From a Dream to a Cidery: Our Journey

Some dreams begin with a business plan. Ours began with a desire for something more.

More time with our future kids. More meaningful work. More connection to the land. More opportunities to build something that would become part of our family’s story for years to come.

What started in 2021 as a decision to leave our corporate careers, has grown into something we could have only imagined back then—a working Apple Orchard, a Cidery, and a place where we can welcome people through our doors and share something we built with our own hands.

This is the story of how we got here. 

2021: Choosing a Different Path

In 2021, we made a decision that changed the direction of our lives.

We left our corporate careers in search of something more rewarding. We wanted to create something for our future family. Something our kids could be involved in. Something that would allow us to work hard toward a goal that was truly ours.

We didn't have every detail figured out.

We just knew we wanted to build something.

And so the dream of starting a Cidery began.

2022: Finding the Land 

In 2022, we found the property that would eventually become our Cidery.

We purchased 10 acres of farmland that was already zoned commercial, giving us the opportunity to turn our vision into reality.

Of course, owning the land was only the beginning.

Before we could plant a single apple tree, we had a lot of work to do.

One of our first major projects was putting up a 10-foot-tall deer fence around the entire property.

It was a big job—and a pretty good preview of what was to come.

There would be no shortage of projects, challenges, long days, and learning along the way.

2023: Planting the Beginning

Then came one of the most important days in our journey.

In 2023, we planted our orchard.

But we didn't do it alone.

With the help of 22 family members and friends, we planted approximately 2,000 apple trees across our property.

Two thousand trees.

It was a massive undertaking, but looking back, it's also one of the moments that reminds us most clearly of what this Cidery is really about.

Family and friends.

People showed up, got their hands dirty, worked hard, and helped us plant the foundation of what we were building.

Those tiny trees represented years of work still ahead of us. At the time, they were just young trees in the ground.

But we could see the future.

We could picture the orchard mature, the apples being harvested, the cider being made, and people sitting together enjoying something that started right there on our property.

2025: Building the Cidery

By 2025, the dream was becoming much more tangible.

It was time to build the Cidery.

And when we say we built it, we really mean it.

With the exception of the plumbing, concrete, and HVAC, we did the work ourselves.

There were countless hours of measuring, cutting, building, installing, figuring things out, and sometimes figuring them out again.

 

It wasn't always easy.

There were long days and plenty of moments when we probably questioned what we had gotten ourselves into.

But every piece we put into that building brought us one step closer.

What started as an idea back in 2021 was becoming a physical place.

A place we could finally call our own.

May 22, 2026: Opening the Doors

And then, after years of dreaming, planning, planting, building, and working, the day finally came.

May 22, 2026.

We opened our doors to our first customers.

Walking through those doors for the first time as a working Cidery was an experience that is difficult to put into words.

Behind us were years of hard work.

In front of us was everything we had been working toward.

And on the taps were seven ciders for our customers to choose from.

Seven ciders that represented the beginning of a journey we hope will continue for generations.

It Took a Village

When people visit the cidery today, they may see the finished building, the orchard,the cider, and the beautiful property.

What they may not see are all the people who helped make it possible.

They may not know about the family members and friends who spent two long days helping us plant 2,000 trees.

They may not know about the countless hours spent building the Cidery.

They may not see all the work that happened before the doors ever opened.

And that's okay.

Because for us, the most meaningful part of this story isn't just what we built.

It's who we built it with.

Our family and friends have been a part of nearly every chapter. They've helped us dig, plant, build, problem-solve, celebrate, and keep moving forward.

This Cidery is quite literally built on hard work, friendship, family, and a whole lot of love.

And This Is Just the Beginning

When we left our corporate careers in 2021, we didn't know exactly where this road would lead.

Five years later, we're standing on 10 acres of land, surrounded by 2,000 apple trees, inside a Cidery that we built with our own hands, serving customers who have walked through our doors to experience what we've created.

It's humbling.

It's rewarding.

And it's only the beginning.

Our orchard will continue to grow. We'll continue to make cider, experiment with new ideas, welcome new faces, and create memories with the people who visit us.

Most importantly, we're building something our kids can grow up alongside.

Something they can someday look back on and say, “Our family built that.”

And that's really what this journey has always been about.

Not simply building a cidery.

Building a life. Building a legacy. And building something together.

We can't wait to see where the next chapter takes us. 🍎🥂