The second year of the Sierra Valley Art + Ag Trail is about to roll through town on September 30. This year the free self-guided tour, an event of the Sierra County Arts Council organized by volunteer Sierra Valley residents, will include six working ranches, two farms, two historic schoolhouses, as well as the Sattley Cash Store, Sierra Valley Grange Hall and Feather River Land Trust’s Sierra Valley Preserve – thirteen sites in total spread around Sierra Valley.
Visitors are invited to start the day at one of the three Trailhead locations where they can pick up a printed map of this year’s event sites, and then proceed at their own pace along the trail. Trailheads will host artists and activities and will be selling event passports, prize drawing tickets and souvenirs, including beautiful quilt
square flour sack dish towels by Karen Rickman, A Bit of Beach.
The optional event passport ($20) features iconic Sierra Valley photos, including samples from local photographic artists participating in the event – Bronwyn Olsen, Micah Silver and Kacie Marin. Passport holders will collect stamps from the event sites and exhibitors, such as cattle brands from the ranches and symbols representing the artists’ work.
Two prize drawing tickets come with the purchase of a passport; additional are $5 each. The prize drawing includes many works of art from the participating local artists, such as a Black Bear painting by Sierra Brooks artist, Tyler Jacobsen (Sierra Valley Wildlife), a basket of goodies made by the fiber artists exhibiting at the Harvey Ranch, and a solar light from glass artist Katie Tanner of Beckwourth. Local businesses have also contributed many prizes, including meals from Los Dos Hermanos and a fall decoration from Red Pony in Sierraville. The prize drawing will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Sierra Valley Grange Hall in Vinton.
Sites, Exhibitors and Activities
Each event site will host local artists (40 in all) on September 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as many other agricultural, artisanal and nature-based enterprises from the region. The event will also highlight the colorful Sierra Valley Barn Quilt Trail locations. Exhibitors will be set up in and around Sierra Valley’s beautiful old dairy barns and historic buildings, so that visitors can both learn about the history and modern-day uses of these buildings and enjoy artwork, informational displays and activities.
New this year, the Wily Ranch (most recently Cassida but now owned by Einen and Rhonda Grandi) at the northeast edge of Loyalton will be a site on the Art + Ag Trail. Helen (Wily) Roberti, who grew up on the ranch beginning in the 1930s, will be on hand sharing stories from her youth. The site will also host the Sierra Valley Yaks from Calpine, with Greg and Jenna Gatto supplying snacks to feed the friendly yaks. Lorraine Nielsen from Shear Bliss in Indian Valley, will be on-hand spinning yak fiber into yarn and showing and selling her wool products from her flock of Jacob sheep. The site will also host Rosanna Angel and her line of Heaven Sent bath products made from milk from her own goat herd, as well as Loyalton artist, Leland Cross and his beautiful paintings.
According to organizer, Kristi Jamason, this year there will be about twice as many artists and exhibitors at each event location and many demonstrations and hands-on activities and opportunities. Jennifer Kennedy of High Sierra Heritage Fruit will be at the Sierraville School with heritage apple tasting and an offer to try to identify visitors’ apples if they bring two or three of each variety along. The Grange Hall will have an apple press set up, so visitors can try pressing and sampling apple juice (along with being able to purchase a slice of homemade apple pie!). Over at the Harvey Farms & Forestry site in Calpine,
visitors will be able to try their hand at spinning
and weaving. Three local 4H clubs will be set up at the Roberti Ranch pole barn on Dyson Lane, allowing visitors to meet and pet their farm animals and ask questions. There will also be a hay maze, corn crib and games at KC Cattle Company and a chance to pick out your Halloween pumpkin at Lil’ Meg’s Pumpkin Patch – both on County Road A-23.
The historic one-room Summit School on Highway 70 and Lost Marbles Ranch at Marble Hot Springs Road and County Road A-23 are also new sites on the Art + Ag Trail this year.
Summit School owners Ed and Diane Yang, of Reno, purchased the property two years ago to ensure the community continues to have access to this cultural historic resource. They set up a lending library just off the highway, have the interior of the school set up with desks, globes, historic photos and more period education-oriented pieces and are thrilled to be a stop on the Trail this year. They will host Paul Herman of Great Basin Pottery, Jeanne Tansey’s Baskets & Books pine needle baskets, Rich Banks with High Sierra Crystals of Chilcoot, artist Lori Paoletti of Vinton and Gloria Gipson’s Earth ‘n’ Light gemstone and crystal jewelry out of Beckwourth.
