A little over a year ago, I was introduced to Musselman’s, an east-coast based, grower-owned cooperative specializing in apple sauce. Over the past year, I’ve had an opportunity to learn about the company, it’s products, and it’s passions. A little over a month ago, I was invited to spend a day touring the company plant and one of the apple orchards that serves as a source of their apple sauce. It was truly the most unique experience to date in my blogging career. While I don’t typically recap events in this way, I think it’s best to tell the story from arrival to departure…
You may remember my previous post about blog events with lasting value. One of the many things Musselman’s did to create a unique experience for us was to choose accommodations for us in the historic town of Gettysburg. The town also holds important significance to the company, as it was just outside Gettysburg that John S. Musselman Sr. saw the land as fruitful for planting an apple tree. I worked with the company to schedule an early morning arrival so I could spend some time touring the town. Here are a few photos I snapped on my walk:
That evening, I had the privilege of joining Toni, Andrea, Cherise, Tanya, and the Marketing Team for dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern. The restaurant was once a historic home, complete with stone walls and hand-carved woodwork. Over home baked breads with Musselman’s Apple Butter and a hearty meal, I had an opportunity to learn a little more about the rich history of the company as a preface for the day at the plant and orchard. The evening delightfully finished with Musselman’s Apple Pie and an evening walk around Gettysburg.
The morning began bright and early (since I was still on West Coast time) with breakfast at the hotel and then we were off to our first stop, Orrtanna Plant. The plant was established in 1913 and it’s products include applesauce and apple juice. We were not allowed to take photos inside the plant, but here are a few that were taken from the PR/Marketing team:
Despite the fact that it was a bit loud (since it’s a working plant), I found it interesting to see the entire process from the apple to the sauce/juice. The company has a systematic way of making and packaging their products and I came away impressed with their high levels of quality control. The plant, while highly technology-driven, still manages to employ a team of professional, knowledgeable people who care about the company and it’s products.
Quality is at the core of Musselman’s products…from the source of their apples (their growers) to how they’re packaged. The company regularly performs quality checks, even to the point of a person standing on the line looking for defects. The company is so meticulous about their products, that they can trace the apples used to the orchard where they were grown.
One of the most surprising things I learned about the company was their commitment to sustainability. The company is constantly striving to reduce waste in all forms (packaging, product, water, etc.). Musselman’s uses every part of the apple, including the leftover peels and cores from the production of apple sauce which are then used for juice and cider. Anything leftover from juice production is sent to the local farm for cattle feed. And speaking of apples, the company only uses apples grown in America to reduce the impact of transporting the apples. The plants employ recycling programs and emphasize water conservation (through reuse/recycling). To read more about their sustainability efforts, visit their website.
One of the most interesting things I learned on the trip is that apples are living, breathing fruits. Apples used throughout the year are only picked for four months. So what happens to all of those apples? They are “put to sleep” in a state-of-the-art storage facility containing 18 controlled atmosphere rooms. These rooms regulate temperature, humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide to keep these apples crisp and juicy until they’re ready to be used for apple sauce and apple juice.
Once the plant tour had commenced, we sat down with two of the product experts in an open forum environment. We learned about some of their latest products, what they were doing to address concerns like high fructose corn syrup in their products, and how Musselman’s can continue to dialogue with bloggers. It was an informative session and I felt like they valued what we had to say.
Our day ended with what to me was the most anticipated part of the trip…a visit to a real apple orchard. Dave Benner, the owner of El Vista Orchards, took us into the orchard get an inside look at some of the types of apples grown.
I came away from the trip with a new perspective on the company and would like to thank the entire Musselman’s team for this unique experience!
No compensation was received for this post. My travel expenses were paid for by the company and I received various products.
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It was so nice to finally meet you! Love your Whrrl too, I didn’t even think to do one!
It was so great to meet you too!!! : )