312: Angels Dressed Like Bears | Michael Phillips 1957-2022

312: Angels Dressed Like Bears | Michael Phillips 1957-2022

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist March 23, 2022 Duration: 1:05:19

Tribute to Author and Orchardists Michael Phillips

I spoke with his long time friend Alan Surprenant of Brook Farm Orchard in Ashfield, Massachusetts on a cool March day a little over two week's after the unexpected passing of Michael Phillips.  The two men met originally at a New England Organic Farmers Association (NOFA) conference that was being held at Hampshire College and they soon became fast friends. It was Alan who first contacted me with the news of Michael's unexpected passing and I knew he'd be perfect to speak about the life of one of America's premier apple writers and teachers.

Cider Chat ep 312 Chair Tribute for Michael Phillips Michael's book placed in tribute to his passing a few days earlier at the 2022 Berkshire Roundtable

 

Michael died in his orchard in the Lost Nation area of New Hampshire on February 27, 2022. He was in the process of writing his fourth book and building out a Speakeasy where friends could gather to sip cider on his land that he shared with his wife Nancy and where they raised their daughter Grace.

I expected to talk a bit more about Michael with Alan, but we kept rolling back to talking about orchard care, a topic that was close to Michael's heart and certainly his life's work. It was fitting because both men held in common the work of helping homeowners and budding orchardist learn the basics of orchard care. For Michael it was his full time work writing books, consulting and presenting on the topic. He was the anchor of the Berkshire Roundtable, which is a yearly meetup of apple growers and more recently cider makers.

Cider Chat ep:312 Alan Surprenant in his orchard Alan Surprenant

Pay tribute to Michael Phillips by Planting a Tree

Michael Phillip's Books

Cider Chat Ep 312 Michael Phillips books(300 × 200 px)

Contact Info for Michael Phillips Books and Network

Contact for Alan Surprenant

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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.
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