Rural Roots Sunday - Why does this series exist?
The visitors to this site are people who care deeply about Rural Elk Grove, even if we do not always agree on everything.
Rural Roots Sunday is a weekly reflection series meant to share the history, intent, and planning decisions that shaped this area. Not opinions. Not arguments. Just context.
Rural Elk Grove exists because residents and the City made collaborative and intentional choices expressed throughout the General Plan to preserve a rural lifestyle alongside urban growth. Understanding those choices helps all of us engage in future conversations with clarity and respect.
These articles are meant to inform, not persuade.
To reflect, not react.
Articles will highlight how the Rural Area evolved along with the General Plan policies adopted by the city to preserve and protect Rural Elk Grove.
To remember why this place is worth protecting
Rural Roots Sunday is meant to engage a wide cross-section of Elk Grove. The rural area is part of Elk Grove and, by design, rural in nature. Preserving the Rural Area will require the support and efforts of the rural community, followers of RuralElkGroveCa, friends and neighbors. The rural area can remain intact. This remaining piece of Elk Grove’s agricultural roots and heritage can be preserved.
“…The Rural Area is valued in our community for its aesthetic and cultural significance, as well as the economic and educational opportunities that agriculture provides. Our commitment to maintaining the Rural Area is clear and codified in core planning documents…” Elk Grove General Plan, December 2023
Rural Roots Sunday - Growing Good Citizens
May 24, 2025 | By Amelia Paukert Vankeuren
The Rural Area is critical for preserving our water supply, biodiversity, and a rural farming and ranching lifestyle that benefits not only its residents, but the entire city of Elk Grove. It provides open land where water can infiltrate down to replenish the groundwater that flows into our taps. It provides habitat for pollinators, native plants and animals. It helps counteract the urban heat island, keeping the city more comfortable for all. It provides fresh fruit and vegetables for our tables. The need to protect the agricultural and rural heritage of Elk Grove has only grown as development continually expands and paves over open land.
Almost a decade ago, my family moved into the Elk Grove Rural Area to provide my children with the benefits of a farm upbringing. My children are learning responsibility by tending our garden, collecting eggs, feeding and watering our livestock. They are growing to be healthy and happy by riding horses, exploring the outdoors, and eating fruit picked fresh from our trees. My family deeply values living in close contact with nature and seeing both wild and farm animals in the Rural Area when we go for walks and bike rides around our house.
I grew up on a 10-acre farm in the Napa Valley where I raised horses, pigs, and chickens, and grew and sold pumpkins. This rural lifestyle taught me responsibility, a work ethic, and hands-on skills like equipment repair. I was also a California State 4-H All-Star, where I learned leadership, public speaking, and community service. My rural childhood is in large part why I am now a professor working to educate the next generation and to protect our local groundwater supply and water quality. My children, too, are now in 4-H and I hope that they reap the same rewards from it that I did, but in order for that to happen, the Rural Area must be preserved.
Rural Roots Sunday - The Peters Family Story
May 16, 2025 | By Alexis Peters
The year was 1970 when my parents, Paul and Shirley Peters, purchased the first two-acre lot in the Sheldon Road Estates subdivision on Bamarcia Drive. At that time, no other streets had been developed. There were no trees, no bushes, no birds, just wide-open land stretching for miles. The town of Elk Grove was only a five-minute drive away, thanks to the absence of traffic lights and with only two stop signs along the way.
On April Fool's Day in 1971, a date my mom chose on purpose, we moved into our custom-built home. My dad partially built the house alongside our contractor, "Grandpa" Schuh. During construction, my brother Nick and I, both in elementary school, learned hands-on skills: pounding nails, cutting wood, using a screwdriver, and measuring materials to build our own creations. When we finally moved in, I proudly told everyone that I had helped build our home by hammering nails into the subfloor!
Growing up "in the country", as we called it, was a gift. Our lives were filled with animals, horses, chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, and sheep. Over time, my dad became well-known for raising Suffolk sheep, developing such a strong reputation that he had a waiting list each year for his lambs. Today, I carry on that legacy with a small herd of my own, continuing what my parents began.
In 1984, life in rural Elk Grove changed dramatically. Sacramento County proposed building a connector expressway from Elk Grove to Folsom, right through our home! This threat sparked a grassroots movement that eventually became the Greater Sheldon Road Estates Homeowners Association (GSREHA). I am proud to share that my mother, Shirley Peters, founded the organization and served as its president until her passing in 2023.
Our rural upbringing for myself and my brother, shaped who we are today. Through building our home, we learned practical math skills. Through caring for animals, we learned life science. Through daily chores on what we called "the ranch" we learned responsibility. With few neighbors and even fewer children nearby, we learned independence, creativity, and resilience. These experiences helped shape us into the capable and successful adults we are today.
