The idea to create a package and donate $5 from each package sold came from Cat’s Cradle support that we received last year, when we approached them to help us to examine and to spay/neuter our vineyard cats, that had shown up one fine day...young, hungry, and scared. 

We began feeding them, and they started relying on their evening meal.  They grew, became healthier looking, and remained still rather shy.  However, we knew that we needed to resolve the issue and avoid having a new litter of kitties.  Enter Cat’s Cradle, who stepped in and offered help.  At the time, I promised myself to do something in return. 

And here we are!  So, I created for the month of October 2020 an Apple Harvest Pack. 

Apple orchards are a part of the heritage in the Shenandoah Valley and were formerly abundant.  Barren Ridge Vineyards is a part of this heritage as a former apple orchard itself.

My husband’s family cultivated the orchard in former times, and they sold apples in these neat, old orange nylon bags, which hold 5 pounds of apples. I had found, stashed away, a stack of those old vintage bags which I knew one day would be useful.  We also produced an apple wine in 2018 as an homage to our own heritage as an old apple orchard.

Voila!  The idea was created to put two bottles of apple wine into our vintage bags and attach a little story to explain it.

Here is the attached story: 

Alma Ata:  Father of the Apple.  This wine was made as a homage to our ancestry.  This land, where we cultivate our wines today, used to be an apple orchard.  John, my father-in-law, used to live in Almaty, Kazakhstan where apples originated on our planet.  Apples are from Kazakhstan!  With the purchase of this Apple Harvest Pack, you will donate $5 to Cat’s Cradle, a nonprofit organization.  Cat’s Cradle rescues abandoned and mistreated cats, treats them medically, sterilizes/neuters them, and finds them new and loving homes! 

Thank you for your generous donation.

Thank you very much to all that have purchased this apple harvest pack!

And throughout the month of October we sold 61 apple harvest bags and will donate $305 to Cat’s Cradle to say thanks much for all you do!

Angela Higgs

Barren Ridge Vineyards

984 Barren Ridge Road

Fishersville, VA 22939

www.barrenridgevineyards.com

https://www.facebook.com/barrenridgevineyards