Lost Marbles Ranch, owned by Dick and Chris Spencer, will be showing off their wedding venue historic barn, with five artist exhibitors on site, including Lucia Biunno of Dog Walk Crochet, Loyalton schoolteacher, Adrienne Anila (Mama Fig fiber arts), Presley
Sundberg’s Manifest Station Studio upcycled tin can lighting, Ryan Cook with his barn wood furniture, and Gail Frazier with her Pet Portrait service and mixed-media paintings.
A listing of all the sites and hosted exhibitors is on the event website under “Event Sites.”
On the Topic of Food…
This year local eateries are getting into the spirit of the event, as well. For example, Rhonda’s Lil’ Frosty will be offering an all-day hotdog special with fries and a drink. Cassandra Martinetti will be offering a family-recipe sausage and cheesy polenta special at Fork n Horn in Sierraville. Goodwin’s General Store in Chilcoot will have rotisserie chicken with a selection of sides.
Special to the event, chef Sean Conry, formerly executive chef of Longboards for 16 years, will be cooking up lunch fare with local culinary arts students from Portola High School and his Feather River College classes at the Sierra Valley Farms event site in Beckwourth. Using local ingredients, including heritage pork from Sage Eggs & Ham in Beckwourth, Sean and the students will be making and selling lunch fare, including pulled pork sandwiches and Thai pork meatballs (as well as vegetarian salad, soup and desserts created by the FRC pastry class). Anna Harvey will have family-recipe Basque chorizo sausage (with a twist - made with lamb) on a baguette for sale at the Harvey Ranch.
Visitors are encouraged to throw an ice chest in the car. Local pork (Sage Eggs & Ham) and lamb (Harvey Farms) will be on sale, as well as farm products from Sierra Valley Farms.
This year, both the Plumas-Sierra Cattlemen’s Association & the Plumas-Sierra Cattlewomen will be cooking up a delicious meal to end the day. The tri-tip dinner following the prize drawing at the Grange hall will be an opportunity to catch up with friends, compare passport stamps, swap stories, and participate in a live auction featuring local rancher (comedian), Rick Roberti. Advanced dinner tickets (including children’s pricing options) are recommended and can be purchased online until September 23. If the dinner does not sell out via online sales, tickets will be available at the door.
Traveling the trail and taking in all the sites, history and activities is free. Tickets for the Plumas-Sierra Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s tri-tip dinner, passport sales and prize drawing tickets are on sale now via the event website, but will be ending in advance of the event.
Visit https://sierravalleyartagtrail.org/reservations for information and access to online sales.
Visitors are invited to start the day at one of the three Trailhead locations where they can pick up a printed map of this year’s event sites, and then proceed at their own pace along the trail. Trailheads will host artists and activities and will be selling event passports, prize drawing tickets and souvenirs, including beautiful quilt
square flour sack dish towels by Karen Rickman, A Bit of Beach.
The optional event passport ($20) features iconic Sierra Valley photos, including samples from local photographic artists participating in the event – Bronwyn Olsen, Micah Silver and Kacie Marin. Passport holders will collect stamps from the event sites and exhibitors, such as cattle brands from the ranches and symbols representing the artists’ work.
Two prize drawing tickets come with the purchase of a passport; additional are $5 each. The prize drawing includes many works of art from the participating local artists, such as a Black Bear painting by Sierra Brooks artist, Tyler Jacobsen (Sierra Valley Wildlife), a basket of goodies made by the fiber artists exhibiting at the Harvey Ranch, and a solar light from glass artist Katie Tanner of Beckwourth. Local businesses have also contributed many prizes, including meals from Los Dos Hermanos and a fall decoration from Red Pony in Sierraville. The prize drawing will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Sierra Valley Grange Hall in Vinton.
Sites, Exhibitors and Activities
Each event site will host local artists (40 in all) on September 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as many other agricultural, artisanal and nature-based enterprises from the region. The event will also highlight the colorful Sierra Valley Barn Quilt Trail locations. Exhibitors will be set up in and around Sierra Valley’s beautiful old dairy barns and historic buildings, so that visitors can both learn about the history and modern-day uses of these buildings and enjoy artwork, informational displays and activities.
New this year, the Wily Ranch (most recently Cassida but now owned by Einen and Rhonda Grandi) at the northeast edge of Loyalton will be a site on the Art + Ag Trail. Helen (Wily) Roberti, who grew up on the ranch beginning in the 1930s, will be on hand sharing stories from her youth. The site will also host the Sierra Valley Yaks from Calpine, with Greg and Jenna Gatto supplying snacks to feed the friendly yaks. Lorraine Nielsen from Shear Bliss in Indian Valley, will be on-hand spinning yak fiber into yarn and showing and selling her wool products from her flock of Jacob sheep. The site will also host Rosanna Angel and her line of Heaven Sent bath products made from milk from her own goat herd, as well as Loyalton artist, Leland Cross and his beautiful paintings.
