Lifestyle, Real Estate
Johnson’s Sierra Lifestyle Team Adds Instagram Expertise to Support Client Listings!
ON SOCIAL MEDIA – Karissa Johnson
Social Media has many benefits, especially for businesses.
It is a tool that many people tend to overlook. Having a good social media presence is especially important as we move further and further into a world dependent on technology. Perhaps the best way to get business is by word of mouth and advertising, social media combines those. When a business posts something on social media, not only is it being spread to more people than you can reach with typical advertising, but it also creates a personal connection between the business and the consumer making them more likely to pick that business over any other. Social media can help businesses grow immensely in size, and reach new younger customers that are essential to keeping a business alive.
Overall, Social Media is only a positive for businesses looking to grow, reach more customers, and to create more personal connections with customers.
The Sierra Lifestyle Team utilizes our robust Social Media skills to benefit the sale of your home, reaching thousands of qualified buyers on Facebook. We don’t rest on our laurels…and are pleased to announce a new INSTAGRAM manager, Karissa Johnson.
Karissa will head up our new Instagram program to highlight your properties to thousands of interested buyers, giving you significant new exposure to interested real estate buyers.
Brought to you by Johnson’s Sierra Lifestyle Team!
Younger Americans Lead Desire for Bigger Homes, Outdoor Space
October 13, 2020
Young Americans are having their housing preferences shaped by the pandemic.
They’re seeking larger homes and outdoor space, yet in walkable areas, according to findings from the 2020 Community and Transportation Preference Surveys recently conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®.
Young adults who live in walkable areas tend to report a higher quality of life than those who live in less walkable areas, the survey shows.
And young Americans may need a boost: Americans under the age of 40—millennials and Generation Z—are the most likely to say their overall quality of life has been negatively affected by the pandemic.
“Although COVID has dramatically changed people’s lives, this study shows that a substantial demand for walkability persists for Americans of all ages,” says Vince Malta, NAR’s president.
The survey also showed that families with children in school tended to show a stronger desire for detached homes and larger yards.
Before the pandemic, a majority of Americans preferred smaller yards in a walkable community, the survey says.
Americans 55 and older and those with higher incomes also tended to show an increased desire for walkability in their neighborhood.
Overall, survey respondents who strongly agreed with the statement that there are “lots of places to walk nearby” showed an 8% increase in quality of life, the NAR survey shows.
Source:
“NAR Community and Transportation Preferences Surveys,” National Association of REALTORS® (2020)
Walkable areas? Nevada County got ’em!!
Lifestyle
One of my favorite things about living in Browns Valley below the snowline is growing a variety of organic food.
It’s like an adventure, what can we grow now? We have planted over 15 fruit trees and many berries since moving here in 2016, including Pomegranate, Fig, Nectarine, apple, Variegated Pink Meyer Lemon, and Lime. Since it can take a few years to get a large fruit production I try to plant something new each year. This year I’m planting pineapple guava, hardy kiwi vines, and avocado.January is the perfect time to purchase bare-root fruit trees. The local nurseries are receiving shipments and with all the sunny weather we are having it’s great to get outdoors and plan your crops for the coming years. There are a number of great local nurseries that offer a variety of fruit-bearing trees or berries. Some of my favorites are, Prospector’s Nursery located in Nevada City, Weiss Brothers Nursery located in Grass Valley, Peaceful Valley Farm Supply located in Grass Valley, Eisley Nursery located in Auburn and Bald Mountain Nursery located in Browns Valley.
There is a large orange tree in my yard that was here when we moved in. Much to our family’s delight, we get a great amount of juicy, tasty oranges and every year we make candied orange peels, yum.
Each type of tree has an ideal time to prune. Pruning benefits the size and quantity of fruit production and pruning for shape can allow for an easier harvest. Mid-Winter is ideal for citrus, once the citrus trees have reached hibernation, usually in January. I started practicing my pruning technique with the orange tree in my yard. Every year I wait not so patiently for the right time to trim back the branches. It’s important to wait for a period of time where there will be no rain. I want the fresh cuts to have a chance to seal. I start with trimming any crossing branches. Anything that grows in is cut out. The goal I have for all of my fruit bearing trees is to keep them short to enable easy fruit harvest. A general rule for pruning is, don’t cut more than 1/3 of a tree per season. The first season I cut all crossing branches and started to trim back upper branches. The following season I did maintenance cuts, eliminating any new branches I didn’t want and cut more of the upper branches to ensure I would be able to reach all of the fruit. I’m currently planning my next plan of attack. As soon as I see the blossoms appear signaling hibernation I’m going in.
