Slow Food Sonoma County North

The Agrarian Games
2017-09-16 12:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Petaluma Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Dr, Petaluma, CA, 94952, United States
Our Snail of Approval project will be participating in the Agrarian Games , join us for fun & games!!

An interactive festival celebrating sustainable agriculture, local food and family farms!
From wheelbarrow relays to watermelon seed-spitting, whether you’re a farmer or an eater, a country bumpkin or a city-slicker, join us for an afternoon of local food, live music and farm-themed games to test your strength and speed, your knowledge of soil types and your proficiency with a pitchfork.
For the fourth year in a row, we invite all of California to come build, explore and celebrate a more just, healthy and regenerative food community for all.
Stop by the FARMERS MARKET for locally-grown products!
LIVE MUSIC by the The Hubbub Club, Oddjob Ensemble, Miss Moonshine and Buck Thrifty!
Food trucks and vendors serving up organic ingredients from our favorite farms and ranches, plus wine and beer from the North Bay’s finest.
Activities include: the haybale toss, squash bowling, the honeybee hustle, competitive irrigation, butter churning, potato sack races and much, much more.

Crane Melon Farm tour
2017-10-07 11:00 - 14:00
Crane Melon Farm Tour
Come join us for a tour of the Crane Melon Farm, home of the original Crane Melon!
1655 Crane Canyon Road, Rohnert Park
Our tour will be led by Mr. Crane with visits to the farm, museum and barn. There are 2 locations for this tour. We will start at the farm and museum where the Melons are grown (above address) at 11:00 am, then move to the Crane Barn for a tasting.
Delicious Crane Melons will be available for purchase at the barn.
Bring your own packed lunch and we’ll enjoy an outdoor meal with friends at the on site picnic tables.
This event is free, but space is limited to the first 20 participants, please email slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com to RSVP.
The Crane Melon is on the Slow Food Ark of Taste, learn more at Ark of Taste/Crane Melon
The Crane melon averages 4-7 pounds, is round like a soccer ball, and has a light orange flesh that is highly aromatic. The fruit is exceptionally sweet and juicy. As Jennifer Crane – the sixth generation to own and operate the Crane Ranch and grow the Crane melon – explains, “The Crane melon’s flavor is due to its terroir. The melon was developed to be grown on the land that’s been in the Crane family for nearly 160 years – in a particular soil, within a specific climate zone, farmed in a certain style.” Crane Melon Farm

Slow Dinner on the Farm
2018-05-12 17:00 - 20:00 | Bernier Family Farm, 1720 Canyon Road, Geyserville, CA, 95441, United States
Join us for a farm-to-table dinner under the trees on the Bernier family’s home farm. Meet some of our local farmers and enjoy a sumptuous meal created from local and sustainable ingredients!
YAEL AND PAUL BERNIER’S HOME, GEYSERVILLE
Come for appetizers, wine, a convivial sit-down dinner, and live music. Stay for stories from down on the farm: Rebecca Bozzelli (Lantern Farm, Cloverdale), Kelly Osman (Oz Family Farm, Valley Ford), and Joey Smith (Let’s Go Farm, Santa Rosa).
MENU
Appetizers
Spring garlics, radishes, paté, and marinated eggs
Entrée
Spring lettuces with roasted beets and goat cheese
Grilled Oz Family Farm rabbit served on farro
Medley of baby spring vegetables
Dessert
Strawberry shortcake with whipped cream and candied Meyer lemon rind
You don’t want to miss this lively evening, which will raise funds for grants to local farmers to improve their farming enterprises.
Tickets are $65 for Slow Food members, $75 non-members. Get your tickets here.

Kicking Bull Farms & Paine Farm Tour
2018-06-10 10:30 | Kicking Bull Farms, 24500 Ramal Road, Sonoma, CA, United States
We have a wonderful opportunity to tour two farms in the Carneros region of Sonoma/Marin.
This event is less than two weeks away and space is limited, so sign up now!!
We will meet at Kicking Bull Farms at 10:20 am for the 10:30 am tour. Parking will be by the large barn. After we’ve seen Kicking Bull, we will drive 1/2 mile to Paine Farm to continue our tour, followed by a picnic lunch.
Bring your own packed lunch, and we’ll enjoy an outdoor meal with friends at the on-site picnic tables.
Please RSVP to slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com and send your check for $10 to SF-Sonoma County North, c/o Crapeau, 985 Lupine Court, Healdsburg 95448.
Our tour will be led by grower William Henpenn. This is his third season on the farm, and he is looking forward to our Slow Food visit and sharing his experiences.
Henpenn follows organic practices and uses no hormones or antibiotics on either farm. Kicking Bull Farms provides farm-fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, olives), eggs, and honey.
Paine Farm, which has been in the hands of Henpenn for about a year and a half, was previously run for 30 years by Philip Paine; it produces heritage squab and pigs. Both farms count many top Bay Area restaurants (Quince, Nopa, Meadowood, Auberge du Soleil and Chez Panisse) among their regular customers. Henpenn comes from a chef background and works with local chefs to grow the food they desire.
Kicking Bull Farms
Paine Farm

Slow Food Summer Picnic at Gradek Family Farm
2018-07-07 16:00 - 19:30 | Gradek Ranch, 2323 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA, 95448, United States
It’s Time Again for the Annual Slow Food Summer Picnic at Gradek Family Farm!

Please join us for an old-fashioned summer picnic at Gradek Family Farm’s lake in Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Valley.

