Rural Roots Sunday - A Rural Life Worth Protecting

When we moved to rural Elk Grove in January 2001, it was because we wanted something simple and meaningful: two acres of land where we could grow a garden, plant fruit trees, and enjoy the wildlife that makes this area so special. I eagerly started a large vegetable garden, and over the years we added more and more fruit trees.

One of my favorite memories is attending the Harvest Festival at Elk Grove Park with my grandkids. We learned that some of the pumpkin growers shared their seeds with the CSD for local families. I had no intention of entering the Giant Pumpkin Contest, but I wanted to grow pumpkins with my grandkids just for fun—and to introduce them to gardening.

A couple of years later, my family suggested a “family contest” to see who could grow the largest pumpkin. Lucky me—my biggest one weighed almost 400 pounds! It took our tractor’s bucket loader just to lift it.

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As the garden and orchard grew, so did the joy of sharing. Every year I gave away tomatoes, zucchini, grapes, cantaloupe, plums, peaches, apples, oranges, lemons, and more to neighbors, friends, and the Elk Grove Food Bank. Even though I eventually gave up the vegetable garden as my grandkids and I got older, we still share our fruit and citrus bounty. Those years created memories we’ll always treasure.

Today, that rural lifestyle is being threatened by a proposal for high‑density housing on a parcel surrounded by long‑established agricultural‑residential properties. Traffic on Sheldon Road is already overwhelming. It’s hard to imagine my neighbors safely riding their horses the way they have for decades.

Changing our Ag‑Res zoning would be a real loss—not just for those of us who live here, but for the character and heritage of the entire Elk Grove Rural Community. This area is more than land on a map. It’s a living piece of Elk Grove’s history, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

Mayme S.

Rural Resident