Nova Scotia cider maker searches for the ‘next great apple tree’

Available at Dartmouth’s Dear Friend bar, Faraway Cider has been the award-winning result of Peter Milner’s passion for foraging and picking wild Nova Scotia apples

CITYnews halifax \ Steve Gow

It may not be easy running a successful cidery without having an apple orchard, but Peter Milner has somehow done just that.

In fact, with Faraway Cider, not only has the apple forager and cider entrepreneur been able to establish one of Cumberland County’s most cherished ciders, but he brought home gold and silver medals as well as a Best in Class award from the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition for his traditional dry cider.

“I don’t have a background in cider or apples or anything like that,” admits Milner about stumbling into the successful business. “My background is more in studying electrical engineering and I work as a software developer, but I guess I just started becoming interested in apples.”

The truth is, Milner found his way into the world of cider after reading about permaculture — a philosophy and approach to agriculture and land management that adopts designs and arrangements observed in natural ecosystems.

“Instead of growing annual crops, you grow perennial crops, and a big part of that is tree crops,” notes Milner. “(So) instead of growing something exotic, you try to grow something that tends to be native to your area.”

It just so happens that Milner’s interest in permaculture seemed to peak the same year he noticed a bumper crop of apples in the area, so he thought he would try his hand at making cider.

The only problem — he didn’t have the tools and his property only had one apple tree.

“I just had a chance encounter with a friend of mine who had a cider press he wasn’t using,” recalls Milner. “I borrowed the press and made a bunch of cider with apples from my neighbour and I just really enjoyed the result.”

The next year’s crop of apples wasn’t as fruitful so Milner was forced to go foraging further afield for his wild apples, and as he set off down the back roads, he soon found himself knocking on doors to ask strangers to generously give him access to their forgotten apple trees.

“I have been very fortunate to have a lot of support from the community,” says Milner, who by 2018 formed Faraway Cider — a small company that would create cider solely from wild and forsaken fruit trees.

He says many people don’t realize the flavours within wild apples are rich and complex and while they may not be appetizing to ingest conventionally — they often ferment and age into a fantastic cider.

“With cider, you don’t need a beautiful looking apple because you don’t see the apple,” says Milner, adding many farmed apples are intensively managed with pesticides and herbicides. “As a cider maker, I get to taste all sorts of interesting flavours (because) all the trees are so different. You just never quite know what you are going to get.”

Since Milner formed Faraway Cider four years ago, he has certainly found a faithful following of would-be pommeliers with his product.

His cider is now available at select farmers’ markets and can be found locally at the Dartmouth cocktail bar, Dear Friend.

Perhaps more importantly, by using wild and uncultivated apples, not only has he created an award-winning cider, but he has helped to lessen food waste and promote sustainability in Nova Scotia.

“I’m always interested in finding new sources of apples — not necessarily because I’m looking to greatly expand my production at this point — but working with wild apples, you just never know what you are going to get,” says Milner, who invites people with wild apple trees on their property to reach out through his website to donate.

“A lot of apple trees that are out there could potentially be the next great apple tree, so I’m always on the lookout for that kind of thing.”

For more information on Faraway Cider, visit the website.