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Cider Digest #1773
Subject: Cider Digest #1773, 17 April 2013
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1773 17 April 2013
Cider and Perry Discussion Forum
Contents:
Cider "talking points" for Earth Day (Dick Dunn)
Re: Cider Digest #1772, 14 April 2013 (Stephen Wood)
Re: Cider Digest #1772, 14 April 2013 (denniswaller@comcast.net)
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Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn
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Subject: Cider "talking points" for Earth Day
From: Dick Dunn <rcd@talisman.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:26:13 -0600
(yeah, another essay-type posting)
Preface: Why do we drink cider? Because it tastes good! Sure, we can
natter on about the wonders of the apple, the historical significance of
orchards and cidermaking, notable people who were cidermakers, and all that
good stuff. But the bottom line is that cider is a pleasure. We don't
- -need- it, but we -like- it and -want- it. Always keep that in mind when
you're tempted to preach.
Still, that said, I like to talk to people about the pluses of cider beyond
the hedonic--various "talking points". Several of them have to do with
cider's effect on the environment, so it seems appropriate to give those
points a quick run-down with Earth Day approaching (22 April).
Orchard as habitat: Those of us with orchards know just how many
beneficial insects and birds make their homes among the trees. And even
though an orchard looks regimented (a point which really bothered Thoreau,
but so?), it's more like a forest than a field.
Carbon sequestration: Trite phrase, I know, but consider it anyway. Each
tree in our orchards is a chunk of carbohydrates, pulling carbon out of the
atmosphere as it grows and then holding on to it. Back-of-the-envelope
calculations say that an orchard of even a couple hundred semi-dwarf or
a thousand dwarf trees (around an acre) holds back many tons of carbon.
Limited use of pesticides: Since we're not trying to produce picture-
perfect apples, we only need as much chemical input as it takes to prevent
being overwhelmed by bad insects. Cautious IPM should be sufficient; we
don't need the weekly preventive-spraying ritual.
Little or no chemical fertilizer: For various reasons, we don't need to
feed our trees very much. High nitrogen input is actually a bad thing.
We're trying to grow fruit, not leaves. We don't want large, bland fruit.
We don't want a lot of nitrogen in the tree because it ends up in the fruit
and then the juice, where it gives a rapid, simple fermentation rather than
a slower one which will produce more character to the cider.
Low energy consumption: There aren't any energy-intensive operations in
cidermaking. (Contrast with brewing for example where the fundamental
process requires a lot of heat.) Hobby cidermakers might do everything
manually. Even a small-scale commercial operation has perhaps a few
fractional-horsepower motors which are only used for dozens of hours in
a year.
Protection of agricultural land: There are many areas of the US where good
agricultural land faces increasing development pressure. A cider orchard
helps resist development because the return, $/acre, can be so high,
compared to other crops. An orchard can yield more juice per acre than a
vineyard.
A "local food": Cider is traditionally made and consumed locally. This
allows local styles and preferences to develop, a counter to widespread
uniformity. Using less transportation saves fuel and reduces pollution--
sure, just little bits at a time, but they help. It's a part of helping
people "re-connect with the land" and care how local land is being used.
Well now, I had an argument with myself on that last point, having made
half a dozen trips to the UK to explore cider, keeping a small stash of
ciders from thousands of miles away, and having judged at some competitions
where ciders came in from all over: Really, how local is my attitude?
Am I failing to "walk the talk"? I don't think so! Rather, it's that we
go out and explore and taste; we look at orchards and mills and processing;
then we "bring it back home" and put our knowledge to work.
I hope you see where all this takes us: Cider fits very well with "taking
care of our earth" in various ways.
I wish I could put some real numbers to some of the points I made. For
example, how many tons of carbon in an acre of mature trees? Very rough
guess, at least 10 tons. Or, what's the potential profit from an acre of
cider orchard? And how optimistic do you want to be in "talking points"?
- --
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #1772, 14 April 2013
From: Stephen Wood <swood@farnumhillciders.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:34:48 -0400
Dick has perfectly nailed this.
SW.
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #1772, 14 April 2013
From: denniswaller@comcast.net
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:09:01 +0000 (UTC)
Dick:
This is a very interesting and informative article, but if longer growing
seasons and higher temperatures are raising the sugar content of grapes
and therefore the alcohol content of the wine made from those grapes ?
would the same climatic changes raise the sugar content of apples and
therefore the alcohol content of cider?
Dennis Waller
denniswaller@comcast.net
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End of Cider Digest #1773
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