Podcasts about craft cider

Huck and Big Nate are shaking things up this week on #BrewsdayTuesday and branching out from beers to ciders! Round 2 has the gents trying out some ciders from Sycamore and Potter's Craft Cider.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan Cider: The Great Cider State with Paula Englin Michigan has earned its place as a leader in the cider industry, boasting the highest number of hard cider businesses in the U.S. In this episode, Paula Englin, Executive Director of the Michigan Cider Association, discusses the state's growth in cider, the role of education, and how Michigan cider makers are shaping the industry with events like the well known cider competition GLINTCAP – Great Lakes International Cider and Perry competition. MCA Executive Director Paula Englin With nearly 195 cider businesses and a thriving community, Michigan truly is The Great Cider State Growing Michigan Cider: Collaboration & Education The Michigan Cider Association was founded over a decade ago to bring cider makers together, advocate for legislative needs, and expand consumer awareness. Today, the association focuses on education, providing opportunities for cider makers at all levels—from home enthusiasts to large-scale producers. One of the recent big initiatives has been working with the Cider Institute, formely known as the Cider Institute of North America (CINA), to offer subsidized cider education. Michigan cider makers have benefited from foundational courses, cider guide certifications for taproom staff, and marketing efforts that drive cider sales across the state. Mapping Michigan's Cider Scene Michigan's unique geography, shaped by the Great Lakes, creates an ideal environment for growing apples. Many cider makers source their fruit locally, often within 30 minutes of their production sites. Here's how the cider landscape breaks down: To use this Hand Map – Hold up your left hand, palm facing outward, with fingers together and thumb extended—this mimics Michigan's Lower Peninsula, often called “The Mitten,” with Detroit near the base of the thumb and Traverse City near the tip of your pinky. Metro Detroit (Thumb region) – A hub for orchards and cideries, home to well-known producers. Southwest Michigan (Pinky side of the mitten) – A mix of wineries and cideries, taking advantage of the region's wine industry crossover. Grand Rapids & the Fruit Ridge (Center of the mitten) – A major apple-growing region supplying cideries statewide. Traverse City (Top of the mitten) – A destination for cider lovers, known for high-quality cider apples and innovative makers. Cider Events That Put Michigan on the Map Michigan's cider industry thrives on consumer engagement, and events play a major role in getting more people to appreciate and support local cider. Michigan Apple Festival (Sparta, MI) – A harvest celebration featuring local apple growers, cider producers, and even an apple peeling contest! Cider Week Grand Rapids (May 9-17, 2025) – A week of cider-focused events, including pairing dinners, tap takeovers, and a board game night at House Rules in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids Wine, Beer & Food Festival – Showcasing a variety of Michigan ciders to educate new consumers and cider fans alike. GLINTCAP: Great Lakes International Cider and Perry competition Michigan is also home to GLINTCAP (Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition), the world's largest cider competition. Paula now oversees the event, which continues to grow, introducing a low and no-ABV category for the first time in 2025. One major shift? Judging is now fully digital, improving feedback delivery and accuracy. The competition also expanded international accessibility, making it easier for cider makers worldwide to participate. Contant the Michigan Cider Association Website: https://michiganciders.com/ Mentions in this Cider Chat Totally Cider Tour to the UK – send an email to info@ciderchat.com to get on the wait list for spots opening on this 2025 tour taking place August 25-31, 2025 and future cider tours. Letter from Patron Rod – Become a patron of Cider Chat via Cider Chat Patreon Stone Ridge Orchard May Wassail – follow on Instagram Episode 296 Bauman's |Oregon's Destination Farm Cidery

We're shaking things up with a cider episode this week! Jimmy is back at Roberta's with a special guest who he has known since the early days of Cider Week NYC and Jimmys No. 43. Diane Flynt, author of Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South, joins Jimmy to talk all about her apples and making great cider. The two will recount the trajectory of craft cider over the years, and Diane will introduce us to the story of apples in the south with a special reading from her book. Also in the studio today is Kerrie Orrell Ellison to share some stories about picking apples with Diane, and how Diane has taught her to love apples rather than just enjoy them…Pour up your favorite craft cider and tune in! Photo courtesy of Stacey Sprenz Photography. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.

Traditional orchards are a “priority habitat” according to the Government's Biodiversity Action Plan. In this episode, Neil is led through one such orchard by farmer JUSTIN WEEKES and his father, whose Ridge & Furrow Cider farm has won awards both for its sweet craft cider, and for the wildlife that the orchards support.In this interview: what a ‘ridge and furrow' orchard means (2m07s); Justin's approach to grazing in the orchard (6m10s); the perils of drinking alcohol after being stung by bees (8m43s); biodiversity on the farm (11m03s); their thoughts on fertilisers (13m28s); Neil meets their cattle (18m40s); Neil finds out how the cider is made (21m45s).Visit the Ridge & Furrow Cider Farm websiteRead about the Biodiversity Action Plan's Priority HabitatsLearn about the countryside stewardship scheme of which Justin's farm is a part Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen as DreZ and Big Nate try out some big ciders from Hawk Knob Appalachian Hard Cider and Potter's Craft Cider and DreZ gives an update on his world record attempt. #BrewsdayTuesdaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of The DC Beer Show. Michael Stein, Brandy Holder, Jacob Berg, and Jordan Harvey discuss their beverage preferences for Thanksgiving, dive into their favorite brands and types of beverages, and even their plans to find the perfect table beer. The highlight of the episode is, of course, their esteemed guest, Andy Hannas. Andy heads up cider making at Potter's Craft Cider in Charlottesville, Virginia. Mike and Andy delve deep into the history of this pioneering cidery, the changes in the apple and agriculture industry, the influence of seltzers, and get specific about their wide range of flavor offerings.Brandy, Jacob, Jordan, and Mike will also share what they're currently drinking, and cover some new releases from Denizen's, including a bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout and a Scottish wee heavy with coffee!Finally, they wrap up the episode with an update on some upcoming events in the DMV. Buckle up for this hoppy ride! Thanks to our monthly supporters Greg Parnas Frank Chang Mikahl Tolton Kim Klyberg Chris Girardot Alyssa jeffrey katz Andrew MacWilliams Jamie Jackson Meegan Mike Rucki Jason Tucker Nick Gardner Amber Farris Sarah Ray Peter Jones Michael Rafky Brad Stengel Matt Winterhalter Bill and Karen Butcher Jordan Harvey Justin Broady Thor Cheston Stephen Claeys Julie Verratti Bill DeBaun

On today's episode, we sit down with the remarkable Colin Schilling, CEO, Co-Founder, and Master Cider Maker at Schilling Cider! We delve into the bold decision to leave a position at Microsoft and embark on a thrilling adventure in the realm of cider-making. Discover how Colin's deep ancestral ties provided the driving force behind this daring leap into the unknown. At Schilling Cider, a labor of love and dedication, Colin brings to life an age-old craft with a modern twist. We invite you to indulge in their exceptional fresh pressed cider and learn more about this delightful alternative to the mass-produced sugar water found on most shelves today! Stick around to the end to hear our thoughts on the Cubs moves at the MLB Trade Deadline.

In this episode of the Vintners podcast, Aleks Zecevic interviews Erik Longabardi and Benford Lepley of Floral Terranes in Long Island. These two Long Island natives, have been exploring the remnants of the once vast agricultural land in the suburbs of New York City. Their project is an act of agricultural, but also cultural preservation. They made their first commercial ciders in 2017 from essentially foraged apples around the region.  In 2019 they also started focusing on wine. And all these beverages are being made in Erik's garage in Rosyln, Long Island. They are redefining what it means to be a garage cidery/winery and through their ciders and wines, they are exploring infrastructural and agricultural history of Long Island.

To celebrate Cider Season, this week we're talking with the Founder & President of Original Sin Cider, Gidon Coll, as well as Damin Sawyer, the creator of Bone N' Bottle Reviews. Together they discuss how the sweetness of early cider imports led Gidon to start Original Sin back in 1996, and reminisce about the early iterations of Cider Week.  Gidon also shares some of the secrets for making a great fruited cider using his own "Black Widow", a blackberry cider, as one example, and illuminates some of the guiding principles he uses to run his own apple orchard. If you're in the Boston area on November 12th, check out Cider Feast.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast

The inspiration behind Cider Planet With author Claude Jolicoeur on this newest book that is being released on September 23, 2022. Claude has authored to previous books on cider. Du pommier au cidre The New Cider Maker's Handbook Cider Planet: Exploring the Producers, Practices, and Unique Traditions of Craft Cider and Perry from Around In this Chat we discuss Who is Cider Planet written for? Cider Curious, Makers commercial or amateur? What readers can expect from Cider Planet How is the book laid out? Is there a key region that is propelling cider forward or is it a combination of regions What do you hope readers take away from this book? Do you have a favorite style of cider? What is it? Past Cider Chat Episode with Claude Jolicoeur Episode 153: Journey to the World's largest Apple Tree Claude here is wearing a traditional jacket as worn by men in Kazakhstan. Contact Claude Jolicoeur website: http://www.cjoliprsf.ca/ Support  Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Mentions in this Chat CiderDays 2.0 November 4th & 5th, 2022 Calvados and American Apple Brandy Guided Tasting November 4th CiderDays 2.0 Cider Dinner November 5, 2022 Episode 328 with Chef Paul and Episode 329 with Judith Maloney Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

