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Re-Invigorating Agriculture In The Capay Valleyback to list

by Karen Van Epen

Much has happened in the Capay Valley since David’s interview with Karen Van Epen in 1999. The valley has been greatly affected by the phenomenal expansion of the Cache Creek Casino Resort, but as a result there has also been a real coming together of local farmers and residents to protect the rural values and agricultural economy of this special place.

First and foremost, Scheuring and several other community leaders in 2002 founded an organization, Capay Valley Vision, to promote a sense of community identity and guide healthy development for the future. The board of directors includes a representative of the Rumsey Rancheria tribal council, which runs the casino, and Scheuring believes this connection has been helpful in building a consensus on ways to improve life in the valley.

Capay Valley Vision has conducted several community planning workshops and has established task forces to oversee concerns ranging from agriculture to local housing. It has established “Capay Valley Grown” as an appellation for regional farm products, and in August 2007 a specialty shop featuring these products opened at the Nut Tree Shopping Mall in Vacaville.

Organic farms in the valley have expanded their production and are gaining recognition for their quality and diversity. Scheuring believes that this trend will continue as long as local farmers work cooperatively to improve their marketing and protect their resources.

Scheuring himself grows walnuts under contract with Diamond Foods and markets his organic asparagus and mandarin oranges through local channels. “Farming is hard work,” he says, “but I can’t think of a better way of life.”

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