We provide the meal and you bring either an appetizer or cookies from your favorite recipe!
MENU
Grilled organic chicken
Roasted corn on the cob
Bodega Red potato salad
Green salad with Ark of Taste beans
Costeaux bread
Please bring:
An appetizer or cookies from your favorite recipe,
A beverage,
Your place setting and glass, and
Your bathing suit (optional).
Tickets are $30 for Slow Food members, $40 for nonmembers. Children under 12 are free, and over 12 are $10.
Buy your tickets at Brown Paper Tickets.
If you prefer to pay by check, please RSVP at slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.comand send your check (made out to SF Sonoma County North) to D. Crapeau, 985 Lupine Circle, Healdsburg 95448. We must have your check by July 2.
Directions to the lake will be sent upon registration.

Terra Madre Salone del Gusto
2018-09-20 - 2018-09-24
Terra Madre Salone del Gusto is the biggest international event dedicated to food. The 12th edition, organized in collaboration with the Region of Piedmont and City of Turin, will be held from September 20 to 24, 2018, in Turin, Italy.
#foodforchange

2nd Annual Snail of Approval Awards Ceremony
2019-02-06 17:30 - 19:00
Join Slow Food Russian River and Slow Food Sonoma County North as we honor our 2018 Snail of Approval restaurant awardees:
Patisserie Angelica – Sebastopol; Red Horse Pizza – Santa Rosa; Lowell’s – Sebastopol; Handline – Sebastopol; Trading Post – Cloverdale; SingleThread – Healdsburg; Mateo’s Cocina Latina – Healdsburg
We are excited to announce that we are also launching our Farm/Ranch Snail of Approval program and awarding our first Snails to:
Tierra Vegetables – Santa Rosa; Lantern Farm – Cloverdale
After the awards ceremony enjoy “Good, Clean and Fair” bites and pours.
Tickets
Snail of Approval recognizes these food-related providers in Sonoma County for making significant contributions to transform our food system to one that is, good, clean and fair.

Slow Food Tour of Jackson Family Gardens
2019-06-25 10:00 - 12:30 | Kendall Jackson Gardens, 5007 Fulton Road, Santa Rosa, CA, 95403
Sonoma County North is delighted to invite you to a special tour of the gardens at Kendall Jackson Wine Estate with the Director of Culinary Gardens, Tucker Taylor.
We will meet at 9:50 am for a 10 am start. The tour will be about 1.5 hours, followed by a bring your own brown-bag lunch in the gardens.
There is no charge for the tour, but because space is limited, please RSVP to slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com.
The Jackson Family Gardens offer seven distinct garden spaces. Some are educational in nature; some planted solely for beauty. Still others provide the fruit, vegetables and herbs that inspire the food & wine pairings created by our Culinary Team. A veritable cornucopia of beauty and flavor, the gardens are a core component of our commitment to food and wine education.
Kendall Jackson Gardens

Tucker Taylor is Jackson Family Wine’s Director of Culinary Gardens. His impressive resume includes the redesign of the culinary garden at The French Laundry and five years of growing specialty produce for Chef Thomas Keller’s restaurants before joining Jackson Family Wines.
His gardens provide produce for winery chefs Justin Wangler and Tracey Shepos Cenami and pastry chef Robert Nieto. This trio of talent also collaborated on their 2018 cookbook, Season, which was recently awarded Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
In addition, the garden grows produce for some of the best chefs in the Bay Area–all three 3-Michelin-star restaurants in San Francisco, as well as Single Thread in Healdsburg–and for those in need through the nonprofit Farm to Pantry, where Taylor serves on the board. (Slow Food Sonoma County North Newsletter, June 2019)

National Heirloom Expo-Slow Food California Booth
2019-09-10 09:00 - 2019-09-12 21:00 | Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 95404, United States
Visit us at the Slow Food California Booth
Show Info
Tickets are available at the gate on September 10, 11 & 12, 2019.
Gates are open 9 AM to 9 PM.
One Day Ticket $15 or Three Day Pass $30 (Purchased at the gate) and Children are Free!

Download a copy of our brochure here

Farm Tour: Lantern Farm
2019-09-25 10:00 - 12:00
Please join Rebecca Bozzelli for a tour of her Lantern Farm!
We will tour through the fields of veggies, fruit, and flowers and sample some produce in the fields. Flowers and produce will be available for purchase in the barn.
26209 River Road, Cloverdale
$10 per person. Get your ticket at Brown Paper Tickets
The tour will be followed by a no-host lunch at Trading Post Restaurant in town.
Please let us know if you are coming to lunch at slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com (lunch is not included in the ticket price).
Both Lantern Farm & Trading Post have been awarded our Snail of Approval.
Lantern Farm is a mixed produce and flower production in Cloverdale and one of the first Snail of Approval farms in Sonoma County. While Rebecca was looking for land, her daughter suggested calling the farm Lantern Farm. This seemed like a fine name and the name Lantern Farm was born. A short while later, and conveniently just down the street, Rebecca and her family were looking at a potential farm site on River Road that used to be a prune orchard many years ago and has been fallow since. While inspecting the barn, two old lanterns were hanging on the back wall, a sure sign that this land was to be Lantern Farm. That was in winter of 2016. The lease was signed in April of that same year, and Lantern Farm has been growing ever since.

