Inventing a Better Apple

The apples you can buy at the grocery store have gotten profoundly better over the past few decades. It’s a kind of everyday, hiding-in-plain sight innovation. Kate Evans is an apple breeder and professor at Washington State University. Kate's problem is this: How do you invent a better apple?
With her team, Kate has in fact invented a new kind of apple called the Sunflare. It’s arriving in stores in a few years. She also helped to invent the Cosmic Crisp, which is out already.
In this episode, Kate explains:
Why grocery-store apples have gotten so much better
Why some of the most delicious apples never make it into stores
Why it takes decades to invent a new kind of apple
How much more we have to learn about apple genetics
How the apple industry is adapting to climate change
Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram
Email us at [email protected]
Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X
Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History
To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.