27 April 2023
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 grant our request for sponsorship of this year’s Apple Fair. For years, we have valiantly worked with our dedicated volunteers to minimize back-ups along Ragle Ranch Road and ease congestion at the main entrance to the Fair. Last year, however, the City of Sebastopol generously provided us with the assistance of several members of the Sebastopol Police, and we witnessed firsthand the power of having experienced professionals manage such a critical intersection. Given the thousands of drivers that navigate this busy crossing, your support improved the experience of fairgoers as they arrived, while allowing us to focus our own volunteers on serving those fairgoers once they were inside the event. Additionally, your assistance in securing the shuttles to ferry visitors from our two satellite parking lots relieved congestion at the park itself and helped ensure that visitors took home lasting memories of a wonderful event in a beautiful setting rather than of waiting in traffic.
This is a landmark year for Sonoma County Farm Trails and the Gravenstein Apple Fair. 2023 marks our 50th anniversary, and we have applied ourselves to delivering an event befitting of the milestone. For many residents of Sebastopol, Santa Rosa and other parts of Sonoma County, the Gravenstein Apple Fair is a cultural touchstone and a seasonal tradition that dates back to their childhood and even the childhood of their parents. It is, of course, Farm Trail’s primary fundraiser; providing the funds to work towards our vision of “farms forever.” But more importantly, the Apple Fair is a manifestation of that vision; inviting people into closer connection with Sonoma County’s agricultural traditions and history. On this, our Golden Jubilee, we will honor that history and lift up the rich stories of those who feed us.
I thank you for considering the Gravenstein Apple Fair for sponsorship and for helping us to once again deliver this beloved event to all.
Thank you,
Vince Trotter