Designed by Jensen Architects, the exterior of the new restaurant space will remain largely the same. (Richard Barnes, Marion Brenner, Jack Journey, Jeremy Jachym)
There’s a reason you haven’t heard much lately from Top Chef Masters’ winner and Cyrus restaurant owner Douglas Keane. Since the start of the pandemic, he’s been working in construction — sort of.
“We’re rocking and rolling,“ Keane said of finally getting county approval to begin construction after nearly two years of setbacks. “Now is the first time I’ve gotten nervous, and the dream is almost here.”
We last wrote about Keane and plans for the new, lavish Cyrus back in early 2020 — pre-pandemic — when Keane seemed ready to move forward with a $5 million renovation of an 8,000-square-foot former prune packing plant in downtown Geyserville as the new location for the restaurant. Then the pandemic hit and the project was delayed. Now it’s back on track.
Chef Douglas Keane at Two Birds One Stone in St. Helena. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Remodeled by a former tenant, the Geyserville building is a blank slate of concrete and glass, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on manicured vineyards and mature olive trees. The new restaurant will include a state-of-the-art kitchen, a bubble lounge with small bites, an “interactive chef’s table,” a formal dining room and a large wine cellar. A fantastical Willy Wonka-esque chocolate room, where truffles will seem to levitate and boxes of chocolate will mysteriously slide toward visitors, will cap off the experience, according to Keane.
It’s an ambitious — and very expensive — proposition. Keane said he has spent 90% of his time over the last 18 months working with some 50 investors on the multi-million-dollar project, while doing the painstaking work of securing the proper permissions.
The original Cyrus closed after wine magnate Bill Foley purchased Les Mars Hotel, where the restaurant was located. A dispute between the headstrong chef and the billionaire over the restaurant’s long-term lease left Cyrus in limbo.
Keane eventually walked away with the restaurant name and recipes, vowing to reopen in 2014 with an ambitious new concept on a property owned by Jackson Family Wines near the Jimtown Store. That proposal was for a reservation-only dining experience limited to a handful of patrons each night. But a small group of residents pushed back against zoning changes in the quiet vineyard area and the plan for the new Cyrus faltered.
Keane stood by his long-term vision to reopen Cyrus when the time was right. In 2017, he once again announced he intended to reopen Cyrus in Alexander Valley, this time by 2019, but that never came to fruition, either. During that time, Keane headed Japanese-fusion restaurant Two Birds One Stone in St. Helena. Keane also is part-owner of HBG Bar and Grill in Healdsburg, with longtime business partner Nick Peyton.
As Keane worked to secure the future of Cyrus 2.0 in Geyserville during the past year and a half, Peyton navigated pandemic safety protocols, mask mandates, takeout and delivery to keep the doors open at HBG Bar and Grill.
In his off hours during the pandemic, Keane wrote a book, “Culinary Leverage,” about the passion and heartbreak of the restaurant world. It’s a harsh look at the industry from an insider’s perspective, he said, including ”chef-lebrities“ and rampant mental health and substance abuse issues. The book also details the aspects that have kept Keane in the kitchen, happily, for so many years.
Writing the book helped Keane see even more clearly the current crisis in restaurant staffing and the negative effects of low wages in the industry. He said his wait staff made up to $75,000 per year at the original Cyrus restaurant while cooks made $30,000, an unsustainable wage in Sonoma County. He plans to offer employees more equitable pay at his new establishment.
“This has to be a healthy business for everyone,” said Keane about the ongoing labor shortage in the restaurant industry and pay levels for restaurant staff.
Instead of the 56-person staff at the original Cyrus in Healdsburg, he’ll reduce that number to a lean 20 at the new Cyrus in Geyserville. All employees will work both front and back of house. Waitstaff will be trained to prepare food and kitchen staff also will work as servers.
“There’s a lot of technology out there to help a kitchen produce consistent food,” Keane said. “With that, we can do more with less, have less labor and pay (staff) nearly double the wages.”
With the vision for Cyrus 2.0 now coming into focus after delays, disappointments and long days of construction planning, Keane and Peyton are ready for the fun parts of starting a restaurant.
“We’ve just been waiting for this,“ Keane said. ”We’re jonesing for being able to make the wine lists, for picking out the glasses and the plates.“
A faro salad with roasted delicata squash, red cabbage, scallions, pipits, fresh herbs, with whipped feta cheese and an apricot jam dressing at Miracle Plum in Santa Rosa. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
September and October farmer’s markets beckon with a double dose of seasonal bounty, as the last of the tomatoes and corn give way to figs and squash, chiles and whole grains. Here, five Sonoma chefs, emerging names and TV stars alike, show off the best ways to play with these flavors at home, from an alluring cauliflower and chickpea salad to a uniquely velvety walnut gazpacho. Each recipe is so very Sonoma, with abundant local veggies at the heart of the dish—and each recipe speaks, in its own way, to what makes fall such an incredible time of year for those who love to cook.
Chef Crista Luedtke at her restaurant Brot in Guerneville. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
The Chef: Crista Luedtke
Boon Eat + Drink, El Barrio, Brot, eatatboon.com Guerneville
Call her the chef who transformed an entire town. In 2008, tired of corporate life, Crista Luedtke moved to Guerneville, taking over a boutique hotel and opening a restaurant named for her sweet, white-muzzled rescue pup, Boon. And then she just kept going, with another local restaurant, and another—and just this summer, a second resort, The Highlands. Along the way, she became a star on “Guy’s Grocery Games” and a leader with a heart of gold in her local community.
Today, though she travels in the heady world of celebrity chefs, she stays true to her adopted west county roots, hiking with friends at the Jenner Headlands Preserve or dropping in a couple of kayaks at the mouth of the Russian River.
“Early fall is quite literally one of my most favorite times of year here, as the vineyards go from green to orange to red,” Luedtke says. “It’s a moment to relax and reflect on a crazy-busy summer season. It means fewer crowds, but more quality time with people, and really getting to enjoy the bounty of the food.”
Luedtke says this easy fall recipe came together on the fly, with nutty cauliflower, creamy chickpeas, and sweet figs balanced by salty olives and crunchy pine nuts.
“Eating veggie doesn’t have to mean just salads—it can mean super-hearty and seasonal. This is like a fun mash-up of my favorite things.”
Chef Crista Luedtke squeezes a lemon on a plate of roasted cauliflower, whipped chickpeas, and topped with roasted figs, chopped green olives, pine nuts, and parsley. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Roasted Cauliflower Over Whipped Chickpeas with Fig and Olive Relish
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 medium head of cauliflower
1 15-oz. can of organic chickpeas (reserve the liquid)
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled
⅓ cup olive oil, plus additional for tossing and browning
⅓ cup tahini (optional)
1 lemon
Salt and pepper
For relish
1 pound fresh figs
1 shallot, diced
1 small jar Castelvetrano olives, pitted, strained, and roughly chopped
1 lemon
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
For garnish
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
½ bunch Italian parsley, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped 1 lemon and its zest
Instructions
Cut the cauliflower into florets. Toss the florets in a few tablespoons of olive oil and salt, then roast on a baking sheet in the oven at 450°F until goldenbrown, about 10-15 minutes. The finished cauliflower should have color and tenderness but retain a bit of crunch.
While the cauliflower roasts, prepare the chickpea puree. Strain the chickpeas and reserve the liquid in a bowl. In a blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas, the juice of one lemon, garlic, olive oil, tahini, a teaspoon of salt, and ¼ cup of the reserved chickpea liquid (aquafaba).
Blend on high for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. If the machine slows down, add 2 more tablespoons of aquafaba. To finish, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the puree is smooth and light, and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
To make the relish, cut the figs in half, and caramelize them on the stove in a medium-hot saute pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, then set aside to cool.
In the same pan, sauté the diced shallot in oil on medium heat until soft, and add the chopped olives to warm them through, then remove from heat. Once the figs are cool, chop them roughly and add them back to pan with the oliveshallot mixture and the juice of one lemon. Roughly chop the pine nuts and fold into relish. Set aside at room temperature until serving.
To serve, spread the whipped chickpeas on individual plates or a platter, top with the roasted cauliflower, and spoon the relish over the cauliflower.
Squeeze the juice of one lemon on top, and garnish with chopped parsley, lemon zest, and more pine nuts.
Executive Chef Oscar Bendeck at Kivelstadt Cellars Wine Garden and Eatery in Sonoma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Oscar Bendeck grew up in the diverse culinary world of South Central Los Angeles, the youngest of four, with parents originally from El Salvador and an uncle from Korea. “So growing up, it was a lot of Latino foods— elote, street food—but then I was also eating rice and nori and kim chi,” he says. He attended Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, then built a career as a corporate chef, feeding crowds while keeping quality high (“my specialty is taking someone’s grandmother’s recipe and scaling it up”). Bendeck moved to Sonoma with his wife and dog three years ago to take over the culinary program at Sonoma Raceway. Recently, he’s been making a splash at Kivelstadt Cellars with elevated Wine Country dishes like vegan tacos with blue corn tortillas and tri-tip smoked with grapevines. “I love fall,” the chef says. “We do a big harvest party at the winery, and all of the pumpkins and gourds in my garden at home are ready. And we go out in a big group to Hog Island, rent picnic tables, tailgate and grill oysters.”
