ST PAUL, Minn. — It's apple season and to celebrate, the CFANS booth at the State Fair is full of fun apple facts and activities. (CFANS stands for the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Sciences).
In addition to the super-popular Honeycrisp, there are many other University of Minnesota apples to discover.
Right now, First Kiss is in season at the AppleHouse just 1.5 miles west of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
First Kiss dates back to the late 1990s when the U of M's apple breeders David Bedford and Jim Luby attempted to breed an apple similar to the Honeycrisp but with an earlier harvest date.
First Kiss is usually available in mid-to-late August, four weeks earlier than its parent Honeycrisp.
Since the apple breeding program began at the U of M in 1878, 29 apple varieties have been released.