Another branch

Family tree at Campbell’s Orchards continues to grow

The old adage about the apple and the tree is never more relevant than at Campbell’s Orchards in October. It’s all hands on deck for the family, because around Thanksgiving the floodgates open and the orchard plays host to a fall invasion. People from far and wide come to the the orchard for its tricked-out corn maze, hayrides, petting zoo, gift shop and children’s area. Campbell’s also hosts food and clothing vendors on the weekends as well as live music. It’s an annual pilgrimage for many, and just as special to new visitors as it is to old ones. But recently there’s a new addition to the property that people are talking about. The next generation of the family are making hard cider.

For Amelia Campbell, Thanksgiving is always a crazy time of year.

“We love seeing all the families,” said Amelia. “Getting them to come once a year is great, but it’s getting them to come twice…” A friendly reminder that Campbell’s Orchards is open all year round.

Amelia is a busy person. She and her boyfriend, Matt Oskamp, both work full-time jobs during the week, and toil at the orchard on the weekends. Amelia also runs all the social media for Campbell’s Orchards. In this day and age, Campbell’s could receive hundreds of links, tags, posts or direct messages during the busy season— and Amelia will respond to every one. With all of this going on, they still find time to focus on their new venture—Apple Falls Cider Company. Hard cider has risen in popularity over the years, and Apple Falls hopes to be the next name in the County for cider.

When the weekend hits, thousands of people arrive each day checking out the property. The lineup of cars on the side of the road on Thanksgiving weekend extended a kilometre away from the property. But Amelia and her staff seem to be having a lot of fun while working, and that feeling can be infectious.

“I work a lot in my life, but the work I put in at the orchard doesn’t feel like work,” said Matt

Matt Oskamp and Amelia Campbell of Apple Falls Cider Co.

From an outside perspective, the work appears to be never-ending. The site is alive with activity because it is also still actively harvesting, making the place part farm, part outdoor market and part playground. Matriarch Dianne Campbell says that planning for October starts in May and jokes about how much there is to order.

“The curds. You should have seen the curd order arrive. It was enormous,” said Dianne, adding that five skids of pies had to be delivered on Thanksgiving weekend alone. Truly a large operation, and it’s all based on a season that can be “made” in one month. High stakes when you’re relying on Mother Nature.

So, with all these apples falling, and all the wineries in the County making money on grapes, the idea of making hard cider had been bounced around at Campbell’s, but not discussed seriously until Amelia and Matt came back from a trip to the Olympics in London, England, where they acquired a longing for a cider they had tasted there. It was different. It was less sweet and more crisp than Canadian ciders. It was also the type of apples they were using over there in London.

“The apples they were using for cider were not dessert apples, they were more like your Northern Spy or Golden Russet, which is less sweet and more acidic,” said Matt.

So, with cider on their minds, they approached Amelia’s father and owner of the orchard, Colin Campbell, about starting a hard cider company. Colin didn’t have the time to commit to it, but encouraged Amelia and Matt to go ahead if they were passionate about it. That’s exactly what they did, and Apple Falls Cider Co. was born. The first batch of cider was 4,000 litres, thanks to help from their family and friends Vicki Samaras and Jonas Newman from Hinterland Wine Company who lent them tank space for their first run.

When asked about a possible expansion, Matt is just happy to have his gear all in one place first. Apple Falls Cider Co. is a new company growing and operating out of an existing company, and there is a constant fight for space. Making cider requires large tanks and room for pressing equipment. He points behind him to the new part of the building dedicated specifically for Apple Falls Cider Co. It’s their new home.

If there’s one problem this new company will have, it will be keeping up with the demand. Word has already gotten out and requests are coming in from restaurants and pubs around the County. But Matt and Amelia are in no hurry. They want to produce a great quality cider and make every keg count. With the support of a family business already behind them, the new venture looks to be around for a while as well.