As we turn the calendar to October, there are clear signs of autumn here in Iowa. Nights are getting cooler. Leaves are starting to change color. Farmers are harvesting their fields of soybeans and corn. And I’ve started to see some Halloween decorations around the state.

Still for me, one of the best and tastiest signs of autumn is the new apple crop showing up at orchards, at the farmers markets and in supermarkets around our state. In my...