Cider School
Running a cidery or orchard means making big decisions every day. From managing your finances and protecting your crop to reaching customers and taking care of yourself and your team, there’s always something new to navigate.
Cider School is a new learning experience for cidermakers and orchardists, designed to give you practical tools and expert guidance to make important business decisions with greater confidence.
Cider School brings together four ways to learn and get support: five expert-led online workshops, one-on-one financial consulting, a peer learning community and in-person Cider School sessions at Northwest Cider Symposium.
Ready to dig in? The first workshop is October 20.
FREE for NWCA Members · $50 for non-members
Choose What Supports You
LEARN • Online Workshops
Attend live or watch the recordings on your own time.
Financial Fundamentals: Building a More Profitable Cidery
October 20, 2026 • 10:00 AM PST
Nick Shepherd, CPA – Partner, Irvine & Company
Karly Tell, CPA – Partner, Irvine & Company
What does it really take to build a profitable and financially resilient cider business? Irvine & Company CPAs will provide a practical refresher on financial fundamentals, including Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), margin calculation, and the financial metrics that matter most for business survival. Through sample business profiles and real-world strategies, participants will explore cost-saving opportunities and ways to make stronger financial decisions in today’s market.
After attending the webinar, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for up to 4 hours of consulting with Irvine & Company.
Grow with Confidence: Insurance & Financial Services
November 3, 2026 • 10:00 AM PST
George Harris, Livestock and Crop Insurance Agent, AgWest Farm Credit
Micah Kuenzi Crop Insurance Agent, AgWest Farm Credit
Kira Sabin, Relationship Manager, AgWest Farm Credit
Explore practical tools and resources to help protect your orchard and strengthen your business. AgWest Farm Credit will share information on crop insurance, educational resources, and agricultural lending options, with a special focus on the needs of young, beginning, and small producers. Learn what resources are available and how they can help you manage risk, access capital, and build a stronger operation.
A Can-Do Attitude: Making Stable Cider Without SO₂
December 1, 2026 • 10:00 AM PST
Gabe Cook, The Ciderologist
Nichola Hall, General Manager- Fermentation and Enology, Scott Laboratories
SO₂ is a proven tool for cider stability, but it can present challenges in cans. This session explores vulnerable windows of cider production and offers practical alternatives for managing microbial spoilage and oxidation.
Turn Customer Insights into More Visits and Sales
January 12, 2026 • 10:00 AM PST
Audrey Comerford, OSU Extension Agritourism Program Coordinator
What motivates consumers to visit, engage with, and spend money at farms and cideries? Join OSU Extension to explore new agritourism research on visitor preferences, decision-making, and how consumers want to hear from agricultural businesses. Discover practical ways to use your Google Business Profile, events, and other marketing tools to increase visibility, connect with customers, and give them compelling reasons to visit. Take away research-based strategies you can put to work right away.
Finding Your Balance: Stress Awareness, Rural Resources, and Mindfulness Tools
January 26, 2026 • 10:00 AM PST
Michelle Markesteyn, Professional Counselor Associate, Willamette Valley Behavioral Health
Farming and running a cidery can be demanding, with stress affecting personal well-being and safety, communication, and business performance. Participants will identify their primary stressors, recognize early warning signs that impact workflow, and learn where to access rural health resources. The session also includes mindfulness practices designed to improve focus and reduce stress. By integrating awareness with skill‑building, this session provides producers with practical tools that may help prevent costly errors and improve operational performance.
FREE for NWCA Members · $50 for non-members
APPLY • One-on-one Consulting Services
Attend or watch a virtual session to qualify for consulting on Financial Risk or Production Risk Management. Attendees who register for one of these sessions and complete a short survey (it’s not a quiz, we promise!) will be sent instructions on how to sign up for one-on-one consulting with our experts.
Financial Risk – NWCA is heavily subsidizing one-on-one consulting services with Irvine & Co to provide you with practical financial and operational guidance. NWCA members receive up to 4 hours of consulting for $50. Cost for non-members is $100.
Production Risk – Review your insurance options with our partner AgWest at no cost to you.
Connect • Learning Community
Join a small cohort of fellow cidermakers and orchardists to share ideas, work through challenges, and put what you learn into practice through June 2027. Learning Community participants receive a complimentary registration to Northwest Cider Symposium (March 16, 2027) and one-night hotel stay.
After you register for Cider School and take a short pre-survey, you’ll receive details about how to join the Learning Community.
Gather • 2027 Northwest Cider Symposium
Take what you learn even further with in-person Cider School sessions at Northwest Cider Symposium in Tacoma, March 16–17, 2027.
COST
Online Workshop Series: FREE for NWCA Members · $50 for non-members
Financial consulting is available separately: $50 for NWCA members · $100 for non-members
Cider School program is supported by a nearly $100,000 grant from the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
