Apple family

The Apple family are Applejack's relatives in My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. They are a large family of Earth pony (and one Unicorn filly as seen in the picture) farmers, who own apple farms all over Equestria. The Apple Family are the original founders of Ponyville.

Applejack's immediate family
Though the extended family is quite large, only four Apple family members regularly appear in Ponyville: Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big McIntosh, and Granny Smith. Each of the Apple siblings' coat color corresponds to another's mane color: Applejack's mane corresponds to Apple Bloom's coat, Apple Bloom's mane to Big McIntosh's coat, and Big McIntosh's mane to Applejack's coat.

Parents
The whereabouts of Applejack's parents is touched on in the episode Apple Family Reunion. At the end of the episode, the shot fades to a view of Sweet Apple Acres as two shooting stars fly through the sky. The shooting stars are meant to represent Applejack's parents according to storyboard artist Sabrina Alberghetti. Lauren Faust had previously mentioned that the whereabouts of Applejack's parents has not been planned, and that the show is unlikely to mention that they've passed away.

Extended family
Applejack's extended family is introduced as "The Apple family" in the episode Friendship is Magic, part 1, when Applejack invites Twilight Sparkle and Spike to brunch. Applejack is also related to The Oranges, who Applejack calls Aunt Orange and Uncle Orange; toys refer to the latter as Mosely Orange.

Applejack sounds off the following ponies: Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. Peachy Sweet and Apple Cobbler are also among those present, but neither is referred to by name. Apple Strudel makes an appearance in Family Appreciation Day, wearing a Bavarian hat and traditional dress.

Applejack later explains to Twilight in Applebuck Season that her relatives had all gathered for the Apple family reunion, and had been working at their own farms at the time, and were unable to lend a hoof to Applejack. However, several of them, including Apple Cobbler, Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, and Peachy Sweet, help prepare Applejack's surprise party in The Last Roundup, and Caramel Apple appears in the same episode. Another relative, Applejack's cousin Braeburn, is introduced in Over a Barrel. He lives in the frontier town of Appleloosa, along with many more apple farmers. Applejack's aunt Apple Brown Betty is mentioned, but does not appear, in The Ticket Master. Her Aunt and Uncle Orange are introduced in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. Apple Bloom's cousin Babs Seed appears in One Bad Apple, mentioning that she has a "big sis". Babs Seed never told her "big sis" but in the end of One Bad Apple Applejack makes her promise that she'll tell her "big sis" when she gets bullied for not having a cutie mark

The founding of Ponyville
Granny Smith recounts how the Apple family came to found Ponyville in the episode Family Appreciation Day. Ponyville sprang up around Sweet Apple Acres due to their crop of Zap Apples, whose seeds she found in the Everfree Forest. She describes how the Zap Apples grow after a series of strange events that take place near the Everfree Forest.

Apple family reunion
According to Granny Smith, the Apple family gathers for a reunion at Sweet Apple Acres once every 100 moons, as shown in Apple Family Reunion. There are races, apple snacks, a hay ride around the farm, and a family photograph is taken. More names and ponies appear at the reunion; named are Granny Smith's Aunt Applesauce and cousin Apple Rose, as well as three others, Apple Dumpling, Apple Leaves, and Half Baked Apple. Also seen at the reunion is Hayseed Turnip Truck, who is part of the family photo and also photographed helping rebuild the barn with Big McIntosh. Present at the reunion in at least one shot but absent from the family photo are Cherry Berry, Cloudchaser, "Dizzy Twister", "Fiddlesticks", "Flounder", Golden Harvest, "Green Gem", Mr. Greenhooves, "Helia", "John Bull", "Kazooie", Lucky Clover, Meadow Song, "Princess Erroria", "Promontory", Shoeshine, Sweetie Drops and "Pitch Perfect"; "Dizzy Twister" appears without her wings or cutie mark, "Princess Erroria" mostly appears without her wings, and "Fiddlesticks", "Kazooie" and "Pitch Perfect" wear parts of the same costumes as in Luna Eclipsed.

Sweet Apple Acres
Sweet Apple Acres is the family farm/orchard located near Ponyville, home to Applejack, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. It primarily grows apples, though corn, carrots, and exactly 24,567,237 blades of grass grow there as well, (shown in The Return of Harmony Part 1, The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, and Spike at Your Service respectively.) Grapes may also grow there, often crushed by hoof for juice as shown in Sisterhooves Social. The property contains several apple orchards, depicted throughout the series, though the west orchard in particular was abandoned after flocks of fruit bats settled there (seen in Apple Family Reunion). One grove is dedicated to growing magic Zap Apples, as shown in Family Appreciation Day, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders have a clubhouse (which used to belong to Applejack) in a tree on a secluded part of the farm.

Two of the more popular products the family produces are Granny Smith's zap apple jam, and apple cider during cider season, both of which ponies are willing to wait in long lines for. Apples are also sold, but are less popular, as seen in Call of the Cutie.

Farm animals being raised are pigs living in the barn seen in The Show Stoppers, a chicken coop for eggs shown in Owl's Well That Ends Well, and sheep shown in Sisterhooves Social. Applejack owns a working dog named Winona who also lives on the farm.

Every year, the farm hosts the Sisterhooves Social, a Rodeo-type, sisterly bonding event for older and younger sisters. In the episode Sisterhooves Social, Applejack and Apple Bloom take part in it, as well as Rarity and Sweetie Belle.

Gallery

 * Apple family image gallery