Sonoma County Ag Days among several local events delayed or canceled by coronavirus

As worries grew Friday about the spread of the coronavirus, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau postponed this year’s Ag Days, an event that typically brings thousands of schoolchildren to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds to get a close look at life on the farm.

Ag Days, which had been set to take place Tuesday and Wednesday, was among numerous Sonoma County events to be postponed or canceled Friday.

In the spring of 2019, Julia Jackson, a second-generation proprietor of Jackson Family Wines, founded a climate change conference called the Grounded Summit. The following November, she lost her house in the Kincade fire. This year’s Summit, designed to inspire action, was scheduled for March 19 and 20. On Friday, “with heavy heart,” she wrote on the event’s website, the event was postponed.

Likewise, Shell Oil Company pulled the plug on its Eco-?marathon Americas. That event, to be held at Sonoma Raceway April 1-4, pitted high school and college students in competition to see who could design the most energy-efficient vehicles.

“It’s a really cool event,” said Diana Brennan, a Sonoma Raceway spokesperson. “I’m so sad we’re not hosting it this year.”

That news followed other, earlier high profile, Bay Area cancellations, including the Facebook Global Marketing Summit, the Game Developers Conference and Bitcoin 2020.

In Santa Rosa, employees at the Western Farm Center lamented the postponement of Ag Days, which teaches youngsters, in particular, about farming and agriculture.

John (J.P.) Pellham, the center’s resident chicken guru, is known for putting his poultry-?whispering skills on display at Ag Days. “He looks forward to educating the kids on chickens and ducks,” ?said Trevor Frampton, the store’s owner.

“It’s always a lot of fun, so it’s a bummer it’s not happening this year,” he said. “But we completely understand the decision.”

Also sure to be disappointed, said Tawny Tesconi, the Farm Bureau’s executive director, is Clo, the pun-?addicted bovine mascot of Clover Sonoma dairy, one of Ag Days’ dozens of exhibitors.

“Clo may have to go in for COW-nseling,” said Tesconi, unable to help herself.

Ag Days will now be pushed back a couple months - or at least until the coronavirus is under control. Because it takes place on a Tuesday and Wednesday, it won’t be difficult to fit into the Fairgrounds’ schedule, said Tesconi.

“Hopefully everything will be taken care of, and we’ll be back there late this spring.”

You can reach Staff Writer Austin Murphy at 707-521-5214 or austin.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Ausmurph88.