When it comes to apples in the South, a visit to Hendersonville, North Carolina, is in order. The small city near Asheville ranks as the seventh-largest producer of apples in America. Who knew? Apparently, William Mills, one of the original settlers to the area, planted hundreds of apple trees around 1800. The fertile fields helped nurture the crops, and for decades growers sold their apples to wholesale buyers who made the fruit into applesauce, apple juice and other products. But, some of the buyers moved on, and today, many of the farmers sell their produce directly to consumers. And invite them to their farms.

I was asked to participate in an agritourism tour in Hendersonville, and being fond of apples, accepted.