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Steve Johnson, retired law enforcement officer and lifelong resident of Jamestown, captured one of the most familiar flavors of fall--cider. On a beautiful October day he took his video camera to the nearby Busti Cider Mill to explore the process of pressing cider.
"I think what surprised me really was the simplicity of the whole operation. It's very hands on, it's very simple, and it's about as pure a product as you can find," Steve recalled. "It's pretty much a one of a kind place, you just don't find them like that anymore."
He followed owner Bob Schultz as he fed 20 bushels of apples into the chopper and prepared the mash for the more than 100 year-old press. Those 20 bushels yielded 60 gallons of cider. "It was just an amber river," Steve noted.
The cider is sold on the premises at an outdoor stand, where customers still pay using the up his honor system. Steve also mentioned that the cider can be picked up at Jamestown's Farmer's Market on Fridays along with other goodies ."The cider that you buy in the store is primarily apple juice. That's really what it is, especially if you get a chance to taste real cider. The difference is like water and champagne."
A school bus arrived for a tour just as Steve was wrapping up his taping. During pressing season the mill is quite a destination with about 60 bus tours, often from as far away as Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Individuals have come from Germany and South Africa to experience this Chautauqua County fall tradition first hand.
Steve was excited to be a part of WNED's Our Town: Jamestown production, "It's just fun, pure fun. We know what we have, we just need to let other people know about it, and this is a good way of doing it."
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Jamestown 
