Newhouse visits Okanagan Specialty Fruits

MOSES LAKE – Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) visited Okanagan Specialty Fruits Friday for a tour, roundtable conversation and cider tasting. Newhouse is running for reelection against fellow Republican Jerrod Sessler. 

“I thought it was really exciting. Lots of fun, good conversation, engaged, clearly,” OSF CEO Neal Carter said. “Nice to speak to somebody who understands agriculture. There aren't that many left in today's world.” 

OSF started in 1996, and they are known for their genetically modified apples called Arctic apples that resist browning and bruising. The company genetically modified the apples by removing the PPO enzyme to stop the browning.  

“I've been anxious to come and see what they do here, and hear their story,” Newhouse said. “It's really exciting. The products they're producing, the way they're doing it, have tremendous potential here, I think, for the apple industry, using the technology that they've adopted.”  

The apples, according to Carter, last for about 28 days longer on shelves than their competitors. The company is selling sliced apples in convenience stores predominantly right now, Love’s Truck Stop has OSF apples in their stores nationwide. OSF also has partnered with educational services, delis and other distributors. OSF has three prepackaged, sliced types of apples that they are selling – Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Fujis.  

“Well, you know, I think the important thing about our company is that we continue to do the science, and have a pretty large science team,” Carter said. “Apple genetics, we're continuing to advance that. A big platform for our future is really in disease resistance, things like fire blight resistance and bringing forward apples that will basically be able to defend themselves against those diseases. We're not finished yet.” 

Eventually Carter would like to be able to export around 50 to 80 trucks of apples a week, however, they are at around 12 trucks a week with continuous expansion.  

“We just need more people eating more fruit and vegetables,” Carter said. “Our goal is to be the national brand.”  

One of OSF’s main goals, according to Carter, is achieving zero waste by extending shelf life to allow for less food waste. 

“Certainly, they've been working with apples primarily, but they're looking at other fruits too, that the same kind of technology could improve the harvestability and shelf life of other things,” Newhouse said. “When you have a perishable crop, a lot of it, unfortunately, gets wasted or you don't get any money from you putting all this time and effort and inputs, cost and everything into producing things, this may help increase the amount that we can actually sell, increasing our profitability. So that's good, plus reduce the amount of food that's wasted.” 

Okanagan Specialty Fruit has an estimated 1.8 million trees across 1,250 acres of land where they grow six varieties of GMO apples around Moses Lake. Also in Moses Lake is their soliciting facility and processing facility.  

“We didn't get to see apples actually running, but so they walked us through and just kind of told us what would be happening if they were. It's a very clean place; probably the efficiency is high, the usage of their product is high because of the way they grow it,” Newhouse said. “It's all in-house. They grow their own apples at this point, they don't buy at some point that may change because of growing demand. So that's a good potential for other farmers here, too.” 

Recently, OSF has started a cidery in Wenatchee and a cider tasting room in Chelan.  

“When you start with the best apples, we think you get the best ciders,” Carter said.  

Newhouse said he isn’t really a cider person; however, he thought the OSF ciders were good. 

“I never really was an apple cider fan,” Newhouse said. “Never found one that was very good. These are very tasty. So just for me personally, it was great to be able to enjoy the product.” 

Okanagan Specialty Fruit was Northwest Cider Cup Gold Winner for their Blueberry Basil flavored cider. The ciders can be purchased online at EndlessOrchardCider.com and delivered straight to the customer’s house. There are also businesses such as Ten Pin Bowling Alley and Michal’s on the Lake that have OSF cider on tap.  

“Well, it's always, for me, great to come and see what's going on in the Port of Moses Lake,” Newhouse said. “There is a tremendous increase in the industrial base here for the county, and that brings with it a lot of job opportunities for people. I think the future is very bright. It truly is for all of Central Washington. It's great to come and visit with one of the companies that's making that happen.” 

As Newhouse seeks re-election, he said he wants to remind voters that he was born and raised in Central Washington in agriculture.  

“Well, just what I've been telling people is that I'm the candidate that was born in Central Washington. My business is here, my farm, my family's been here for four generations. I know the issues that are important to people in Central Washington because they are my issues too, and I think I'm best qualified to represent our area in Washington.” 

    Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse samples the Golden Delicious cider from Endless Orchard at Okanagan Specialty Fruits Friday.
  

    Alicia Devereux waits to pour a sample of the pineapple-mango cider as Mark Stennes finishes the last sample during the round table and cider sampling at Okanagan Specialty Fruits Friday. Everyone tried three ciders from the Endless Orchard brand – golden delicious, blueberry-basil and pineapple-mango.
  

    Members of the Okanagan Specialty Fruits roundtable look at the bubbles in the glass during their first cider sample made with Golden Delicious. The ciders are made from Arctic apples which, according to OSF, give their ciders a champagne-like experience.