Resources, Who does what in Placer County, PlacerGROWN farmers and producers, Placer County California

Ag Community Resources

County Government offices	Commodity Associations
Cooperative Extension	Farm Bureaus
Farmers' Markets	Land Acquisition & Protection
Legal Assistance	Marketing Associations
Natural Resources	Other Relevant Resources

Placer County Department of Agriculture: The Placer County Department of Agriculture is primarily a regulatory agency enforcing State laws and regulatory programs such as Pesticide Use Enforcement, Pest Detection/Pest Exclusion, Plant Nursery Inspection, Direct Marketing/Certified Farmers' Markets, Organic Farm Registration, Pest and Weed Eradication. The Department also reviews and comments on development projects potentially affecting agriculture in the County, proposed rezoning of agricultural land, and land use permit issues related to agriculture.; Contact: Josh Huntsinger, Agricultural Commissioner
530.889.7372
Placer County Agricultural Marketing Program: Marketing fresh local farm and ranch products is the primary function of the Placer County Agricultural Marketing Program. Placer County Agricultural Marketing Program works to bring locally grown products to the attention of the non-agricultural community by working directly with growers to develop marketing materials, promote direct distribution, and assist with development of value-added products.; Contact: Agricultural Department
530.889.7372
Placer County Department of Public Works, Agricultural Sign Program: Placer County now allows off-premises agricultural directional signs within County road right-of-way at 14 intersections in the County. Sign panels are white with a standard dark green lettering and may include the name of the business or commodity, and either distances to the business site or months of operation. Installation and maintenance of these signs shall be done by the Placer County Department of Public Works. *Approved location list and Sign Request form available from the Department of Public Works in the CDRC building at the intersection of Bell Road and Richardson Drive.; Contact Stephanie Holloway
530.745.7551
SHollow@placer.ca.gov
California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC): The CANGC is a professional organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the nursery industry and provides a forum for those in horticulture to exchange information, support marketing, research, and advocacy.
Gold Country Sheep Producers Association: The Gold Country Sheep Producers Association is an organization of both sheep producers and those simply with an interest in the sheep industry. Our membership goal is to promote the welfare of the sheep industry through education, communication and development.
Mountain Mandarin Growers' Association: The Mountain Mandarin Growers' Association's (MMGA) goal is to provide quality mandarins and expand markets to support local agriculture". MMGA has over 30 members, host the annual Mountain Mandarin Festival, and meets monthly to discuss production, marketing, and other issues related to the industry.; Contact: John Miller, President
jrmgkia@ncbb.net
Placer County Vintners Association (PCVA): The Placer County Vintners Association works to promote the commercial wine industry in Placer County. PCVA actively hosts and promotes a growing wine trail, "The Placer County Wine Trail," partners with the local community for charitable events and causes and strives to promote a positive business environment for the growth and production of Placer County wines and wineries. Membership is limited to commercial wineries.
Placer County Wine & Grape Association (PCWGA): PCWGA works to inform and educate the public about Placer County wines, wineries, grape growers, and grapes. The association provides educational programs to its members and the public; encourages the use of ecologically sound and sustainable agricultural practices; and serves as an advocate for the wine and grape industry in public and government matters.
Sierra Wine & Grape Growers Association (SWGGA): The Sierra Wine & Grape Growers Association represents home wine makers and the farmers and their families who grow grapes in Nevada County, and adjoining Yuba, Sierra and Placer Counties in California. SWGGA's monthly meetings are usually held in Grass Valley and feature an industry-recognized speaker, a workshop, or panel discussing a specific area of viticulture or wine making.; Contact: info@sierrawinegrape.org
University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE): The University of California Cooperative Extension, also known as the Farm Advisors' office, serves California through the creation, development, and application of knowledge in agricultural, natural, and human resources. UCCE provides information and technical assistance to horticultural, livestock, and natural resources producers. Assistance with crop selection, costs of production, soil fertility management, pest management, crop water requirements, livestock, range management, and invasive weeds is available through your county Farm Advisors' office.; El Dorado County
Lynn Wunderlich, Farm Advisor
lrwunderlich@ucdavis.edu
530.621.5502; Placer and Nevada Counties
Roger Ingram, Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor
rsingram@ucdavis.edu
Cindy Fake, Horticulture & Small Farms Advisor
cefake@ucdavis.edu
Auburn office: 530.889.7385
Grass Valley office: 530.273.4563; Sierra and Plumas Counties
Holly A George, Livestock & Natural Resource Advisor
hageorge@ucdavis.edu
530.283.6262; Yuba County
