FINNRIVER RE-RELEASES PEAR CIDER TO HONOR FARMWORKERS IN THE APPLE AND PEAR INDUSTRY

When you sit down to eat, or take a drink, how often do you ask yourself, “Who grew this?” Or “What is the quality of life of the person who picked this fruit?” “What kind of conditions do they work in? Is their workplace safe?”


Sometimes, these questions can be easily answered. At Finnriver, where we often source from our own farm and the farms of our neighbors, the answer to “Who grew this?” is often the first name of someone in the community. “Oh, Rachael made that goat cheese on her farm and dropped it off this afternoon.” Or “Brian harvested those mushrooms with his sons this weekend in the forest by his home.” In the rural economy of the Olympic Peninsula where there is a thriving market for small-scale agricultural businesses and entrepreneurs, the answer to “Who grew this food?” often seems quite simple, idyllic even. Yet, most often, to know your farmer is a privilege - it comes hand in hand with the ability to access (and afford) locally grown and produced food.


No market, however, is an island, even one with a thriving small-scale local economy. In the age of globalization, sourcing is never simple, especially when we truly consider the human cost of production. Even on small local farms, we can’t know who made all of the tools we use to till the earth, or processed the lumber that made the boxes we pack our produce in, or created the glass bottles we put our cider in. Most often, many, many hands have touched every tool, every object, every piece of food we eat, and usually, they are hands we don’t know, whose daily lives we can’t imagine - and often don’t stop to consider.


At Finnriver, we deeply value asking these questions, even if they are questions that aren’t easily answered, or when the answers lead to more questions. When you ask us, “Who grew the apples that made your cider?” we would answer that a select percentage of our cider-making apples are grown on the land at our organic orchard in Chimacum, Washington, where we also ferment our ciders, but that Finnriver relies heavily upon organic dessert apples grown, harvested and processed in Eastern Washington in the Yakima Valley.

If you were to ask us, “What is the quality of life of the person who picked this fruit?” “What kind of conditions do they work in? Is their workplace safe?” the answers to those questions become more complicated. Apple harvesting in Eastern Washington is done by hand, primarily by immigrant and H-2A visa workers (see note 1). Labor conditions for migrant farmworkers in the US, many of whom are undocumented, are notoriously fraught with problems. Immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, are particularly vulnerable in workplaces, where “job security” often comes hand-in-hand with working in substandard or hazardous conditions for low wages. The COVID pandemic made clear the essential nature of farmworkers, who kept working and kept our country running while much else was locked down, but who are still treated as though they are expendable. In the summer of 2020, workers went on strike in Yakima Valley apple packing houses to protest the lack of personal protective equipment and safety measures in their workplaces. Not surprisingly, Latino communities were also some of the hardest hit by the pandemic, “The Latino population in Washington state is just 13 percent of the population, and this group of people accounts for more than 40 percent of COVID-19 cases. By contrast, white residents make up 68 percent of the population, but account for only 39 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases” (see note 2). To learn more about the challenges to farmworkers in Washington State, especially throughout the COVID pandemic, please see this short 6-minute film by Crosscut, "Nosotros somos esenciales" ("We are essential").

As a small business and a producer of cider, we don’t want to hide from these often harsh realities that underlie agricultural industries - we want to face them with curiosity, concern and compassion. We want to find ways to collaborate with non-profit organizations, activists and labor unions that are working on the ground to improve these conditions. One of the first steps we took to educate ourselves and connect with the groups doing this crucial on-the-ground work was in September 2020, where we hosted a public webinar on agricultural labor in the apple and pear industries in Washington State as a part of Washington Cider Week. Finnriver had the privilege of speaking with and learning from community leaders from Community to Community Development and Familias Unidas por la Justicia. Please click here to watch a recording of this important conversation.