What recourse do we have except to simply pursue this August 5 in the best manner possible? On this Blogger Day, I celebrate with another installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and podcast intended to shed light on various happenings in and around the area. I’m the writer and host, Sean Tubbs. What are you writing these days? Sign-up for free, but paid subscriptions come with benefits and the satisfaction you’re helping pay for the PACER bills! Ting will match. See below! On today’s program: The former Commissioner of Revenue in Greene County has been sentenced to three months in federal prison for attempted witness tamperingUnemployment drops to pre-pandemic levelsCharlottesville seeks input on what kind of person should be the next police chiefAlbemarle Supervisors endorse a pan for improvements on Rio Road but one member says that doesn’t mean final decisions have been madeCharlottesville City Council is briefed on the preparation for the next fiscal year First shout-out goes to the Charlottesville Jazz Society In today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement, are you looking for something new to listen to in the form of live music? The Charlottesville Jazz Society has you covered with an ongoing list of dozens of events coming up at venues across the area. That ranges from rumba guitar duo Berta & Vincent at Glass House Winery this Saturday afternoon to the Charles Owen Trio at Potter’s Craft Cider on Saturday, August 28. The Charlottesville Jazz Society is your source to plot out your musical journey and you can get started at cvillejazz.org. Thanks to a subscriber for being on both Patreon and Substack to qualify for this shout-out.Greene’s former Commissioner of Revenue sentenced in witness tampering caseThe former Commissioner of Revenue in Greene County has been sentenced to three months in federal prison for intervening in an investigation of his son’s drug distribution charges. Larry Snow, 73, pleaded guilty in May to one count of attempted witness tampering for trying to dissuade a confidential informant. “According to court documents, Larry Snow used his access as the former Commissioner of Revenue to a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) database as part of an effort to retaliate against and tamper with the confidential informant, Person A, after Person A aided law enforcement in controlled purchases of methamphetamine and heroin from Bryant Snow,” according to a release from the United State Attorney for Western District of Virginia. Specifically, the elder Snow sought to print out material identifying the informant for his son to use to intimidate and to discredit that person while incarcerated at Central Virginia Regional Jail. Snow resigned in May 2022 as Commissioner of the Revenue in Greene, having been elected in 2019 while under indictment. National employment returns to pre-pandemic levelsThere were 528,000 nonfarm jobs added across the United States of America in July, according to the latest employment figures released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate is at 3.5 percent. “Both total nonfarm employment and the unemployment rate have returned to their February 2020 pre-pandemic levels,” reads a release that was sent out this morning. The report also notes that the number of permanent job losers is now lower than February 2020. The long-term unemployed is defined as those jobless for more than 27 weeks, and that figure is also below pre-pandemic levels. Other statistics in the release are worth noting. In July, 7.1 percent of the workforce continued to telecommute due to the pandemic. The labor force participation rate is defined as “the percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and older that is working or actively looking for work.” That figure was at 62.1 percent in July, lower than the February 2020 figure of 63.4 percent. The next employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics will be out September 2. Charlottesville seeking input on police chief searchHow much experience should the next Charlottesville Police Chief have? What leadership qualities would you like to see? What should the police department leader’s top priority be?Those are some of the questions in a survey that the firm POLIHIRE is conducting as part of their contract to conduct a search for the next chief. The survey is open through August 15 and is available in English and Spanish. (fill out the survey)The person hired will replace Acting Chief of Police LaTroy A. Durrette who has been in the position since former City Manager Chip Boyles fired RaShall Brackney after three years on the job. Brackney sued the city and several individuals for race, color, and gender discrimination, as well as interference with contract, unlawful retaliation, violation of the state’s whistleblower statute, and more. According to a series of waivers filed in the case, all defendants have until sixty days after July 1 to respond to the case. Albemarle Supervisors endorse Rio Road Corridor PlanThe Albemarle Board of Supervisors has officially endorsed a plan that offers guidance for how future intersection improvements on Rio Road may look in the future. “This is a planning level document that establishes a vision for improvements along the corridor with sufficient analysis of the conceptual design to understand whether the proposed concepts can address future and existing conditions and can meet [Virginia Department of Transportation] and other relevant engineering standards,” said David Benish, development process manager for Albemarle County. The county hired the civil engineering firm Line + Grade to develop the plans. Supervisors were last briefed on the work last October and the Planning Commission saw the draft in May. The work was split into two sections to reflect two different roadway characters. “Phase one is very much an arterial roadway [with] five lanes with a continuous left-hand turn lane in the middle,”  said Dan Hyer with Line + Grade. “Whereas phase two still resembles in many locations the local collector that it is. It’s very much a local road.” Hyer said the work involved analyzing crash data such as at the intersection of Hillsdale Drive and Rio Road. Eighty-nine percent of crashes at the location are left-hand turns. As such, recommended changes are to eliminate that movement at Hillsdale, Old Brook and Northfield. “The solution that we have recommended basically absolves all left-hand turn movements by replacing the two intersections with a singular dog-bone or bean-shaped roundabout,” Hyer said.  Belvedere Drive and Rio Road would be turned into a “Continuous Green-T” intersection and Albemarle has applied for funding. A roundabout is funded at John Warner Parkway and Rio Road and that will soon get under design. The second phase of the project is broken into three segments, with the northern one including two planned developments. The Board of Supervisors approved the 328 Rio Point apartment complex last December, and an application has been filed for 43 town homes just to the south in a project called Rio Commons. “And we think that if those developments can work with this plan that the corridor can transform in a positive way and that some of the risks that we’ve identified can be mitigated through the build-out of these developments,” Hyer said. Supervisor Ned Gallaway of the Rio District was the lone vote against the Rio Point development last December. He said he was concerned about more people in the area.“As we approve the sidewalks and the access down to the Parkway, we’re only creating more pedestrian activity and that’s going to introduce a vehicular piece which is going to be really dangerous so I think we need to get our heads around that sooner rather than later,” Gallaway said.Gallaway said his endorsement of the plan did not mean that he supported the specific recommendations involved. He said there is a competing plan to reroute Hillsdale Drive that would take away the need for the bean-shaped roundabout. “We know that that intersection is completely problematic and needs a solution but it just may not be the solution that’s in the study so if we vote to approve the study, it doesn’t mean we’re necessarily voting to approve that project,” Gallaway said. As for phase two, Gallaway said he would like to see more traffic calming to slow down the speed of traffic, similar to the bump-outs on Park Street in the City of Charlottesville between the U.S. 250 bypass and downtown. Gallaway said he was grateful staff was able to work to get the corridor study done. The vote to endorse the plan was unanimous and it will now be considered as part of the update of the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan, otherwise known as AC44.Second shout-out: Save the date for Rivanna Conservation Alliance’s Community Watershed clean-upIn today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out: Mark your calendar for RCA’s third annual Rivanna River Round-Up community watershed cleanup coming up on Saturday, September 24. The RCA organized the first round-up in September 2020 as a safe way for the community to give back to the river during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last two years, a total of 245 volunteers have cleaned up 67 miles of streams, nearby trails and the Rivanna River, removing 192 tires and 213 large bags of trash from the waterways. Details will soon be made available and you can get those by signing up for the Rivanna Conservation Alliance newsletter at rivannariver.org. You can get your own shout-out for a $25 a month Patreon contribution! For more information, visit Information Charlottesville.Charlottesville City Council briefed on planning for next year’s budget Fiscal Year 2023 is just over a month old, but the budget process in Virginia never really stops as local governments seek to provide services. In April, Council adopted a $212.9 million general fund budget that was 10.76 percent higher than the one for the year before. That’s built on increased assessments for both real estate and personal property as well as a one-cent increase in the real estate tax rate. That was the first such increase in several decades. There are about 30 weeks until whoever is City Manager in March 2023 presents a recommended budget and 36 weeks until Council is expected to adopt their amended document. Council got a briefing this past Monday and learned about some of the factors coming up and some suggested the schedule be moved up. (view the presentation)Will the budget continue to grow at a double-digit level, or will it be more modest? How much will it cost to implement pay and benefit increases that may come through a collective bargaining ordinance? What about the cost of inflation? While the answers aren’t yet known, the foundation is being laid for whatever will end up happening. At the end of August, city departments will be sent packets to request funds for capital projects and these will be due by the early October. There’s at least one change to that process.“We’re going to include a Planning Commission member on the review team,” said Krissy Hammill, the city’s director of budget and performance analysis.Requests from nonprofits and outside agencies are due sometime in mid-October and recommendations from the Vibrant Community team will be completed in mid-January. Also around that time will be another change to the budget process.“It’s called the city manager budget forum,” Hammill said. “The date for this will be January 10 and it will be held at Carver Recreation Center. This will be an opportunity for the city manager to make a presentation and to engage in public discussion.”Hammill said the growth in the budget for next year is expected to be more modest than the 10.76 percent increase from FY22 to FY23. She’s also keeping an eye on inflation.“We already know that there are cost increases that we’re seeing both just in general things as well as capital projects due to supply chain issues and inflation,” Hammill said. “We’re not sure of what exactly what the revenue impact would be for a potential recession if there to be one.” There will likely be higher compensation costs for city employees due to collective bargaining as well as a need to carry on the ongoing costs of positions funded using one-time money. Between now and the budget adoption, Council may have an updated strategic plan paid for through the city’s use of American Rescue Plan Act funding. “The time is right,” said interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers. “In doing the strategic plan right, we’ll get a consultant to engage you individually and collectively over the next few months and by the time we get to April, we ought to have a new direction or at least some themes.”City Councilor Michael Payne said he wanted to make sure there is funding to address a human resources phenomenon known as compression, funding for climate, and for city investment in nonprofits to build subsidized housing. “How can we get our adopted Affordable Housing Plan and that $10 million a year into a more stable place in terms of how we’ll fund it at $10 million a year which is what the plan calls for,” Payne said. Payne also wants to make sure there is funding to invest in public transportation. Rogers said a compensation study is expected to be completed by the end of the year. “That will tell us where we are compared to other jurisdictions in the region in terms of our salaries,” Rogers said. “It will define a competitiveness gap.”The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors were briefed on their compensation study on Wednesday. Rogers said the August 15 Council work session will feature a presentation of the collective bargaining ordinance followed by a first reading on September 6 with adoption currently anticipated on September 19. “And we expect that there will be a push to begin to recognize collective bargaining units after that,” Rogers said. Another direction to budget staff is to reexamine a policy where 40 percent of new revenues created by additional real estate taxes goes to Charlottesville City Schools. Some on the current Council have called for that agreement to be revisited, and Rogers said budget staff would look into it and begin preliminary discussions with the school system.“And at some point the Council probably should have that meeting with schools to discuss an issue like this,” Rogers said.As for increased spending on public transit, Rogers said current planning by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District is relevant. A governance study for how to implement a proposed Regional Transit Vision is about to get underway.“The long term play is probably the discussion about a regional transit agency, and what are the dynamics that need to be in place for us to move that forward,” Rogers said. “It’s been talked about a long time.” The current calendar calls for the second public hearing on the budget to be held on April 3, 2023 and for adoption at a special meeting on April 11. City Councilor Sena Magill said she wanted to adjust the schedule so that the final public hearing does not happen during the week City Schools are on spring break. “And it’s just one more way that it makes it harder for some people to serve on Council,” Magill said. Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook said he would like to see the budget process moved up further so that Council could have more influence. The budget is introduced to the public the first week of every March. “There are places, particularly in Northern Virginia, where Council is involved in budget discussions by mid-December,” Snook said. “They’re not waiting until February or March and the practical effect of what we do is that our opportunity for actually commenting on things is compressed into about four weeks.” Snook said he would like to see the budget introduced in early February. Rogers said he would look into seeing if that could be accomplished, but it would leave for no break at all for budget staff. Hammill suggested holding budget development work sessions when needed. One such work session that comes to mind is the one last September when Council signaled its willingness to transfer a financial commitment for the West Main Streetscape toward school reconfiguration. That gave staff direction as they built the FY23 budget.Payne pointed out that Albemarle County has adopted their budget in May for the past two years. Rogers and Hammill said they would return with more options. For all of my stories on the budget process in Charlottesville, visit Information Charlottesville.Housekeeping notes for edition #416When will the next installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement? Good question. I can tell you there will be a Week Ahead out on Sunday as well as the Government Glance which is a look at what’s coming up in all of the localities across the Fifth Congressional District of Virginia. Reporting for today’s installment included a look-up on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records to learn a little more about the lawsuit filed by the former Police Chief. Today’s search only cost $2, but this is the kind of cost it takes to produce informational content that intends to keep you up to date. So, if you’re like to support this program which includes expenses like court reporting, consider a paid subscription through Substack. If do so, Ting will match your initial payment! And, if you sign up for their services through this link you’ll get a free standard install, your 2nd month free, and a $75 downtown mall gift card! Enter the promo code COMMUNITY for full effect. Music comes from the D.C. entity that currently goes by the name Wraki, selected randomly from a bin of basement-recorded cassette tapes. You can support that work by purchasing the album Regret Everything for whatever you would like to pay. Now, off to prepare for a trip to a different location in which I will continue to produce a couple editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement. It’s my pleasure to do so and I do hope you will help support me to keep this going for a long time come. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Cider makers are bringing the same amount of complexity and art to their craft as winemakers are known for.

The number of craft cideries have grown more than 10-fold since 2010.

Flag Day. National Bourbon Day. World Blood Donor Day. Monkey Around Day? These are some of the potential ways to mark June 14, the 165th day of 2022. What you choose today is up to you, but I do hope you’ll take a look or a listen at this installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a program that also wants you to make sure you know that some consider this is also National Pop Goes The Weasel Day. Now, where can I find some tupenny rice and some treacle?Know people interested in transit issues? Send them this particular edition of the newsletter so they can find out about the Regional Transit Vision plansOn today’s program:Details on the next steps for a second lawsuit to force a House of Delegates election this yearAlbemarle and Charlottesville’s elected bodies each take a look at the Regional Transit Vision plansGovernor Youngkin announces a series of grants to help increase capacity fo small agricultural producers, such as a water-powered mill in Nelson CountyAnd Albemarle County releases a report on climate vulnerability and risksToday’s first shout-out: ACHS to provide update on Race and Sports projectIn today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society continues work gathering stories for their project Race and Sports: Athletics and Desegregation in Central Virginia. Tonight at 7 p.m. they will provide an update on Facebook Live and Zoom with two people who lived through the era. Garwin DeBerry graduated from Burley High School in 1965 and Steve Runkle graduated from Lane High School in 1960. They will be sharing how the families, neighborhoods, and communities in which they grew up shaped their experiences and of school desegregation. Tune in to the ACHS event on Race and Sports tonight at 7 p.m. (Zoom registration)Status hearing held for new lawsuit seeking House of Delegates election this NovemberThe state of Virginia has until June 24 to file a motion to dismiss a new lawsuit that seeks the Commonwealth to hold an election for the House of Delegates this year. Richmond resident Jeffrey Thomas Jr. filed a federal suit in the Eastern District of Virginia last week that picks up similar arguments made by Richmond attorney Paul Goldman for why some think the House districts currently in place are unconstitutional. Goldman’s suit was dismissed for lack of standing nearly a year after he filed. Thomas and representatives from the Virginia Attorney General’s office were in court yesterday for a status update in the case. Judge David Novak issued an order requiring both parties to file a joint stipulation of facts by June 17. Thomas will have eight days to respond to whatever the state of Virginia files. The state will have five days to respond. No date has been set for another hearing. For more information, read coverage in the Virginia Mercury. Albemarle County releases climate vulnerability assessmentOne item on tomorrow’s agenda for the Albemarle Board of Supervisors is a 176-page document that identifies how the county and its residents will be affected by shifting weather patterns. The Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment looks ahead to how extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and flooding may affect the area. There’s also the threat a changing climate will bring new pests that will affect crops. (read the document)The assessment is a step toward developing a climate resilience plan.“Some of the changes are unavoidable and even while we try to mitigate and reduce the severity of climate change, we also need to prepare for some of those impacts,” said Gabe Dayley, Albemarle’s climate protection coordinator. Dayley said the climate action plan is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet regional goals to be carbon neutral and fossil free by 2050. He made his comments on the Let’s Talk podcast produced by Albemarle’s communications and public engagement department. “Our vulnerability and risk assessment looks at the kinds of specific local weather changes that we can expect,” Dayley said. “Things like increasingly intense and long heat waves or sudden and more severe rainstorms that lead to flash flooding.” Visit the county’s website to hear more. The report was put together with support and work from the Piedmont Environmental Council. In disclosure, that group is a sponsor of the Week Ahead newsletter. Water-powered grain mill in Nelson gets support from AFID grantThis is Ag Week in Virginia, and Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced the latest recipients of the state Agriculture and Forestry Industry Development grant program. The program provides matching grants to small agricultural producers such as Potter’s Craft Cider which used a $50,000 grant as part of a package to move operations into Neve Hall off of U.S. 29 in 2019. This time around the grants focus on infrastructure. Nelson County requested financial assistance for Deep Roots Milling to upgrade a water-powered grain mill built in the late 18th century. According to the press release, the $22,500 in state funds will help pay for a new sifting room and new bagging equipment. Other recipients include $25,000 for Piedmont Processing of Gordonsville in Orange County to add more cooling space for its slaughterhouse, $25,000 for barge to serve a collective of oyster farms in Northampton County, and $9,000 for a commercial kitchen expansion in Bedford County. Read the press release for more information.  Today’s second goes to WTJU and the Radio Relics project In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out:  This year, WTJU 91.1 FM turns 65 and to mark the occasion, there’s a new micro-museum exhibition this summer! Radio Relics traces WTJU’s storied history of broadcasting for our community. As part of our 65th anniversary celebrations, WTJU has curated photos, artifacts, and t-shirts – so many t-shirts! – spanning more than six decades.The exhibition is free and will be open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 3 through July 29. The museum space is a renovated, vintage camper parked behind WTJU’s studios at 2244 Ivy Road in Charlottesville. WTJU’s Radio Relics exhibition shows off some of the artifacts collected over the years, many contributed by former WTJU General Manager Chuck Taylor.  In fact, there’s even a new initiative to raise money through the Chuck Taylor Fund for WTJU History. Contact General Manager Nathan Moore to learn more. Or donate today!Albemarle and Charlottesville officials weigh in on Regional Transit Vision Consultants hired by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission are moving into the second phase of a community engagement effort for a $350,000 plan to create a regional transit vision to make public transportation a more attractive option. They have developed both a constrained plan that would anticipate around $26 million funds that might be generated through becoming a regional transportation authority with taxation power, as well as one that assumed funding would be found to increase the frequency of service. That has an estimated $70 million price tag. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors had their review on June 1. “These concepts are here to help you imagine and understand what kind of outcomes are available at two different levels of investment,” said Scudder Wagg of Jarret Walker + Associates. This work will be completed before a second study will begin on how transit operations should be governed in the future.“So this transit vision study really is identifying the potential improvements to the regional transit system and establishing that long term goal and plan vision and the governance study is really what are the steps to get to that vision that we’ve defined,” said Tim Brulle of AECOM. He’s the project manager for the vision plan. The idea in both visions is to increase how often buses move through the community. “Frequency means freedom effectively,” Wagg said. “The more frequent service is, the much shorter the wait is, the much likelier you are to get somewhere soon.”Wagg said at the moment, around 60 percent of residents of urban Albemarle and Charlottesville are close to some transit service, but only about 15 percent are close to frequent service. Both visions expand the number of areas covered by on-demand service where people can call for service on the same day. Currently, a ride on Jaunt has to be booked a day in advance. But in general, the plan without identified funding would increase service. The unconstrained vision would seek to increase fixed-route service to seven days a week from morning into the evening. “One of the key things that is likely to significantly improve access to opportunity, particularly for people who work in retail, service, and hospital jobs where many people have to work evenings and many people have to work Sundays,” Wagg said. “Those types of jobs where if you aren’t there for them on Sunday, they have to have a car and therefore have to incur the high costs of owning a car.” Supervisor Ann Mallek is the sole elected official left from an effort in the late 2000’s to create a regional transit authority. She wanted to make clear the community tried once before for a sales tax to fund increased transit, but a referendum did not make it out of the General Assembly. “Money doesn’t just appear when we don’t have the authority to raise it,” Mallek said. Supervisor Ned Gallaway said service along urban corridors in his district needs to be frequent to accommodate the new units that have been approved during his tenure, such as the Rio Point project that got the okay last December. He pointed out proponents argued transit could help mitigate traffic congestion.“Over a thousand units, 1,300, 1,400 units that are going to build out there, and if they’re sitting on a sixty-minute transit line, that’s not going to work,” Gallaway said. Gallaway said the on-demand transit pilot that Albemarle will begin next year will go a long way to helping determine what the county needs.Supervisors Bea LaPisto-Kirtley and Diantha McKeel had already seen the presentation because the Jefferson Area Regional Transit Partnership got a briefing in late May. McKeel wanted clarification on the role the University of Virginia Transit System would play in the vision. “We tend to think about UVA as doing their own thing,” McKeel said. “That’s what they’ve done for years with their students and faculty and staff. Having said that, I know they are working really hard with us at the regional transit partnership about coming together on transit in this community.” Wagg said that the unconstrained vision anticipates more involvement by UVA. “There is an obvious and enormous transit demand within and around a university and the Grounds at UVA needs really a high frequency service within a pretty limited space so it is understandable they run their own service,” Wagg said. Wagg said an idea in the unconstrained vision is to trade resources with UVA. For instance, a  Bus Rapid Transit system similar to the Pulse in Richmond could travel down U.S. 29 and terminate somewhere on Emmet Street. “And then the University could run a more community service that serves the Grounds as a primary focus but also serves the community at large,” Wagg said. Charlottesville City Council had their review on June 6. The presentation was much the same as what Albemarle and the Regional Transit Partnership saw, but Wagg repeated why having to wait on a bus that comes once an hour is an obstacle.“Relying on service every 60 minutes is extremely hard,” Wagg said. “You can think about relying on a 60 minute route is a little bit like if there was a gate at the end of your driveway that only opened once an hour. You had best be in your car with your coffee ready to go at 7 a.m. if you need to get out at 7 a.m. to get to work. And if you miss it, then you are not leaving until 8 a.m.” Wagg reminded Council that many of the current CAT routes do not operate on Sunday. City Councilor Brian Pinkston said the unconstrained vision is compelling and certainly appeared to be more attractive. But he expressed some skepticism. “This would be a great system to enact but how do we change behavior such that people would use it?” PInkston said. Wagg said if people have choices about how to get around, they’ll take transit. “A major reason people don’t take transit today is because it’s very unlikely to be useful to the trip they want to make,” Wagg said. For instance, Wagg said a trip from Pantops to the Piedmont Virginia Community College would take a very long time with multiple transfers. “Changing that dynamic of ‘will someone choose to ride’ is making it far more likely that the trip that they look up will be reasonably competitive to take transit,” Wagg said. Vice Mayor Juandiego Wade said he was concerned that outreach efforts have not been robust.“I’m just afraid that you may get input from the same people and we kind of know what it is,” Wade said. “We’ve got to do a better job of getting input. I can tell you if this is all you’re going to do, I can assure you of what we’re going to get.” Extra service will mean extra drivers, and Councilor Michael Payne said their needs must be taken into consideration up front. “We can drop any plans or changes we want but if we don’t have sufficient drivers to run those routes, it won’t work,” Payne said. “I know we’re already seeing significant problems in being able to maintain frequency of our current routes because of a shortage of bus drivers.” Payne is another member of the Regional Transit Partnership. He said the unconstrained vision should be a goal, but a realistic approach needs to be taken. “How do we, once this is finalized, bring it back down to earth and figure out what are the level of investments we need to specifically plan for here in the city and what are the specific steps needed to start to get Jaunt, [Charlottesville Area Transit], and the University Transit Service working together to move to that Regional Transit Authority?” Payne said. And that’s where the governance study would come in. If there was to be a regional authority, that could also include surrounding counties. The Greene County Board of Supervisors gets their review of the plan tonight, and its the Fluvanna Board’s turn on Wednesday. The next step is a virtual meeting on June 23 in which the consultants will present both the constrained and unconstrained visions. There’s also a community survey that seeks to gather input on the unconstrained and constrained visions. What do you think? No use telling me. Fill out that survey!Support the show by checking out Ting!For over a year one year now, Town Crier Productions has had a promotional offering through Ting!Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. Your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCPThe same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. 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A love letter to Cider @PottersCider @CoeurWineCo @SBereziartua @tolosaldea @drewfamilywines @serendipitywines #cider #hardcider #cidermaking #ciderlover #radioshow #podcast Co hosts : Good ol Boy Dave, Good ol Boy Sean, Good ol Boy Mike, Good ol Boy Drew, and Good ol Gal Julieanna SUDS  Episode – Oh cider, how do we love thee, let me count the ways with these 5 excellent choices. We embrace our own version of opera man. Really he's available for birthday parties as well. Don't let the fact that you can't pronounce the name of these products to not choose them. We help Canada with a shortage of Maple Syrup and finding a national sport they can win. Curling for Canada!!! Great range of cider on this episode. We taste and rate the following cider from 1-5:   8:27       Órdago Iberiko Craft Basque Cider 6% ABV  Bereziartua Astigarraga, Gipuzkoa, SP   SUDS-4   18:55    Cornouaille Dry Cider – 5.5% ABV Cidrerie Manoir du Kinkiz, Quimper, Bretagne France  SUDS-5   30:51    Cider Nouveau – rosé-style cider fermented on Petit Verdot and Merlot grape skins from the King Family Vineyards, then aged in French oak Barrels.  9% ABV Potter's Craft Cider, Charlottesville, VA  SUDS-4   35:45    Sidra Natural Cider 6% ABV Isastegi Sagardotegia Cidery Tolosa, Guipúzcoa SP  SUDS-4   39:34    Sur La Mer Brut Cider 7.5% ABV  Drew Wines Elk, CA  SUDS-3   43:39    Iz Sagardoa Cider 6% ABV Izeta Goikoa Cidery.  Aia, Gipuzkoa SP  SUDS-5   47:58    Farmhouse Dry Cider using Gold Rush, Albemarle Pippin, and Old Virginia Winesap apples 8.4% ABV Potter's Craft Cider Charlottesville, VA SUDS-4   info@sipssudsandsmokes.com @sipssudssmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes™ is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. This episode was produced by Good ol Boy Dave and Good ol Gal Julieanna. Available on Apple & Google Podcasts, PRX, Spotify, Podbean, Soundcloud, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast. Check out Good ol Boy Dave on 60 Second Reviews https://www.instagram.com/goodoleboydave/ Enjoying that cool new Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here: https://amzn.to/2Xblorc The easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes”  Credits: TITLE: Maxwell Swing PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx   TITLE: Flapperjack PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx   TITLE: Back Roads PERFORMED BY: Woods & Whitehead COMPOSED BY: Terry Whitehead PUBLISHED BY: Terry Whitehead COURTESY OF: Terry Whitehead Post production services : Pro Podcast Solutions Advertising sales: Global, True Native Media Solutions, PodBean Content hosting services: PRX, NCRA, Radio4All, PodBean, Soundcloud

