Students at the Anacortes Middle School learned how to make fresh pressed apple cider in their science class. This event was part of the 'Fruit for a Fruitful Future’ project lead by Science teacher Tasha Kirby and Todd & Sara Fifield at The Farm on 41st Street.  Mrs. Kirby knows that students have better focus and learn better when they aren’t hungry, and middle schoolers are always hungry! So she is offering fresh, locally picked fruit during her class time. Members of the Anacortes community have been donating apples growing in their yard for this project. The scruffier apples were saved for making cider.

Students took turns completing various tasks including sorting, washing, grinding, cranking the press, and finally, sampling. Many students had never tasted fresh apple cider before. “I enjoyed seeing the kids transform from being apprehensive about getting their hands dirty to pushing each other out of the way to get a second cup of juice as it was flowing from the press,” says Sara Fifield at The Farm on 41st Street.

Mrs. Kirby and the Fifield’s would like to thank the many members of the Anacortes community that donated extra apples from their trees and the Kiwanis Club of Anacortes for providing funding for a fruit refrigerator to store fruit. And, a special thank you to Peter Jackson, from the famed “Fidalgo Island Wild Cider Society,” for donating the use of his trusty apple press. If you have too many apples falling in your yard, please give us a call. 360.202.1138. We will put them to good use.