A large turn out and beautiful weather kept Shone Farm’s Fall Harvest Festival bustling until closing time Saturday.
The friendly and helpful staff is composed mostly of students from the Sustainable Agriculture and Viticulture programs, passionate about the farm and the outcome of their hard work. Phillip Tenret, a student who usually works in the Shone Farm’s timber forest, happily shared his knowledge of the
farm as a tour guide for the day.
“It’s wonderful what a farm manned mostly by students can offer. That so many different programs with unique goals can come together on this 365 acre farm and be successful is really something,” Tenret said. “Having to learn everything to be a tour guide, I was amazed and now I’m seeing during my tours that our visitors are sharing those same feelings of amazement.”
The staff kept the children excited and interested with activities. The hay ride tours showed everyone how a sustainable farm can be developed and maintained, while allowing children to enjoy the tour and listen with open ears. To keep the hands-on experience going captivating ways such as the Tomato
Slingshot, a huge hit. With a couple hay bale targets and a moving human target, the station was out of its organic ammunition well before the day’s end.
The main attraction was of course the fresh, organic produce. While the farm stand was always busy, the farm plots were constantly flowing with foot traffic as many people chose the “Pick it Yourself” option for gathering produce.
With a handful of tomatoes left on the vines and few pumpkins in the patch, the edible attractions were
almost completely bare by the end of day. Most popular was the strawberry patch.
The wine tasting showcased SRJC’s viticulture program and attracted the older age group for Shone. The crowded cafeteria was a focal point of the festival with the wine tasting stand and the kitchen pumping out grass-fed Shone Farm beef burgers. Healdsburg resident Janice Naumann loved the wine produced by SRJC students.
“I could not have been more impressed. If I had not known where it came from I could easily have believed it was sold at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. The reds and whites were impressive,” Naumann said. “The only knock on the wine was the rosé which was some what watery. I was looking for a little more sweetness, instead it was a bit mild.”
Bryanna Nethery, a volunteer, said Shone Farm provides farm stands a both SRJC and Sonoma State and sells its veggies to the SSU Cafeteria. “Why nothing like that is being done at our own campus is mind-boggling,” she said.