PUYALLUP, Wash. — On a foggy morning what sounds like jungle drums in the orchard of Cockrell Cider Farm is actually volunteers filling plastic buckets with apples.
"This is the pick that we do every year," said co-owner Rich Cockrell. " It's really not a pick. It's more of a pick up. We shake all of our trees."
Yes, there's a whole lotta shakin' going on and a whole lotta apples tumbling from the trees. That may explain why Ken Des Marets wears a helmet every time he shakes a tree.
"These are cider apples so if they drop on the ground and we're making hard cider out of them, it doesn't bother them at all," Cockrell said.
In fact a little dirt may make them taste better.
"Yeah," Cockrell laughed. "That's terroir."
On a farm that dates back to 1854, 40 volunteers, made up of mostly customers, show up every year to help with the harvest.
"I wanted to do some community service, get a good work out and enjoy the people, the fun," said Amy Grange. "We've been here a few times and really enjoy the cider."
Retired in name only Rich Cockrell and his brother John have taken on a second act, turning some of the oldest apple varieties in America into cider.
They say it's great having all of this extra help.
"It keeps our costs under control," Cockrell said. "Makes our ciders a lot more reasonable to drink every day."
A good tree shake is a great way to feel some satisfaction. Buckets and more buckets of apples lead to bins and more bins filled with apples.
And then, with the ringing of a dinner bell, comes the best surprise of them all.
"After we're all done with this, my wife puts on an absolutely beautiful lunch and then we will open the tap shop and have a few ciders as well," Cockrell said.
This has been a harvest worth celebrating. Cockrell raises a glass to his many friends.
"Can anybody guess how many bins we got today?" he asked. "49 bins! That's the most we've ever picked in a day!"
"How many gallons of cider is that?," someone asked.
"Probably about 4000 gallons!"
That's a third of Cockrell's output every year.
Cockrell Cider Farm is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The farm is located at 6613 114th Ave Ct E, Puyallup, WA 98372.
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