Slow Farm Tour: Front Porch Farm
2021-06-17 10:00 - 11:30 | Front Porch Farm, 2550 Rio Lindo Avenue, Healdsburg, CA, 95448, United States
Please join us for our first in-person event since 2020!
Our tour begins at 10 am and finishes at approximately 11:30 am. We will visit the orchard and blackberry plot, mixed vegetable garden, and flower section.
Space is limited, so please register at slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com.
The cost for the tour is $10 per person. Please pay at the door with cash or by check (checks to SF Sonoma County North).
Please bring your mask. You may also bring your lunch and we will eat together in the farm’s picnic area.
Front Porch Farm is a 110-acre mosaic of fruit and olive orchards; fields of grains, alfalfa, and pasture grasses; rows of flowers; acres of heritage vegetable crops; and vineyards on sunny hillsides. The farm runs along the Russian River in Healdsburg.

SLOW FARM TOUR: Farm to Fight Hunger
2021-08-13 09:00 - 10:30 | Farm to Fight Hunger, 12340 Los Amigos Road, Healdsburg
Please join us for a tour of Farm to Fight Hunger, a recent Snail of Approval awardee, in Healdsburg!

Farm to Fight Hunger is a non-profit organization that grows, harvests and delivers fresh nutritious produce, free of charge, to those in Sonoma County in need of healthy food. Last year they donated 10,000 pounds of produce to community organizations. Eggs laid by happy pastured hens are also donated; last year they gave 20,000 eggs to the Redwood Empire Food Bank. The farm donates 100% of what they grow.
The cost for the tour is $10 per person. Please pay at the door with cash or by check (checks to SF Sonoma County North).
Space is limited, so please register at slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com.
There is limited parking space so please plan to carpool.

Tour of Stemple Creek Meat, followed by lunch at Estero Café (a Snail of Approval restaurant) & cheese-tasting at Valley Ford Cheese Company
2022-03-31 09:30 | Stemple Creek Ranch, 900 Burbank Ln, Tomales, CA, 94971, United States
We are excited to invite you to a morning near the coast that includes the full circle of grower, producer, and consumer.
Tour of Stemple Creek Ranch, Tomales
followed by lunch at Estero Cafe, Valley Ford
and a cheese tasting next door at Valley Ford Cheese and Creamery
Tickets (available soon) are $35 for members and $45 for non-members, attendance is limited
Stemple Creek Ranch,Tomales
At over 1,000 acres, Stemple Creek Ranch raises beef, lamb, and pigs. Most of the pastureland is Certified Organic, and the free range beef and lamb are 100% grass fed and grass finished. Stock is grazed rotationally on open pasture from birth to harvest. They are never supplemented with grains, corn, or soy, and never receive artificial hormones, growth promotants, or antibiotics. Their pigs are humanely raised in large outdoor pens where they enjoy a vegetarian diet with plenty of room to socialize and express natural behaviors.
The ranch has been in the Poncia family for five generations, and is 100% protected through the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) to insure it will remain a productive part of the Marin County agricultural landscape forever. Loren Poncia and his wife Lisa have reinvented the family business with a vision for raising superior quality grass fed and finished meats.
“We practice regenerative organic agriculture. To that end, we actively preserve sensitive wildlife habitat, maintain and restore natural watershed areas, utilize cutting edge solar and gravity flow technology, and practice an intensive schedule of rotational grazing. We seek to enhance and rehabilitate our entire ecosystem by focusing on soil health and increasing carbon in our land.”
Stemple Creek Ranch is part of the Marin Carbon Project, which showcases how best regenerative agriculture practices can harness atmospheric carbon to improve soil content on farms, and mitigate the effects of global warming.
Estero Cafe, Valley Ford
Conveniently located right on Highway 1 in Valley Ford, Estero Cafe offers fresh, farm-to-table classic American-style comfort food for breakfast and lunch. They support area farms, ranches, and other producers. All dishes are lovingly prepared with locally-sourced proteins and vegetables. In addition, their beverage selection features products from local and regional producers.
Our Lunch Menu
Cheeseburger with Stemple Creek Ranch beef and Valley Ford cheese)
OR
Grilled cheese sandwich with Valley Ford cheese
French fries
Beverage
Estero Cafe is a Snail of Approval restaurant
Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery, Valley Ford
Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery is located on the rural coast of Sonoma County, California. The company produces handcrafted, Italian style artisan cheeses made from 100% Jersey cows milk. The cows have access to pasture 365 days a year, are never treated with growth hormones or anitbiotics, and the land is certified organic.
Valley Ford makes four types of cheese: old style Fontina, regular and reserve of an Asiago/Montasio style, and a Gorgonzola style.
The store also offers soft-serve ice cream!

4th Annual Snail of Approval Awards
2022-04-27 17:30 - 19:30 | Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol, CA, 95472, United States
Snail of Approval-Slow Food in Sonoma County honors our 2021 awardees.

Tickets
Join Slow Food Russian River and Slow Food Sonoma County North as we honor our 2021 Snail of Approval awardees:
4th Street Social Club
DMS Ranch, Sebastopol
Farm to Fight Hunger, Healdsburg
Geyserville Gun Club, Geyserville
Gradek Family Farm, Healdsburg
Jackson Family Gardens, Fulton
Little Paradise Farm, Sonoma
Patisserie Angelica, Sebastopol
Quail & Condor Bakery, Healdsburg
Relish Culinary Adventures, Healdsburg
SRJC Shone Farm, Forestville
Tallgrass Ranch, Sonoma
The Epicurean Connection, Sonoma
Following the presentation of awards, a reception will be held with displays and tastes from our awardees. Bites and beverages will round out the evening. Masks recommended.
In 2021 Snail of Approval-Slow Food in Sonoma County expanded to join the Slow Food International program and our businesses are now listed on Slow Food USA’s national Snail of Approval directory. An interactive Snail of Approval map allows users to find businesses across the US that are embracing the Slow Food values. To see the local Sonoma County map and a full list of Snail of Approval awardees visit our webpage.
Snail of Approval recognizes these food-related providers in Sonoma County for making significant contributions to transform our food system to one that is good, clean and fair.

