NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. – What connects aspiring firefighters, foresters, the farm-to-fork movement and land stewardship to the local economy and community? In western Nevada County, the answer is the NJUHSD Ranch. The 86-acre ranch, located off McCourtney Road in south county, is off to a great start.
The land was donated by James Phelan, with the provision it should remain a working landscape. “This would be something he would really enjoy see happening,” said Rick Luttrell the swine advisor at the ranch and the step grandson of Phelan.
Luke Browning, the Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at NJUHSD and Ellen Van Noy, the Farm Manager, are overseeing the interns and instructors at the ranch. The interns working during the summer were selected from a pool of 42 applicants and are students at Ghidotti, NU and Bear River.
We caught up with them as they were busy with their daily chores and getting ready for the Fair.
The goal, as Browning and Van Noy state, is to create a community hub open to all. Students who want to raise livestock but don’t have the space at home will have the opportunity to do so at the ranch.
The saw mill, donated by the Nevada County Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD), is busy turning out lumber. The logs come from a variety of public lands and are being milled for the ranch and school projects. Fuel reduction, cutting down on transportation cost, providing hands-on experience and training for future operators, all this contributes to the ongoing classroom construction at the local high schools.
Expanding the swine barn and building cattle pens is underway. Next up is a joint project with Sierra Harvest to start growing crops, vegetables, an orchard and growing grapes.
Eventually the ranch will be open for field trips for younger students from local schools. Right now, the students and their advisors will be at the Nevada County Fair, which starts tomorrow and runs August 6-10. Stop by the Family Farm, ask them how you can get involved.
Local businesses like Hansen Brothers, agencies including Nevada County (who is paying for the interns this summer) NID, NRCD, the Farm Bureau, organizations like Sierra Harvest and the Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association are collaborating to build out the ranch.
If you would like a tour of the farm or are interested in collaborating, contact Luke Browning.