Making a better apple -- Okanagan Specialty Fruits celebrates 30 years

May 26-MOSES LAKE - Fruit that stays fresh longer is a dream of orchardists and processors, and Thursday Okanagan Specialty Fruits celebrated 30 years of making that a reality.

"When we started OSF, we knew we wanted to do things differently," Founder and CEO Neal Carter said. "In fact, we knew we had to do things differently if we wanted our industry to survive and flourish through the 21st century. We took a chance on an emerging technology."

That technology was genetic engineering, and the goal was an apple that didn't turn brown. Carter and his wife Louisa established Okanagan Specialty Fruits in Summerland, British Columbia, and went to work. Carter had a proof of concept in 2004, and in 2015, OSF received FDA approval for its Arctic Apples and started planting. OSF opened a processing plant in Moses Lake in 2023.

The celebration included a tour for vendors and guests of the Moses Lake plant, then lunch, door prizes and a birthday cake at the orchard in the Frenchman Hills.

"Though we're literally enjoying the fruits of our labors now, it hasn't been an easy road to blaze," Carter told the assembled visitors. "We had to pioneer the science needed to achieve our desired product. We had to learn and then negotiate a long and complex and expensive regulatory process. We had to overcome the wrath of activists who destroyed our first trees, spread misinformation about our product, and attempted to prevent commercialization of Arctic apples. We had to plant trees, millions of trees, as you can see around you, and then grow and pick the fruit."

The event Thursday was more than just a chance for OSF to toot its horn. OSF has been working in conjunction with the International Fresh Produce Association to explore new technologies in farming, and Thursday was the Regenerative Ag Orchard Tech Showcase. Eighteen companies making everything from watering systems to natural fertilizers to autonomous tractors were set up to show off their technology.

"It coincides with our 30th birthday, but really it's an opportunity for other growers in Washington state to come and participate in a field day and see what we're doing," said OSF Vice President of Business Development Sarah Evanega.

Okanagan Specialty Fruits is one of 100 businesses using funds from a federal grant to explore innovations in sustainable farming, also called regenerative ag. OSF has been a pioneer in the regenerative ag field, Evanega said, and that grant allows the company to implement new technologies without staking a year's crop on its success.

Meanwhile, OSF has continued adding to its Moses Lake plant, Carter said. The initial opening in September 2023 was for a single slicing facility, and by November that year there was a second one. The slicing plants showcased some emerging technology, with high-speed cameras that could photograph each apple as many as 60 times, sorting them by size and also finding any defects or bruising. The apples were then sent into a high-speed slicer and packaged. Initially, the packages were two ounces, destined for schools and military consumers, but that's expanded to restaurants and fast food, and is moving into retail and hospitality markets, said sales rep Susanne Elsheik.

"In retail you'll see a six- to 10-count bag to take home to your family, and then your kid gets one every day of the week," Elsheik said. "And in hospitality, we have some (facilities) that juice them and do cocktails in Las Vegas."

Arctic Apples come in two varieties, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, and the company is growing other varieties to test the technology on.

In 2024, the Moses Lake plant expanded again, this time into an automated packaging system.

"The equipment puts the bags into a case and counts them and then seals the cases and puts them on a pallet," Carter said. "Otherwise (packaging) becomes very labor-intensive, and labor is expensive."

The technology OSF is exploring is the future of agriculture, Carter said.

"I am increasingly interested in sharing our technology, our techniques, our tools, and our experiences with others," Carter said. "The fresh produce industry will be facing numerous challenges in the years ahead, challenges that will make it increasingly difficult for some producers to turn a profit or even survive. But by working together and leveraging the innovation of technology, we can meet these challenges and support the environment and develop new products that will excite consumers and open new markets and opportunities for growth and success. It's very exciting to look back 30 years and imagine what it will look like 30 years from now."

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:58 PM.