A Haven for good food, wine, artists
By Joshua Tehee / Discover Staff WriterMadera County is what you’d expect from a place sitting in the geographic center of California — fertile crop lands (some of the richest in the world, exporting produce to more than 50 countries) and art-filled mountain communities inspired by the state’s natural beauty.
The county includes larger cities like Chowchilla and Madera, mixed with smaller communities like Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Coarsegold, Fairmead, Madera Ranchos, North Fork, Oakhurst and Raymond, among others.
History
Originally part of both Mariposa and Fresno counties, Madera County was heavily influenced by the railroad and agriculture. But it was also shaped by two other important commodities — lumber (“madera” is the Spanish word for lumber) and gold.
Lumber, coming down from the higher Sierra, was actually the first industry in the county. Part of the Sugar Pine Railroad, which once brought logs down to the lumber mill, still remains as a tourist attraction today, drawing close to 50,000 visitors a year.
But some of the earliest communities, such as Grub Gulch and Coarsegold, grew out of the Gold Rush, which hit the area in 1849 and 1850. Several large mines operated into the 1900s and produced some $1.3 million worth of gold between 1880 and 1892, according to The California Journal.
Agriculture
Agriculture holds the highest importance in Madera County today. As an industry, agriculture in Madera County has a production value of $1 billion annually, according to the crop reports. That works out to $3 million per day. This is a diverse growing area whose top 10 crops include everything from almonds and figs to cattle and cotton.
And the county sees the importance of keeping and connecting with its agricultural resources.
There were 43 registered organic farms in the county in 2005, producing almonds and apples, tomatoes, turnips and watermelons. Slow Foods Madera seeks to build a food culture around its local stock, showcasing growers and wineries by hosting annual events like the Fig Fest Dinner. The Wine Trail, which features 10 local wineries, holds spring- and winter-tasting events.
And the year-round Harvest Trail allows visitors to pick berries or apples or cut flowers; select their favorite heirloom tomatoes and buy seeds to grow their own; visit an alpaca ranch; choose from more than 1,000 varieties of irises; taste fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice; enjoy an agricultural art show; choose their pumpkin directly from the patch that produced it; or get lost in a maze of corn.
Business and retail
Agriculture is the largest industry in the county, followed by government and the service industry. There are more than 100 manufacturing and processing plants within the county, making everything from cardboard boxes — the Georgia Pacific plant — to dairy products, plastic and concrete pipes and more. But the area is seeing a surge in retail growth, which includes national chain stores like Target and Lowe’s. In August, the Madera City Council approved about 1.5 million square feet of new shopping centers. Chowchilla’s Fig Tree Plaza will add almost 175,000 square feet of retail space. Small galleries and gift shops exist within the mountain communities.
Homes and real estate
The housing market hit its high water mark in September 2005, says Lou Weibe, president of the Madera Association of Realtors.
That’s nothing unique to the county. But it does offer great opportunity for the buyer, says Weibe.
Inventory of both new and existing homes is high in Madera, Chowchilla and the Ranchos, while interest rates remain low and builders and sellers are willing to work with those looking to buy. Plus, says Weibe, area homes have a price range slightly lower than the average for the Central Valley.
Recreation
On location alone, Madera County offers great recreational opportunities. There are numerous public and private camping facilities in the mountain areas around Yosemite and Sierra National Forest, along with the John Muir Trail and the Nelder Grove of Giant Redwoods. Water enthusiasts can enjoy a day at one of the county’s numerous lakes, which include Bass Lake, Millerton Lake, Mammoth Pool, Eastman Lake, Hensley Lake and others. There are also city and county parks, two golf courses, rodeo grounds and the Madera Speedway race track.
Culture and events
From art classes at the Vision Arts Academy, to chamber choirs and summer theater, cultural arts and events happen all over Madera County.
The county is a haven for artists because of its cost of living.
Plus, it’s pretty darn beautiful, says Pamela Beecher, executive director of the Madera County Arts Council.
Many artists find inspiration in the Sierra and Yosemite National Parks, she says. “The closer to Yosemite you get, the more artists you’ll see.”
Eastern Madera County — running up Highway 41 — has around 50 percent of the area’s artists and has a slew of galleries.
The Timberline Gallery Guild, the National Parks Gallery, the Stavast Gallery, the David Ashcraft Photography Studio and the Grimmer Studio are all within one mall on the north end of Oakhurst. Williams Gallery West is one mile south. The Brumley Art Gallery is on Bass Lake and the Burning Brush Studio is in North Fork.
Each year, more than 100 area artists open up their studios for the Sierra Art Trails. It’s an amazing opportunity to see the artists in a non-gallery environment, says Beecher.
But art and culture run throughout the county.
Madera proper is home to the Arts Council and the Circle gallery, which hosts close to 40 Central Valley artists and sponsors annual arts events like the Agriculture with the Arts Exhibition. The group also puts on free summer concerts in Lions Town and Country Park. Chowchilla also has an active arts guild and holds a popular summer theater each year.
There are pockets of activity, says Beecher, because of the county’s geography — it’s long and skinny.
A good step to finding arts in the area: Call the Arts Council, or the individual galleries, says Beecher.