From Gideon to HoneyCrisp and Beyond
"So I say, with confidence too, that when we get what we are striving for [in apple development] , we will have the finest apples in the world." Peter Gideon, 1883
From the simple beginnings of the first Wealthy apple to some of the country's best like Harlson and Honeycrisp apples. Other apple farmers in Gideon's footsteps were driven to create many kinds of apples with the Wealthy as a base. Most of our modern day apples can be traced to the Wealthy. As a result of that turning point, Minnesota has a major apple industry. Today we have many kinds of apples to choose from and they are all unique in their taste, texture, shape, and color.
Honeycrisp
The University of Minnesota Research Farm with its roots in the State Fruit Farm, is a world class apple developer with its lastest creations the Honeycrisp and the SweeTango. With 3 million trees planted, Honeycrisp helped a declining apple industry and brought needed revenue to small orchards. Time magazine recognized Honeycrisp as a top 25 innovation of the decade.
Gideon in the Community
On Lake Minnetonka, there is a section that is named Gideon Bay where Peter lived. There is also a Gideon Memorial Park. The house that Peter Gideon lived in still stands after more than 160 years. Click here for pictures of Peter Gideon's house
"Their graceful branches reach out to us in cheerful greeting, and the voice of their rustling leaves speak to us of him to whom they owe their origin." ~ J. M. Underwood 1900, in Memorial of Peter Gideon's Death~
Click here to view "Apples Developed at the University of Minnesota"