Bendeck says his gazpacho is full of protein and refreshing on a warm day. Traditionally, white gazpacho is thickened with almonds and bread, but Bendeck’s extra-velvety version is gluten-free and vegan, made with local walnuts and often garnished with grapes straight from the vineyards. At Kivelstadt, Bendeck serves the soup with a Parmesan tuile, but he also loves it with a hunk of crusty ciabatta bread.
A white gazpacho made with walnuts, cucumbers, grapes, onions, garlic and olive oil by Executive Chef Oscar Bendeck at Kivelstadt Cellars Wine Garden and Eatery in Sonoma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
White Walnut Gazpacho
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For walnut milk
2 cups walnuts, raw or roasted
2 cups water
For soup
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups green grapes, sliced in half
2 tsp white pepper
3 tbsp kosher salt
4 cups walnut milk (see above)
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ cup champagne vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth or coconut milk
For garnish
¾ cup cucumber, diced
½ cup walnuts, chopped
¾ cup green grapes, sliced
Sliced shallots to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar, for drizzling
Instructions
First, make a base of macerated vegetables and grapes: Sprinkle white pepper and kosher salt over the onion, Persian cucumbers, garlic, and green grapes and let sit for 30 minutes while the flavors combine.
While the base macerates, make the walnut milk by blending walnuts and water in a blender until velvety smooth.
To make the finished soup, combine the macerated vegetables and grapes, walnut milk, sherry and champagne vinegars, olive oil, and broth or coconut milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Chill the soup and serving bowls for 30 minutes before serving. To serve, combine the cucumber, walnuts, grapes, and shallots together and toss. Spoon the soup into chilled bowls, divide the garnish among the servings, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar.
Chef Ploypailin Sakornsin in Healdsburg. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
The Chef: Ploypailin Sakornsin
Sangsan, Quail & Condor, @fermentedperson on Instagram Healdsburg
At 29 years old, Ploypailin Sakornsin has built a foodie career straight out of a fairytale. Born in Bangkok, Thailand, she studied finance and worked in banking before realizing cooking was what she was meant to do. She opened a small sushi kiosk across the street from the bank where she used to work, then headed to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY—where she zoomed to the top of her class and scored a coveted internship at Healdsburg’s SingleThread.
Sakornsin recently struck out on her own, building a following as a private chef, baking with fellow SingleThread alums at Quail & Condor, and creating small pop-ups of Thai street food favorites under the name Sangsan. “I’m super homesick sometimes, so this kind of food takes me back. I want to make food that Thai people will say tastes like home.” The star of this fall dish is a Thai chile and coconut milk dressing, which tastes refreshing alongside crisp greens and eggplant but also would go beautifully with grilled fish or shrimp.
Fall here in wine country still feels new, says Sakornsin. “We don’t have seasons back home; it’s summer, summer, summer—and then typhoon. So it’s really nice to feel the cool nights and hot days and eat all the good produce.”
Chef Ploypailin Sakornsin drizzles a a chile-jam coconut milk dressing onto a salad of baked eggplant, soft boiled eggs, radishes, and shallots, atop a bed of little gem and frisee greens in Healdsburg. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Baked Eggplant Salad with Chile-Coconut Dressing (Yum Makeau Muang)
Makes two dinner-size salads
Ingredients
For the chile jam
1 medium shallot
2 cloves garlic
1-2 mild dried chiles such as guajillo
¼ cup canola or sunflower oil
1 tsp sugar Pinch of salt
For the chile-coconut dressing
¾ cup coconut milk
2 tbsp chile jam (see above)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
For the salad
1 medium eggplant Pinch of salt
4-5 tbsp canola or sunflower oil, enough to coat the eggplant
6 cups packed mixed greens (here, a combination of frisée, green and red lettuces)
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and quartered
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
½ cup packed cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
Slice the shallot into quarters, then place the shallot, garlic cloves, and dried chiles in a small frying pan, and cook on low heat on the stovetop. Remove the chiles from heat when they’ve turned dark and crispy. Remove the shallots and garlic when they are blistered all over. Then, blend the roasted shallots, garlic, and chiles in a blender with the oil, adding the sugar and a pinch of salt as it blends. Continue blending until the mixture becomes a fine paste.
Return the paste to a cooking pan on the stove, and over low heat, stir until the oil separates and the mixture is cooked to a clear, deep red. Refrigerate the paste and oil in a tightly-lidded jar for up to a month, and use together in any recipe that calls for chile jam.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Cut eggplant into thin sticks, then toss with canola oil and a generous pinch of salt. Lay the eggplant sticks on a baking tray lined with parchment or a Silpat sheet. Bake the eggplant at 425ºF for 5 minutes, then flip and bake another 5 minutes or until crispy.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together. Adjust the flavor to your liking by adding extra fish sauce, sugar, or lime, then set aside.
Mix the lettuces together and arrange on a serving platter with the baked eggplant, shallots, eggs, radishes, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the top and serve.
Husband and wife team and co-owners Roberth and Andrea Sundell at Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
It’s a family affair at Roberth and Andrea Sundell’s terrific Petaluma restaurant, Stockhome. The couple, who have four children, including 11-year-old twins, wanted to open a comfortable, simple neighborhood spot where even young guests would feel welcome. The menus reflects a range of street-food influences in Sweden’s cosmopolitan capital, where Roberth grew up: meatballs and gravlax make their appearance, but so do kebabs and falafel. At the restaurant, Roberth garnishes this easy fall flatbread with lovage, which Swedes call libbsticka. The fresh greens, which Roberth says taste like a cross between parsley and celery, balance the richness of the cheese, the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the sweetness of the pear. The flatbread dough comes together quickly, but if you’d rather, a prepared dough or crust is an easy substitute.
Mushroom flatbread at Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Mushroom & Pear Flatbreads
Ingredients
For the flatbreads
¾ tsp dry active yeast
1 cup warm water (98 ºF)
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup “00” pizza flour
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
For toppings (per flatbread)
1 tbsp crème fraiche
¼ cup Prästost cheese or shredded gouda
¼ cup King Trumpet mushrooms, thinly shaved
½ ripe Asian pear, thinly shaved
1 tsp garlic, shaved and lightly fried
1 tsp pine nuts, toasted
½ tsp lemon zest
½ cup lovage or flatleaf parsley
Maldon salt
Fresh-cracked pepper
Instructions
First, make the flatbreads. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast and warm water and allow to rest for 10 minutes while the yeast activates.
In a stand mixer with a dough hook, stir together the whole wheat flour, 00 pizza flour, and salt. Add the yeast/water mixture and olive oil to the flour and salt. Mix for 1 minute, then pause and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then mix again on medium speed for another 5-7 minutes.
Turn out the dough onto a table sprinkled with a small amount of 00 flour and knead for two minutes with your hands. Using a pastry cutter, cut the dough into 8-10 equal pieces and place on an oiled baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Set a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 400 ºF. Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out individual flatbreads with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Bake flatbreads on a pizza stone at 400 ºF for 10 minutes until crispy. While they’re baking, sauté the shaved mushrooms in a hot pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper until softened, about four minutes. Remove the flatbreads from the oven.
When the flatbreads have cooled a bit, spread with crème fraiche and cover with shredded cheese. Mix the sautéed mushrooms with the shaved pear, and cover the top of the flatbreads. Bake the flatbreads a second time in a 400 ºF oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. To serve, top with zested lemon, lightly-fried garlic, toasted pine nuts, salt, and pepper, and garnish with fresh lovage.
Chef Joni Davis at Miracle Plum in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.(Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Joni Davis, a chef and culinary instructor, says fall in Sonoma feels a little more intense than it did when she was growing up outside Windsor in the 1980s, given the differences in weather and the challenges of fire season. “I feel more grateful for the produce we get, knowing what it takes to grow and harvest it. It feels important to me to treasure that,” she says. One of a team of women who run Miracle Plum’s culinary marketplace and kitchen, Davis says she’s inspired by the store’s collaborative spirit: “It makes everything better that we all have a voice,” she says. Davis also draws strength from the students in her tart- and pie-baking classes at Santa Rosa Junior College, who persevered through distance learning last year, picking up kits of ingredients and posting pictures of at-home baking assignments. “I wasn’t expecting it, that joy they found in the kitchen—it was the best thing.”
Davis loves working with pumpkins and squash, especially delicata squash, which she calls the queen of the fall veggies. “I love the sweetness of it. I love its color, its seeds, the texture it brings to soups and stews. And I love the shape—when you cut it into rounds and you get that beautiful scalloped edge.” She says this dish makes the most of the play between sweet squash, nutty farro, tart pickled currants, and sweet-hot apricot-chile dressing, which takes on a gorgeous rosy hue from apricot jam.
