Pick your pleasure in Wenatchee

True story: My family used to throw sauerkraut-making parties.

That followed cabbage planting day – when the kids dunked the starts’ roots into mud pits, then packed them into metal tubs – and cabbage cutting day. On that occasion, adults broke their backs hacking the heads loose and throwing them on the trailer behind Grandpa’s tractor.

We just sat there on our cabbage thrones with nary a juice box or Xbox in sight.

We thought it was fun.

We were weird. Come on. Sauerkraut?

If for some inexplicable reason that appeals to you, I don’t know what to say. But Tiny can help.

Just pack up the family and hit the road – Wenatchee Valley bound – where Tiny’s Organic Farm awaits. There you’ll find more than 100 varieties of certified organic produce, and some good old-fashioned learning, too.

From now through mid-October, farmer Greg McPherson will take you by appointment on a free turn around the 60-acre, third-generation operation, weather permitting.

Along the way, he’ll educate you in the ways of organic and sustainable gardening while plying you with samples fresh from the source.

“Visitors can pick something right off the tree, and have a bite,” McPherson sweet-talks.

There’s plenty from which to choose. The McPhersons grow more fruits and vegetables than you can shake a stick at, such as Pink Lady apples, Dapple Dandy pluots, Tasty Rich apriums, donut peaches, chiogga beets, island lavender, sweet peppers and a crateful more.

This fall, you’re most likely to see winter squash, peaches, plums, several varieties of apples ready for tasting, and other fine foodstuffs.

So if tromping around in the dirt floats your metaphorical boat, Tiny’s your man.

Now I don’t want to burst your bubble, but Here & There believes in full disclosure. “Tiny” comes straight from the Betty Crocker-Captain Crunch school of food marketing.

Mr. McPherson explains this shocking deception:

“Ten years ago, a broker suggested we get some kind of brand name for our fruit,” he says. ”I thought maybe an animal would be cool, maybe a lion or a tiger. I came up with an elephant.”

You follow? It’s a joke!

To get in on this agriculture adventure and meet the official farm dog, Walker, take a look at www.ilovetiny.com. Or connect with McPherson at (509) 264-3973.

You can also track him down twice a week at the Wenatchee Farmer’s Market.

Tastefully done

Evidently, harvest time opens the Wenatchee Valley ultimate fighting season.

In this year’s Sept. 20 match-up, Wenatchee Taste of the Harvest takes Tiny on with food and wine. That’s their secret weapon.

This “community festival celebrating the bounty of the region” takes the fierce competition into the kitchen and the street.

The “Improv Chef” contest arms participants with locally grown food and produce which they then use to impress an expert panel. The winner walks away with a holiday dinner for two at Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat’s Kingfisher Dining Hall.

I’m not sure why an award-winning kitchen jockey needs someone else to cook.

There’s more. “Hurry up and Wait” pits competitors in a two-block race carrying a tray topped with a glass full of wine. The victor gets a $250 tip.

Festival organizers claim French waiters do this sort of thing on Bastille Day, but I’m not so sure. The national leisure activities seem to be smoking and looking stylish.

There’s also lots to eat and drink, “traditional activities” like face painting (Really? Traditional? Do the French know about this?) and oodles more to do.

Check it all out at www.wendowntown.org, or call (509) 662-0059.

Regional events

•Puyallup Fair, through Sept. 21, Puyallup, Wash. More than a million folks showed up last year, the eighth-largest attendance for U.S. fairs. ( www.thefair.com/ 253-845-1771)

•Last Chance Community Pow Wow, Sept. 26-28, Helena. Wrap up Native American Week with dancing, singing and visits with friends both old and new. ( www.visitmt.com/ 406-439-5631)

•Bungalow and Craftsman Fair, Sept. 27-28, Seattle. Become an expert in early 20th century architecture, design and whatever else is on your mind in just two days. ( www.historicseattle.org/ 206-622-6952)