This weekend, while the rest of my family was out hunting blacktail deer , I performed with Scott Gerber at the Gravenstein Apple Fair.  I had committed to perform on this date months ago and didn’t realize it fell on on the opening weekend of the A-zone Rifle season.

Sott and I under the oaks at Ragle Ranch Park

 Scott sang his original songs from his album “Cowboy Songs”, while I performed selections from my book Ranchers Rhymes.  We did a one hour set to a crowd that ranged from 4 years old to 92 years young.  We performed on Stage 1 under a big oak tree that shaded about 100 seats, which consisted of 2×12 boards laid across straw bales.  In fact the atmosphere was one of the old time country fair. 

On the playbill...

We went on stage at 2:00 pm after the apple pie eating contest, but BEFORE the caramel apple eating and apple juggling contests.  As you can see we were sandwiched between a couple of real draws!  But seriously, there were musical acts throughout the weekend fair that provided some great sounds.  From The Buzztones, to a Mariachi band, the Gravenstein Apple Fair offered up the diversity that the community of Sebastopol is known for. 

Scott performing a piece from his

While I was disappointed that I wasn’t in the hills chasing blacktail bucks this weekend, I at least had a check in my pocket, and an opportunity to speak to a diverse crowd about the value of Agriculture to Sonoma County.  I actually opened our act with a poem that has been requested a number of times that speaks to the reason we stay in agriculture, called, A Farmers Invocation.

We’ve spent a year working Lord, with our stock and with our crops
Watching our herds, fields, and vineyards, as the market rises and drops

We use the technology available and work some mighty long days
But all of us see Your work in our products that we grow and raise

From a newborn calf to a yearling lamb, or an apple wet with dew
We put in the time, money, and sweat, then hope for help from you

To create this bounty before us, live our way of life we enjoy still
that has come from our stock we tend and the ground that we till.

Please know that we are thankful as we sit at our table here tonight
and bless our work as a group with good humor and foresight

It is never an easy path finding our way to Opportunity’s door
But bless the entire world that we grow our abundance for

With Peace and Love and Goodwill, us farmers wish it dear
For making food for the world is the reason we are here.

Performing at the 2007 Gravenstein Apple Fair

For booking information or copies of Ranchers Rhymes, or Scott Gerber’s  Cowboy Songs:

Spear Six Cattle Co.
8060 Valley Ford Rd.
Petaluma, CA 94952
spearsixcattleco [AT] cs.com (replace the [AT] with @)

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