Garret Miller is one of the people responsible for Finger Lakes Cider House just a few minutes outside of Ithaca, New York. Nestled in the narrow strip of land between the two largest finger lakes, Finger Lakes Cider House is at the epicenter of the new cider renaissance in the North East US. Garret’s farm is using regenerative organic polyculture to produce organic fruit and veggies, and making some of the tastiest ciders and local farm to table food you can find.
I’ve wanted to talk to Garret for a while. Not just because of the beautiful farming he’s doing, but because Finger Lakes Cider House is responsible for blowing my mind. I stumbled on them on a visit to the Finger Lakes to taste wine. All I can say is that after trying their ciders I forgot all about fermented grapes and began seeking out the elixir that is possible when apples and pears are given the quality of attention they deserve. It was some of Garret’s work that convinced me that Cider, good cider, is America’s champagne.
Garret dropped out of high school to start farming, and he’s been learning ever since. We leave dogma behind in this interview and really dig into some of the nuances and compromises and complications that are a reality in the world of agriculture. I’m very grateful to Garret for his candid answers to some difficult questions.
If there’s a theme to this episode, I’d sum it up as “We have a lot to learn from farmers.” We talk a lot about the understanding gap between those who are doing the farming and those who are consuming farm products… that is, everyone who isn’t a farmer.
http://www.fingerlakesciderhouse.com/
Sponsor:
https://www.centralaswine.com/
Andrew Beckham - Novum Amphora & Beckham Estate Vineyard
Bill Shinkle - Tranquil Heart Vineyard & Winery in Hemet, California
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Michael Phillips - Mycorrhizal Planet, The Apple Grower, and Vineyards & Orchards as Fungal Ecosystems
Leigh Bartholomew - The Problems With Organic
Professor Magali Delmas - Organic Wine Tastes Better & The Green Bundle
Krista Scruggs - Zafa Wines, Regenerative History and Winemaking in Vermont
Steve Matthiasson - How To Grow Wine Grapes Organically
James Endicott - Vinocity Selections & How To Use Wine To Solve Climate Change
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Ann Thomas - Western Reserve Distillers, Organic Distillery
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Lisa Bauer - Yamakiri Wines & Sineater Ciders, Never Let A Grape Go To Waste
Craig Camp - Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley Oregon, Biodynamic & Organic
Herrmann York Winery - Making Unique Wine in Southern California
Matt Niess - North American Press, Native & Hybrid Grapes and Cider
Laura Brennan Bissell - INCONNU Wine Muse & Winemaking Musings
Alice Anderson - Amevive, Ibarra-Young Vineyard, Regenerative Organic Viticulture & Natural Winemaking in Santa Barbara
What Does "Organic" Mean?
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