Community Events, Events In Nevada County, Lifestyle, The Arts
Nevada County Gem & Mineral Society
EARTH’S TREASURES Gem & Mineral Show is held each year in early October at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley . This year’s show, October 6 & 7, featured twenty vendors offering gems, minerals, fossils, florescent minerals, lapidary supplies, beads and supplies, jewelry, gold prospecting supplies and metal detectors and more.
Demonstrations
Attendees were treated with cool displays of Mineral and Fossil Collections and Demonstrations of bead making, cabachons, wire wrapping, gold panning and intarsia. The club ensures fun activities for kids, too, including a kids corner and scavenger hunt included free with admittance (free for those under 13 years of age).
Displays
Featured was Gold Extravaganza, a display of local gold that included a bear carved from gold bearing quartz from the Original Sixteen to One Mine, the oldest operating gold mine in North America. Mike Miller, owner of the 16 to 1 gave fascinating talks about the history and workings of the mine. The mine produces beautiful quartz shot through with gold that jewelers, local and far and wide, fashion into rings and other jewelry items.
Silent Auctions and Raffles
Silent auction items, refreshed every hour, and raffle tickets drawn throughout the day afforded enthusiastic attendees the opportunity to grab some awesome rocks and minerals at some awesome, affordable prices!
The Club
The Nevada County Gem and Mineral Society meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at Golden Empire Guild, 11363 Grange Court, Grass Valley, CA. All are welcome to come to meetings. Membership dues are $25.00 annually for individuals and $30.00 for families. Persons under 18, living at home may be included in a family membership. $5 may be subtracted from the dues if you take the newsletter via email only. Members are treated to informative programs at meetings and can participate in field trips to collect specimens, often in partnership with other clubs.
Nevada County Lifestyle
Our rock club is one of numerous opportunities to enjoy the lifestyle of the foothills. Folks come from Nevada City, Grass Valley, Penn Valley, South County and all parts of the greater San Francisco Bay Area to enjoy the many shows, events, and activities that abound here in Nevada County.
Come on down and enjoy this amazing place where we are so fortunate to live and play!
Community Events, Events In Nevada County, Lifestyle
A Beautiful Celebration Of Our Ancestors
With fall now here in Nevada County, and our love of pumpkin spiced everything. Our thoughts start to move toward Halloween. Pumpkins and skeletons everywhere! There is another, lesser known holiday (by most Americans), celebrated after Halloween on November 2nd and 3rd called Day of the Dead (Dia De Los 
Muertos). Yes. It sounds scary and maybe sounds inappropriate for young children but it’s really quite the opposite. In our home, ever since our oldest was about 2 we have celebrated Day of the Dead. This is a time to celebrate all of our loved ones (pets too) who have passed on. We put up pictures of those who have passed and make their favorite foods. We invite friends to join us and bring pictures, food and stories of their departed loved ones as well. We have a feast and share all the wonderful memories we have of those who are no longer with us. We are able to pass their memory on to our children. Our children are able to share the memories they have of their grandfathers, grandmothers and aunts as well as their goats, chickens, cats and other treasured pets. They benefit from hearing stories the adults have to tell, too. In a sense, it seems to take away some of the mystery of death and makes it more of a celebration of that person’s life. It also normalizes the conversation of the circle of life and keeps their memory alive.
Every year in Grass Valley, Nevada County Fairgrounds holds an Alter Show. This is a time people can, in a very creative way, put a memorial together of loved ones who have died. It’s a great way to see an aspect of this celebration. And it is one of many celebrations we have in Nevada County that makes living here in Nevada City, Grass Valley, Alta Sierra, Penn Valley and surrounding communities such a blessing.
The recent Disney movie, COCO, is a grand celebration of Dia De Los Muertos. It is appropriate for all ages and a wonderful family experience that illustrates and educates us about this wonderful and meaningful cultural experience!