Olive Oil Tasting on the Farm
2022-06-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Moon Dog Olive Farm, 31830 McCray Road, Cloverdale, CA, 95425
Spend an afternoon with us learning what goes into producing a local olive oil, and tasting the differences among the oils.
with
Colleen McGlynn, DaVero Farm and Winery
Russ Messing, Deergnaw Olive Oil
Dawn Lindelof, Moon Dog Olive Farm
Nancy Lilly, Tallgrass Ranch
Tickets are $20 each for Slow Food members, $30 for non-members.
Each producer will describe the production of their olive oil, from the selection of tree varieties through their cultivation, to harvesting and pressing of the olives, and blending and bottling the oil.
To better appreciate our small production local producers, read Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, by Tom Mueller before attending this event!
DaVero
“Grow what belongs here. Be patient.” This simple premise summarizes everything we’ve learned, and guides us in everything we do — how we care for our land, how we farm, how we make wine and olive oil and the myriad other products from this magical place.
In 1988, after careful research and some incredible luck, we took cuttings from an ancient olive grove in the hills to the east of Lucca, in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. The trees from which we took the cuttings are over 800 years old, and the farm has been in the same family since the 1400s! While the varieties are common across Tuscany, and the proportions typical (50% Leccino, 25% Frantoio, 15% Maurino, and 10% Pendolino), that grove has very distinct clones — essentially, sub-varietals — whose fruit makes an oil with a flavor profile unlike any other.
Deergnaw
Deergnaw Olive Oil is a unique blend. We don’t think that there is any other oil that has the particular varietals of our oil. From Lombardia in the north of Italy, the Cassaliva; from Liguria, also in the north, Taggiasca; from Puglia in the extreme south-east, Coratina; and from Apulia, also in the south, Nocciara. There is also a smattering of Picholine from France and a touch of Pendolino from Tuscany as the pollinator.
Approximately 700 trees comprise our three and a half acre orchard. We planted the trees, mostly one gallon size, fifteen years ago and the first fruit appeared three years later. Since then, each year we have had an ever-greater yield. This year the orchard produced 7 tons of olives, which translated into 150 cases of 500 milliliter bottles compared to 69 cases in ’07.
Moon Dog
Planted and farmed by two crazy people that didn’t think about the work–they just wanted to make their slice of the world a little more delicious!
Moon Dog Olive Farm is planted to traditional Tuscan varieties; Leccino, Frantoio, and Pendolino. The 280 trees are organically farmed by Dawn and Chris Lindelof in their “spare time.” Moon Dog Olive Farm is located in the Northern part of Alexander Valley in Cloverdale, not far from the Russian River. This Extra Virgin Olive Oil is only available at the farm and at local markets and special events. Every vintage is a little different. But the fruity fragrance and spicy finish is definitive in every bottling. We can’t wait to show you our place.
Tallgrass
Tallgrass Ranch Estate Blend Olive Oil is fruity with a medium amount of bitterness and pungency. This is not achieved merely by combining all the gallons of oil that we produce. Instead, each year we hold the oil from each harvest day separately so that we can gauge the unique qualities of each batch. Only then do we make blending decisions, hoping to be able to use all of the oil produced each year in our Estate Blend, but sometimes needing to exclude some.
The Italian trees, primarily Frantoio and Leccino, supported by pollinators Pendolino, Moraiolo, and Maurino, provide the backbone of the blend, having high levels of fruitiness, green and grassy touches, as well as high polyphenols—that bitterness and pungency that might make you cough, but which also provide the anti-oxidants that protect both the oil and your own body. The French Columella, and its pollinator, Aglandau, provide a more buttery fruitiness, with notes of apple and green banana, and much less bitterness and pungency. The resulting blend is a great complement to many cuisines.

Annual Summer Picnic at Gradek Ranch 2022 (Deadline for purchasing tickets is July 3, 2022)
2022-07-10 16:00 - 19:00 | Gradek Ranch, 2323 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA, 95448, United States
It’s Picnic Time!

Let’s get together! Our Annual Summer Picnic at the Gradek Ranch lake in Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Valley is coming up soon. Please join us!
MENU
Selection of Appetizers
Smoked, Pulled Pork (buns? BBQ sauce? we’ll have those too!!)
Baked Beans
Coleslaw
Selection of Home-made Cookies
* BYOB, place setting, glass.
Tickets are $40 for Slow Food members, $50 for nonmembers. Children under 12 are free. Deadline for purchasing tickets is July 3, 2022.
Purchase your tickets here
If you prefer to pay by check, please register at slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com and send your check (made out to SF Sonoma County North) to 1321 W. Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg 95448. We must receive your check no later than July 3, 2022.
Directions will be sent upon registration.
Not sure if your membership is current? Email us at slowfoodsonomacountynorth@gmail.com .
Want to take a swim in the lake? Bring your bathing suit.
Hoping for a fun raffle? We will have one!

