Apple Hill's Fun Approach to Organic

Fall has arrived which means Apple Hill is open and ready for business. Apple Hill is about an hour drive from downtown Sacramento. We make our yearly visit to Apple Hill, just as my fiance has done since he was a child. His family has been going for over 30 years so we never miss a season.

Their family tradition is to visit High Hill Ranch, so even though they are not certified organic, we still make a yearly visit since we like supporting local agriculture. High Hill ranch is one of the bigger farms in Apple Hill and today there must have been at least 300 visitors. It was 97 degrees in El Dorado County today (according to the sign at El Dorado Savings Bank in Placerville), the home of Apple Hill, so everyone was out enjoying the California sunshine.

High Hill Ranch features multiple bakeshops (I am admitting here that I am totally addicted to their apple donuts-we bought a dozen today), indoor and outdoor dining, an apple barn shop, craft booths, hay rides, apple wine and beer tasting, trout fishing and more. We love visiting this ranch because it never changes a bit, and it is dog-friendly so we bring our furry friend to enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Our next stop was Honey Bear Ranch, one of two organic ranches that are open to the public. Honey Bear Ranch is family-owned and operated and only about a five minute drive from High Hill Ranch. Apple Hill features over 50 farms so it is fun to cruise the twisty backroads and find your favorite, we were excited to try a new one today.

Honey Bear Ranch has shaded picnic grounds, an organic produce market featuring many varieties of apples, pears and other fresh local produce, bakery, fudge kitchen, craft fair and more. I was intrigued by the chicken strudel lunch special, served with salad, a drink and a big fresh slice of...you guessed it...apple pie.

I had to check out the bake shop before I left. There were apple sauce cookies, apple walnut cinnamon rolls, apple dumplings and apple cheesecake. They also feature homemade apple jam and apple butter along with various other apple delicacies.

Honey Bear Ranch is less crowded than High Hill Ranch and definitely caters to families. It is a perfect spot to get away from the crowds, enjoy a leisurely lunch under the shady apple trees, watch the coy fish and sample some of the organic goods. I was so happy to find an organic apple purveyor in Apple Hill that is as much fun as it is good for our environment.

Honey Bear Ranch is open weekends and Wednesdays from August 25-November, 10:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M.

Honey Bear Ranch
Apple Hill Grower #24
2826 Barkley Rd.
Camino, CA

To receive the
2008 Cider Press: The Official Guide to Apple Hill
Send $2.00 to:
P. O. Box 494
Camino, CA 95709

It's Tomato Season

One of my favorite weekend morning activities is to get up early and head to the local farmer's market. This morning we hit the Davis Farmers Market around 10:00 A.M. The Davis Farmers Market isn't as big as some of the markets around Sacramento, only we are headed to Apple Hill tomorrow so we decided to see what Davis had to offer today.

The Davis Farmers market has been going for 32 years and is open year-round on Saturday mornings. What I love most about this particular market is the number of organic vendors. Tomato season is one of my favorite times. There is every size and color of tomatoes. Cherry, grape, heirloom and more. I picked out a basket of yellow cherry tomatoes. Since the yellow cherry variety is so low in acid they are sugary sweet and perfect as a healthy snack or in a salad of basil leaves, olive oil and sea salt (see my recipe included in this post). If you are wondering about the non-"green" tomato basket...I wash them and return them to the vendors who reuse them.

There were still some strawberries available. It is getting late in strawberry season, most of the local vendors have closed up shop for the season only there are still some local producers who have some lingering berries. I scooped up a 3-pack of organic strawberries, raspberries and yellow raspberries (which if you haven't tried yet...might be worth the trip to Sacramento just to taste, they have a softer more delicate flavor than traditional purple raspberries). The 3-pack was only $10 and now I have an assortment of sweet berries for the week ahead. I heard about a yellow raspberry crisp with a crust inspired by a Bon Appetit recipe for rosemary crisp topping. Since I finally convinced my Yorkie to stop walking in my herb garden, I now have some nice rosemary growing that will be perfect for this recipe. I might have to try it tomorrow...

Next I hit up my favorite mushroom booth and purchased some white button mushrooms to use with my yellow cherry tomatoes for a fresh and light pasta after work one night this week. We finished off our morning listening to a local jazz band and picking up a pepper plant for a birthday gift for a barbecue we were attending tonight.

We were so excited about how pretty our produce looked we even snapped some pictures when we got home to share with all of you...

Davis Farmers Market Organic Yellow Cherry Tomato Salad
1 basket of organic yellow cherry tomatoes
1 small handful of fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp. local organic olive oil
freshly ground pepper to taste
sea salt to taste

Cut the yellow cherry tomatoes in half and place in a salad bowl. Gently tear the handful of fresh basil leaves and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add olive oil, freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Mix gently, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Davis Farmers Market
Central Park
4th and C Streets
Saturdays, 8:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M., year-round

The Capitol Goes Green

The California State Capitol will now be serviced by a LEED Certified Gold central plant which will heat and cool more than 5.5 million million square feet of office space in the Capitol and other state buildings in the the downtown Sacramento area.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™, set up by the Green Building Council, "encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria."

