One of the essential principles of sustainability is the concept of community. Without a diverse circle of gifted and talented friends, it is difficult to sustain much of anything. That’s why pressing apple cider is a traditional fall past time at April Joy Farm, as there is no better way to build community than working together to accomplish a big task at hand. Making cider gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the community we help support and the community we are nurturing in growth. We are proud that our neighbor to the south, Bob Correll in Elmira, Oregon handmade the beautiful, functional press we use each year, and that our cider containers are made by Anderson’s Dairy, a longtime neighbor just up the road in Battle Ground. It is human hands, working together, that build presses, plant apple trees, and bottle the sweet juice.
Building a true community may be the most sustainable thing any of us can ever do.
