Harvest Fair Honors Kozlowski Farms for 'Excellence in Food Production'

News from Sonoma County Harvest Fair:

A steadfast commitment to quality ingredients that are fresh, natural and local; family food making traditions that date back decades in Sonoma County; and the uncanny ability to incorporate their rich history and love of farm-fresh cooking into every product they make; these are just a few of the reasons why the Sonoma County Harvest Fair is pleased to honor Kozlowski Farms with the second-annual award for Excellence in Food Production.

“My mother and father, Tony and Carmen Kozlowski, started this business in the 1960s. My mom used to sell her home-baked pies from a roadside fruit stand. So, to receive such a prestigious award from an organization that’s doing so much to showcase our county’s quality food products, it just gives me goose bumps,” said Carol Kozlowski-Every upon hearing of the award.

Kozlowski-Every and her brother, Perry Kozlowski and sister, Cindy Kozlowski-Hayworth, own and operate Kozlowski Farms today, producing over 100 specialty, natural and gourmet foods—all made on the family farm in Forestville. The retail store offers daily samples of old fashioned jams, fruit butters, gourmet mustard, berry vinegars, salad dressings, sauces and much more. The Farm bakery produces homemade fruit pies, including apple pie made with Organic Gravenstein apples grown by the Kozlowski family. All the pies are handmade using Carmen Kozlowski’s original recipes.

“Our products were created through my mother’s hobbies,” said Kozlowski-Every. Extra apples on the farm were made into apple butter. An abundance of raspberries resulted in jam and other novel ways to use the fruit.”

The family’s affinity for Sonoma and its agricultural bounty began with Carmen’s parents, who farmed apples, berries and cherries in Sebastopol. Carmen married Tony Kozlowski and the couple purchased their first apple farm 1949 next to where the 21-acre family homestead sits today. Kozlowski-Every credits her dad, who died in 1982, for the family’s success in farming, saying “He was always ahead of his time in agriculture, trying new and exciting things.” In 1997, Carmen received the Sonoma County Lifetime Achievement in Agriculture Award from the Harvest Fair. The main farm now bears four acres of organic apples and 17 acres of Pinot Noir grapes.

“Ours is definitely a family affair,” says Kozlowski-Every. “Mom gave us our slogan years ago, which is ‘We don’t claim to make the most, only the best,’ and that’s our guiding philosophy. Today, while we now distribute throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, we still only make specialty, natural foods. We’re proud to represent Sonoma County with our products and are committed to maintaining the level of excellence.”

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair is proud to honor Kozlowski Farms with the 2015 award for Excellence in Food Production; recognizing the Kozlowski Family for their outstanding role in promoting local food, farming and sustainable practices; for their strong advocacy for Sonoma County agriculture; for raising the standard of farming and ranching through innovative techniques and practices; and for their dedication to educating consumers and supporting other industry members. The Harvest Fair awards ceremony and dinner will be held September 27 at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. The celebration is open to the public with a limited number of tickets available at HarvestFair.org or at the Harvest Fair Box Office located at 1350 Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa.

The 2015 Sonoma County Harvest Fair will be October 2-4 at the Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds. For more information, visit HarvestFair.org or call (707) 545-4200.

• Also see:
• Harvest Fair Honors Bob and Shirley Dempel for Lifetime Contribution to Sonoma Co. Agriculture
• Moonlight Brewing Co. Receives Harvest Fair Award for Excellence
• Sonoma Co. Harvest Fair Names 2015 ‘Outstanding Young Farmer’
• Trione Family Honored for Lifetime Contribution to Sonoma Co.’s Wine Industry
• Harvest Fair Names Clover-Stornetta’s 2015 Outstanding Young Person in Agribusiness
• Harvest Fair Names ‘2015 Friend of Sonoma County Agriculture’
• Tickets Available For Sonoma County Harvest Awards Gala