On a dormant strawberry field, Green Acre Farm’s future will be built. In anticipation of the September 19 groundbreaking of Blue Barn Cidery, fifth generation farmers Jill and Jeremy Wolf watched heavy equipment descend upon the West Wind Fruit Farm on Manitou Road.
The cidery, a dream years in the making for the husband-and-wife team, is expected to open in June 2017. “We’ve been making hard cider for ourselves, family and friends for the last five or six years and we feel like we have a good product that we’re ready to share with other people,” Jill said.
The 15,000-square foot barn – appropriately blue in color – will house a production space for pressing and fermenting apples grown in the farm’s orchards, a large tasting room with a bar and café tables, and a new hub for the farm’s U-Pick operations with retail space to sell fresh produce.
In its first year, the small-batch craft cidery is expected to produce 12,000 gallons of hard cider ranging from sweet to dry for its tasting room. The couple said they will also experiment with flavored ciders using other fruits grown on the farm such as blueberries, peaches, apricots and raspberries.
For Jill, 28, and Jeremy, 30, the on-site cidery is a way to stay committed to the tradition of the small family farm while taking a step into the future for continued success. “To stay viable in the farming community, you have to have multiple outlets,” Jeremy said. “We wanted to preserve our family farm and keep growing quality fruit, but we needed somewhere else to go with it,” Jill added.
Today, this means bringing the focus back to the farm itself. For years, half the apple crop was sold to packing houses for distribution, but competing with large commercial operations has become difficult, according to Jeremy. They had to make a choice: rip out trees and downsize, or find a new use for the apples.
Buoyed by changes to state legislation in support of farm cideries, including the 2014 creation of the farm cidery license and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s recent modifications to the Alcoholic Beverage Control law, Blue Barn Cidery became the best option. Soon, it will join the small community of three Monroe County cideries, and 22 licensed farm cideries in the state.
“Being able to take that fruit we already have on hand and press it into cider is ideal for us,” Jill said.
To support the cidery, more trees are being planted or repurposed. Heirloom apple varieties from England, France and Spain will provide locally-grown global flavors from countries with a history of producing the world’s best ciders, according to Jill.
“There is so much more complexity of flavor from a product made from real, freshly pressed apples,” Jill said. “You’ll see, smell and taste the difference.”
The three living generations of Pearson-Michaloski farmers look forward to offering customers a new way to enjoy the apple harvest.
“We’re an established orchard looking for more avenues to meet new customers,” Jill said. “It’s an extension of our small family farm.”
Provided information
