James Creek Cider

This week’s farm inspection takes us to the home orchard of Ann Marie & David Thornton, owners of James Creek Cider House .

Last year we visited their larger orchard and cider making facility, but this year we had a chance to see the orchard at their home property where the James Creek started and where they still grow a variety of fruits that they use to make their ciders.

David served in the Air Force, before going on to medical school at Georgetown, where he became a doctor specializing in pulmonology. Ann Marie had her own career as a professor of English.

So how did they end up starting a cider company? Well, David’s love for fruit is a lifelong passion as he grew up in a family that owned a wholesale fruit business in Cincinnati. And while studying abroad in London, Ann Marie fell in love with cider. So when they purchased their farm, they decided they needed an orchard. They were inspired by the work of Lee Calhoun Jr. and his work to preserve the heirloom apple varieties of North Carolina, many of which are used for making cider. Today, they grow nearly 100 varieties of apples between their two properties, along with about 25 varieties of pears, over 20 varieties of peaches, as well as permissions and blueberries.

Although they do sell some of that fruit fresh at the market, the vast majority goes directly to making their wonderful selection ciders. They have everything from classic traditional dry ciders made in the European style, to modern American ciders that are aged in bourbon barrels or include other local produce like LB’s Farm hibiscus. It’s always a joy to be able to spend time with Ann Marie in their orchards. Her wealth of knowledge about heirloom fruit, cider making, and the history behind all of it is awe inspiring. Although she technically doesn’t teach anymore, she’s still finding a way to educate so many of us about the history (and the future) of cider.