A new map published by North Yuba Grown is in distribution around the region and showcases six wineries and features five olive oil operations in Yuba County. Two years after launching a local foods/homegrown initiative, North Yuba Grown, a coalition of local vineyards, ranches and farms, successfully received a grant to create a marketing piece that puts the foothills on the map as an agritourism destination. Yuba County wineries include Cante Ao Vinho Winery, Clos Saron, Grant-Eddy, Lucero Vineyards, Renaissance Vineyards, and Tryphon Vineyards. Cordi Winery represents a niche farming business located against the Sutter Buttes and six additional wineries are listed on the map within Butte County.

The release of the North Yuba Grown Farm Trail Map comes on the heels of the opening of the Yuba Harvest Market Café and Tasting Room located in the heart of Oregon House, and complements the Oregon House Farm Store, Tuff Stuff Jerky, and other retail outlets that sell locally produced foods and products. 

Last year Gary Hawthorne, president of North Yuba Grown and owner of Riverbrooke Farms, began supplying an Oregon House charter school with locally grown food. Freja's Foods, a vegetarian meats processor, recently expanded its customer base by utilizing Tony's Specialty Foods as a transportation broker to move its product line into Whole Foods Markets and dozens of supermarkets and grocery outlets on the West Coast.

You can find the North Yuba Grown Farm Trail Map online here. 

Buttacavoli Industries Succeeding with Capital Infusion

Focus on Local Business

Due to the recent recession and cash flow challenges, Marysville-based Buttacavoli Industries realized a financing gap was prohibiting the company's ability to function and grow effectively. Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation (YSEDC) was able to bridge the gap by providing financing to help cash flow larger construction projects the business had been awarded. 
 

"Working with YSEDC to solve this problem was amazingly simple and quick. I am thankful for their assistance and look forward to continued business growth in Marysville," said owner Bruce Buttacavoli.

For more information regarding YSEDC's lending program, visit here or call 530.751.8555.

Buttacavoli Industries supplies and installs windows, shower doors, mirrors and exterior doors. All products are available for new construction or remodeling existing homes. They also provide full installation and service of all the products they sell. They truly are "Your Window and Door Store."

Buttacavoli started Buttacavoli Construction Company in May 1977. The company was operated from his house and specialized in new home and apartment construction and custom remodeling. In 1979 Yuba Window was created and within a couple years the companies were combined. The company continued its growth for many years as a specialty contractor and in 2006 Buttacavoli Industries incorporated and added a commercial division. The same year they built a new facility in Marysville, increasing their square footage from a 2,400 square foot office and shop to more than 9,000 square feet and employing 19 employees. 

For more information on Buttacavoli Industries visit here.  

Marysville State Route Overlay Project Nears Completion

Caltrans Hosts Community Celebration October 9

By October the final striping will be painted and new medians installed in a Caltrans state route overlay project that includes sections of B, E, F, 8th, 10th, and 12th streets in downtown Marysville. 

 The $46.5 million dollars in construction represents the largest street improvement program in Marysville's history, and the overlay durability is slated at 40 years. Construction detour streets have been added to the street improvement project due to the efficient use and resulting savings of program funds.

Caltrans invites the public to attend a street completion celebration in Washington Square Park at 10th and E Street. The event will feature live music, food, drinks, and vendor booths and is scheduled for Thursday, October 9 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

The Marysville overlay project began construction in June 2013.

Residential Permitting Activity Increases Countywide

Population Pace Points to Future Commercial Development

In 2013 residential homebuilders applied for 125 building permits, the most since 645 were issued in 2007. Although significantly down from the housing construction boom in 2004 and 2005 when 1,600 and 1,707 permits were consecutively issued, the new numbers reflect a conservative approach matching the current supply and demand for new housing products in Yuba County.

The latest building permits issued represent a diversity of communities from the foothills through the valley areas. Approximately 700 finished lots with streets, sidewalks and infrastructure in place are primarily located within the East Linda and Plumas Lake Specific Plan areas.

Sixty-two permits have been issued this year through June of 2014. As communities begin building out the lots planned for their boundaries, greater interest will be generated by commercial developers for commercial and retail centers to support a growing population that has increased 21.2 percent from 2000 through 2013.

