Our Harvest Party — All About Celebrating Community Connections

By Education & Engagement Coordinator Elizabeth

Another productive season has come and gone, and we held a Harvest Party to celebrate the farm, nature’s abundance, and of course, the people who come together around them. 

This years’ Harvest Party was a distillation of what Petaluma Bounty is all about — community connectedness. The October 23, 2021 affair was a cozy event that brought together new and familiar faces to celebrate this year‘s community efforts. 

In preparation for the event, I distributed flyers in neighborhoods all around Petaluma.

Promoting the event was the goal, but connecting with everyone was the prize. Distributing flyers allowed me to get to know all the folks who have yet to experience the Bounty Farm, as well as those who have known us for quite a while. 

It was amazing to get to share some of our ongoing work at the Petaluma Bounty, such as the Farmstand and the Walnut Park Farmers’ Market in which we participate. Letting folks know about our affordable sliding scale at the Farmstand was great as well. What I was most excited to share was that people could come out to the farm to visit, volunteer, and just learn about everything that’s growing in their own backyard. 

During the harvest party, our board members and supporters lead activities for our guests. Activities included apple pressing, arts and crafts, and yoga in the greenhouse. We even provided taste testing so community members could try the fresh produce we grow here at the farm.

On the apple press, we saw volunteer Daniel Green guiding participants through the process by washing and prepping apples before putting them through the press. The sight, scent, and flavor pouring out from the other end of the press were the fruition of a true community effort. Apple cider never tasted so sweet. 

Despite weather concerns, we were able to offer a free yoga session thanks to Dana Christian Lee, founder and executive director of Embody. Her class was held inside our greenhouse and brought a sense of calm under the gentle pitter-patter of rain. The community was welcomed into a safe environment where they could practice mindfulness.

The fun continued in covered spaces like the greenhouse and the hoop house. In the greenhouse, it was a joy to see folks exercise their creativity using old seeds. And of course, our farm cat Chester was on hand to welcome everyone.

We hope everyone will join us again at next year’s Harvest Party. But don’t let a year go by before visiting us again. We are here, ready to welcome you for a farm visit, for fresh produce shopping at the Farmstand or farmers’ market, for a great volunteering experience, or just to say hi.


Our Farmstand hours are Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m. from July to mid/late November. The Walnut Park Farmers’ Market is open through November 20 this year, until next spring. Email education@petalumabounty.org or sign up for our newsletter via our home page for the latest news regarding those outlets.

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