For the seventh year in a row the Heirloom Expo returns to Sonoma County, with three packed days of food, education and fun, Sept. 5 – 7. The celebration of small-scale, organic and sustainable farming returns with a variety of new displays, new speakers and some new vendors.
Founder and organizer Jeremiath Gettle and his compatriots have big plans for this year’s expo. Headlining this year is likely to be the giant seed display. Gettle says hundreds of seed varieties from all over the world will be on display in glass jars and containers. “Ears of corn from the Amazon, every species we can think of, especially unique looking species from tropical seeds to common seeds. Some are larger than a basketball. It’s going to be an interactive display of seeds showing how diverse they actually are,” he said.
In addition, there will be workshops and talks on the importance of collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds, along with a seed exchange at 3 p.m. on Sept, 7. Visitors are encouraged to bring seeds and join in.
There will be speakers each day of the expo, with this year’s headliners including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. celebrity chef Peter Gilmore of Australia and YouTube stars Off Grid’s Doug and Stacy.
Heirloom tomatoes are always a crowd pleaser, and this year heirloom fruit varieties will also take center stage. Stephen Spangler of Exotica Nursery is a pioneer of the rare fruit movement who’ll be on hand and there will be a fruit carver showing off his unique creations.
The giant pumpkin contest returns with $5,000 in prize money, along with a dahlia show and a rare poultry show, also both offering prize money.
Children are always a focus of the expo, and all proceeds go to the Sonoma County School Garden Network and toward the costs of transporting students to the expo. According to its website, last year 5,000 school children attended the expo, thanks to these programs. The Kid’s Festival will feature classes, tastings and games, and a new pavilion of kid’s items.
“Lots of new kid’s activities are planned, and new demos and displays,” Gettle said.
There will be over 30 food vendors and a folk music festival with a fiddler’s contest and an art show, with items made from natural materials.
“We want to invite everybody to come out and have a good time and see what we’re putting together and taste the heirlooms. Every year it’s a little different,” Gettle said.
The Heirloom Expo takes place Sept. 5, 6, and 7 and is held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Tickets are available at the gate, a one-day ticket is $10, a three-day pass is $25 and children are free. The gates will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (The vendor hall opens at 10 a.m.). More information is at www.theheirloomexpo.com.
