032: Steve Wood | Farnum Hill Cider, NH

Enjoy Part 1 of a two part chat with the founders and cider makers of Farnum Hill Cider, in Lebanon New Hampshire. This OG cidery sits on the slope of Farnum Hill with nearby town of White River Junction and the Connecticut River to the east. Like many New England orchards and farms there is not necessarily open continuous land, but small acreage here and there, wherein the case of FHC- cider apple trees are planted in large and small fields of 3 to 4 and 20 acres plots.

Farnum Hill is highly regarded for their cider, producing select cider apples, and is one of the key tap roots for moving cider out of the back room barns and into the minds of craft libation connoisseurs for the first time post prohibition.

Not that there is anything wrong with back room barn cider.

The Founders of Farnum Hill

Steve M. Wood and Louisa D. Spencer Founded the cidery in 1995 while already planting Poverty Lane Orchards in the late Make sure to note during this chat how many scions have passed out of this site and across the US.

Steve Wood in the Orchard

In Part 2 /Episode 032, a candid chat with Steve and Louisa.

Lousia Spencer

For this chat, we (Steve, Nicole and Ria) walked up the hill to the top of the orchard where Steve provides the backdrop surrounding the early beginnings of Farnum Hill.

Nicole Leibon LeGrand

Ria and Steve Wood, chatting above an orchard on Farnum Hill

A chat overlooking Farnum Hill

1965 – Steve was eleven years old when he started working at the farm. His dad was an apple farmer and the local doctor.
Steve and Louisa arrived back to the farm in 1973…post college
1984 bought Poverty Hill Orchards
1989 planted the first commercial size cider orchard in the US – a 1000 trees
1995 Became bonded to begin selling cider
1990s – Steve began studying winemaking
Throughout the 90s they began planting more and more fruit trees

“During the 90s we started throwing apples in the ground.”