A farro salad with roasted delicata squash, red cabbage, scallions, pipits, fresh herbs, with whipped feta cheese and an apricot jam dressing at Miracle Plum in Santa Rosa. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Farro Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash and Feta
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
For the whipped feta
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
zest of 1/2 orange
3 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
For the pickled currants
¼ cup currants
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
For the apricot jam vinaigrette
Leftover vinegar from the pickled currants, about ⅓ cup
2 tbsp apricot jam
About ¼ tsp Urfa chile flakes or other chile flakes (adjust to taste)
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ cup olive oil
1 ½ tbsp shallot, finely diced
For the salad
2 medium delicata squash
3 tbsp olive oil
About ½ tsp Urfa chile or other chile flakes (adjust to taste)
3 cups cooked farro
1 ½ cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
⅓ cup pepitas, toasted
¼ cup fresh herbs, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook farro according to package directions to yield 3 cups cooked.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Slice off the stem and the blossom end of the squash (no need to peel the skin). Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Next, cut the squash crosswise into half-moon-shaped slices ¼-inch thick. Toss the slices with olive oil, chile flakes, and ½ teaspoon of salt, then roast in the lower half of the oven for about 10-12 minutes. Flip the slices over, and roast for another 10-15 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
Put the currants in a heatproof bowl. Gently heat the red wine vinegar on the stove until hot, but do not boil. Pour the vinegar over the currants and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Strain the currants and set aside. Reserve the vinegar soaking liquid for the vinaigrette.
Combine all apricot jam vinaigrette ingredients using a blender or whisk until emulsified.
In a large bowl, combine cooked farro, roasted squash, cabbage, scallions, pepitas, 3 tablespoons of herbs, and pickled currants. Toss together gently, then pour over the vinaigrette, add black pepper to taste, and toss again.
Put the feta, yogurt, olive oil, and garlic into a food processor and process until and creamy. If you don’t have a food processor, use a whisk to combine. Fold in the zest, herbs, and cracked black pepper and refrigerate until serving.
To serve, spread the feta mixture on individual plates or on a serving platter, then spoon the farro salad over the feta and sprinkle with the remaining herbs.
Piano Farm’s Strawberry Red Currant preserve. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
As summer ushers in autumn, we begin to miss our warm-weather berries, peaches, and plums. But that’s why preserving the goodness of harvest has long been a way of life in Sonoma County. We pickle and can our garden veggies, mill grains into flour, and even freeze herbs and citrus juices to enjoy year-round.
“I’ve absolutely seen a rise in people canning preserves,” says Amie Pfeifer, who makes jams, shrubs, pickles and more at Glen Ellen’s Flatbed Farm. “It was super-evident last summer, as you couldn’t find a Ball or Mason jar for miles. I also had more people coming and asking me questions about beginning canning or telling me about their own canning experiences.”
Besides pampering our palates with the brightest, freshest flavors, canning and pickling helps protect the earth. “Preserving is a fantastic way to eat foods out of season,” says Veva Edelson of Piano Farm, a boutique operation in Bloomfield, where she and husband Karel Sidorjak turn a cornucopia of produce into jam, polenta, and cider. “It is way more sustainable than shipping produce long distances so we can have whatever we want whenever we want it.”
Amie Pfeifer is the farmstand manager and master canner at Flatbed Farm. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
A variety of pickled vegetables for sale at Flatbed Farm near Glen Ellen. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Five years ago, Tanya Seibold of Fourteen Magpies started making jams as gifts for friends and family with fruit from the heirloom orchard on the 1915 farm she inherited from family in southwest Santa Rosa. The riches hung heavy on the branches: 50-year-old quince and Spitzenburg apples; figs; and over a dozen different plums, including rare French prunes and several wild varieties she still hasn’t identified. “My desire to craft a collection of jams and preserves came from seeing beautiful fruit drop with nowhere to go,” says Seibold. “We’re so fortunate in Sonoma County to have an unending bounty of produce — I didn’t want it to go to waste.”
Seibold’s low-sugar, micro-batch jams in handnumbered jars were an instant hit, with their bold, perfectly balanced sweet-tart flavors. The crowning touch: kisses of vanilla bean and a puckery finish of lemon. “We use an all-natural, vegan, low-sugar pectin, and a ratio of approximately one cup of pure cane sugar to one pound of fruit,” she says. “Most commercial jams are two cups of sugar per pound. Way too sweet! I believe the true flavor of the fruit should shine through in every bite.”
Fourteen Magpies Handmade Jams & Preserves owner and chief jammer Tanya Seibold cuts Gravenstein apples for making jelly in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)Wild plums ripen in the Dog Run Orchard at Fourteen Magpies Handmade Jams & Preserves in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Last year, Seibold invested in a pricey French copper jam pot, secured a cottage food industry permit from the county, and opened her boutique business for sales online and at local festivals. “I covet my jam pot,” she says. “It was a splurge, but so worth it. Copper’s heat-conductivity can’t be beat, and the wide, shallow design allows the fruit to heat up quickly and evenly. The shorter it takes the jam to cook, the more flavorful it is.”
To be sure, these are treasures you’ll want to slather on pastries and scones. But Seibold says they also pair beautifully with charcuterie, cheese, and grilled meats. “And try adding them to a craft cocktail in place of simple syrup, for a burst of brilliant fruit flavor.”
A variety of jams from Fourteen Magpies Handmade Jams & Preserves. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
It’s difficult to believe how much goodness is coaxed from the 3-acre Piano Farm in the west county hamlet of Bloomfield. Owners Veva Edelson and Karel Sidorjak craft gourmet, tiny-batch products like boysenberry-lemon verbena, strawberry-red currant, and tomato-plum-rosemary jams; nutty rich Floriani corn polenta; Sonoma Coast sea salt flavored with their own herbs; and a zingy fire cider of live-culture apple cider vinegar spiked with horseradish, onion, garlic, ginger, thyme and rosemary.
Everything except the salt comes from the couple’s organic farm. And they handcraft it all, from grinding the corn using a bicycle-powered mill, to drying anise hyssop, mullein, tarragon, marigold, and rosemary in their sun-house to make their Lung Love Tea. “We consider ourselves to be artists and climate change activists,” explains Edelson. “We have a deep connection with food and believe that the landscapes we live in are shaped by the choices we make.”
Veva Edelson picks strawberries at Piano Farm in Bloomfield. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Freshly picked strawberries at Piano Farm in Bloomfield. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
A burbling pot of jam shown on Instagram hints of the farmstead approach for tart strawberry-rhubarb-rose jam and plum preserves fragrant with the cinnamon- basil notes of red shiso. Spicy mustard is another time-consuming craft, starting with horseradish that’s preserved in apple cider vinegar. The mustard blooms for a week before it’s blended with the horseradish, then the mix rests for a while to mellow its sharp, sinus-tingling thrill.
At Glen Ellen’s bucolic Flatbed Farm, monthly classes led by manager Amie Pfeifer explore all different avenues for preserving seasonal harvests, including answering questions like the difference between jam, marmalade, and fruit butter. “Berries and soft fruits that are cooked down whole become jams,” she says.
“Marmalades are specifically citrus, and butter comes from pureed fruit that you cook low and slow until it becomes thick and darkens in color.”
Certainly, you can buy the delicious finished products at their farmstand year-round, but Pfeifer encourages people to try their own hand at canning, too, from vegetables and fruits they grow at home or farmers market purchases they may have left on the counter just a little too long. “Preserving is the best way to utilize imperfect produce,” she says. “At Flatbed, whenever we have anything that is overripe, has been slightly damaged in the harvesting or maybe has a bite taken out by a critter, it goes into the ‘Amie Bin.’ I turn it into something, whether it’s jams, spreads, pickles, shrubs, or dried snacks. We do our absolute best not to waste anything.”
Freshly canned Fig Thyme Jam at Flatbed Farm near Glen Ellen. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Jesus Velasquez and Patricia Greer’s small family farm, Waterhorse Ridge, nestles above a fog-blanketed valley on a remote Cazadero ridgetop, where the couple has been living off-grid for 25 years. That means they can be hard to reach (“We have ridiculously spotty internet up here,” Greer says with a laugh), and their website can be hit or miss.
But it’s worth hunting them down for delicacies like their organic, orchard-harvested Seven Citrus Marmalade; Triple Berry and Apricot Vanilla Cointreau jams; spiced plum chutney; and salsas. Velasquez and Greer’s signature is working with more unusual produce like Luther Burbank thornless blackberries, sweet lemons, Rangpur limes, and Thai Dragon chile peppers, which will go into a Cherry Dragon salsa later this year.
Veva Edelson and Karel Sidorjak are the proprietors of Piano Farm in Bloomfield. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
A variety of preserves and other products from Piano Farm in Bloomfield. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Locally, Oliver’s Market carries Waterhorse Ridge products, including the Triple Noir preserves, a “crazy blend” of blackberry, mulberry, estate grapes, and chocolate. Emily O’Conor, who oversees Oliver’s gourmet cheese selections, recommends their apricot preserves with a rich triple-cream brie, or the plum chutney with blue cheese. Waterhorse Ridge batches are tiny: just seven cases at a time, 12 jars to a case. And as with the best of all farm-grown products, availability is seasonal, says Greer, “and subject to the whims of nature.”
