The earliest settlers to the New World found a profusion of native fruits. The native Virginia apple was small bitter crab apple. This apple was introduced from Europe around 1622 when the Virginia Company sent seedlings from European apples. A new settler’s first act was to clear the land, build a cabin and plant their garden and an apple orchard. In fact, the law required that for every five hundred acres granted to them, settlers were “to enclose and fence a quarter of acre of land near his home for a food source for baking and cooking and gardens and an orchard”1 Thus the Virginia apple industry was born!

Virginia’s climate of warm days and cool nights and consistent rainfall were ideal for apple growing. Apples were an important crop for the new settlers. They provided cider, the beverage of choice, feed for the livestock, and a food source for baking and cooking. Today Virginia’s apple industry continues and we invite you to tour our website, visit our orchards, taste the apple varieties of our state and learn about more about Virginia’s apple heritage.

Nutrition Facts About Virginia Apples
The homespun wisdom about apples is proving itself true in the lab. Not only are apples low in calories and high in fiber, but nutritionists and scientists are finding that apples can prevent health problems or at least reduce health risks our bodies face everyday. It's their preventative and curative properties that are capturing the spotlight in numerous studies around the world. Some of the studies have found:

• Antioxidant phytonutrients in and apple juice help reduce cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins or bad cholesterol), helping prevent cardiovascular disease.
• Antioxidant phytonutrients also help reduce the risk of heart disease á Phytonutrients in apples slow the growth of colon cancer and liver cancer in cells
• Phytonutrients in apples lower the risk of thrombotic stroke.
• Flavonoids, especially the flavonoid, quercetin, found in apples, appear to reduce the risk of lung cancer. Some studies suggest they cut the risk of lung cancer in half.
• Apples appear to improve lung function , in general, because they contain antioxidants.
• Apples help strengthen bones.
• People with diets high in flavonoids, such as those found in apples, are 20% less likely to develop cancer.
• Apples are high in fiber. About 80% of the fiber in apples is soluble fiber which reduces cholesterol. The remaining 20% is insoluble fiber which may help prevent cancers.
• Potassium, which is found in apples, is important in regulating blood pressure.

One Great Little Food
Mother Nature was at her creative best when she came up with apples. They've got it all: taste, looks, and nutritional aspects that just won't quit.

• Apples have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. Compare those stats to a bag of potato chips!
• An average apple contains only 80 calories. Compare that bottom line count to a piece of cake!
• Apples have five grams of fiber, 20% of the daily recommended fiber needs. That's more than most cereals!
• Apples contain vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and Niacin; plus nutrients, Phosphorous Magnesium, Iron and Potassium. Apples are their own health food store!
• Applesauce is a fat free substitute when cooking and can be used in place of oil or shortening. In addition to being health, applesauce makes baked goods taste moist.
• When eaten as a snack, apples suppress hunger longer than junk foods and empty calories they contain. Apples are a great choice when dieting and trying to stave off hunger.