Christopher Greer, PhD, Rice Farming Systems Farm Advisor
cagreer@ucdavis.edu
Janine Hasey, Horticulture & Pomology Farm Advisor
jkhasey@ucdavis.edu
Glenn Nader, Livestock & Natural Resources Farm Advisor
ganader@ucdavis.edu
Franz Niederholzer, PhD, Orchard Systems Farm Advisor
fjniederholzer@ucdavis.edu
530.822.7515
El Dorado County Farm Bureau: The El Dorado County Farm Bureau is local membership organization dedicated to protecting your interests and the interests of agriculture. With the many challenges facing our rural county, the Farm Bureau provides the resources to help represent agriculture's priorities at local, state and national levels. Our county benefits from the organization's hard work.; Contact: 530.622.7773
info@edcfb.com
Placer County Farm Bureau: The Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the family farm through representation, education and promotion. The Farm Bureau strives to protect and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers engaged in production agriculture to continue to provide a reliable supply of food and fiber through responsible stewardship of California's resources.; Contact: Sandy Schwartzler, Executive Director
916.663.2929
pcfb@ncbb.net
Foothill Farmers' Market Association (FFMA): The FFMA is a member-driven organization dedicated to promoting local agriculture through Certified Farmers' Markets and educational programs. The FFMA currently sponsors fourteen markets, six days a week, in Placer and Nevada Counties.; Contact: Carol Arnold, General Manager
530.863.7487
foothillfarmersmarket@gmail.com
Mill Street Certified Farmers' Market: The Thursday night market runs from June through September offering fresh produce, flowers and plants from local and regional farms. The market includes a health and wellness fair, live music, and sidewalk dining. Community outreach and public service groups also offer information.; Contact: Grass Valley Events
530-265-9495
info@grassvalleyevents.com
ray@grizzlyhill.com
Sierra Fresh Farmers' Market: Sierra Fresh manages six markets in the Placer County.; Contact: Salle Orchards (Farmers' Markets)
530.633.0805
California FarmLink: California FarmLink helps link beginning farmers seeking land with retiring farmers or landowners. Technical assistance is available to help both parties structure farm leases and purchases, as well as business planning and financing, and equity-building programs. FarmLink also helps families pass their farms from one generation to the next.; Contact: Mary Junqueiro, Modesto Office (Central Valley)
209.525.4720
mary@californiafarmlink.org
Placer Land Trust: Placer Land Trust works with willing landowners and conservation partners to permanently preserve and protect open spaces and working farms and ranches for future generations in Placer County.; Contact: 530.887.9222
info@placerlandtrust.org
Placer Legacy Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program: The Placer Legacy Program, administered by the Placer County Planning Department, is a conservation program that seeks to conserve important open space and agricultural resources in Placer County. The Placer Legacy objectives include maintaining our heritage of agriculture as a thriving part of the local economy. An important part of the program includes land acquisitions through the use of conservation easements and the purchase of fee title.; Contact: Loren E. Clark, Assistant Director of Planning
530.745.3000
lclark@placer.ca.gov
Farmer to Consumer Legal Defense Fund: The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization made up of farmers and consumers pooling resources to protect the rights of consumers to obtain unprocessed and processed farm foods directly from family farms, the rights of the nation's family farms to provide these foods directly to consumers, and to protect the nation's family farms from harassment by federal, state, and local government interference with food production and on-farm food processing.; Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
8116 Arlington Blvd, Ste. 263
Falls Church, VA 22042
703.208-FARM (3276)
info@farmtoconsumer.org
PlacerGROWN: PlacerGROWN's mission is to enhance the viability of agriculture in Placer County by bringing local producers and the community together for the support and growth of agriculture. PlacerGROWN assists local producers in marketing their products, provides educational information to both consumers and producers, and form alliances with other organizations to achieve a thriving local agricultural system, farmland preservation and resource conservation.; Contact: 530.889.7398
placergrown@gmail.com
High Sierra Resource Conservation and Development Council (HSRC&D): The mission of HSRC&D is to provide regional leadership and assistance to communities to strengthen the local economy, rural heritage, conservation and management of our natural resources. HSRC&D is administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and assists with grant writing, project coordination and management.; Contact: 530.823.5687
Natural Resources Conservation Service: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is an agency in the Department of Agriculture. Our mission is to maintain and improve the condition of natural resources on private lands. NRCS provides voluntary science-based technical assistance to address the proper use of soils, water, plants, air, and animals. NRCS also administers cost-share programs to assist financially.; Contact:
Placer County - Mike Brenner 530.823.6830
Nevada County - Jason Jackson 530.272.3417
