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TRAIL OF TREASURES: THERE'S NO BETTER TIME TO SAMPLE THE BEST OF WINE COUNTRY AGRICULTURE
Published on March 24, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
Correction: For the Record published March 25, 2005
The current address and phone number for Peg's Dollhouse are 570 Montgomery Road, Sebastopol, 823-3478. An outdated address and phone number were printed on Page D8 Thursday. (The error has been corrected below.)BYLINE: GEORGE LAUER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
PAGE: D1
This year's ``treasure map,'' the 2005 edition of the Sonoma County Farm Trails Map & Guide, is hot off the press this week, just in time for spring.
``We think of it as one big treasure map,'' says Jayne Burns, programs manager for Farm Trails. ``It gets updated and changes a little each year but basically, the treasure is always there. You just have to get a map and go looking for it.''
The Farm Trails Map & Guide lists more than 130 farms, ranches, fish ponds, nurseries, vineyards and wineries opening their gates to the public. You'll find produce ranging from chestnuts and Asian pears to Sonoma County's indigenous Crane melons. Animals range from the domestic -- chickens, ducks, goats, lambs, rabbits -- to the exotic -- camels, ostriches, giraffes, buffalo and antelope.
Founded in 1973, Sonoma County Farm Trails pioneered the idea of agritourism in California, now a standard practice up and down the state to help small farms and ranches stay solvent. ``I've been breeding rabbits for 28 years -- since I was 9 years old -- but it was only about three years ago that it switched from being a hobby to a business,'' said Lisa Kirsten, who runs the Bunny Barn in Forestville. She joined Sonoma County Farm Trails this year. ``When you make that jump from hobby to livelihood, it doesn't make sense not to become part of Farm Trails,'' Kirsten said. ``That's what puts you on the map.'' Many farms and ranches plan special activities for kids. One farm is even run by kids: three youngsters, with their mom as consultant, manage Tatanka Farms, specializing in pumpkins in Valley Ford. Several stops on the trail plan public events this weekend and next, the first full weekends of spring. (Spring officially began four days ago with the vernal equinox Sunday at 4:33 a.m.) Although Farm Trails farmers and ranchers welcome visitors, they also have lives. ``Please remind people that they need to check the guide and the map to see what the situation is before just going somewhere,'' Burns said. ``A lot of our places are `appointment only,' and we should remember that most of these farms are also people's homes and we should respect their privacy.'' It's a good policy to call and double-check even for scheduled events, which can fill quickly. .Places to sample Here are a few places with activities planned this weekend: Bloomfield Bees & Bouquets: It's difficult to get an accurate count, but Frank and Kathy Cox figure they have about half a million bees on their Sebastopol farm. Their roadside stand features lots of honey, honeycomb and other bee-related stuff. There's a cross-sectioned ``bee tree'' where you can see the innards of a natural hive. They also have blue and green eggs (nothing to do with the bees) and Sonoma County Harvest Fair award-winning dahlia tubers. Open daylight hours. Bloomfield Road and Highway 116, south of downtown Sebastopol. 823-2804. Bodega Goat Ranch: Tour of cheese- and milk-making facility, visit animals, tour of sustainable gardening model and taste testing. Just outside town of Bodega. Call for directions, times. 876-3483. Canvas Ranch: Meet lambs with names almost as big as they are: Olde English Babydoll Miniature Southdown lambs. Also cashmere goat kids, baby chicks, a couple of acres of vegetables and herbs. Also barn art studio of Tim Schaible. Open Saturday and Sunday. 755 Tomales Road, just west of Coast Guard Center gate. 766-7171. Koi and Pond: New showroom at Santa Rosa fish and pond center will be celebrated with a sale April 1 and 2. Specialists in ponds, water filtration, Japanese koi and water plants. 3876 Llano Road. 584-4228. Tierra Vegetables: Garden tours offered regularly. Sheep-shearing demonstration planned April 10. Farming 17 acres on Airport Boulevard near Highway 101 north of Santa Rosa since 1980, Tierra's farm is now protected by a Sonoma County Open Space District easement. 837-8366. Bunny Barn: Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday (a notorious day for rabbits), is bunny pick-up day when families can retrieve their rabbits who are now old enough to leave mom. Visitors as well as bunny buyers are welcome. The Bunny Barn has all kinds and sizes of rabbits as well as cages and hutches. 5924 Van Keppel Road, Forestville. 887-2276. New to the trail Each year since Sonoma County Farm Trails was born in 1973, a few farms drop off and some newcomers arrive. This year's batch of newcomers offers a range of produce and experience from organic fruit to dollhouses. Here's a taste of this year's new offerings: Golden Nectar Farm: A hundred varieties of organically grown fruit, straw bale and cob buildings, solar system as well as vegetables, flowers and herbs. 63-64 Starr Road, Windsor. 838-8189. Jacob's Jamboree: Mini farm with llamas, alpacas, rabbits, cats, dogs, specializing in farm experiences for kids. Off Lynch Road in Sebastopol. Call for directions. 824-5611. Marin French Cheese Factory: Longtime favorite picnic and tour spot between Petaluma and Point Reyes bills itself as country's oldest cheese factory. 7500 Red Hill Road, Petaluma. 762-6001. Peg's Dollhouse: As the name suggests, you'll find dollhouses as well as trains, miniature roses and other assorted scale-size offerings. 570 Montgomery Road, Sebastopol. 823-3478. You can reach Staff Writer George Lauer at 521-5220 or glauer@pressdemocrat.com.
PHOTO: 2 by CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / The Press Democrat
1 no credit
For the Record published March 25, 2005
The current address and phone number for Peg's Dollhouse are 570 Montgomery Road, Sebastopol, 823-3478. An outdated address and phone number were printed on Page D8 Thursday. (The error has been corrected below.)
1: Deborah Walton feeds a pair of Olde English Miniature Babydoll
Southdown lambs that were rejected by their mothers at Canvas
Ranch, which also grows vegetables and herbs off Tomales Road east of
Cotati.
2: Kathy Cox examines one of her beehives at Bloomfield Bees &
Bouquets.
3: Canvas Ranch, a stop on Farm Trails, is home to an
Olde English Miniature Babydoll Southdown lamb, above, and an Araucana chick,
below.
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