Perennial pome fruit tree well-suited to Zones 4-8; requires chill hours met locally; high-density modern orchards yield well with intensive management.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- early spring – early spring
- Harvest
- late Aug-Oct – late Aug-Oct
- Frost-free days
- 135+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 2,000
Yield
- Typical yield
- 784 bu/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 20 years
- Years to full prod.
- 5
- Labor
- 300 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
2 active buyers on record purchasing this crop.
Price Trend Stable/Up
3-year price trend recorded as "stable".
Supply Below Demand
4 of 6 documented channels rate viability "strong". Sold into regional rather than national markets, fruit supply here generally trails that demand.
Multiple Buyer Channels
6 of 6 documented market channels rate viable or better (farmers_market, direct_to_consumer, wholesale, csa). Multiple independent routes to market.
Value-Added Potential
4 viable direct-market channels (farmers_market, direct_to_consumer, csa, restaurant). Supports value-added and margin capture beyond wholesale.
Market Growth Projected
Specialty fruit segment; consumer demand for regionally grown specialty produce has been expanding.
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Crop tolerates zones 4-8; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.
GDD Sufficient
Crop needs 2500 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.
Precipitation Compatible
Crop needs ~20 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.
Frost-Free Season OK
Crop needs 160 frost-free days; region provides ~180. Sufficient.
Chill Hours Met
Perennial. Region's zone 5-6 winters deliver well over 1,000 chill hours, ample for temperate perennials.
Climate Trend Favorable
Crop spans 5 hardiness zones (4-8). Wide adaptive range buffers against warming trend.
Fit by region
The farm matcher, run on each region's cited climate normals. Soil and site are not included here; add your own on the match page.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.
Climate envelope & site
What the farm matcher compares your conditions against.
Climate envelope
- Hardiness zone
- 4–9
- Frost-free season
- 135+ days
- Heat (GDD base 50°F)
- 2,000+
- Winter chill
- 1,000–1,200 hours
- Rainfall
- 27.6–126 in/yr
Below the minimum, irrigation is needed; above the maximum the crop fails.
- Soil pH target
- 6.0–7.0
Extension lime target; within 1.0 of it is correctable.
Site & structure
- Spring frost at bloom
- high sensitivity
- Needs cold-air drainage
- yes — avoid frost pockets
- Shade tolerance
- none — full sun
- Mature height
- not yet recorded
- Rooting depth
- not yet recorded
- Wind exposure tolerance
- not yet recorded
- Workable slope
- up to 10%
Height, rooting depth and shade tolerance are the inputs an alley or guild layout needs.
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
5 of 9 documented equipment items are crop-specific (56%) against a catalog median of 29%. Above-median share of purpose-built equipment, implying real capital outlay.
Storage Available
3 documented storage routes; at least one (Regular cold storage (RA)) is reachable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.
Irrigation Compatible
Requires ~20 in. Deliverable with conventional drip or overhead irrigation.
Field Layout Suitable
Suited to the small-to-mid-size fragmented parcels typical of the region.
Labor Availability
230 labor hr/ac vs catalog 75th percentile 250 hr/ac. Manageable with typical farm labor.
Processing Proximity
2 processor/cooperative buyers on record for this crop, 1 within NY/PA/OH.
Equipment Requirements
planting
Minimum 45 HP for orchard work including spraying, mowing, and bin hauling. Narrow profile preferred for orchard row spacing.
Per-acre cost for high-density plantings on dwarfing rootstocks. Includes posts, wire, and anchors. Not needed for standard or semi-dwarf freestanding trees.
harvesting
Standard 20-bushel wooden or plastic bulk bins. Cost is per bin; a small orchard needs 50-200 bins. Used for field collection and cold storage.
Tractor-mounted forklift or bin trailer to move full harvest bins from orchard to packing area or cold storage.
post_harvest
Insulated cold room with refrigeration to hold apples at 31-33°F and 90-95% humidity. Size depends on volume. Essential for extended marketing season.
spraying
Vertical boom sprayer with fan(s) to penetrate tree canopy. Essential for fungicide and insecticide applications. Size matched to orchard scale (100-500 gallon tank).
Boom sprayer with shields or directed nozzles for under-tree weed control. Prevents herbicide contact with tree trunks and foliage.
cultivation
For maintaining orchard floor between rows. Flail mowers also chop fallen leaves to reduce apple scab inoculum.
general
Hand pruners, loppers, and pruning saws. Pneumatic pruners optional for larger operations. Essential for annual dormant and summer pruning.
Storage Requirements
Regular cold storage (RA)
Temperature
30–32°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
180 days
Controlled atmosphere (CA)
Temperature
30–34°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
365 days
Ambient/short-term display
Temperature
50–70°F
Max Storage
14 days
Financial Return
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue $11,550/ac vs catalog median $6,000/ac. Above median.
