Cider Making on the Farm

Cider Making on the Farm

Sunday, October 10^th 1 to 3 p.m. at the Time and the Valleys Museum

Cider Making on the 1930s Catskill Farm will be held Sunday, October 10^th 1 to 3 p.m. at the Museum on St. Rt. 55 (332 Main Street) Grahamsville, Sullivan County, NY.  A great old fashioned fall activity – experience old time cider making with a hand cider press!

Restored by Museum Trustee David Forshay, the hand press will press fresh local apples after they have been grinded in an old time grinder. The old time apple pressing process and its importance on family farms will be discussed, and a cider making historical display can be explored. All of the buildings on the 1930s Catskill Farm will be open for visitors, including the farm house, barn, milk house, electric plant and working waterwheel building with educational and interactive activities and guided tours.

Cider making has a long history, and was important on any farm that had an apple orchard. Since the safety of drinking water was still a concern in early America, cider continued to be the best choice. Early settlers also believed cider aided in the prevention of many illnesses and helped them live a long life.

Admission:  Members are free, and non-members: $5 for adults and $2 for children. Includes the cider making demonstration, admission to the 1930s Lost Catskill Farm and to the Museum’s three floors of interactive exhibitions.

For more information call 845 985-7700, e-mail info@timeandthevalleysmuseum.org or visit www.timeandthevalleysmuseum.org. To schedule a group tour for children or adults, please call 845-985-7700.

About the Time and the Valleys Museum:  Connecting Water People and the Catskills, the Museum is currently open by appointment and during programs. Located at 332 Main Street in Grahamsville (St. Rt. 55), Sullivan County, admission for adults is a suggested donation of $5, children under 16 $2, and children under six are free.

Museum exhibitions are interactive and both fun and educational for all ages: 

• Water and the Valleys, an exhibit on the history of the Rondout and Neversink watershed area from early geological times to the 20^th century. This exhibition includes interactives such as a Native American artifact guessing game, grinding corn with a mortar and pestle, videos and more.
• Tunnels, Toil and Trouble: New York City’s Quest for Water and the Rondout-Neversink Story, an interactive exhibit on NYC water supply system and the towns that were removed to build the system, which includes computer interactives, games, puzzles, videos and building a dam and tunnel.
• 1930s Lost Catskill Farm, a farmhouse, outhouse, barn, electric plant, milk house and working waterwheel help visitors experience life in the 1930s through displays, videos, games and hands on activities.
• New!  One Teacher, Eight Grades, One Room an exhibition on one room schools in the Tri-Valley area.

The Time and the Valleys Museum is proud to be a Blue Star Museum, a collaboration between the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and over 1,500 museums across America to provide free admission to active duty military members (with ID) and up to five family members.  This free admission for members of the military and their families runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.