Celebrating 50 years of promoting local agriculture |
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April Along the Farm Trails:
Spring Tour, Earth Day & More
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Blossoms, Bees & Barnyard Babies:
Register for Our Spring Tour May 6 & 7!
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Choose your own agrarian adventure from dozens of farms and producers to discover where your food, fiber, and flowers come from. Registration is free and easy, but required to receive the online tour directory and interactive map. Note that some destinations may only be open one day, have special hours, require RSVP, or charge a fee. Full details of the destinations will be provided upon signing up! |
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Earth Day Along the Farm Trails |
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Laguna Environmental Center: The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation is hosting Earth Day Art Walk on Saturday, April 22, 1 to 3 pm. Enjoy our current exhibit, "A Laguna Field Guide" by Christopher Reiger, then walk around the native plant demonstration garden. Artist, illustrator, and writer Christopher Reiger is exhibiting a selection from his popular Field Guide series in the Heron Hall Gallery and Gift Shop! Each poster on view features the color column of a common or frequently observed bird species in the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Free. No RSVP needed. Visitors are welcome to bring a lunch and sit at the picnic tables. 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, lagunafoundation.org.
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Live Oak Farm: Celebrate Earth Day weekend and Spring planting with Live Oak Farm's Spring Plant Sale, Saturday & Sunday April 22 & 23, 8 am to 5 pm. Live Oak Farm grows CCOF Certified Organic summer produce starts for our own farm and beyond. Serve yourself from our farm stand. Mix & match varieties. Many varieties of peppers, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, herbs, and more! 2199 Live Oak Farm Lane, Petaluma, liveoakfarmpetaluma.com.
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Luther Burbank Experiment Farm: The Luther Burbank Experiment Farm in Sebastopol is celebrating Earth Day 2023 with free activities on Saturday, April 22, from 9 am to 3 pm. This family-friendly event will feature docent-led walks through the historic garden and farmstead; scavenger hunts with prizes; a tree planting demonstration; nursery and plant sales; carnival photo stand; and many many photo opportunities. 7777 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol, wschs.org/farm/.
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Healdsburg Farmers' Market Opens April 15: Now in its 45th year, the Healdsburg Farmers' Market kicks off its 2023 season on Saturday, April 15, 8:30 am to 12 pm, at the West Plaza parking lot. The Tuesday market opens on May 16 on the Plaza. Featuring a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as flowers, cheeses, honey, olive oil, bread, wild fish, pasture-finished meat, and fresh eggs, the market celebrates the agricultural heritage of this beautiful area. We also have delicious cooked food, packaged food product and beautiful handmade craft, and lots of special events. Visit healdsburgfarmersmarket.org for info.
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Olive Oil Sensory Seminar at Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Saturday, April 22, 9 am to 12:30 pm: Gold Ridge Organic Farms presents an in-depth, olive oil sensory experience with Pablo Voitzuk. In this half-day long event, we will explore how to evaluate a wide range of olive oils, from both local and international producers. Learn how to detect specific aroma and flavor profiles, as markers of high quality and flaws which are deemed either undesirable or show that an olive oil is past its prime. Refreshments and boxed lunch are included with ticket price. To register, click here. 3387 Canfield Road, Sebastopol, goldridgeorganicfarms.com.
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Petaluma Bounty's 13th Annual Spring Plant Sale, April 22-23: Mark your calendars for Petaluma Bounty's annual plant sale, now in its 13th year offering sustainably grown starts straight from the farm. Alongside the plant sale, we will have a free compost giveaway event thanks to Zero Waste Sonoma. Hours: Saturday, April 22, 2 – 4:30 pm, for immunocompromised, mobility-challenged, CalFresh/EBT customers. Sunday, April 23, 9 am to 3 pm for the general public. Customer sign-ups will begin on April 14. Keep up to date by checking their website, on Facebook and Instagram, and signing up for our newsletter. 55 Shasta Avenue, Petaluma, petalumabounty.org.