5th Annual Snail of Approval Awards
2023-03-14 17:30 - 19:30
Tickets
Join us as we celebrate our 2022 Snail of Approval Awardees! A reception will be held after the awards and you will be able to visit our awardees and enjoy their tastes and displays. Our Slow Food Events team will also be presenting bites and beverages.
2022 Snail of Approval Awardees:

Americana, Santa Rosa
COOKIE…take a bite!, Santa Rosa
Corner Project Ales & Eats, Geyserville
Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Sebastopol
Lunchette, Petaluma
Maison Porcella, Windsor
Sunray Farm, Sonoma
Taub Family Outpost, Sonoma
In 2022 the following Snail of Approval awardees continued to provide good, clean and fair food in Sonoma County and were extended for another two years.
Bernier Farms, Black Pig Meat Co, Black Piglet Food Truck, DaVero Farms & Winery, Diavola Pizzeria and Salumeria, Estero Cafe, Handline, Laguna Farm, Seven Moons Farm (formerly Lantern Farm), The Naked Pig Cafe, Red Horse Pizza, Tierra Vegetables, Tilted Shed Ciderworks, Single Thread
Slow Food USA’s Snail of Approval directory is a national interactive Snail of Approval map that allows users to find businesses across the US that are embracing the Slow Food values.
Visit the Sonoma County map for a full list of local Snail of Approval awardees.
Slow Food in Sonoma County awards the Snail of Approval to local restaurants, farms/ranches and producers who are making a significant contribution to improving the food system. Snail of Approval is an international program which we run locally in partnership with Slow Food USA. Slow Food in Sonoma County is a partnership of two local chapters, Russian River and Sonoma County North.

Noble Goat Farm Tour
2023-06-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Noble Goat Farm, Kinley Drive, Healdsburg, CA, 95448, United States
Please join us for a tour of this 3-year old farm in the Dry Creek Valley. Our tour will be led by Noble Goat’s farmer, Jon Vandervelde, who will describe what it takes to create a bio-diverse farm from a neglected orchard, and how they work with Farm to Pantry and Farm to Fight Hunger to reduce food insecurity in our community.
Bring your lunch if you’d like to eat together at picnic tables in the farm’s Grove after the tour.
Full disclosure: there are no goats on the farm yet!
Tickets are $10 for Slow Food members and $15 for non-members.
Buy your tickets here.
Owners Shalie and Jeremy Jonkers describe their farm this way:
We’re a family-run truck farm in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley watershed. Established in 2020, we started by reviving a neglected pomegranate orchard. Working alongside a team of local experts, we’re on journey to develop a sustainable, bio-diverse farm. From revitalizing the soil and fixing irrigation, to selecting our seasonal crops, we’re growing every day. For every pound of produce we sell, we donate a pound to local organizations fighting food insecurity in Sonoma County.
Reinvigorating the soil, and restoring the biodiversity, will not only lead to higher-nutrient produce, but will also increase carbon draw-down and support climate improvement.
Today, the property includes 400 pomegranate trees and 4 acres of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. We aspire to build a sustainable family farm using a holistic and ethical approach to growing. We believe that mindful farming practices, bio-diversity, and local engagement will positively impact the health of our community and the planet.

Slow Food Presents a Sunset Supper at Foss Vineyards
2023-09-23 18:00 - 21:00 | The Barn at Foss Vineyard, 6475 Starr Road, Windsor, CA, 95492, United States
As the season turns from summer green to the colors of fall, please join us for supper on the Autumn Equinox. The evening begins outside overlooking the Foss Vineyard, savoring a selection of appetizers, and enjoying a variety of Italian wines. Guests can peruse the treasures offered in a silent auction before sitting down for a three-course dinner accompanied by DaVero wines.
Between dinner courses, we will hear from those who attended Terra Madre 2022. Our delegate to Terra Madre 2022 was Tucker Taylor, Head Culinary Gardener of Jackson Family Farms. Also attending from the chapter were Donna Del Rey, owner of Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg (both Snail of Approval awardees), and Marie Giacalone, Chair of the chapter’s Events Team. The meal will be prepared by the Sonoma County North’s Events Team.
This will be a fundraiser to send our delegates to Italy in 2024.
Tickets are $75 for Slow Food members and $85 for non-members. Ticket sales close September 16, 6 pm. Note that there are no refunds after September 15.
If you prefer to pay by check, please mail your check made out to SF Sonoma County North to Mark Crapeau, 985 Lupine Court, Healdsburg 95448. Checks must be received no later than September 16.

TICKETS

Supper will be accompanied by wine generously donated by DaVero Farms and Winery.
MENU
Assortment of Slow Appetizers served with a selection of Italian wines
Late Summer Salad
Lasagna Involtini (with vegetarian option)
Fall Vegetables
Vin Santo and Biscotti

Showa Olive Farm Tour
2023-10-05 10:00 - 12:00
Showa Olive Farm Tour

Continuing our 2023 farm tours, next we will be visiting Cloverdale and touring
Showa Farm
Thursday, October 5, 10 am
26070 River Road, Cloverdale
Tickets are $10 for Slow Food members, and $20 for non-members.
We will tour the farm and taste the Arbequina olive oil with Geoff Peters, the owner. We will see the olive trees full of olives right before harvest and learn about his farming practices— Showa is both organic and biodynamic. There will also be time to visit the animals he has on the property (chickens, goats, sheep, and two donkeys). After our tour, Geoff will host a tasting of his award-winning olive oil.
The ground will be uneven on this tour so we recommend you wear flat, comfortable shoes.

