Mar 30, 2012
Cider mill and market open door to diversification

When Jay Jollay approached his wife, Sarah, with an idea for a new cider mill operation, she liked it. She just worried the plan was a little too grand.

He envisioned a complete cider operation to be housed in a new facility on their Coloma, Mich., farm that would be open and visible to guests at all times.

“It puts a lot of added stress on us,” Sarah said.

Besides making sure everything tastes goods and meets safety standards, she added, “We also have to make sure everything looks perfect, too, because our customers are watching.”

The entire cider press operation sits inside the Grandpa’s Cider Mill bakery and store that debuted in 2005. Open to the public, it is behind a glass wall that separates it from the sales area.

“I thought he was crazy at first to not only want to build this new cider mill, but then have it open behind glass so every move we make can be easily seen,” she said. “Like with most things though, it seems to be working.”

The press produces 90,000 gallons of cider every year. Most of the cider is for Grandpa’s Cider Mill store, Jollay’s Orchard sales and a few wholesale accounts. Much of the apples used for making the cider are bought from local growers, with most of the apples grown in the family orchards being sold via u-pick. Part of the cider they sell comes from pressing and bottling cider for other area growers using the apples they bring to be pressed.

Along with cider, the Jollays put in a USDA-approved bakery to offer an assortment of pies, doughnuts and their own creation – the Michigan Melt, a tasty treat that has to be seen – and tasted – to be believed, Sarah said.

The Jollays also sell gourmet jams and jellies made from fruit grown on the family farm, assorted gifts from the region, as well as local honey. Another treat they offer is a cider bar featuring a range of flavor options in gourmet ciders – anything from caramel apple to peppermint and a wide array in between.

“The caramel and cherry are the most popular, along with the other fruit blends,” Sarah said.

The majority of the Jollays’ 8,000 to 10,000 annual guests are day-trippers from the Chicago area who are willing to pay for quality, fresh products.

“A lot of what we do is try to command top dollar for what the growers are producing and sustain this lifestyle,” Sarah said. “That was part of the reason we knew we had to diversify into the retail side of the business.

“It has been kind of a learning curve, too, for those growers we press and bottle for. We want to educate them as well as the end user/consumer that there is a big difference between what we make versus that $3 per gallon processed cider drink found at big grocery store chains.”

By Derrek Sigler, Assistant Editor




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