Apple Orchard or Cider Mill???

OK, what is it really? An Apple Orchard or Cider Mill??

Every year during the fall, my family, friends and I visit an Apple Orchard. Some of us like to hit the hayride and pick apples.

My step dad loves making apple jam and stores them in mason jars. He usually gives them out to the family.

 Some of us like to take our kids, so they can connect and have fun.

My son always insist on making one of those little sand “thing a ma jigs’” with the different colors (see pic below) .

My nieces and nephew love to play in the play area on the slides!

Some of us love the fresh warm donuts and hot chocolate. I usually head straight to the donut stand!I just can’t resists the smell of the fresh donuts being made! I love donuts and hot chocolate.

Some love the wine (my mom) and some just simply go because it’s a tradition. Typically it’s between 10 to 20 of us that meet up and spend the day together. It’s really a fun time.

So, my question is what is it really? What’s the difference between a Cider Mill vs. Apple Orchard? All the ones that I have been to have he same offerings. Hayrides, donuts, face painting, cider, fun areas, apple picking and pumkin patches. What should we call it? Does it really matter? I hear some people say they are going to the Apple Orchard and some say they are going to the Cider Mill, what’s the difference?

I decided to look them both up in Wikipedia and Online Dictionaries… and I also decided to ask some “online friends" of mine.

A Cider mill refers to the location, structure, or machinery used to crushed apples into apple juice for use in making apple cider, applejack, hard cider, apple wine, pectin and other products derived from apples. The mills used to manufacture the juice products, ferment them, store them and ship them, are usually located near apple orchards. Historically, the types of structure and machinery have varied greatly—including horse powered, water driven, and machine operated mills. The presses can be fixed or portable.

*source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cider_mill

	1.	Apple orchard - a grove of apple trees               orchard, woodlet, grove, plantation - garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth
*source:		http://www.thefreedictionary.com/apple+orchard

My online friends say they prefer to call them “orchards” because if there is no cider press, than it just makes more sense to call it an “orchard”.

Maybe I could make up a new name, The Apple Orchard Cider Mill? No? Okay, maybe not....

 I guess I’ll stick with what I have been calling them. The Good Old Apple Orchard. J