Peak Light Cider Company
Farmer
About
Our family farm and apple orchard is located on Sauvie Island, surrounded by the Columbia and Willamette Rivers and Multnomah Channel northwest of downtown Portland. Sweeping views of rural farmland and iconic snow-capped mountains of the Pacific Northwest frame the orchard.
We adhere to principles of organic and biodynamic farming. Our practices support natural ecosystems that maximize biodiversity in the orchard—drawing beneficial insects, snakes, tree frogs, and nesting songbirds. Our flock of chickens “cleans” the orchard floor eating harmful pests during dormant winter months and provides valuable natural fertilizer to the trees.
We handpick our fruit at peak ripeness to ensure the unique flavors of this place find their way into every bottle. A slow fermentation process balances the natural tannins and acids with the aromatic qualities of the fruit, providing you with the highest quality farm to bottle experience.
We cultivate partnerships with other local farmers and artisans whose agricultural philosophies align with our own to expand our cider blend offerings.
We drink what we farm. And we hope you will too.
Programs and Partners
Production Practices
Integrated Pest Management Use Only Organic Materials Non Gmo Holistic Management
While not certified organic at this time, we adhere to organic and biodynamic farming practices. We use minimal intervention to grow our apples and other fruits. Our low-intervention spray program includes no more than 3 annual applications of sea kelp and homemade probiotic. To address coddling moth pressure, we use moth traps and the cydia pomonella granulovirus (certified organic, naturally occurring virus that manages pest pressure).
Our ciders are on the dry side of the sweet-to-dry spectrum. 2021 is the second year in which we have produced hard cider for commercial sale. Year 1 included release of our estate ciders: Field Run Dry Cider, Field Run Semi-Dry Cider, Orchard Reserve Quince Cider, and Orchard Reserve Red Cider. In 2021, we will add 3 limited release, small-batch ciders to our lineup. One of the ciders features unique cherries grown on our farm. The other two ciders partner with Oregon apple growers in the Willamette Valley whose farming practices and environmentally-conscious ideologies align with our own: Rainshine Family Farm and Wombat Flats Farm.
Location
Portland, OR
Manager
Jen:
My grandparents began farming high up on a windswept basalt laden plateau in Eastern Washington. I was raised moving cattle by horseback, growing wheat, driving semi, and fixing fence with my four brothers. Contributing to my family’s livelihood gave me immense pride and by high school I could run the full wheat harvest with my siblings. I distinctly remember looking up from the combine seat and seeing each of us doing some form of work on the ranch—from the summer fallow dust to the hay ground to the grain truck hauling up the dirt road. It felt profound and also necessary for a family to move together with the land, sky, and intensity of the seasons. Peak Light Cider was born out of a desire to work side by side, cultivating a deep curiosity of land stewardship and environmentally conscious agriculture. Our farm brings a family enterprise spirit with our kids joining us in all parts of orchard care and cider production. Many days there is a moment just before sunset – the shadows are at their length, the breeze coming to the island through the notch in the west hills dies down, and the orchard pauses after a day of work. I can feel the breathing of the land, and all living creatures it holds. This is peak light time. We rejoice.
Travis:
My grandfather always led the expeditions to inland Kauai to harvest the wild bounty of the island—fresh water prawns, frog, ripe mango and papaya. He sat under the carport by day weaving fishing nets that would fill our plates with fresh ahi and other offerings of the sea. We grew a garden too. We always had a garden, wherever we lived. As I grew and discovered the Pacific Northwest, I learned of nature’s many other offerings—mountain huckleberry, wild blackberry, cranberry, and mushroom. Growing and foraging food connects me to the natural environment. It instills in me an appreciation for the relationship humans have with food, to understand how it’s made, where it comes from, to ground it in a sense of place and experience. Peak Light Cider embodies these philosophies, and I take pride in knowing the care that went into growing the fruit and harvesting the ingredients that find their way into every bottle.
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