Ever wonder what to do with all those backyard crab-apples you end up with at the end of August? How about getting them pressed into apple cider? That purely delicious beverage you can see being made right before your eyes at the Isaac's family farm in Kleefeld, near Steinbach in southeastern Manitoba.

To diversify their successful dairy farm operation, 10 years ago Leonard and Faith Isaac decided to buy an apple press and open Apple Junction. They liked the idea of making cider because it involves a simple process which fits nicely alongside the more demanding daily routine of their dairy farm.

The Isaacs are an example of the new breed of progressive Prairie farmers who have bought into the value-added and diversification strategies being encouraged by the staff of Manitoba Agriculture. When the department was formed during the pioneering days of the 1890's, its focus was quite clear -- to assist in the development of agricultural activity in the province.

Today, the underlying mandate hasn't changed but the method of delivery has, allowing Manitoba Agriculture's Home Economists to step boldly out of the kitchen and into the business community. With a strong entrepreneurial focus, they've organized tours to farms like the Isaacs', and planned numerous training seminars that have helped residents of agricultural communities capitalize on emerging opportunities.

'Value-added' strategies look for new ways to process primary (agricultural) products such as meat and grain closer to home. This reduces the flow of revenue to neighboring regions for services that can be performed within the local area. Agricultural producers, like Isaac, are being encouraged to diversify by adding an extra step to their operations -- the meat producer opening an abattoir or sausage processing plant - the apple producer buying a press and making cider for sale.

"Our family really likes apple cider. Faith's father had a cider operation in Idaho when we lived in southern Alberta several years ago. He used to provide us with a regular supply for our own consumption and for our friends," says Isaac. "Shortly afterwards, we moved to Manitoba and got to making cider ourselves ... at first on a smaller scale, but we always knew there would be a commercial market for it, once word got around."

In 1989, Leonard bought a used, but fairly new factory-built apple press for about half the $15,000 it would have cost him for a new one. Each year, the Isaacs set aside one day per week for making cider. The press is kept running for a period of five months - from the time local apples begin to ripen in late summer, to just after Christmas. From their efforts, the family adds 15-20 per cent to their dairy farming income each year.

The Isaacs produce two types of cider -- that sold commercially, which is made from imported apples, and the custom press variety for anyone who brings their own apples to the Isaacs to be pressed as cider and bottled for personal consumption. Apple Junction offers custom pressing services for the modest fee of .25 per litre or $1 per jug, to anyone who grows their own apples or crab-apples.

With the help of their two sons, Marcus and Brent, the Isaacs press fresh apple cider from Manitoba-grown apples during the summer and early fall. Custom pressing has become increasingly popular over the past couple of years, as families throughout the region hear by word of mouth about the tasty, nutritious and inexpensive beverage that can be produced from their own backyard crops. Once pressed, the cider can be frozen to preserve freshness, if not to be consumed within a short while.

In October, the Isaacs begin pressing apples that are imported from B.C. This cider is sold commercially in plastic jugs. The resulting elixir is of medium sweetness -- a blend of Macintosh, Spartan, and Delicious apples. "When I make cider for myself, I prefer a sweeter flavor, so I use only Spartans," says Isaac -- who also says the tartness of the cider produced from the Manitoba Kerr and other local varieties can be reduced if the apples are picked following a mild frost.

There is virtually no waste from any of the apples. The apple pulp, filled with flavor and nutrients, is pressed into pallets and sold to a neighboring farmer who feeds it to his wild boars. The pulp is also excellent feed for cattle or chickens ... page 2.

[ Top of Page ]