Coastal Roots Farm To Hold Jewish-Themed Sukkot Harvest Festival

ENCINITAS, CA — Coastal Roots Farm, a nonprofit that grows crops for disadvantaged groups in San Diego County, is inviting the public to its annual Sukkot Harvest Festival on Sept. 19 to experience uniquely Jewish hospitality and celebrate a bumper 2021 crop.

Guests at the farm’s ninth Sukkot event will gather from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. under a sukkah, a Hebrew term for the temporary shelter that inspires the festival’s name. Guests will eat, browse locally made handicrafts and hop into a "Kid Zone". Child-friendly musicians Lee Coulter and Craig Parks will perform.

Sukkot refers to a traditional Jewish holiday that encourages a hospitable welcoming of strangers in an outdoor setting and celebrates the end of an abundant summer harvest.

Coastal Roots Farm raised 70,000 pounds of organic produce, mostly vegetables, this year and exceeded its previous annual hauls of of 40,000, said Kesha Spoor, the farm's director of philanthropy, strategy and communications.

"In our case, it just so happens to be we've been able to activate parts of the farm that weren't productive," Spoor said. "A lot of work went into ensuring (productivity), but the timing was kismet."

Vegetables, herbs, flowers and eggs from the 17-acre, 7-year-old farm go to target groups of people in San Diego County. They include indigenous people, military veterans, low-income seniors and Holocaust survivors. About 30,000 people receive the farm's food each year.

Festival registration is required for all guests. It will begin Aug. 11 online via the farm’s website. The suggested donation is $9 per child and $18 per adult. The farm expects 500 people to attend this year. The outdoor space will ensure social distancing, Spoor said.