According to organizer, Kristi Jamason, this year there will be about twice as many artists and exhibitors at each event location and many demonstrations and hands-on activities and opportunities. Jennifer Kennedy of High Sierra Heritage Fruit will be at the Sierraville School with heritage apple tasting and an offer to try to identify visitors’ apples if they bring two or three of each variety along. The Grange Hall will have an apple press set up, so visitors can try pressing and sampling apple juice (along with being able to purchase a slice of homemade apple pie!). Over at the Harvey Farms & Forestry site in Calpine,
visitors will be able to try their hand at spinning
and weaving. Three local 4H clubs will be set up at the Roberti Ranch pole barn on Dyson Lane, allowing visitors to meet and pet their farm animals and ask questions. There will also be a hay maze, corn crib and games at KC Cattle Company and a chance to pick out your Halloween pumpkin at Lil’ Meg’s Pumpkin Patch – both on County Road A-23.
The historic one-room Summit School on Highway 70 and Lost Marbles Ranch at Marble Hot Springs Road and County Road A-23 are also new sites on the Art + Ag Trail this year.
Summit School owners Ed and Diane Yang, of Reno, purchased the property two years ago to ensure the community continues to have access to this cultural historic resource. They set up a lending library just off the highway, have the interior of the school set up with desks, globes, historic photos and more period education-oriented pieces and are thrilled to be a stop on the Trail this year. They will host Paul Herman of Great Basin Pottery, Jeanne Tansey’s Baskets & Books pine needle baskets, Rich Banks with High Sierra Crystals of Chilcoot, artist Lori Paoletti of Vinton and Gloria Gipson’s Earth ‘n’ Light gemstone and crystal jewelry out of Beckwourth.
Lost Marbles Ranch, owned by Dick and Chris Spencer, will be showing off their wedding venue historic barn, with five artist exhibitors on site, including Lucia Biunno of Dog Walk Crochet, Loyalton schoolteacher, Adrienne Anila (Mama Fig fiber arts), Presley
Sundberg’s Manifest Station Studio upcycled tin can lighting, Ryan Cook with his barn wood furniture, and Gail Frazier with her Pet Portrait service and mixed-media paintings.
A listing of all the sites and hosted exhibitors is on the event website under “Event Sites.”
On the Topic of Food…
This year local eateries are getting into the spirit of the event, as well. For example, Rhonda’s Lil’ Frosty will be offering an all-day hotdog special with fries and a drink. Cassandra Martinetti will be offering a family-recipe sausage and cheesy polenta special at Fork n Horn in Sierraville. Goodwin’s General Store in Chilcoot will have rotisserie chicken with a selection of sides.
Special to the event, chef Sean Conry, formerly executive chef of Longboards for 16 years, will be cooking up lunch fare with local culinary arts students from Portola High School and his Feather River College classes at the Sierra Valley Farms event site in Beckwourth. Using local ingredients, including heritage pork from Sage Eggs & Ham in Beckwourth, Sean and the students will be making and selling lunch fare, including pulled pork sandwiches and Thai pork meatballs (as well as vegetarian salad, soup and desserts created by the FRC pastry class). Anna Harvey will have family-recipe Basque chorizo sausage (with a twist - made with lamb) on a baguette for sale at the Harvey Ranch.
Visitors are encouraged to throw an ice chest in the car. Local pork (Sage Eggs & Ham) and lamb (Harvey Farms) will be on sale, as well as farm products from Sierra Valley Farms.
This year, both the Plumas-Sierra Cattlemen’s Association & the Plumas-Sierra Cattlewomen will be cooking up a delicious meal to end the day. The tri-tip dinner following the prize drawing at the Grange hall will be an opportunity to catch up with friends, compare passport stamps, swap stories, and participate in a live auction featuring local rancher (comedian), Rick Roberti. Advanced dinner tickets (including children’s pricing options) are recommended and can be purchased online until September 23. If the dinner does not sell out via online sales, tickets will be available at the door.
Traveling the trail and taking in all the sites, history and activities is free. Tickets for the Plumas-Sierra Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s tri-tip dinner, passport sales and prize drawing tickets are on sale now via the event website, but will be ending in advance of the event.
Visit https://sierravalleyartagtrail.org/reservations for information and access to online sales.
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