Local orchard presents Cider Fest Saturday

The Bloomington Community Orchard promoted community education on the growth of locally grown fruits at their third annual Cider Fest Saturday afternoon.

The event was staged at Winslow Woods Park, the location of the orchard’s flagship site.

The festival consisted of face painting, live music, apple-based foods samples, making fresh apple cider and a classic game of bobbing for apples.

Founded in February 2010, the Bloomington Community Orchard is a non-profit organization that inspires communities to cultivate thriving systems of sharing and growing fruit and is run solely by volunteers and a board of directors.

Board member Josh David said the creation of the group’s orchard was
community-driven.

After the city provided one acre of land, the group also received grants to purchase and plant fruit trees in the orchard.

“The orchard started with a simple idea that everyone should have access to free, locally grown and organic food,” David said.

David said the orchard began as a small group of passionate and dedicated people with the goal of creating a site.

Since then, the group has utilized its site to not only feature a large variety of fruits and berries, but also as a common area for people to engage and get to know their community members better, David said.

“It’s great because we have such a diverse community just in the same sense we have such a diverse varieties of fruit trees and berry bushes,” David said. “Everyone from families, children, high school and college students, professors and retirees, the orchard has room for all of them.”

In the time since the group established a location and stable supply of fruits, it focused on educating community members about plant care and how to grow their own fruit trees.

Those interested in the process are encouraged by the group to visit the orchard to learn how to plant a fruit tree in their own yards.

Amy Roche, chair of the director’s board, said in addition to apples, the orchard focuses on different fruits throughout the year when they’re in season.

Local growers supplied the apples at this year’s festival, but the group is hoping to grow enough fruit to also supply for next year’s event.

“We try to support local growers and source from them for our Cider Fest and other events,” Roche said.

Former IU biology professor George Hegeman supplied apples at this year’s festival that he planted and grew himself.

Hegeman, who calls himself an orchard hobbyist, said he originally became interested in planting when he had an area with old apple trees that he decided to improve by planting 10 more.

Hegeman said the types of apples he grows, which include Granny Smith, Winesap and Roxbury Russet, typically become ripe in mid-September, but can vary depending on the type of apple.

Because of their easiness to grow and care for, Hegeman said planting an apple tree is a relatively simple process that can be completed at home.    

Planting an apple tree at home is highly encouraged by the Bloomington Community Orchard.

Hegeman said apples are one of the things that grow extremely well in the Bloomington area.

“Most people can grow different kinds of apples fairly easy and take care of them,” Hegeman said.

Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.