Ag Goes Urban: Explore Chico's Rich Farm-to-Fork Scene

Agriculture is woven into everyday life in Chico. From Chico State’s active ag programs to the produce grown by local farmers, food and farming are part of the city’s identity.

Perfectly situated within Butte County’s green pastures, Chico brings together a rich farm and garden culture with an unexpectedly urban agricultural experience you can explore firsthand.

Take It Home

Chico State's 800-acre University Farm is one of the best-known agricultural icons of the area, serving students since it was founded in 1960.

It also serves the local community through the student-led sale of its products at the university Meats Lab, the Organic Vegetable Project's popular CSA membership, and the annual Peach Pick event, which allows anyone to come and pick their own fresh peaches straight from the trees at the farm.

But agricultural education is far from the only way that you can experience local food in Chico.

CSA memberships abound, from the innovative, no-till Burns Blossom Farm and its organic produce to the Grub Farm, just a few miles from downtown.

You can purchase a variety of vegetables from many farms at Chico's ubiquitous farmers markets, or pick up their produce from local shops such as the Chico Natural Foods Co-Op, S&S Market, and New Earth Market.

Chico also has farms like  Massa Organics and Chico Rice that provide fantastic Northern California rice in a region already famous for it.

Anywhere you are in the city, you're never far from something home-grown.

Eat in Season

Restaurants in Chico reflect the same farm-to-fork mindset that defines the region.

It is hard to walk a block downtown without finding an eatery serving something grown nearby, with many spots highlighting local ingredients in thoughtful, delicious ways.

Farm Star Pizza is a prime example, with both family-friendly pies and unique, elevated creations all loaded with 100% organic, in-season, locally produced ingredients (including vegan and vegetarian items).

Downtown favorite Grana's menus shift with the harvest, reflected in wood-oven pizzas, citrus-driven market salads, and plates built around Chico Certified Farmers Market produce like local greens, carrots, beets, and winter citrus.

In addition to produce, Grana highlights local ranchers like Bradley and Son, a family-run Northern California beef operation that raises grass-fed beef right here in the Chico area.

On many mornings you might spot owner John at the farmers market picking up fresh produce for weekend service.

And the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Taproom restaurant has a hyper-local focus, with both an estate garden and a certified organic kitchen garden on brewery grounds, both of which use compost produced on site.

The Local Pour

Chico’s agricultural roots extend beyond the plate and into its local beverage scene, where makers take the same farm-to-fork approach and apply it to what they pour.

Farmers Brewing Company serves a true field-to-pint model, using barley, wheat, and rice grown on their family farm just outside of Chico to brew beers served at their Meriam Park taproom.

At LaRocca Vineyards’ downtown tasting room, visitors can sample estate-grown, certified organic wines produced in the foothills of Forest Ranch.

The vineyards benefit from mineral-rich soils and a pristine water source fed by snowmelt from Mt. Lassen, elements that define the wines’ sense of place.

Lassen Traditional Cider brings an orchard-to-glass approach, crafting wild-fermented ciders from heirloom apples sourced throughout the Northern California region and served at their local tasting room.

For owner Ben Nielsen, it is a true labor of love, one that fits naturally within Chico’s long-standing connection to local food systems.

PHOTO COURTESY LASSEN CIDERY

Grow Your Own

Chico’s love for growing things carries into its neighborhoods, where urban agriculture is part of everyday life.

Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting out, the city offers plenty of places to learn, explore, and get your hands in the soil.

Visitors can pick up seeds and seedlings from longtime local spots like Northern Star Mills, browse heirloom vegetable starts and well-curated plants at The Plant Barn & Gifts, or stop by Harvest and Habitats Nursery for native plants suited to the local climate.

This shared focus on plants and pollinators shows up across town, supported by groups like the Chico Horticultural Society and spaces such as the Gateway Science Museum’s Pollinators Garden.

Community spaces like Chapman Park Community Garden offer hands-on learning through shared garden beds and workshops led by the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County.

Together, these places make Chico an easy place to find inspiration, learn something new, or take home a plant that will remind you of your visit.

SEASONAL GARDEN WORKS

Chico's farm-to-fork and agricultural obsession is in evidence everywhere you look, and there is no better place to get close to the things you love to eat. Plan your Farm-to-Fork experience.