Farm Livin' is the Life for Me
Sebastopol's agricultural heritage runs deep. You can see it in the weekly farmers market and in the many farm-to-table eateries around town. Here are a few ways to enjoy the bounty:
Sebastopol Farmers Market
At the Sebastopol Farmers Market
Check out the year long Sebastopol Farmer’s Market, every Sunday, 10 am – 1:30 pm, in the downtown Plaza. Artisan cheeses, locally baked breads, herbs, sprouts, handspun wool, teas, produce and flowers all make a bountiful appearance each week. Children play in the fountain. Musicians play in the gazebo. Enjoy dancing to the music, or take your turn with a hula hoop!
You can also buy lunch at the Farmers’ Market. There are a wide range of options including organic breakfast and lunch fare, homemade tamales, sushi burritos, Indian curries and from-scratch paella.
Farm Stays and U-Picks
Western Sonoma County is home to many small family farms. Check out Sonoma County Farm Trails to find maps to farms you can visit, U-Pick farms, events at local farms, and farms that offer overnight lodging.
The magical Gravenstein Apple
Gravenstein apples on the tree
Sebastopol's heirloom apple, the Gravenstein, is known for its crisp, slightly sweet, slightly tart flavor. In the early 1900s there were over 11,000 acres of Gravenstein orchards. The Gravenstein is our town emblem. We celebrate the springtime with the Apple Blossom Festival: a delightful hometown parade down Main Street on Saturday morning and live music, dancing, food and crafts over the rest of the weekend. Gravensteins are ready to harvest from mid-July to August. No one wants to miss the Gravenstein Apple Fair, dubbed the “sweetest Little Fair in Sonoma County,” which happens every August. Bring the kids to the oak-studded fields of Ragle Ranch Park to see the draft horses, watch the little two-stroke antique engines at work, or enter the pie-eating contest. Dance to live music, sing along with the Love Choir, and enjoy local food, arts and crafts. Something for everyone at this delightful village hoe-down.
Farm-to-Glass
Sebastopol is also part of the Wine Country. For those in search of wine, beer, cider or spirits, there are tasting rooms all over town and at the Barlow, the 12-acre maker marketplace where you can meet the makers, often right there on the premises.
Pinot Noir grapes
You can also visit some of the many award-winning small family vineyards that dot the hillsides and valleys around Sebastopol. Sebastopol's wineries are located smack in the middle of three overlapping appellations (the french word for grape-growing regions): The Russian River Valley appellation, the smaller Green Valley appellation, and the overarching Sonoma Country appellation. Sebastopol wineries make several varieties of wine, but thanks to the fog that pours over the western hills in the early evening all summer, our region is world famous for two cool weather varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir is light, luscious and complex red wine, while west Sonoma County county Chardonnays are bright and crisp - a whole other universe from the blousy, oaky Chardonnays of yore.
Check out the Russian River Valley Winegrowers to locate vineyards by wine variety, those with tours or picnic facilities, those that are organic and those that are kid- and pet-friendly.
Farm-to-Table
Sebastopol lies at the foot of the fertile Gold Ridge, where a famous early 20th century plant breeder named Luther Burbank established his Experiment Farm because, as he said, “I firmly believe, from what I have seen, that this is the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned.”
With so much agricultural abundance, Sebastopol is full of farm-to-table restaurants. Area chefs pride themselves on their use of local ingredients, ranging from cheesecakes crafted with locally made chevre to seasonal entrees cooked with produce picked just that morning. And if you have special dietary needs (e.g., vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free), many of our restaurants highlight those options specially on the menu.
See our list of local restaurants, conveniently organized by type of cuisine.
Farm-to-Patient
And in Sebastopol, we know that good food is good medicine. One of our premier non-profits is the Ceres Project where local teens are taught organic gardening and commercial culinary skills as they prepare foods that are delivered free to area residents coping with a serious illness. The mission of the Ceres Project is to energize communities by linking what we eat and how we care for each other with the health of people and the planet. What’s not to love?!?!
Herbs and Cannabis. Local cannabis growers are well-represented in the local cannabis shops, and local herbalists sell their wares in local herb shops and at the farmers market. If what ails you, can be solved with herbs or a little CBD, you can find a list of your options here.