Adam's Apples

As a particularly leonine March prepares to make its traditionally agnine exit, the apple trees are laying their plans to blossom and fruit. Before there are apples, there are buds.

Craft apple cider—hard, with a kick—is experiencing a renaissance in North America. Modern sensibilities and techniques have engendered what may just be American cider's golden age, its biggest comeback since Prohibition. This explosion of drinkable fruit has engendered a growing cohort of cider blogs. Indeed there are more blogs about cider than apples. Most are less than two years old. These bloggers join cider aficionados from Britain and beyond who’ve put a few more pints under their belts. Join me for a taste of web-based cider news and reviews.

Some orchards grow more than apples. In the past few years I've noticed banks of high-tech photovoltaic arrays at many orchards in Massachusetts. This technology converts sunlight to electricity. Solar barn at Red Apple Farm in Massachusetts Apple farms are turning to the sun to power their chilling and other operations, selling any excess to the power grid. But when I travel to the orchards of New Hampshire, there is not a solar cell to be seen.

It is winter in Massachusetts, where I live. Since the start of the year only one day in five has cracked the freezing point of water. We've got snow in the forecast, and the snow will fall on the snows of older storms. Before there are apples, there are buds.