Despite having 650 acres of apples to manage, Phil Glaize of Fred L. Glaize Orchards, Winchester, Va., says there’s something just as important as tending to the apples in the trees…tending to the consumers who will eventually eat them.
“We like to satisfy people’s desire for local produce and helping them learn more about where their apples are coming from,” Phil says. To help in that consumer education, Phil sends retailers pictures of himself and his workers in the orchard, a map of Winchester and other educational materials. He also tries to visit those retailers to host tastings, answer shoppers’ questions and share his apple knowledge in person.
“It’s worth going the extra mile to teach consumers about such a great product,” says Phil, whose orchards consistently produce a healthy crop of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome, Granny Smith, Empire, Fuji and Cripps Pink. “It’s fun to help people figure out which apple is their favorite; sometimes it’s one they’ve never even heard of.”
Phil’s favorite apple? “The Fuji – but not just any Fuji, a Virginia Fuji!”
We spotlight a new grower and region each month. Sign up for the Apple of the Month Club e-newsletter and learn about other growers!
Tags: apples, Fred L. Glaize, Virginia
