G M GM

By Gabrielle Myers

Photography by Aniko Kiezel Farm To Fork

Bosc and Bartlett pear and Pink Lady and Granny Smith apple trees twist their trunks out of land 5 feet above the water table on wintry days. Proximity to water and access to fertile soil deliver luscious and distinctive fruit.

On my visit to the orchard, Sarah Hemly tells me her approach to cider making: “Let the quality of the fruit speak for itself. Don’t mess with it. Don’t lie to people. Put good things in the bottle. It’s the right path to take for the customer and the product. Make it as simple as you can.”

Hemly uses as much local fruit as possible to provide a wide range of cider varieties. When local farmers have excess fruit, Hemly creates new cider combinations by adding fresh juice.

One beautiful aspect of cider is you can use imperfect fruit that many grocery store or farmers market customers might reject. These fruit seconds have the flavor and health benefits of perfect fruit. Using them in cider helps local farmers maintain their operations and turn deliciousness into a beverage we can all enjoy.

Hemly has been the largest organic apple grower in California for decades. The farm partnered with UC Davis to create organic orchards maintained with integrated pest management. Cow manure fertilizes