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Next gen farmers: Rooted in the community

Patrick and Diane Bollinger had no farming experience when they decided to quit their jobs and start growing.

Nestled in the hills of Placer County, Foothill Roots Farm sits on a beautiful piece of land.

The food it grows is even better.

But the best part is the couple who runs it.

Patrick and Diane Bollinger are the heart and soul of Foothill Roots.

The farm sits on a five-acre plot in Meadow Vista, where each week the couple harvests crops to supply their growing CSA business, a farm stand, and several wholesale buyers.

And the kicker? Neither had any farming experience, when a few years ago, they decided to quit their jobs in Lake Tahoe and go full ‘American Gothic.’

So, how did it happen? Here’s how they tell the story:

“We had been interested in reading about farming,” Patrick told us.

“And when we were living in Tahoe, we had made a little greenhouse in a parking lot of where we were living,” Diane added. “Just trying to eek out a little bit of food where we could.”

“We were like this is insane,” said Patrick. “If we’re gonna do this, we actually have to do it.”

“Then once we started doing it, it really was like, ‘oh, this feels really good,’ said Diane. “Growing good food just feels good.”

Our 10 Words team visited Foothill Roots Farm after we heard from many people who wanted to know more about where their food comes from. Please vote on which topic you would like us to cover next.

Click here to learn more about 10 Words

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