A free dinner workshop will be catered to provide local businesses with the resources and information needed for success and is coordinated by the Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation and Yuba-Sutter Business Consortium Thursday, November 20, 5:30 p.m. at Wheatland's Community Center, adjacent to City Hall at 111 C Street.

Learn about business assistance resources that can successfully grow your business. Topics will include business attraction, expansion and retention; planning and counseling; workforce development; training and education; business finance; networking; tax credits and local incentives. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the regional business service providers in person, and discuss opportunities and programs that are available, most at no charge, to your business.

Reservations are required by calling 530.751.8555 or email here.  

In a single decade Yuba County crop values have soared from $135.4 million in 2004 to nearly 235 million in 2013. Agricultural values exceeded $200 million for the first time in 2011, and the subsequent two years have also been record-setting years for local ranchers and farmers. Additional truck, tractor, fertilizer, feedstock and related agricultural commodity purchases have increased the overall economic impact of the agricultural sector dramatically.

The top 10 crops have traded places on the valuation chart each year as some crops have declined in value while others have increased. The top commodities have typically been rice, dried plums, and peaches with walnuts surging recently based on a growing global demand. Acreage for walnut orchard production has increased 31 percent in Yuba County since 2007.

Yuba County farmers have healthy sales outside of the Yuba-Sutter region, but the 33 countries purchasing local agricultural products have also expanded their demand for additional food imports.

Agricultural products indicating decline in the 2013 Crop Report include milk and timber. The full 2013 Yuba County crop report can be viewed here.

The ground system units that collect aerial reconnaissance data for RQ-4 Global Hawk and U-2 aircraft will be under the same roof for the first time as an 85,000 square foot building breaks ground at Beale Air Force Base. The 386 jobs associated with these missions will utilize existing staff from the 548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group.

A contract for the $53.7 million construction of the new facility was awarded to Colorado-based Swinerton Builders. Local CTU Precast, Inc. was awarded the concrete wall construction process.

Global Hawk, with a flying history at Beale Air Force Base since 2004, has recently completed its 100th mission in Southeast Asia and is moving into the Pacific Region. With more than 115,000 hours of flight time it has supported diverse missions including anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, humanitarian assistance, fire and disaster reconnaissance, airborne communication and information-sharing. The U-2 mission has been stationed at Beale Air Force Base since 1976.

Despite a shrinking military global presence in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the demand for intelligence surveillance collected by the Global Hawk and U-2 programs has not decreased, according to Captain Andrew Caulk, spokesman for the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency. 

While the Yuba-Sutter Region continues to lag behind state and national unemployment numbers, other economic indicators are looking up. The Center for Economic Development (CED) at California State University calculated that the local area outpaced the Sacramento Region in total productivity growth from 2007 - 2012, and exceeded the national average by 45 percent. 

And while still not meeting the national average, per capita income has been growing locally in the same timeframe from 75 percent of the national average to nearly 80 percent. On a per capita basis Yuba-Sutter's personal income has also edged out the Sacramento Region indicating a quality of life and an ability to purchase more luxury items.

This year the median home price has surpassed $200,000 for the first time since the housing market's devaluation from 2007 - 2012. 

A 1950's-era carousel, Babe's Cookieactory, and an improved overhead zip line will be a few of the attractions showcased at Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland. Open September 20, Bishop's provides wholesome family farm fun through October 31. For more information call 530.633.2568 or visit here. 

The second annual California Swan Festival takes wing November 8 and 9. With free admission and parking at 703 B Street in Marysville, this year's event will feature dozens of guest speakers, workshops, children's events, and outdoor wildlife refuge tours and site seeing opportunities. For more information visit here or call 530.743.6501.

Nearly two million visitors have attended concerts at Yuba County's outdoor amphitheater since 2000 from Aerosmith to ZZ Top.  The remaining shows scheduled for the 2014 concert season include Jason Aldean, September 28, Kings of Leon: 2014 Mechanical Bull Tour, September 30, and Luke Bryan, October 16. For more information about events at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre, or to purchase tickets, visit here.

Coordinated by the Yuba County Parks and Recreation Program, there are numerous water, soccer and outdoor activities available - visit here for locations and availability. 

With some of the lowest camping stays with full RV hookups, Sycamore Ranch is located at 5390 Highway 20 and is Yuba County's newest RV Park and Campground located with access to the Yuba River. For camping and access information visit here.