by Angharad Evans, Welsh Language Communications Officer
I don't know about you, but there are things I really like about every season (and lots of things I don't like so much too!) but this time of year is very pretty, with the leaves changing colour, and to be a proper Cardi for a minute, appreciating what is free on our doorstep - the hedges full of blackberries and the apple trees full of fruit - there you have some sustainable local foods at their best! And we're in the middle of the thanksgiving season - where better to start, than being thankful for what is local to us.
This time of year is also ideal for a small group of entrepreneurial farmers in North Ceredigion, who saw thousands of unpicked or fallen apples in the local area at the end of each summer as a perfect opportunity to set up a new eco-friendly business that funds itself, and that was the start of Seidr Pisgah Chi.
The group responsible for Seidr Pisgah Chi, some of which have close links with the Union in Ceredigion, includes 5 friends from different working backgrounds, but they share the same passion and enthusiasm in developing the initiative further.
One who has been part of the journey from the very beginning is Elen Pencwm. Elen already knew most of the group, but in her capacity as Farming Connect Agrisgôp Leader, she supported the group as they started their new venture, but where did the idea of brewing and selling cider come from? Here’s Elen to explain more: "The Seidr Pisgah Chi initiative started back in 2019 after a local group from the Pisgah area near Aberystwyth decided they wanted to create something from all the apples that were going to waste all over the place.
"An Agrisgôp group was started, which is a management development programme for farming families, under the wing of Menter a Busnes. It brings individuals and families together at a local level to discuss and take forward business ideas.
"The crew met and discussed, and after a while it was decided that the dream was to create a local cider. Thanks to Agrisgôp it was possible to get help and collaborate with experts such as the Welsh Perry & Cider Society and Aberystwyth University's Beacon Project."
So, after deciding on the venture, going about collecting the apples, the brewing and bottling process, how do you go about marketing Seidr Pisgah Chi? "Local apples were collected and processed producing 1,200 bottles of cider by 2020 and they were promoted on social media," explains Elen. "You’re very welcome to visit us, Seidr Pisgah Chi on Facebook! By this point the business had been established with the help of Business Wales and all the appropriate licences in place, and it was all sold within two days!”
After a hugely successful start, what's next for the venture? "Now the group, which includes John Hopkins, Dilwyn Williams, Rhodri and Sion Davies and Dylan Jenkins are looking forward to the future, producing more cider after they bought their own equipment," said Elen. "The whole process and experience has been extremely smooth and beneficial, and the group are so thankful for the support they have received from the whole area.
"The harvesting has finished for this year, the apples have been pressed and are quietly fermenting in their barrels until the beginning of the year - gently does it as they say! Who knows where we'll see Seidr Pisgah Chi bottles in the future.”
Yes indeed, who knows where Seidr Pisgah Chi bottles will appear next, especially with the group’s determination and passion to ensure they succeed, whilst enjoying each other's company as a group of friends, and that is at the heart of the initiative, the social element which is so important. Cheers!