Apple prices, production costs make for hard decisions

QUINCY — When seen from the orchard, the state of the apple business is a little unsettled. Kent Karstetter, co-owner of RJK Farms near Quincy, said it requires growers to do some hard thinking and make some hard decisions as the 2024 crop goes to market. “Anymore, you look at your varietal mix, meaning what varieties you have. You look at the prices that you got and the size of the crop,” he said. “And then you figure, do you want to keep (a specific variety) for another year, or are you better off to try something different?” Trying something different would mean tearing out the existing trees and planting something else, grafting new varieties on the roots – or leaving that acreage empty.