An upstate New York orchard is gearing up for its grand season opening this week. And Wednesday, April 1, 2009 the staff has been busy harvesting a very unique crop.

The staff at the Fly Creek Cider Mill is celebrating its 153rd season with a rare and robust new crop of mallow trees.

"Our mallows are the traditional heirloom variety, much sweeter and have a much better flavor." said co owner Bill Michaels jokingly.

Michaels credits this year's successful crop with this past winter's cold temperatures topped with a mild March.

The mill's mallow pickers are working overtime bagging each and every mushy mallow, not one is wasted.

The not-so-perfect mallows are called standbys.

They're brought over to the mill, where they're pressed and then fermented for wine.

Jack Stanton is the production leader.

He and his team carefully sort and grind up each mallow.

"It's very important to do this process very quickly to allow this fresh taste be transferred to the wine." said Stanton.

Once the mallows are juiced they're put into a gallon jug then brought to the winery to be made into mallow ice wine.

The head of the wine department is Dave Edwards.

"The first thing we do is analyze it. Then we put into these stainless steal fermenters. When the alcohol concentration reaches what we're looking for we stop the fermentation run through this mini filter to remove any residual yeast then it's ready to bottle." Edwards said.

They're also working on a second version.

Small oak barrels are helping to create toasted mallow wine.

And if wine isn't your thing.

Chocolate rocky road mallow fudge might be.

So you see it's a busy day at the mill.

Everyone harvesting a crop that blooms the best just one day per year April first.