Wanted: Your Apples and Pears for Community Cider!

It’s time! Our seventh annual Fruit Forward Drive is underway, and we’re collecting donations of  fallen and unwanted fruit from backyards all over the Portland Metro Area. Every year, we accept bushels of donated fruit at our Clackamas cidery, and we turn it into Community Cider. This cider is special for a couple of reasons: first, it’s made with YOUR fruit, and we literally could not do it without you; second, all proceeds from the sale of Community Cider go to Hunger-Free Schools, a program of Partners For a Hunger-Free Oregon working to end childhood hunger. With your help this year, we hope to donate over $12,000 to the organization!

Want to be a part of this cider-making effort? We’d love to have your help! Bring your unwanted apples and pears (no other fruit, sorry!) to our cidery in Clackamas any Saturday in September between 9 am and 3 pm, and stick around if you’d like to join in the pressing party and work your muscles a little–or just hang out and see how the cider is made.

We’re accepting donations of apples and pears by the bushel. That’s equal to about two grocery bags or one milk crate about 3/4 full of fruit. Cracks, dents and scabs are fine–we don’t judge! But please don’t donate rotten or moldy apples or pears. For every bushel you donate, you’ll receive a voucher for a pint of Community Cider, or a growler-full for four bushels!

We’re fortunate there are so many generous people who come together to make this happen. It’s a powerful example of what we can do when we work together! We hope to exceed last year’s donation to Hunger-Free Schools, but we need your help. Swing by on September 10, 19 or 24 and we’ll give your unwanted fruit a delicious new destiny! FAQs and lots more details can be found on our Fruit Forward page.