A love letter to Cider @PottersCider @CoeurWineCo @SBereziartua @tolosaldea @drewfamilywines @serendipitywines #cider #hardcider #cidermaking #ciderlover #radioshow #podcast Co hosts : Good ol Boy Dave, Good ol Boy Sean, Good ol Boy Mike, Good ol Boy Drew, and Good ol Gal Julieanna SUDS  Episode – Oh cider, how do we love thee, let me count the ways with these 5 excellent choices. We embrace our own version of opera man. Really he's available for birthday parties as well. Don't let the fact that you can't pronounce the name of these products to not choose them. We help Canada with a shortage of Maple Syrup and finding a national sport they can win. Curling for Canada!!! Great range of cider on this episode. We taste and rate the following cider from 1-5:   8:27       Órdago Iberiko Craft Basque Cider 6% ABV  Bereziartua Astigarraga, Gipuzkoa, SP   SUDS-4   18:55    Cornouaille Dry Cider – 5.5% ABV Cidrerie Manoir du Kinkiz, Quimper, Bretagne France  SUDS-5   30:51    Cider Nouveau – rosé-style cider fermented on Petit Verdot and Merlot grape skins from the King Family Vineyards, then aged in French oak Barrels.  9% ABV Potter's Craft Cider, Charlottesville, VA  SUDS-4   35:45    Sidra Natural Cider 6% ABV Isastegi Sagardotegia Cidery Tolosa, Guipúzcoa SP  SUDS-4   39:34    Sur La Mer Brut Cider 7.5% ABV  Drew Wines Elk, CA  SUDS-3   43:39    Iz Sagardoa Cider 6% ABV Izeta Goikoa Cidery.  Aia, Gipuzkoa SP  SUDS-5   47:58    Farmhouse Dry Cider using Gold Rush, Albemarle Pippin, and Old Virginia Winesap apples 8.4% ABV Potter's Craft Cider Charlottesville, VA SUDS-4   info@sipssudsandsmokes.com @sipssudssmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes™ is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. This episode was produced by Good ol Boy Dave and Good ol Gal Julieanna. Available on Apple & Google Podcasts, PRX, Spotify, Podbean, Soundcloud, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast. Check out Good ol Boy Dave on 60 Second Reviews https://www.instagram.com/goodoleboydave/ Enjoying that cool new Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here: https://amzn.to/2Xblorc The easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes”  Credits: TITLE: Maxwell Swing PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx   TITLE: Flapperjack PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx   TITLE: Back Roads PERFORMED BY: Woods & Whitehead COMPOSED BY: Terry Whitehead PUBLISHED BY: Terry Whitehead COURTESY OF: Terry Whitehead Post production services : Pro Podcast Solutions Advertising sales: Global, True Native Media Solutions, PodBean Content hosting services: PRX, NCRA, Radio4All, PodBean, Soundcloud

In this episode, we find ourselves in North Park at Bivouac Ciderworks which boasts one of the best cider taprooms in Southern California.

Welcome to January 4, which goes by many names. It’s National Trivia Day, according to nationaldaycalendar.com. It’s also National Spaghetti Day and National Missouri Day, two more pieces of information you might not necessarily need to know, but there you are. Another piece of information is that this is Charlottesville Community Engagement. Who is the host? Send me your best guess.Charlottesville Community Engagement is a service of Town Crier Productions that depends on contributions from readers and listeners. Sign up for free today and decide later if you’d like to support the show with a subscription.  On today’s show:A winter storm has caused various delays and power outages through the region with the effects still being felt this morningThe ARB seeks changes to a three-story self-storage building proposed at the intersection of U.S. 250 and Crozet Avenue The Blue Ridge Health District will hold a town hall on the pandemic tonight, and people between the age of 12 and 15 are now eligible for the Pfizer boosterGovernor Youngkin appoints more staff as well as key positions in veteran services Virginia sets up a mortgage relief fund Today’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for sixty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.”Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Camp Albemarle seeks support for a plan to winterize the Hamner Lodge, a structure built in 1941 by the CCC and used by every 4th and 5th grade student in Charlottesville and Albemarle for the study ecology for over 20 years. If this campaign is successful, Camp Albemarle could operate year-round. Consider your support by visiting their website to make a donation. Storm aftermathThousands of homes throughout the region continue to be without power a day after a winter storm charged through the area one day after temperatures in the sixties. Downed tree branches due to heavy snow have knocked out power lines. As of 9 a.m. this morning, Dominion Energy reported 21,152 customers without power in Albemarle and 4,619 customers in Charlottesville. Nearly all customers in Louisa remained without power as the sun rose. Around two-thirds of Fluvanna customers were without power. Consult their outage map for updated information. The storm canceled the meetings of both the Louisa County Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council. Louisa will meet tonight beginning at 5 p.m. to select a chair and vice chair before going into closed session. The new City Council will meet tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. to go into closed session before an open session scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Trash service in the city of Charlottesville was delayed yesterday and has been canceled for today. That will mean a two-day delay for city residents beginning tomorrow when Monday’s service will resume. The service week will conclude on Sunday. Learn more in this release.Elsewhere in Virginia, I-95 south of D.C. remains close at publication with reports of thousands of stranded drivers. That includes Senator Tim Kaine. Pandemic update: FDA approved Pfizer booster for 12+The omicron surge continues in Virginia with the Virginia Department of Health reporting another 15,449 new cases and the percent positivity statewide has now increased to 29.9 percent. The percent positivity in the Blue Ridge Health District is at 22.8 percent and there are 326 new cases. District officials will hold a virtual town hall meeting tonight beginning at 7 p.m. and the main topic is local guidance on new CDC rules related to quarantine and isolation following a diagnosis. (meeting info)On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in three ways. Individuals between the age of 12 and 15 will soon be able to get a single booster dose. They’ve also allowed a shortening of the time between completing the first two doses and the booster to a minimum of five months. Thirdly, children between five and 11 with certain immunocompromised conditions will also be able for a third shot of the primary series. According to a press release, the FDA analyzed data from Israel where the booster has been authorized for those between 12 and 15. They argue the data shows the benefits of protection from new variants outweighs the potential risks. Virginia Mortgage Relief If you or someone you know is having trouble paying your mortgage, the Commonwealth of Virginia has a new relief program. Applications are now open for the program, which follows on the heels of the Virginia Rent Relief Program. “The Commonwealth has implemented rent and mortgage relief programs through designated state and federal resources,” reads a press release from outgoing Governor Ralph Northam. “Combined, these programs have provided more than $519.5 million in 106,621 rent relief payments for more than 76,500 households across Virginia.”The funding source for the new program comes from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Homeowner’s Assistance Fund. To be eligible, households need to demonstrate a reduction of income after January of 2020. For more information, visit virginiamortgagerelief.com.Youngkin names top staff, two key Veterans’ positionsGovernor-elect Glenn Youngkin will take office in less than two weeks, and he continues to flesh out his cabinet. Yesterday he names a chief of staff and other top positions. Richard Cullen will serve as Counselor, Jeff Goettman will serve as Chief of Staff, and Rebecca Glover will be Assistant Chief of Staff and Communications Director. Eric Moeller will be the Chief Transformation Officer. Cullen is a senior partner at the law firm McGuireWoods who served as Attorney General in 1997. Previous clients have included former Vice President Mike Pence and former FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Learn more about the appointments in a release on the transition website.This morning, Youngkin appointed Craig Crenshaw to serve as his Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs. Crenshaw is a former marine who is currently the president of Claxton Logistics Services. Dan Gade will be the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services. Gade is a veteran of the second Iraq War who lost his right leg in 2005. He is the co-founder of The Independence Project and was also the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in the 2020 race won by Senator Mark Warner. More 2022 General Assembly bills  Eight days to go until the 2022 General Assembly begins, and volume of pre–filed bills is still low enough to report. Once the session begins, action moves fast. Senator John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake) filed a bill requiring the state Registrar to amend death certificates within 30 days if there is new evidence and information. (SB55)Senator Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) filed legislation to establish a Foster Care Prevention program intended to encourage children to be placed with relatives. (SB56)Senator Favola has another bill that would establish the School Health Services Committee to provide guidance on any proposals that might require local school boards to provide health services. (SB62)Senator Mamie Locke (D-Hampton) filed a bill to amend the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act to exempt gift tickets or admission fees if the responsible person is using them to perform official duties. (SB57)Delegate Ronnie Campbell (R-24) wants to add zoos to the list of entities from which animals can be seized if they are being treated cruelly. (HB53)Incoming Delegate Karen Greenhalgh (R-85) would require absentee ballots to sorted by precinct. (HB54)Greenhalgh also submitted a bill to require the State Registrar of Vital Records to transmit a list of recent deaths to the Department of Elections on a weekly basis for the purpose of taking the deceased off the voter rolls. Currently they must do so monthly. (HB55)Delegate Bill Wiley (R-29) filed a bill to provide enhanced retirement benefits for juvenile detention specialists. (HB56)Incoming Delegate Tim Anderson (R-83) would limit the power of a governor’s declaration of emergency to 45 days without General Assembly approval. (HB57)Delegate Glenn Davis (R-84) has a bill that would prevent localities from placing minimum wage and benefit requirements when procuring services from contractors. (HB58)Delegate John McGuire (R-56) would require school principals to notify law enforcement of any acts that could be construed as a misdemeanor. (HB59)McGuire has another bill seeking permission for the Town of Louisa to appoint five to seven members to an economic development authority. Currently the code specifies seven. (HB60)McGuire has another bill that would allow individuals who work as both an employee and a volunteer for a public entity to be able to earn overtime for the employment portion of their service. (HB61)Senator Travis Hackworth (R-38) filed a bill to require the chief of police of a dissolved department to relinquish records to the sheriff of that locality. Seems specific. (SB59)Hackworth has another bill that would move the deadline for political subdivisions to provide information on emergency sheltering capacity to the State Coordinator of Emergency Management from May to August. (SB60)Hackworth also filed legislation to allow judges, law-enforcement officers, attorneys, and judges to carry concealed weapons in areas where they may otherwise be prohibited. (SB61)Distilleries would be allowed to sell products directly to consumers via the Internet if a bill from Senator Frank Ruff (R-15) becomes law. (SB65)Today’s second subscriber-supported public service announcement: The Charlottesville Jazz Society at cvillejazz.org is dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and perpetuation of all that  jazz, and there’s no time like now to find a time to get out and watch people love to play. The Charlottesville Jazz Society keeps a running list of what’s coming up at cvillejazz.org. This Thursday, the Charles Owens Trio will play Potter’s Craft Cider and on Saturday the Eric Franzen Trio plays at Early Mountain Vineyards. Sign up today to see the rest!Further delays for Smith Aquatic CenterJanuary 3 had been the expected reopening day for the Smith Aquatic and Fitness Center in Charlottesville, but further repair is needed for the facility which opened in 2010. However, a release that went out this morning now states that Smith will remain closed until a “spring 2022 reopening.”Smith has been plagued with ventilation issues since soon after it opened. According to a 2015 Daily Progress article, the facility closed for several weeks in 2015 for installation of new exhaust systems. The pool closed again in April 2019 for repairs and was slated to be closed in the spring of 2020 for a $1.8 million repair that has not yet been completed. Crow Indoor Pool is open. ARB seeks smaller scale for Crozet self-storage facilityThe winter storm yesterday ended up canceling all three of the government meetings scheduled including the Albemarle Architectural Review Board. That group last met on December 20 when they weighed in on a self-storage facility proposed for the intersection of U.S. 250 and Crozet Avenue. Margaret Maliszewski is a planning manager who works with the ARB. (watch the meeting)“The proposed building is three stories tall with a 30,000 square foot footprint,” Maliszewski said. “The building as shown on the plan measures 260 feet by 120 feet.”Staff is concerned about the size of the building in relation to what’s around it. Maliszewski said the developer submitted a design with architectural treatments intended to break down the design, but continued to have concerns with the preliminary design. The property is zoned for highway commercial, so the use is allowed but must comply with entrance corridor guidelines. Doug Bates, a member of the Downtown Crozet Initiative and the Crozet Community Advisory Committee. During public comment, he said the project is not consistent with a Crozet Master Plan that seeks to build larger structures closer to downtown and now on U.S. 250.“I can’t think of a more important corridor to deal with Crozet and I would urge this Architectural Review Board to consider your broader responsibilities to keep the community coherent,” Bates said. Another member of the public urged the county to deny the whole proposal. “I think we’re giving too much importance to by-right and not enough to what really needs to go there,” said Brenda Plantz. “It’s a Scenic Highway.” However, Virginia law is clear that property owners are entitled to uses laid out in the zoning code as explained by ARB Chair Dade Van Der Werf. “I think I can speak on behalf of the board to say we certainly appreciate and share the appreciation that this is a significant intersection on these entrance corridors and I think our charge on the ARB aligns with the desire for coherence in the order of the county,” van der Werf said. “We are not empowered to affect zoning or use. That’s kind of the responsibility of the Planning and other commissions.”However, ARB members did express concerns such as this one from Frank Stoner.“I took struggle with the scale of this building,” Stoner said. “It’s very close to the intersection. If there was a way to push it back on the site and make it sort of an ancillary use to something more appropriate that was on the corner, I think I could be supportive.” ARB member Fred Missel also wanted to look very closely to see how the entrance corridor guidelines could be applied at this location.“In my opinion, this project is precisely an example of what the guidelines are designed to help us guard against,” Missel said. “I think we have to not only take our guidelines seriously but also ask the applicant to spend some significant amount of time looking through our guidelines, really understanding them, reflecting on them, and addressing them both visually and also narratively  the next time we speak if its in a work session which I think is probably smart.” Missel said the ARB cannot comment on the use but said the scale is incompatible with the county’s guidelines. The ARB voted 4-0 on a resolution stating their lack of support with one member recusing himself. Recommendations including trying to make the building seem more like a two-story building and looking at other buildings along the corridor to find compatibility. Support the program!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. 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Mehgan Blair and Nate Watters are two orchardists and hyper-local craft cidermakers in different Minnesota landscapes. Blair and her family steward a historic dairy farm with an heirloom orchard in Duluth: Canosia Grove. Icelandic sheep are their “land managers,” grazing and conditioning the soil for an eventual expanded orchard. Watters and his family started their now 6-acre orchard from scratch, planting over 6,000 apple trees of many varieties near Dundas. They bottle their cider as Keepsake Cidery, also offering a cozy tasting room experience with noshes from nearby cheesemakers. The two prioritize community partnerships, sustainability of land and people, and growing the heirloom apple and cider markets to financial sustainability–the major challenge of note.   Nate Watters - Keepsake Cidery, Dundas, MN Mehgan Blair - Canosia Grove, Duluth, MN Katie Feterl, SFA Communications Director   The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA. Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