"For the most part workers don't ever see where their apples go. Everything seems to go abroad, or anywhere other than the local market. So workers never get to see themselves as connected to the fruit that they are producing and laboring for. When workers can see their labor is valued and treated with care, it's beautiful." - Edgar Franks, Political and Campaign Director, Familias Unidas por la Justicia


We decided to re-release our classic Pear Cider with a new, bilingual label as Pera de Campesinos (in English, ‘Farmworker Pear’) to honor the often invisibilized and underappreciated lives and work of the farmworkers who picked, packed and processed the fruit that made this cider possible. As part of Finnriver’s Social Justice Cider Project, $2 from each bottle of Pera de Campesinos sold will go to a community organization that is already working hard in the fight for a more equitable food system that ensures that workers rights are honored. Our first two organizations are Community to Community Development in Bellingham, Washington, a women-led grassroots organization dedicated to food sovereignty and immigrant rights, and Jefferson County Immigrant Rights Advocates in Port Townsend, Washington, which supports the rights of immigrants and their families, giving priority to those who live or work on the Olympic Peninsula and immigrant detainees within Washington State. We are proud to partner with both of these organizations! Please learn more about these organizations and their amazing works at their websites: Community to Community, http://www.foodjustice.org/ and Jefferson County Immigrant Rights Advocates, https://www.jcira.org/. Label art was created by local artist Sara Ybarra Lopez, whose work you can learn more about at https://www.carapacearts.com/.


We also want to recognize La Familia Cider Company in Salem, Oregon, which was founded in 2017 by the Gonzalez family, first-generation Mexican immigrants. La Familia Cider Company does powerful work by donating a percentage of their profits to local nonprofits that help families with the legal immigration process, helping keep families together. We are inspired by their work and are excited to be in conversation with them about ways we can collaborate.


Our distribution and vendor partners have helped make it possible for us to share this cider and its message across the region. Cru Selections has been our distributor in Washington State since 2013. They are like-minded individuals who are excited to work with us to share this cider and contribute the conversation around labor practices and awareness. We have also partnered with PCC Community Markets, the nation’s largest community-owned food market. PCC has been a longtime Finnriver supporter and is deeply committed to fair labor practices - to learn more, click here.


We recognize that this is just the beginning. As a business, we will continue to seek out and grow our relationships with labor and activist organizations and the farmworkers themselves to make sure we are releasing a product that is rooted in a commitment to ethical labor practices and produced with love and respect on every step of its journey. We welcome you to join us in learning and helping to make positive change. We will release more updates and educational materials as we continue to learn more and do more.

The Social Justice Cider Project is an effort to shift energy towards greater equity and justice in our society by raising awareness of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) projects working for positive transformations in our region, and by sharing resources with the groups doing this vital work. Learn more here.


Notes
1. H-2A visas are temporary farm worker visas, where foreign nationals are able to come to the United States to work for a set period of time (i.e. the apple harvesting season) for a specific employer, but must return to their home country at the end of their contract.


2. Wing, J. (2020, September 24). 'Farmworkers can't pick apples Through zoom.' EXPERTS explore why Latinos hit hard BY COVID. Retrieved May 12, 2021, from https://www.knkx.org/post/farmworkers-can-t-pick-apples-through-zoom-experts-explore-why-latinos-hit-hard-covid

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WORKING WITH BEES

May 1, 2020
We couldn't do it without the bees! According to the Pollinator Partnership, "Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles,, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. Pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils, protect from severe weather and support other wildlife." At Finnriver, our farm and orchard rely on the work of pollinator, whose quest for pollen and nectar helps both feed their families and fertilize the trees. In our orchard, we provide home nests for mason bees, whose particular flight patterns and belly hairs make them very effective and thorough cross-pollinators for our fruit trees. We also have a handful of honey bee hives that promote pollination and make honey for the farmers. As organic farmers, we use an integrated pest management system to target pests and avoid or reduce the impact on pollinators and other beneficial insects, and we work to promote pollinator-friendly practices, such as planting the purple cover crop Phacelia. This wildflower produces lovely foliage topped with deep blue-violet flowers that produce heaps of nectar and attract an array of pollinators. Phacelia's common name is a translation of bienen-freund, German for "bee's friend." How Can You Help? You're helping pollinators by supporting small, local organic farms like Finnriver and all our neighboring farms. Grow your own pesticide-free garden with flowering plants, purchase organic foods and certified organic cotton clothing when you can, buy honey from local beekeepers, engage in citizen science and support legislation that protects pollinators.

BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH FOOD

August 1, 2019
Finnriver Orchard crew member Sam Scheidt and his partner Katelyn Porter were looking for an opportunity to get their hands in the soil, deepen their experience with production vegetable growing, and provide a needed resource for the local food bank. They found the connective tissue for their goals at the Finnriver farm when owner Keith Kisler suggested they dig into some underutilized space near the orchard. With the support of Finnriver, the Food Bank Farm and Gardens of Jefferson County, Sam and Katelyn began their first growing season this year.  They are currently responding to a need for an intentional grow of greens, lettuces and salad vegetables for the Tri-Area Food Bank in Chimacum. This is different from gleaning unwanted, overripe, or lesser quality foods from farms and supermarkets—how much of the food makes its way to the food bank. Sam and Katelyn feel passionate addressing the divide between people with means and people without means and the land’s capacity to provide for everyone. The same land can and does provide food for the food bank as well as for the Finnriver kitchen Sam says. Vegetables don’t make distinctions based on income and class. Perhaps humans can learn something from that. Either way, Sam is interested in blurring the boundaries, and feels good about all the labor he puts into growing food when he feels it is a needed resource. The food bank and this Finnriver partnership has also provided Sam and Katelyn a relatively low-risk environment to hone their farming knowledge and experiment with what they enjoy growing. Experiences like this can be vitally important and encouraging to young farmers, Sam says. He wants to encourage more farms to partner with newer farmers to better utilize extra space, address challenges of land access, and grow food for everyone in this community that needs it. This food bank garden has been producing a variety of lettuces, kale, collards, cabbages, and summer squash so far. A bounty of onions and winter squash are growing bigger everyday and will supply both the food bank and the Finnriver Kitchen later this fall. Looking toward future seasons, Sam and Katelyn are hopeful to put in more perennial crops like herbs and berries.

PARTNERING WITH THE SUN

July 1, 2019
Finnriver relocated our tasting and tap room in 2016 to a historic dairy farm at the central intersection in the rural community of Chimacum. Our goal was to show how rural economic development, land and resource conservation and sustainable agriculture can all converge and thrive. The old cow feeding trough was converted, using reclaimed barn wood, into a 75 foot long community table and the space covered by an open air pavilion. Alongside the pavilion, we restored an old feeding shed into our cidery tasting and taproom. These and other structures make up the Cider Garden, which looks out over the 50 acres of organic farm and orchard. This Cider Garden has now become an all-ages gathering space, music venue and local food court, offering a welcoming space for neighbors and visitors to gather and reconnect to the land that sustains us. In order to continue the mission of educating and inspiring wise land use, we worked with local renewable energy advocates and Power Trip Energy company to apply for the USDA Rural Energy for America program (REAP). With matching funds from REAP, federal tax credits, support from a Barnraiser crowdfunding campaign and loans, Finnriver was able to install an expandable, grid-tied 65-kilowatt system, using 212 solar panels. These panels cover 3,000 square feet of roof space here at the Cider Garden. Initially, we estimated that it would produce 65,000 kWh of electricity annually which would produce enough electricity to supply more than half of our annual power needs and send green energy back into the grid. After one year in service, the solar panels have in fact produced around 74,500 kwh – which is enough electricity to cover almost 80% of Finnriver’s portion of electricity use at the Cider Garden property. To commemorate this feat, a Sol Mandala was crafted by the ceramic artists at Millbrook Clayworks and with metalwork by Abraxas Crow. It celebrates the generous contributions of supporters of Finnriver’s renewable energy campaign. We recently installed an educational display that will teach visitors about the benefits of renewable energy near our North entrance.  We hope that this renewable energy system will provide a venue to educate our community about the benefits of solar energy and give us an exciting opportunity to 'walk our talk' about sustainability and to showcase how the local food economy can integrate land conservation, renewable energy and watershed restoration!

