Rodeo City Community Cider Project Label Artist

Our Rodeo City Community Cider label proudly features the vibrant and captivating artwork of local artist Mary Diefenbach Duke. Through her expressive brushstrokes and brilliant use of color, Mary beautifully captures the essence of her muse, Boy the Watusi, while celebrating the rich agricultural heritage of the Kittitas Valley. Her artwork brings a unique element of visual storytelling to the cider experience, connecting art, agriculture, and community in every bottle.

Mary Diefendback Duke started painting when she was 12 years old and recalls that she would paint on any surface she could find, including, much to her mother’s dismay, her bedroom walls! Her extraordinary use of high key color stems from her love of impressionist painters  such as Mary Cassat, Bertha Morisot, and Marie Bracquemond. The beauty and vastness of Kittitas Valley fuels Marys’ creative flair and offers her a myriad of plein air settings in which she draws inspiration. 

 Upon her departure from a plein air gathering at Wheel Line Cider, Mary was captivated by a “magnificent bull grazing in his pasture. I marveled and puzzled over how he could maneuver so easily with his incredible sized horns, and absolutely had to paint his portrait.” The Watusi with the notable horns had been a long-time staple, a mascot if you will, of the Upper Badger Pocket community. His name was Boy. In her quest to capture the spectacular, gentle giant, Mary traveled to the pocket many times to observe him, the result of her study and craft is nothing short of stunning. 

You can find more information and view more works of art by Mary by visiting the following:

Instagram @Maryjaneiceduke. 

Artists page on Gallery One website.   

Larson Gallery in Yakima.   

Gallery One gift shop.  

In an effort to enhance collaboration efforts and garner even more community involvement we have decided to reach out to our local artist community! This annual opportunity invites Kittitas County artists to submit work that they feel captures the beauty and essence of our community. Artwork that is submitted will be considered for future RCCC labels.

*artwork submitted will not be used for any other purpose than our RCCC, a artist release, and terms will be discussed before any artwork will be used.

For more information or to submit your artwork please email Maryanna@wheellinecider.com

Community Events

We love connecting with our community on a myriad of different levels! From educational partnerships, to brewfest and everything in between! Please feel free to reach out with potential opportunities for us to connect with you, your business, school etc!

  • Winterhop Brewfest

  • Ag Days

  • Farmers Markets

  • Annual Pressing Party

  • Harvest Fest

Rodeo City Community Cider Project

Rooted in our passion for community connection and giving back.

Our Rodeo City Community Cider celebrates the spirit of Kittitas County through a unique, community-driven cider crafted  from locally donated apples supplemented with apples from our orchard. Each blend is as distinctive as the nonprofit organization it supports.

This project was developed in partnership with our family foundation as a way to inspire community members to participate in a low barrier, high impact project in support of our local 501(c)(3) non profits who generously support our community. 

Since its inception, our community project has been able to make charitable donations to the following beneficiaries: the Cattlewomen’s Association, The Trellis Center, Kittitas County Search and Rescue, Menastash Grange, Valley Theatre Company and our 2027 beneficiary Peers Rising. 

Thanks to growing community participation, we've been able to increase our donation amounts over the  years, proving that something as simple as sharing apples can make a meaningful difference.

Get involved! Donate apples, submit artwork for future labels, purchase a limited-edition decal, or enjoy the finished cider. Together, we're crafting more than cider, we're cultivating community, and fostering connection.

Rodeo City Community Cider Project Beneficiaries:

Our 2027 beneficiary is Peers Rising! Peers Rising is a local non-profit whose mission is to empower individuals and families to achieve and sustain long-term recovery becoming thriving connected members of their communities through barrier free access to peer support, resources and education. At Peers Rising they meet people where they are and walk alongside them through recovery. We help remove barriers to access support, resources and connection. Recovery crowns stronger when people feel seen, supported and welcomed in their own communities. Through valuable community partnerships we are able to continue to educate, empower and reduce stigmatize that surrounds addition and recovery. “Breaking down the walls of stigma to let recovery in!”

Our 2026 recipient was The Valley Theatre Company! VTC is a non-profit whose mission is to create an inclusive environment that supports community engagement through artistic growth in theatre arts. VTC values fostering a culture of growth, empathy and integrity, through memorable connection. They celebrate creativity, artistry and traditions. They embraces our community with a commitment to education and outreach. They promote respect, inclusion and equal opportunity for all. Through their dedication and vision they thrive to inspire our community to participate in the art of storytelling as creators, collaborators and audience.

Our 2025 recipient was the Menastash Grange! The Menastash Grange is a grassroots non-profit organized rooted in agriculture and committed to providing the people of rural Washington a strong and respected voiced among our elected officials. Grange members devote countless hours in service to their communities, reaching out to make sure the elderly, young, vulnerable, veterans and those in need are given the attention they deserve.

Our 2024 recipient was Kittitas County Search and Rescue! KCSR is an all volunteer, non-profit organization,  that operates under the direction of the Kittitas County Sheriff. Founded in 1991, KCSR provides crucial search, rescue, recovery, and evacuation services to Kittitas County, as well as mutual operations with departments and organizations as needed. Without them, our community would lack critical emergency support, making it difficult if not impossible, in many situations for people to receive the help they require. We recognize the invaluable benefit that their team provides to Kittitas County and are proud to support such a vital service to our community.Learn more about this organization https://kittitassar.org  

Our 2023 recipient was the Trellis Center! This incredible organization fosters a sense of purpose and belonging in teens and adults with developmental disabilities and they provide an environment where these individuals can continue to learn, grow, have social relationships, and work toward independence. Learn more about this organization https://thetrelliscenter.com/

Our first Rodeo City Community Cider beneficiary was announced in 2022 beneficiary! The Kittitas County CattleWomen were founded in 1953, and are heavily involved in community, promoting the beef industry and their overall way of life. The CattleWomen started a memorial fund in 1991, and in 2009 they decided to start utilizing this fund to support women who are enrolled to receive a major or minor in an ag-related field in a technical, trade school or University. Find out more about this amazing organization here.

Read more about our collaboration in the Daily Record

Thank you to all those who have donated fruit, time, and to those who purchase our Rodeo City Community  Cider! Our collaborative efforts help WLC support local non-profits in their individual missions to help support and enhance our community! We are stronger together!

Wheel Line Cider at Ag Days 2023

Thank you Kittitas Valley Event Center for the opportunity to teach our youth about our favorite fruit- the apple!

More specifically, dessert apples and the history behind many of the varietals.