Center sets tasting of apples, cider

SANDPOINT — More than 30 varieties of apples and fresh pressed cider will be available for tasting Saturday during a free program at the University of Idaho’s Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center.

“The open house will feature apple varieties old and new from around the world,” Kyle Nagy, center superintendent and orchard operations manager, said in a statement.

The Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center was established in 2018 in part by a donation from the original owner, Sandpoint businessman Dennis Pence, who had started the orchard more than a decade ago to promote organic agriculture and local foods, according to the center’s website. The partial gift of what was formerly referred to as the Sandpoint Orchard, as well as the adjacent retreat center, dormitories and surrounding land, added 48 acres to the university’s network of over 4,000 acres of land used for teaching, research and UI Extension activities.

In 2007, Pence gifted 18 acres to the university that sits adjacent to the orchard. The combined properties equal a total of 66 acres dedicated to organic and sustainable agriculture production education and outreach. The college uses the center for research and practical education programs sought by small farmers and others interested in organic agriculture.

The center provides an opportunity to incorporate new educational modules, with hands-on experiences for UI students and faculty, as well as members of the North Idaho community who are passionate about organic and sustainable crop production, according to the website.

Over 15,000 different varieties of apples have been named in North America since the 16th century. Of those, only 3,000 remain in production, with just 11 varieties making up 90 percent of commercially grown apples. The center’s orchard includes 68 apple varieties, some of them centuries old, according to the statement.

The open house will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday in the center’s main building at 10881 N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint.