One of our favorite activities is to get in the car on a Sunday afternoon and roam new turf, traveling roads we had not been on before.  As Claudine and I drove through the countryside this past Sunday, our meanderings took us past thousands of acres of blossoming apple trees in the area south of highway 104, between Wolcott and Williamson.  A preview of the autumn glory when the trees are dripping with ripe red fruit, the delicate, airy apple blossoms gently blanket the entire landscape.

The soil and climate in Wayne county make it ideal for the production of apples; it is the largest apple producing  county in the state of New York, and the third largest in the nation.

To celebrate this beautiful time of year, Williamson, NY (just a 20 minute drive from the Carriage House Inn) will be hosting it’s annual “Apple Blossom Festival” May 17-20.  Come stay with us and enjoy an some apple blossom fun.  Here is a link to the Festival website: http://www.williamsonappleblossom.com/

Here are just a few “apple facts” for the New York state apple business (you can find more info at http://www.nyapplecountry.com/fastfacts.htm) :

How many apples does New York State grow?

Where are the major apple producing counties?

• 662,500 bushels (5%) are marketed directly by growers and “roadside markets”.
• 1,325,000 bushels (10%) are exported to other countries.
• 11,262,000 bushels (85%) are marketed domestically through independent and chain supermarkets, food service and military outlets.
  On average, 11,750,00 bushels (47%) are utilized for processing:
• 4,465,000 bushels (38%) are processed into juice and cider.
• 5,522,500 bushels (47%) are processed into canned products, including sauce, slices and pie filling.
• 1,175,000 bushels (10%) are processed into frozen slices .
• 587,500 bushels (5%) are processed into vinegar, jelly, apple butter, mincemeat, and dried products.