Young Farmer Profile
Young NY Apple Grower
Focuses on European Markets

At age 30, Helene Dembroski of Plattekill, N.Y. is already managing an Empire overseas! No, Helene is not interested in nation-building or international diplomacy. She’s in the business of exporting Empire apples. Back in the 1980s, the Dembroski family, which owns and operates Dembroski Orchards, Inc., contracted with a Canadian company for the export of McIntosh apples to the United Kingdom. On one occasion, when the supply of Macs ran low, the Dembroskis replaced an order with Empires (a cross between Macs and Red Delicious). The family’s international broker tried the Empires and loved them, thus taking the first step toward making the British “Empire” what it is today! Of course, the Dembroski business is about a lot more than Empire apples. The enterprise produces approximately 250,000 bushels of 12 apple varieties annually on the family’s 310 acres, and more than 1.1 million pounds of Dembroski’s Empire apples are shipped to the UK each year. Helene Dembroski runs the packinghouse, where she manages a staff of 30, and also takes care of administrative chores. Financial Partner selected Helene Dembroski as its featured young farmer because of her intense involvement in international markets (the theme of our cover story) as well as her commitment to New York agriculture (see box).

Meeting Standards Helene notes that marketing to the UK has “dramatically raised the level of everything we do.” A lot of this has to with the fact that Dembroski Orchards must meet the standards of the Euro Retailer Produce Working Group, or “Eurep- Gap.” This is an international trade association that defines retail standards in Europe. In effect, Eurep-Gap is a certification process that defines best practices for the production of horticultural products marketed in Europe (e.g., for fruits, vegetables, potatoes, salads, cut flowers, nursery stock, etc.). Helene notes, “We jump through hoops to ensure that our products meet their standards, but, remarkably, it helps ensure that we get a higher return, even after shipping costs.”