Howell at the Moon Productions has released two new short documentaries on the legendary Washington fruit growers Grady Auvil and Tom Mathison.

Gee Whiz: The Apples of Grady Auvil tells how Auvil pioneered the Granny Smith apple, Rainier cherry, and Fuji apple in the United States. Tom Mathison: The Growing Season is the biography of the hard-working family man who, through perseverance and a willingness to take risks, founded what would become one of the largest tree-fruit companies in the world, Stemilt Growers.

Filmmakers Jamie Howell and Jeff Ostenson released an hour-long documentary on Auvil in 2008. This latest release, on DVD, is half as long and features a new narrator and animations. The documentary about Tom ­Mathison was completed in 2013.

The new documentaries run for about 30 minutes and include a teacher’s guide and Spanish subtitles. They are available to central Washington schools free of charge, courtesy of Stemilt Growers and Auvil Fruit Company. They can also be purchased at the Web site ­www.­howellatthemoon.com.

The documentaries were created as part of a Community Heritage Documentary Series in affiliation with the Wenatchee Valley Museum and ­Cultural Center. For more information, readers can also e-mail info@­howellatthemoon.com.