Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

Citizens Bank of Northern California and the Nevada County Economic Resource Council Foundation are sponsoring the opportunity to hear from Gary Zimmerman, senior economist, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Dr. David Gallo, professor of economics, California State University at Chico, about the national, regional and local economic trends on the horizon.

With the local economy still largely in shambles, you can expect a healthy, attentive turnout this year.

The agenda is here:

Tuesday, May 4
8-8:45 a.m. Registration and Breakfast
8:45-9 a.m. Welcome and Introductions by Judy Hess, Citizens Bank and Gil Mathew, ERC
9-10 a.m. Gary Zimmerman
10-10:15 a.m. Break
10:15-10:30 a.m. local update, Gil Mathew, ERC
10:30-11a.m. Dr. David Gallo

Veterens Hall, 321 South Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Cost $30.00 includes the 2009 Nevada County Economic and Demographic Profile as compiled by the Center for Economic Development, California State University at Chico

Space is limited, please RSVP soon to the ERC Office at 530-274-8455 or email info@ncerc.org. Advance payment required. No walk-ins.

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More than 350 people showed up for the launch of Placer County Real Food, a cookbook that highlights the boom in food awareness in our area.

More people want to know where their food is coming from, how it’s grown and how it’s transported, and farmers markets are popping up all over the foothills.

The book’s recipes are based on shopping at the Foothill Farmers Market and cooking meals from what they found fresh for a full year. More than 300 guests dined with market co-founder Joanne Neft and chef Laura Kenny at family-style dinners, providing feedback. The background is here.

This weekend’s event, at the historic Blue Goose fruit packing shed in Loomis, was hosted by PlacerGrown. We enjoyed attending, and our son liked the fiddle music. This is a cool “shop local, buy local” story for our region, supporting independently run businesses.

A video is here:

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The rain we’re getting this late in April won’t end the prolonged drought, but it could help to end mandatory water rationing in the “flatlands.”

L.A.’s population has grown by about a million people in the past three decades, but water use is at a 31-year low, the L.A. Times reported. The increased rain helped decrease demand, but water-saving rules — which limit the duration of watering —also are credited with the decline.

In the Bay Area, East Bay MUD declared the drought is over, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District will vote next month on ending a 15 percent mandatory conservation program, according to KCBS. The Contra Costa Water District just officially ended its drought management program.

“We are still asking customers to use waters as efficiently as possible and discouraging any wasteful use,” a spokeswoman for the Water District told KCBS.

In the Sierra, the snow is continuing though most ski resorts are closed. But white-water rafting operators are excited. “This bodes well for an exciting and lengthy California whitewater rafting season,” said James Rodger, California and Oregion regional manager for O.A.R.S. “We could also see some rather high water on rivers throughout the state this spring.”

The Sierra stream trout fishing season also opens this Saturday.

In our area, the high waters can mean dangers too: Some people underestimate the dangerous spring runoff conditions and drown. The same warnings come year after year.

The latest figures on snowpack (a fun site to bookmark) are here.

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