Despite devastating frost, Ploughman Cider marks ten years with a season of celebration

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Sep 11, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - This spring, a late frost tore through the Mid-Atlantic and slashed the region's typical apple harvest by half or more, with even greater losses to the stone fruit crop. For Ploughman Cider, a craft cidery built entirely on the rhythms of a single family orchard, the damage could have overshadowed a milestone year. Instead, as the cidery marks ten years in business, Ploughman is choosing to celebrate -- leaning on the same resilience that has carried the Wenk family's land through two centuries of farming.

Ploughman Cider crafts ciders and perries exclusively from fruit grown at Three Springs Fruit Farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania's renowned "Fruit Belt," where the Wenk family has farmed for more than 200 years. Apple varieties are cultivated specifically for cidermaking, and the cidery's lineup shifts with the farm's seasonal abundance, producing a product range as dynamic as the orchard itself. Ploughman now operates a production facility in Adams County alongside taprooms in Gettysburg and Philadelphia.

"I like to think of Ploughman as having a 'frontier' sort of culture: we're dedicated to trailblazing and innovation, but care about authenticity, quality and tradition just as much," says Ben Wenk, Owner/Operator of Ploughman Cider. "This year, another frontier trait feels just as fitting to me, and that's resilience. This work comes with real challenges, but it's work worth doing and worth celebrating -- and we couldn't do it without the community that supports us. It's in that spirit of gratitude and resilience that we're marking this milestone."

THE POST-MARKET "BEER" THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Ploughman's origins trace back to 2007, when Ben and his father, Dave, stopped into a local bar for a beer after a day vending at Philadelphia's Headhouse Farmers Market. Ordering by the tap handle alone, Ben unknowingly selected a Strongbow cider -- his first taste of anything but the sweet ciders he'd known.

"It was kind of revelatory," Wenk says. "Like, 'Oh, wow, cider is something different than what I understood it to be.'" Having grown up on a farm already producing millions of pounds of apples each year, the idea clicked immediately: "We were like, 'Geez, we grow a lot of apples... We could put something together like this.'"

The Wenks ordered their first custom-budded cider trees in 2013, planted them in 2015, and bottled their first cider on December 2, 2016. Three years later, Ploughman opened its first taproom in historic downtown Gettysburg, roughly 20 minutes from the farm. In addition to its own ciders and perries, the taproom also serves up craft beverages and food from other regional makers, producers, and purveyors, and features live music from local musicians nearly every night.

In late 2025, Ploughman opened their second location, Pip's, in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, which will celebrate its own first anniversary concurrently with Ploughman's tenth.

Wenk credits Ploughman's growth to a team that now extends well beyond the family, including the mentorship of Edwin Winzeler and Peter Mitchell, the talents of Head Cidermaker Luke Eperthener and Cellarman Joshua Gulas, and the hard work of dozens of dedicated staff. Wenk says, "I'm proud of my roots, of continuing my family's legacy, and helping to write this new chapter for the farm alongside all the incredible people who make Ploughman possible." 

TEN YEARS' WORTH OF ANNIVERSARY EVENTS

Ploughman's celebration runs through the end of 2026:

• September 26 -- The Feast of Johnny Appleseed: an exclusive farm-to-table dinner at Three Springs Fruit Farm, held on Johnny Appleseed's birthday
• December 2 -- Anniversary celebration at Monk's Café, Philadelphia
• December 6 -- Anniversary party at Pip's, Philadelphia
• December 12 -- CIDERNALIA X: The tenth annual all-day anniversary party at the National Apple Museum in Biglerville, PA
• December 20 -- Ploughman Cider Diamond Anniversary Jam at Spirit event venue in Pittsburgh, PA, featuring live music from Chuck Darwin & The Knuckle Draggers and Third Set Jerry
• Limited release: A single-barrel reserve cider to be made available December 2026
• Additional events to be announced

KICKOFF EVENT: THE FEAST OF JOHNNY APPLESEED

September 26, 2026 | 3:30 PM

Set against the backdrop of the Three Springs Fruit Farm orchard in Gardners, PA -- where the Wenk family grows the fruit behind every Ploughman cider -- this multi-course, family-style dinner will be curated by Wildlings Events and feature: fresh produce from Three Springs and other local farms; a guided orchard walking tour; an intimate Q&A with the Ploughman team; and, of course, thoughtful cider pairings. The menu is vegetarian-friendly, and non-alcoholic alternatives, accessibility needs, and dietary requests can be accommodated with advance notice. Outside food and drink are not permitted. Tickets and additional details are available at ploughmancider.com.

About Ploughman Cider 
Nestled in Adams County, Pennsylvania's renowned "Fruit Belt," Ploughman Cider crafts ciders and perries from its family-owned and -operated orchard, Three Springs Fruit Farm, tended by the Wenk family for more than two centuries. The cidery's lineup follows the rhythms of the farm, using apple varieties cultivated specifically for cidermaking alongside other specialty crops to create a range of products as rich and dynamic as the land itself. Ploughman prides itself on balancing innovation with tradition, using only real ingredients--never engineered essences or artificial flavors. Their ciders have been featured by numerous media outlets, including USA Today, Fox43, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Cidercraft Magazine, and have earned multiple regional and national awards--testament that their passion comes through in every product they make. Learn more at ploughmancider.com.

Media Contact

Ben Wenk, Ploughman Cider

[email protected]

http://www.ploughmancider.com