Let’s begin with a Patreon-fueled shout-out!Fall is here, and with it, more moderate temperatures. While your HVAC takes a break, now is the perfect time to prepare for the cooler months. Your local energy nonprofit, LEAP, wants you and yours to keep comfortable all year round! LEAP offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents, so, if you’re age 60 or older, or have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!On today’s program:A review of economic development efforts in Albemarle County Jaunt owes the state of Virginia nearly a million for false ridership numbersCharlottesville’s Home to Hope program gains national recognition A closed-door group of planners gets several interesting presentations related to climate adaptation Let’s begin with a quick look at COVID cases in Virginia coming out of the weekend. The seven-day average of new cases has dropped to 1,545 as of this morning, with 943 reported by the Virginia Department of Health. The percent positivity has fallen to 6.3 percent. That figure was 8.8 percent on October 1. The Blue Ridge Health District reports another 50 cases and the percent positivity is 5.7 percent. The district will hold a town hall meeting Wednesday on COVID vaccinations for children between the age of 5 and 11. Approvals are pending. (Facebook link)Employees at the University of Virginia will be required to be vaccinated by December 8. That’s according to a Cavalier Daily article. Provost Liz Magill and Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis set an email to staff Thursday notifying the requirement is necessary to comply with federal regulations. The article states UVa’s vaccination rate was 95 percent as of Thursday. Home to Hope honoredAn international group that promotes excellence in local government has honored a new Charlottesville program created to help formerly incarcerated people return to society. The International City/County Management Association honored the Home to Hope Program, which was proposed by Mayor Nikuyah Walker in 2018 to provide support to a vulnerable demographic.Four full-time employees serve as peer navigators to help people find employment, housing, and reliable transportation. According to a write-up in the ICMA’s latest newsletter, the program has served 389 individuals.“Of the 389 enrollees, only seven have returned to custody, and only three of those were actively involved in the program,” reads the article on page 34 of the newsletter. “That represents a recidivism rate of 1.8 percent, well below the 38 percent across the region.” The honor is part of ICMA’s Program Excellence awards under the Community Sustainability section. (read more)LUEPC meetingA routine closed-door meeting of key planning officials in Albemarle, Charlottesville, and University of Virginia was held last week on October 15. The Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee (LUEPC) had four presentations on items related to climate adaptation.Paul Zmick, Director of Energy and Utilities at UVA, gave a presentation on the school’s efforts to develop a strategy for thermal energy use. That’s one way UVA hopes to become fossil-free by the year 2050. A recent study evaluated dozens of potential ways to reduce reliance on old technology. Some strategies are recommended to be dropped from further analysis such as solar thermal, biomass, and deep geothermal. (presentation)Lance Stewart, the county’s director of facilities and environmental services, gave a presentation on the recent publication of the 2018 Greenhouse Gas Inventory. That tool will be the primary way Albemarle measures its programs toward emissions reduction goals. The next milestone is to reach 45 percent of 2008 levels by 2030. (presentation)“Emissions estimated to have decreased by nearly 10% between 2008 and 2018,” reads one slide in the presentation. “To achieve the County’s 2030 target, we need to reduce emissions by 39 percent from 2018.”The presentation also states that the effectiveness of the Albemarle’s Climate Action Plan won’t be known until after the 2022 inventory is published in 2024. Bill Mawyer of the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority briefed LUEPC on a program to recover methane gas that is a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process. The Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant generates 32 million cubic feet of methane each year that is captured as biogas and used internally in plant operations to produce biosolids which are shipped to Waverly, Virginia for eventual use as fertilizers. (presentation)Albemarle County’s Bill Fritz gave a presentation on “Large Scale Solar opportunities being studied and deployed for Albemarle County.” That is the only of the fourth that was not posted to the LUEPC website.  Jaunt audit The transit agency Jaunt owes the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation nearly a million dollars due to alleged misreporting of ridership figures by former CEO Brad Sheffield. Sheffield resigned last November after the Jaunt Board requested his departure. The Daily Progress first reported from an October 6 letter from DRPT officials regarding a review of Jaunt’s financial report for fiscal year 2020.“The findings of this review are troubling and indicate a pattern of misinformation and inaccurate reporting by JAUNT leadership that resulted in the over-allocation of state and federal resources to Jaunt from FY19 to FY22,” reads the letter from DRPT director Jennifer Mitchell.In 2019, DRPT moved to a system where funding was based on performance. The audit compared reported numbers to Jaunt’s scheduling software and found that overall ridership was overstated by 19 percent in FY19. The total amount overpaid to Jaunt was $968,640 and allocations for the current fiscal year will be reduced. The DRPT has also canceled the capital purchase of 23 vehicles. The DRPT will also require Jaunt to provide a new transit development plan. Read Allison Wrabel’s story in the Daily Progress for more context. *In today’s second subscriber supported Public Service Announcement, one person wants you to know about another community litter cleanup event in Albemarle, this time on October 30 in the southern part of the county. The latest Love Albemarle event will take place between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at sites in Esmont, Keene, Scottsville, and North Garden. Around fifty people showed up for a similar event in Esmont this past spring, and organizers want to double that amount. Organizer Ed Brooks is seeking to get children involved, so if you’re a parent or guardian and want to spend the morning cleaning up road-side litter, register today! *For the rest of the show today, we take a look back at highlights from the Albemarle Board of Supervisors from the last week. Let’s start with an update on Project Enable, the county’s strategic plan for economic development. The Albemarle Economic Development Authority administers grant and bond programs that seek to encourage businesses to expand in Albemarle or to locate their operations there. On October 19, 2021, the seven-member EDA Board of Directors formally authorized their role in a performance agreement for the firm Bonumose to open a demonstration facility in the former State Farm Building. That came at a joint meeting with the six elected members of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. Doug Walker is the Deputy County Executive. “These two bodies work in collaboration with each other,” Walker said. “They are considering the same projects, the same agreements, and they do them in concert with each other.” Many of these discussions are held in closed session, as a provision in Virginia’s open meeting rules allows for the public to be excluded from conversations where “Discussion concerning a prospective business or industry or the expansion of an existing business or industry where no previous announcement has been made of the business' or industry's interest in locating or expanding its facilities in the community.” (Virginia code)These packages are often given code names and Walker said the following represent exceed $136 million in private investment which then enters the local economy. “Turtle. Daffodil. Macintosh. Proton. Patriot. Bronco. 49ers,” Walker said. “Those projects are actually Woolen Mills, WillowTree, Potter’s Craft Cider. Afton Scientific. Barnes’ Lumber. Castle Hill Gaming. Albemarle Business Campus.”Walker said those projects have resulted in nearly 600 new jobs in Albemarle. Another key performance agreement is one with Habitat for Humanity for the provision of affordable housing units at Southwood, as well as one with Pinnacle Construction for the Brookdale apartment complex off of Old Lynchburg Road. “And then there are other active pending projects that we can’t talk about by name but we can talk about by code,” Walker said. “Project Gadget, Project Puma, Project Baja, just illustrating that the work continues.” The EDA also works to help build infrastructure to help industrial sites more accessible and attractive. The University of Virginia Foundation’s North Fork Research Park is considered a Tier 4 site by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Recently the Foundation paid to extend Lewis and Clark Drive to Airport Road in order to provide an additional entrance. (go look!) “It’s the county’s only tier 4 site so the Foundation provided more than $6 million toward that infrastructure improvement,” said J.T. Newberry in the Economic Development Office. Newberry said the economic development office is working with the Foundation to elevate the North Fork park to a Tier 5 site. He also said the firm Kimley-Horn will provide a long-awaited study for the county as part of the Comprehensive Plan update. “A long desired piece of information for us is an inventory of our commercial and industrial properties,” Newberry said. Watch the rest of the video to see the whole presentation on the Board of Supervisors’ website. (watch)Supervisors also met on Wednesday, October 20, for a full meeting. At the very beginning, Chair Ned Gallaway said he recently attended a meeting earlier this month welcoming more than 250 families from Afghanistan to the area. The International Rescue Committee is seeking assistance from the community. “Things like if you’re a landlord or somebody that has housing or space available, to contact the IRC, the International Rescue Committee to help,” Gallaway said. “Employers in the area, helping these folks find employment. And then obviously just assisting with the transition, just navigating simple things like how to get around the community can be daunting coming out of a very stressful and traumatic experience for these folks.” Visit the Welcoming Greater Charlottesville page to learn more about how you can help.  Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Beer Sessions, a celebration of Cider Week! Jimmy talks about everything Cider with Steve Selin, owner of South Hill Cider; Mike Reis, owner of Redfield Cider; Karl du Hoffman, owner of Orchard Hill Cider; and Paige Fiori, owner of Boutique Wines and Spirits in Fishkill NY. Steve and Mike dive into the exciting experimentation happening in cider, from exploring new spices and fruits to fire pressure in California driving many winemakers to explore the possibilities of cider. Mike and Paige talk about what it takes to get consumers interested in cider and break down how they choose the selection of ciders they offer from shelves to tasting rooms. Speaking of unique ciders, Karl and Jimmy dive into the novelty of the pommeau, from its minimum aging time of three years to the unique depth and fruitiness one can expect. Finally, the episode concludes with the gang trying to summarize New York cider in three words. To quote Jimmy, “Oh boy wow!”Cider listSouth Hill Cider, PackbasketSouth Hill Cider, GoldwinOrchard Hill, VerdeOrchard Hill, Ten66 PommeauOliver's CiderRoss On Wye CiderTilted Shed CiderBlack Diamond Cider Domaine Dupont Pomm Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.

“We scream from the mountaintops about what our product is and how we make our product.” Eric Foster, Co-founder, CEO, & “Lifter of Heavy Things,” Stem Ciders If you've shopped for craft beer in the last year, you've seen alongside beer on the shelves, the fast and furious increase in cider products – the brands, the flavors, the total shelf space – and you've probably seen the presence of cider tap rooms.  I'm a lover of craft beer, and fascinated by the growth of what it seems is a product on a “parallel” growth track.  I wanted to know what's similar and what's different.  Plus, wanted to understand Eric's title, “Co-founder, CEO & Lifter of Heavy Things.”  Thanks to sponsor 1stBank for introducing me to Stem Ciders. 

