It’s Apple (And Hard Apple Cider) Season In See Canyon
Photos courtesy of Gopher Glen Apple Farm
You may have seen The Biggest Little Farm, an enthralling documentary following John and Molly Chester’s Sisyphian struggle to create a sustainable organic farm on 200 barren acres of land in Ventura County. Across our country, this same mighty struggle to create fertile organic land is being orchestrated by hundreds of small farms. Our very own Gopher Glen Apple Farm achieved that coveted status 14 years ago through years of hard work and conscientious strategizing.
But like many apple orchards, Gopher Glen has another component of its business to manage — its hard cider pressery. Owners Jake and Raven Lukehart-Smith hope to open their cider room for tastings in October at Avila Valley Barn, a SLO farm they also own. For now, you can grab ciders to go, so you can hold your own tasting at home, including flavors like the citrusy Righteous Apple, the hoppy Jack Rabbit, the Basque-style Espana Sidra, the passionfruit-infused Lilliko’i Sunset, and the Thai basil-infused High Tide.
Gopher Glen was started in 1971 as a 20-acre hobby orchard by John DeVincenzo, a local orthodontist. Bobby, John’s wife, loved the orchard so much that they built their home there and opened a small fruit stand. Bobby pressed apples for cider and sold sacks of fruit with her children. Debbie Smith later joined Bobby as a business partner and ran Avila Valley Barn for the DeVincenzos.
Debbie helped manage the farms until Bobby died of cancer in 1995, and John passed away in 2009. That’s when Debbie and her husband, Bruce Smith, bought the farm. Jake Lukehart-Smith grew up on the orchard and always dreamed of being a farmer. After the Smiths retired to their renovated home on the orchard, Jake, his wife Raven, and their son took over the farm.
The farm was certified organic in 2006, and owners Raven and Jake Lukehart-Smith say the holistic approach was a natural fit for apples. “A large chunk of the apples we grow are considered heirloom varieties in that they are traditional, non-commercial and have existed for several generations,” Raven, who teaches a holistic land management course at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, said.
The Lukehart-Smiths are conscious of sustainability on the farm and being located in the water-precious Central Valley, carefully monitoring their carbon footprint and water usage. “The goal is to create regeneration of resources on site including water and minerals with maximization of carbon capture and ecosystem diversity,” Raven said.
But careful water usage doesn’t mean any scarcity of apples. “We grow 112 different types of apples, with 65 of those making it to the fruit stand each year,” says Raven.
A hundred may sound like a lot, but it’s a small number compared to the over 7500 apple cultivars known to us. However, most of them are not great for eating. The legend of the Garden of Eden may lay claim to the first apple tree, but real apple trees originated in Kazakhstan millions of years ago. They made their way from the Norman conquest to England, then to North America via Jamestown in 1607. Colonial settlers brought seeds and cuttings from Europe to plant in the colonies.
The hard ciders at Gopher Glen hearken back to a familiar name when it comes to apples: Johnny Appleseed. John Chapman, America’s apple man, wasn’t really spreading love for Eve’s forbidden fruit, per se. In fact, the cultivars he helped spread were not edible as raw fruits, but were great for making heady tipples like hard cider and applejack. Chapman planted apple orchards throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania to stake his land claims.
When John DeVincenzo and his family bought Gopher Glen, it had a small orchard that was planted by early Mennonite settlers in the 1880s, who probably brought the trees from Pennsylvania. Those trees are still there, but joined by hundreds more planted over the years.
Since it grows such a wide variety of apples, Gopher Glen has the longest-running apple season in the area, which runs from July to December. The list on their site is up to date, with Gravenstein, Burgundy, Gala, Tohoku, Empire, Laura Red, and Mollies Delicious currently in season. However this year, their varieties seem to be on the earlier side — about two weeks or so earlier than the dates listed online.
With so many cultivars, it’s difficult to choose. Luckily, the farm provides apple tastings at their farm store. Although apples are delicious fresh off the tree, the Lukehart-Smiths enjoy them many different ways. Gravensteins are great for sauces and pies. Heavensent (their proprietary apples) are great in salads, chutneys, coleslaws and apple butter. Their store also has a variety of apple products to choose from, including housemade apple crisp, hard cider, house-pressed fresh apple cider, and apple cider pops.
Of course, you can always ask the farm staff to lead you to the best Gravensteins for your next apple pie, or you can whip up our easy spiced apple walnut cake (recipe provided below). While you’re on the farm, grab some sweet plums, pluots, yellow and white peaches, yellow and white nectarines, heirloom tomatoes, yellow and green Patty Pan summer squash, and ripe avocadoes.
Strolling several miles around Gopher Glen with your family and get some fresh air this fall. Gopher Glen and Avila Valley Barn are both practicing social distancing, including limiting customers in the stores and stands at any given time, signage requiring customers wear masks and give other customers 6ft of space, gloves on employees at all times, sanitation of surfaces throughout the day, hand sanitizer stations, employees with any symptoms sent home on sick leave, addition of grab-and-go options, and plexiglass walls at registers.
Gopher Glen’s summer hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please call the farm to confirm openings, or check their Instagram or Facebook, before heading over.
Gopher Glen Apple Farm
2899 See Canyon Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
(805) 595- 2646
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Spiced Apple Cake With Walnuts
Recipe by: Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk, at room temperature
¾ cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon allspice
4 large apples (granny smith, Fuji or any other tart variety), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ round or square pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla, until smooth and creamy (about 5 minutes with an electric mixer).
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and allspice.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in two batches, mixing until blended. The batter will be thick and look chunky. Add the apples and walnuts and stir until combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Makes 1 cake that serves about 8 to 10.
