The Testicle Festival returns

Nine years ago, young farmers looking to raise money for the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau approached the Estrada family with a controversial idea: They wanted to hold a testicle festival. Today, the tradition continues with Loretta Estrada at the helm, cooking and preparing more than 100 pounds of “Rocky Mountain Oysters” for the masses. “They wanted something different, something new and threw the words out, ‘let’s have a testicle festival,’” Estrada said. “We said, ‘that is a very catchy little name.’” For the first three years, organizers tried out different locations, before finally taking it home to the Estrada Ranch in Watsonville. Having bucked it for three years, Estrada said they have held it there ever since and has declared Deer Camp at Estrada Ranch the perfect location. A few years after its inception, organizers began holding a dipping sauce competition complete with a trophy. Bowls labeled “Great Balls of Fire” or something just as catchy now adorn the table for people to judge...more