Sustainable farming fest at Jack London

On Sunday, Oct. 5, at Jack London State Historic Park, the Jack London Sustainability Farm Festival will highlight Jack London’s legacy as a farming pioneer and connect with the innovators of today and their vision to preserve the land for tomorrow.

Sustainable agriculture today is an integral part of life in Sonoma County. But yesterday – 100 years ago – when famous writer Jack London created his “Beauty Ranch,” (the land that is now Jack London State Historic Park), he was actually experimenting with many of these same sustainable farming ideas, unheard of at the time.

The daylong festival at Jack London State Historic Park brings together the pioneers of today’s Sonoma County sustainable farming culture to share ideas and celebrate good farming and good eats. A free family-friendly event which includes music, food, “DIY fun learning” activities for kids and adults, as well as individual information stations coupled with park docents explaining London’s early farming techniques. This experience will be a step into a time capsule, as if to jettison to 1915 to observe his consultations on farming innovations with Luther Burbank and discover how that relates to today.

In 1915, when Jack London was experimenting with groundbreaking methods of farming and progressive more humane methods of dealing with farm livestock, he was far ahead of his time. A recent article in Modern Farming, “Jack London’s Futuristic Farm,” sums it up: “Jack London has been called many things throughout history, among them, an author, explorer, visionary and a socialist. He has even been called the greatest romantic of his time. However, above all these fancy titles, he was a farmer – and an inventive one at that.”

View rare footage of Jack London, a few days before he died, working with his farm animals at Beauty Ranch.

The day starts at 11 a.m. with “Autumn Farm Forum,” part of the popular quarterly series talking about food and farming in Sonoma County, presented by Marcy Smothers and Clark Wolf.

At noon, information stations will open. The complete program of participants is available online at jacklondonpark.com/sustain.html, but will feature representatives from Benziger Family Winery, Fiber Arts, Luther Burbank Experimental Gardens, Nana Maes Organics, Oak Hill Farms, Quarryhill Botanical Gardens, Quarter Acre Farms, Sonoma County Beekeepers Association, Sonoma County Waste Management, Sonoma Water Agency, The Green Team – Sonoma Valley High School Wolf Pack Recycling Team, Two Moon Farm as well as Breck Parkman, Senior Archeologist California State Parks, Jack London State Historic Park Master Gardner, and other current local innovators in the sustainability movement.

The event is free, but there is a $10 a car parking fee. Jack London State Historical Park is located at 2400 London Ranch Road in Glen Ellen.

For details, visit jacklondonpark.com or call 938-5216.