264: Grandma's Perfect Apple Orchard | John Bunker

264: Grandma's Perfect Apple Orchard | John Bunker

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist March 17, 2021 Duration: 31:03

Grandma's Apple Orchard

John Bunker, of Maine, Presents: Grandma's Apple Orchard: the perfect orchard with only twelve trees. How did she do it?

ep 264 John Bunker | Grandma's apple orchard

John is a Colby alumnus and was presented the 2019 Commissioner's Distinguished Service Award by Governor Janet Mills and Commissioner Amanda Beal for Saving Maine's Apple Heritage. He has also authored two books: Apples and the Art of Detection: Tracking Down, Identifying, and Preserving Rare Apples, and Not Far From the Tree--a Brief History of the Apples and the Orchards of Palermo Maine 1804-2004.

The Palermo Community Library hosted this virtual presentation by John Bunker on Wednesday, February 24th 2021 and granted permission to Cider Chat to edit and repost this delightful presentation. Find the link to this the full Zoom presentation CLICK HERE 

"The apples are longing to be planted in your yard.

They want you to put down your roots with them here in your Community now

When Dostoyevsky wrote about the renewal in the orchard, he talked about 100 years.

That hundred years is now.

He knew that he was speaking to us now, he meant us.

We are it."

Recommended websites presented during Grandma's Apple Orchard

ep 264 John Bunker - outonalimbapples

More chats with John Bunker on Cider Chat

In humanities renewal, let the apple trees lead the way.

Mentions in this chat


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

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
478: Pommeau: What Happens When a French Classic Lands on U.S. Labels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:18
What is Pommeau? Pommeau is a: fortified blend of fresh apple must (unfermented) and apple brandy (typically Calvados in Normandy or Lambig in Brittany). The unfermented apple juice and brandy are combined before ferment…
477: 2025 Ultimate Cider Pairing Guide for Thanksgiving [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:38
Learn how to pick the right Cider and Perry for every dish on the Thanksgiving table. This week we are not chasing brand names. We are building flavor intuition. Consider Thanksgiving not as one single taste on a plate;…
476: Be Medieval, Rack that Cider| Secondary Fermentation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:18
How to clarify, stabilize, and finish cider the right way The Purpose of Secondary Fermentation when Making Cider Once the apple juice has started fermented and it is now slowing down, it is time to rack over your cider…
473: Tiny Bubbles | How to Make a Pét Nat Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:53
What makes a Pét Nat cider sparkle naturally and how is it connected to the rural method you might have heard about in the UK? In this episode, we take a practical look at: What Pét Nat cider is and how it relates to the…
471: Cider Tourism 101 | Newton Court, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:50
Newton Court Cider began as a 30-acre farm selling apples to Bulmers. When the market changed, Paul Stephens turned those same orchards into a modern day cider business. Front view of Newton Court's restaurant and visito…
470: Hedgers, Crossman's, and Coates: UK Cider's Entwined Histories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:55
In October 2024, Cider Chat MC Ria Windcaller recorded with Tom Vowles of Hedger Cider and Ben Crossman in Somerset. Initially, the two recordings felt like separate brand stories. Then, nearly a year later to the day as…
469: Getting Lost, So You Don't | UK Totally Cider Tour 2025 Recap [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:58
UK Cider Tour 2025 Audio Snap Shots Wallace and Ria in Bristol In this Episode 469 of Cider Chat, we brings listeners inside the UK Totally Cider Tour 2025 through the voices of the guests who joined. From Somerset, Glou…