Fall Chest­nut Gathering

As promised, here are the plans for Mendocino Permaculture's 28th Annual Chestnut Gathering and George Zeni Memorial Potluck at the Zeni Ranch on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 10am until 3:30pm, rain or shine. There is no charge to attend the event.

The Zeni Ranch's 100-year-old dry-farmed chest­nut trees are a testament to the sustainability of tree crops. Pick your own freshly fallen chestnuts off the ground. De-burring the chestnuts on the ground is easier with good boots, and gloves also help. To take some chestnuts home with you, the price per pound is $2.50 if you gather them or $3.50 from their stockpile.

The schedule:

10:30am-3:30pm. Chestnut gathering and tasting chestnuts roasted over an open fire

12:30-2pm. Potluck, music, show and tell of local self-sufficiency

2-3pm. Doug Mosel will share his experience with growing grain locally and grain co-ops

Please bring:

• Potluck dish made with as many locally-grown ingredients as possible (re-heating oven available)

• Plate, utensils, cup, and napkin

• Homemade wines are welcome for a taste off.

• Fruit, nut, or vegetable harvests to show and tell. There will be demonstration tables set up.

• Labeled de-leafed cuttings of hard-to-root plants like mulberry, apricot, prune, European plum, cherry, or other plants/cuttings to share. This is the best sea­son to start cuttings with minimal equipment.

The Zeni Ranch is at mile marker 15.6 on Fish Rock Road (County Highway 122). From Coast Highway 1, junction of Fish Rock (5 miles north of Gualala), go 15.5 miles east. From Highway 128 and Fish Rock Road the junction is at marker 36.56, about 7.7 miles east of the Highway 256/128 junction, or 4.7 miles west of Yorkville, then drive 13 miles on Fish Rock Road to marker 15.6. Using odometer and mile markers, it's an easy and enjoyable slow drive through a most beautiful and very remote part of the county.

For more information call: Mark Albert 462-7843, Barbara/Rob Goodell 895-3897, Jane Zeni 895-2309, or Linda Zeni 884-4208.

Mark your calendars for the 2010 Winter Abun­dance scion and seed exchange at Anderson Valley High School domes on Saturday, January 30, 2010. To be added to our mailing list, please call Mark Albert to give him your email (preferably) or your mailing address.