Fenceline Cider’s Community Pick program is entering its second annual year, and the cidery is asking orchards to participate in the program by bringing harvested apples to Fenceline Cider to be used in making cider.
The cidery accepts any amount of apples, but pays for apples in lots of 3 bushels or more, at 30 cents per bushel. Payment can be provided in cash, as a bar tab or cider amounting to the amount to be paid.
Apples must adhere to Fenceline’s apple guidelines and quality standards, which can be found online at https://bit.ly/appick.
Some of the most noted guidelines were that apples should be “properly ripe” (brown or black seeds), be clean and without large bird pecks, rot, etc.
Drop hours recommended by the cidery are Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fenceline taproom in Mancos, 141 S. Main St. Large drop-offs should be scheduled ahead.
If these drop-off hours don’t work, contact Fenceline for alternate times at (970) 533-4005.
According to the cidery, the community pick was created to “revive the region’s cider traditions while actively engaging local residents.”
They hope this initiative will help transform once abandoned orchards and help reduce the amount of wasted fruit.
“The community pick initiative was designed to revive the region’s cider traditions while actively engaging local residents. Nestled amid numerous abandoned orchards thriving in Montezuma County's rich soil and arid climate, we remain steadfast in our commitment to upcycle the region's heritage apples and unique varietals into remarkable craft cider,” Jordan Lang, Fenceline Cider taproom and events manager, said. “Through the support and encouragement of community members, we assist those with trees on their properties in transforming their orchards into profitable ventures, all while reducing the waste of unused fruit.”
Last year, in the first year of the community pick, Fenceline had a “record-breaking harvest season,” harvesting 127,331 pounds of fruit, with 41,138 pounds of that amount being harvested from more than 75 orchards in Montezuma and La Plata counties.
“The Fenceline team is only so big, only has so many sets of hands, and can pick only a portion of the area’s fruit in any given year,” Fenceline founder Sam Perry said. “This is why we need community help to bring in the harvest. ‘Many hands make light work.’”
