Truckee, CA
Farm Size: 1.5-acre
What They Grow: Mushrooms, Edible Flowers, Carrots & More!
Nestled among the pine forests of Truckee, California, Little Roots Farm is a small-scale farm dedicated to growing fresh, nutritious greens and root vegetables for the Truckee and Lake Tahoe communities. With a passion for sustainable agriculture, healthy soil, and strengthening the local food system, Little Roots Farm demonstrates how thoughtful growing practices can thrive even in the challenging climate of the Sierra Nevada.
The farm's story began in the winter of 2015, when its founders set out to combine their shared love of good food, hands-on work, and the outdoors. Recognizing the challenges of growing food in Truckee's unpredictable mountain climate, they started small, cultivating microgreens in a modest 10-by-12-foot greenhouse. With encouragement and support from their community, they gradually expanded their operation, developing creative growing techniques to produce more fresh, locally grown food throughout the season.
Today, Little Roots Farm uses innovative season-extension methods to protect crops from the Sierra's unpredictable weather, including late frosts, heavy snow, hail, and fluctuating temperatures. Their growing plots are surrounded by native pine forests, manzanita, and other perennial vegetation that provide natural protection from the elements while supporting wildlife habitat and soil stability. The farm cultivates crops for approximately nine months each year, allowing the fields to rest beneath the winter snow.
At the heart of Little Roots Farm is a commitment to organic growing practices, no-till farming, and biointensive agriculture. By minimizing soil disturbance, rotating crops, and incorporating natural amendments such as composted chicken manure and mushroom compost, the farm promotes healthy soil microorganisms, improves fertility, and helps prevent erosion and runoff. These regenerative practices support the long-term health of the land while producing high-quality, nutrient-rich food.
Beyond growing vegetables, Little Roots Farm is committed to building a more resilient and connected regional food system. By providing fresh produce grown right in Truckee, the farm helps reduce the environmental impacts of long-distance food transportation and packaging while keeping food dollars circulating within the local community.
More than a decade after planting their first microgreens, Little Roots Farm continues to grow with the same passion that inspired its beginnings: nourishing their neighbors, caring for the land, and proving that local agriculture has a place in the mountains of Tahoe.
