Jennifer Harris has the kind of enthusiasm about beet kvass and kimchi usually reserved for lottery winners and game show contestants. So it makes sense that she’s also the organizer of Sonoma’s largest celebration of fermentation — The Sonoma County Fermentation Festival, Sept. 2 at the Petaluma Fairgrounds.
Check out this short film on fermentation, featuring Jennifer Harris:
Now in its seventh year, the event has grown from a small gathering of enthusiasts in Occidental to a true festival with 75 vendors, including beer, cider and wine tasting, cheesemakers, picklers, chocolatiers and kombuchists.
Riding a wave of probiotics and food preservation fascination, Harris’ ongoing event is an ode to the importance of microbiomes and healthy approaches to making fermented food at home. That, and a darn good spot to taste some of the most unique libations being made in Wine Country, from sake, mead and water kefir to shrubs and unfiltered ciders.
Classes and speakers at the Fermentation Festival include Jonas Ketterle of Firefly Chocolate, Wildbrine’s Rick Goldberg and Chris Glab, Karen Diggs of Krautsource, Veggie Queen Jill Nussinow and many others. The event is from
The Sonoma County Fermentation Festival is from 11a.m. to 5p.m., and pre-sale tickets are $20 for general admission and $40 for VIP admission includes access to the coveted Libation Lounge (21+ only). The event is family-friendly, and kids under 16 are free. Details online at fermentfestival.com.
Can’t make it? Jennifer hosts monthly classes at the Sebastopol Grange Hall.
Photo of Jennifer Harris, courtesy of spoiled to perfection