In 1973, a group of forward-thinking farmers banded together with a revolutionary idea. Instead of relying on dwindling wholesale markets during a time of increasing international and corporate competition, they decided to go direct to the people.

They formed a nonprofit organization called Sonoma County Farm Trails, and created a map and guide for local agriculture, inviting the public to meet their farmers and learn more about the origins of their food and ag products. The same year, they also launched the Gravenstein Apple Fair to celebrate the iconic heirloom apple and Sonoma County's rural traditions. This was before the advent of farmers' markets, CSAs, and campaigns to shop locally, and well before social media and the Internet. They understood the power of community, and together, they made incredible strides in their mission to keep Farms Forever in Sonoma County.

While much has changed over the past 49 years, one thing remains: Sonoma County Farm Trails' commitment to promoting farmers and educating the public about the importance of supporting local agriculture. We are honored to be working with our 160-plus members—farmers, ranchers, producers, purveyors, and partner organizations—to ensure the economic viability of the agricultural backbone of our social fabric. And we thank you for your generous support of Farm Trails members this year, and every year! Because of you, our region continues to be blessed by beauty, bounty, and joy.

In this newsletter, we reflect on our collective accomplishments in 2022, and look forward to our 50th anniversary in 2023—and the next 50 years of cultivating community together.

All of us at Farm Trails thank you for your support, and wish you a happy, healthy, and abundant New Year! Cheers!

With the turmoils of the pandemic (mostly) behind us, Farm Trails and its members forged a path to our new normal in 2022. Here is a brief overview of our initiatives and sneak peeks at what 2023 has in store!

We began 2022 with a commitment to resuming all of our normal programming, and thanks to the support of our membership and of you, we did it! Highlights included the following:

We look forward to celebrating our 50th anniversary with all of our regular programming and a brand-new Map & Guide. Save the following dates:

The Gravenstein Apple Fair has been the primary fundraiser for Sonoma County Farm Trails since its inception in 1973, making our year-round work on behalf of our 160-plus members possible.

While the pandemic forced us to cancel the Gravenstein Apple Fair in 2020 and 2021, we were thrilled to bring back the Fair in 2022—along with a brand-new website! It was so gratifying to welcome back 14,000 of our community members to celebrate this cherished event.

We danced to top regional musical talent including The Brothers Comatose, The Musers, Eki'Shola, and Onye and the Messengers. We enjoyed all things Gravenstein, from fresh apple fritters to local cider. We met cute farm animals and learned about cow milking, beekeeping, home fermentation, and more. Kids of all ages had a blast with piglet races, tractor pedal pulls, face painting, apple juggling contests, and ag games. We filled up on the tastiest farm-fresh food and drink, shopped for artisan crafts, and relaxed in the new VIP area.

We also succeeded with our greening efforts. Since 2013, we have worked hard to make this the "Greenest Little Fair in Sonoma County," and our zero-waste initiatives made the 2022 Gravenstein Apple Fair our most sustainable one yet! Led by our Green Team and with the help of dedicated volunteers and sponsor-partners, we hit our target of 95% zero-waste by using real silverware, reusable glassware, and truly compostable serviceware; banning plastic bottles; offering filtered water stations; recycling all possible materials; diverting all food waste to a local pig farm; and donating surplus food to food pantries. At the November 17th Zero Waste Sonoma Board of Directors meeting, the countywide board responsible for waste diversion education recognized Sonoma County Farm Trails with a first of its kind Green Resolution recognizing the nonprofit’s outstanding service and commitment to the community and environment. 

We are already beginning the preparations for the next Gravenstein Apple Fair on August 12 & 13, 2023. This will be mark the 50th anniversary of the Fair, and we are excited to celebrate this monumental milestone with all the wonderful apples, local food and drink, music, kids' activities, and ag fun you know and love. Stay tuned for more details in the new year!

We know that farming is hard work, and it takes a village to make it a successful endeavor. To that end, we focused on two projects to support our ag community: