Rachael Carson & Open House at Burbank Farm 9/28,29
Erin Sheffield
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: Open House and Plant Sale at
Luther Burbank’s Experiment Farm
(Gold Ridge Farm)
www.wschsgrf.org
When: Sept 28 &29, 2013, Saturday & Sunday, 10 AM – 4 PM. Free.
Special Entertainment: Lilith Rogers repeats her one-woman show about the life of Rachael Carson** at 1:00 PM on Sunday, Sept. 29. Whitebear offers acoustic folk music at 2 PM. Luther Burbank’s 1916 Willys-Knight Touring Car returns to the Farm for the weekend.
What: Luther Burbank performed most of the experiments which resulted in the creation of more than 800 new varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers at Gold Ridge Farm in Sebastopol. Three acres of the original 18 are maintained by the volunteers from the Western Sonoma County Historical Society, and are open to the public, free of charge.
At Open House, visitors can take a self-guided tour of the grounds. Better yet, join a tour led by a Docent and learn why Luther Burbank was one of the most famous men of his day as you stroll around the paths.
Master Gardeners are available to answer questions. Burbank’s historic cottage is open where you can see the exhibit displaying the history of his Farm. Heritage Jam made from fruit from the Farm, as well as extra Farm tools are for sale. Start your fall planting for rewards next summer with favorite veggie starts and unusual perennials, enjoy sipping cider while you watch it being pressed.
Where: Gold Ridge Farm is located above Burbank Heights and Orchards, just west of downtown Sebastopol on Bodega Ave., Route 12. Turn into the Burbank Heights and Orchards senior housing complex at 7777 Bodega Ave. and you’ll find the Farm at the top of the hill. There is on-site parking as well as Visitor parking at the Heights.
** Rachel Carson Returns to Gold Ridge Farm
www.wschsgrf.org
A One-Woman Show by Lilith Lynn Rogers.
Determined to do her part in protecting the air, water and soil, Lilith Lynn Rogers of Sebastopol has spent the past several years absorbing the life and work of Rachel Carson. A life-long activist, writer and organic gardener, Rogers created this one-woman show to educate and motivate her audience.
Rogers will appear at Luther Burbank’s Experiment Farm on Sunday, September 29th at 1:00PM. This is concurrent with the Farm’s Annual Fall Open House, so before and after the show the audience can browse the selection of plants for sale and take a docent-led tour of the park-like grounds, admiring the horticultural achievements of Burbank. Refreshments and the sale of jams made from the fruits of Gold Ridge Farm contribute to the enjoyment of the day.
In Rachel Carson Returns: Her Life and Work, Rogers offers Carson’s story in the first person, and reads from her books, speeches and letters. Through telling the life of Rachel Carson in her own words, revealing the many personal challenges Carson faced in her life, Rogers inspires others to realize that, through perseverance and dedication, one can achieve one’s goals, that one person can truly make an important difference.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964), one of the most influential writers and thinkers of the 20th century, is widely regarded as the founding mother of the modern environmental movement. Her best-selling book, Silent Spring (1962), alerted the American public to the dangers posed by the widespread and careless use of pesticides, particularly DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons. These came into widespread distribution during and immediately after World War II and were responsible for the near extinction of the Bald Eagle, among other ecological calamities.