Rural Roots Sunday - The Many Benefits of Preserving Elk Grove's Rural Area
The need to protect the agricultural and rural heritage of Elk Grove has only grown as development continually expands and paves over open land
"...The Rural Area is valued in our community for its aesthetic and cultural significance, as well as the economic and educational opportunities that agriculture provides. Our commitment to maintaining the Rural Area is clear and codified in core planning documents..." Elk Grove General Plan, December 2023
The Rural Area is critical for preserving our water supply, biodiversity, and a rural farming and ranching lifestyle that benefits not only its residents, but the entire city of Elk Grove.
It provides open land where water can infiltrate down to replenish the groundwater that flows into our taps. It provides habitat for pollinators, native plants and animals. It helps counteract the urban heat island, keeping the city more comfortable for all. It provides fresh fruit and vegetables for our tables. The need to protect the agricultural and rural heritage of Elk Grove has only grown as development continually expands and paves over open land.
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Almost a decade ago, my family moved into the Elk Grove Rural Area to provide my children with the benefits of a farm upbringing. My children are learning responsibility by tending our garden, collecting eggs, feeding and watering our livestock.
They are growing to be healthy and happy by riding horses, exploring the outdoors, and eating fruit picked fresh from our trees. My family deeply values living in close contact with nature and seeing both wild and farm animals in the Rural Area when we go for walks and bike rides around our house.
I grew up on a 10-acre farm in the Napa Valley where I raised horses, pigs, and chickens, and grew and sold pumpkins. This rural lifestyle taught me responsibility, a work ethic, and hands-on skills like equipment repair. I was also a California State 4-H All-Star, where I learned leadership, public speaking, and community service.
My rural childhood is in large part why I am now a professor working to educate the next generation and to protect our local groundwater supply and water quality. My children, too, are now in 4-H and I hope that they reap the same rewards from it that I did, but in order for that to happen, the Rural Area must be preserved.
Amelia V., Rural Resident Elk Grove
