Suzanne Markel-Fox

Native Northern California city girl, having roamed far and wide, Suzanne retired from her data science and epidemiology activity and returned to the Bay Area in 2013 for a new scientific opportunity for her husband, Jonathan. Friends in Geyserville invited them to participate in olive harvest on their land, and they fell in love with the area. When they learned the property would be going on the market in 2020, they jumped at the chance to live in such a beautiful place. It’s a big transformation from apartment-dwelling city people to full-fledged country folk, with olives, chickens, bees and a vegetable garden to tend, but they have never looked back.

One thing Suzanne and Jonathan love about the Dry Creek Valley is the sense of community, a shared purpose of preservation of agricultural land and preparedness for and prevention of wildfire. Organizations like DCVA, Firewise and COPE embrace newcomers and “old-timers” alike, mentor and teach us how to best protect our homes and land, and give us an excuse for sitting down together over a good glass of local wine.