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Record Crowd at Farm Bureau’s
Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest
 Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s
19th annual Great Sonoma Crab & Wine
Fest attracted the largest turn-out ever, with
1,100 people savoring a grand night of feasting,
lively conversation and spirited bidding. The
mood was festive and the crowd country-oriented
at the sold-out event held on Feb. 2, in the
Grace Pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
Guests enjoyed nearly 4,000
pounds of fresh Dungeness crab in addition to
gallons of clam chowder, pasta, Cesar salad and
dessert, all polished off with fine wines from
Sonoma County. At the event’s live auction,
guests bid on special lots ranging from a
Corsican Ram hunt to a chuck wagon dinner with
the Dutton family. Auctioneer Rex Williams of
Sebastopol and mistress of ceremonies, Ziggy the
Wine Gal, 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 200 pound
freezer-ready pig, raised by the Ray Crawford
Family of Santa Rosa, clearly indicates that
this is an event where both donors and guests
are closely connected to the land and the
county’s $3 billion farm industry.
The Crab & Wine Fest, which
has become the winter social event for the
county’s farmers and ranchers and their friends
and supporters, raises money for agriculture
education and to assist the 4-H and FFA
programs. The goal of Farm Bureau’s extensive
agricultural education program is to create an
awareness of the county’s annual $3 billion
agricultural industry so that farms and ranches
remain part of the rural landscape for
generations to come.
As part of the Crab Fest,
Farm Bureau holds a raffle. This year, the prize
was an 11 day trip to Tuscany in Italy. The trip
includes a week stay in a private villa in the
Tuscany region.
Carol Carniglia of Santa
Rosa was the winner of the raffle. She attended
the Crab Fest but wasn’t feeling well and left
before the drawing, which was held at the end of
the evening. She learned she had won the trip on
the same day she was diagnosed with breast
cancer. The bad and good news on the same day
left Carol feeling a range of emotions while
strengthening her faith.
“I really feel the Lord is
watching over me,” said Carol. “This trip will
give me something to look forward to as I go
through surgery and treatment for breast
cancer.”
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.
“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 dairy rancher Doug
Beretta, president of Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Beretta 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. What a crowd! The 4-H and FFA kids are
great. What a testimony to the future of
agriculture in Sonoma County,” said Santa Rosa
attorney Eric Koenigshofer, a former county
supervisor.
The crowd included many of
the county’s top grape growers and livestock
ranchers as well as leading business people.
There also were many elected officials including
District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua,
Supervisor Paul Kelley and State Sen. Patricia
Wiggins attending the crab fest. Guests also
included candidates seeking elected office
including Efren Carrillo, who is running for 5th
District Supervisor.
"My grandfather worked in
the vineyards in our county. I have a deep
appreciation for the importance of agriculture
to our economy and our environment,” said
Carrillo. “If I am elected to the board of
supervisors I look forward to working closely
with the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and the
entire community to find common solutions to the
challenges we face."
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 enable Farm Bureau 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 nearly 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 April 9 and 10.
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 “Local Farms Keep Sonoma
County Healthy.”
 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.
“We take great pride in
preparing individuals for careers in agriculture
through our scholarship programs,” said McCorvey,
who grew up in Sonoma County and was an
award-winning member of the Santa Rosa FFA
Chapter. For many years, McCorvey taught
vocational agriculture at Santa Rosa High
School.
Farm Bureau’s crab feed has
grown from a few hundred people to more than a
thousand. When it started 19 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. Four 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.
Another trend is the
increase in the number of guests who buy the
“Captain’s Tables,” which offer full-service,
preferred seating, medal-winning wines and
elegant Wine Country favors. The Captain’s
Tables, costing $800 for 10 people, were
introduced in 2006. The first year there were 21
Captain’s Tables sold. This year guests
purchased 57 Captain’s Tables, enjoying
themselves as 4-H and FFA members served them
bowls of crab, clam chowder, salad and pasta.
“Thanks to everyone who
made the Great Sonoma Crab and Wine Fest such a
wonderful event and such a memorable gathering,”
said McCorvey.
Save the Date!
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.
2008 Crab & Wine Fest Highlights
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