Good Apples

Behind Every Bite

by Susan Futrell

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Pub Date Sep 01 2017 | Archive Date Sep 01 2017

University of Iowa Press | University Of Iowa Press

Cooking, Food & Wine

Description

Apples are so ordinary and so ubiquitous that we often take them for granted. Yet it is surprisingly challenging to grow and sell such a common fruit. In fact, producing diverse, tasty apples for the market requires almost as much ingenuity and interdependence as building and maintaining a vibrant democracy. Understanding the geographic, ecological, and economic forces shaping the choices of apple growers, apple pickers, and apple buyers illuminates what’s at stake in the way we organize our food system.

Good Apples is for anyone who wants to go beyond the kitchen and backyard into the orchards, packing sheds, and cold storage rooms; into the laboratories and experiment stations; and into the warehouses, stockrooms, and marketing meetings, to better understand how we as citizens and eaters can sustain the farms that provide food for our communities. Susan Futrell has spent years working in sustainable food distribution, including more than a decade with apple growers. She shows us why sustaining family orchards, like family farms, may be essential to the soul of our nation.

Advance Praise

“Susan Futrell weaves apple history, labor, production, and marketing issues around the frustrations, never-ending work, and unpredictable climate that apple growers cope with, sustained often only by passion and hope. Susan’s keen observations of one of the world’s great food commodities are reality checks for the industry and will enlighten both professionals and aspiring apple growers.”—Tom Burford, author, Apples of North America

“With authority and grace, Good Apples cuts all the way to the core of our present-day agricultural system, probing not only the challenges of producers but the responsibilities of consumers toward our favorite fruit. A great read and stunning debut for Susan Futrell.”—Mary Swander, author, Farmscape: The Changing Rural Environment

“Join Susan Futrell’s journey from New England to Iowa to Washington to meet the growers working to produce perfect apples with exactly the crunch and flavor people want. This is a story of the uncertainties of a changing climate, a dance of managing pests and weather and second-guessing a global, unforgiving apple market to make a living and hold onto the land. Susan Futrell issues a gentle call to action to embrace the dazzling complexity of farming with all of our compassion and intelligence.”—Glenda Yoder, Farm Aid

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781609384821
PRICE	$20.00 (USD)

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Featured Reviews

Educator 171194

Wonderfully written and easy to understand! Delicious ingredients and simple to make

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Brice F, Educator

After reading Good Apples, I am at a loss as to why anyone would devote their lives to commercial apple production. Futrell details the many challenges faced by today's apple farmers: insect and fungal attacks , vagaries of the weather, fickle consumers, government red tape, ect. And yet, the farmers we meet in Good Apples are united by their passion for growing apples and their love of the land. These folks are willing to take great risks to provide fruit for consumers who are blissfully unaware of the challenges that must be overcome for apples to arrive at their local market. As the author points out, apple farming is not like growing vegetables or grains. Trees require years to develop, so apple production is an expensive, long-term commitment.
Futrell takes a middle of the road approach to the issue of chemical pesticides and antibiotics. She shows that consumers who expect perfect specimens without the use of chemicals at a reasonable price are being unrealistic. While acknowledging the dangers of indiscriminate pesticide use, she makes a compelling case for localized, limited spraying and antibiotic use to prevent widespread destruction of orchards by increasingly ravenous pests.
One of the most effective chapters is on the temporary workers who pick apples during the harvest season. This section shows how badly our immigration policies need to be updated. Growers struggle to find enough qualified workers to harvest their apples. The workers are not protected adequately from exploitation and the government enforces immigration laws unevenly.
This book is recommended for anyone who loves apples, is interested in the environmental impact of farming or who enjoys a story of underdogs succeeding against the odds.