Bartlett pears grow at Fourteen Magpies Handmade Jams & Preserves in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Freshly made Fourteen Magpies Handmade Jams & Preserves Gravenstein Apple Jelly waits to be sealed in jars in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
All Things Jam
Tierra Vegetables: Harvest bounty at this landmark Santa Rosa farmstand comes pickled, frozen, dehydrated, smoked, canned, bottled, and milled. Don’t Miss: Colorful popping corn such as Dakota Black, Ruby Red, and Shaman Blue. Also excellent hot sauces and stoneground polenta. 651 Airport Blvd., Santa Rosa. 707-544-6141, tierravegetables.com
Fourteen Magpies Homemade Jams & Preserves: Tanya Seibold makes delicious micro-batches of Bartlett pear-ginger jam, Gravenstein apple jelly, quince paste and more. Don’t Miss: Comparing versions of her wild plum jam from orchards just a few feet apart— one rosier in color and tasting of spiced apricot; the other a deep, inky purple. Order at fourteenmagpies.com
Lala’s Jam Bar and Urban Farmstand: Jam-making classes are a highlight at this popular shop, held Sunday mornings. Sign up for Sunday Jammin’ ($55 per person); or Family Jam ($99 per family). Don’t Miss: The Petaluma Fog, with figs, orange juice, and ginger, and wonderful mild and hot versions of Lala’s organic pepper jelly. Open Thurs-Mon, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. 720 E. Washington Street, Petaluma. 707-773-1083, lalasjams.com
Piano Farm: At Veva Edelson and Karel Sidorjak’s organic farm in Bloomfield, everything is made by hand including apple cider vinegar produced with an apple press they received as a wedding present. Don’t Miss: Tomato-plum-rosemary jam, zingy Fire Cider, and stoneground Floriani polenta. Order at pianofarm.org
Waterhorse Ridge: Oliver’s Markets carry the creative combinations put forth by Jesus Velasquez and Patricia Greer from their small farm in Cazadero. Don’t Miss: Triple Noir preserves, with grapes, berries, and chocolate, or the Creative Buzz tea, a flurry of peppermint, rhodiola, yerba mate, berries, and more. Order at waterhorseridge.com
Flatbed Farm: Pickles, flavored sugars, preserves, and all kinds of other harvest goodness come from the kitchen at this bucolic Sonoma Valley farmstand. Register in advance for “Preserving the Season: Shrubs and Jams” class on October 17, $125 per person. Don’t Miss: Delicious apricot jam and pomegranate shrubs. Open Saturdays 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. 13450 Highway 12, Glen Ellen. flatbedfarm.com
It’s the question on every winemaker’s mind this year: Water. As we come off a second season of punishing drought, more and more Sonoma winemakers are looking to traditional dry-farming methods as a way to increase their vines’ resilience. What is dry farming? It’s a method of cultivating grapes without additional irrigation, a method no longer strictly relegated to old-vine plantings in Sonoma County.
“Dry farming is not an entirely new concept,” says sixth-generation vintner Katie Bundschu of Abbot’s Passage Winery, who recently purchased a block of 80-year-old, dry-farmed Zinfandel vines. “Prior to the 1970’s, all vineyards planted were functionally ‘dry farmed,” Bundschu says.
“We rely on the water that falls from the sky and gets absorbed into the soil,” says Mari Jones, president of Emeritus Vineyards in Sebastopol. Jones estimates that using no irrigation whatsoever saves 44 million gallons of water annually, compared to vines farmed with conventional irrigation. Dry farming works on their 140 acres of estate vineyard because of the local soil type. “The Goldridge topsoil is very well-draining, allowing water to flow through to the deeper clay, where water is absorbed and stored,” she explains.
Emeritus Vineyards’ Hallberg Ranch. (Courtesy of Emeritus Vineyards)
At Emeritus Vineyards, dry-farmed vines show deep roots. (Courtesy of Emeritus Vineyards)
In contrast, at Hamel Family Wines in Sonoma Valley, it’s in the rockiest vineyard where winemaker John Hamel says he sees the most success with dry farming. “We have the privilege of farming a vineyard that was planted in the 1880s that has been dry farmed during its entire history,” he says. “We’ve found roots are able to penetrate the fractures in the rocks and find trapped water and nutrients within those fractures. Deep roots in well-drained soils are key for us in terms of wine quality. A vine must have deep roots in order to persist and carry a crop without irrigation.”
Vines that struggle to root more deeply are also more adaptable to weather fluctuations, as they’re well-practiced at water conservation, according to William Allen, proprietor and winemaker of Two Shepherds Winery in Windsor. The technique also results in decreased yields, increasing grape quality: “It’s generally accepted that higher-quality grapes are grown by making vines struggle,” Allen says. “Lower yields produce higher-quality grapes—in contrast to irrigated, fertilized vines with high yields.”
In the end, dry farming is a choice that can not only offer increased resilience in the face of drought, but can also boost the quality of the crop. “We see an elevated complexity, texture and minerality in wines made from dry-farmed grapes,” says Hamel. “We ultimately believe that it yields higher quality grapes than those from irrigated vines.”
Dry-Farmed Wines to Try This Fall
Hamel Family Wines, 2018 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel: Complex aromas of raspberry, cherry and orange peel complemented by floral, flint and spice. $64 / 707-996-5800, hamelfamilywines.com
Abbot’s Passage Winery, 2018 Makeshift: A dry-farmed blend of Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, and Petit Verdot. Enjoy moderate tannins and a bright acidity, along with rich, bold black fruit flavors. $30 / 707-939-3017, abbotspassage.com
Two Shepherds Winery, 2020 “Blanc de Cinsault”: Whole-cluster pressed Cinsault from the 135-year-old Bechthold Vineyard. Pair with light dishes, white fish, salads, chevre. $30 / 415-613-5731, twoshepherds.com
Emeritus Vineyards, 2016 Hallberg Ranch Pinot Noir: Flavors of black cherry, cinnamon, and toasted almonds. A light-bodied red wine filled with subtle nuances. $45 / 707-823-9463, emeritusvineyards.com
Tim Page is the founder of Feed Sonoma. (Courtesy photo)
Every year, Tim Page, the founder of Sebastopol’s bustling food hub and growers’ cooperative FEED (Farmers Exchange of Earthly Delights) watches the harbingers of fall arrive. “It’s all about the colorful eye candy – the apples, the Asian pears, winter squash coming on, the pumpkins – that classic cornucopia,” he says. Then, suddenly, one day the season is upon us: “That first afternoon where it feels really crisp and cool, and there’s a breeze – that’s what I think of when I think of fall,” he says.
What started 10 years ago with a walk-in cooler in Page’s garage has grown into a business supported by more than 70 member farms, selling to hundreds of families and dozens of restaurants. This season, with scarce water and a record drought, the big question that weighs on him daily is: “If this persists, is this the end of farming in Sonoma County?”
Tim comments on a few current topics.
Surviving the drought: If this drought persists, you may not have many farmers to talk to next year. But I think this year, the drought for fall crops actually gives us an opportunity to really support local farmers, because I think that the harvest this fall will still be pretty abundant. If the general public wants to see these farmers survive and be around next year, then buy what they have.
Investing in the harvest: After launching the FEED bin program last March, we’re now averaging around 600 food boxes per week. In all honesty, if we had 2,000 to 3,000 families buying a food bin per week – we’re talking $35 for a box of food, and you’re already spending money for food, granted it would cost $10 less at Safeway – if we had that amount of people willing to invest in the program, that would literally guarantee that our food system will survive. That is all we’re asking. We don’t need government subsidies to save the food system. We just need people to invest in it.
Planning for fire: When it comes to the fire season, it’s about having a closer-knit farming community that’s going to be tied together. For instance, FEED creates a tree of contact for people, and we can use our warehouse as a gathering space for people to bring their equipment or whatever it might be. I think the threat of fire has actually become a part of a farm plan, much like you would have a crop plan. It’s actually becoming part of the business plan, with emergency mitigation now built into your annual plan.
Helping farmers get by: If you’re going to buy apples this fall, make sure they’re coming from a local grower, because that’s the only way they stay in business. That’s the only way they survive. Nobody’s farming in Sonoma County to become rich financially – no one. These are all people that you want on your team if you believe in saving the planet for your children. It’s all based on stewardship.
Bottles of Horse and Plow winery’s Hops and Honey Cider and Farmhouse Cider, at Horse and Plow winery in Sebastopol, California on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
Fall is cider time, and Sonoma County is hard-cider central, with nationally recognized brands like Golden State and Ace as well as small-scale producers like Tilted Shed and Horse & Plow. We give them all props for preserving long-standing traditions, and for helping to rescue our heritage orchards.
