In the nineteenth century, most American farms had a small orchard
or at least a few fruit-bearing trees. People grew their own apple
trees or purchased apples grown within a few hundred miles of their
homes. Nowadays, in contrast, Americans buy mass-produced fruit in
supermarkets, and roughly 70 percent of apples come from Washington
State. So how did Washington become the leading producer of
America's most popular fruit? In this enlightening book, Amanda L.
Van Lanen offers a comprehensive response to this question by
tracing the origins, evolution, and environmental consequences of
the state's apple industry. Washington's success in producing
apples was not a happy accident of nature, according to Van Lanen.
Apples are not native to Washington, any more than potatoes are to
Idaho or peaches to Georgia. In fact, Washington apple farmers were
late to the game, lagging their eastern competitors. The author
outlines the numerous challenges early Washington entrepreneurs
faced in such areas as irrigation, transportation, and labor.
Eventually, with crucial help from railroads, Washington farmers
transformed themselves into "growers" by embracing new technologies
and marketing strategies. By the 1920s, the state's growers managed
not only to innovate the industry but to dominate it. Industrial
agriculture has its fair share of problems involving the
environment, consumers, and growers themselves. In the quest to
create the perfect apple, early growers did not question the
long-term environmental effects of chemical sprays. Since the late
twentieth century, consumers have increasingly questioned the
environmental safety of industrial apple production. Today, as this
book reveals, the apple industry continues to evolve in response to
shifting consumer demands and accelerating climate change. Yet,
through it all, the Washington apple maintains its iconic status as
Washington's most valuable agricultural crop.
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