Inside Sonoma

There’s nothing like a good play on words, which is one of the many reasons we love Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma. The name is a twist on “Tierra Firma,” which, of course, means firm ground. It also happens to be a veiled reference to Tara Smith, the woman who, along with her family, owns [...]

If you close your eyes while browsing produce at the Tierra Vegetables stand on Airport Road in Santa Rosa, you might just hear Cliff Clavin pontificating on random facts. No, John Ratzenberger’s famous “Cheers” character doesn’t work the register, but the farm stand itself is such a haven for local lovers of fresh fruits and [...]

There’s a new wine and cheese pairing available at Healdsburg’s C. Donatiello Winery—an experience that showcases the facility’s on-site garden and organic goodies from around Sonoma County. For $20 per person, visitors receive four 2-ounce glasses of wine, modest hunks of cheese from Bellwether Farms in Petaluma, and a variety of delicious condiments and other [...]

For generations, birdwatchers have, um, flocked, to Sonoma County to catch glimpses of their avian heartthrobs in the wild. Now, thanks to a new eco-tourism resource put together by two Sonoma men, there’s an easier way to find out where to go. The Web site, SonomaBirding.org, debuted earlier this summer. Its founders, Tom Rusert and [...]

There’s a great new way for Sonoma County residents (and just about everyone else) to calculate specifically how much water they’re using in their day-to-day lives: the WeCalc, developed by the Pacific Institute in Oakland. The Web-based calculation schema essentially helps users determine their “water footprint.” By asking users a series of questions, the questionnaire [...]

With the Sonoma County Fair beginning this week (festivities start Tuesday), there’s no shortage of opportunities to celebrate everything our fabulous county has to offer. A handful of exhibits tout “Sustainable Sonoma” and feature environmentally minded residents who have made names for themselves promoting eco-friendly practices. The Eco-Art exhibit, for instance, showcases artists that create [...]