The 500 Bottles Project — Wildbranch Cider

The 500 Bottles Project is a community-based cidermaking project that helps fund Craftsbury organizations doing great work in our community. This project needs YOU!

Craftsbury community members harvest apples from their backyard, a neighbor’s yard, from wild trees along the roadside or in old pastures, and deliver them to Wildbranch Cider.
Wildbranch Cider presses the apples and ferments, ages, bottles, markets and sells the finished cider to retailers and consumers around Vermont.
Proceeds from these sales are donated directly to Craftsbury-based organizations.
We need YOU to provide the apples. For this project to work we need about 35 bushels of apples between now and the end of October to make 250 liters of cider. Please don’t bring them just yet! Read the apple guidelines and delivery times below for details.
[Note: We are talking about hard cider here. I don’t have the equipment, processes, permits or expertise to make a fresh cider for sale to the public at this scale.]

The project is expected to yield (you guessed it!) 500 bottles of cider and aims to generate approximately $5500 in revenue each year, which will be used to support Craftsbury organizations.

Yes. For 2027, The Craftsbury Public Library and Craftsbury Food Shelf will share the funds raised by the project. Future recipient organizations will be chosen by a committee, not the cidermaker.

Do you have apple trees on your property but maybe don’t get around quite as well as you used to? Would you be open to having an able-bodied neighbor harvest from your trees? If so, let me know and I will try to pair you with someone who can harvest them.
If you don’t have apple trees on your property but are game for picking, likewise, let me know and I will try to pair you with a landowner who does.
Calling all artists! We will need a label for this cider and would love to use a local artist’s work that captures the essence and spirit of Craftsbury. Fair warning: I’m pretty particular about labels…
One or two strong backs will be needed to help press apples for approximately 4 hours in the fall. Again in the Spring, two more people will be needed for about 4 hours to help bottle the cider.

Of course! A cider release party will happen in late Spring when the cider is ready. The Craftsbury community will have the opportunity to taste the cider as well as purchase bottles.

The biggest benefit to you is the satisfaction gained by having your 1 bushel of apples generate $150 in direct funds for worthy organizations in town that support you and your neighbors. Organizations that provide aid and vibrancy to the town and help make Craftsbury what it is.
All apple contributors will be acknowledged on the cider label with the family, farm or business name listed.
Did I mention the party?

The project is expected to yield 500 bottles of cider.
Each bottle of cider will sell for either $11 (wholesale) or $15 (retail) for an average price of $13.
Wildbranch Cider will retain $2/bottle to partially offset costs of production (bottles, labels, alcoholic beverage taxes, credit card fees etc.)
The final expected revenue per bottle will be $11.
$11/bottle X 500 bottles = $5500.

September-October 2026 - Apples are harvested and pressed.
October-February 26/27 - Cider ferments and ages at Wildbranch Cider.
January 2027 - Approximately half of project proceeds are distributed to recipient organizations based on expected revenue.
Late Winter 2027 - Cider is bottled.
Late Spring 2027 - Cider release party! Cider offered for sale.
Fall 2027 - Remainder of proceeds are distributed to recipient organizations based on actual project revenue.
Project Repeats…