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24 economist sunlsuntribune diversions saturday sept 17 2005 staff photomike barrett by joan ransberry staff writer ts apple time across york region and open-for-busi- ness signs are popping up at pickyourown spots now that the heat is starting to subside and were get ting cooler nights people are start ing to think apples said matthew passafiume of applewood farm and winery on mccowan road apples havent been affected by summer heat the way softer fruits have our apples are wonderful the extreme heat did affect the pollination process which led to smaller apples in most of ontario however this was not the case in applerich york region said pam rolphromeril of king citys pine farms orchard the industry is healthy and our apples are doing very well ms rolphromeril said we now need cooler nights and we need a frost toward the end of september to colour the eating apple the red delicious and the cooking apple the northern spy no ladders are required at ms rolphromerils orchard on 16th sideroad where there are 5000 dwarf trees you get fullsize apples from pintsize trees she said picking your own apples is a popular outing in the greater toronto area where people can spend an entire afternoon in an orchard or drop in for a quick pick apple picking never goes out of style weve been in business for 50 years ms rolphromeril said the kids come here on school trips return with their parents and over the years it becomes a family tradition local apples include the melba mcintosh cortland spencer royal gala red delicious golden deli cious sweet 16 spartan paulared golden russet and honey crisp apples are big business from 1995 to 2000 the number of acres in apple orchards in ontario grew from 3000 to almost 5000 the ontario apple growers association reported however the number of growers decreased from 100 to 90 indicating growers are expanding their operations apple growers advise people to look for firm apples free of wrin kles and bruises it only takes one bad apple to spoil the barrel is more than an old saw its true its best to remove any fruit that is overripe or has soft spots because it gives off ethylene gas causing nearby apples to ripen too quickly and spoil yorks pick-your- ownapple farms applewood farm and winery 12442 mccowan rd n in whitchurchstouffville telephone 9056405357 visit website at wwwapplewood farmwinerycom macwilliam farms 22645 leslie st in queensville from davis drive in newmarket go 14 kilometres north to leslie st telephone 9058369656 pine farms orchard 2700 16th sideroad in king city from hwy 400 and king road take king road east to jane street go north on jane street to 16th sideroad east on 16th sideroad for one kilometre call 9058335459 visit website wwwruralroutescom pinefarmsappleorchard once thing is certain apples have a history they have been cul tivated for more than 3000 years ancient greeks etruscans and egyptians were among the early apple giowers but the apple tree now grows in thousands of vari eties in almost every corner of the globe during the california gold rush in die late 1800s apples fetched more than 100 a bushel because of their versatility durability and capacity to be preserved by drying canadas alltime favorite the mcintosh is getting some serious competition from a new apple that originated in michigan the honey crisp is the sweetest crunchiest and juiciest apple ive ever tasted mr passafiume said some pickyourown establish ments including applewood farms are hosting fall festivals for the next three weeks until thanksgiving we offer wagon rides a petting zoo pumpkin picking a corn maze wine tast ing and of course apple pick ing mr passafiume said pine farms orchards hosts a spring festival offering wagon rides live music childrens games and wine tasting this time of year were very busy with the apple picking and the school tours ms rolph- romeril said apples are the most important fruit crop in canada and the fourth most important worldwide after all citrus grapes and bananas cash farm receipts for apples are about 175 million agriculture and agri- food canada reports canadas apple roots are in the atlantic provinces fruit growing was introduced to nova scotia by early french settlers in the 1600s they were a self sufficient lot each homestead had several apple trees by drying apples settlers could have the fruit yearround to make pies puddings tarts and other dishes historical records in ontario indicate apples were grown in the niagara region as early as 1790 by 1880 more than 80 varieties were produced inontario pine farms orchard is open tuesday to friday from 930 am to 5 pm and saturday and sunday from 9 am to 5 pm applewood farms and winery is open wednes day to friday from noon to 5 pm and saturday and sunday from 9 am to 5 pm seu locally get local exposure for your business by advertising in york region business times our business readership includes owners managers and other key decision makers as well as chamber of commerce and board of 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