Putting together a logo for your company is both exciting and super stressful. But it is OH SO important to how you will communicate your brand and your product to the world. It also might be the only thing they remember about your product besides the fact that they liked it. We always had a company name that we loved but the branding was much more of an adventure. I've mentioned it before but really want to dive into what that creative journey looked like for us. Special mention - Kroneberger Studio, @kronebergerdesign Are you looking to start a business and brainstorming a logo? Are you stumped? Just launched a brand with a new name and new logo? I'd love to hear all about it! Email me at info@othercwords.com.In the meantime, please subscribe, rate, and review to help out this little podcast! 5 stars goes a long long way and I so appreciate your support. I know it says write a review and that can be daunting but apparently Apple isn't asking for a novel. A simple Hey! What's up? Would be more than fine! And for more information about me and this podcast visit us online at othercwords.com or on socials @othercwords Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

The name of the initiative is Cville Plans Together, but an attempt to update the Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan to increase the number of affordable places to live at times seems like it could tear the community apart. Here’s one of over 50 community members who spoke this week during a five-hour work session on the topic.“I wish this whole thing had been approached in a different way because it’s been so divisive and I’m sad to hear citizens of our community so upset with one another and I also wish we’d been able to talk in person,” said Mary Whittle. On this installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a summary and recap of the review and preparation of an aspirational map intended to guide future development. I’m your host and guide, Sean Tubbs. Most people in the community are unfamiliar with much of the jargon, but I’ve spent a good chunk of my career trying to explain the terms required to explain how the pieces fit together. Societies are complex organisms that have no instruction manual, but the goal of this newsletter and podcast, each and every time, is to help you better understand what’s happening. Thanks for listening.In today’s first Substack-fueled shout-out, Code for Charlottesville is seeking volunteers with tech, data, design, and research skills to work on community service projects. Founded in September 2019, Code for Charlottesville has worked on projects with the Legal Aid Justice Center, the Charlottesville Fire Department, and the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights. Visit codeforcville.org to learn about those projects, and to sign up for a new volunteer orientation coming up this Saturday, September 4, at 4 p.m. With four months to go until the end of 2021, the chair of the Charlottesville Planning Commission is hopeful Council will adopt a Comprehensive Plan before the clock strikes 2022. That will mark two years since the launch of the Cville Plans Together initiative. The firm Rhodeside & Harwell is leading the completion of the Comprehensive Plan, and subcontractor HR & Advisors has created an affordable housing plan that Council adopted in March. Preliminary work is underway on a rewrite of the zoning ordinance. All of the work is done to fulfil a previous City Council’s request in the spring of 2019 to hire a firm to complete work on all three. Before we begin, let’s review the languages in the request for proposals. (read the RFP). “Housing is at the root of historical structural inequity and oppression in the United States, and it came to be this way deliberately,” reads the request for proposals. “As we build a strategy to achieve a local housing landscape that is healthy, ample, high quality, and affordable, we must be equally deliberate in dismantling the dynamics and the structures that perpetuate continued inequity—structures that often go unnoticed by those of us who benefit from them or don’t directly experience their harm.”In Late August, Rhodeside and Harwell released the third version of something called the Future Land Use Map which is intended to guide future development. In late March, the Planning Commission directed Rhodeside & Harwell to increase potential residential density allowed across the entire city but mostly in single-family neighborhoods. Some in those neighborhoods pushed back, and a third map balanced the two previous drafts. At a work session on August 31, the Planning Commission met for over five and a half hours to weigh in on the map. While not a public hearing, nearly sixty people spoke during the virtual meeting. At the outset, RHI Project Manager Jennifer Koch stressed they were not reviewing a final product.“This is a draft and we expect there may be adjustments that may be made to it,” Koch said. “If we do make revisions to the map after tonight, the Future Land Use Map, we will make it clear how and why those changes were made.”The Commission also reviewed the Land Use chapter of the Comprehensive Plan, which is connected to the Future Land Use Map. “The land use map is connected to a variety of not only goals and strategies but also this overall chapter vision statement of what Charlottesville wants to be in the future related to land use, urban form, and historic and cultural preservation,” Koch said. During her review of public engagement, Koch summarized two major camps that emerged during the input process earlier this spring.“People who live in neighborhoods that are currently single family neighborhoods, there was a lot of expression of concern related to community character, development scale, and whatnot,” Koch said. “But I want to note there were a lot of comments and support for more housing, affordability and density in the city.”Koch said the Future Land Use Map is intended to implement the major tenets of the affordable housing plan. The current map dates back to 2013 and most of the city’s land is designated for low intensity residential. Beginning with the second draft map released in late April, that base level that has been renamed to General Residential.“What we were talking about at this point was to allow up to three units on those sites and a lot of those right now are currently zoned for single family use only,” Koch said. “So that represented a potential tripling of what was allowed in those areas.”Another change to General Residential is the ability for a property owner to build a fourth unit on a lot if that unit were kept below the fair market rent. Corridors and nodesBefore we get too much further, a little bit of history. You might want to take a look at the implementation chapter from the city’s 2001 Comprehensive Plan. The word “corridor” is used over four dozen times. Here are a few examples from a plan adopted by City Council 20 years ago. “We will support initiatives to increase commercial, retail and residential growth opportunities in our commercial corridors,” reads a progressive economic center vision principle. “We will increase the amount of market rate, higher density residential housing downtown and along the economic development corridors,” reads a residential opportunities principle. “Adopt zoning changes and urban design criteria to implement the recommendations of the Corridor Study,” reads a section on land use and zoning changes. That study refers to a December 2000 Commercial Corridor Study that heavily influenced the last major zoning citywide zoning change in 2003. If you’ve ever wondered why there are taller buildings on West Main Street or dense apartment complexes on Jefferson Park Extended, that rezoning is why. (read about the study on cvillepedia)Koch and her team of planners built all three drafts of the Future Land Use Map on the 2013 land use map, which builds off of the one from 2007 Comprehensive Plan. The review process never really ends.But, a new plan has to be adopted, and on August 31, 2021, Koch wanted to explain a bit more about corridors and nodes. “I want to be clear that when we’re talking about corridors and nodes in the city, we do have those land use categories that are called mixed-use nodes, mixed-use corridors,” Koch said. “But when we talk about a development pattern that is sort of node and corridor centric, we are also looking at things like residential corridors, you know, nodes of residential intensity.”For instance, maps designate a section of Cherry Avenue west of Roosevelt Brown as increasing to Medium Density Residential. That’s within walking distance to Buford Middle School, a facility proposed to be upgraded in the near future to accommodate 6th graders. That area is also near Forest Hills Park and Fifeville Park. “We’ve looked at how can we put potential intensity near schools and near parks, and that’s been important from the beginning of this process,” Koch said. In the second version of the map, most of the Lewis Mountain neighborhood was designated as Medium Intensity Residential as were portions of the Greenbrier and Barracks / Rugby neighboorhoods. However, feedback led the consultants to scale back some of those to General Residential. “We heard concerns about some locations of the medium intensity residential and the mixed-use nodes, and we heard concerns about the city’s ability to plan for infrastructure in advance of development, and that includes traffic, transportation, utility, stormwater, and other types of infrastructure,” Koch said. Koch said others are concerned that simply allowing more housing units will not lead to reduced prices. “We heard a lot of people who said density does not equal affordability and we 100 percent agree with that,” Koch said. “The land use map alone will not get to the housing goals that we have for Charlottesville.”There has been concern about people being displaced from neighborhoods that have historically been home to Black residents and people with lower-incomes. For many years, real estate investors and wealthier households have purchased single family homes in 10th and Page, Fifeville, and Rose Hill and invested in them. A feature of the third draft of the Future Land Use Map would seek to restrict intense development in these areas.“In the Future Land use map, to reduce the allowable intensity in those areas, we are proposing this Sensitive Community overlay that could then potentially include less development intensity in the zoning,” Koch said. “But we have heard mixed opinions on whether allowing less development in those areas would be preferable for those who may be in those at-risk communities. We want to make sure we’re not impacting potential wealth-building in those communities.” We’ll hear more details about the changes in this third iteration of the map as Commissioners ask questions.  For now, Koch said the changes made to the map, including the conditional allowance of a fourth unit in General Residential, could help the city attain its housing goals.Over fifty people speak at public commentKoch spoke for nearly an hour before members of the public were allowed to give their inputs. At that point in the call, there were 238 people watching the Zoom call. Over the course of the five hours meeting, nearly sixty people would speak. There’s not enough time to go through it all, but before we hear what Commissioners and the City Council think, let’s hear some voices skeptical opposed to the map. “We had no idea that the ultimate goal of Charlottesville was to have this high density area,” said Michelle Rowan. “We specifically looked for something close to the hospital, R-1, coming off of acreage. That’s what we were looking for.”“Is it really an issue of affordable housing or is it really an issue of poverty?” said Fred Borch. “Is the issue of poverty whether or not housing is affordable?”“Census data has shown that construction of new homes in the city has outpaced the city’s population growth,” said Kaki Pearson. “If the city of Charlottesville is serious about redressing housing and racial injustices, they could create a program to target individuals and families much like the voucher program created in Evanston, Illinois, where aggrieved African-Americans only need to show that they were descendants of residents during a certain time period,” said someone who was on the zoom call as Mary Simpson. “Instead, our government is proposing to dismantle single-family neighborhoods like mine. Yes, I will be punished twice. Let me be clear. I don’t want 12-unit buildings or commercial establishments in my neighborhood. I don’t want the traffic, the trash, the noise, the crime, and all of that which naturally accompanies denser neighborhoods.”“I really would like to just make a huge plea to slow down the process and expand it,” said Martha Smythe. “We are still living in a pandemic which has changed everything and we’re talking about a rezoning which projects to alter everything in the city and I see no reason to rush it.”“This plan being presented by the consulting team is what I believe to be an ideological blueprint for pro-density interests,” said Philip Harway.“I want to confess that I do not share your goal of increasing density in the city and I don’t recall ever that ever being on any ballot presented to the citizens,” said Andrew Grimshaw. There were also many comments in favor of the plan.“I’m a little puzzled at all the outrage behind what’s being proposed given that the unit that I live in currently is pretty emblematic of a lot of the proposed changes, which is a converted house that looks just like all of the other houses on the block,” said Brendan Novak. “The only difference is that I can afford to live there whereas I could not live in an entire single family home for example.” “Something that we noticed when were looking at the side-by-side slide of the August map and the May map is that there is in general a lot less gray in the historically exclusionary neighborhoods, the white neighborhoods,” said attorney Caroline Klosko with the Legal Aid Justice Center, speaking on behalf of the Charlottesville Low-Income Housing Coalition. “North Downtown, Lewis Mountain Road. Locust Grove. Barracks / Rugby. There’s less allowance for medium density than under the May version of the map and we think this is a step backwards and we’re disappointed by this. “I hope we can move back in the direction that the first Future Land Use Map was going,” said Chris Schopper. “I feel like we’ve taken a step back.” “I think that cutting down the General Residential stories from 3.5 to two is going to create issues in the long run,” said Tim Giles. “We’re going to have houses that can’t even be built in existing R-1 neighborhoods.”“It’s important that this process considers to take the needs of renters and center them as we are fifty percent renters and probably will grow as that demand grows with the University of Virginia’s growth,” said Oliver Platts-Mills, a developer with several holdings in the Fifesville and Rose Hill neighborhood. “I think you need to support a version of this plan that increases density across the city and allows all sorts of people who want to live here to be able to move here,” said David Singerman. “I’d just like to express my support for the May revision that had more substantial changes to density across the city and I’d like to express my support for greater density in historically exclusionary neighborhoods as well as neighborhoods across the city,” said Jamelle Bouie. You’re reading a special edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement on the Charlottesville Planning Commission’s August 31 work session on the Future Land Use Map and the Comprehensive Plan. In today’s second Substack-supported public service announcement: The Charlottesville Jazz Society at cvillejazz.org is dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and preservation of jazz, and there’s no time like now to find a time to get out and watch people love to play. The Charlottesville Jazz Society keeps a running list of what’s coming up at cvillejazz.org. This week, find out that the Charles Owen Trio plays at Miller’s Downtown on Friday at 9:30 p.m., Zuzu’s Hot 5 will play the WTJU Free Fall Concert on Saturday, and the Beleza Trio plays at Potter’s Craft Cider also on Saturday. For details, visit cvillejazz.org.But what did the Commissioners think? When it was their turn, Commissioners had five minutes to ask questions and make comments. Commissioner Jody Lahendro has served on the advisory body since August 2014 and is one of the most critical voices on the Commission. “I have been doing a lot of reading and most of the literature that I’ve come across has concluded that simply adding density does little to nothing to adding affordability to a city, or affordable units to a city,” Lahendro said. The current draft allows a fourth unit in General Residential if it is subsidized or sold below its market value. Lahendro expressed skepticism. “Why wouldn’t developers simply turn single family parcels into three residential units and take the money and run?” Lahendro asked. “Is the fourth unit based on some kind of data?”Koch repeated that the Future Land Use Map and the zoning would not be enough, and that tools in the affordable housing plan would be required. But, size of units could play a role in bringing down housing costs. “There is an opportunity to provide units that are more sort of naturally affordable if they are at a size that is not available in a neighborhood right now,” Koch said. The zoning rewrite will be overseen by subcontractor Code Studio. Lee Einsweiler is the founding principal. “You’re right, Jody,” Einsweiler said. “There’s no specific evidence that that fourth unit is somehow magically more affordable. It is just a trade-off we felt was reasonable for adding to our original three that if you were going to add more we needed some guarantee that some portion might be affordable.” Lahendro said he could not support the additional density without precautions. He said developers will purchase existing homes, tear them down, and build three units where they can. “The land has become more valuable now than the buildings that are on it,” Lahendro said. “Given the opportunity to provide more housing units on the same parcel of land through upzoning, developers will build more units but at market rates that will not meet the affordability definition.”Lahendro said he could support the density of or three additional units in single-family zoning in if the units were guaranteed to be rented or sold at affordable levels. As a general rule, households who pay more than 30 percent of their income for the roof of their head are considered distressed. Commissioner Lyle Solla-Yates said areas near the University of Virginia such as the Lewis Mountain neighborhood should be places where children in low-income families can live and have opportunity. He studied the changes to the Future Land Use Map over the weekend. “And I only saw really large reductions in potential affordable housing there,” Solla-Yates said. “I didn’t understand it. I understand there has been public comment calling for less, especially among the highest-income homeowners. That’s really the big group that’s been pushing this story.”Commissioner Taneia Dowell went next. She also supported Lahendro’s idea of an overlay district for additional units only if all are affordable. “I too have some heartburn about the density in this plan,” Dowell said. The newest Commissioner is Karim Habbab, who joined the advisory body earlier this summer. “I think we need more assertive language regarding affordable housing and the affordability of the affordable housing throughout all different intensities and zoning requirements, not just the General Residential one,” Habbab said. “I think it could apply to most of them.”Commissioner Rory Stolzenberg began his comments with a pointed question to the consultants. “How do you decide whose opinions matter?” Stolzenberg said. “We’ve heard many hundreds of people’s feedback. Many people are arguing for one thing while many others are arguing for the direct opposite.”Koch said the consultants have tried to strike a balance between multiple points of view. “In terms of who we are listening to, we are trying to make that equity and affordability piece maintain strength and we think we have while also making compromise,” Koch said. “We are not swinging wildly one way or the other. I would say if we did that, if we really listened specifically to certain neighborhoods, a lot of these neighborhoods outside of those sensitive communities would not have any additional increase in potential density at all.”Back to affordability. Stolzenberg said the city needs to provide incentives to developers if anyone is ever going to build the fourth unit. He said the nonprofit housing groups may not be interested unless they can build certain kinds of units in more places. “My understanding in talking to our local housing nonprofits is that we have a couple of rental-oriented ones that don’t build buildings that size and you need at least 40 or 50 to get to a [Low-Income Housing Tax Credits] application,” Stolzenberg said. “And then we have homeownership ones like Habitat and the Community Land Trust.  And for them, I think what they’re really seeking is for townhomes and in particular stacked townhomes. They keep saying stacked townhomes. That’s the fastest path to get affordability because land is so expensive and you can half the cost of land.”Stolzenberg also said he did not favor a reduction in the number of stories allowed in General Residential from 3.5 in the second draft to 2.5 in the third. Commissioner Liz Russell picked up on this thread.“It seems that the definition of missing middle housing is 2.5 to 3 stories, so if that’s what we say we want then that explains the reduction from 3.5 stories,” Russell said. Russell said the process should result in a city that provides choices in housing. “A range of housing opportunities in a way that is sensitive to the built form of our existing neigborhoods,” Russell said. “I think that’s what Cville Plans is working toward and I think it’s our role as Planning Commisioners to guide the density more specifically and not leave it to the market to decide what is built and what is affordable.”This was Hosea Mitchell’s last meeting as chair. As such, he thought he would be candid in what said about the latest draft. “The latest iteration disappoints,” Mitchell said. “The affordable housing plan that the consultants put together was designed to promote zoning and development that increased multifamily development in a way that buoyed equity and buoyed affordability in Charlottesville.”Mitchell said the latest draft does not do enough to combat the long history of exclusionary zoning. Mitchell said he would support four stories in General Residential in places where it would make sense. Three City Councilors weigh-inThe Commission’s role is advisory. Elected officials will make the final call. Let’s hear from three of them. First, Councilor Lloyd Snook. “We have to remember that the Future Land Use Map is part of the Comprehensive Plan,” Snook said. “It is only about three pages of the Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to plan to deal with current and emerging problems. It is not particularly frankly to only preserve existing neighborhoods, though in some instances that could be a problem that we’re trying to address.”Snook said the three values the Comprehensive Plan should address are racial equity, climate change, and affordable housing. “Number three is dealing with all varieties of affordable housing,” Snook said. “We have to recognize that at the moment Charlottesville is becoming increasingly unaffordable for virtually everybody and that includes people who are making 100 percent of [area median income], not just 80 percent or 40 percent of 50 percent.”Snook also said he wanted to see more information about the costs of building multiple units within one building. Mayor Nikuyah Walker was on City Council in February 2019 when the decision was made to hire a firm to finish the Comprehensive Plan. “I understand that a lot of people are challenged by Charlottesville, what has happened with past developments, the increase in pricing of housing and land, but there are certain members of our population who without us prioritizing them and especially the lower [area median income] they won’t be able to figure out in Charlottesville or existing areas,” Walker said.Councilor Michael Payne said the Comprehensive Plan gives the change to change Charlottesville’s ecosystem for the better.