Located in the heart of Sonoma County's Russian River Valley", this year's Love of the Land will be held July 13, 2011 at Richard's Grove & Saralee's Vineyard, 3575 Slusser Road in Windsor.

Event parking will be located at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, 4401 Slusser Road.

The Love of the Land event, open to the public, starts at 5 p.m. There will be tasting of Sonoma County wine and food from 5 to 7 p.m. A dinner featuring an array of Sonoma County-grown products will be served at 7 p.m. The dinner will be followed by the awards presentation and live auction.

The mid-summer celebration is open to anyone who wants to join in honoring the agricultural award winners who are leading the way to preserve Sonoma County’s rich farming heritage.

Tickets for the “Love of the Land” wine and food reception and dinner are $65. Reserved tables of eight are $600 and sponsor tables are $1,250. Reservations are due by July 6 and can be made by calling Farm Bureau at 707-544-5575.

Agriculture Leaders Will Be Honored at Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s “Love of the Land”

Clos du Bois winery of Geyerville, the Mulas Family of the Sonoma Valley and Tom Crane, a fourth generation Santa Rosa rancher are among those being honored at Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s “Love of the Land” celebration on July 13 at Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard in Windsor. The three awards recognize excellence in conservation, stewardship and environmental enhancement on the thousands of acres owned and farmed by Clos du Bois in addition to the Crane and Mulas families.

Hall of Fame Inductee~ Lifetime Achievement in Agriculture & Community
Tom Crane - Tom Crane, 72, is a fourth-generation Santa Rosa rancher who raises sheep, cattle, hay and grain on land settled by his great-grandfather in 1852. 

Read more>>

Luther Burbank Conservation
Clos du Bois - Conservation and stewardship are the guiding principles at Geyserville’s Clos du Bois winery, which was promoting sustainability long before most people had even heard of it.
Read more>>

Farm Family of the Year
The Mulas Family - Three generations of the Mulas family work together producing wine grapes and milk on a family ranch that has become an agricultural landmark along Highway 121 between Sonoma and the community of Shellville in the Sonoma Valley.
Read more>>

July 13, 2011 - Love of the Land
Where: "Located in the heart of Sonoma County's Russian River Valley", this year's Love of the Land will be held at Richard's Grove & Saralee's Vineyard, 3575 Slusser Road in Windsor.

Event parking will be located at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, 4401 Slusser Road.

When:
5 p.m. - Taste of Sonoma Reception
7 p.m. - Dinner
Award Presentations & Live Auction to follow

Reservations due by July 6
Call Farm Bureau (707) 544-5575

2010 Love of the Land Article"Love of the Land" Event Celebrates Agriculture Leaders and Sonoma County’s Farming Legacy
Story by Tim Tesconi
Photographs by Dirk Bietau

There were more than 800 people savoring the beauty and bounty of Sonoma County at Farm Bureau’s (2010) “Love of the Land” summer fete held at Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard, a beautiful private vineyard estate in Windsor.

The Love of the Lane event, a benefit for farmland preservation and clean water, was held on July 15 (2010). Guests mingled under the oaks at Richard’s Grove while sipping wines from 23 wineries and 16 food purveyors before feasting on a barbecued beef and chicken dinner prepared by Farm Bureau directors and Preferred Sonoma Caterers. The dinner included locally grown food including tomatoes produced by Kelley Parsons of Santa Rosa, chicken from Petaluma Poultry Processors and greens from Imwalle Gardens in Santa Rosa.

It was a night to celebrate the best of Sonoma County while toasting the agricultural leaders, like Jess Jackson, the Kunde Family of Kenwood and the Balletto Family of Sebastopol -- all dedicated agriculturists maintaining the rich farming heritage that makes Sonoma County such a special place.

Wine industry icon Jess Jackson, 80, captured the spirit of the evening in his eloquent acceptance speech after he received the Farm Bureau Hall of Fame Award. The award recognizes Jackson, who forever changed the dynamics of winegrowing, as one of the pivotal figures in the history of Sonoma County agriculture.

“Family farming is the foundation of civilization,” Jackson said as he talked about his love for farming and the value of Sonoma County’s thriving agricultural industry.

The Love of the Land celebration was held on a perfect summer night in the Russian River Valley, reminding everyone of the moderate climate that has made Sonoma County one of the leading players on the world’s wine stage. Farm Bureau staff and members were assisted by tremendous volunteers from the community and members of 4-H and FFA along with agriculture students from Santa Rosa Junior College, Cal Poly, Chico State University and Fresno State University.

