Orchards
Place matters, and so do the people. We believe that Sonoma County is one of the greatest apple-growing regions in the country. And we believe our orchardists are among the finest as well. For that reason, we pride ourselves on having personal relationships with all of our apple farmers, who happen to be our neighbors in West Sonoma County. We pay them the highest prices we can, because the only way to keep orchards intact is to make them economically viable. We source 100% of our apples from a handful of local orchards, including our own. We also forage and glean wild and feral plums, apples, elderberries, blackberries, and grapes throughout west Sonoma County for our coferment projects.
OUR HOME ORCHARD: FIREBALL FARM, SEBASTOPOL
In summer 2010, we bought a rundown property on the Gravenstein Highway on the western outskirts of Sebastopol. The house was dilapidated, the sheds tilted, and the weeds waist-high, but we saw incredible potential on these 5.4 level acres. In January 2011, we began planting our first 80 organic cider apple trees. Since then, we have grafted and planted more than 120 different cider apple and perry pear varieties on our farm, primarily tannic ones, from the early American Roxbury Russet to iconic colonial favorites like Hewes Virginia crabapple to the English stalwart Kingston Black to obscure French apples like Amere de Berthecourt and California originals like Wickson. This is not a production orchard so much as it is a research orchard, as we want to learn which varieties will do well in our dry-summer, variable-chill-hour, fog-laden, and gopher-invested west Sonoma County terroir. We also have started a seedling nursery—that is, planting apple seeds, which contain vast genetic diversity—in the hopes of growing apples that are uniquely adapted to our changing climate. At last count we have about 700 trees in the ground and 200 seedlings. We employ low-input, no-till organic practices, with the ultimate goal of creating a healthy habit for our trees, us, our babydoll sheep, our chickens, and all the pollinator, bird, and soil life that calls this farm home. The fruit from our home orchard goes into our limited Farm Reserve estate cider and our Fireball Farm pommeau.
GOLDEN NECTAR FARM, WINDSOR
We are excited to work with Tamar and Don, the new owners of Golden Nectar Farm, beginning with the 2023 harvest. Their 2-acre home farm is a magical spot with dozens of varieties of apples, pears, and Asian pears, along with peaches, plums, figs, feijoa, table grapes, berries, and more. We are doing an orchard-designate blend and look forward to more collaborations with them in the future.
HAPPY APPLES, HEALDSBURG
Greta Mesics and her sons Teo and Joe farm heirloom apples and winegrapes organically on their alluvial soils sounded by redwoods on Westside Road in Healdsburg. Varieties include Pink Pearmain, Mac "Mystery," Mutsu, Pink Pearl, and Northern Spy. We have worked with Happy Apples a few times since 2020, and are working on an orchard-designate blend during the 2023 harvest.
LAURA'S APPLES, SEBASTOPOL
Laura Cheever and her husband, Jim, are stewards of a 6-acre organically certified orchard in Sebastopol. The trees were planted 90 years ago, when apples were a major Sonoma County crop and Gravensteins were the stars of the show. Since that time, many majestic old apple trees have given way to vineyards and other enterprises. But the area is still sprinkled with pockets of orchards, including theirs. They are dedicated to preserving and tending their orchard ecosystem, appreciating and sharing its bounty. Laura sells her apples at local farmers' market, as well as to us for our ciders, both single-variety as well as blends. Learn more on her website about her orchard and find where to buy her apples. We've been working with Laura since 2013.
LOST ORCHARD, SOMEWHERE IN WEST SONOMA COUNTY
In 1987, a couple planted an apple orchard along the Russian River with the dream of making traditional cider. But with the rise of wine, the timing was wrong, so the couple abandoned the orchard and moved away. In 2011, we found our way to this lost orchard, the Kingston Black, Nehou, Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Porter’s Perfection, Yarlington Mill, wild apples, quince, and mystery pears enveloped in poison oak and blackberry brambles, wild boar feasting on the drops. Since then, we have worked to revive this feral idyll while harvesting and fermenting its fruit. This cider expresses a sense of place with notes of savory herbs and orchard floor, and an earthy depth synonymous with Sonoma County. As you may guess, it is the genesis of our Lost Orchard cider! We've been gleaning from the Lost Orchard since our first harvest in 2011.
LYNGARD ORCHARDS, SEBASTOPOL
In 2022, we started working the Randy Roberts of Lyngard Orchards on Gold Ridge Road, sourcing beautiful organic Arkansas Black apples for our single-variety project.