The Idealist—Tilted Shed Ciderworks, Inclinado Espumante: A twist on Basque cider, with a hint of effervescence and made with dry-farmed Gravensteins from a single orchard. Hazy and oakfermented, it has a wild flavor with a bit of funk. 7765 Bell Road, Windsor, tiltedshed.com
Orange You Cute—Ethic Ciders, Zest: Apples and citrus are perfect partners in this, well, zesty cider. It’s bone dry with flavors of tangerine and blood-orange alongside plenty of crisp apple and a zing of rosehips. Available online at ethicciders.com
Ethic Ciders owners Ned and Michelle Lawton with their son, Kielson, daughter Remi, and puppy, Luna, at their apple farm in Sebastopol. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)Jolie Devoto-Wade of Golden State Cider at Devoto Gardens and Orchards in Sebastopol. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Passion Play—Goat Rock Cider Company, Rosé Cider: The mix of passionfruit and apples gives this pink cider both a rose color and the flavors of rose wine. A Good Food Award winner and personal favorite. Available online at goatrockcider.com
Hoppy Times—Horse & Plow, Hops & Honey Cider: Though it sounds sweet, this dry sparkler is a mix of 10 varieties of apples, dry-hopped with whole hops with honey added as a fermenter. Hearty, earthy, and entirely unique. 1272 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol, horseandplow.com
Agua Fresca-Inspired—Golden State Cider, Jamaica: A nod to the beloved sweet-tart hibiscus water found at many taquerias, this refreshing cider gets the pucker factor just right with the combo of dry cider and the tropical, floral notes of Jamaica. Plus, it’s adorably pink. 180 Morris St. at The Barlow, Sebastopol, drinkgoldenstate.com
The Original—ACE, BlackJack 21: The elder statesman of Sonoma ciders. This dry, celebratory cider features the Gravenstein apple, and is barrel-aged to mark the end of harvest season each year. 2064 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol, acecider.com
As intensifying wildfires collide with harvest season, vineyard workers bear the brunt of the risk in bringing in Sonoma’s prized grape crop. What rules are in place to protect these essential workers? And do government regulators—and local industry leaders—need to do more? (Erik Castro/Sonoma Magazine)
Late into an unseasonably warm night in August 2020, Raymundo was harvesting Pinot Noir grapes with a 10-person crew at a vineyard in Healdsburg. A little over three miles away, the lightning-sparked Walbridge fire had begun to spread quickly, shrouding the hills of northwestern Sonoma County in thick smoke.
To protect himself, Raymundo put on an N95 mask, but his eyes began to itch and his head ached. Still, he and the crew kept working by the light of their headlamps, moving fast, breathing heavily.
Raymundo, 48, is a veteran farmworker who has labored in California vineyards since arriving from Mexico 22 years ago. At the time, he was living with his wife and three children in a small house on the same vineyard property where he worked. He asked that his full name not be used, for fear of retaliation from his employers.
That night, as he and his crew were busy harvesting, the smoke grew thick in the summer darkness. He looked up and saw a light coming toward them. It was the vineyard owner, who told them to stop work and go home. Although the fire was still a distance away, the smoke was too thick.
The next day, sheriff’s officials knocked on Raymundo’s door and told him and his family to evacuate. By that time, hotels in the region were full of fire refugees—a wide swath of west county was threatened by the Walbridge fire, and residents stretching from Guerneville to the western outskirts of Healdsburg had been ordered to flee their homes.
With nowhere to go, Raymundo and his family drove nearly four hours to a relative’s house in the Central Valley. Several days later, Raymundo got a call from his boss. Although evacuation warnings were still in place, it was time to go back to work.
Sonoma’s Ag Pass system has allowed some crews into evacuated zones. But advocates worry these workers have too few protections. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Every year, for a frenzied period beginning in early August, Sonoma County’s vineyards reap the harvest they’ve spent all year cultivating. The roughly 11,000 grape workers who call the county home harvest a crop that covers more than 62,000 acres and in 2019 was valued at $654 million. Combine that with harvests from Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties, and the total haul topped $1.8 billion.
But those make-or-break weeks stretching through October now coincide with a fire season that’s grown longer and more catastrophic.
Farming goes on amid these disasters. Vineyard workers are deemed “essential” by the state, meaning their jobs continue even in times of crisis. They harvest regularly in the cool hours of night during the North Bay’s hottest and driest months. That collision — of fire season and grape harvest — now increasingly forces workers to risk their health, and sometimes their safety, to bring in the crop.
These competing environmental and economic forces have thrust Sonoma County to the front line of a human health dilemma with implications for fire-prone communities across the West. Amid a historic drought that’s fueling another severe fire season, local and state officials are proposing a raft of new regulations on this multi-billion-dollar industry, while leaders in the farm labor movement are calling for more to be done to protect their members.
Wine industry representatives and leaders say they recognize the health and safety risks as an emerging existential threat to their business — one on par with the threats posed by climate change.
“Worker safety is the number one priority for our local farmers,” says Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers, a group that represents the interests of 1,800 growers. “They provide workforce housing, education, and they have been innovative in how to safely keep vineyard workers employed during the Covid-19 crisis. Our local grape growers are not activists, but local families in our Sonoma County community who have been caring for the land, spending time and money investing in our community and ensuring that the health and well-being of their workforce is always at the forefront.”
Vineyard managers who oversee much of the harvest say they are taking steps beyond standard protective equipment such as face masks and safety checks to minimize the peril for laborers. Tony Bugica, director of farming and business development at Napa’s Atlas Vineyard Management and one of 11 commissioners of the Sonoma County Winegrowers, describes his harvest procedures with military precision.
In case cell networks go down, he carries a satellite phone. In case of stray sparks, every truck has a fire extinguisher and water tank. Everyone uses a buddy system so no one’s caught alone. “I never send anyone into a place where I wouldn’t go myself,” he says. “No job is worth a human life.”
But in an industry that has prided itself on environmental sustainability, the question hangs over Wine Country: Can it be as proactive about safeguarding its workers?
“Climate change is here,” says state Assemblyman Robert Rivas, a Democrat from Hollister who has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting farmworkers during wildfires. “And it has forced a lot of people, all across the county, to consider what kinds of conditions our farmworkers face not just during wildfires, but every single day.”
“I never send anyone into a place where I wouldn’t go myself. No job is worth a human life.” — Vineyard Manager Tony Bugica. (Erik Castro/Sonoma Magazine)
Agricultural work can be perilous even in ordinary times. Until recently, wildfire smoke was not among the top concerns for labor advocates. But the infernos that have burned across Wine Country over the past four years — as well as a growing body of scientific evidence about the health risks of wildfire smoke — have changed that.
Smoke particles from wildfires are infinitesimally small, about one twentieth the size of a human hair. They can penetrate the body’s normal defenses, lodging deep inside the lungs. A toxic mix of heavy metals and chemicals released by burning buildings, automobiles, propane tanks, and other structures can also make wildfire smoke as much as 10 times more dangerous than other types of air pollution, according to a study from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Jennifer Fish, a family physician with Santa Rosa Community Health and cofounder of Health Professionals for Equality and Community Empowerment (H-PEACE), says she routinely sees farmworkers and their families suffering from the impacts of smoke inhalation. “This community is one of our most marginalized,” she says. “We see workers having no choice but to work under dangerous circumstances in order to survive.”
A variety of other risk factors, including poor access to healthy foods, unstable housing, and financial insecurity, can make farm laborers vulnerable to asthma, heart disease, and lung disease, says Fish. In pregnant women, smoke exposure is linked to low birth weight and preterm birth. There are also the invisible effects of living year after year with the stress of wildfire disasters: depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
The health risks don’t dissipate after the flames are extinguished. A recent UC Davis study found that residual ash continues to emit dangerous particulates that pose an additional threat to outdoor workers — even after the skies have cleared. And while it’s not known exactly how many of Sonoma County’s vineyard workers are undocumented — the share is said to be significant — that status can exacerbate a lack of access to health care and other aid.
In July, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson cosponsored a bill that authorized $20 million to study the effects of smoke on human health and provides funding for ways to mitigate its effects.
Although rampant wildfire is not new in California, regulations protecting outdoor workers from the effects of smoke exposure are still in their infancy. The state agency tasked with ensuring worker safety, Cal/OSHA, only enacted its main standard in 2019.
The rule mandates that employers make N95 masks available to outdoor workers when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is higher than 151, or “unhealthy.” Workers are only required to wear masks when the AQI reaches 500, past “hazardous” — a designation so high that it is not separated out on the now-familiar color-coded index scale.
While many labor groups welcomed the new regulations, Jennifer Fish says that this baseline isn’t a sound basis for health policy. “If an AQI is over 150, I don’t go outside without an N95. It is not acceptable for people to work under those conditions,” she says. “This is negligent.”
But N95 masks aren’t effective when worn improperly. And they can make it difficult for wearers to breathe, especially during strenuous work, such as agricultural labor.
“This community is one of our most marginalized. We see workers having no choice but to work under dangerous circumstances in order to survive.” — Dr. Jennifer Fish (Erik Castro/Sonoma Magazine)
Who Decides What’s Safe?
One of many points of contention in addressing issues of worker safety is that while federal and state regulations are on the books (and continue to evolve), too often the concerns of farmworkers go unaddressed. Cal/OSHA is the state agency charged with enforcing safe workplace practices— but the agency has long been overextended and understaffed.
Various state and county agencies each take on a different aspect of safety oversight, but labor groups say they could be doing more.
