Press Room / Media
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2008
PlacerGROWN Names
Hansen Family of
Loomis
2008 “Farmer of the Year”
FEBRUARY 2, 2008 – LINCOLN. PlacerGROWN presented the Hansen family of Loomis, CA the “Farmer of the Year” award at its annual Food and Farm Conference on Saturday, February 1. Eric and Yarda Hansen accepted the award from Rich Peterson, Chairman of the Board of PlacerGROWN, who acknowledged the contributions the Hansen family has made to Placer County agriculture for over a hundred years.
“Eric and Yarda Hansen, along with Eric’s father Bob and brother Randy, tend Pine Hill Orchard’s one hundred acres in Loomis. It is one of the largest orchards remaining in Placer County, and continues its evolution as a family farm”, said Peterson. “We are honored to present them with this award, in recognition of their accomplishments and contributions.”
In the 1870s, Eric Hansen’s great-grandparents emigrated from Denmark to Benicia. They worked at the John Deere plow factory until they had saved enough money to buy their first piece of property. In 1878 they moved to Loomis and planted plums, pears, peaches and strawberries. In 1901 Eric’s grandfather, Hans Hansen, bought the neighboring property. The first 20 acres were cleared by a team of horses and dynamite and planted with plums and pears. After WWII Eric’s father, Bob Hansen, used his veteran’s benefits to purchase the family’s first tractor and immediately sold the horse. This freed up the pasture and hay field to plant more plums and pears, and the stable for equipment storage.”
In 1977 the Certified Farmers Market system was created in California and the Hansens embraced a new form of distribution. They are very proud to hold “SG-01”, the first organic certification in the Sierra Gold region. Today nearly all their fields are organic. Eric’s brother Randy, a specialist in Integrated Pest Management and a consultant in crop management and organic practices, contributes his expertise to the farm’s practices, and Randy and Eric’s father Bob Hansen is still actively involved.
The Hansens share their time and expertise with the entire Placer County Agriculture community. Yarda currently serves on the board of PlacerGROWN, and Eric is a past board member as well as being actively involved in the Placer Gold Slow Food Convivium. Both Eric and Yarda are involved in the American Iris Society’s Region 14 conference, which will take place April 27-28, 2008 in Placer County. Eric is chair of the conference, and Yarda’s Ditch Water Iris Garden will be on the tour of featured local iris gardens.
Thanks to the family’s shared management style, Pine Hill Orchard continues to thrive as a family farm. Eric and Yarda, assisted by Eric’s father and his brother, use their combined education, backgrounds and interests to continue changing what and how they farm. They are continually striving to be more responsible to the world in which they live and to provide high-quality, great tasting food to the people of Placer County.
For information PlacerGROWN, visit (530) 889-7398.
PlacerGROWN is a nonprofit, membership organization formed to assist local agricultural producers market their produce and agricultural products. The goal is to bring farmers, ranchers and community members together to maintain and enhance the viability of agriculture in Placer County.
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