"NEW" CALIFORNIA NUT FESTIVAL PROPOSED FOR SPRING 2010

Sponsors and Volunteers Ensure the Continuation of the California Nut Festival

CHICO, CALIF -- (March, 6, 2009) -- The California Nut Festival (CNF) will resurface with a new format, new location and new set of activities in Spring 2010 according to Jim Lynch, executive director of the Far West Heritage Association (FWHA). The CNF was originally established in 2006 as a fundraising initiative for the Chico Museum and Patrick Ranch Museum restoration, both projects of the FWHA. The festival itself took place throughout Chico over the course of a two week period in the form of various educational events including a blossom tour, book club, spelling bee, a Celebrity Chef cooking demonstration at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and other activities.

"What we realized is the CNF was never the festival that it was intended to be," said Lynch, who has been executive director of FWHA since 2008. "Our board decided that continuing to manage the Nut Festival would take all of our resources, which doesn't serve the needs of our members or our museums. We strongly support the individuals who are keeping the CNF alive, and we urge the Chico community to continue to give the financial support it will take to make the event successful."

Seeing the potential the California Nut Festival has for Chico and for the agricultural community, a group of sponsors and past volunteers have stepped up to resurrect the CNF into a viable event. The new event will debut in Spring 2010.

"We truly felt the components that were missing from this event were the things that attract participants and revenue - such as all of the events being in one centralized location, during one concentrated weekend and activities that involve food and drink, music, fun and of course, nuts." said Kathy Chance, who is leading the group of volunteers.

While the group is still interested in the educational components of the CNF, those have been spun-off from the festival itself. Butte County Farm Bureau plans to own the AgriBee, a successful event that they were the title sponsor for in past years. A group from University of California-Davis Co-Operative extension is continuing their educational outreach to area schools culminating in Kid's Day at the Patrick Ranch Museum in Durham.

"Our target audience is the consumer. We want to increase awareness and consumption of our local products as well as bringing people together with the farms in a fun and festive atmosphere. For this to happen, we need the agriculture community and the business community to continue as vendors, sponsors, volunteers and overall champions for the CNF," said Chance.

The committee in place to produce the "new" CNF includes representatives from: Butte County Farm Bureau, California Women for Agriculture, Chico-area Artists, Chico Chamber of Commerce, DS Farming Company, Tri Counties Bank, Young Farmers and Ranchers and various other growers and sponsors. The committee has agreed that a portion of proceeds from the CNF will be donated back to FWHA to be used for restoration of the Patrick Ranch. The committee has also relinquished FWHA from committing monetary or staff resources so that they can continue to focus on their educational mission.

If you would like to volunteer or make a contribution to the "new" Nut Festival, please contact Kathy Chance at 530-519-1882.