Feather River Land Trust's mission is to conserve the lands and waters of the Feather River region and steward their agricultural, cultural and educational values for current and future generations. Since 2000, FRLT has successfully protected over 54,000 acres of private lands that support outstanding biodiversity, waterways, fisheries, recreational and educational opportunities, cultural sites, agricultural lands and spectacular scenery. Staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions about the Sierra Valley Preserve and will have Sierra Valley Birder's Guidebooks available. For more information, visit www.frlt.org.
This fifth-generation sheep producer will host demonstrations of all aspects of wool production--from shearing to spinning, weaving, felting. Visitors can meet the sheep and alpacas and can try their hand at spinning and weaving. The wool room will be open for all your fiber needs and a section of lamb meat will also be for sale. Back by popular demand the Harveys will be serving their Basque Chorizo along with a slice of Gauteau Basque, a traditional pastry served in the homeland of the Pyrenees mountains. There will also be a display of milling and logging equipment. For more information, visit https://www.annagotwool.com and https://www.facebook.com/annagotwool/
Lemon Canyon Ranch, a conserved 1400-acre organic cattle ranch near Sierraville, was named after B.F. Lemmon, who owned the property in the 1860s. Built in the 1870s, the two barns on Lemon Canyon Ranch are some of the oldest and best-preserved in Sierra Valley. Constructed with hand-hewn timbers and held together with mortise and tenon joints and wooden pegs, the barns were restored in 2001 using traditional carpentry practices to preserve Sierra Valley's architectural heritage. The owner and ranch manager will be on-hand in turns with information about historic and current operations, and there will be a display about the botanical legacy of John Gill Lemmon (B.F.’s brother) and Sarah Plummer-Lemmon.
Lil' Megs Pumpkin Patch was sprouted in 2012 to bring fun and entertainment to the community. The "patch" features games, a corn maze and plenty of pumpkins and gourds! Lil' Meg's Pumpkin Patch, hosted on the family-owned Whittemore Farm, is aptly named for the petite size of one of its owner (Megan Whittemore) and the petite size of the pumpkin patch itself. For more about the Patch, visit www.facebook.com/lilmegspumpkinpatch/.
Diamond G Land & Cattle Ranch, new to the Trail in 2019, raises Corriente cattle (and boys who live to team rope) under a spectacular rock outcropping at the north end of Sierra Valley. Part of the historic Bonta Ranch, Diamond G has many old structures in place, including the beautiful draft horse barn, which will be hosting several local artists, roping demonstrations with the Grashuis boys, and stories of the history of the ranch for the Art + Ag Trail.
The Lost Marbles Ranch, originally established in 1887 as the Scolari Ranch, was a dairy and raised sheep. Today the historic 150-year old hay barn hosts weddings and special events (as well as barn owls, great-horned owls and Canada geese) in the heart of picturesque Sierra Valley, surrounded by wetlands with great bird watching vistas. For more information about the venue, visit www.thelostmarblesranch.com.
Roberti Ranch is a family-owned hay and cattle operation located in Sierra Valley. Established in 1922 by Elmer Roberti's parents, the ranch has grown from a small dairy to a nearly 6,000-acre business. Today, Elmer and Helen Roberti's three sons and their families operate the ranch. Roberti Ranch will offer three ranch bus tours on September 28 (all are now full), and exhibits will be hosted at the hay barn on Dyson Lane. For more information about the ranch, please visit www.robertiranch.com.
The Hollitz Ranch is a working ranch focused on hay and cattle production. New to the Trail in 2019, this ranch was homesteaded in 1867. The ranch is home to one of the oldest dairy barns in Sierra Valley. Built with hand-hewn timbers, wooden pegs, and mortise & tenon joints in the 1860s, the historic barn has been stabilized and is today adorned with a beautiful "Blazing Star" barn quilt. Stop by and meet the owners, will be on-hand to discuss their restoration efforts, their horses and “Eddie,” the mule who thinks he’s a golden retriever. The Hollitz Ranch will be hosting local artists and a special guest with stories and photos from the ranch's past.
In addition to being a Certified Organic Farm, Sierra Valley Farms grows hops, and hosts a summer on-farm farmers' market and Farm-to-Fork Barn Dinners. Farmer Gary Romano has penned three entertaining and informative books on farming and sells bottled drink mixes, horseradish and more. Sierra Valley Farms is an Event Trailhead where visitors can secure passports and souvenirs and can pick up a printed map of the sites for the day. Host Gary Romano will be on hand to share information on the farm's history and current operation as a certified organic vegetable farm and will be selling farm products and signing and selling his books. For more information, visit www.sierravalleyfarms.com.
Sierra Valley Grange #466 was organized in Vinton in 1931. Grange is an agriculture-focused fraternal organization supporting rural Americans. Sierra Valley Grange hosts community weddings, funerals, 4H meetings, dinners and dances in the hall. The Vinton Cowboy Poetry Show was first held in the Sierra Valley Grange hall in 1985 and has been a popular annual event since. In addition to hosting several talented artists, the Grangers will be selling homemade apple pie by the slice, and will have cider pressing, zucchini car racing, music by the “Chilcoot Chicks” and the Plumas-Sierra Cattlewomen’s Sierra Valley Brand Quilt. As the Eastern Trailhead for the event, the Grange will also have Trail maps and information, passports and souvenir sales and will host the prize drawing and Cattlemen’s dinner from 4 – 6 p.m. [See www.SierraValleyGrange.org or https://www.facebook.com/SVGrange/ for more information.]
The historic Sierraville School was originally built in 1875, burned down in 1929 and was re-constructed in 1931. It was re-purposed as a Community Center after closing as a functional school and was recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This site will be hosted by the Sierraville Recreation Association, a community group that has assisted Sierra County in managing the Sierraville School Community Center for 15 years and organizes community events and fundraisers to help fund preservation and maintenance. The Sierraville School is the southern Trailhead for the event, hosting artists and providing information and maps to the sites, as well as opportunities to secure passports, souvenirs, prize drawing tickets and light refreshments.
Goodwin & Sons Ranch is a 7000-acre cattle and alfalfa ranch located on the north side of Sierra Valley. In 1987, George and Marty Goodwin purchased the original homestead, which was built in 1867 and was the stagecoach stop for through travelers. In 2009 ~ 80% of the 7,000 acres was placed into an agricultural conservation easement. Today the family is working to carry on the lineage of family ranching and farming. For the Art + Ag Trail, all artists will be set up in the old hay barn, and Goodwin family members will be on hand with light refreshments from the Goodwins General Store, historic and current ranch information, roping dummy lessons by the younger set, and some very friendly Friesians.
The Milton Gottardi Museum fulfills its motto of "Preserving the History of the Sierra Valley," with highlights of 20th-century home and retail life and the Valley's logging, ranching, and railroad history. Don’t miss the 0-scale model train layout depicting 1940s Loyalton in great detail. Displays in the outdoor yard include logging & ranching equipment, including a massive steam tractor, as well as a “face-in-the-hole” character board for photo-ops, and a large demo loop of the G-scale train under construction. Museum staff will be available to discuss the history behind the displays and to operate the model railroad. For more information, visit www.loyaltonmuseum.org.
The 1600-acre VV Bar ranch is a working cattle ranch that has been owned by the Van Vleck family for over 70 years. The current ranch was pieced together through the purchase of several ranches, straddling the Valley. It features several "Sierra Valley Barns," a style designed here in the mid-to late 19th Century for storing loose hay and feeding cattle through snowy winters.