Vending

Cornell University: Vending fresh apples for 70 years strong!

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September 23, 2022

Cornell University's refrigerated apple vending machine, which sells freshly picked apples for one dollar in the main lobby of the Mann Library, boasts a 70-year history, according to an Ithaca.com report.

According to an October 1954 Cornell Countryman magazine, a wooden box held apples for sale on the honor system in the lobby of the Plant Science building.

Proceeds from the machine benefit SoHo, an organization for horticulture students, who pick the apples and stock and maintain the machine.

Funding for the current machine came from Christine Smart, who directs the School of Integrative Plant Science, and her husband, Larry Smart, a plant science professor and a 1987 alumnus.