Record Crowd Feasts at Farm Bureau’s Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest!
Fresh crab, gold medal wines and country camaraderie combined to make Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s Great Sonoma Crab and Wine Fest a grand night of feasting, bidding and socializing for a record 1,250 people.
The 21st annual Crab Fest, held Feb. 6 in the Grace Pavilion of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, is a benefit that raises money for agricultural education and scholarships. Getting bigger and better each year, the Crab Fest has become the winter social event for the county’s agricultural and business communities and their friends and supporters.
"The event is truly one of a kind. Not only was I impressed with the incredible turn out and organization, but I was also amazed by the generosity of all the folks who were there to support local agriculture and the scholarship funds,” said Mike McGuire, a candidate for 4th District Sonoma County Supervisor. McGuire, who currently serves on the Healdsburg City Council, has been endorsed by Sonoma County Farm Bureau to fill the position formerly held by Paul Kelley, who is not seeking re-election.
Guests enjoyed more than 4,000 pounds of Dungeness crab in addition to gallons of clam chowder, pasta, salad and dessert, all polished off with fine wines from Sonoma County. Hovering over the 1,250 guests during the entire night was a giant, 30 foot wide inflatable crab that added to the festive atmosphere of what many guests called a great party.
At the event’s live auction, guests bid on special lots ranging from a medieval feast for 20 at the spectacular Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga to a trophy buck hunt at the historic Cooley Ranch in Cloverdale. Bidders purchased cave dinners donated by Kunde Estate Winery in Glen Ellen and Robert Young Estate Vineyards in Geyserville.
Auctioneer Rex Williams of Sebastopol kept the banter and bidding going strong during the auction. Auction items like a stainless steel grape gondola from the Guadagni Bros in Dry Creek Valley and a dinner of locally grown “pork and pinot” clearly indicates that this is an event where both donors and guests are closely connected to the land and the county’s annual $3 billion agriculture industry.
Many of the people who come together to orchestrate the crab feed or donate wine, food and auction items are dedicated to preserving Sonoma County’s rich agricultural heritage. The volunteers who help stage the event also believe a strong and viable agricultural industry is essential to maintaining what many consider the heart and soul of Sonoma County.
“It’s so gratifying to see agriculture come together for Farm Bureau’s Great Sonoma Crab and Wine Fest. This event not only gives people a chance to see old friends and enjoy fresh crab from our coast but to raise money for agriculture education, which is so important,” said Santa Rosa rancher Bob Muelrath, president of Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Muelrath said the fresh-faced 4-H’ers and FFA members who helped serve at the Crab Fest best tell the story of why Farm Bureau members and staff work so hard to keep agriculture viable and visible.
"This is a tremendous event that shows the spirit of our great county,” said Joe Pozzi, a Bodega livestock rancher and first vice president of Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
The Crab and Wine Fest is a totally home-grown event staged by Farm Bureau members and staff with the assistance of an army of volunteers. Many of the groups benefiting from Farm Bureau’s agriculture education program pitch in to help set up tables, decorate and serve the meal. Joining the work crew were volunteers from the Santa Rosa Junior College Ag Ambassadors, FFA, 4-H and the Santa Rosa High School Ag Boosters.
Lex McCorvey, executive director of Sonoma County Farm Bureau, said Farm Bureau is committed to providing agricultural education to youth, adults and community leaders so they can better understand the unique aspects of farming, no matter if it’s dairy cows, horses or vineyards. He said the proceeds from the crab fest are used to bring agriculture to those who would otherwise not benefit from a farm experience.
One of Farm Bureau’s major educational efforts is Ag Days, which have been held for 30 years to bring a taste of farm life to city kids. Last year more than 5,000 school children came to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds for Ag Days, which includes livestock displays, a hay maze, horsemanship demonstrations and samples of Sonoma County farm products like apples, cheese and milk. This year’s Ag Days are March 24 and 25.
As part of Ag Days, Farm Bureau also sponsors a number of contests including essay, poster, book mark, scarecrow, mural and photography contests for school children. The contests are a way to get kids thinking about the Sonoma County farms that unfold on the urban fringe. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Family Farms Keep Things Growing.”
Farm Bureau also uses the proceeds from the crab fest to support farm youth organizations like the FFA and 4-H and to fund agricultural scholarships. Last year, the Farm Bureau Foundation awarded more than $30,000 in scholarships to students studying agriculture at college.
“We take great pride in preparing individuals for careers in agriculture through our scholarship programs,” said McCorvey.
Sonoma County poultry rancher Arnie Riebli, a partner in Sunrise Farms, gave Farm Bureau’s scholarship program a tremendous boost by donating $5,000 to assist students in their agricultural education. Other major scholarship donors are Clover-Stornetta Farms in Petaluma, NuCal Foods in Ripon, Dairymens Feed in Petaluma, Beretta Organic Dairy in Santa Rosa and Opperman & Son in Healdsburg.
Farm Bureau’s crab feed has grown from a few hundred people to more than a thousand. When it started 21 years ago, the Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest was held at the Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Building and then as it grew to the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building. Six years ago, the Crab Fest moved to the Grace Pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds to accommodate the ever-growing numbers of people who now consider it a traditional event on their social calendar.
“Thanks to everyone who made the Great Sonoma Crab and Wine Fest such a wonderful event and such a memorable gathering,” said McCorvey.
Plans are already underway for next year’s event, which again will be held the first Saturday night of February in the fairgrounds’ Grace Pavilion.
Fresh crab, gold medal wines and country camaraderie combined to make Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s Great Sonoma Crab and Wine Fest a grand night of feasting, bidding and socializing for a record 1,250 people.
Many of the people who come together to orchestrate the crab feed or donate wine, food and auction items are dedicated to preserving Sonoma County’s rich agricultural heritage. The volunteers who help stage the event also believe a strong and viable agricultural industry is essential to maintaining what many consider the heart and soul of Sonoma County.
As part of Ag Days, Farm Bureau also sponsors a number of contests including essay, poster, book mark, scarecrow, mural and photography contests for school children. The contests are a way to get kids thinking about the Sonoma County farms that unfold on the urban fringe. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Family Farms Keep Things Growing.”