Looking to put your unwanted backyard apples and berries to good use? Look no further than Portland Cider Co.^[1] as it will host its 5th Annual PDX Community Cider program. This yearly program which takes donated edible quality apples, fruits and berries from neighborhoods in the Portland Metro area and turns them into a community cider to raise funds for hungry children through the Hunger-Free Schools program. This sounds like a great idea!

Learn more about the 5th Annual PDX Community Cider Program from today’s press release…

Portland Cider Co. is collecting bushels (40 lbs. or more) of unwanted and fallen fruit from July 13 through September 30, with no contact fruit drop off at its Clackamas Taproom at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F. Drop off hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or weekends by appointment. For every bushel of edible quality apples or pears –– and/or for every 10 lbs. of berries, plums and other fruits –– donors will receive a voucher for a pint of the finished “PDX Community Cider” once released this fall, redeemable at either of Portland Cider Co.’s two taprooms while supplies last.

“This full-scale community effort is about bringing people together to create handmade craft cider, using the fruits from our own yards here in the Portland Metro area, while reducing waste and giving back to a local non-profit,” said Lynda Parrish, Portland Cider Co. co-owner. “All apples, pears, fruits and berries are encouraged. The more apples and fruits donated, the more cider we can make –– which results in more money raised for feeding kids here in Oregon.”

For the first time in the program’s five-year history, Portland Cider will package the PDX Community Cider and make it available in 12-ounce six packs and 19.2-ounce “proper pint” single cans. The cider will be released in late September to retailers throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. Portland Cider will donate 10% of the cider’s sales to Hunger-Free Schools, a segment of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon that is committed to actively working to end hunger by connecting people to food and nutrition programs, raising awareness about hunger, and advocating for systemic changes.