Randy Mack | Realtor | 707.696.6272

    Heidi Faulkner | Realtor | 707.480.4098

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Better than Apple Pie

If Sebastopol California is known for anything, it is the Gravenstein Apple. This tart fruit is synonymous with late summer in Northern California. We are a community that is connected to the land, the bounty it provides, and the tasty treasures that are produced. The history of Sebastopol and the culture are so connected to this palm-sized gem!

Gravenstein Apple Fair

The Gravenstein Apple is a tart apple that is yellow-green with some red lines. Due to some characteristics of the tree itself and of the flowers, Gravenstein apples are particularly difficult to harvest and sell. But those same characteristics make for a variable ripening season, solidifying the historic importance of this apple due to the fact that sometimes you can get the apples over a very long period of time.

Gravenstein AppleThese beautiful fruits are grown in many places around the world. In Austria, brandy is created from the juice of this fruit. In Australia, this apple is particularly special because the apple season only lasts for a few weeks. In Canada, although grown on both West and East Coasts, it is primarily a backyard fruit and not heavily produced for commercial uses. The Gravenstein was proclaimed the national Apple of Denmark in 2005, and is also grown in countries such as Norway and New Zealand, but not too a large commercial degree. In the United States, the Gravenstein is found primarily on the West Coast. As we in Northern California know, this apple is particularly found in Sonoma County.

Carl Sagan Quote

Sebastopol Apple Blossom

In the early 19th century, the Gravenstein Apple was brought to Northern America and has a history of being used as applesauce or dried apples during World War II.

Here in Northern California, the Gravenstein can be harvested in August, yet is often gone by Labor Day. Gravenstein apples are often used as a baking fruit due to their tart and juicy nature. Although these apples ripen and can be harvested earlier than most, they do not travel as well as some of the more well-known apples we see in far-off supermarkets. Although this makes for difficult transcontinental sales, it does provide a beautiful niche here in Nothern California in the slow food movement. Restaurants such as Chez Panisse in Berkeley try and incorporate this fruit into their seasonal menu. For reasons including its ability to grow in Sebastopol’s mild climate, the early harvest, and the tart flesh, Northern California has created this perfect bubble for this beautiful fruit to thrive.

Gravenstein Apple Fair is held in Sebastopol’s Ragle Park on August 11th and 12th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. This year marks of 45th Gravenstein Apple Fair put on by Sonoma County Farm Trails. Known as “the sweetest little fair in Sonoma County“, this charming festival is held under shaded oak trees in a beautiful neighborhood park. The family-friendly feel, the smell of apples in the air, and the quaint setting, all help to create a true hometown feel and showcase a little bit of everything we love about small-town life in Sonoma County. As Northern California continues to gain notoriety for fine wines, the apple industry faces new challenges, finding a reason to take a moment this August and celebrate the Gravenstein in Sebastopol, California.

Posted in: Blog, FarmProperty,FarmtoTable,Gardening Tagged: #farmtotable, #Gravenstein, #gravensteinapplefair, #gravensteinapples, #mack-faulknerrealestate, #sebastopol, #sebastopolagent, #sonomacounty

Sonoma County’s Purple Bounty

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Once again, we’ve reached the time of year when the fields of Sonoma County are painted purple and the fragrance of lavender soothes our every breath.

A flower with many purposes, lavender has been used by the Egyptians in their mummification process, the Romans in their bathhouses, and by medieval monks in tonics and laundries. This incredibly diverse and gorgeous plant grows in abundance across several Sonoma County lavender farms, and is harvested profit crop. One of these lavender farms belongs to our clients at Sunrise Ridge Gardens.

Spring and summer at Sunrise Ridge is showcase time for the Provence Lavender, which grows in abundance on the property’s hillside and along the borders of the garden’s many citrus trees. By late April the flower stocks appear, blooming in full by the middle of May. Their fragrance is unmistakable, carried as it is along the warm Northern California breezes.

This beautiful plant offers many rewards. For one, it is known to be easy to grow, in part because of its impervious resistance to the threat from deer and snails. Meanwhile, it is beloved by bees and butterflies, which pollinate it and aid in its spread. For centuries, lavender has been known for its calming properties, and these benefits can be realized by simply picking a flower wand and placing it in a room. Dried lavender is used in spas and spa products the world over, and has been used in pillows as a natural sleep aid, insect repellent and anti-bacterial/microbial barrier.

Tricia Drevets, a Natural Health reporter for OffTheGridNews has put together a diverse list of uses for lavender, in essential oil form:

  • Breathe Fresh. Create a DIY Air freshener by filling a jar about half full of baking soda and about a dozen drops of lavender essence oil. Poke several holes in the jar’s top and place the covered jar in any room needs a little freshening.

