GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — A program on what it was like to make cider on a 1930s Catskill farm will be held Sunday, October 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Time and the Valleys Museum.  

It’s a chance to experience old-time cider making with a hand-powered cider press. Restored by museum trustee David Forshay, the hand press will press fresh local apples after they have been ground in an old-fashioned grinder.

A fall activity on any farm that had an apple orchard, cider-making has a long history, a press release from the museum noted.  Since the safety of drinking water was a concern in early America, cider was a better choice. Early settlers also believed drinking cider aided in the prevention of many illnesses and helped them live a long life.

The apple-pressing process and its importance on family farms will be illustrated, including a display of cider-making. Also included is a cider taste-testing and homemade cookies made from recipes in the museum’s recently published work, titled “1930s Lost Catskill Farm Heritage Baking Book.”

All buildings on the farm will be open, including the farmhouse, barn, milk house, electric plant and the working waterwheel, with educational and interactive activities and guided tours.  The museum’s three floors of interactive exhibitions will be open as well.

There is no charge for members, and for non-members the cost is $5 for adults and $2 for children. The fee includes the cider-making demonstration, admission to the Lost Catskill Farm, and to the museum.  

For more information, visit timeandthevalleysmuseum.org.