Input Costs Acceptable
Total input cost $11,350/ac vs catalog 75th percentile $6,300/ac. Above the top quartile.
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 5 years. Long establishment — capital tied up 5 years before full return.
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance or an equivalent risk product is available.
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Net return per labor hour $0.87 ($200/ac over 230 hr/ac) vs catalog median $13.16. Below median.
Grants/Subsidies
Fruit crops are eligible under the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | $21/$/bu (blended fresh+processing) |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $11,550 |
| Annual Operating Cost | —/acre |
| Establishment Cost | —/acre |
| Total Input Cost | $11,350/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $200 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
| Subsidies | USDA RMA premium subsidy, USDA SCRI (research, indirect) |
Source: USDA NASS Agricultural Prices 03/2026 (Feb 2026 fresh US $0.739/lb; Feb 2025 $0.713/lb — verified 2026-08-19 against the release text). CORRECTION 2026-08-19: this field previously cited "processing $850/ton" (and $790/ton for 2025) as a price received. Those figures are from the Commodity Parity Prices table of the same release, not from Prices Received — parity is a statutory formula price, not a price farmers were paid. NASS publishes no monthly processing-apple price received; that series is annual, in the Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts Summary. The stored $21/bu therefore rests on an unverified processing component and avg_price_per_unit is deliberately left uncited until an annual processing price is sourced. Yield 550 bu/ac from Cornell Dept. of Horticulture typical mature orchard; cost from Cornell NY Apple Enterprise Budget 2025 (~$11,350/ac all-in). (2026)
Risk Profile
Manageable Pest/Disease
5 of 9 documented risks are high-severity (56%) against a catalog median of 36%. Above-median concentration of high-severity risk, demanding intensive management.
Market Diversified
6 viable market channels of 6 documented, plus 2 named buyers. Not dependent on a single outlet.
Low Establishment Risk
5 years to full production. Multi-year capital commitment before first full return.
Climate Resilient
Tolerates zones 4-8 (5 zones). Broad tolerance indicates resilience to seasonal variability.
Regulatory Burden Low
No crop-specific licensing or reporting regime beyond standard food-safety and pesticide rules.
Diversifies Portfolio
Adds a fruit revenue stream distinct from the region's grape-dominated base.
Known Risks
disease
Most economically damaging apple disease worldwide. Causes olive-green to black lesions on leaves and fruit, leading to premature defoliation and unmarketable fruit. Primary infections from ascospores released in spring.
Bacterial disease causing blossom blight, shoot dieback, and can kill entire trees in susceptible cultivars. Spread by rain, wind, and pollinators during bloom. Widespread in North America, Europe, Middle East, and spreading globally.
Fungal disease requiring both apple and Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) hosts. Causes yellow-orange lesions on leaves and fruit, reducing photosynthesis and fruit quality. Spores travel up to several miles from cedar hosts.
pest
Key pest of apples globally. Larvae tunnel into fruit causing direct damage and entry points for decay. Can cause 80%+ crop loss if unmanaged.
Invasive pest established across US, Europe, and parts of Asia. Feeds on developing fruit causing corky tissue, deformities, and unmarketable fruit. Emerging threat globally since 2010.
Weevil that causes crescent-shaped egg-laying scars on fruit shortly after petal fall. Infested fruit often drops prematurely. Adults overwinter in leaf litter and hedgerows adjacent to orchards.
weather
Late spring frosts at bloom can destroy entire crop. Critical temperature for apple blossoms ~28°F (-2°C). Climate change is increasing risk by advancing bloom timing before last frost.
Hail causes fruit scarring, bruising, and puncture wounds that downgrade fruit from fresh to juice market, typically reducing revenue 50-80% on affected blocks.
market
Fresh apple market dominated by large packers and retailers, giving growers limited price negotiation power. Processing/juice prices often below production costs.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Apple against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Cultivars
Named varieties and what the sources say sets each apart. A cultivar-specific zone, chill or maturity figure overrides the species value above.
Grows With / Avoid Near
Documented interactions with other catalog crops — shared pests, allelopathy, rotation effects, alley and understory pairings — for companion, guild and rotation planning. Plan a combination with Apple →
Avoid near, or plan around (26)
Grows with (4)
Direction matters: a rotation benefit of A before B says nothing about B before A. Interactions are documented pairs only; absence is a research gap, not a clean bill.
Nearby Buyers
Eden Valley Growers
Eden, NY · 30.0 mi
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA resources, and regional research.
Economics data year: 2026 · Basis: lake erie View economics source →
82 tracked changes across 10 data categories
