MISSOURI STATE SYMBOLS

STATE APPLE CAPITAL

Waverly

In summer 2025, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed SB348 designating Waverly in Lafayette County the official apple capital of Missouri.

Waverly and Lafayette County have long been known as prolific apple producers, due to the presence of loess soil, which is particularly well-suited to grow fruits. The main apple crops for Waverly are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Jonathan. Because apples are a late summer and fall produce, they are usually not judged or exhibited at the Missouri State Fair held in August. Instead, Waverly hosts the annual State of Missouri Apple Judging Contest and Auction in September during its Apple Jubilee.

Quick Facts:

Waverly’s annual Apple Jubilee began in or around 1929 and continues through today, making it the oldest apple festival (of at least nine!) still operating in Missouri.
The 1937 Apple Jubilee (the oldest for which we could find a description) had some interesting contests, such as two “fat man’s” races, one “fat woman’s” race, a women’s nail driving contest, a girls’ ball throwing contest, a scooter race, and a small animal pet parade.
The most recent U.S. Agricultural Census (2022) lists Lafayette County as the top county in Missouri for market value for the “fruits, tree nuts, and berries” category, coming in at just over $10 million of Missouri’s total $41 million.
The same 2022 Ag Census reports 533 Missouri farms with bearing and nonbearing apple crops, nine of which are in Lafayette County.
The Grand Champion bushel of apples from the 2017 Apple Jubilee sold for $5,000.

Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo)

§10.251. The city of Waverly is selected for and shall be known as the official apple capital of the state of Missouri. (HCS SCS SB 348 (2025))

approved 26 June 2025
effective 28 August 2025

Photo Gallery:

Click on an image below to enlarge and read a caption. This will open a new window in the Missouri State Symbols Flickr album.

Additional Resources:

2022 U.S. Agricultural Census statistics:

Snapshot of fruit, tree nut, and berries market value: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Online_Resources/Rankings_of_Market_Value/market_value_29.pdf.
Lafayette County’s share of the fruit, tree nut, and berries market value (p. 294): https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_County_Level/Missouri/st29_2_002_002.pdf
Number of apple farms and acres by county: (pp. 720-712): https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_County_Level/Missouri/st29_2_031_031.pdf

The City of Waverly website: https://waverly-mo.com/.

Krusekopf, H.H. “The Missouri Soil Survey.” University of Missouri College of Agriculture Agricultural Experiment Station Circular 104 (March 1921).

Lock, Brian. “Waverly Apple Jubilee Auction Raises Over $50,000 for Local Club.” KMZU-100.7. 15 September 2017. Online. https://www.kmzu.com/news/local/waverly-apple-jubilee-auction-raises-over-50-000-for-local-club/article_ab5ce2f6-bc0f-55d9-906f-9a962b0d3c16.html

“More Winners at Jubilee: Apple Festival at Waverly Comes to Close Saturday Night.” The Lexington Advertiser-News 38, no. 227 (04 October 1937): 3.

Nelson, Alisa. “How About Them Apples? Bill to Make Waverly ‘Apple Capital of Missouri.’” Missourinet. 05 April 2024. Online. https://www.missourinet.com/2024/04/05/how-about-them-apples-bill-to-make-waverly-apple-capital-of-missouri/

USDA Census of Agriculture Historical Archive: http://agcensus.mannlib.cornell.edu/AgCensus/homepage.do.

Waverly Breakfast Group. A Glimpse of Waverly’s Past: Historical Articles and Photographs of Waverly, Missouri. Concordia, MO: The Concordian, Inc., September 2001.

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