Get Your Tickets Here

Harvesting at night

Showa Farm
Located in the Alexander Valley, Showa Farm is family-owned. We use best practices based on biodynamic and organic farming principles. The olive orchards are 90% Arbequina olive trees with the remaining trees being pollinators.
Our estate-grown organic extra virgin olive oil is made solely from hand-picked Arbequina olives. Using well water, drip irrigation, low-density no-till farming, we organically press each small batch to create this flavorful and super high-quality EVOO.
100-percent of our electric usage comes from our solar panels and our water is all-natural aquifer well water administered to the orchard using drip irrigation. We raise goats, chickens, a burro, a horse and dogs. We grow fruits and nuts as well as vegetables to add to the diversity.
Of the 30 acres on the farm, only 8 are devoted to olive trees with another 2 acres devoted to other non-commercial organic gardens, trees, and food production. Even the 8 acres of olive trees are planted 16-18 feet center on center allowing very large areas for air circulation and lots of sunlight. This low-density approach has allowed us to be disease and pest free and has improved the quality of our olive oil.
Showa was selected as one of the top 100 olive oils in the world three times at the New York International Olive Oil Competition.

Volunteer Day for Farm to Pantry
2023-10-11 08:30 - 11:00
Volunteer Day for Farm to Pantry

Do good and have fun! Volunteer with us for a few hours of gleaning for Farm to Pantry!
Wednesday, October 11, 8:30-11:00 am
We are gleaning at Farm to Fight Hunger, 12340 Los Amigos Road, Healdsburg
We will meet at Farm to Fight Hunger at 8:30 am at the barn. Park near the entrance to the farm and walk up the driveway to the barn.
During the morning, we will harvest field vegetables and pack and weigh them. If you don’t want to bend over and pick, carry buckets of produce, or work in the sun, you may choose to weigh, bag, and box in the barn. There’s a job for everyone!
When we finish, the produce will be delivered to organizations that feed people in need of healthy food.
Wear work clothes and bring a water bottle, hat, and gloves. We’ll also learn a bit about this farm and its mission.

SIGN UP HERE

Farm to Pantry Executive Director Duskie Estes

In 2008, the nonprofit Farm to Pantry was launched to serve a need in our local community: to provide a continuous supply of fresh, healthy produce to our most vulnerable neighbors who lack access to it by cultivating a community of growers and volunteers. The mission then and now is to bring together communities to end food injustice and reverse global warming by rescuing and sharing locally-grown food with those who have been systematically marginalized. We envision a just food system in which everyone has access to healthy food that honors and nourishes our community and heals the planet through eliminating food waste.

Farm to Fight Hunger owners Bruce Mentzer and Anthony Solar

Farm to Fight Hunger is a non-profit organization that grows, harvests and delivers fresh nutritious produce, free of charge, to those in Sonoma County in need of healthy food. Eggs layed by happy pastured hens are also donated to local food banks. We farm in an earth-friendly sustainable manner and work to improve the soil health, therefore improving the nutritional content of the food we grow, increasing the amount of carbon the soil can hold and reducing greenhouse gases. We will work to make the farm its own healthy balanced ecosystem, with habitat for both native plants and beneficial insects.
Farm to Fight Hunger is a Slow Food in Sonoma County Snail of Approval farm.

The Mendocino Grain Project and Ridgewood Ranch Farm Tour
2024-06-15 10:00 - 13:00 | Mendocino Grain Project, 3541 N. State Street, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
Farm Tour: The Mendocino Grain Project and Ridgewood Ranch

Please join us for a tour of the Mendocino Grain Project in Ukiah followed by a tour and picnic lunch at Ridgewood Ranch.
Saturday, June 15, 10 am
3541 N. State Street, Ukiah
The tour is limited to 15 people. Tickets are $20 for Slow Food members and $30 for non-members.
Proceeds will be shared equally by the Mendocino Grain Project and the chapter’s Local Farmer project.
Ridgewood Ranch is about 20 minutes north of Ukiah. You may choose to leave after our tour, or continue north to visit the Ranch and have a brown-bag lunch. Carpool options will be sent upon registration confirmation.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Rachel Britten is the owner of the Mendocino Grain Project in central Mendocino County. She grows primarily wheat and rye on 34 acres in Redwood Valley. She took over the business in 2020 from Doug Mosel who started it in 2009.
“We’re right on the Russian River, and we don’t use any fertilizer other than compost and cover crops. We use a low-tillage system, which means minimizing the disturbance to the soil. It’s part of my farming values, but it also feels like a responsibility to my community. Local farming creates a really beautiful loop of accountability and understanding.” (Alta Magazine)
Rachel processes her grain for sale, and also partners with other farmers to process their grains post-harvest: quinoa, rolled oats, heirloom beans, and Einkorn. A percentage of the grain stays with the Grain Project for sale and the remainder goes back to the farmers.
Rachel lives on a ranch made famous as the retirement home of champion race horse Sea Biscuit. Ridgewood Ranch is north of Ukiah, and we will have a chance to tour the ranch and have a brown-bag lunch after our visit to the grain milling facility in Ukiah.

Heron Shadow Farm Tour, Sebastopol
2024-09-12 10:00 - 11:15
Farm Tour: Heron Shadow

Heron Shadow is an Indigenous biocultural heritage oasis in Sebastopol. Join us for a special educational tour!
Thursday, September 12, 10-11:15 am
Sebastopol
Tickets are $20 for Slow Food members and $30 for non-members. The tour is limited to 15 people. Proceeds are divided equally between Heron Shadow Farm and Sonoma County North’s Local Farmer grant.
There are several Slow Food Snail of Approval restaurants in Sebastopol if you want to have lunch after the tour.
Handline, 935 Gravenstein Hwy S.
Americana, 162 N Main Street
Psychic Pie, 980 Gravenstein Hwy S.

