Written by Kate Evans, WSU-TFREC and Ines Hanrahan, WTFRC, October 8, 2026
This fall has been a busy time for growing the Cosmic Crisp® consumer base among Cougs. Thanks to donations from Double Diamond, Price Fruit, Legendary Fruit and Douglas Fruit, Ines Hanrahan and Kate Evans got apples in the hands (and mouths) of hundreds of in-coming Cougs and their families during Move-In weekend (August 15/16). Many of course, knew the apple already; fewer knew the connection to WSU. However, with students coming in from right across the entire US, this was the first sampling for some. New Cosmic Crisp® fans will have now spread the message of the WSU connection with pride. What resonated with many existing and new fans was the direct link of money flowing back to support research and discovery with every Cosmic Crisp® sold.
With the help of Lindsay Brown (WSU Associate Director of Athletics for Performance Nutrition & Student-Athlete Dining), Cosmic Crisp® was once again featured at two fall harvest market events on Pullman campus (Sept 25, Oct 2). McDougall & Sons and Zirkle Fruit Company stepped up with fruit donations that Hanrahan and Evans distributed to staff, students, and the many alumni in town for the football games. For the second harvest market, Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) Scholarship students were also involved in learning and telling the WSU/Cosmic Crisp® story.
Please contact Kate or Ines if you want to get involved in future events.
Contact
Kate Evans
WSU TFREC
kate_evans@wsu.edu
509 293 8760
Funding and acknowledgements
Thanks to the WTFRC for their continued support with the development of Cosmic Crisp®, and to the growers of Washington State who have stepped up to produce it.
Additional information
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