Next Friend Cider wants your fruit before harvest season hits

South Osborne

As fruit trees across Winnipeg begin to grow for the season, Jesse Oberman has put flyers around the neighbourhood and is hoping residents will think ahead before the late-summer harvest rush hits. Next Friend Cider will buy all the fruit you don’t need.

Oberman is the owner and founder of Next Friend Cider, a local hard-cider brand that turns Manitoba-grown fruit — often from backyard trees that would otherwise go unused — into cider.

“Every year, if we can reduce more and more waste, that would be the ultimate mission,” the South Osborne resident said. “It brings me great joy to know that we’re having an impact on reducing food waste.”

In Winnipeg, nearly 25 per cent of residential garbage is food waste — scraps that break down in landfill and release greenhouse gases, according to the city’s website.

Oberman remembers someone had told him that they either let the apples in their backyard rot or they feed them to the deers.

Aside from apples (except from Saskatoons and Rhubarb), Next Friend Cider buys other backyard fruits: plums, apricots, choke cherries, Haskap berries, grapes — paying above market value for anything brought through the door (in good condition).

When asked about what is the flavour of Winnipeg, Oberman said “for me it’s the flavour of apple cider.”

Oberman has been doing this for six years, and over time he’s seen the company grow. Eventually, they were offered a brewing space at Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St. N) — where they now operate.

They started out having 5,000 pounds of fruit and last year they hit 60,000.

He said he plans to continue doing what they do, which is to keep reducing waste and help people around the community.

“Not only are we reducing the waste by using the actual fruit, but also by having a portion of sales being donated right back into the community,” said Oberman “It helps you know, complete that full circle.”

According to their website, when residents bring fruit and refuse payment, the full value is donated to a food security organization.

Oberman said a portion of their annual sales also goes to groups like Main Street Project, Fireweed Food Co-op, and Direct Farm Manitoba.

Oberman will start accepting fruit on July 15. Residents interested in selling, or getting rid of their backyard fruit can visit nextfriendcider.com