Washington Business Winter 2020 | Washington Business | Page 38

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meet the investors
The Cosmic Crisp origin story includes a special partnership between the
Washington apple industry and Washington State University.
A researcher at WSU developed the variety more than two decades ago. The
university did its part to get the apple to market, but without private investment,
the Cosmic Crisp would be sitting on a shelf somewhere as just another good idea.
Enter Big Apple. So far, Washington growers have invested roughly $500
million to plant, test and care for the first Cosmic Crisp trees. It’s a labor-
intensive industry. About 12 million trees have been planted so far.
“That is a huge, huge investment on their part,” said Albert Tsui, a business development specialist and patent attorney at
WSU. “From the university’s side it’s very humbling. And it’s a very unique opportunity to have a new apple variety taken up
as such and supported by the apple growers in the state of Washington.”
The Cosmic Crisp comes with other advantages that will ultimately
help Washington. For example, only Washington farmers can plant it.
There are no restrictions on where to sell it, though, which means it
At A Glance
can be marketed, shipped and sold anywhere in the world.
The new variety is already paying off for Washington State University.
The university owns the patent, or intellectual property to the apple.
Washington farmers have invested about
Growers pay a $1 royalty for every tree purchased and 4.75% for every
$500 million to plant, maintain and harvest 12
40-pound box of apples sold.
million Cosmic Crisp apple trees.
The funds support WSU’s apple breeding program.
Tsui said the partnership between the apple industry and the university
The apple was created in 1997 by Dr. Bruce
fits very well with WSU’s land grant university mission.
Barritt, the former head of WSU’s apple
breeding program.
“I think one of the land grant missions is to release technology
or release research that’s beneficial to the citizens of the state of
The partnership between the public university
Washington,” he said.
and private employers is the foundation for the
apple’s success.
field test
Cosmic Crisp
www.cosmiccrisp.com
38 association of washington business
Jason Matson of Matson Fruit Company is one of the growers who’s taking
a risk with the Cosmic Crisp. He’s planted about 23 acres so far in his family
orchards near Selah, in the Yakima Valley. Matson’s trees are not fully
mature, but they did produce enough for him to gather a box and put it in
his garage. The good news: It tasted better over time.
“The flavor has gotten better as some of the internal starch converted to
sugar,” Matson said. “It’s just a very nice tasting apple.”