MEYER FARMING, SEBASTOPOL
We have been working with 4th-generation apple farmer Mike Meyer Jr. since the 2020 harvest. With his dad, he farms 19 apple varieties on over 200 acres of organic orchards in Sebastopol. We sourced Gravensteins, Romes, and Arkansas Black from him. It's exciting to get to work with a younger orchardist, and someone who clearly loves apples. Read this great writeup on Mike by clicking here.
MURRAY RANCH, GLEN ELLEN
We were fortunate to find another source of traditional tannic cider apples growing next to an organic vineyard on an eastward-facing slope of Sonoma Mountain near Glen Ellen. The 30+-year-old trees are certified organic and mostly dry-farmed; from there, we get Muscat de Bernay, Nehou, Roxbury Russet, and Kingston Black. We use these apples in our blends. We've been working with Murray Ranch since our first harvest in 2011.
NANA MAE'S ORGANICS, SEBASTOPOL
We've been working with Paul Kolling of Nana Mae's Organics since 2016. Currently we source organic pineapple quince from his, grown in orchards around Sebastopol.
PEARL GIRL ORCHARD, SEBASTOPOL
Witteman Farms is a small, family-owned and -operated organic apple orchard in the historic apple growing area of Sebastopol, California. Situated on an east facing, sheltered ridge, and benefiting from full sun, reduced wind, and spectacular views across the Santa Rosa Plain to the Mayacamas Mountains on its eastern perimeter, the 550 tree orchard thrives on the Goldridge loam that exemplifies the fertile soil in the area. In business since 2011, Witteman Farms under the named Pearl Girl Orchard, prides itself on close attention to detail and unmatched quality in its fruit production. We have sourced Pink Pearl and GoldRush apples from this site since 2022 harvest and look forward to the future. To learn more, click here.
ROSHAMBO ORCHARD, HEALDSBURG
In 2023 we started working with Naomi Brilliant, who farms cider apples and winegrapes on her beautiful Russian River Valley property. Varieties include Harry Masters Jersey and Yarlington Mill. We also source elderberries from her.
VULTURE HILL ORCHARD, SEBASTOPOL
A 150-year-old certified organic dry-farmed orchard in the coastal hills outside Sebastopol, Vulture Hill is run by Chad Frick. He is well known for his apple wizardry and lichen knowledge, and grows a couple of hundred different apple varieties: from Gravenstein, Newtown Pippin, and Rhode Island Greening to Bramtot, Michelin, Wickson, Hewes, and Transcendent crab, and so, so many more. We use his apples in our blends as well as in many of our single-variety and methode traditionnelle ciders. Follow him on Instagram at @vulture_hill. We've been working with Vulture Hill since 2013.
OUR HOME ORCHARD: FIREBALL FARM, SEBASTOPOL
In summer 2010, we bought a rundown property on the Gravenstein Highway on the western outskirts of Sebastopol. The house was dilapidated, the sheds tilted, and the weeds waist-high, but we saw incredible potential on these 5.4 level acres. In January 2011, we began planting our first 80 organic cider apple trees. Since then, we have grafted and planted more than 120 different cider apple and perry pear varieties on our farm, primarily tannic ones, from the early American Roxbury Russet to iconic colonial favorites like Hewes Virginia crabapple to the English stalwart Kingston Black to obscure French apples like Amere de Berthecourt and California originals like Wickson. This is not a production orchard so much as it is a research orchard, as we want to learn which varieties will do well in our dry-summer, variable-chill-hour, fog-laden, and gopher-invested west Sonoma County terroir. We also have started a seedling nursery—that is, planting apple seeds, which contain vast genetic diversity—in the hopes of growing apples that are uniquely adapted to our changing climate. At last count we have about 700 trees in the ground and 200 seedlings. We employ low-input, no-till organic practices, with the ultimate goal of creating a healthy habit for our trees, us, our babydoll sheep, our chickens, and all the pollinator, bird, and soil life that calls this farm home. The fruit from our home orchard goes into our limited Farm Reserve estate cider and our Fireball Farm pommeau.
GOLDEN NECTAR FARM, WINDSOR
We are excited to work with Tamar and Don, the new owners of Golden Nectar Farm, beginning with the 2023 harvest. Their 2-acre home farm is a magical spot with dozens of varieties of apples, pears, and Asian pears, along with peaches, plums, figs, feijoa, table grapes, berries, and more. We are doing an orchard-designate blend and look forward to more collaborations with them in the future.
HAPPY APPLES, HEALDSBURG
Greta Mesics and her sons Teo and Joe farm heirloom apples and winegrapes organically on their alluvial soils sounded by redwoods on Westside Road in Healdsburg. Varieties include Pink Pearmain, Mac "Mystery," Mutsu, Pink Pearl, and Northern Spy. We have worked with Happy Apples a few times since 2020, and are working on an orchard-designate blend during the 2023 harvest.
