MENDOCINO CO., 11/16/17 — The skies may be grey and the days getting too short, but there’s still no shortage of the delicious local bounty available from Mendocino County’s farmers. While some local producers, such as Frey Vineyards, suffered losses after the fire, the local food community is raising funds to help farmers get back on their feet. You can help support them — while enjoying all the tasty things they have to offer — at two upcoming local events: the Taste of Redwood Valley this weekend, and the Good Farm Fund’s 4th Annual Winter Feast on Tuesday, December 5.
The Taste of Redwood Valley is held twice a year, in the fall and spring, to celebrate the diverse vineyards and distilleries who make their home in Redwood Valley. It’s always a great chance to get a free taste — or stock up! — on some of Mendocino County’s tastiest beverages, and this year the free event will also include a BBQ and fundraiser for people affected by the Redwood Fire. Check it out this weekend, Saturday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Nov. 19 from 11am – 5pm, featuring offerings from Graziano Family of Wines, Testa Vineyards, Frey Vineyards, Giuseppe Vineyards, the American Craft Whiskey Distillery, and Greenway Distillers, Inc. Bring your favorite wine glass to enjoy samples, get your passport stamped at the different stops, enjoy some special spirited ice cream, take advantage of holiday discounts, and support local farms. You can read our report on the spring event here, where we made sure to get a good collection of local beverages to keep our staff happy mixing drinks through the year.
On Dec. 5, the Good Farm Fund will be holding their fourth annual Winter Feast to showcase the abundance of local farms and raise funds to support them through a farm-to-table dinner. This year, the event takes place from 6 – 9pm at Barra Wines in Redwood Valley, and the recipients of the $30,000 in Good Farm Fund grants will be announced during the event. Tickets are available here; proceeds go towards supporting the Fund’s programs including farm grant and EBT/CalFresh Market Match funds. In recognition of the Redwood Fire, people who were affected by the fires will be able to attend free, and you can select a “pay it forward” ticket to help cover the costs. The Fund has also put together a list of wildfire resources for farms. If you were affected by the fires and would like to attend, contact [email protected], and applications to receive emergency fire relief are on the organization’s website. We had a great time at last year’s event, you can read more about it here.