COLLABORATING WITH PLANTS, BACTERIA AND FUNGI TO CLEAN OUR SOIL

June 1, 2019
That patch of yellow-flowering, wild mustard greens behind the Finnriver Kitchen aren’t just growing tall to look pretty; they’re working hard! Results are in from the first round of testing on our bioremediation project, revealing the decontamination efforts are meeting our goals of clean and healthy soil! The Remediators, one of Finnriver's land partners, took up the task of removing toxic levels of petroleum and lead from an area of the property where farm equipment was historically repaired. A network of specially selected plants, bacteria and fungus (locally sourced willow, rapeseed, PDN-1 bacterial endophytes, and a mushroom strain similar to the edible Stropharia rugoso-anulata) have significantly reduced the high levels of toxins detected on the site since the project began two years ago. In a decontamination method known as the Integrative Biological Approach, mycoremediation and phytoremediation are used in tandem to leverage each organism’s purifying talents. These living beings have proven abilities to grow in contaminated soils and take up or break down petroleum and heavy metals. “By combining this suite of organisms together, they work better than on their own,” said Howard Sprouse, CEO of The Remediators and lead of the project at Finnriver. For example, the chosen fungi strain are able to transform heavy metals into a soluble form that the plants can then take up and store in their tissues. In general, the methods of bioremediation transform toxic organic materials at the molecular level, converting them into more innocuous compounds. While full mineralization of contaminants is desired, it is sometimes not possible, as in the case of heavy metals. In these scenarios, the hyper-accumulating plant material can be removed from the soil and taken elsewhere to decompose. This will be the method utilized at Finnriver. The biomass of the plant and fungal matter will be significantly less than if the contaminated soil were to be removed directly, as is the case in more conventional forms of remediation. In some cases, the plant or fungi material utilized in remediation create useful byproducts, such as bio oils that can be turned into fuel. There is even consideration that edible mushrooms can be harvested as a food crop byproduct in instances where the organic soil contaminants might be decomposed without so imparting toxicity. Soil contamination, particularly involving heavy metals and petroleum, pose huge health burdens to society and to the earth. Conventional clean-up invokes a sizable financial strain as well. Through observation, appreciation and application of the natural capabilities of some specific plants, bacteria, and fungi, we can remediate the damage as we work in partnership with these incredible beings. The samples collected from the Finnriver farm this spring were from areas of the project where plants were growing well and that were expected to be cleaner. More complete testing will occur at the end of this year’s growing season.

FEEDING THE SOIL ORGANICALLY

March 1, 2019
Last Fall’s rains and harvests may have depleted our soils of the nutrients that will determine the fate of our crops and the health of our garden this year. Early spring is a great time to add soil amendments because the rain and warmer temps will awaken soil microbes and bring those nutrients into the root zone. It is often said that we need to put a healthy dose of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertilizers on our lawn and gardens every year. However, it is important to first know the components of your soil in order to understand what you may or may not need to add. At the Finnriver orchard, we test our soil every year as it lets us track how our soils are improving or being depleted by our fertility management program. With a soil test in hand, you can apply the appropriate amounts of amendments. By adding amendments such as lime (for alkaline) and sulfur (for acidic), you help "unlock" fertilizers that are bound to soil particles and increase the absorption of other amendments you add this year. It is essential to be careful about over-applying which can cause problems downstream when leached nutrients travel into storm water and aquifers that ultimately pollute river mouths and other bodies of water. This is why we encourage the use of organic means to amend soils. For example, a gentle means of replenishing nitrogen is to apply a 2-inch layer of compost onto your beds or around perennials. Earth worms and other arthropods will break down the compost and slowly release its nutrients to your plants. After a few years of composting this might be the only source of nitrogen that you need to add. Homemade compost from kitchen scraps, coffee grounds and leaf debris is a fine way to start. Other good commercial options are NutriRich (pelletized chicken manure) or Mushroom Compost in bulk. For more detailed information about the health of soils, I recommend “Teaming with Nutrients" by Jeff Lowenfells and “Soul of Soil" by Grace Gershuny.
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