MrAndrewBradley

Over the last year or so I have been able to get more involved with Placer Grown . It's interesting to learn more about all the items grown in Placer County , once one of the top grape (yes, that means wine) and stone fruit agriculture regions in the world. Now the biggest export is actually rice , but walnuts, grapes (for wine), fruits, vegetables and hops (for beer) are all making a resurgence. I started my afternoon off with the official event at Wise Villa Winery , where I, along with a few other bloggers and members of the media enjoyed a fabulous lunch with wine pairing. The farm fresh arugula and beet salad was a highlight, but the steak, pork chop, pasta, tuna and wines were all spectacular and enjoyed by all. I even bought a bottle of Wisdom of Wise (their red wine blend) for "Wine Fridays" at my office. While at lunch a few people had mentioned Goat House Brewing Company just down the road, so ... not being one to miss out on opportunity ... I decided to...

It's Spring! And soon my garden will be producing some of my favorites including snap/sugar peas , a variety of tomatoes and basil . It's also time to start thinking about local produce and with the warmer weather brings plenty of Farmers' Markets throughout my area of Placer county and the rest of California . Last Tuesday I headed to Whole Foods at The Fountains in Roseville to check out their Farmers Market (which actually is one of the few that runs year-round) to see what they had to offer. Lots of fresh produce, of course, but also breads, baked goods, sauces, locally roasted coffee and even live music. As Placer County's seasonal Farmers' Markers are about to launch, PlacerGROWN is having a contest and I hope that a few of your are able to win some of the great prizes. From May 19-30, 2014, PlacerGROWN will be giving away the following items on Facebook : 5 – $25 gift cards to Foothill Farmers’ Markets 5 – Bottles of wine 1 GRAND PRIZE – 8 New...

On Tuesday I was invited by Placer GROWN to a lunch at Sinclair Family Farm to learn about some of the fresh produce grown and livestock raised in Placer County. We also learned about Placer GROWN Week , which kicks off on October 5 and wraps up on October 13. The afternoon started with a green salad tossed with feta cheese and pomegranate seeds, followed by homemade beef stew and paired with a selection of wines from Viña Castellano . During a very educational talk by the Placer County Agricultural Commissioner , we enjoyed apple cobbler with just the right amount of vanailla ice cream on top, and, of course, a little more wine. It was fun to learn about the rich history of agriculture in Placer County , including the fact it used to be one of the world's top tree fruit producers and I had no idea that rice was grown near the city of Lincoln. After lunch and learning about Placer GROWN Week, we got a tour of the Sinclair Family Farm, including a sheep dog demonstration (t...

It's not very often that I specifically go to a "Farm to Table" dinner. Typically they're expensive and crowded. but when I heard about the Crop to Tabletop dinner that was being put on on PlacerGROWN for just $35 a person, I figured I would go. I bought two tickets and went with my dad (my mom is in Texas, so he didn't want to cook for himself). The dinner was hosted at the top of the peak at Twin Peaks Orchard . We started with a bottle of Popie Wines and some Goat House Brewing beer (alcohol was not included, but $20 a bottle for wine was very reasonable), before dining on farm fresh produce, meats and even dessert. The setting was spectacular, especially as the sun went down. We even made new friends and I was able to see people I've gotten to know at other PlacerGROWN events. There's still a whole week of activities to go , so be sure to head out to the farms and enjoy the bounty provided by Placer County's many family farms . Pictures f...