016: John Bunker | Super Chilly Farm, Maine

016: John Bunker | Super Chilly Farm, Maine

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist February 1, 2016 Duration: 48:41

John Bunker "Friend of Apples"

John Bunker in this chat helps to trace the lineage in the US between cider apples and cidermakers. If you ever doubted whether you are on the right track with your cidermaking skills, Have no fear. Not only does John affirm even one's most basic cidermaking skills, but our basic love of the apple.

When I asked John what he would give himself as a job titled, he thought for a moment and then said, "Friend of Apples." That friendship is helping apples throughout the US find their rightful place in history as they get identified one apple at a time.

Cammy Watts and John Bunker
Cammy Watts and John Bunker

John Bunker on making your own cider

Take a clue from John when tasting your next cider or thinking about fermenting apple juice for the first time, "When it comes to my own cider, I'm just happy if I like it. Cuz it's a long way till next year. All I want is to like it, I don't care if you like it. I just want to like it."

John founded Fedco Trees in Main, is involved with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and the Out on the Limb Heritage Apple CSA.

John Bunker's Books

He authored of Not Far From the Tree and The Art of Apple Detection

Not Far From the Tree - John BunkerApple & The Art of Detection - John Bunker

We chat about Fedco's early history with cider apples. How he met with Steve Wood of Farnum Hill Cider and Farnum Hills contribution to the cider tree nursery. It is a story of cider apple lineage in the US.

John discusses meeting with Steve Wood of Farnum Hill Cider and Terry Maloney of West County Cider.

You will crave a taste of West County Cider's Redfield Cider after listening to John chat about the history of this apple variety and how Terry Maloney's himself decided to experiment with the Redfield after a trip to Geneva.

John says, "The Redfield is not an heirloom apple. It originated in 1940 or so. Most of our traditional American varieties are seedlings of unknown parentage."

What about American cidermakers and what he suspects is happening and will continue to happen? John says, "There are so many [US] cidermakers that don't know about the English bitter sweets and may never know about them."

That he considers is a good thing and not something a cidermaker should worry so much about.

Contact John

Super Chilly Farm website

Location:      167 Turner Mill Pond Road

                       Palermo, Maine  04354

Email:            csa.outonalimb@gmail.com

Want to hear more about West County Cider?

Listen to Ep 002 Field Maloney, West County Cider, Massachusetts

Notable mentions in this chat, that you might like to follow up on.

  • Common Ground Fair in Maine, this is sponsored by MOGFA
  • CiderDays, Massachusetts held the first weekend of November every year. 2015 was its 21st year.
  • Claude Jolicoeur The New Cider Maker Hand Book

Tom Burford Apple Historian in the US

Just a few of the Apple Varieties mention

  • Harrison
  • Harrison Virgina Crab
  • Redfield click here to see what Fedco offers
  • Is a cross between Wolf River and a Russian variety, brought back to the US by a professor for North Dakota named Niels Hanson
  • Niedzwetzkyana considered a red fleshed apples – inside the apple. Most apples we eat are white fleshed apples.
  • Ben Davis

There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

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