Home / 2010 / September / Harvest Festival

Annual UCSC Farm Harvest Festival set for September 26

Highlights include live music, food, apple tasting, an apple pie bake-off, garden talks, hay rides, events for kids, and tours

September 15, 2010

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The annual Harvest Festival at the UCSC Farm is a fun-filled day of activities, food, games, and more for the whole family.
Entries to the popular apple pie baking contest are accepted until 12:30 p.m. with winners announced at about 2:30 p.m.
The annual Harvest Festival at the UC Santa Cruz Farm is the biggest open house of the year for the pioneering organic and sustainable agriculture programs run by UCSC’s Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems.

This year the celebration of the changing of the seasons takes place Sunday, September 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with live music, food, apple tasting, an apple pie bake-off, garden talks, hay rides, kids’ events, tours, and displays by local farmers, chefs, and campus and community groups.

Admission is free for Friends of the UCSC Farm and Garden, children 12 and under, and UCSC students with valid student ID; $5 for general public.

The Harvest Festival is sponsored by the Friends of the UCSC Farm and Garden and CASFS. It includes major support from New Leaf Community Markets and Stonyfield Yogurt, with additional contributions from Veritable Vegetable, Jacob’s Farm/Del Cabo, Driscoll's, Glaum Egg Ranch, Companion Bakers, and Camp Joy. Event support also comes from UCSC's Measure 43 funding, Dining Services and College Eight.

Directions to the UCSC Farm are available at (831) 459-4140 or by visiting the CASFS web site. Free parking will be available at the Physical Plant and Barn Theater parking lots, and a free shuttle will be available. People Power will provide a bike valet service on site. Pie contest rules are listed below. For additional information, call (831) 459-3240 or see casfs.ucsc.edu.

In addition to scheduled events below, the following activities will take place throughout the day: hay rides, kids’ crafts and face painting, goats and chickens, food and produce sales, community and campus group information tables, and Friends of the Farm and Garden merchandise sales.

2010 Harvest Festival Schedule

Music, Main Stage

Ed Masuga 11 a.m. – noon
The Ashley Lloyd Situation 12:15 – 1:30 p.m.
Peter Weiss & the Earth Rangers 1:45 – 3 p.m.
Bean Creek 3:15 – 5 p.m.

Workshops and Activities

Apple Tasting 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Apple Pie Contest Bake-Off Entries accepted 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Pumpkin Patch Storytellers noon – 12:45 p.m. and 2 – 2:45 p.m.
Walking Tours of the Farm 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Creative Cooking from the CSA Box 1:15 – 2:15 p.m.
When East Meets West: Cooking with
An Asian Family Flavor Twist		 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Worm Compost Workshop 2 – 3 p.m.
The Apple Family Tree: Talk & Sampling 3 – 4 p.m.
Herb Walk 4 – 5 p.m.

Official Rules for the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden Apple Pie Contest

  1. The Friends of Farm and Garden Apple Pie Bake-Off is a nonprofessional baking competition open to Harvest Festival attendees
  2. Contestants are responsible for submitting a written (preferably typed) recipe with their pie.
  3. Contestants are responsible for supplying all ingredients and cooking the pie prior to bringing it to the Bake-Off.
  4. All entries must be homemade.
  5. A representative of the Friends of the Farm and Garden will assign each contestant a number. Contestants should verify the number on the bottom of their container is the same number assigned by the representative.
  6. Prizes will be awarded for taste, presentation, and creativity.
  7. The decision of the judges shall be final. Pie not used during judging will be sold as a fundraiser following the judging.

All pies must be entered by 12:30 p.m. at the Fall Harvest Festival, UCSC Farm. Official judging begins at 12:45 p.m. Winners will be announced at approximately 2:30 p.m. Additional copies of the rules are available by calling (831) 459-3240 or by e-mail to casfs@ucsc.edu