032: Steve Wood | Farnum Hill Cider, NH

032: Steve Wood | Farnum Hill Cider, NH

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist May 25, 2016 Duration: 52:49
  • Enjoy Part 1 of a two part chat with the founders and cider makers of Farnum Hill Cider, in Lebanon New Hampshire.  This OG cidery sits on the slope of Farnum Hill with nearby town of White River Junction and the Connecticut River to the east. Like many New England orchards and farms there is not necessarily open continuous land, but small acreage here and there, wherein the case of FHC- cider apple trees are planted in large and small fields of 3 to 4 and 20 acres plots.

    Farnum Hill is highly regarded for their cider, producing select cider apples, and is one of the key tap roots for moving cider out of the back room barns and into the minds of craft libation connoisseurs for the first time post prohibition.

    Not that there is anything wrong with back room barn cider.

    The Founders of Farnum Hill

    Steve M. Wood and Louisa D. Spencer Founded the cidery in 1995 while already planting Poverty Lane Orchards in the late Make sure to note during this chat how many scions have passed out of this site and across the US. 

    Cider Chat Ep 32 Steve Wood Farnum Hill
    Steve Wood in the Orchard

    In Part 2 /Episode 032, a candid chat with Steve and Louisa.

    cider chat ep 32 Louisa Spencer Farnum Hill
    Lousia Spencer

    For this chat, we (Steve, Nicole and Ria) walked up the hill to the top of the orchard where Steve provides the backdrop surrounding the early beginnings of Farnum Hill.

    Cider Chat Ep 32 Nicole Liebon LeGrand - Farnum Hill
    Nicole Leibon LeGrand
    Steve and Ria back view recording
    Ria and Steve Wood, chatting above an orchard on Farnum Hill

    A chat overlooking Farnum Hill

    • 1965 – Steve was eleven years old when he started working at the farm. His dad was an apple farmer and the local doctor.
    • Steve and Louisa arrived back to the farm in 1973…post college
    • 1984 bought Poverty Hill Orchards
    • 1989 planted the first commercial size cider orchard in the US –  a 1000 trees
    • 1995 Became bonded to begin selling cider
    • 1990s – Steve began studying winemaking
    • Throughout the 90s they began planting more and more fruit trees

    "During the 90s we started throwing apples in the ground."

    Contact and Visiting info Poverty Lane Orchards & Farnum Hill Ciders

For patrons of Cider Chat, via Cider Chat's Patreon page there will a YouTube clip available for viewing Steve Wood blending cider. It will go live on Thursday May 26th. It is easy to become a patron and it really helps this chat thrive. Please do consider becoming a Patron of the Chat today!


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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