Merry Christmas Apples Make Great Holiday Gift

Merry Christmas apples make great holiday gift FARM HOME Novelty Items 14-6-32 "Greeting Apples" make fun gifts for Christmas yet cost less than most greeting cards, according to an Ohio fruit grower who's doing a booming business selling apples with sun-ripened messages on them. John Bergman of Marblehead, Ohio, who has 250 acres of fruit trees and truck farm vegetables, has been making apple art for several years. In addition to his "Merry Christmas" message he makes "Happy Birthday" apples and "Go Buckeyes" apples for Ohio State football fans. Bergman uses pre-printed adhesive tape which he buys in rolls of 500 for about $20. The tape is solid black with transparent letters. It must be applied to apples at the proper stage of growth, which is just before they start to ripen. In a normal year, tape is generally applied in August. As the fruit ripens, the letters change color but the covered background doesn't. Workers pull the tape off when apples are picked. Bergman says the tape is removed easily and, if any sticky residue remains, they simply wipe it off. He uses Red Delicious apples because they "bleach out" best. Bergman puts at least one Christmas apple in each of the 2,000-plus Christmas fruit baskets that he sells during the holiday season. Many companies that would other-wise give away more sugary treats have become repeat customers. Apples also sell individually at Bergman's retail markets for 50 cents each. Parents buy them for kids as the perfect teacher's gift. In the future Bergman plans to have tape made with the image of Santa Claus on them. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bergman Orchards, 4562 E. Bayshore Rd., Port Clinton, Ohio 43452 (ph 419 734-4272).

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