Farmer Boy: Heirloom Cider Press

Cider with a story....

Daddy grew up on this farm with loads of stories to tell, basically a real life Farmer Boy. One of his stories involves collecting apples from this tree we still collect apples from, to take to an aunts house where they pressed in an old fashioned cider press. They filled jug loads and brought them home to freeze. He has been searching for a similar press for years. They are either too expensive or not quite the same design.

One day this summer, with the apples starting to fall, he decided to check online-see if any presses were for sale. Someone was selling a press he claimed, looked exactly like the one he used at his aunts house, but in the ad, they insisted it was mostly an antique piece. He wrote back and forth with the seller, to inquire if it could be used again, as that would be his sole reason for purchase and shared memories of his pressing cider at his aunts as a child.

Long story short...after a little search on the Family Tree, he now owns the original cider press from his Aunt Myrtle and he is beyond thrilled!

His distant cousin and wife came to drop off the press and meet the family. They wouldn't even take money and just requested a video, once the press was in working condition again.

Less than 24 hours later, with a little elbow grease and lots of willing helpers, cider was being pressed after a 25 year hiatus.

So it stays in the Armstrong family, circa 1955.

And so far, it's making up for lost time.