Events

A late-season excuse for an apple workshop and group work in the sunshine.

Register here!

Join us one last time this fall to learn from one of Maine's foremost artisan cidermakers. Angus Deighan of Rocky Ground Cider (@rockygroundcider) will reflect on topics of interest to participants, drawing on his experience in the craft cider scene in Maine, including: the logistics of his operation, relevant regulatory information and small business ecosystem, knowing what kind of apples to harvest from feral trees, and how to plant new orchards with the varieties and flavors that will achieve the right blends needed for optimal dry cider making.

Saturday

• Fruit exploring: learning the flavor profiles, tasting crab apples and more about historic orchards led by Angus
• Gathering apples, pressing juice, drinking juice at Smithereen Farm

Sunday

• Carry on pressing
• Check the juice: sugar content, pH, flavor
• Fermentation basics: containers, airlocks, racking and sulfite calculations
• Participatory supper-making and feasting and drinking of hard cider by the campfire in Smithereen Farm's timber-frame kitchen.

Be ready to help out with meal prep/clean-up in a shared space and bring warm clothes! 

Monday

• Stick around for Sean Turley's talk at Reversing Hall! 7:30pm, 4 Leighton Point Road. Sean Turley, fruit explorer and apple historian, will give a talk downstairs in the Hall on MONDAY at 7.30 pm on how to identify heirloom apples. He will present on his new book, Practical Pomology: A Field Guide, which will be for sale starting on October 15th. Go to pomereaderpress.com for more information, or visit his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therighteousrusset

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Cost

Workshop fee: $40 per person

• Camping at Smithereen Farm or Blueberry Land is included in your workshop fee. (See below for more details)
• Indoor rooms are available at Fox, Elver, or the Grey Lodge for $60 per room, per night. Single and double occupancy available (private bedroom, use of shared kitchen and bathroom). You may opt to stay one or two nights!

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Hard cider can be pre-ordered by the case and Angus will bring it up Downeast for you to pick up. Cider is $185/case of 750ml bottles, $115/case of 375ml bottles. Cases will be mixed, highlighting different blends and styles!

You can also buy bulk FROZEN organic wild blueberries or cranberries from Smithereen Farm — in which case, bring a cooler!