In our September issue of Small Farm Canada magazine, we explored Canadian small farm cideries – their history, the orchardists, and the opportunities.
As fall progressed, Small Farm Canada's attention turned more specifically to cideries in British Columbia. In British Columbia farm-crafted cideries are working together to promote a product that is 95 per cent plus pure juice with 100 per cent British Columbia apples. It is made in slowly fermented small batches by cider makers that have deep roots in the orchard.
Many of these small farm cideries engage in organic or more sustainable production methods, some even using heirloom or heritage trees.
Salt Spring Island with its rich history of fruit production is home to Salt Spring Island Wild Cidery that harvests the heritage and wild apple and pear trees of the island to make cider magic. This cidery is one of seven on the Vancouver Island – Gulf Islands farm-crafted cider trail.
There are four trails in total in British Columbia founded by the BC Farm Crafted Cider Association in 2019 with the purpose of inspiring people to enjoy BC’s unique farm- crafted cider straight from the source – and right where the apples are grown. Each trail is curated for two-to-three-day adventures where many farm cideries welcome adults, kids and pets too.
While there is a common commitment for cider makers to highlight the flavours and purity of BC fruit through their ciders, each offers an on-farm experience that is uniquely their own. Offerings that include retail with fresh local produce, meat and poultry. Others have cidery-distillery, cidery-winery or cidery-restaurant combinations that reflect the flavours of the region.
There are yet others like Burton City Cidery where it is all about the bees. These cideries naturally act as ambassadors for British Columbia agriculture telling stories, spreading understanding and awareness of forward-looking farming practices in their public-facing role of farm-cider maker.