After an area is evacuated, the ones ultimately making the calls at key evacuation checkpoints are public safety officials—firefighters, police officers, even members of the National Guard—who monitor changing fire conditions, verify Ag Pass permits, and allow farmers and workers into evacuation zones.
While the county’s Agriculture Commission oversees the requirements for entry of farmworkers into evacuation zones, it denies having the legal authority or the funding to oversee worker safety behind evacuation lines.
The newly created Sonoma County Office of Equity has been working closely with the Agriculture Commissioner to revise the system in a way that ensures racial equity, but its mandate doesn’t include oversight of worker safety.
Meanwhile, labor advocacy groups like North Bay Jobs with Justice and the Graton Day Labor Center argue that because the county is making the decision to allow entry into these zones, it is also responsible for protecting the workers it allows inside.
Omar Paz, a lead organizer with the grassroots labor coalition North Bay Jobs with Justice, says he worries whether employers are following Cal/OSHA’s mask guidelines.
Karissa Kruse with Sonoma County Winegrowers says, “All our growers follow strict Cal/OSHA worker safety regulations and provide workers with personal protective equipment which is required by law.”
Last year, however, the United Farm Workers conducted a statewide poll of 350 farmworkers and found 84% reported that even in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, these workers weren’t receiving masks from their employers.
“Vineyards and wineries are extremely disconnected from the realities of the management companies they contract with,” says Paz. “I don’t think owners or even managers have a pulse on the reality of the conditions [workers are] facing.”
Cameron Mauritson, partner at Healdsburg-based Thomas Mauritson Vineyards, which grows roughly 1,000 acres of wine grapes in Sonoma and Lake counties, acknowledges wine industry businesses could do more to improve their responsiveness to worker needs. Although some of his employees have been working for the family for two generations, he worries about his blind spots.
“One of my biggest fears is, ‘What if we were making people feel unsafe and didn’t know about it?’” he says. One thing is clear: “We need better guidance from enforcement agencies—from OSHA.”
Cal/OSHA representative Frank Polizzi says the agency enforces the new smoke standard with targeted inspections of worksites, and points to new wildfire-safety training materials made available online. He also notes a recent effort, a “labor rights caravan,” organized by the state’s Department of Industrial Relations and the Labor & Workforce Development Agency, that has been making stops at farms statewide to educate workers on their right to protection from heat illness, wildfire smoke, and retaliation.
Still, labor advocates say that those wanting to file a complaint face daunting barriers: language, lack of knowledge of the system, and fear of reprisal.
Of the 144 Sonoma County complaints filed in 2020 with Cal/OSHA, four stemmed from problems with wildfire smoke and only one led to a citation.
Labor advocates say the small numbers point to a larger issue: Cal/ OSHA is severely understaffed, with only 10 inspectors for the fivecounty district to which Sonoma belongs. Only one of those inspectors speaks Spanish, and none currently speak any of the various Indigenous languages represented in the workforce.
“If you’re not able to enforce a law, then for workers at least, it doesn’t exist,” says physician Jennifer Fish.
A vineyard worker watches a fire’s progress near Clearlake in 2018. Some workers feel they must continue to work during wildfires. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
In October 2019, the largest wildfire on record in Sonoma County thundered down from the Mayacamas Mountains into vineyard-rich Alexander Valley. As the flames pushed west to threaten Healdsburg and Windsor, Sheriff Mark Essick ordered the evacuation of nearly 40% of the county — more than 190,000 people, many of whom fled their homes in the middle of the night. The sheriff’s warnings over Twitter were increasingly urgent: “If you have NOT evacuated, DO SO NOW!”
On the north side of town, Corazón Healdsburg, a community center serving predominantly Latino families, was swiftly being converted into a Red Cross evacuation shelter for the refugees, many of them vineyard workers and their families, pouring in from the rural outskirts.
The community center’s emptied rooms were soon filled with rows of cots. Children carrying stuffed animals clung to their parents. Some families brought their dogs and cats, even their horses. One group of workers arrived after spending the previous night on the floor of a barn. The smoke was getting worse, and the sounds of helicopters and sirens could be heard outside.
Ariel Kelley, Corazón’s cofounder and then-CEO, sat at a table in the courtyard in her N95 mask, writing down names and addresses of the families anxiously seeking shelter. They asked her: How close was the fire? What was going to happen?
Kelley was surprised to find, even with the fire at close range, evacuated vineyard workers continued to go to work. They would drop off their belongings on a cot and leave in buses that pulled up outside Corazón’s doors.
Seeing that few of the workers had masks, Kelley and her staff grew concerned. They didn’t know where the workers were being taken, what the conditions were like when they got there, or who was looking out for their safety.
“We were telling them, ‘You have the right to stay here and protect your health. You don’t have to go to work,” recalls Marcy Flores, a programs manager at Corazón. “And they were just in this mindset of, ‘No, I do. I have to get paid, I need to go.’”
Wildfires can make harvest work more frenetic and worrisome for farming managers like Tony Bugica, center, and his team. (Erik Castro/Sonoma Magazine)
An Industry Adapts
As the threat of wildfires intensifies across Northern California, Sonoma County’s wine industry has begun to adapt to this existential challenge by changing the way it trains, deploys, and supports its workers. The Sonoma County Farm Bureau and the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation have begun offering trainings on wildfire safety in English and Spanish, and are also working with the county’s Agricultural Commission to refine the system of allowing work inside evacuation zones. In addition:
During active fires, vineyard managers and crew leaders have adopted a range of safety measures in the field, including buddy systems, monitoring of wind speed and direction, and outfitting vehicles with extra water and fire extinguishers.
When smoke is present, some employers are making changes to the ways they deploy their crews: paying by the hour rather than by weight, using their own air quality sensors for more accurate on-the-ground readings, or determining their own, often more conservative standards, for what is considered “safe.” Some employers are choosing not to harvest inside evacuation zones. And others will stop outdoor work altogether when conditions are poor.
In certain cases, the industry has also provided direct financial assistance: Since 2017, the SCGGF has aided at least 1,500 farmworkers with gift cards, help purchasing RVs, and grants to pay rent.
Tony Bugica, the Atlas farming and business development director, starts every morning with transcendental meditation for exactly 23 minutes. He’s only missed one day: in early October 2017, when he and his crew were fleeing the Tubbs fire. That year, and every year since, Bugica has had to make tough decisions balancing business interests with the safety of the workers under his watch.
Smoke is hazardous for humans, but it’s also bad for grapes. If it hits the wrong varietal at the wrong time, it can cause smoke taint, a set of off-flavors that can render the fruit unusable.
During a fire, the harvest becomes a frantic salvage job. Vineyard managers like Bugica are tasked with bringing in as much of the crop as they can, as safely they can.
In 2019, with the Kincade fire burning nearby, Bugica pulled his truck up to a checkpoint at the edge of the evacuation zone near Healdsburg, hoping to get inside. Grapes needed harvesting in a vineyard off Westside Road, where residents had already been cleared out. Earlier that day, he and his 5-year-old daughter had watched planes dropping fire retardant onto the hills. The smoke had created a “blackout” in Healdsburg, but where he sat, for the moment, at least, the air quality was good.
In his hand he carried a piece of paper signed by the county’s Agricultural Commissioner stating that he and the handful of crew members accompanying him had essential agricultural duties to perform inside the evacuation zone. The officer at the checkpoint decided conditions inside were safe enough and waved Bugica through.
Once on the property, Bugica says he evaluated the situation. He looked at wind speed and direction and tested the air quality with his portable sensor. All seemed OK.
Satisfied with the conditions there off of Westside Road, Bugica called in his crew.
The ad-hoc “Ag Pass” system that allowed Bugica and his crew to pass through evacuation checkpoints was designed to accommodate the needs of the county’s farmers. The program, which began in 2017, was a singular effort among different Sonoma County jurisdictions to verify whether a farmer or landowner has a legitimate business reason to enter evacuation zones.
During the Glass and Walbridge fires of 2020, Agricultural Commissioner Andrew Smith’s office issued passes to 613 agricultural producers and their employees. “People make calculated risks to support their business and their livelihood,” says Smith. “If you’re an employee, you always have the opportunity to decide whether you want to go. No one’s forcing anyone to do this work, and it’s not appropriate for them to do so.”
But those close to the farmworker community worry low-income workers who don’t speak English and aren’t trained to evaluate the risks are being asked to work in areas deemed unsafe for the general population. Aside from their employers, advocates say, no one is responsible for their well-being.
“The default should be protecting health and human safety — and to not let that be outweighed by the economic pressure of picking grapes. And that’s a really challenging conversation to have,” says Kelley, the Corazón Healdsburg cofounder.
Whoever is staffing the checkpoint—whether it’s the sheriff, highway patrol, or even the National Guard— has final discretion over whether to let crews into evacuation zones. But the perimeter of these areas can be vast, the boundary not necessarily reflective of shifting smoke conditions. What’s safe one minute, in one place, may not be safe the next.
Aside from vineyard managers like Bugica, who else decides what’s safe and when? And to whom are they accountable?
