Oregon Agricultural Trust 2023 Cheers to the Land

In October, the Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT) returns with its Cheers to the Land campaign for its second consecutive year. This campaign is a collaborative effort between Oregon’s breweries, cideries, farmers, and OAT to help OAT permanently protect Oregon farmland from development and transition it to future generations.

The 2023 Cheers to the Land campaign features 17 breweries and cideries across Oregon, in partnership with Goschie Farms of Silverton and Gold Rush Malt of Baker City. All participating breweries and cideries will serve their specially crafted Cheers to the Land beverages in their respective taprooms by October 10th.

Of these 17 releases, nine of the beers will be released in limited-edition 16oz cans with unique Cheers to the Land artwork and will be available in specialty grocery stores and bottle shops around the state. These retailers include many New Seasons Market and Market of Choice stores, The Bier Stein, Belmont Station, John’s Market and others. To see the full list of stores carrying the beers, visit cheerstotheland.com.

Additionally, OAT has planned 11 events across the state in October and November, including tap takeovers, pub crawls, meet and greets, and beer releases.

“Oregon Agricultural Trust launched Cheers to the Land to truly embrace the fact that brewers have a deep appreciation for the source of their raw ingredients,” commented Nellie McAdams, OAT’s Executive Director. “Development is slowly paving the farmland that’s essential for our food systems and ability to sequester carbon, and once that land’s developed, it’s never coming back. That’s why ‘Cheers to the Land’ not only celebrates the origins of the great beer and cider we drink, but also serves as a reminder that we must protect the land and ensure it remains viable for agriculture.”

Cheers to the Land Events:

• Baker City – Friday, October 6 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – Barley Brown’s Beer Release at Barley Brown’s.
• Burns – Saturday, October 7 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – Cheers to the Land Tap Takeover at Steens Mountain Brewing. Featuring Crux, ForeLand, Level, and Son of Man.
• Statewide – Tuesday, October 10 – Official beer release – All beers available in their respective taprooms and in specialty bottle shops around the state
• Newberg – Thursday, October 12 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – Cheers to the Land and Bluegrass Jam at Wolves & People.
• McMinnville – Friday, October 13 – McMinnville Cheers to the Land Pub Crawl – 5:00pm start at ForeLand Beer, 6:30pm head to The Bitter Monk.
• Beaverton – Thursday, October 19 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – Cheers to the Land Tap Takeover featuring all 17 beers and ciders at Loyal Legion Beaverton.
• Portland – Friday, October 20 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – Cheers to the Land Tap Takeover featuring all 17 beers and ciders at Loyal Legion Portland.
• The Dalles – Friday, October 27 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – Columbia Gorge Tap Takeover at Freebridge Brewing. Featuring Freebridge, Gorges, Son of Man, and Thunder Island.
• Eugene – Saturday, October 28 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – Tap Takeover at The Bier Stein. Passport program and door prizes, featuring Alesong, Block 15, ColdFire, Falling Sky, ForeLand, and Fort George.
• Astoria – Saturday, October 28 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm – OAT Meet & Greet at both Buoy Brewing and Fort George. Both breweries will tap each other’s beers.
• Corvallis – Saturday, November 11 – Barbecue and Brews at CH2M Hill Alumni Center, Corvallis. Thanks to the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Science, featuring 10 Barrel, Block 15, and Crux. Event starts 3 hours before kickoff.

Beer and Cider List:

• 10 Barrel Brewing – Northwest Pale Ale with Oregon-grown Great Western malt, Mecca Pale and Crystal malt both from Central Oregon, and El Dorado hops from Crosby Hop Farm. Draft only.
• Alesong Brewing & Blending – Blended oak aged saison with various malted and raw grains from Camas Country Mill and Goschie Farms, aged on Oregon grown Rhubarb, conditioned with Wildflower Honey from Queen Bee Apiary in Eugene. Draft only.
• Baerlic Brewing – West Coast IPA with 100% Oregon-grown Barley from Great Western Malting and Crosby Hop Farm’s estate Salmon-Safe Comet hops. Cans and Draft.
• Barley Brown’s Beer – IPA with Oregon-grown Gold Rush Malt and Oregon hops. Draft only.
• Block 15 Brewing – West Coast Pale Ale featuring Oregon Promise malt, a Salmon-Safe variety from the OSU barley breeding program malted by Mainstem Malt, and Cascade hops from B&D farms in St. Paul. Cans and draft.
• Buoy Brewing – Common Ale with Gold Rush Malting’s Pilsner and Light Munich malts, the barley sourced from Cornerstone Farms in Enterprise. Sterling and Mt Hood hops from Goschie Farms in Silverton bring spice and citrus flavors and aromas. Cans and draft.
• ColdFire Brewing – Pale Ale brewed with Crosby Hop Farm’s estate Salmon-Safe hops and Pilsner and Rye malts produced by Mecca Grade malting Company. Draft only.
• Crux Fermentation Project – West Coast India Pale Ale with all Oregon ingredients, including Salmon-Safe grains from NE Oregon, malted by Gold Rush Malt in Baker City, Centennial hops from Goschie Farms in Silverton, and Cascade hops from Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn. Cans and draft.
• Falling Sky Brewing – Cascadian Dark Ale with Oregon spruce tips. Cans and draft.
• ForeLand Beer Co. – A rustic lager featuring all Salmon-Safe ingredients from Oregon, with grain from Eastern Oregon through Mainstem Malt and Willamette Valley hops from Indie Hops. Cans and draft.
• Fort George Brewing – West Coast India Pale Ale brewed with a touch of the edible flower, Nasturtium grown by Oregon Agricultural Trust Board Member, Taresa Retzlaff’s 46 North Farm. Cans and draft.
• Freebridge Brewing – A tart German-style wheat ale with Oregon-grown blueberries and black currant added. The beer features white wheat from our family’s estate farm in North Wasco County. Cans and draft.
• Gorges Beer Co. – This Belgian-Style Ale is fermented with Oregon Raspberries. Pours a slight pink hue with mild fruity esters, finishes dry, tart, and crisp. Draft only.
• Level Beer Co. – Extra Special Bitter Ale brewed with all Salmon-Safe certified ingredients from Oregon — hops from Goschie Farms and malt from Baker City’s Gold Rush Malt, a company that exclusively sources grains from multi-generational farms in NE Oregon. Cans and draft.
• Son of Man Cider – This cider is a celebration of the two amazing places we source apples — EZ Orchards in the Willamette Valley and Heirloom Orchards in the Hood River Valley. Draft only.
• Thunder Island Brewing – American IPA with all Oregon ingredients, including malt sourced from Country Malt and hops from Crosby and Indie Hops. Draft only.
• Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery – A hyperlocal wild ale saison fermented with our native Forager yeast from our beehives, Tillamook strawberries, rhubarb from Sunshower Hill Farm, Crosby-grown Cashmere hops in a light dry hop, vanilla bean, and a kiss of Mecca Grade specialty malt. Draft only.

Last year, the campaign raised $12,000 in support of OAT’s work, and this year the organization is looking to double that number. Learn more about Cheers to the Land, OAT, and/or make a donation at cheerstotheland.com.

To learn more about the Oregon Agricultural Trust visit oregonagtrust.org.