EP 002 - Ben Wenk of Three Springs Fruit Farm and Ploughman Cider

The Artisan Situation Podcast

Today, we are going to talk about the apple. Adams County, Pennsylvania is the fifth largest county for apple production in the United States. It is home to apple growers, processors, and cider makers of all sizes. Nobody's hand is more on the pulse of this community than Ben Wenk of Three Springs Fruit Farm. His family has been farming the land in Adams County since 1901 and has seen the apple industry grow from its nascent beginnings into a burgeoning industry.

Ben is someone that has a deep sense of responsibility for his local agrarian community. His family farms with integrity, transparency, stewardship of their environment, and coherent knowledge of their local soil. They work hard to bring farm fresh produce to restaurants and markets in Baltimore, DC, and Philadelphia.

Now, Ben is translating his knowledge of apples to cider-making as he begins his new venture into hard cider called Ploughman Cider. He is embracing the goal of making Adams County a destination for cider.

Ben's passion for apples and cider is only matched by his love for bluegrass music, which he plays passionately with his band Chuck Darwin and the Knuckle Draggers. With his feel time at the end of the podcast, Ben was excited to help produce the music for the intro of the Artisan Situation Podcast. It is a soundtrack I will always be thankful for.

In late November 2016, we sat down in his old family farmhouse with his dog Rose playing in the background and got right to it. What makes the apple so great? I will let Ben tell you. Sit back and learn about the apple and why it is truly something special.

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READ MORE
Three Springs Fruit Farm
Ploughman Cider
Big Hill Ciderworks
Artifact Coffee & Origins Speaker Series
Chesapeake Farm-to-Table
Food Alliance
Chuck Darwin and the Knuckle Draggers

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THE ARTISAN SITUATION PODCAST

We believe that every person has a connection to food. Each podcast will feature a deep dive interview with food producers, as we try to learn what inspires and influences them on a personal level. For many, producing flavorful, wholesome, and sustainable food is a vocation. Food has a voice. Listen in