“That’s a very, very, very good question,” says Alegría De La Cruz, an attorney and director of Sonoma County’s newly created Office of Equity.
With OSHA limited in its capacity to respond to workplace safety violations, some labor activists are questioning whether local government should be playing a bigger role. Elected officials and health and business leaders “have the direct responsibility to protect and advocate for our most marginalized workers,” says Fish, the Santa Rosa physician. “They’re the ones with the power.”
While various county agencies own a piece of the disaster response during a wildfire, none are specifically tasked with monitoring worker safety, either inside or outside evacuation zones. “That’s OSHA’s responsibility,” Smith says. “Why would we want to adopt responsibility for something that we don’t have the legal authority to do?”
There’s new recognition within the wine industry, as well as the government, that broader support is necessary.
At the county level, Smith is working with De La Cruz’s office and a host of other agencies, as well as community stakeholders and farmworker groups, to revise the current Ag Pass system, an effort that is also occurring at the state level. Sonoma County Winegrowers and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau have started offering wildfire safety training sessions that will become a requirement for anyone applying for such passes in the future. Tony Bugica and the rest of Atlas’ crew leaders are already certified.
The momentum aligns with a growing recognition, De La Cruz says, “that Sonoma’s not alone in these challenges. Our state is dealing with this too. This gives us a real opportunity for leadership.”
Rivas, the state Assemblyman, has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting farmworkers during fire season. The bill would give OSHA authority to deploy “wildfire smoke strike teams” to check on worker safety in real time; would create a state stockpile of protective equipment for workers; and would require regular wildfire safety trainings for employees in English and Spanish.
“Agricultural work has always been essential,” says Rivas. “We have to do better. We have to do more.”
Omar Paz with the labor coalition North Bay Jobs with Justice says farmworkers are too often forced to risk their health and safety to ensure their livelihood. (Erik Castro/Sonoma Magazine)
Vineyard workers who fear that policy change is not keeping pace with the urgency of the moment are stepping up to make sure their voices are heard.
Maria Salinas, a mother of four, is a veteran former field hand whose relatives still work in Sonoma County’s vineyards. She’s seen them come home after working during a wildfire, “covered in ash and soot, spitting up gobs of black saliva.”
Salinas speaks Chatino, an Indigenous language from southern Mexico. She came to the U.S. in 2003 and is now a full-time activist with the region’s Indigenous immigrants, many of whom are vineyard workers.
Last year, during the twin emergencies of the pandemic and the worst wildfire season on record in California, farmworkers began to share their accounts with Salinas and others of the fear and danger they were experiencing. The stories gave momentum to a budding movement ,but also exposed, according to Salinas and Paz, a dearth of data on the experiences and concerns local farmworkers have with wildfire and smoke.
Working with Michael Méndez, an assistant professor of environmental planning and policy at UC Irvine, labor organizers developed a survey about farmworker health and safety concerns that has since garnered over 100 responses.
The tally was encouraging, and this summer the project team turned to identifying farmworkers who might serve as leaders for their ranks on the issues of worker safety and a range of other priorities. Three dozen of them—including female, LGBTQ, and Indigenous vineyard workers— stepped forward to begin that process.
“People who have been doing this work for much longer than me said they’d never seen anything like it,” Paz says. The coalition they’re building as a result of their work on fire safety, he says, is an important new step—though he feels strongly that their work is built on that of previous movements for worker justice in California.
“We started this movement with a small team, and I was anxious,” says Salinas. “But joining with other organizations, we’ve started growing.”
“The biggest reason why I’m doing this work is for my children. I want to fight for a better world for them.” — Indigenous Community Activist Maria Salinas (Erik Castro/Sonoma Magazine)
Maria Salinas, advocate and voice for the Oaxacan indigenous community and a full time member of the Movimiento Cultural de la Union Indigena, at her home in Petaluma. (Erik Castro/Sonoma Magazine)
Amid the range of existential issues posed by climate change and wildfires, wineries and vineyards are also making changes to the ways they harvest their crops during emergencies.
Cameron Mauritson of Thomas Mauritson Vineyards touts his farm’s ability to employ a full-time vineyard crew, which allows more control over the way workers are deployed. In Healdsburg, Preston Farm & Winery and Quivira Vineyards operate under a similar in-house model.
But that setup is less common, as outsourced vineyard management companies provide economy of scale and savings in much of the county.
Mauritson has experimented with paying his harvest crew by the hour, rather than by the ton, when there’s smoke. This way, they’re able to not work at their normal breakneck speed. He also provides free housing to nearly 60 people—employees and their families— and extra sick and vacation days. The winery guarantees a minimum wage even when employees are prevented from working due to circumstances like wildfires.
These are the kinds of changes that some individual employers are able to make. But when it comes to policy, Mauritson says, “we need to have more seats at the table for the people who are doing the actual work.”
“If anything, there’s proof out there that you can effectively pick your crop as needed, as long as you’re being thoughtful about it,” says Kelley, who was elected last year to the Healdsburg City Council.
For Paz, the positive steps by some show that more needs to be done across a wider swath of the industry to support workers — so they don’t feel they have to choose between their safety and paying next month’s rent. “We want to be partners with government and industry,” he says. “We’d love to support vineyards that make the changes for a better workplace.”
IIn July, back at Atlas headquarters, Tony Bugica sat in his office and considered the five priorities farmworker advocates had recently put forward to protect local vineyard workers: disaster insurance; hazard pay; safety trainings in Spanish and Indigenous languages; clean bathrooms; and community safety observers trained to accompany workers into the fields during fire emergencies, ready to report safety violations to CAL/OSHA.
Bugica didn’t balk at the first four — although he isn’t prepared to open his fields to community safety observers. When it comes to OSHA inspectors, however, “we have an open door policy,” he said, spreading his hands wide.
Whether the industry at large is as flexible and ready for those changes remains an open question.
Another peak fire season is fastening its grip on the region, and no one knows what that will bring this year. If the last four years are any indication, it may well resemble a now-familiar harvest scene, mirrored by thousands of workers in vineyards spread across the county, their heads bent low, clouds rising behind them. The figures are small, the sky smoky and vast.
But that outside perspective overlooks an element that is central to the story of farmworkers and fire, says De La Cruz of the county’s Office of Equity. “These workers are highly skilled,” she says. “There is a lot of pride and care that goes into the work they do with these vines.”
Maria Salinas makes a similar point. “Farmworkers deserve something better. Dignidad.” She repeats the last word several times, nodding.
“I feel very excited and hopeful for the work we’re doing,” says Salinas, “knowing that it may be a long journey ahead.”
Flames descend a hillside above Kenwood, California, on Tuesday evening, October 10, 2017. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)
Heavy smoke from the Kincade Fire hangs in the air above vineyards in Geyserville, California, on Friday, October 25, 2019. (Alvin Jornada /The Press Democrat)
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the way worker safety priorities were discussed with Atlas Vineyard Management’s Tony Bugica, and clarifies Bugica’s position on allowing safety observers into vineyards.
Heather Fordham converted her garage into a pottery studio a few years back to focus on improving her craft. (Paige Green)
Her creations bring joy to our everyday rituals. “It’s nice to think of people starting their day with one of my mugs. I get to help them get caffeinated,” laughs ceramicist Heather Fordham. “Or have a cup of tea when they need to calm down.”
The Petaluma mother of two converted her garage into a pottery studio a few years back to focus on improving her craft. But when looking at her work, including elegantly glazed matte-black mugs and dinnerware, it’s hard to imagine even a hint of artistic struggle. “It looks so much like cast iron. It just feels strong — and it goes with everything,” says Fordham.
With a focus on form and shape as opposed to decoration, if Fordham isn’t happy with something, odds are good it won’t make it to the final firing. She doesn’t hesitate to recycle clay, working with it again and again until she gets exactly what she wants. “I am a perfectionist, and that probably shows in my work,” she laughs. “I just want to get better. That’s my main goal, to improve my craft, and it’s fun to see that happening over the years.”
Stoneware vase by Heather Fordham. (Paige Green)Stoneware mug by Heather Fordham. (Paige Green)
As her kids head back to school this fall, Fordham is excited to have more time to indulge in the creative process and make use of a newly acquired kiln with even more capacity. Mugs may be her favorite thing to make, but she continues to branch out, working with weightier pieces of clay to create larger plates, broad serving bowls, and taller vases —which have a knack for finding their way to friends’ and neighbors’ homes filled with flowers from Fordham’s own garden.
Heather Fordham works at the potter’s wheel. (Paige Green)Tools in Heather Fordham’s Petaluma studio. (Paige Green)
Interest in Fordham’s work on is the rise, as locals see it in use at nearby restaurants, including Table Culture Provisions. Fordham is thrilled by the attention but remains focused on investing that success back into her maker community. A passionate supporter of fellow small-business owners, she collects mugs made by other Sonoma ceramicists. The stockpile comes in handy on a daily basis as she indulges in her morning ritual at Petaluma Coffee & Tea Co.
“I like to think I’m supporting my fellow potters when I drink out of their mugs, when I purchase theirs, so I think it’s just supporting the makers I know. It’s a nice connection to them.”
