Bay Head Pineapple Harvest Disappoints

On August 23, we reported that Bay Head was attempting to grow fields of pineapples on the dunes. The hope was that the field would yield a large crop of Tiny  Pineys by the fall. Tiny Pineys are the specialized mini-pineapples developed at the University of Hawaii that were created to grow in conditions like those on the Bay Head dunes. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as expected. 

Kiefer Apfel, the Bay Head resident who came up with the pineapple plan was disappointed that from thousands of plants, he only harvested seven Tiny Pineys.

"I don’t understand how this happened. 

My tests all turned out fine.

 

I had hoped for fruit in the thousands. 
But I got less than nine! 

Eighty percent was my yield in the test runs. 

Planting Pineys just in a pot. 

But here on the dunes of Bay Head, 
seven Pineys is all that I got!”

Apfel, and volunteers planted over 25 thousand plants on two acres. A success rate of 80% would have yielded 20 thousand Tiney Pineys. Instead, only seven Tiny Pineys were produced.

"We placed pineapples perfectly, positioning plants per packaging procedures. The pitiful pineapples produced is perplexing," posited pineapple planter Apfel. 

Kiefer Apfel is not a man easily deterred, however. He plans to try again. 

"Next year will be different, I promise you that. 
With pineapples galore, all golden and fat. 

I'll contact Hawaii, and learn what we must do. 
Then we'll have a fine harvest, and festival, too!" 

Candy Apfel, the 8 year old granddaughter of Kiefer Apfel, says she is proud of her grandfather. "Grandpa is a little unusual with the pineapples and poems and stuff, but I like that he tries hard to do different things," she said. "I know he was disappointed because he only grew 7 Tiny Pineys, but I think that's pretty good."

Kiefer Apfel will approach the Bay Head council and mayor again with his Tiny Piney proposal for next year. He plans to bring his granddaughter with him to the meeting. He said, "She is perhaps the perfect person to persuade pineapple pessimists, and a pretty powerful promoter of pineapple planting."