“Opening up the opportunity for more affordable homeownership and rental opportunity throughout the entire city and directly confronting the reasons that those opportunities aren’t available and allow more affordable duplexes, triplexes, townhomes to be built instead of having a system where you can only build a single family homes that’s selling for $600,000 or $700,000 in many cases,” Payne said he was concerned that the latest version of the map was a step back in terms of meeting the city’s affordable housing goals. He said the longer the delay, the worse the housing ecosystem will get. “Every day, week, month, and year the status quo continues and we know exactly what the status quo is, it’s gentrification, it’s displacement, it’s all the things that people continue to highlight as problems in our city,” Payne said.Next steps?Koch said she and her team will return to the Planning Commission at their regular meeting on September 14 for that review, and there is a work session slot reserved for September 21. The official public hearing will take place in October. Between now and then, what are you going to do if you’re a Charlottesville resident? Have you taken a look at the map? Have you talked to your neighbors? As you’ve heard in this program, there are many opinions and thoughts. As you continue to read or listen to Charlottesville Community Engagement, I’ll continue to track this story, alongside the many other stories I write about land use, growth, economic development, and more of what makes this community function. Or not function. It’s a matter of perspective, but I’ll be here, documenting from as many views as I can. Was this newsletter and podcast useful to you? Please consider support if you’ve not done so already. Here are some ways to do so:Support general research by making a donation through PatreonSign for a subscription to Charlottesville Community Engagement, free or paid. Ting will match that amount!Pay through Venmo This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: If you're curious and want to dig deeper, there's another podcast you might want to try. Especially if you ask why, and not just what. And if you belive that politics should be about making communities better.If so, check out Bold Dominion, a biweekly podcast from WTJU 91.1 FM. Bold Dominion is a state politics explainer for a changing Virginia. Their latest episode asks: Where does Virginia’s trash come from and who does it get dumped on? Check it out at BoldDominion.org.In today’s program:Charlottesville wants offers from groups that want the Lewis, Clark and Sacagawea statueA brief update on recycling efforts from the Rivanna Solid Waste AuthorityFriends of Esmont secure an important resource for the revitalization of the villageCharlottesville-Albemarle MPO advances next round of transportation projectsCharlottesville has opened the process for organizations and other interested parties who are willing to purchase the relocated statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea that stood for over a hundred years on West Main Street. The bronze sculpture by Charles Keck carries the official name “Their First View of the Pacific” and is currently located at the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Darden-Towe Park. “Offers are due August 27 with a plan to have recommendations to Council to begin considering which of the offers you may be interested in during the month of September,” said City Manager Chip Boyles. There is a four-page solicitation of offers for the statue that requires applicants to demonstrate recontextualization. “The Recontextualization Plan must include an accurate historical narrative of the positive role Sacajawea provided in the exploration efforts of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and include the concerns that the statue may be interpreted to depict a lesser more subservient role provided by Sacajawea,” reads section 2.5 of the solicitation. The executive director of the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center said she would be responding. The Daily Progress caught up with her recently, and I spoke with her two days after the statue was brought to the center on July 10.  Boyles made his comments at last night’s City Council meeting. He also encouraged people to spread the word that the city is looking for bus drivers.“Starting pay begins now at $16.97 an hour and up according to qualifications, and includes a city full-time employee health care benefits and most importantly with your approval at the last meeting provides a $2,400 sign-on bonus for both transit drivers and school bus drivers,” Boyles said. I’ll have more from the City Council meeting in an upcoming version of the newsletter. “Their First View of the Pacific” is currently being stored at the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center. This photo is from December 2014 as the hotel at the intersection was still under construction. A nonprofit group that seeks to revisit and restore the history of a small village in southern Albemarle County has purchased a commercial building for a future grocery store, museum, and visitor center. Friends of Esmont bought the Purvis Country Store property and have plans to convert it into the Purvis Store Market. An adjacent shed will become a shelter to serve as a trailhead for a future Esmont Trail. Friends of Esmont was founded in 2018 to revitalize Esmont through several projects including the trail, restoration of historic structures, and memorializing the Esmont Depot. According to a history provided by Friends of Esmont, the store dates back to 1900 and was owned by the Purvis family from 1937 to 1989. The structure is a contributing resource in the Southern Albemarle Rural Historic District. Two images of the Purvis Country Store (Credit: Friends of Esmont)Work is set to begin today on replacement of a waterline on Keith Valley Road in the Greenbrier neighborhood. The project will replace a two inch pipe that is over 40 years old. The work will be conducted by Linco, will take about ten weeks, and may result in road closures at times. According to city Communications Director Brian Wheeler, the work will move the line from private property to public right of way at a cost of $74,430. You’re reading and listening to Charlottesville Community Engagement and time for another subscriber-supported public service announcement. THe Charlottesville Jazz Society at cvillejazz.org is dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and preservation of jazz, and there’s no time like now to find a time to get out and watch people love to play. The Charlottesville Jazz Society keeps a running list of what’s coming up at cvillejazz.org. This week, find out that the Charles Owen Trio plays at Potter’s Craft Cider on Thursday, Angelica X and friends play at the Front Porch on Friday, and so much more. Take a look at cvillejazz.org. Reviewing more meetings from late July, both Rivanna authorities met on July 27 for regular meetings. We learned that the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority is receiving more materials at the Ivy Materials Utilization Center (MUC) than in previous years. In June, there were 154.96 tons of construction and domestic waste received at the facility, compared to 101.17 tons in June 2020 and 94.12 tons in June 2019. Executive Director Bill Mawyer said county investment in the MUC and longer hours of operation has made operations more efficient. (RSWA agenda packet)“The net operating cost from the transfer station has declined from in 2018 for about $33 per ton to currently just under $9 per ton,” Mawyer said.  The RSWA is seeking permission from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to increase the amount of waste it can process in a day from 300 tons to 450 tons a day. “That would deal with a few of the spike days where we have an extra heavy load,” Mawyer said. The RSWA Board got an annual update on the state of recycling from the solid waste director, Phil McKalips. “There haven’t been a lot of changes with our material pricing,” McKalips said. “It’s been pretty stable surprisingly. Cardboard went up with COVID probably related to a lot of shipping.”Many of the recyclable materials collected either at the McIntire Road drop-off point or the Ivy Convenience Center are sent to a paper sort facility on Meade Avenue. “The cardboard, mixed-paper, and at least currently newsprint is all going to a Sonoco Mill south of Richmond,” McKalips said. “Our plastic films are going to Trex, plastic containers go to Sonoco, office paper goes to Sonoco. Glass is being picked up by Strategic Materials down in Wilson, North Carolina, and our metals go to Gerdau.” McKalips said revenues from glass recycling have dropped from $25 a ton to zero, a situation he continues to monitor. “We continuously get requests to look into doing additional types of recycling, recycling new materials,” McKalips said. “One that’s come in recently is styrofoam and I’m kind of exploring that. We try and generate and flesh out whether that seems plausible we’ll bring that to the board.”The RSWA is currently working to build a third place to bring recycling at the Keene Convenience Center. Credit: Rivanna Solid Waste AuthorityAnother regional body that met last week was the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Policy Organization’s Policy Board, which consists of two city Councilors, two Albemarle Supervisors, and the administrator of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Culpeper District. One of the items on their agenda was update of their public participation plan, a document required by federal law. Lucinda Shannon is a planner with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. (read the plan)“We changed the name to the Charlottesville Albemarle MPO Engagement Plan,” Shannon said. “I think with the last plan from the public comments that we received there was some confusion about what this plan was for and the engagement plan outlines the process and activities that the MPO uses to create opportunities for effective participation, communication, and consultation with all parties interested in the development, adoption, and amendment of its transportation plans and projects.”No one spoke at the public hearing and the plan was adopted. A map of the MPO service area included in the planThe main event at the MPO meeting on July 28 was approval of several projects that the MPO will continue to take through the next round of the Smart Scale funding process. Applications are not due until next year but concern over a project in the last cycle led to a reform of the public engagement process. (view the presentation)District Avenue Roundabout Hillsdale Avenue Extension Rivanna River Bike & Pedestrian Crossing Avon Street Corridor 5th Street CorridorThe MPO can submit four applications, as can the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission itself. To review this presentation and learn more about the projects, click this link and you’ll go right to that point in the YouTube video. (read the staff report)Concepts for the Avon and 5th Street corridors will be further refined (Source: Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission)A member of the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee had been lobbying for a flyover road to be constructed to relieve traffic congestion in the area around Hydraulic Road, U.S. 29 and the U.S. 250 bypass. The idea will not proceed at this time out of concerns the Smart Scale process would not fund such a project. Chuck Proctor, an engineer in VDOT’s Culpeper District, said people interested in the overall transportation system will have the chance in the near future to influence its future as the MPO begins review of the Long Range Transportation Plan next spring. “The long range planning process is what we’re going to be basically be kicking off in the spring at the MPO and in that process we’re going to be identifying and looking at the needs in the region and identifying solutions to those needs and that’s going to be the place where we need to look at this as possibly an option to address a concern of traffic flowing through the area,” Proctor said. The current long range transportation plan was adopted in May 2019. (plan’s website)At the end of the MPO meeting, the public got an update on the Afton Express, a commuter bus route that will begin service between Staunton and Charlottesville in September. Sara Pennington is the program manager for RideShare, a service of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. “The service is going to be administered by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, our counterparts across the mountain,” Pennington said. “They are on a demonstration grant from the [Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation] to offer this service starting September 1.” On the eastern side of the Blue Ridge, the service will stop twice at the University of Virginia, the Amtrak station, the Downtown Transit Station, and twice at Fifth Street Station. Fares are $3 each way, though the first month will be free. Visit britebus.org for the schedule. “This program is really designed for the commuter,” Pennington said. “They specifically scheduled most of this to revolve around working hours.”  Albemarle County recently received funding through Smart Scale for a park and ride lot at Exit 107 on Interstate-64. The idea is for Afton Express to stop there once it’s been built.What about you? If you live in the Shenandoah Valley and work in Charlottesville, would you ride it? What about transit in general? I’m interested in the topic, which is why I cover the topic so much. I’ll have more about efforts in Albemarle County to expand service in a future edition of the newsletter. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out: Help support black-owned business in the Charlottesville area. Check out the Charlottesville Black Business Directory at cvilleblackbiz.com and choose between a variety of goods and services, ranging from beauty supplies, professional services, and e-commerce. Visit cvilleblackbiz.com as soon as you can to get started.On today’s show:Information from the Central Virginia Regional Housing PartnershipCharlottesville schedules an information session on construction of the Belmont Bridge replacementRockingham County gets a grant to study better ways to dispose of animal wasteWant to know what’s going on with the construction of the Belmont Bridge replacement? The city of Charlottesville has scheduled an information session for August 11 for the project, which is officially underway now that the city has issued a Notice to Proceed to Caton Construction Group to begin the work. The city’s contract with Caton Construction Group is for $23.7 million. According to a release sent out this morning by the city, one of the first steps will be construction of a temporary public parking lot on East South Street. The medians on Avon Street and 9th Street will be removed beginning in early August along with utility relocation. The terms of the contract require traffic on the bridge to be open during construction, though there will be temporary closures that will be publicized in advance. Belmont Bridge rendering Speaking of road projects in Charlottesville, one lane on Emmet Street near Ivy Road will remain closed from 7 a.m. through 5 p.m. each weekday through July 31, 2021. The closure will allow a contractor to relocate a natural gas pipeline from the west side of the street to the east. This work is part of the University of Virginia’s plans for the Emmet/Ivy corridor, which includes construction of a new hotel and conference center and new buildings for the School of Data Science and the Karsh Institute of Democracy. An organization that seeks to ensure an Independence Day Celebration in Charlottesville each year has raised enough funding to proceed this July 4. Celebrate US Charlottesville has raised enough feeds to proceed with an event that will begin atop Carter’s Mountain shortly after 9 p.m. on Sunday. The event will also be shown on MeTV and slightly later on Fox27. Sponsors who helped bring the amount over the top include Wendell Wood and Alan Powell/S&N Communications. Any additional proceeds will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Governor Ralph Northam has announced the latest recipients of planning grants from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. One of these Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) grants has gone to Rockingham County for their research into equipment that can convert organic waste into soil and a methane bio-gas that could be sold as a commodity. “The $20,000 AFID Planning Grant will be matched with local funds and will explore the financial feasibility of such a facility, available waste streams, potential locations, and ownership structures,” reads the press release. If you’ve been to Potter’s Craft Cider in Albemarle County, their operations at Neve Hall on U.S. 29 were funded in part by a $50,000 AFID grant as part of a $1.56 million investment. The terms of the performance agreement between Albemarle County, the Albemarle Economic Development Authority and Potter’s Craft require the creation and maintenance of at least five new jobs and the purchase of nearly $520,000 in locally grown apples.  The Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership is nearly finished with a plan intended to coordinate efforts to increase the number of below-market housing units across the six localities of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. The title of the document is Planning For Affordability: A Regional Approach. (download the draft plan)“We felt that it was important to somehow identify what was particular to the region instead of just rehashing individual action steps that might be in the individual chapters for each locality,” said Anthony Haro, the executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless. “And this led to some good conversations about how to track regionally these goals.” The plan is intended to foster collaboration that pools resources and improves communication about housing issues in order to reduce pressure on individual localities to shoulder the burden alone. But Haro said that won’t happen without coordinated implementation.“This naturally led to the question of who is going to track these regional goals and who is responsible for overseeing the region,” Haro said. There’s also an additional chapter for each locality in the region. Each of these will be presented to the governing body in each before being approved by the entire Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. Christine Jacobs, interim director of the TJPDC, outlined what would happen the June 23 meeting and that consideration for approval. “Between this meeting and when it would go before the Planning District Commission, we will be working with individual jurisdictions to get their feedback to present as they direct us to,” Jacobs said. Jacobs noted it was no coincidence that the recommendations for Charlottesville match those in the Affordable Housing Plan adopted by Council such as a commitment to invest $10 million a year in affordable housing.“That is completely intentional to not have a document that is conflicting with or competing with the city’s affordable housing plan as approved,” Jacobs said. The partnership voted to move the plan on to the next step. Then they discussed their budget, which at the moment appears to be short for the next fiscal year. There’s enough money to begin, but they’ll need to find more money. Keith Smith of Fluvanna County is the chair. “Anybody wants to write a $75,000 check, we’ll be more than happy to take it,” Smith said. The partnership did not vote on a budget, but members agreed to return to their organizations and governments to discuss additional funding. Albemarle Supervisor Ned Gallaway is on the partnership’s executive committee and he said he understood the ask might be tricky. “I think everybody agrees though that the partnership is worth it and we want to see it continue, but it can’t be done without the resources,” Gallaway said. Before adjourning, members had the opportunity to let the others know what’s happening in their jurisdiction or at their non-profit. Sunshine Mathon, the executive director of the Piedmont Housing Alliance, said housing nonprofits are still trying to determine how much funding will come out of the American Recovery Plan. That information may not be fully known until later this year. “Everyone remains optimistic that we’re going to see a really powerful surge in funding which is hopefully going to catalyze significant impact, but it’s hard to plan that far out as well,” Mathon said. In a future newsletter we’ll have more from the Cville Plans Together initiative and feedback on the Future Land Use Map. City Councilor Michael Payne said the real work will come when the zoning ordinance is updated. “I think there’s a question of whether as a city government and as a community we’re actually going to put out money where our mouth is and actually make some of those zoning changes that haven’t happened for a while for a variety of reasons,” Payne said.The last rezoning was in 2003, which saw the creation of several mixed-use zones throughout the city, as well as residential districts intended to increase the number of University of Virginia students who could live closer to Grounds. The Future Land Use Map has caused concern from many in Charlottesville, as reported by City Councilor Lloyd Snook. “We are finding that an awful lot of our very good liberal friends are a little bit horrified to learn that we may be proposing to build an apartment building in their back yards,” Snook said. “There are some interesting tensions that are manifesting themselves at the moment.”Snook said the Planning Commission has only looked at a draft report and it has not been approved by either the Commission or the Council. “And there’s lot of arguments to be had so stay tuned,” Snook said. Brandon Collins, an organizer with the Public Housing Association of Residents, acknowledged there is tension with some of the city’s neighborhoods. “Part of this is the leadership in the city hasn’t really gone to those communities and sold the idea of rolling back segregation and really presenting that as a positive to the community,” Collins said. “Honestly, myself and some other advocates aren’t necessarily the people to sell that to those neighborhoods. It needs to be other voices.”Earlier this year, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority broke ground on the renovation of Crescent Halls, a nine-story building that recently suffered a watermain break on the 7th floor.  Brandon Collins is an organizer with the Public Housing Association of Residents.“We’ve got renovation of Crescent Halls which challenge wise may wind up costing a whole lot more than anybody had even imagined even a few days ago and some of that is related to the supply issues,” Collins said. “Not just the costs but getting supplies in when you need them on your schedule.”Collins also said there have been obstacles in dealing with the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services. “We are still having a challenged relationship with the planning department at the city and we’re trying to work on that but it remains a work in progress,” Collins said. Finally from this meeting, and for this installment of the show, Anthony Haro said several agencies have received emergency vouchers to help with homelessness, but many continue to struggle to find places for them to be used. But he did relate this news. “We have an all-time low number of homeless veterans or veterans experiencing homelessness in our area which is really exciting and we’re on the precipice of being able to declare a functional end of homelessness which I really struggling say because it’s a technical term about the number,” Haro said. “But it’s hovering at five to six veterans experiencing homelessness where previously we’ve always hovered around 15 to 20. So that is a pretty significant shift in our system of care.”Haro said the goal is to bring that number to three or lower by September. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode Meggan and Jenn chat about their fav Nova Scotian breweries, cideries, distilleries, etc!There certainly are a lot of places to drink here! With over 50 craft breweries alone in Nova Scotia plus various distilleries and cider companies, obviously we can't cover every single spot, so these are just some of our stand outs so far.EPISODE LINKS:Let's Get Tripsy: Craft Brewery SeriesNova Scotia Cider GuideGRAB OUR MASTER PACKING LIST HERE*****************************************We are travel enthusiasts who do not claim to be professionals! Instead we are two Halifax, NS natives with travel blogs who somehow found one another on the internet and now, we have a podcast!!Join us every two weeks as we talk about our favourite destinations, travel tips, travel fails and all things travel!We have a big passion for travelling and talking about travel so we hope you will listen and join the conversation.You can find us here:FacebookInstagramJenn's Travel Blog Jenn's YouTube channelMeggan's Travel BlogMeggan and husband Peter's YouTubeDisclaimer - all episodes are our opinions/experiences, always do your research and make travel plans based on your budget and comfort levels.