LAURA'S APPLES, SEBASTOPOL
Laura Cheever and her husband, Jim, are stewards of a 6-acre organically certified orchard in Sebastopol. The trees were planted 90 years ago, when apples were a major Sonoma County crop and Gravensteins were the stars of the show. Since that time, many majestic old apple trees have given way to vineyards and other enterprises. But the area is still sprinkled with pockets of orchards, including theirs. They are dedicated to preserving and tending their orchard ecosystem, appreciating and sharing its bounty. Laura sells her apples at local farmers' market, as well as to us for our ciders, both single-variety as well as blends. Learn more on her website about her orchard and find where to buy her apples. We've been working with Laura since 2013.
LOST ORCHARD, SOMEWHERE IN WEST SONOMA COUNTY
In 1987, a couple planted an apple orchard along the Russian River with the dream of making traditional cider. But with the rise of wine, the timing was wrong, so the couple abandoned the orchard and moved away. In 2011, we found our way to this lost orchard, the Kingston Black, Nehou, Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Porter’s Perfection, Yarlington Mill, wild apples, quince, and mystery pears enveloped in poison oak and blackberry brambles, wild boar feasting on the drops. Since then, we have worked to revive this feral idyll while harvesting and fermenting its fruit. This cider expresses a sense of place with notes of savory herbs and orchard floor, and an earthy depth synonymous with Sonoma County. As you may guess, it is the genesis of our Lost Orchard cider! We've been gleaning from the Lost Orchard since our first harvest in 2011.
LYNGARD ORCHARDS, SEBASTOPOL
In 2022, we started working the Randy Roberts of Lyngard Orchards on Gold Ridge Road, sourcing beautiful organic Arkansas Black apples for our single-variety project.
MEYER FARMING, SEBASTOPOL
We have been working with 4th-generation apple farmer Mike Meyer Jr. since the 2020 harvest. With his dad, he farms 19 apple varieties on over 200 acres of organic orchards in Sebastopol. We sourced Gravensteins, Romes, and Arkansas Black from him. It's exciting to get to work with a younger orchardist, and someone who clearly loves apples. Read this great writeup on Mike by clicking here.
MURRAY RANCH, GLEN ELLEN
We were fortunate to find another source of traditional tannic cider apples growing next to an organic vineyard on an eastward-facing slope of Sonoma Mountain near Glen Ellen. The 30+-year-old trees are certified organic and mostly dry-farmed; from there, we get Muscat de Bernay, Nehou, Roxbury Russet, and Kingston Black. We use these apples in our blends. We've been working with Murray Ranch since our first harvest in 2011.
NANA MAE'S ORGANICS, SEBASTOPOL
We've been working with Paul Kolling of Nana Mae's Organics since 2016. Currently we source organic pineapple quince from his, grown in orchards around Sebastopol.
PEARL GIRL ORCHARD, SEBASTOPOL
Witteman Farms is a small, family-owned and -operated organic apple orchard in the historic apple growing area of Sebastopol, California. Situated on an east facing, sheltered ridge, and benefiting from full sun, reduced wind, and spectacular views across the Santa Rosa Plain to the Mayacamas Mountains on its eastern perimeter, the 550 tree orchard thrives on the Goldridge loam that exemplifies the fertile soil in the area. In business since 2011, Witteman Farms under the named Pearl Girl Orchard, prides itself on close attention to detail and unmatched quality in its fruit production. We have sourced Pink Pearl and GoldRush apples from this site since 2022 harvest and look forward to the future. To learn more, click here.
ROSHAMBO ORCHARD, HEALDSBURG
In 2023 we started working with Naomi Brilliant, who farms cider apples and winegrapes on her beautiful Russian River Valley property. Varieties include Harry Masters Jersey and Yarlington Mill. We also source elderberries from her.
VULTURE HILL ORCHARD, SEBASTOPOL
A 150-year-old certified organic dry-farmed orchard in the coastal hills outside Sebastopol, Vulture Hill is run by Chad Frick. He is well known for his apple wizardry and lichen knowledge, and grows a couple of hundred different apple varieties: from Gravenstein, Newtown Pippin, and Rhode Island Greening to Bramtot, Michelin, Wickson, Hewes, and Transcendent crab, and so, so many more. We use his apples in our blends as well as in many of our single-variety and methode traditionnelle ciders. Follow him on Instagram at @vulture_hill. We've been working with Vulture Hill since 2013.