visit www.michiganapples.com.