Bill Looks To Protect Washington Historic Apple Varieties

Washington agricultural history could receive new recognition under a bill introduced last week by state Representative Gloria Mendoza.

The Grandview Republican’s House Bill 2525 would establish a Heritage Orchard Program in partnership with Washington State University.  The aim of the legislation is to identify, register, and preserve rare and historic apple varieties still growing across the state. 

Under the bill, Washington State University would create and maintain a registry of heritage orchards and provide resources to help protect qualifying trees.  The program would focus on older orchards and rare varieties that are no longer produced on a commercial scale.

Mendoza says the bill draws from both history and discovery.

"In the early 1900s, there were approximately 20,000 known varieties of apples," Mendoza said. "Over time, many were believed to be extinct. Now we're finding that some small family farms still have trees producing apples that were thought to be lost."

Mendoza said researchers have already identified dozens of rare apple varieties still growing in Washington, and she believes the program could lead to even more discoveries.

"Once you establish a heritage orchard program, it gets small farms excited to say, 'We have a rare apple, and that's why we've kept this tree,'" she said. "There may be apples out there that we're not even aware of yet because they're not grown on a larger scale

"Imagine discovering an apple that we've never tasted before and being able to say it comes from a small farm right here in Washington," Mendoza added. "It gives us another reason to be proud of what our state produces."

HB 2525 has been referred to the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee and awaits a public hearing.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com