Why We're in Love: Part 2, Foodie Heaven

I love food! As someone who enjoys cooking with high quality ingredients, I strive to buy our food from local sources. After doing some digging around, it's safe to conclude that Nevada City rocks! While there are too many options to list (see here for some Nevada County Grown) there's few that have already captured my interest.

CSA's- Part of the appeal of a CSA is the challenge to try new recipes. It’s fun watching your food change with the seasons and fully experience what’s growing throughout the year. 

Grass Valley Grains is a one man operation who grows varieties of wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, beans, teff, amaranth, millet, and other grains. A surprise offering of grains are dropped monthly at the Outside Inn. Yummy! 

Nevada County Free Range Beef offers beef shares. The cows are pasture raised and happily roam on hundreds of acres. Using all this land to raise cows prevents it from becoming the next shopping center or track home neighborhood. Ethical farmers really do a great job of keeping our land preserved and healthy for the future.

The Nevada City Farmers Market (Saturdays, June-November) is a weekly community gathering with amazing seasonal produce, grains, local dairy, flowers, live entertainment and more. I think this quote from their website really sums it up. “Come, feel the energy and live the goodness!” It’s nearly impossible to go and not have a great time.

There are some really amazing grass roots efforts going on in Nevada City. Another example is the food swap where participants bring in homemade or self harvested food and swap with others. How thrilling it would be to come with an abundance of one item and leave with arm load of new culinary delights.

And...If all else fails, there is a really nice Coop, BriarPatch. The store prides itself on selling local food and other sustainable options. They carry over 400 products from over 100 regional vendors! There is an outstanding selection of dairy, meat, and produce. If you enjoy drinking beer and wine it's hard to leave empty handed.

Nevada City, here I come!

Technology: the deal breaker?

It appears as if another item will be added to our house hunting wish list: high speed internet. Since Shon works from home in the IT arena we are dependent on it. Nevada City is a rural community and if you go too far out of town only satellite internet is available. Satellite internet is very slow (15MG) and costly (over $100 per month). Shon needs at least 50MG to effectively do his job. We encountered this dilemma today when we discovered this house:

17811 Golden Wolf Court, $339,000

This warm, inviting country home is secluded yet is only 2.5 miles to historic Nevada City. Lots of windows let the forest it with abundant decks for entertaining. The main house is 3/2 with an additional area below (475 SF) that is permitted for an office or additional bedroom includes a full bath. The over sized garage has a full bath and wood stove downstairs and a finished room upstairs. Great game room teen hangout or -. The upstairs room in the garage and the area below are not counted in the SF. Generator is hard wired into the home. 

 

What we love: This house sits on nearly three acres of mostly usable land. I am picturing a couple of alpacas, a dairy goat and there is already a fenced in garden area. There are some additional dwelling areas that could serve as an in-law unit for my dad, vacation rental or office for Shon. The main living area has beautiful wood beam ceilings and large windows which capture the views and let in plenty of natural light. The realtor Debbie Gordon is also very thoughtful, she seems like someone who we could happily work with. The kitchen is nicely remodeled with new counter tops and it has a large pantry. Oddly, the kitchen remodel is also a drawback…

Drawbacks: Call us crazy, but oftentimes we prefer the houses that are not remodeled. We would rather save our money and remodel using materials we love. If a house is updated we would feel guilty tearing out the really nice oak cabinets and replacing them with maple or replacing good looking laminate flooring for cork flooring. Part of the excitement of owning a house is making it our own over time. I would rather live with old fashion 1970’s tile counter tops and eventually upgrade to the dreamy recycled glass counters. This counter top situation is actually minor and would never be a deal breaker for us. Really, the main setback here is the location no WIFI no Nevada City love. I am also still caught up with the fantasy of walking to the grocery store or (one day) the kids to school.

Why We're in Love, Part 1: General Plan

Below is the introduction to Nevada City's General Plan and these ideals are reflected throughout.

Nevada City in the Sierra Nevada Foothills in California is a poem, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.

Nevada City is an accumulation of well preserved 19th century Gold Rush architectural treasures and a few that are not. It is a state of being, a paradox. It is many things to many people and nothing to some.

Its survival is determined by the attitude of those people who are willing to care. -John Stienbeck, Cannery Row

                                 Main street Nevada City

Some overarching goals that are further stated in the introduction are to preserve historic buildings and sites; to not expand development into the surrounding open forest; and encourage design which is appropriate to its own age, but which is unassertive, allowing the dominance of the City's primary, 19th century historic period. 

Yes, yes, yes!! 

Simply put, this a slow-to-no growth community that does not embrace urban sprawl and unsightly architecture. Community's like Nevada City are rare today, especially in our current social and economic climate. It is likely, when you think of your hometown growing up and compare it to today there are glaring differences. Many beautiful, special places have been overrun by strip malls, housing developments, and superstores such as Home Depot or Walmart. These big box stores are not only unaesthetic but they have pushed out small business. Without a general plan in place, such as this one, the sprawl is almost guaranteed to happen. 

Imagine growing up somewhere and coming back as an adult with everything the same as when you left. Imagine starting a small business and knowing that you are surrounded by a community of people who honor small businesses and will patron your store out of loyalty to small town living. These are the ideals that we would like to embrace even if it means paying more for less. Ah, Nevada City Love!