One reason we don't mow our orchards

We often get asked why our cider's ABV (Alcohol by Volume) is higher than most. It's simply because we use apples with more sugar. When that sugar ferments, it becomes alcohol. In short, sugar equals alcohol, so the more sugar, the more alcohol. We always prefer to let our apples fully ripen on the tree; this is what we refer to as "dead ripe." We also opt to "sweat" our apples, meaning we place them in a cool environment to allow some of the apple's moisture to evaporate, further concentrating the sugar. However, when you shake the trees, apples hit the ground, and that impact can cause bruising, which can lead to rapid rotting if you try to store your apples. This is why we started looking for ways to create a soft landing for our apple bombs, which fall from as high as 80 feet in the air.

One way we can achieve this is by allowing the orchard ground cover to grow tall and using it to support the tarps we use to collect the apples while shaking the trees. It works great, providing a soft, pillowy landing for our prized fruits. This is just one reason why we no longer mow many of our orchard sites.

Other reasons we don’t mow include supporting local wildlife by providing essential habitats and maintaining them encouraging biodiversity, it’s more eco-friendly and uses no fuel or electricity, and it helps maintain water in the soils and ecosystem. (We will talk about these more soon.)

You’ll find these apples in all of our single orchard ciders, including Nature’s Kiss, Where the Wildlings Grow, Forager’s Delight Farmer’s Orchard, That’s How the Light Gets In, Fall Into Place and Rich Mountain Riches.