Sebastopol Lifestyle
by Lorna Jacoby
My friend Karen came to Sebastopol for a visit from the Bay Area a couple of weekends ago. Deciding what to make for dinner was easy after going to our local farmer’s market and harvesting from my own vegetable garden. We had a great meal that consisted of roasted root vegetables, risotto, garden salad, and a pork loin roast. You can use the very same techniques and ingredients anywhere but there is something about home grown and farmer’s market vegetables that makes a simple meal all that much better. Here in Sebastopol we are lucky to have gardens, good soil and temperate weather to grow some sort of crop all year round. In the fall it’s apples, kale, lettuce, cabbage, beets and pumpkins, among others. A lot of what we Sebastopolians do is build dinners around the things we grow.
And that is one of the most alluring things about Sebastopol, the lifestyle. It’s not all glamour but it’s all good. Making sure that you are out in the garden/yard all day long fertilizing, making compost, trimming trees, bushes and deadheading flowers, mowing, harvesting, watering, weeding pathways, dealing with gophers, the list is endless. When I worked at Turner Martin, in Palo Alto, more than a quarter of a century ago, there was a saying I’ll never forget: “When there’s nothing to do there’s always something to do.” And that is true of living in Sebastopol and wanting to live the way we do.
Our friend Christian says “Sebastopol lifestyle to me means gardening, time spent outdoors, playing with our dog Cyrus, gathering with friends to enjoy great food and wine, sharing our garden's bounty with one another. Cooking and canning all the great things we get to grow here year-round. The physical work is endless but, for me, the rewards far outweigh any of that. Nothing more satisfying than seeing and eating the fruits of your labor.”
For Bobbi the lifestyle is all about the peace and quiet, the proximity to the ocean and the people who make up the community. Another tireless gardener she loves yard work and after a few hours of hard labor she can relax with a glass of wine, a yoga session, or a drive on country roads waving to neighbors as they pass each other by.
Thomas, a more recent transplant (here since 2014) says it best: “I think Sebastopol is just country enough. It's the perfect balance of country and sophistication, at least in my opinion. Sophisticated Country Living describes it well.
There are vineyards and orchards everywhere, along with dairies, ranches, and all kinds of specialized farm operations. There's the occasional slow tractor on the road, backing up traffic. Hell, there's even a feed store right in the center of the downtown area.
At the same time, there are a lot of sophisticated and well-educated people living in this area. They've traveled the world. They're stylish and have beautiful homes and gardens. They're kind, open-minded, smart, creative, and artistic — but not snooty. I think the older hippies that have populated this area for a long time blend so well with more recent influx of progressive city folks and the LGBT community. It's certainly beautiful here, but the beautiful people are what make it special.
There are interesting shops and bars/tasting rooms and plenty of fine dining in and around Sebastopol. YET... it's not too posh and over the top like some other towns/areas - and the country aspect still feels authentic (thus the perfect balance).”
For sure it is bucolic here in Sebastopol and we all love it. Cooking, gardening, beautiful country roads, peace and quiet, what’s not to like? Come for a visit, have a meal, go wine tasting and you’ll see all of that plus get to take with you a little bit of what makes this small town in Sonoma County so special for us all.