Buy Fordham’s ceramics directly from the artist on Instagram @heatherfordhamceramics. You can also find her work at area restaurants and design shops, including Penngrove Market, Table Culture Provisions, and Herb Folk.
In the town of Sonoma, down a long gravel driveway and past a young Grenache vineyard, is the serene home and garden where the five members of the Potter family hunkered down as the world changed. Extra time at their Sonoma ranch was a silver lining to the upheaval of the pandemic say Scott, who works in private equity, and Dara, a consultant. The couple’s kids, Jordan (15), Miles (13), and Rhea (11), are an active bunch, logging hours in the pool and kicking around soccer balls with their Vizsla pup, Cali. “We also spend a lot of time playing golf at the Sonoma Golf Club and love riding our cruiser bikes to Sonoma Plaza,” says Dara.
The family bought the property in 2017, looking for a weekend retreat with a warm summery climate and good food and wine nearby — the fact that there was space for an on-site vineyard was a bonus for the couple. “Scott and I had dreamed of having a vineyard and making our own wine someday,” explains Dara.
Dara and Scott farm their 1,700 vines organically, with help from Mike Nuñez of Nuñez Vineyard Management. They’ve named it Figure 8 Vineyard, a nod to Dara’s former life as a competitive figure skater. Figures are an essential discipline that teach young skaters the foundations of edging, Dara explains. And since this is the family’s first foray into growing grapes, they say the name also represents newness, abundance, and love. They’re hoping for their first full crop next fall. “We can’t wait to get our allocation of wine made with Figure 8 Vineyard fruit,” says Dara.
Scott and Dara Potter with their kids, Jordan (15), Miles (13), and Rhea (11). (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
Raised veggie beds contain deep, rich soil for kale, salad greens, chives, and other crops. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
The process of choosing which varietal to grow was as thoughtfully considered as the vineyard’s name. “Even though Sonoma is known for Pinot and Chardonnay, we wanted to do something different,” says Scott. Mike Nuñez introduced the couple to the folks at nearby Anaba Wines, who also weighed in on choosing the varietal and rootstock. So committed were Dara and Scott to their winegrape research that pre-pandemic, they traveled to France’s Rhône Valley and Spain’s Priorat region, both areas where Grenache Noir is widely grown. “Turns out, the grape fit very well with the soil composition at our property,” says Scott.
When they bought the home, the existing landscaping was minimal, with a lot of economical bark used as ground cover. Paul Rozanski of Rozanski Design helped the couple envision different outdoor spaces—a veritable Potter wish list that included a small soccer field, bocce area, outdoor kitchen, and space for veggies, olives, and fruit trees in addition to the vineyard. Part of the plan was to execute the
design in stages, over time, so that the space could evolve as the family’s needs did.
The outdoor area has different spaces for dining and socializing. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
The patio overlooks a pool, a green area and tall grasses. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)Outside dining area. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
During the initial design, Rozanski took Dara and the kids to Sweet Lane Wholesale Nursery in Santa Rosa to help choose trees and grasses. “One of the most memorable moments was when Paul asked Rhea to pick out a plant of her own,” remembers Dara. “She chose a mulberry tree, and I smile every time I pass ‘Rhea’s tree.’” And Dara and Scott adore Japanese maples, so Rozanski made sure a handful of Acer palmatum ‘Emperor One’ made the final design.
Mulberries, lettuces, and especially figs all end up going from straight from the garden to the family’s dinner table, says Dara. “We put figs on everything, whether it’s a cheese platter, salad, fig jam, marmalade for pork…figs are a favorite in the Potter house.”
The Potter family bikes through their vineyard. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
The family’s fig trees produce their second crop in fall. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)Rhea by her mulberry tree. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)Sonoma’s Rozanski Design planned the landscape, including classic pairings such as grasses and olive trees. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
The Potters are looking forward to fall (“this time of year, the reds, oranges, and yellows around here are stunning,” says Dara), and, hopefully, being able to host gatherings again. They’d like to invite friends to join them for the fall olive harvest, helping to gather the fruit before it’s sent off to be pressed into oil. As the tail end of summer blends into cooler, more colorful days, the Potters say they enjoy seeing how the winemaking community works together to bring the joy of harvest in Sonoma Valley to everyone.
A peek inside…
The living room. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
The kitchen/dining area. (Rebecca Gosselin/Sonoma Magazine)
Designer Paul Rozanski’s plan for the Potter family’s Sonona home incorporates their affection for Japanese maple trees, which the designer sourced at Sweet Lane Wholesale Nursery in Santa Rosa. Nursery manager Joe Hadley says Japanese maples are a subtle, beautiful choice: “They have an elegance of form and structure that is unique to the species, and their sizes are ideal for more personal or intimate gardens. Plus, they are quite nice from a distance and exquisitely sculptural up close.”
Hadley says a landscape designer or nursery professional can help homeowners choose the right Japanese maple for their site’s light, water, and soil characteristics. “Maples can be more complicated than people imagine,” he says. He recommends the book “Right Plant, Right Place” by Nicola Ferguson for learning more about how to match plants to a particular location.
The most popular Japanese maples Hadley sells for Sonoma gardens include Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood,’ ‘Green,’ and ‘Emperor One.’ But he encourages people to branch out, as there are many lesser-known varieties that offer unique color and character. For three-season color, Hadley recommends Acer palmatum ‘Omato.’ And he likes varieties of Acer shirasawanum (the “full moon” maple) for beautifully layered texture and form.
One of the best ways to add a personal touch to your home is to incorporate artwork. But buying art can be expensive and the more affordable mass-produced prints that you can purchase online don’t always reflect your own personal preferences or style. Thankfully, Sonoma County is home to a variety of emerging and established artists who exhibit their works in galleries and studios. During two weekends in September, locals and visitors to Sonoma County can meet some of these artists and view and buy their artwork during the Sonoma County Art Trails (Sept. 18-19 and 25-26), an open studio tour now in its 36th year of operation.
Visitors to the Sonoma County Art Trails can download a guide that lists the 121 participating artists and the location of their studios — just follow the map and look for the square blue signs on the street near each studio. Studios are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and exhibit a variety of artwork, including oil paintings and water colors, ceramics, sculpture and even handmade furniture.
Sebastopol watercolorist Sally Baker is thrilled to be opening her studio doors to the public this year, especially since last year’s event was canceled due to the pandemic.
“Artists thrive on the interplay of their art with those who encounter it,” said Baker, whose still life paintings typically feature a glass element. She likes how glass distorts the lines seen through it, creating an abstract effect within a realistic context. “Sometimes in talking with an artist and understanding what inspired them to do a piece, the (viewer) becomes more engaged,” she added.
Still life by Sebastopol watercolorist Sally Baker. (Sally Baker)Still life by Sebastopol watercolorist Sally Baker. (Sally Baker)
Santa Rosa botanical artist Victoria Kochergin said that the Art Trails event gives visitors a real taste of the area. “It’s like wine tasting without the wine. It’s seeing and enjoying art and talking to the artist.”
Kochergin recalled the 2017 Art Trails, which took place just after the destructive North Bay Fires — although a few participating artists tragically lost their homes, the October show went on as planned. At the time, visitors told her that the tour provided “a quiet place away from the chaos.”
Viewing art, she said, can be healing and calming. “When you’re looking at art, you’re in the moment. It allows you to be still and allows a nice bit of peace.”
Victoria Kochergin uses colored pencil to create vivid and detailed botanical art. (Victoria Kochergin)
Kochergin likes to draw flowers and fruit from local places, like her mother’s garden, Luther Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa and even the gardens of Alcatraz, and uses colored pencil to create vivid and detailed botanical art.
“I feel this immense responsibility that I depict the beauty of (the botanicals). It’s really capturing a moment in time,” she said.
Mixed-media artist Carolyn Wilson recommends visiting the main preview exhibit at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, which showcases one piece by each artist on the Art Trails tour. “(It’s) a great way to plan studios to visit. Pick up a Collector’s Guide and circle which artworks interest you,” she said.
Wilson said some Art Trails visitors like to explore a particular area of Sonoma County, like west county or Petaluma, while others focus on particular types of artwork, like landscapes or abstract works. Some visitors just “drive around and pull in when they see one of the signature blue Art Trails signs along the road,” she added.
Artist Carolyn Wilson creates mixed media work. This Fountain Grove painting was donated to raise money for fellow Art Trails artists who suffered losses in the 2017 Tubbs Fire. Proceeds from the sale of reproductions were donated to the Redwood Credit Union fire relief fund. (Carolyn Wilson)
No matter where you stop along the Art Trails these upcoming weekends, you’ll be able to view a professional artist’s works. The artworks are selected, or blind juried, by a group of art professionals from outside of Sonoma County.
“There are so many styles, you’re bound to find something you’re going to click with,” said botanical artist Kochergin.
Sonoma County Art Trails, September 18-19 and 25-26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Main preview exhibit at Sebastopol Center for the Art, September 17 to October 3, Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Select artists are featured at Corrick’s, Gallery One and Fulton Crossing, until September 26. For more information, visit sonomacountyarttrails.org
