Celebrate the history, flavor and tradition of Maine apples while honoring the importance of a diversified, perennial agriculture.

The annual Great Maine Apple Day takes place on Sunday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, at Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s Common Ground Education Center in Unity. The education center is located at 294 Crosby Brook Road.

Workshops and talks will cover apple art, Maine’s rich apple history, cider making and organic tree care. From the University of Maine, Renae Moran will speak on tree fruit horticulture and Glen Koehler will discuss major pests.

Admission is $2 for MOFGA members and $4 for nonmembers. In addition to MOFGA, the event is also sponsored by Fedco and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension,

Award-winning cider maker Claude Jolicoeur, author of “The New Cider Maker’s Handbook,” will give two workshops and will sign books. A mechanical engineer by profession and resident of Quebec City, Jolicoeur developed his passion for apples and cider after acquiring land where four rows of old abandoned apple trees grew. He started making cider in 1988. Since then, his ciders have earned many awards and medals at competitions, including a Best of Show at the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition. Jolicoeur will talk on “The Basics of Cider Making” from 12:15 p..m. to 1:45 p.m. and will give an overview of The New Cider Maker's Handbook from 2 to 3:30 p.m., followed by a book signing.

Have a mystery apple that you want identified? This is the place! A dream team of Maine apple identifiers will be on hand to help. You can also see and taste rare and heirloom apples and bring your own varieties for others to see and taste.

At 10 a.m. and noon, tour MOFGA’s new Maine Heritage Orchard with renowned apple expert John Bunker. MOFGA is reclaiming an old sand and gravel pit to create a 10-acre heritage orchard to preserve and protect Maine’s traditional apples and pears, at the same time minimizing soil runoff into Unity’s beautiful Sandy Stream.

The orchard will be unlike any other in Maine and will include more than 500 specimens from every county in the state. Varieties will date back to a time when most Mainers lived on farms and every farm had a small orchard of locally adapted selections. Many of these varieties are now on the verge of extinction. The orchard will be managed using innovative organic practices and will be a learning laboratory and model for backyard growers, orchardists and agricultural educators. Prep work for the orchard began this summer; the first 100 varieties will be planted in April 2014.

The Great Maine Apple Day will offer food and crafts for sale, as well.

For more information, visit www.mofga.org.