by Susan LaTempa, former editor at the L. A. Times Food Section, author of Storybook Travels and the Summer Garden Cookbook
APPLE FAIR — In the Guerneville area, August is the beginning of apple season. Gravenstein, a little known variety, is the first kind to ripen around here, and we celebrate with a joyous down-home country fair. The 2013 Gravenstein Apple Fair is August 10 and 11 in Sebastapol– a 15-mile half-hour drive along scenic Hwy 116, which is named The Gravenstein Highway.
Apple fairs have been held in this town since 1910, when Gravensteins, which originated in Denmark, were a major crop in this area. Farmers not only devoted many many acres to orchards but also used the variety as a central ingredient in the production of applesauce, cider, brandy and other products that were sent far and wide to grocery stores. At the fair, you’ll find a wine and cider tent, pie-eating and -making contests, goat-milking demos, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, lots of live music and more. Admission is $12 adults and there’s a parking charge for premium on-site parking but there’s also bike valet on site and shuttles from other parking spots.
Gravenstein Apple Fair, Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastapol, CA. Aug. 10, 10-6; Aug. 11 10-5. www.gravensteinapplefair.com
WALKERS APPLES– You’ll see their booth if you get to the fair, but to catch a firsthand look at a still-thriving working orchard, go to Walker’s Apples. It’s wonderful, wide-open, country warehouse operation at the end of a dirt road in Graton, about 5 miles and 10 minutes from Sebastapol, further along the Gravenstein Hwy. It’s not a pick-your-own place, but it’s a great stop, full of harvest smells and sights.
In the “town” (a crossroads really) of Graton, you take Upp Road into the country. It turns into a dirt road and though you don’t feel far from civilization, the road does seem to go on a bit. Watch for occasional markers to guide you. At the end, a jumble of farm sheds, tractors, pick-ups trucks and dogs means you’ve arrived. In the shed, as workers pack the apples for distribution to area grocery stores, an employee will break off from counting or doing paperwork and gesture you to a tasting table area. You can sample and ask questions, and then select a small, medium or a bushel bunch of fresh fruit.
The Walkers grow some 25-plus varieties. They’re open through mid-November.
- July – August: Gravenstein, MacIntosh
- Early Sept: Macintosh, Red Gold, Empire, Red Delicious, Greening, Bellflower, Golden Delicious, Winter Banana, Jonathan
- Mid September: Northern Spy, Baldwin, York Imperial, Winesap; Early October: Granny Smith, Rome Beauty
- Mid October: Ben Davis, Arkansas Black, Ortley, Pippen, Winter Permain, Wagner, Pink Lady
Walker Ranch, 10955 Upp Rd, Graton, CA 95444; (707) 823-4310. No website.https://www.facebook.com/WalkerApples.
