Farms-to-Cider, the newest release from Healdsburg, California based Golden State Cider is all about giving back. Crafted using 26,000 pounds of volunteer-gleaned apples from over 100 different Sonoma County orchards, the bright and effervescent cider is a true reflection of the place and spirit that created it.
Farm to Pantry, a local nonprofit that is dedicated to ensuring unharvested or unsold fruits and vegetables reach those in need, has partnered with Golden State Cider to create a new cider sourced from the donated fruit. Pleased to not only work with local apple growers but also prevent the crop from going to waste, the team at Golden Cider leapt at the opportunity.
“At Golden State Cider, our mission is to grow apples through cider. We started on Devoto Orchards in Sebastopol using dented and fallen Gravenstein apples that couldn’t be sold in the fresh market to create our initial Save the Gravenstein cider. Preserving and celebrating local apples is foundational for us, so partnering with Farm to Pantry is a natural collaboration that we’re excited to kick-off and continue for years to come,” says Chris Lacey, CEO of Golden State Cider.
Farm to Pantry, helmed by famed chef Duskie Estes, is a Sonoma County organization that connects farmers with unharvested or unsold produce to food banks and other organizations that support hunger relief. Since the group’s inception in 2008, they have helped donate over four million servings of fruits and vegetables and have already gleaned (harvested) over 37,000 pounds in 2022 to date.
“We are thrilled with our Farm to Pantry & Golden State Cider partnership. It allows us to make sure no apple is left behind while there are people in our community going hungry. Golden State Cider’s support keeps us out there doing the work. Another win, win, win because it is also delicious. With so much abundance in our county, no one should go hungry,” says Estes. “Thank you for helping us connect good food with marginalized families. Farms to Cider comes from over 100 farms and backyards harvested by over 275 volunteer gleaners! Join us in the fight against food insecurity and global warming at www.farmtopantry.org.”
Farms-to-Cider is a semi-dry cider made with the donated apples and a portion of all Farm-to-Cider sales will be donated to help continue Farm to Pantry’s mission of ending food insecurity and reversing the effects of global warming by eliminating food waste. The two groups will celebrate the release of the new cider with an event at the Golden State Cider Taproom located at The Barlow in Sebastopol, on Saturday, April 16th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Open to the public, the event will celebrate the 200+ volunteers who assisted in the gleaning of the apples with food and drink specials, live music, giveaways and more as well as a panel featuring Jolie Devoto, founding partner of Golden State Cider, head of Farm to Pantry Chef Duskie Estes and others on how companies and nonprofit organizations can work together to limit food waste.