necessary change by Joan Delfino The year is 1962; the place a farm kitchen. Several neighbors are gathered around the table, grim faced. The news is the same from each; not only hardly a pear crop, but trees dying due to a devastating disease. What to do? Sell out and become a “bedroom” community for Sacramento? No, that was a last resort. But families had to be fed, kids had to go to school, land and equipment payments had to be made. One of the men takes a stub of a pencil and a grungy slip of paper out of his pock- Artwork by Jenny Briggs; prints available at www.jennybriggs.com et. He looks around the Apple Hill® was launched. Yes, that’s table. Licking the tip of how it started. And my husband and I the pencil, he addresses each of his were there. We’re still here, and we still neighbors, “How many trees, other than love it. The “Hill” still has narrow windpears, do you have? And what are they?” He scribbles numbers and fruit names on ing roads. But now they have lines in the his list. It soon becomes evident there are middle. From the lowest location on Carson Road, the patchwork-quilt vinemore apple trees than any other fruit yards of Boeger Winery, to the uppermost (with the exception of the dying pears). farm on our map, Harris There are peaches, cherTree Farm, we are still a ries, plums, nectarines, In the 1800’s the area group of farmers trying some apricots, and lots keep the “rural” in of berries. “Well, why we now call Apple Hill® to rural living. don’t we sell our apples So, what has hapto folks and plant a few was a grape and pened to all those more? By the time they wine-producing area. peach, plum and cherry understand what great trees, and all those berfruit we grow up here, ries? Well, as you might more varieties will be guess, the fruit is for sale, along with the ready to sell.” apples. Many of our bakeries feature Typically, farmers are not quick or risky decision-makers. But they love their peach and cherry pies. And blueberries!!! The blueberries grown on the “Hill” canland and their lifestyle. They will do just about anything to keep both of these. So, not be matched anywhere. Put them into 38
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a turnover or pie. Heaven! In the 1800’s the area we now call Apple Hill® was a grape and wineproducing area. Boeger Winery has gone from vineyard and winery to pears, and back to vineyard and winery in the past 150 years. Almost every farm had a small vineyard for home use. Apple Hill® now is home to seven wineries and one brewery. All are award-winning. For a family outing, take a picnic and come see the beauty that is Apple Hill® in the springtime. Mid-March the peaches will put on their show of graceful pink blossoms. Later in March the cherries and plums will greet you with their shades of white and variations of pink. Mid-April the pears will awaken with their snowball white blossoms, and in mid-to-late April the apple blossoms will greet you. The scent of the blossoms will be so intoxicating you may need to make a dinner stop in Placerville to sober up. So those neighbors that gathered around the kitchen table those fortysome years ago were just being what farmers are the world over: practical. There were more apples than peaches or cherries or anything else, so, “Let’s sell apples.” Well, it worked out. We do have great apples. But let’s not forget the rest of it. Besides all those stone fruits and berries, there are people, our neighbors, the finest, most friendly people anywhere. And we want to meet you, all of you!
Apple Hill® Cider Press
4/17/12 1:15 PM