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Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at McEvoy Ranch, Sunday, May 14, 1-4pm: Begin your experience with a tour of the property's hidden gems, exploring our Culinary Gardens and Upper Courtyard as you learn about the rich 32-year history of McEvoy Ranch. You will then be escorted into our charming Victorian to enjoy a splash of our Rosebud Ros or non-alcoholic beverage, Poplar Lane Spritzer, before taking part in an authentic Afternoon Tea. This offering will include a selection of four proprietary teas as well as hand-crafted savory & sweet delights. Explore the Afternoon Tea menu here. Early bird pricing ends April 15. Book online. 5935 Red Hill Road, Petaluma, mcevoyranch.com.
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Wise Acre Farm Launches Farm Tours: Do you want to know what it takes to run a farm with over 1,000 chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and more? Or do you want to find out more about regenerative agriculture and learn about Wise Acre's efforts towards humane farming? Then sign up for one of Wise Acre's two tours held on the third Saturday of each month through September. Both will give you a close look at our main flock of chickens! Reserve your space online. 631 Arata Lane, Windsor, wiseacrewindsor.com.
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Robo-Raised Pastured Chicken Project at Green Star Farm: Raising pastured meat is good for the animals, our environment, and your health. But it requires a tremendous amount of work and expense for local small-scale farmers like Sarah Silva at Green Star Farm in Sebastopol. Sarah has been trying different types of mobile pasture coops for her broilers since 2009, but hasn't found a viable solution that automates the process while reducing fossil fuel use, costs, and soil compaction--until now! Read all about her robo-raised pastured chicken project here.
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Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the
Gravenstein Apple Fair, August 12 & 13!
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Celebrate 50 years of Farm Trails' annual major fundraiser, the Gravenstein Apple Fair, August 12 & 13, at Ragle Park in Sebastopol. Enjoy live music on two stages, all things Gravenstein in our new "Apple Alley," fabulous local food, art & crafts vendors, activities for kids, farm animals and demonstrations, craft ciders, iconic microbrews, premium wines, and VIP Lounge. Awarded Bohemian's "Best Festival" for 2023 and the first-ever Green Resolution for events by Sonoma County Zero Waste, the Fair is proud to be 95% zero waste. Discounted advance tickets are on sale online. Order now for the best deals for the event of the summer!
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Gravenstein Apple Fair Flashback: Dutton Ranch
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Warren and Gail Dutton, at the Gravenstein Apple Fair in 1995 |
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The sixth generation of Duttons—Kyndall, Jordan, Kylie, and Karmen—at the Gravenstein Apple Fair in 2022. Not pictured: Jake Dutton. |
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The Dutton family and their apple booth have been anchors of both Farm Trails and the Gravenstein Apple Fair since the beginning. Dutton Ranch was founded in 1964 when newlyweds Gail and Warren Dutton moved to a home which is now the Dutton's main office on beautiful farmland just outside of the small town of Graton. Together, Gail and Warren grew apples and wine grapes and would expand their business over the years. Warren Dutton was a fourth-generation Sonoma County farmer who instilled his passion for agriculture in his sons, Steve and Joe, who both now own and operate Dutton Ranch with the help of their mom, Gail. Dutton Ranch continues to be a family business and Steve and Joe have passed on their love of agriculture to their children, the sixth generation, who have begun to enter the family business.
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OUR MISSION
We connect the public to Sonoma County farmers and producers to ensure the economic viability of local ag and to instill an appreciation of ag as a vital part of our community.
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FARMS FOREVER!
Thank you for your support
of Sonoma County farms, ranches, producers, and purveyors in our collective mission of preserving
Farms Forever!
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FARM TRAILS STAFF
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Carmen Snyder, Executive Director & Gravenstein Apple Fair Producer
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Ellen Cavalli, Membership & Marketing Manager
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Pam Davis, Gravenstein Apple Fair Operations Manager
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Sophie Haag, Gravenstein Apple Fair Event Coordinator
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Lisa Rose, Photographer
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Christine Margetts, Bookkeeper
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Vince Trotter, President
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Lauren Bowne, Secretary
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Andrea Krout, Treasurer
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Karen Bianchi-Moreda, Director
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Alexandra Fox, Director
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Alan Siegle, Director
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We are grateful for the generous support of our major sponsors. |
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