Placer County Local News: Agriculture, Food & Gardening


All Local Agriculture, Food & Gardening News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works

The Williamson Act, passed in 1965, now keeps more than 16 million acres of farmland out of the hands of developers. Here's how the law puts the brakes on the development of California agricultural properties.

Image caption: Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment

Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation projects have helped to build California, but they are also damaging the state’s environment for people, plants and animals by eliminating essential wetlands.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country

California stands as America’s agricultural powerhouse, growing half of its fruits and vegetables. Here’s how California farming has shaped the state, from the early missions to today’s “factories in the field.”

Image caption: Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
Sustainable Sustenance

California is a leading producer of agricultural crops. So it’s not surprising to find cutting-edge ideas taking root here.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

The Roseville Press Tribune logo From The Roseville Press Tribune...

04/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Mandarin Festival Moving to Roseville

Festival team cites rent increase for exit from Gold Country Fairgrounds.

Loomis News logo From Loomis News...

04/05/2024
Image for display with article titled UC Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden Opens at Loomis Library

Very green Loomis got even a little greener last week, as officials opened the new Demonstration Garden at the Town Library.

Lincoln News Messenger logo From Lincoln News Messenger...

04/04/2024
Image for display with article titled 11th Annual Lincoln Wine Fest Set for April 27

The highly anticipated event will showcase 20-plus Placer wineries and local breweries on Saturday, April 27, from 1-5PM.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

03/29/2024
Image for display with article titled California May Gut Two CalWORKS Programs Helping Thousands of Families

The state is considering zeroing out funds for CalWORKS family stabilization and job subsidy programs to help balance the budget.

Tahoe Guide logo From Tahoe Guide...

03/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Elements Eatery Opens

Elements Eatery and Bar has opened on the South Shore featuring Mexican-American fusion cuisine featuring a full bar and views of Lake Tahoe at 3310 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

Tahoe Guide logo From Tahoe Guide...

03/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Community Pantry Opens in Truckee

Sierra Community House
Sierra Community House has launched a Community Pantry format in Truckee, which allows individuals to select their own food items, which in turn empowers the community and reduces waste.  The new client choice distribution model incorporates dignity, empowerment and connection into hunger relief services, according to a press release.
Food distribution in Kings Beach already operates with client choice principles, while Incline Village still functions as a traditional model due to the logistical challenges that come with a pop-up pickup and home delivery distribution, according to the release. The agency said that it is looking to rework all its programs in the area. | sierracommunityhouse.org
Food distribution schedule:

Tahoe Guide logo From Tahoe Guide...

03/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Join Community Gardens

Truckee Community Garden has garden plots available for rent and North Tahoe Regional Park Community Garden in Tahoe Vista welcomes members to its North Tahoe Community Garden Club.

Tahoe Guide logo From Tahoe Guide...

03/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Gumba’s Reopens in Blairsden

The popular Gumba’s pizza has reopened as Gumba’s II next to Grizzly Grill Restaurant in Blairsden featuring pizza, wings, salads and desserts for takeout only.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

03/21/2024
Image for display with article titled Empowering Farms, Enriching Communities: Inside the Force of Tahoe Food Hub

The Tahoe Food Hub isn't just about providing fresh produce; it's a comprehensive endeavor that promotes regenerative farming practices, fosters fair market opportunities for family farms, and strives to enhance access to locally sourced food.

California Local Pin Marker From YubaNet...

03/07/2024
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources advisors has published a new website with information resources for small acreage landowners raising livestock.

California Local Pin Marker From Roseville Today...

02/14/2024
Over the years of chatting up residents, business owners and public officials, Roseville Today discovered a string of common threads that bind us into a community.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/14/2024
Commercial beekeeper Andrew Strehlow estimates he’s had 1,000 hives stolen over the years. The latest theft, of 96 hives from a Fresno County orchard, was his last straw.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/29/2024
State Sen. Scott Wiener wants to allow California cities and counties to designate “entertainment zones” where bars and restaurants could serve alcoholic drinks that people can consume on public streets and sidewalks.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

01/28/2024
Image for display with article titled Can a Handful of Silicon Valley Billionaires Fix the Bay Area’s Housing Crisis?

In NYT’s “The Farmers Had What the Billionaires Wanted,” we meet a man who wants to build a city in the middle of nowhere, and folks who are slowing him down. For now.

California Local Pin Marker From SF Gate...

01/24/2024
For months, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has been waging war on the oriental fruit fly, a voracious pest that can attack hundreds of types of fruits and vegetables.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

01/24/2024
Groundwater depletion is worsening in many of the world’s farming regions. But a global study also found that some efforts are helping to boost aquifers.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/24/2024
In a sign of the ongoing threats to its precious groundwater stores, half a dozen regions in California rank among the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers.

California Local Pin Marker From Daily Democrat...

01/22/2024
Fast food lives in a consumer sweet spot: demand, convenience and relative affordability. And this pay hike—equal to minimum wage increases during the past five years—will create grand economic unknowns.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

01/20/2024
Image for display with article titled Apres Pop, Popcorn Made With Truckee, Tahoe in Mind

Truckee resident Daniel Feldman grew up snacking on popcorn. It was a nightly snack for him and his dad.

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