 

  • Find your Zen. When you are feeling a little stressed out, try placing a drop or two of lavender oil on your wrist or temple for a quick calming effect on your entire body. Some researchers say the scent of lavender can lower your heart rate and decrease your blood pressure.

 

  • Flake Free.  Sometimes used as a dandruff remedy, lavender oil can help dry, flaking scalp conditions. Mix 10 drops of lavender oil in two tablespoons of almond oil. Microwave the solution for about 10 seconds. Apply the warm solution to your scalp after you have wet your hair and toweled it dry. Leave the solution on under a shower cap for an hour before shampooing it out. Repeat as necessary.

 

  • Shoo Mosquitos. Lavender can be a natural and affective deterrent to mosquitoes. Add 10 to 15 drops of lavender oil to five ounces of distilled water. Pour solution in a spray bottle and mist your arms, legs and feet for a sweet scented bug repellent without the chemicals!

 

  • Headache relief. Put several drops of lavender oil onto a washcloth that has been soaked with hot water. Wring out excess moisture. Apply the hot compress to your forehead and reduce the pain of headaches or a sinus infection.

 

  • Bites and stings. Add one or two drops of lavender oil directly to an insect bite or sting for quick relief of pain and itching.

 

  • Fresh Laundry. Forgo the chemicals in commercial laundry scents and add several drops of lavender oil to your washing machine’s final rinse cycle or a woolen dryer ball in the dryer to give your clothes a light, clean-smelling scent.

 

  • Carpet Refresher. Freshen up your carpets and rugs by adding about five drops of lavender oil to a cup of baking soda and sprinkling the mixture over the surface. Let it sit for about an hour before vacuuming thoroughly.

 

  • Breathe Easy. Lavender oil can help relieve some congestion conditions by assisting the body naturally to eliminate phlegm. Add a few drops of lavender oil to a vaporizer or inhaler or apply a few drops of oil to the skin of the neck, chest or back when you have a cough or cold.

 

  • Supple Skin. Lavender helps relieve dryness, soothe itching and reduce the appearance of stretch marks or scarring. Add five drops of lavender oil to one tablespoon of carrier oil such as almond oil. This mixture is also effective in moisturizing and softening and soothing dry skin on your feet.

 

  • Ouch, hot!  For a painful sunburn relief, add 10 to 15 drops of lavender oil to five ounces of distilled water. Pour solution in a spray bottle and gently mist skin with the soothing spray. Reapply as needed to help relieve pain and to promote healing.

Lavender harvest occurs is June/July when the spikes have achieved full color and the last flowers are open. The lavender typically will bloom again in late summer or early fall, to be ready for a second harvest in September/October. When harvesting this diverse plant you must remember to prune and shear the wands just slightly down into the plant. This will avoid the plants becoming woody over time.

We welcome you to come to Sunrise Ridge Gardens and witness these extraordinary herbs in person, as 497 plants are harvested and hung in the yurt for drying, to later be sold and used in a multitude of products, culinary achievements and home adornments this summer.

 

 

 

 

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Posted in: FarmProperty,FarmtoTable,Gardening

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Contact Information

Randy Mack and Heidi Faulkner
Artisan Sotheby's International Realty
6984 McKinley Street
Sebastopol CA 95472
(707) 696-6272
(707) 480-4098
Fax: (707) 824-0587
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About Us

We are proud to have aligned ourselves with Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty an inspirational brand based on heritage, tradition and expertise. We are setting new standards by refining the art of residential brokerage with a practiced eye of identifying the unique value of a property. We offer a deep commitment to excellent service and have a passion for unparalleled quality. Unique homes require skillful marketing through our local expertise and Sotheby’s International Realty interconnected global network of offices that are dedicated to the extraordinary.

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I wish to express my satisfaction and confidence in your ability to find an ideal home for anyone that I would refer to you. My own experience in purchasing and selling a home with you allowed me to witness the fact that you are truly an expert in your field, handling all aspects of residential real estate transactions. From the beginning, your market analysis to the final stages of negotiations, your calm manner and clear explanation kept me knowing I was in the best of hands.

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Contact Us

Randy Mack - Realtor CA BRE#01252462
randy@mack-faulkner.com

(707) 696-6272
6984 McKinley Street
Sebastopol, CA 95472



Heidi Faulkner - Realtor CA BRE#01227446
Heidi@mack-faulkner.com

(707) 480-4098
6984 McKinley Street
Sebastopol, CA 95472



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