Farms

From prolific one-acre vegetable gardens to expansive multi-generational farms and ranches, Nevada County is ripe with tasty culinary fodder. Nevada County is keeping step – and then some – with the national trend toward locally sourced, organic produce, which goes far beyond the county’s signature apples. Here in Nevada County local growers cultivate heirloom vegetables, culinary and medicinal herbs, seedlings, beans, flowers, honey, nuts, eggs, free-range chicken and grass-fed lamb.

Foodie visitors can transform a simple quest for fresh produce into a lively and educational field trip to Nevada County where fruit stands, farmer’s markets and you-pick opportunities abound.

Many farms operate on-site stands, sell through local markets, and play an integral role in many chefs’ creations. Most all can be found at farmer’s markets that run May through October in Penn Valley, Nevada City, and Truckee Regional Park. And don’t miss a visit to Grass Valley’s Thursday evening Mill Street Market and Saturday morning market at the historic Northstar House.

Those hungry for a more hands-on experience can pick their own cherries, peaches, berries, and lavender. Aspiring green thumbs can take a course in beekeeping or how to design an herb garden. The season kicks off in May and peaks in the fall with apples and pumpkins and a month-long harvest festival at Bierwagen’s Donner Trail Fruit where families and schools come to collect their future jack-o-lanterns. Winter completes the cycle with Christmas tree farms opening their gates for the holidays.