Chukar Cherries Donates to Rural Northwest Communities

When Pam Montgomery, founder and CEO of Chukar Cherries, a producer of farm-based foods, took a personal interest in a nonprofit in Enterprise, Oregon, it was the impetus for starting Chukar's Social Responsibility Program. Today, the two-year-old program commits 100 percent of proceeds from a selection of the cherry company's products (dried cherries, chocolate-covered cherries, fruit and nut snack mixes and cherry sauces)  to provide a revenue stream to Wallowa Resources.

Wallowa Resources began more than 16 years ago when a large portion of the community was put out of work due to three sawmills closing. Amid the economic downturn, a few key players began to meet in a local bakery to try to mend the rift between landowners, the environmental community and government agencies. By 1997 they had created a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the working and recreational lands of Wallowa County. The organization provides business assistance, forestry management, environmental education and development of alternative fuel sources to help create new industries in the rural community.

Montgomery describes Chukar's philanthropic program as a partnership. "We give, our customers give, and the community benefits.”