451: Hello Season 10 and The Berkshire Roundtable

In this Season 10 premier of Cider Chat, “Introductions” are featured from over 40 persons in attendance at the annual 2025 Berkshire Roundtable.

Kicking off Season 10 of Cider Chat

The opportunity to begin Season 10 with “Hellos” from a wide range of people in the cider community is the perfect fit for this milestone episode.

Here at Cider Chat Central we hope that this Season opener acts as a reminder that there is a wealth of knowledge at hand at a grass roots level in every region of the US.

Of course, this holds true for other countries as well and right about now this reminder feels very timely.

In Wisdom Lies Hope — hope for sustaining orchard ecosystems, hope that information can be passed on, history can be preserved and through shared learning and collaboration we can all create a better world.

We wish you all strength in knowing that so many others are working toward the same goal of stewarding this earth with care and intention. That shared purpose is a source of hope and resilience, even when the path ahead feels uncertain.

What is the Berkshire Roundtable?

The Berkshire Roundtable is an annual gathering held each March at Stump Sprouts, a rustic retreat center in Buckland, Massachusetts. This event brings together orchardists, cider makers, and industry professionals to exchange ideas and strengthen community ties.

Meetings take place over the course of a day and a half, in a large room at the retreat with everyone sitting in a round circle.

Cider Chat EP 451 Berkshire Rountable circle photo — Berkshire Roundtable group photo

New Beginning for the Berkshire Roundtable

The Berkshire Roundtable has been taking place for the past 35 years! Micheal Phillips was integral in starting this meetup of orchardist and makers.

In 2012, the Holistic Orchard Network (HON) was founded by Michael Phillips. His influential book, The Holistic Orchard, continues to be sought after by orchardists around the world. Find more of his books at the Cider Books Resource page on this website.

Michael passed away unexpectedly while out in his New Hampshire orchard on February 27 2022. Today, HON continues on with leadership from Micheal Biltonen and others. Michael’s work is continuing on by his wife Nancy and daughter Gracie Phillips and the HON work today.