Heirloom Seed Festival, a positive experience.
This week I attended the Heirloom Exposition in Santa Rosa, not once, but three times. This is the fourth year for this unexpectedly successful fair and it was as crowded as one would hope. Up to 300 vendors, seed companies, nurseries and garden tool companies were there, as well as over 4,000 varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables. In addition there were constant presentations of panels and speakers. Sort of like a vegetable Netroots.
I had attended two years ago but this year Mrs. side pocket proposed and created a booth promoting Heifer, International, for which she is a volunteer, so I helped with the setup and teardown of the booth, as well as attended the whole fair on another day.
It was interesting to see the setup of our booth as well as the activity as the fair started to come together.
Almost done with the setup.
All set up, with Mrs. side pocket on the left, with another volunteer.
The up-beat nature of the festival was evident immediately, as there was no security or metal detectors at the gate as there are in other events at this venue. Gardeners are gentle folk. I was drawn by the sound of bluegrass music at the center stage, where a group from Missouri called The Baker Family was playing. I was entranced as I love Bluegrass, and young people dancing brought back memories of the wonderful and optimistic 70's. Soon many little kids joined in the dancing.
Entering the exhibition hall one was presented with a huge pile of squash. Most of these were grown in the midwest and trucked in.
Chef Ray Duey carves fruits and vegetables into fantastic and beautiful shapes. You can watch as he does it, using only a small knife.
Closeup of some kind of melon.
Heirloom squash, incredible variety.
Peppers and tomatoes.
I grow two varieties of garlic, but some growers do more….and more.
The festival was originally the brainchild of Jere Gettle, who started to farm in Missouri and created Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, now in Missouri, Petaluma, Ca., and Wethersfield,Ct. He is young, successful, and incredibly modest for all of that. He always wears overalls. I got his photo as he strolled around.
I hope you enjoyed this vicarious visit to the fair. If you have a garden or attend a farmer's market, what is still in season for you? I still have a lot of tomatoes, believe it or not.
|
|
|
|
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
|
|