BUY TICKETS HERE

An Indigenous Biocultural Heritage Oasis
Heron Shadow is a Native place of refuge and learning for community engagement, connection to the land, growing Indigenous foods, and nourishing Indigenous and intercultural relations.
After 37 years of growing our organization and implementing our mission to protect and revitalize the sacred relationship Native peoples have with ancestral lands, we now have purchased 7.6 acres of land in Sonoma County, on the ancestral lands of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo Peoples of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. We were able to become stewards of this land and make this purchase thanks to the discount offered by the former owner, the generous support of key funders, and with the permission of Graton Rancheria.
Heron Shadow: An Indigenous Biocultural Heritage Oasis is a home for the dreaming, building, growing, and transmission of The Cultural Conservancy’s mission and work. We are transforming this gift of land into an innovative haven that will focus on the conservation and regeneration of Indigenous agriculture, Native Sciences, and healthy lifeways.
We invite you to connect with this land, engage in the dream, and experience the potential of Heron Shadow.
(The Cultural Conservancy is a Native-led nonprofit organization founded in 1985. It is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.)

Volunteer Days for Farm to Pantry
2024-10-16 08:30 - 11:00
Volunteer Days for Farm to Pantry

Do good and have fun: Volunteer with us for a few hours of gleaning for Farm to Pantry! This year there are 2 days of gleaning.

Wednesday, October 16, 8:30-11:00 am

and/or Wednesday, October 23, 8:30-11 am

We are gleaning at Farm to Fight Hunger, 12340 Los Amigos Road, Healdsburg

We will meet at Farm to Fight Hunger at 8:30 am at the barn. Park near the entrance to the farm and walk up the driveway to the barn.

During the morning, we will harvest field vegetables and bring them from the field to the barn. When we finish, the produce will be delivered to organizations that feed people in need of healthy food.

Wear work clothes and bring a water bottle, hat, and gloves. We’ll also learn a bit about this farm and its mission.

SIGN UP HERE

What Is Farm to Pantry?

In 2008, the nonprofit Farm to Pantry was launched to serve a need in our local community: to provide a continuous supply of fresh, healthy produce to our most vulnerable neighbors who lack access to it by cultivating a community of growers and volunteers. The mission then and now is to bring together communities to end food injustice and reverse global warming by rescuing and sharing locally-grown food with those who have been systematically marginalized. We envision a just food system in which everyone has access to healthy food that honors and nourishes our community and heals the planet through eliminating food waste.

Farm to Fight Hunger is a non-profit organization that grows, harvests and delivers fresh nutritious produce, free of charge, to those in Sonoma County in need of healthy food. Eggs laid by happy pastured hens are also donated to local food banks. We farm in an earth-friendly sustainable manner and work to improve the soil health, therefore improving the nutritional content of the food we grow, increasing the amount of carbon the soil can hold and reducing greenhouse gases. We will work to make the farm its own healthy balanced ecosystem, with habitat for both native plants and beneficial insects.

Farm to Fight Hunger is a Slow Food in Sonoma County Snail of Approval farm.

Farm to Fight Hunger owners Bruce Mentzer and Anthony Solar

P.O. Box 1494 | Healdsburg CA | 95448 unsubscribe

Farm Tour: Knights Valley Wagu at Ghost Donkey Ranch
2025-07-09 09:30 - 11:00
The Knights Valley Wagyu farm tour has been rescheduled to July 9, 2025

FARM TOUR: KNIGHTS VALLEY WAGYU AT GHOST DONKEY RANCH

Wednesday, July 9, 9:30-11:00 am
Knights Valley Wagyu
13800 Highway 128, Calistoga

Tickets

Get ready for a moo-ving experience! Join us for a tour of Knights Valley Wagyu, a 227-acre working cattle ranch that’s earned our Snail of Approval!
Ever wonder what makes Wagyu so special? The ranch is home to cattle with 100% Japanese genetics – that’s like royalty in the beef world! These happy cows spend their days foraging on lush native grasses, soaking up the California sunshine. They also get a special, hand-fed nutritional mixture twice daily, tailored just for them.
Knights Valley Wagyu is all about being kind to the planet and the animals. The land is devoted to wildlife, native plants, and cattle. No pesticides, fertilizers, or chemical agents are allowed and water usage is minimal. We believe that enjoying small amounts of thoughtfully and sustainably raised beef offers a delicious and ethical alternative to the typical factory farming of large animals.
Come soak in the stunning beauty of the ranch and get the inside scoop on what makes Knights Valley Wagyu truly special. Don’t forget to pack your favorite lunch! We’ll have a picnic area ready for us to share a meal together.

Slow Food Sonoma County North | Contact Us
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

Slow Food Sonoma County North | PO Box 1494 | Healdsburg, CA 95448 US

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Annual Summer Picnic at Gradek Ranch
2025-07-12 16:00 - 19:00
It’s Time for the Slow Food Annual Summer Picnic at the Gradek Ranch!

Saturday, July 12
4 – 7 pm

Our Annual Summer Picnic is held on the Gradek Ranch in the Dry Creek Valley. Please join us for an afternoon of friends and food in a beautiful setting: picnic tables under the shade of tall trees and a lake ready for swimming. Come at 4 pm for appetizers, followed by a Mexican Taco Bar supper with grilled steak and chicken and hand-made tortillas.
Please bring a beverage and your place-setting!

