Last fall, Southern and Northern California experienced the worst fires in its recorded history. Fires are part of the ecological cycle, even necessary in the cycle of life. And yet, the devastation last year’s California fires left behind was unprecedented. How do we reconcile that, what can we learn from such an event, and how can we still help in the effort to restore what was lost?
So while the fires have ended, the aftermath and efforts to rebuild continue. One of the areas hit hard in Northern California was the Redwood Valley, a couple of hours north of San Francisco, and the home of Frey Vineyards. We are speaking with Katrina Frey today about her experience in the middle of the chaos, as Executive Director of Frey Vineyards.
“California After the Fires: Lessons from a Biodynamic Vineyard”
Listen to the Podcast Episode on the Aftermath of the California Wildfires in Wine Country
“When we evacuated at 1:00 am we didn’t have time to trailer and transport all the animals. The fire was moving so fast and we had so little time to leave. For several days we had been preparing the barn for our mother-to-be cow and we knew her calf was on the way. With heavy hearts, we drove away and prayed for the animals.
As soon as it was safe, we traversed back roads and returned to the ranch. Luke found the mama cow with the new baby bull. Both were healthy and are thriving. Our understanding is that mama Arrow and baby Phoenix Firestorm never left the garden/farm area. It was heavily irrigated and still a lush oasis from our summer crops. The fire didn’t take the garden, and beds of lettuce are still fresh and ready to eat, underneath the large central rose bush. We are overjoyed to have this new life on the farm, and it is giving us hope as we start to rebuild what we’ve lost.” -Molly Frey
Host Helge Hellberg in an organic conversation with Katrina Frey, Executive Director of Frey Vineyards, Redwood Valley, CA
Originally posted 2018-03-05 10:18:31.