Important News and Info, Lifestyle
Fall Gardening in Nevada County
Harvesting from the garden can be so rewarding, especially when you know what to look for.
One of our favorites in Nevada County this year is watermelon. You can tell when the melons are ripe by the small leaf that grows in the V of the stem that comes off of the melon. When this is dried and crispy you can be assured that your melon will be ripe and juicy. My seven-year-old son goes out to the garden daily to check. I’m lucky I was even able to get a picture before he picked it.
Ground cherries are another thing that have done really well in our garden. We’ve had hundreds of them, not only do the kids like to munch on them, but the chickens go crazy over them. They kind of taste like a sweet tomato. You know they are ripe when the wrapper turns brown and it falls to the ground. We discovered that letting them sit on the ground for a few days makes them even sweeter.
As the temperatures get cooler in the foothills, and the summer crops are starting to fade, we are preparing for our cool weather garden. I love to visit local nurseries and plant sales to see what is available.
If you would like to pick up some great veggie starts for your cool weather garden the Master Gardeners of Nevada County will be having their Fall plant sale coming up on Saturday, September 22 from 9-12, at The Demonstration Garden, 1036 W. Main Street in Grass Valley (on the NID grounds). http://ncmg.ucanr.org/. Hope to see you there!
Events In Nevada County, Lifestyle
Nevada County Rotary Clubs Give Back
Rotarians Meet Happy Tree Planters
The five Rotary Clubs in Nevada County joined together to give away free trees in support of Rotary’s Earth Day 2018 objective of planting a tree for every Rotarian. Rotary’s International President, Ian H.S. Risley, challenged every one of more than 52,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide to help protect the environment and curb climate change in a sustainable way by planting a tree for each of more than 2 million Rotarians. One of many ways Nevada County Rotary gives back to our communities.
One of the wonderful reasons we love Nevada County is the plethora of opportunities to give back to our community. More non-profits per capita than any other county in the State of California make this amazing place home. The Rotary Club of Nevada City, The Nevada City 49er Breakfast Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of Grass Valley, The Rotary Club of Grass Valley South, and the Rotary Club of Penn Valley joined forces, as they often do, to make it happen to give back to communities in Nevada City, Grass Valley, Penn Valley and surrounding communities.
Rotary Gives Away 400 Ponderosa Pines in 3 Hours!
Young Ponderosa Pine Trees
An so, on Saturday January 13, Rotary’s Free Tree Giveaway was on! 400 Ponderosa Pines, purchased from CalForest Nurseries were given away to interested folks in or local community. Why Ponderosa Pines? CalForest Nurseries recommends Ponderosa Pines: They are native to the area, are stable and sturdy trees able to withstand high winds, are beautiful trees that help with erosion control and can grow to 50-90 feet high, can live up to 250 years, and water requirements are between 12 and 40 inches a year. We appreciate CalForest Nurseries partnership, making available 400 your trees at an affordable cost. CalForest gives back!
Truly a Nevada County community event, our local newspaper, The Union, assisted with advertising and promotion and offered the drive-through parking lot in Grass Valley for Rotary to stage the giveaway. KNCO Radio in Grass Valley welcomed local Rotarians to discuss the event for an hour of air time. YubaNet helped promote the event on line. Ron Knauss, a longtime Rotarian with the Nevada City Rotary Club and an expert in forestry helped determine best planting timing and assisted with planting and care instructions.
Larry Davis, a member of the Rotary Club of Grass Valley South provided the clubs with invaluable assistance, managing the project and putting together an excellent pamphlet of Tree Planting Instructions: Guidelines for Selecting The Perfect Location, Digging The Hole, Filling The Hole, and Care. Since many tree enthusiasts are enlisting their children in the tree planting effort, the pamphlet is central to educating the young tree farmers as to the importance of planting and caring for our trees.
400 Local Carbon Sequestration & Oxygen Generating Machines To the Rescue!
Tree planters visited us from Nevada City, North San Juan, Grass Valley, South County and Penn Valley among other communities and were asked to regale us with pictures, videos, or written stories of their trees. We eagerly await those stories. Their trees will reduce carbon in the environment and deliver oxygen at the same time. Great job Nevada County.
Happy Rotarians Give Back