Tickets Here

Thank you for supporting our chapter’s initiatives! This picnic is more than just a fun gathering—it’s also a fundraiser that helps us keep our efforts going strong. We’re grateful for your participation and generosity. In addition, we’re proud to donate a portion of the proceeds to Farm to Fight Hunger, supporting their mission to combat food insecurity.

Slow Food Sonoma County North | Contact Us
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

Slow Food Sonoma County North | PO Box 1494 | Healdsburg, CA 95448 US

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Celebrate a Year of Slow Food With Us at Our Annual Meeting, Healdsburg!
2025-10-26 15:00 - 17:00
Celebrate a Year of Slow Food With Us at Our Annual Meeting!

Barn at Farm to Fight Hunger

Speaker Vince Trotter

October 26, 3-5 pm
Farm to Fight Hunger
12340 Los Amigos Road, Healdsburg

There is no charge for this event, but please register for planning purposes.

Register Here

Come Help Us Celebrate Our Members and Our Collective Work This Year–and Learn About North Bay Agriculture
Mingle with old friends and meet new members, have some nibbles and drinks, and find out what your chapter has been doing this year.
We will enjoy the beauty of the fields and barn at Farm to Fight Hunger and hear from owners Bruce Mentzer and Anthony Solar about their mission to provide food for those in need.
And we are excited to welcome Vince Trotter as our speaker. Vince is Sustainable Ag Coordinator and Agricultural Ombudsman with UC Cooperative Extension in Marin County and co-owner of Kibo Farm. He will give us “A Perspective on North Bay Agriculture” and answer your questions.

Special Information
Please bring your favorite appetizer to share, and label it.
Beverages provided.
Bring a friend! We want to spread the word about Slow Food and Good, Clean, Fair food for all.
If your membership has expired, attend and renew it. Not a member? Come and see what we’re all about!

Farm to Fight Hunger
Our mission is to sustainably grow nutritious vegetables, and to produce pasture-raised eggs, for donation to those in need of healthy food in Sonoma County. We donate 100% of what we grow.
The farm is a Snail of Approval – Slow Food in Sonoma County recipient.

Slow Food Sonoma County North | Contact Us
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

Olive Tree Pruning at Tallgrass Ranch, Sonoma
2026-03-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Tallgrass Ranch, 27255 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, CA, 95476
More information to come!

Ranch Tour & Lunch
2026-05-08 10:30 - 13:30
TOUR: STEMPLE CREEK RANCH
900 Burbank Lane, Tomales
Join us for a tour of Stemple Creek Ranch, acclaimed for its superior grass-fed and finished meats and regenerative and organic agricultural practices. The ranch has been home to the Poncia family for four generations. “We seek to enhance and rehabilitate our entire ecosystem by focusing on soil health and increasing carbon in our land.”
We encourage you to support the ranch by purchasing their products: meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken) and swag (honey, tallow lip and hand balm, caps and more). Please order ahead of time and pick up at the tour.
LUNCH: ESTERO CAFE
14451 Highway 1, Valley Ford
After our ranch tour, we will drive a short distance to Estero Cafe for lunch. The menu is their signature cheeseburgers with Stemple Creek beef and Estero Gold cheese, french fries, a house-made cookie, and tea or lemonade. The vegetarian option is mushroom melt with coleslaw.
Beer and wine is available for purchase.
Tickets are $50 per person ($55 for non-members), which covers the ranch tour and lunch. Space is limited. Note that ticket sales end on May 1.
About Stemple Creek Ranch
Our goal is to work in harmony with Mother Nature to promote optimal biodiversity that ensures the long term health and productivity of the ranch. Most of our pastureland is Certified Organic, and our free range beef and lamb are 100% grass fed and grass finished. We rotationally graze our stock on open pasture from birth to harvest. They are never supplemented with grains, corn, or soy, and never receive artificial hormones, growth promotants, or antibiotics. Our pigs are humanely raised in large outdoor pens where they enjoy a vegetarian diet with plenty of room to socialize and express natural behaviors.
About Estero Cafe
Located in Valley Ford, Estero Cafe offers fresh, farm-to-table American comfort food. We are dedicated to local sourcing, by procuring locally farmed proteins and vegetables for all our dishes. In that way we also support our community by providing healthy, delicious meals. We are also happy to feature beverages from regional producers. Estero Cafe owners are Ryan and Samantha Ramey; it holds a Snail of Approval in Sonoma County.

Slow Food 100-Mile Dinner
2026-05-30 18:00 - 20:30 | Diaz Ranch/Colibri Vineyard, 26607 River Rd, Cloverdale, CA, 95425, United States
Experience the flavors of our region in their purest form. A 100-mile dinner celebrates ingredients sourced entirely from within 100 miles—highlighting the farmers, producers, and artisans who make our local food community so vibrant.
Join us this May for an intimate and memorable evening at a beautiful private estate in Cloverdale.
Enjoy a thoughtfully crafted five-course menu with wine pairings, created and served by members of our chapter’s Events Team. Each dish will reflect the season at its peak, showcasing the very best of what our region has to offer.
With just 16 seats at the table, this is a rare opportunity to gather, connect, and savor a truly local dining experience.
$165 per person | Limited seating
Proceeds from the evening support our Slow Food projects, including initiatives that uplift local farmers and food businesses.
