Agriculture
Did you know that Placer County is best known as one of California's richest farm and ranch lands?
South Placer communities, such as Loomis, Roseville and Newcastle, have had very strong ties to the land since they became centers of a booming fruit-growing industry during the late 1800s. The fertile valley provides residents and visitors with a plentiful bounty of locally grown, high quality produce, which is available year round. Many varieties of these fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, wines and livestock are certified organic and can be purchased at local Certified Farmers' Markets (CFM) or at Denio's Farmers market and Swap Meet.
Agriculture has become a pillar of South Placer's economic growth accounting for $76 million dollars in gross annual sales in 2002. As a means to support the county's agricultural heritage and agri-tourism, local schools often organize farm visits or tours to the fields and many restaurants feature local produce in their menus. In addition, major yearly agricultural festivals take place year round in South Placer gathering local farmers and ranchers and attracting visitors from all over California.
Wine-lovers, visit the Sierra Foothills vineyards and wineries! Many of these have tasting rooms where you can enjoy the unique, distinctive, and flavorful wines from the Sierra Foothills. For tours and tasting, call ahead and arrange your visit!
PLACER VALLEY ANNUAL FESTIVALS
Loomis Eggplant Festival
5911 King Rd, Suite C
Loomis, CA 95650
(916) 652 7252
Loomis is pleased to present a fine venue of arts, crafts, food, and contests for your pleasure - including free entertainment all day long. Our food vendors will be offering everything from pizza, eggplant parmesan, eggplant pakora, seafood, hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ dishes, snacks and cold beverages for every taste! There is no admission fee or parking fee for our festival.
Mountain Mandarin Festival
P.O. Box 1001 Newcastle, CA 95658
(916) 663-1918
Held at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn, the two-day festival launches the Mandarin Orange harvest season, one of the Sierra Foothills golden treasures. This is the perfect time to savor the delectable fruit, which is available only once a year. Food vendors, arts and crafts booths, cooking demonstrations featuring regionally known chefs, the Mandarin Recipe Contest for amateur cooks, live music and dance are among the entertainment activities featured throughout the festival. The 2004 Mountain Mandarin Festival is to be held November 22 and 23. Admission is FREE.
Placer Farm & Barn Tour
(530) 885 5670
The Placer Farm and Barn Tour celebrates Placer County's agricultural heritage and the family farms that feed us. This is a fun-filled day for families and people of all ages to explore the farms and ranches that dot Placer County's rural landscape.
The center point of the day is PlacerArts' AGROart Competition at the Blue Goose Fruit Shed in Loomis, where talented artists of every age craft quirky sculptures out of fresh fruits and vegetables and vie for cash prizes.
LOCALLY GROWN / CANNED PRODUCE
Blue Goose Fruit Shed
Taylor @ King Road, Loomis, CA 95650
(916) 787-0878
The Foundation's purpose is to actively preserve and restore sites of historical character and significance and oversee their management so that the community is enhanced by retaining these links to the past.
The Foundation initially focused on the fruit sheds in downtown Loomis. These buildings were previously the basis for the town's economy. Currently, the Blue Goose Shed is being further renovated to accommodate performances and events as well as provide meeting spaces for business and community groups.
Granite Bay Farms & Specialty Foods
1151 Galleria Blvd. Roseville, CA 95678-1937
Telephone: 1-800-854-2767
Granite Bay Farms Specialty Foods are made from the finest ingredients that nature has to offer! Specialty products such as relish and mustards, salad dressings, jams and preserves, marinades and sauces, and pickled veggies, are made from the fresh produce found right here in Northern California.
Earth & Vines Provisions
P.O. Box 1637 Loomis, CA 95650
Telephone: 1-800-854-2767
Today Earth & Vine Provisions offers more than 60 jams, sauces, beverage elixirs and dressings. Some of which are International award winners.