30 April 2022
To: Sebastopol City Council
Re: Gravenstein Apple Fair application for sponsorship
Dear Council Members,
My name is Vince Trotter, and I enjoy the good fortune of serving as President of the Board of Directors for Sonoma County Farm Trails. I am also a Sonoma County farmer, a member of the Sustainable Ag Advisory Committee at Santa Rosa Junior College and the Agricultural Ombuds for Marin County’s University of California Cooperative Extension Office. Since I joined the Board of Farm Trails in 2014, I have also volunteered every year at the Gravenstein Apple Fair, helping to coordinate and direct ticket sales, cash-handling and parking as well as traffic into and through Ragle Park.
I write this letter to express my sincerest hope that you will approve our application for assistance with this year’s Apple Fair. For years, we have valiantly worked with our dedicated volunteers to mitigate back-ups along Ragle Ranch Road and ease congestion at the main entrance to the Fair. However, I know that the professional, experienced personnel of the Sebastopol Police would be much better equipped to smooth the flow of traffic as thousands of drivers navigate this busy intersection, allowing us to focus our volunteers on serving those visitors inside the Fair. Additionally, your support in securing the shuttles that ferry visitors from our two satellite parking lots will help relieve congestion at the park itself and allow people to focus on enjoying the event and its beautiful setting rather than waiting in traffic. 2022 promises to be an important year for Sonoma County Farm Trails and the Gravenstein Apple Fair. As the pandemic eases, we see public excitement growing to resume favorite activities and to connect again with fellow members of the community. The Apple Fair is our primary fundraiser and one of the most powerful ways that we draw people closer to Sonoma County’s agricultural traditions. We hope that a successful Fair will restore financial stability to our organization and serve as a meaningful reminder to all those who have missed this sweet event that the heartbeat of our community is strong.
The motto of this year’s Fair is, “Come to the Table”, and as the tagline would suggest, this event serves as an invitation to the entire region to gather and find pleasure again in good food, in rich traditions, in music and in togetherness. If the Gravenstein Apple Fair is the “table” to which all are called, then Sebastopol is the warm home in which that table is set. I hope that you will support us in extending that invitation and welcoming all to our home.
Thank you,
Vince Trotter