SunnyCider has launched its annual fruit donor campaign with a goal of deviating 20,000 kilograms of apples, pears, berries, cherries and more from local landfills, to be made into local ciders instead. From September 3 to October 2, you can bring your fruit (no windfalls) to SunnyCider on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and receive a coupon for one free cider in return. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see some of the apples being pressed on-site.
Founder Dennis Scanland says the cidery was started as a project to combat food waste by making use of urban fruit that would normally end up in landfills or composts, which is why the fruit donor program exists today. “We look forward to helping the city combat food waste and create some of the best cider.”
SunnyCider does inspect all fruit before rejecting or accepting it into the program — pomace or unacceptable fruit is sent to Highfield Farm for its composting project. Any fruit that stays in SunnyCider’s program is then used over the course of the year to make a variety of ciders ranging from apple to pear, or gets integrated into SunnyCiders core cider offerings.
For more information on the fruit donor program and how to donate, contact SunnyCider or visit the Fruit Donor Program page.