"California continues to lead the nation in fighting climate change and this new central plant is leading by example to reduce our state's carbon footprint," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "It is very exciting that this new facility is being built to the gold standard."

The new plant does it's job using 10% of the water used in the old building and includes high-tech solutions to do the job of heating and cooling office space more efficiently. The new building even includes solar panels to provide energy for the offices located inside the building.

The new plant will be fully operational in May 2009.

Skanska USA Building Inc. has designed and is constructing the new central plant and working with Sacramento firm Nacht and Lewis Architects, Flack and Kurtz of San Francisco, Lawson Mechanical and Redwood City Electric, among others. The state's major consultants, on the project include Capitol Engineering Consultants Inc., Lionakis Beaumont Design Group and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., according to the Department of General Services.-GreenerBuildings.com

Be A Sacramento Locavore

The local food movement is gaining momentum in Sacramento. A Sacramento "locavore" is someone that only eats food that is grown or produced within a 100 mile radius of the city. The idea being that that by supporting began more locally based food producers that are self sustaining, the production, processing, distribution and consumption is all integrated to improve the overall health of our city. By persuing local food options, residents and visitors alike support the local agriculture community and enhance the sustainable lifestyle of Sacramento.

The 6-county Sacramento region has a total farm value of over $1 billion, producing over $30 million of at least 11 different crops, including fruits, nuts, vegetables, livestock and nursery products. The region is a significant producer relative to California and to the nation for its signature crops: pears, prunes, rice, tomatoes, walnuts and peaches. The region accounts for between 20% and 35% of U.S. farm value for prunes and processing tomatoes, between 10% and 15% for walnuts peaches and pears and about 9% for rice.

With this rich agricultural heritage many local producers encourage farm tours to engage the public in what they provide to the community and our nation. See how the Sacramento region is feeding its residents and educating the public on sustainable farming practices.

Regional Agricultural-Based Cooperatives

Each of the following associations either offers their own guide for visiting their farms, orchards, nurseries and markets or can provide information on visiting specific farms or growers in their region. Contact each association directly for further information pertaining to their region or individual members.

Apple Hill Growers Association

Located in El Dorado County, Apple Hill is a “backroads” area that boasts more than 50 ranches including Christmas tree growers, wineries, and u-pick apple farms. During the peak season (September-November) many of the farms have crafts, entertainment, cider presses and activities available for visitors. Contact the association for the annual Apple Hill “Cider Press” guide which contains a map along with locations and descriptions of each association member. Many Apple Hill Growers Association members are also El Dorado County Farm Trail members.

El Dorado County Farm Trail Association

El Dorado County is Sacramento’s neighbor to the east. Driving east on Highway 50 towards South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County is approximately 30 minutes from Sacramento, along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Long known for its gold rush heritage, El Dorado County is also known for its bountiful production of apples, grapes, olives, and timber.

The El Dorado County Farm Trails Association represents a wide variety of farms in El Dorado County. Their Farm Trails route which offers visitors a chance to buy fresh produce and talk with farmers was recently referred to by UC Davis as being one of “two premier farm trails in the state”. Some farms offer refreshments, tours, petting zoos, and demonstrations for groups.

Placer Grown

Placer Grown is a co-operative association that represents the agricultural industry in Placer County. Placer County is Sacramento’s neighbor to the northeast. Driving east on Interstate 80 towards Reno, Placer County is approximately 30 minutes from Sacramento, in the Sierra foothills, and at the northern end of California’s “Gold Country”. Placer County agriculture is a vital industry and accounts for over $75 million in gross annual sales.

This collection of farms produces and promotes a wide variety fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products. The most popular crops grown in Placer County include rice, mandarins, tomatoes, fresh-cut flowers, and timber.

Placer Grown also sponsors the following tours:
The Mountain Mandar in Tour-Experience Placer County’s rolling rural foothills and visit their many mandarin orchards at the peak of their season. The Mountain Mandarin Tour begins in mid-November and runs through January. Also, look for the Mountain Mandarin Festival which is held each year in mid-November.

Farm & Barn Tour-Farm tour held each fall. Explore working farms & ranches, an historic country schoolhouse, wineries, produce markets and AGROart competition. Dates vary.

Sacramento County Farm Bureau

The Sacramento County Farm Bureau was established in 1917 to support the Sacramento County farming community. The top crops in Sacramento County are wine grapes, tree nuts (primarily almonds and walnuts), nursery products, pears, berries, and dairy products.

Yolo County Farm Bureau

Yolo County is Sacramento’s neighbor to the west, located at the northern tip of California’s San Joaquin Valley and encompassing California’s Delta region. The top crops in Yolo County are tomatoes, wheat, rice, alfalfa, hay, seed, walnuts, corn, safflower, melons and almonds.

Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau

Yuba and Sutter Counties are Sacramento’s neighbors to the north, encompassing much of the northern Sacramento Valley. Yuba-Sutter’s agricultural history dates back to the 1840s when John Sutter started a stock ranch in the Yuba City area that was later set on fire by vandals. However, since then people have continued to move to the region and cultivate crops due to the fertile soil and great climate. Today, the availability of water, plus long, sunny growing seasons, make Sutter County prime agricultural land. Over 93% of the County's land is classified as "important farmland" making it one of the most intensively farmed counties in California. The ten leading crops in the region include rice, beans, tomatoes, melons, alfalfa, hay, and tree crops of peaches, almonds, walnuts and plums (and dried plums). Yuba City is home to Sunsweet Growers Inc., the largest prune packing plant in the world.

Get Around Green in Sacramento

There are so many ways to get around Sacramento without leaving your carbon footprint along the way. Visitors and residents can save money and the environment with our many green transportation options.

Here are some simple solutions for navigating the streets of Sacramento.

Green Transportation Resources

Sacramento Regional Transit
916-321-BUSS
You can also use the Online Trip Planner which will do the thinking for you, it even estimates walking distances!

Light Rail
Sacramento’s ever-expanding Light Rail offers service 7 days a week and is an affordable and easy way to get to the capitol city’s most popular destinations.

Downtown Trolley (Route #143)
Hop on the Downtown Trolley and enjoy the simplest way to get anywhere between Old Sacramento and 15th Street, including the Amtrak station. The trolley runs every 15 minutes on Saturdays. No service on Sundays.

DASH (Route #30)
This popular route, known as the “DASH,” connects Sacramento State University and Downtown Sacramento and runs every 15 minutes.

Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor
916-974-3322
The most convenient way to get from Sacramento to the Bay Area is Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor. Amtrak shuttles passengers from Davis to Sacramento, Sacramento to Reno and beyond.

Corporate Transportation Solutions
916-781-2020

CTS has introduced comprehensive and customized strategies to our operation that will, over the next few years, result in a significant reduction of the company's energy consumption. CTS has taken delivery on new flex-fuel SUVs. This new technology lets the vehicles use all cylinders when power is needed and fewer cylinders when practical for better mileage. The net result=less fuel consumption=reduction of greenhouse gases=reduced carbon footprint.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car
800-736-8222
“Keys to Green” new clean technology vehicles available.

Escape Travel
916-419-5203
Road and mountain bike rentals available. Also specializing in 1-5 day cycling, hiking, kayaking and Gold Country tours.

Luxury Limousines of Sacramento
916-489-5899
As part of their ongoing green commitment, Luxury Limousines is pleased to announce the addition of our first Hybrid Vehicle, a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe.

Sacramento Valley Velo Cab
916-498-9980
Velocabs are zero emission, human-powered vehicles -- the latest evolution in pedicab design. They operate in the downtown/midtown grid Mon - Fri, 12:00pm - 8:00pm. Find them around the Capitol, Convention Ctr, the Cathedral, Old Sac and midtown.If you see one empty, flag it down and catch a ride. Or call for reservations.

Sacramento Hotels are Going Green

Sacramento hotels are making it "official."

For years Sacramento hotels have been making strides in becoming more sustainable and earth-consious. We are fortunate to have a group of hoteliers who understand that our state is recognized for its environmental beauty and they work hard to maintain that recognition. For the first time in Sacramento history, Sacramento Hotels belonging to the Sacramento Hotel Association (SHA), will make it official with certification through the California Department of General Services.

Hotels will need to achieve a point score as outlined by the CA Deptartment of General Services that allows them to belong to the "California Green Loding Program." This program includes a rigorous certification program that demands strict "green" standards for each hotel property. Each property must have a written environmental policy and meet each of the program's strict seven criteria.

-Waste minimization

-Reuse/recycling

-Energy efficiency

-Conservation and management

-Waste management

-Freshwater resource management

-Hazardous materials management

-Environmentally and socially sensitive purchasing policies

Under the direction of SHA President, Steve Mammet, 75% of Sacramento hotels will achieve the minimum score outlined in the California Green Lodging Program by December 31, 2008.

We can't wait to see all the exciting changes take place at our Sacramento hotel properties!

Travel Green to Sacramento

The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau has always been concerned with conserving and protecting the rich history of our city. After all, we understand why our visitors want to come to our city. From mining to farming, our heritage has deep roots in the land we call home today.

Now our goal is to educate visitors to our city (along with interested residents) on how Sacramento is "going green" to further protect our land and history for future generations. We want our visitors to understand our vision for an eco-friendly destination where residents and visitors can create a deeper connection with the rich soil Sacramento was founded upon.

Being the Convention & Visitors Bureau, we have the unique opportunity of reaching far out into our community to meet with environmental visionaries who all share the common goal of creating a sustainable future for Sacramento. Share in these visions as we stay on the forefront of environmentalism in Sacramento.

Visit this blog to continue to learn more about the "green shift" occuring in Sacramento.

Thank you for caring about our city as much as we do!