In October 2016, six months into being a full-time beer writer, I waded into the murky waters of cider writing. On publishing my first piece I was—a little surprisingly—met with a considerable amount of resistance to my view that “cider had an image problem” but there were also positives, which kick-started my journey into cider in earnest. This episode takes a dive into that piece, in which I said that “there needs to be more British cider that takes itself seriously in terms of both flavour and the way in which it presents itself.” It could be argued that we have that now. However, the further I dig to cider culture, the more it feels evident that divisions remain. In this episode I attempt to work out why that is, while also considering that when most people think about cider, they still consider it to be something fizzy and sweet that comes in cans or pints—certainly not 750ml bottles or bag-in-boxes. Consider this a thought experiment in trying to work all of this out, and where UK cider is now compared to where it was five years ago. All opinions within are to be taken with a pinch or two of salt. Listen in to hear what might be next for cider culture, and try to figure out why we can't all just get along.Read the original cider article from 2016 here: totalales.co.uk/blog/2016/10/23/the-skys-the-limit-cidre-latypique-and-the-uks-cider-renaissanceDig into Pellicle's cider archive here: pelliclemag.com/home?category=CiderSupport Pellicle on Patreon here: patreon.com/pelliclemagEpisode Host: Matthew Curtis

Join hosts Gabe Cook, Grant Hutchison and Martyn Goodwin-Sharman as they check the rider for cider in the green room, before it kicks off at the Neutral Cider Hotel!Gabe the Ciderologist™ kicks things off with some religious solace coming from Cider Sleuth’s question, Martyn denounces the new deity whilst Grant questions the monetary value and the guys end up discussing a little show called Book of Mormon.The Scotsman forgets that it's Burns Night, but luckily the Cornishman is on hand to help. They pick their ciders with barrel character in honour; Martyn goes for Pilton’s Tamoshanta, Gabe goes for a full range of Hallet’s Cider’s and Grant picks the Caledonian Cider Factory’s Islay Cask that gives a wee slap on the face. No news this week so it's on to the big interview.The guest this week is a literal rock star, the front man of Scotland’s second best guitar band Biffy Clyro; Simon Neil! A switch from the usual format, the guys talk music and introduce Simon to the finer side of cider. Talking everything from their latest album, ‘A Celebration of Endings’, the life of the band without touring, mental health, to the music from Lethal Weapon 3 and everything in between. The first cider the guys crack is Eve’s Albee Hill, featured previously on the show and loved by the team. A great introduction to the drink for the frontman, before Martyn brings his blend In Touch with Pilton Cider to the table, chatting the poetry and sweet side of cider with Simon. It was a night the guys absolutely loved in the hotel, and we hope you can hear the joy in our voices between the slurring at the end!The guys then finish off with questions from listeners, featuring complaints of the edit on a previous episode that’s missing some Foxwhelp, and advice for new cider makers, including drink, drink, drink and drink!Thank you for tuning in and checking out Neutral Cider Hotel, we’re getting back on the bus!The Team:Gabe is a cider expert: The CiderologistGrant has two cider businesses: Re:Stalk and Aeble Cider ShopMartyn loves to write about cider: CiderShitThe Rest of The Team:Executive Producer/Editor: Scott RiggsMusic: Billy KennedyConnect:Instagram: NeutralCiderHotelFacebook: NeutralCiderHotelTwitter: NeutralCiderPodWebsite: https://www.neutralciderhotel.com/

As I mention in each introduction, Utah Beer News is here to share stories from brewers, breweries, and everyday imbibers. Well, this time on the podcast we get to chat with our first Chief Cider Curator. Matthew Ostrander holds that title at Ibantik Craft Beverages. Ibantik is an organization whose mission is to grow the craft cider scene in Utah. And it’s doing just that. As a Utah-licensed brokerage, Ibantik works with hard cider producers from coast to coast to get craft cider on liquor store shelves and to make them available for consumers to enjoy in Utah’s bars and restaurants. Ostrander’s first sip of an alcoholic beverage took place in an English pub in the mid-90s. And, you guessed it, it was a cider. Since then, he’s sampled and enjoyed hundreds of hard ciders from all around the world. You can find his tasting notes for many of them on HardCiderReviews.com. Recently, he visited with Utah Beer News to talk about cider and cider culture. In this episode, Ostrander shares insight on: The history of cider in America Why he is so passionate about bringing new craft ciders into Utah What ciders you can expect to find on liquor store shelves now and potentially in the future And why cider is experiencing a boom much like craft beer has experienced in recent years Plus, we chat about two places you have an opportunity to learn even more about craft cider: He takes to Instagram Live to host Cider Saturdays — an informal chat about and tastings of interesting ciders. And coming up is a series of Cider Pairing Meals. The first is set for Sunday, January 31, 2021, at Hopkins Brewing in Sugar House. You can visit Hopkins Brewing on Facebook for additional details and to purchase tickets to the five-course brunch. And keep an eye on Ibantik’s social media for future cider pairing meals. Thank you to Matthew for taking the time to talk with Utah Beer News. And thank you for listening. If you enjoy this type of storytelling, I’d appreciate it if you could please leave a review on your podcast platform of choice. And now, let’s jump in to learn more about Ibantik Craft Beverages and its Chief Cider Curator Matthew Ostrander. For an accompanying article, please visit UtahBeerNews.com. Enjoy the episode! Episode 43 | January 25, 2021

Today we sat down with Co-Founder Martin to talk about the importance of having stand-out packaging for an alcoholic beverage brand, how much a team means to the success of a company and of course.. all things craft cider! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/perth-business-podcast/message

Arjun and Vishnu review a locally-made apple cider to see if it holds up to their highest standards (pre-election!)

Part 3 of this Cider-Trilogy is the “icing on the cake” as the Tastemasters close their influential interview with Cider Advocate Matthew Ostrander. Tune in as Matt takes Cider knowledge to an even higher level explaining Imperial Ciders, Hopped Ciders (for those IPA drinkers), a Habanero/Hatch/Jalapeno INFUSED Cider and much more!! Whether you are a … Continue reading "Episode 44: Ciders with Craft Cider Advocate Matthew Ostrander Pt. 3" The post Episode 44: Ciders with Craft Cider Advocate Matthew Ostrander Pt. 3 appeared first on Tastemasters.

Join us for Part 2 with Cider expert Matthew Ostrander! On this Episode, Matthew takes us on the journey through Ciders in today’s day in age, Champagne-styled Cider, fruited Ciders, and how to bring Ciders near you! The post Episode 43: Ciders with Craft Cider Advocate Matthew Ostrander Pt. 2 appeared first on Tastemasters.

Utah’s Own Craft Cider Advocate Matthew Ostrander joins us to further expand our knowledge on Ciders! Matthew has been working with the DABC, restaurants, and bars to help the Cider scene expand within Utah. With over 800 reviews on HardCiderReviews.com Matthew definitely brings a vast and epereinced palate to the table! Join us as Matthew … Continue reading "Episode 42: Ciders with Craft Cider Advocate Matthew Ostrander Pt. 1" The post Episode 42: Ciders with Craft Cider Advocate Matthew Ostrander Pt. 1 appeared first on Tastemasters.

In This Episode: The 50 million year story of apples - How almost every apple we eat today originates from one apple variety from Central Asia. The origin of cider - who invented it? And when? Commercial Cider vs. Craft Cider - what to look out for. The story of Johnny Appleseed and cider in the USA. Plus, We visit Bristol, UK, to taste some truly rustic cider, straight from the farm FULL SHOW NOTES AT: https://foodfuntravel.com/ciderpodcast/ During Megsy's Maternity leave, we are re-broadcasting a few of our favorite episodes. New Episodes coming soon.   QUOTES: “Apples: There are some 55 different species of apple trees, yet all 7,500 types of modern culinary apple come from a single genus (Malus Pumila) of wild apple, that spread from Kazakhstan over the last 6,000 years. Granny Smith, Fuji, Bramley, Coxes, Pink lady, Red Delicious and many more.” "One of America's biggest folk heroes, Johnny Appleseed, took it as his life's mission to create new orchards across America. Unlike apple trees in the past, which were mainly grown from grafts taken from other trees that came from Europe, Johnny Appleseed, only planted new trees from seeds - as nature intended. Apples have a unique DNA, more complicated than Human DNA. Unlike taking grafts from existing trees which clone the tree, the seeds can actually create genetically different trees compared to the parent tree. And seed planting led to increased bio-diversity and new American apple varieties.”

Kate Lynn Nemett, General Manager of Potter's Craft Cider, and Ray Caddell, CEO Of Ray Caddell & Co. Real Estate, joined Barbara Lundgren and me on “The Virginia Wedding & Event Showcase” powered by Barb Wired! “The Virginia Wedding & Event Showcase” airs every Thursday at 10:15 am on The I Love CVille Network! “The Virginia Wedding & Event Showcase” is presented by Keswick Vineyards.

Jason Marraccini and Nicole Wheeler from Treehorn Cider join us to share their triumphs and setbacks of starting a hard cider business while keeping their marketing jobs. Their journey includes how they learned to pivot and uncover their true brand voice.Hey everyone, this is Rudy Fernandez from Creative Outhouse. I want to start by saying thank you to all our listeners. We have listeners in big cities like Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, but also St. Francis, Kansas and Boardman, Oregon. And thank you to our international listeners in Germany, France, Israel, and even a handful of listeners in Tunisia. Thanks for listening, everyone. But now we want to hear from you. We want to know what you think of the show. What else you'd like to hear? Which episodes had the biggest impact? So Email us at info@creativeouthouse.com. So let's start the show. Welcome to Marketing Upheaval. My guests are Jason Marraccini and Nicky Wheeler, founding partners of Treehon Cider in Marietta, Georgia. Both have had successful marketing careers and then a few years ago decided hey, why don't we make a cider? Treehorn is still early on in its growth but it's fanbase is growing. We're here to talk about marketing a new product in a new category, the booze business and what it takes to turn an idea into a company all while keeping your day job. Also, we're going to drink some hard apple cider. So welcome, folks. Thank you.So how did you go from thinking, "hey, this might be a neat idea" to "we're going to do this"?Jason Marraccini: When we tell the story. I like to say that it's my wife's fault. So my wife, Davina who who works for the EPA was at a sustainable small business conference in Asheville. And one of the presenting small businesses was a hard cider operation. When she came back and we were just kind of debriefing after the kids were in bed, she was just really taken with, you know, what a cool, business model. Cider was kind of taking off, small footprint, very, obviously, because she's with the EPA, you know, the eco-friendly end of it is important. But we got to talking about it. And then we went out to dinner and over a few bottles of wine with friends of ours who ended up being our business partners, just really couldn't get the ideas out of our head that ciders taking off. We have apple crop in Georgia. Nobody's doing it yet, but it seems like a hot market segment. And we bounce it off some, some friends of ours in the restaurant industry, and they all seem to agree that like, wow, yeah, if there was a local product, it would do really, really well, just on the basis of being local, even if it wasn't, I hate to say that. But even if it wasn't great, yeah, and obviously, that's very important to us that it is a great product.Rudy: It is a great product, by the way, I'm drinking it.Jason: But yeah, that's kind of where the idea came from. And then it sort of got momentum. From there, we put together a business plan. We went and looked for some outside investment money, which we raised, in the grand scheme of things, pretty quickly. I feel like I mean, probably over the course of like four or five months, and then off we went.Read the full Transcript and see behind the scenes images here: https://creativeouthouse.com/2020/03/18/a-craft-cider-pivots-and-finds-its-brand-voice/Support the show (http://www.creativeouthouse.com/our-work)

For our season finale we’re focusing our attention on what the future holds for cider. We’ll dive into co-ferments, collaborations, and cider culture abroad. We’ll also look to adjacent industries as a model for craft cider and explore how the cider industry can empower its community as it grows. Considering input from leaders across this industry, we’ll return to the agricultural roots of this craft beverage and conclude with what makes cider unique.Hard Core is powered by Simplecast.

