It’s apple season in Michigan, and farmers across the state are ready for another good harvest.

The Michigan Apple Committee says growers expect to produce about 30.5 million bushels this year. This would be the third straight year that the apple crop has been above average.

Apples are early this year

Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, says this year’s crop is ahead of schedule.

“I don’t remember us ever really being 10 days early like this,” she said. “I think they’re starting on galas, which is unheard of. We usually start on galas after Labor Day.”

Smith says warmer than normal temperatures in late winter and early spring caused apple trees to bud earlier than usual. But that should not hurt the quality of the fruit.

“We should have some really good sugar content in the apples this year,” she said. “We had some really good warm days, and we’ve had some really cool nights, which lends to that flavor profile that you expect out of Michigan.

Smith says this year’s apples should also be larger than usual due to the early growth.

Apples are big business in Michigan

Michigan has almost 15 million apple trees and more than 700 family-run apple farms, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Smith says the state grows about a dozen kinds of apples commercially.

“We have, of course, the galas and honeycrisp,” she said. “But we also have some newer varieties that people might not know about, like ambrosia and evercrisp.”

Michigan is the second or third largest apple producing state, depending on the year.

“We kind of flip back and forth with New York state,” she said. Washington produces the most apples in the country.

Smith says consumers can buy Michigan apples at about 200 farm markets and cider mills across the state, and more than 12,000 retail groceries nationwide.