Everyone had a grand time as they cametogether to celebrate the land and people who make Sonoma County one of the premier wine and food regions in California. Farm Bureau takes pride in showcasing all that we have to offer in Sonoma County,” said Robert Muelrath, a Santa Rosa rancher and president of Sonoma County Farm Bureau. This was the second annual Love of the Land celebration. Last year’s event was held at the spectacular MacMurray Ranch. Next year’s Love of the Land will be held at another beautiful site in Sonoma County.

New this year was the Love of the Land Art Show, coordinated by artist Kathleen McCallum, and featuring the work of 30 artists. Many of the works captured the beauty of the farmland that defines Sonoma County.

The evening drew a mix of people, urban and rural, from throughout Sonoma County and parts of Marin, Napa and Mendocino counties. The guests came together under the ancient oaks at Richard’s Grove, a five acre meadow landscaped by property owner Richard Kunde, a noted horticulturist.

Lawyers talked politics with ranchers and political leaders rubbed elbows with their constituents during the reception that preceded the barbecue. In addition to toasting and tasting the county’s beauty and bounty, the evening was a celebration of the special people making a real difference in the preservation and protection of Sonoma County’s $3 billion agricultural industry.

The John Balletto Family, owners of Balletto Winery & Vineyards in the Russian River Valley, was honored as Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s “Farm Family of the Year Award.” The award recognizes the contributions of family farmers like the Ballettos who represent the heart and soul of Sonoma County’s agricultural industry. The Balletto family includes John and his wife, Terri, and their daughters, Jacqueline and Caterina. The family grows grapes on more than 500 acres in the Russian River Valley and produce toptier wines from estate grown grapes at their winery on Occidental Road in Santa Rosa. They are actively involved in community building and support organizations like Farm Bureau that keep Sonoma County agriculture strong and viable.

Jess Jackson, the attorney turned vintner who built one of America’s largest and most profitable wine empires, was inducted into the Sonoma County Farm Bureau Hall of Fame. Jackson’s extraordinary life is gilded by his many accomplishments and defined by his dedication to his family, land, the environment and California’s family winemakers.

The Kunde Estate Winery in Kenwood was the recipient of Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s Luther Burbank Conservation Award. The award recognizes the family’s commitment to sustainable winegrowing, their environmental stewardship and conservation on land that has been in their family for 106 years. The Kunde Family’s sustainable farming program is built on a balance of economic, environmental and social practices that family members and staff put into play every day on the family’s 1,850-acre vineyard estate and winery.

The award recipients were escorted to the outdoor stage in a vintage wagon pulled by draft horses, offering a taste of the power and glory of the Old West. The wagon and horses were driven by legendary teamster Dick Dilworth of Geyserville who generously donated his time and talented team for the night. He was assisted by wife Jan and son Casey Dilworth.

Many people had tears running down their cheeks when the Petaluma Riding and Driving Club’s senior drill team presented the colors while the national anthem was sung by Hope Hansen, a member of the Forestville 4- H Club. The sight of the magnificent horses and beautifully costumed riders set against the natural beauty of Richard’s Grove was touching and inspiring. The riders were Katie McDermott, Gabriele Testa, April Alianza and Rebecca Larcher. Caryn Hoeflein coordinated the Petaluma Riding and Driving Club’s color guard unit.

Lex McCorvey, executive director of Sonoma County Farm Bureau, said the Love of the Land celebration has become a midsummer event on the calendar of many Wine Country residents. Like the Farm Bureau’s Great Sonoma County Crab and Wine Fest held in mid-winter, the Love of the Land brings people together to celebrate and support agriculture and farm youth while savoring fine wines and food.

Wineries and food purveyors offered our guests the true flavor of Sonoma County,” said McCorvey.

The wineries and food purveyors participating in the reception were Alderbrook Vineyards & Winery, Balletto Vineyards, Benovia Winery, Big Boy’s Bar B-Que, Charlie’s, D & L Carinalli Vineyards, DeBernardi Dairy/Two Rock Valley Cheese, Di Vine Pizza, Dutcher Crossing Winery Estate, Francis Coppola Winery, Gary Farrell Wines, James Family Cellars, Jimtown Store, Korbel Champagne Cellars, Kunde Family Estate, Martin Ray Winery, Mazzocco Vineyards, McClelland’s Dairy, Mulas Family Vineyards, Petaluma Creamery, Pezzi-King Vineyards, Preferred Sonoma Caterers, Ramey Wine Cellars, Raymond Burr, Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, Robert Young Estate Winery, Rosso Pizzeria & Bar, Route 128 Winery, Rued Winery, Sift Cupcakery, Suacci Carciere Wines, Taft Street Winery, The Zinful Chef, Valley of the Moon Winery.