They were to western Sonoma County what Kona is to macadamia nuts, or sockeye salmon to Bristol Bay: a food emblematic of the region. photo credit: Courtesy of Amber Elizabeth
They were to western Sonoma County what Kona is to macadamia nuts, or sockeye salmon to Bristol Bay: a food emblematic of the region, a comestible that simultaneously drove the local economy and served as a cultural icon.
But that was many years ago. Gravenstein apple orchards were once ubiquitous in the rolling hills and fertile vales surrounding the town of Sebastopol. Back then, close to 15,000 acres of “Gravs” grew here, and several large processors turned the fruit into sauce, cider and vinegar for distribution across the nation. And now?
“I think maybe there’s 600 to 800 acres left,” said Stan Devoto, a Sebastopol area farmer who cultivates 46 acres — mainly apples, including Gravensteins, but also some wine grapes and cut flowers. “People love Gravensteins. They’re a very early apple, they have great acidity and tremendous flavor complexity, but there are also a lot of things working against them in the marketplace.”…