Placer County Resource Conservation District (RCD): The Placer County RCD provides technical assistance or direction to private landowners on ways to conserve and/or enhance natural resources such as water, soil, plants, livestock and/or wildlife. Assistance includes pasture management, irrigation system management or design review, and topsoil erosion control recommendations.; Contact: Rick Gruen
530.885.3046
pcrcd@sbcglobal.net
PNSSNS Subwatershed Group: The PNSSNS Subwatershed Group is authorized to provide a discharge waiver as required by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. If you operate an ag-related business and have water discharge from your property, including storm season runoff, then you are required to obtain a discharge waiver. Our mission is to pay for water testing, educate members on better management practices to keep our waters clean, inform our members of troubled waters, and work with other groups to maintain clean waters.; Contact: Linda Watanabe
916.645.1774
cleanwaters@netscape.com
California Certified Organic Growers (CCOF) CCOF Sierra Gold and North Valley Chapters: CCOF promotes and supports organic food and agriculture through a premier organic certification program, trade support, producer and consumer education, and political advocacy. The Sierra Gold Chapter represents growers and processors in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Placer, Tuolumne Counties, and the North Valley Chapter serves Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, Yuba Counties, Northwestern Nevada and Southern Oregon. Both regions are served by the Fairfield office.; Contact: Rebecca Witty
707.310.3320
rebecca@ccof.org
Community Allianance with Family Farmers (CAFF): CAFF is a grassroots effort by both farmers and urban activists working together for almost 30 years. CAFF's mission is to build a movement of rural and urban people to foster family-scale agriculture that cares for the land, sustains local economies and promotes social justice. One of CAFF's most prominent programs is their Buy Fresh, Buy Local food guide.; Contact: 530.756.8518
info@caff.org
Local Food Coalition (LFC): LFC is a coalition of organizations and individuals who work together to support local farmers, preserve local farms and farmland, and ensure a local food supply in Nevada County. LFC manages a thriving listserv where ag-related issues are discussed, events are announced, and local products offered or requested.; Contact: Rita de Quercus
rita@localfoodcoalition.org
Placer Ag Futures Project: The Placer Ag Futures Project is a farmer/rancher-led effort to ensure that Placer County has a vibrant, diverse and successful agricultural community for 30 years into the future. The project represents a collaborative program designed to educate current and potential new farmers and ranchers, to reach out to the larger community, and to connect farmers with land resources.; Contact: UC Cooperative Extension
530.889.7385
Placer Farm Supply: Placer Farm Supply provides farmers and ranchers with all the supplies needed for everything from raising animals, managing pests & weeds, to installing fencing for vegetables, livestock, orchards and vineyards.; Contact: Pam Fanini, General Manager
916.663.3741
Sierra College: The Agriculture (and Environmental Horticulture) programs at Sierra College provide a synthesis of scientific and practical knowledge for career preparation, college transfer credits, and working professionals changing careers or updating skills. Full semester length courses and short term intensive course are offered.; Contact: 916.660.7900
Sierra Economic Development Corporation (SEDCorp): SEDCorp is a non-profit, regional economic development organization that supports the counties of El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, and Sierra. One of the core services is providing access to capital for small businesses that might otherwise be denied the funds they need to operate and expand. SEDCorp is also an intermediary re-lender for the USDA, and has products specifically intended to support the agricultural community with minimized paperwork and fast turnaround.; Contact: Brent Smith, President/CEO
530.823.4703
brent@sedd.org
Sierra Foothills Mobile Poultry Processor (MPPU): The Sierra Foothills MPPU offers a complete poultry processing facility that can be transported to your property. The MPPU is a trailer containing all of the equipment and facilities necessary for processing all types of poultry. Entirely self-contained, it can be transported to your farm to process chickens, ducks, pheasants, turkeys, geese, and other poultry.; Contact: Roger Ingram, UC Cooperative Extension
530.889.7390
rsingram@ucdavis.edu
UC Small Farm Program: The Small Farm Program is tailored to the needs and opportunities of small-scale farmers. Through farm advisors throughout the state and the Small Farm Center at UC Davis, the program provides information to farmers related to specialty niche crops, direct marketing, agritourism, farm management, food safety, farmers markets, added value products, cooperatives and organic production.; Contact: 530.752.8136
sfcenter@ucdavis.edu
USDA Risk Management Agency: RMA's mission is to promote, support, and regulate sound risk management solutions to preserve and strengthen the economic stability of America's agricultural producers. As part of this mission, RMA operates and manages the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC).; Contact: 530.792.5874

2011 PlacerGROWN Sponsors

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