Hear how Karol Ostaszewski and Laura Clacey are building Sxollie, a craft apple cider brand and changing mindsets to make cider sexy.

This week's featured artist is Caleb Luke Lin. We came to learn of his work by way of Michelle, The Brew Babe and her love of cider and advocacy for gluten free beverages. He does the labels, designs as well as story telling for Graft Cider which makes this a first for us, our first cider featured here. When you listen you'll hear we had some fun with it and referred to this episode as the 12oz. Canvas - the Art of Craft Cider. We took the time to explore his style and the foundation of his work and were able to draw an instant connection to two classes he remembered as being influential in school. To be able to tie it all together like that was a really enjoyable takeaway from the interview and episode. I wonder what experiences throughout our adventures has shaped us and who we are today. It is a nice introspective exercise that I am sure you will benefit from too. Looking at this layouts and designs (and even the photography he shares) can you guess what the two classes were? Learn about his process, how he ended up in Brooklyn by way of Baltimore and even his love of the Ravens. We were happy we didn't jinx them and they won last week.

From Craft Beer to Craft Cider. Join Jen and I, as we take you through an interview with Rachel, ower of Fraser Valley Cider Company. Not only will you become vastly more educated about how and why Cider is so amazing. You will also have the pleasure of understanding the value of chasing your dream, living with passion and creating a community around you. This interview was powerful in connecting me, once again, with the value of living your passion.   Rachel Bolongaro rachel@fraservalleycider.ca 604.308.4805 fraservalleycider.ca  @fraservalleycider 

The Cider Insider | 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now Enter to win a Free Copy of The Cider Insider by Susanna Forbes. One lucky cider fan will receive a signed copy of this book featuring a "100 Craft Cider to Drink Now"! This giveaway will be held on May 22, 2019 to May 28, 2019. Enter by: Following @ciderchat “Ria” and @drinkbritain “Susanna” on Twitter When you see a tweet by either Susanna or Ria saying #Retweet #TheCiderInsider, all you have to do is Retweet that Tweet or Retweet #TheCiderInsider Not a social media fan - if you aren’t on Twitter but want to enter this giveaway, Send an email to ria@ciderchat.com and put - The Cider Insider in the Subject line and your name will be entered into the random drawing. This chat with Susanna and James Forbes was recorded at CiderCon2019, the annual trade conference hosted by the United States Association of Cider Makers. Susanna & James Forbes It was at CiderCon2018 when I first had the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Susanna and James. Listen to that chat on episode 126 Little Pomona’s Big Ciders | Hereford, UK They started selling cider under their brand name Little Pomona in 2015. James has been involved in the wine trade for quite a while and is now the Chairperson of the Three Counties Cider and Perry Association. Susanna has been writing about craft libations since 2000. She writes for Imbibe magazine and sill uses the Twitter handle @drinkbritain. Her recent book The Cider Insider is what prompted this sit down chat and the fact that I adore the Forbes and always love hearing about and tasting their newest cider. Little Pomona Cider Tasted during this chat Hazy Ways Part 1 7.4% alcohol by volume Apples used: 91% Dabinet and some Elias Bitter 750 ML cider - bottle conditioned Like all the ciders that I have had with the Forbes, James did a “Shake to Wake” of this bottle, which allows the sediment on the bottom of the bottle to come into solution before pouring, much like one would do with a Hefeweizen beer. You can also pour the cider without Shaking to Wake. But why, when tipping the bottle carefully back and forth is so much fun?!? What’s up at Little Pomona? They are expanding the cidery and building a Tasting Room next to the orchard! Contact Little Pomona Website: http://www.littlepomona.com/ Telephone: +44 1885 410645 Email: mailto:enquiries@littlepomona.com Address: Thornbury, Bromyard HR7 4NJ, UK Mentions in this Chat International Cider and Perry Competition - Herefordshire, UK Totally Cider Tour | Normandy September 22-28, 2019 Follow @ahston1848 on Twitter a UK cider enthusiast Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube  

The 50 million year story of apples - How almost every apple we eat today originates from one apple variety from Central Asia. The origin of cider - who invented it? And when? Commercial Cider vs. Craft Cider - what to look out for. The story of Johnny Appleseed and cider in the USA. Plus, We visit Bristol, UK, to taste some truly rustic cider, straight from the farm FULL SHOW NOTES AT: https://foodfuntravel.com/ciderpodcast/ QUOTES: “Apples: There are some 55 different species of apple trees, yet all 7,500 types of modern culinary apple come from a single genus (Malus Pumila) of wild apple, that spread from Kazakhstan over the last 6,000 years. Granny Smith, Fuji, Bramley, Coxes, Pink lady, Red Delicious and many more.” "One of America's biggest folk heroes, Johnny Appleseed, took it as his life's mission to create new orchards across America. Unlike apple trees in the past, which were mainly grown from grafts taken from other trees that came from Europe, Johnny Appleseed, only planted new trees from seeds - as nature intended. Apples have a unique DNA, more complicated than Human DNA. Unlike taking grafts from existing trees which clone the tree, the seeds can actually create genetically different trees compared to the parent tree. And seed planting led to increased bio-diversity and new American apple varieties.”

Hey everyone! You’re going to love this week's episode. I recorded it on an apple orchard (a literal dream come true for me since podcasts + apples are two of my favourite things in life!) but we get down to BUSINESS with Amelia and her dad Colin. I took away some powerful lessons from this episode. Here’s a quick synopsis: As a business owner, you should learn to be okay with financial risk Read the book The Lean Startup (HERE) Don’t talk about things, DO things! Look for grants that you can apply for If you want to start a business, make a business plan, encounter obstacles, fail, and just do it Today's interview... Amelia and Matt have been making hard cider since 2012, after they fell in love with the beverage in London, England. After successfully completing their post-secondary education, Matt and Amelia visited London, England. While they were exploring the culture in London, they stumbled upon traditional hard apple cider. From then on, they were hooked. On their return, they started experimenting with different blends of apple varieties from the family farm. Their recipe was perfected over many bottles shared with family and friends. They were destined for cider-making, obsessed with achieving exceptional taste using just one ingredient, apples. Passionate about cider and driven to succeed, Amelia and Matt started Apple Falls Cider Company. Their cider uses 100% Campbell's Orchards apples, hand picked from the family farm. The exceptional quality of the apples from Campbell's Orchards directly ensures great tasting cider. WEBSITE https://www.applefallscider.ca ----- SIGN UP FOR The VISIONARY METHOD Waitlist! www.kelseyreidl.com/waitlist   ----- FREE WEBSITE CHECKLIST, BELOW SIGN UP FOR THIS WEEKS FREEBIE! ----- SHOP OUR NEW TSHIRTS! www.kelseyreidl.com/shopAlso check out my website for blog posts, tips and more! www.kelseyreidl.comINSTAGRAM: @kelseyreidl www.instagram.com/kelseyreidl BUSINESS: hello@kelseyreidl.com MY SERVICES: BUSINESS COACHING (1:1 and Group) SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTING Find out more at www.kelseyreidl.com/programs

Richard Liu is the Chair of the Ontario Craft Cider Association and owner of Ironwood Cider and Sunnybrook Winery. This chat was recorded while I was on tour with Ryan Monkman of Fieldbird Cider (Prince Edward County) who sponsored my cider tour of Ontario's craft cidermakers. Richard's Background Richard was born in Taiwan and his family moved to Canada when he was ten. Before buying Sunnybrook/Ironwood he worked in Asia in what he described as the corporate world. He and his wife decided to move back to Canada and start a business to provide their children with a countryside setting. Richard took over the fruit winery Sunnybrook in 2013 and began making cider under the brand Ironwood, which was also part of the original winery. The current facility at Sunnybrook/Ironwood is around 1600 square feet. During the summer of 2018 they are building a 10,000 square foot building for both the winery and cidermaking operations. Behind the tasting room is an orchard of peach trees. The plan is to replant the orchard with pears. Richard and 5 other "guys" started the Ontario Craft Cider Association in 2012. The first chairman of this association was Nick Sutcliffe of Pommies Cider Company in Caledon, Ontario.  The Association current membership is around 40 makers. It is the only craft cider association in Ontario Terminology used in this chat and info on Canada for cider drinkers OCCA - Ontario Craft Cider Association VQA - Vintner's Quality Alliance LCBO - Liquor Control Board of Ontario Drinking age begins at 19 in Canada. Key players that the Association has to work with in Canada Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Finance LCBO - is a government run liquor store where you can find craft cider, beer, wine and spirits Contact Ironwood Hard Cider Website: https://ironwoodcider.ca/home eMail: info@ironwoodcider.ca Address: 1425 Lakeshore RoadNiagara-on-The-Lake, OntarioL0S 1J0 Telephone: +1  905-468-1122 Visit Ironwood Store Hours: May 1st through October 31st:Daily 10am – 6pm November 1st through April 30th:Daily 11am – 5pm Mentions in this chat August 24 & 25 Toronto Cider Fest, Ontario | Canada August 31 & September 2 - 2018 Ross Cider Festival - Herefordshire | UK 137: Ontario’s County Cider Story | Jenifer Dean 135 Viejo High Pours Fishtown | Philadelphia Nick Sutcliffe  of Pommies Cider Company Ernest Cider - Michelle Faris Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube Ask for the following ciders - By supporting these cidermakers, you in turn help Cider Chat Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania : listen to Joe Getz on episode 14 Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC : listen to Danielle von Scheiner on episode 35 Oliver’s Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK ; listen to Tom Oliver on episode 29 Santa Cruz Cider Company - California : listen to Nicole Todd on episode 60 The Cider Project aka EthicCider- California Albermale CiderWorks : listen to Chuck Shelton on episode 56 Cider Summit : listen to Alan Shapiro founder of this cider fest on episode 75. Ramborn Cider Co. Luxembourg. Big Fish Cider Co. Virginia Tanuki Cider Co. Santa Cruz California episode 103 Ross on Wye Cider and Perry, UK Process and Analytical NMR Services - John Edwards provides analytics of cider - stay tuned for his Chemical Fingerprints workshop coming up on Cider Chat Ironbark Ciderworks, Claremont, California Join the #ciderGoingUP Campaign today!  Haven't downloaded this chat yet? Here is is again.  

A tour and discussion about cider with Michael of KW Craft Cider. December 2017.

Special guest Sam Reid from Tassie's Willie Smith's chats to Adrian about their cider, an exciting new release, and the Australian cider scene. Ciders Willie Smith's Traditional Booze Recommendations Sam: Willie Smith's Traditional, Henry of Harcourt cider, Red Sails cider Adrian: Boatrocker Blanc de Blancs Non-Booze Recommendations Sam: Leading by Alex Ferguson with Michael Moritz, Pisces Iscariot by The Smashing Pumpkins Adrian: Ride The Lightning by Metallica

The First Lady of the Basement, writer, editor, and cider connoisseur, Maddie Anthes joins the dudes for episode 7. The episode has since been dubbed Maddie-Cast as Maddie chose the book, Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale," record, Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love," and beer, Downeast Brewery's "Original Blend Craft Cider." Dubbed by the author as "speculative fiction," Atwood's "Handmaid's Tale," takes place in the possible, not-so-distant future wherein the religious right has taken over America. This is accepted and fueled by the fact that in Atwood's dystopia the ability to conceive has all but abandoned humanity. Faced with the challenge of a dying race, and using fundamentalist doctrine, the men in power enslave the remaining fertile women, attempt to brainwash them, and scatter them as concubines to the highest ranking men. Atwood's world-building and attention to detail create a terrifying, yet highly plausible world wherein the reader cannot help but draw similarities to the America of 2017. Time traveling to, at times, a terrifying time for music, the 1980's, we have Springsteen's solo offering "Tunnel of Love." We cover "Brilliant Disguise," and frankly do a damn good job with Maddie on lead vocals and harmonies, something sorely lacking from the boss' straight-ahead version. The cider was a refreshing change from New England's Downeast Brewery. While the novel is based in a fictional New England, we are glad this one exists as the cider was not only different, but crisp and tasty.

Ontario craft ciders and distillers getting support from the Province

Jason Lummen chats about the origins of The Peoples Cider Company, which debuted in Grand Rapids in 2011, and his philosophy to cider and business. Join us for a KDL Uncorked tour and tasting at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 at The People's Cider Co. Find our full KDL Uncorked series line-up at www.kdl.org/events?&title=uncorked. (Note: Some occasional cursing in the interview.)

One of my passions is getting people to try and enjoy hard cider. But how do we do this? What are the gateways? Tastings? Pairing with food? As a cocktail ingredient? Cider is the fastest-growing beverage in the beer market. But it's mostly watered-down mass-produced Angry Orchard. What I'm talking about is craft cider. Cider produced in small batches by folks passionate about their product. Folks like Tim Edmond and Dan Potter of Potter's Craft Cider. Dan and Tim saw a need in the market for high quality small batch cider in the same way small brewers saw a need for craft beer in the 1980's. It's that grass roots, DIY attitude that makes their cider shine. If you can make it yourself and make it exactly the way you want it, it's always going to taste better. This isn't Alpenglow or even Strongbow or Woodchuck. This is CRAFT cider folks. The craft cider category is being defined as we speak and Dan and Tim are lucky enough to be riding the crest of that wave. The creation of their first cider batch was a happy accident after an agricultural tragedy when they lost their barley crop to floods. They've never looked back. In addition to their Farmhouse Dry, a bright, crisp beverage similar to a French cider, Dan and Tim have developed blends incorporating hops, or peaches, or raspberries, or honey, or juniper. My personal favorite is the Oak Barrel Reserve aged in apple brandy barrels from a local distillery. A calvados without the liquor burn. Cider is gluten free and a bright accompaniment to any dish. It pairs well with charcuterie, pork, venison, duck, or nutty cheeses like comté or gruyère. The bright, light acid cuts through the fattiness and just tastes extraordinary. We had it with our Thanksgiving turkey. Their energy and passion is infectious. Felt like I was talking to a couple of vintners. Cider production is similar to wine both in the way its made and in the selection of apples for blends or other ciders types made from one single variety of apple. What are the four qualities of good cider? What unusual ingredient does Tim add for tannins? What is their next concept for cider, one I am just over the moon excited about? What cocktail does cider go great with at brunch? What is Tim's "Appetizer Bagel" order at Bodo's? Listen to find out! We nerded out on cider making in this podcast, the fermentation, the tasting notes. A must for cider lovers and anyone interested in home brewing. Great conversation! Ready to try some cider? Potter's Craft Cider is hosting their 2nd Annual Orchard Wassail Event TOMORROW, Saturday December 19th from 12pm-5pm at the cidery, 4699 Catterton Road in Free Union, one of only two cider events on the property this year! Join in this ancient tradition where folks sing carols to the trees in hopes of dispelling evil spirits and ensuring a healthy harvest in 2016. Check the link for more information. And go drink some cider! SHOW NOTES - Links to items discussed within the episode: Shameful Bartending - How Hubris & Arrogance is Replacing Hospitality - by Joseph DeLuca on Dr. Drink's Apothecary This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

'Drunken Botanist' author Amy Stewart on the glorious tradition of turning plants into alcohol. Delicious homework from a winery sherpa and cider nerd. And we celebrate civil rights icon and opera singer Marian Anderson.

No, cider is not beer, but we (rather drunkenly) did a cider episode anyway. Don't worry, though, there is (kind of) a beer in the episode at the very end. Ciders Batlow Cloudy Cider Zeffer Slack ma Girdle Thorogoods Vintage Dry Apple Wine 2008 Thorogoods Billy B's Golden Malted Apple Beer Links No Country for Old Men vs. There Will Be Blood (Correction: Oil! is a novel, not a short story) Edible Manhattan article about Aaron Burr Cidery Cider apples Willie Smiths Lark Whisky Aged Cider Thorogoods cidery for sale