When the 20-year patent on Ambrosia expired a few years ago, some Pennsylvania growers decided to plant the Canadian variety in their own orchards. They chose Ambrosia because they knew consumers liked it and retailers wanted to sell it.One thing they weren't sure about is how well Ambrosia would grow in southern Pennsylvania. They know it does well in British Columbia, where it's long been a mainstay for the Canadian province’s apple industry. But the Pacific Northwest and Mid-Atlantic climates are very different, and the Pennsylvania growers are still figuring out the best management practices for their region.When some of the apple growers who supply Rice Fruit Co., the well-known Pennsylvania packer and grower, expressed an interest in growing Ambrosia a few years ago, the company encouraged them to plant it. Ambrosia is a nice apple, and there's been demandfor it from grocery stores, said Brenda Briggs, vice president of sales and marketing.Rice Fruit packed and sold its first Ambrosia apples in 2021. The crop was small but will grow over the next few years, Briggs said.
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