River Myst Haven is Bee Friendly!

“The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.” ~Saint John Chrysostom

Bees may be small but they are mighty. This is what I am learning from my new preoccupation with the Honey Bee. Here at RMH we are always looking for better and more efficient ways to be good stewards of the land. And while Timothy and Ted spend a great deal of time and energy ensuring that the vineyard, vegetable, fruit and flower gardens are growing as sustainable as possible, I decided to find some way I could contribute that didn’t require me to get my hands all that dirty. And find something I did: Honey Bees (heck, I wouldn’t even have to do most of the work).

Armed with just a few interesting facts about Honey Bees, I set out to learn more about this remarkable insect. First stop, Sonoma County Beekeepers Association (SCBA). I had no idea how many beekeepers there were in our community, or how many different perspectives on beekeeping there are, or, more importantly, how fragile is the continuing survival of the Honey Bee. The Honey Bee is not the only pollinator species, but she is the only insect that produces food eaten by man: honey. Just about everyone associates bees with honey, but the Honey Bee contributes so much more than just that sweet golden elixir we love to consume. Without the Honey Bee and her dedicated services, we would not enjoy many of the fruits and vegetables pollination makes possible. In fact, one of every third bite you take of every meal you consume is a direct contribution of the Honey Bee. The reward of honey is only secondary to keeping the Honey Bees healthy and helping them prosper and propagate as a species.

So for the last six months I have immersed myself in all things “Bee”. I am currently taking beekeeping classes at Santa Rosa Junior College and learning about bee biology and beehive management in preparation of installing my own two hives in the Spring of 2012. I devour as much information as I can find, and there is a wealth of resources available on the topic. But I am told the real education starts when “the girls” are placed in their new home and they set about pollinating our plants and flowers in their incredibly fascinating and organized way. I am looking forward to keeping our own bees and learning all of the lessons they have to teach me, and will share my experiences from time to time on Facebook and in future newsletters. River Myst Haven is proud to be a certified Bee Friendly Farmer and hopes that you will do what you can to help bees be happy and healthy too—check out the following links for tips on stewarding for healthy bees!

Sonoma County Beekeepers Association

Partners for Sustainable Pollination

10 tips for caring Growers

Didi Rodrigues
Operations Manager

RMH Harvest Update

First tomatoes in September? It was a slow year for growing. With a cold, wet spring, and a cooler but variable summer, some of the harvest took a bit of time to ripen. But, one of the reasons I love organic gardening is the plants have a stronger foundation to work from. This approach nurtures the plant along and allows them to grow at a more natural pacing; thus, I find they are less susceptible to extremes in the weather. All-in-all, we got some fantastic produce from the garden.

Read more about our harvest...

Tim Rodrigues
General Manager

RMH Property Update

Well, another season of weeding, mowing and trimming has come to a close. The grounds are looking great and are ready for winter. The vineyard has been “put to bed” and the vines will soon lose their leaves and go dormant until next spring. We were very excited to see our first grapes this year and are looking forward to next year to see if we get enough grapes to actually make some wine. The fruit orchard was expanded a little this past year with a few new trees and the existing trees are now healthier than ever. Next year, with the help of Mother Nature, we will get our best crop yet. We also just wrapped up our events for the year, and the property easily accommodated all the various indoor and outdoor gatherings.

Have a great holiday season!

Ted Rodrigues
Facilities Manager

River Myst Haven is certainly not the first to host dining experiences that showcase the unique and thoughtful wines and winemakers of our Russian River Valley region, but we do offer a dining experience that truly appeals to those looking for the quintessential wine country experience.

Moshin "Eerie but Elegant WM Dinner Gallery

At River Myst Haven, we partner with impassioned winemakers who produce high quality, hand-crafted wines, and thoughtfully pair them with local chefs who are equally as passionate about the seasonal, regional cuisine that makes up our indulgent multi-course dinners. Many of the winemakers that we host are limited producers, and some have neither an established tasting room nor the facilities for these types of wine-themed dinners. Our limited seating ensures that everyone has an opportunity to chat directly with the winemaker, and the winemaker in turn gets to promote their passion, as well as their limited-access wines. The fact that our guests are able to enjoy exclusive estate-dining at our private 24-acre country property is what separates us from the rest. “Vintimate” communal dining with emphasis on hospitality and personal service, as well as direct access to both the winemaker (or winery representative) AND the culinary creator of multiple wine-paired courses, makes this Sonoma County wine country experience appealing to both “foodies” and wine enthusiasts alike.

Landy Family Vineyards WM Dinner Gallery

River Myst Haven hosted three stellar winemakers in 2011: Christina Landy, Proprietor of Landy Family Vineyards; Greg La Follette of La Follette Wines; and Rick Moshin of Moshin Vineyards. All the dinners featured exquisite local wines paired with the freshest local seasonal ingredients. Each gathering was as unique as the winemaker, who shared their own personal journeys in winemaking as well as the essence and souls of their wines.

With 2011 quickly coming to a close, we are looking forward with much excitement and anticipation to a new year with new opportunities to bring together the best local winemakers and chefs, in a relaxing and “vintimate” environment, for a truly quintessential wine country experience for food and wine lovers.

To learn more about our 2011 Winemaker Dinner partners and their wines, please visit the following links:

Landy Family Vineyards

La Follette Wines

Moshin Vineyards

“Hunger often goes unnoticed in Sonoma County because of the bountiful backdrop and plentiful farmland, but the reality is that nearly 1 in every 5 of people living in Sonoma County is touched by hunger.” This quote, from Billy Bartz, Food Drive Coordinator at the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), is an important reminder during this time of abundance, the Fall harvest.

We would like to thank Billy for spending so much time at our recent Harvest Party at RMH, and for helping educate people on the great need for food support in the area and for showing us all how we could make a difference. He helped us understand the impact of our donations and the scope of the REFB’s work in the community.

Guests were asked to bring either a food donation, a cash contribution or to use the REFB’s Virtual Marketplace to shop for food and make a donation of the wholesale price, allowing REFB to purchase much-needed food items.

Our Harvest Fundraising Party garnered $3,383.27 and 151 lbs of food, which allows the REFB to distribute the food necessary for more than 8,915 meals!

It’s amazing how much difference even a small donation makes to a food bank, able to feed so many. If you haven’t yet made a donation this year to help those experience food insecurity and hunger, you can use the links below.

Other Bay Area Food Banks:

Feeding America fights hunger nationwide

Spicy Pear Butter Spread

The Fall season is here and pears are everywhere, so don't miss out on the chance to make them into something delicious! Check out this tasty recipe!

RMH Products

We continue to expand our efforts to produce more authentic RMH products. We were able to increase our vinegar production just a bit more as we work toward larger scale efforts. And, our second year of raspberry jam—from our abundant harvest this year—was quite a hit. Look for an even greater variety of items from our gardens next year!

RMH Product Gallery

This year has been a wild (pun intended) year for us. Aside from our friendly peacock Percival, we share our property with many different guests from the wilderness. Below are some frequent visitors.