As concerns grow over the future of apple orchards in California’s Pajaro Valley, local growers and cider makers are shifting from alarm to action.
Recent discussions surrounding changes in apple purchasing by major buyers have drawn renewed attention to the region’s orchards, particularly after community members witnessed longtime apple blocks being removed along Freedom Boulevard.
“We have known about this since the beginning of the year, but it isn’t until beautiful orchards on Freedom Blvd get bulldozed that the community pays attention,” said Nicole Todd of Santa Cruz Cider Company.
For growers, the challenge is not simply finding buyers. It is finding buyers large enough to replace lost demand.
Jake Mann of Five Mile Orchard says many new opportunities have emerged in recent weeks, including interest from school districts, local organizations, and community supporters. While encouraging, those opportunities do not necessarily replace the volume traditionally purchased by major processors.
“We’re looking for a replacement customer,” Mann said. “Someone that takes everything else.”
Mann noted that local juice projects, farm stands, and community sales can help, but the broader challenge remains creating a sustainable market for large quantities of fruit.
One approach already underway is the development of a locally branded juice product. Five Mile Orchard plans to press a run of local juice this September featuring “100% Pajaro Valley Grown” branding.
At the same time, Mann has begun conversations with California cider producers about sourcing more fruit and juice from within the state.
He recently developed a proposed “Five Mile Field Blend #13,” designed to provide California cider makers with a locally sourced juice option that can compete with imports from Washington State. The blend combines heirloom and tart apple varieties with traditional sweet apples grown at the orchard.
Even with reduced transportation costs, Mann estimates California juice currently remains approximately $0.50 to $1.00 per gallon more expensive than juice shipped from Washington.
The question facing the industry is whether California cider makers and consumers are willing to pay that difference to support local orchards.
According to Mann, some producers are already helping create demand for California-grown fruit. He points to companies such as Santa Cruz Cider Company, Benny Boy, and Far West Cider as examples of producers sourcing California fruit and juice at meaningful volumes.
Todd believes increasing awareness of apple sourcing is critical to the future of the state’s orchard economy.
“I think the main game is diversify offerings, bring awareness and try to get California cider makers to care about where their apples come from,” she said. “If the makers don’t care, the customers won’t either.”
Santa Cruz Cider Company is planning several initiatives with Five Mile Orchard, including a fresh juice release, additional non-alcoholic products, and a collaborative brandy project intended to increase local apple utilization.
“We have an amazing history of apple production in this area,” Todd said. “I don’t want to see it disappear on our watch.”
For Mann, success over the next five years means more than simply keeping orchards in production. He hopes to see increased organic and biodynamic acreage, stronger markets for local fruit, and a sustainable high-volume apple economy that supports family farms.
The effort comes at a pivotal moment for the Pajaro Valley. While growers continue searching for replacement markets, cider makers, juice producers, and local consumers are being asked to play a larger role in supporting the region’s apple economy.
For now, growers such as Mann are focused on creating new opportunities rather than dwelling on what has been lost.
New juice products, cider collaborations, brandy projects, and conversations with California cider makers may not solve the challenge overnight, but they represent a growing effort to keep local orchards productive and economically viable.
As harvest approaches, growers and cider makers are racing to create new markets for California apples. Whether through fresh juice, cider, brandy, or expanded local sourcing, the goal remains the same: keeping Pajaro Valley orchards productive for the next generation.
eCiderNews will continue following developments in the Pajaro Valley and the efforts underway to create new markets for California-grown apples.
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