“Lettuce” Welcome Spring: Newcastle Produce and Foothill Flowers

WITH A LONG, WET WINTER BEHIND them, farmers are planting their summer crops and harvesting spring’s bounty.

Spring lettuces, such as Red Leaf, Romaine and Oakleaf, are headed for the Foothill Farmers Market in Auburn and Roseville, just in time for seasonal salads.

April is a time for the “A” crops, such as asparagus and artichokes.

“Our greenhouse is bulging,” says Jan Thompson, owner of Loomis’ Twin Brooks Farms and Newcastle Produce. “Tomato plants, squash, beets, lettuce, cucumbers, fennel and more need to be moved out and planted in the ground.”

Fresh local onions, squash, peppers and eggplant are expected in May and June.

The farmers markets in Grass Valley, Nevada City, Truckee and Tahoe City are open in June, displaying a bounty of veggies and fruit from our region.

In May, PlacerGrown will help introduce fresh, local produce to fans of the Amgen Tour of California when it rolls into Auburn.
This includes 600 custom lunch boxes for the racing team staffs and VIPs. “Our motto is ‘taste the difference,'” says Alexandra Carnahan, owner of Tsuda Cafe in Old Town Auburn, which is creating the lunch.

Foothill Flowers

Foothill Flowers, owned and operated by the Johnson family since 1966, has a beautiful selection of spring flowers that are hand selected at the San Francisco Flower Mart.

The seasonal selection includes iris, lilies, hyacinth, tulips, freesia, lilac, peonies and many other seasonal flowers. For a tropical flair, weekly shipments from Kona include orchids, anthurium, heliconia and assorted foliages.

Seasonal blooming plants include hydrangea, azalea, lily and orchid. The design staff has a combined 75 years of experience, and continues to create new designs and styles.

There’s also a unique wine selection at Foothill Flowers, located in a historic building in downtown Grass Valley.

Foothill Flowers 102 W. Main St., Grass Valley 530-273-2296 FoothillFlowers.com