Food Stuff

When I was growing up, “harvest” meant a few weeks in August and September when my dad came home from the almond orchard late and so dusty that he would just leave his jeans in the garage. Now it’s a casual question when he calls: How’s harvest going? To the farmers in the nearby Capay Valley, however, harvest is an all-important time. It’s so significant that for 18 years they’ve been holding the Hoes Down Harvest Festival to celebrate and take a break from all the hard work that brought in the crops. This year’s festival, on October 1 and 2 at Full Belly Farm, has agricultural workshops where you can learn about milking cows or growing herbs, and a bounty of fresh organic food to eat and buy at an all-day farmers’ market. There are kids’ activities to boot, including churning ice cream and carving pumpkins—two good reasons to see what you can reap at the festival. www.hoesdown.org.