I'd like to turn this more towards a community grower's discussion on mail order apples as befitting this forum.
The expense of a compartmentalized box with individual apples packed in paper straw, then shipped for fast delivery, is way up there. That in turn warrants selecting the most select fruits ... while meanwhile on the local front ... I encourage customers to be a wee bit more accepting of minor spotting and the errant feeding sting (where absolutely no bug will be found). Not that most holistic apples aren't "perfect looking" as well. Still, I like seeing people involved with the assorted challenges, and mail order expectations ends that sort of sharing. This is me, indeed. Others may be finding reasonable ways to accomplish shipping healthy-grown, tree-ripened, nutrient-dense apples in a grassroots fashion.
Meanwhile, I have shipped apples in bulk to family and some of the important supporters of our community orchard movement. Each fruit is wrapped in newspaper, and the works packed en masse in a flat rate priority mail box. People say the apples come through great. What have others done? Lessons learned? Price charged? There is a legitimate marketing niche here for small growers, especially as a means of sharing outstanding regional varieties with folks who moved away to places like Florida.
I can tell Steve about the one and only organic orchard I know of featuring mail order sales, and that's
Jersy Boyz in north central Washington. Wynne and Scotty are accomplished growers, and you gotta love that rattlesnake on their custom logo!
Lost Nation OrchardZone 4b in New Hampshire