The Placer County Ag Tour is an annual event that connects local leaders, legislators, and decision-makers, with Placer County’s agricultural producers, farmers, foresters, and ranchers. Funded by Placer County and hosted by the Placer Resource Conservation District, each year focuses on topics of discussion selected by a committee relevant to the current opportunities and challenges faced under existing economic and environmental conditions.
The Placer County Ag Tour is coordinated with the support and partnership of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE), Placer Grown, and Placer County Agriculture Commissioner.
The 2023 Ag Tour’s theme was “From Roots to Fruits – Sowing Success in the Foothills” and featured visits to Twin Peaks Orchards and Fowler Nurseries. These longtime Placer County businesses were both founded in 1911 and have stayed within their respective families for over 100 years, weathering the ongoing changes facing Placer County.
Twin Peaks Orchards
Founded by Yoshichika and Tomeo Nakae in 1912, the land which is now Twin Peaks Orchards was cultivated carefully to become known as one of the most beloved orchards in Placer County. Nurtured by their son Howard Nakae and his family to success, the roots laid by the Nakae family has carried this farm through three more generations. Passed from Howard to his daughter and son in law Raul and Sheila Enriquez in the mid 1990’s, the orchard entered into a new chapter with the local Farm to Fork movement, crucial to the continuation of Twin Peaks.
After a tragic fire on August 4th of 2020, the orchard has passed to the next generation of farmers, who we were fortunate enough to learn from during the 2023 Placer County Ag Tour. With the help and support of the community and with guidance from Raul and Sheila, Camelia and Justin are committed to continuing the tradition of farming the family before them has instilled.
Fowler Nurseries
Fowler Nurseries was founded in 1912 and cared for by Eugene “Gene” Fowler. During this time, many fruit trees orchards were being planted in the highly fertile soils of the foothills around Newcastle, which was the largest deciduous fruit-shipping center in the world.
Today Fowler is still operated by family, and we were fortunate enough to hear from Denise Moore, who carries on her family’s tradition of growing resilient and delicious fruit trees for wholesale. What’s more, Fowler Ranch, accessed just down the road from Fowler Nurseries, hosts an incredible weekly farmer’s market and soon will be opening a brewery on property (where they were kind enough to host the Ag Tour’s incredible lunch!).