I urge the City of Elk Grove to honor and preserve its rural boundaries. The rural lifestyle offers something invaluable, connection to land, responsibility, and personal growth. New generations continue to benefit from this way of life through programs like 4-H, agricultural exploration, and the development of self-worth rooted in hard work and independence.
Please protect this legacy. Preserve these spaces not only for those who came before us, but for those still to come.
Submitted by: Alexis Peters
Protecting the City's Rural Area: It's More Than a Good Idea, It's In The General Plan
May 10, 2026 | By Lynn Wheat
Protecting Elk Grove’s Rural Area isn’t just a popular resident request or a historical preference—it is a core mandate codified in the City’s foundational planning document: The General Plan.
Since incorporation in 2000, the residents of Elk Grove have consistently voiced their desire to keep the Sheldon and Rural Area distinct from the higher-density suburban sprawl that characterizes much of the city. This collective vision was not merely acknowledged by city leadership but was formally integrated into the General Plan, which serves as the legal blueprint for all future growth and development.
According to the General Plan, the Rural Area is designated as a unique community asset with specific protections designed to preserve its agricultural roots, open landscapes, and low-density residential character. These policies explicitly limit development to 2-acre minimum parcels and prohibit the expansion of urban services, such as sewer and high-volume street lighting, which would fundamentally alter the area’s identity.
The General Plan describes the Rural Area as an essential component of Elk Grove’s diversity, providing a necessary contrast to the urban core. It serves as a buffer, a wildlife habitat, and a living piece of our heritage. To ignore these policies or to grant exceptions for higher-density projects like Summer Villas would be more than just a bad planning decision—it would be a direct violation of the intent and the letter of the General Plan itself.
As the city continues to grow, the pressure to exploit these open spaces will only increase. However, the General Plan exists specifically to ensure that short-term interests do not destroy the long-term values of our community. Preserving the Rural Area is about honoring the promises made by the City to its residents and protecting our unique landscape for generations to come.
It’s in the plan. It’s our history. And it’s worth protecting.
Rural Roots Sunday - Elk Grove Residents Value the Rural Area
May 3, 2025 | By Heather S., EG Resident, Rural Area Supporter
"
Hello. I'm a 5th generation Lodian who currently does not live in the rural portion of Elk Grove but in the city limits for the last 16 years. I grew up in a farming family who produced cherries, bok choy, corn, and both table and wine grapes. I have five children, all of whom have been active members of 4-H and Elk Grove High FFA. As a busy homeschooling mom, being able to participate in 4-H and FFA right here in Elk Grove is amazing! The rural area is an asset the city should continue to support for the benefit and quality of life for all Elk Grove residents.
We know once an asset is sold and used in an unintended manner, it is permanently gone. It can never be brought back or used for its original intended purpose. It also permanently alters the look of the community, removing views and quite literally, putting up walls where walls were never meant to exist. Those who decided long ago the area shown in the General Plan should be zoned for agricultural/residential use are some of the originals who remember what Elk Grove used to look like and how it used to function. When we erase history in the name of progress, to make something it was never intended to be, we take steps backward. We create congestion and stress where peace and harmony once stood. Oftentimes, our decisions are based on money and not logic. I hope logic wins in this situation because without it, Elk Grove's rural roots and promise to preserve them will become quickly eliminated, similar to other building projects we've seen. Approving this unprecedented project, Summer Villas SPA, will have an effect.
Elk Grove should continue to keep the Rural Area rural.
Heather S. EG Resident, Rural Area Supporter
Rural Roots Sunday - My deep rural roots
April 26, 2026 | By Tammy M, Rural Area Resident
My family, the Jordan family, came to Elk Grove in 1910. My Grandparents raised their family in Wilton on Fig Road, in the Fruit Basket. My dad and his siblings went to Elk Grove schools. He went to Elk Grove High School when it was on Elk Grove Blvd. My parents bought 20 acres on Calvine Road before I was born, and I never knew any other home until I got married.
I looked out my bedroom window as a child and saw nothing but fields with horses, sheep and cattle grazing alongside the creek. I played in those fields, made mud pies, picked bouquets of wildflowers for my mom (they were stinky, but she still put them in a vase on the table). I played house with my neighbor Sandy on one side and Julie on the other and played hide and seek with friends.
I went to Elk Grove schools. I rode a school bus. I got up early to get ready and get to the bus stop through a cow pasture. I’d run late sometimes and the bus would be waiting at the stop. I would run through the field as fast as I could to get to the bus. A few times I slipped and fell in a mud puddle or cow patty and I cried! I got up and went back home, and my mom had to take me to school.
I rode horses across the field from my friend’s house on Robbin’s Road to our house on Calvine. There were no houses or fences… just fields. I rode my bicycle on hot summer days down a very bumpy Waterman Road. On Bond Road we went through the CRAZY bridge, and on to Britschgi’s Dairy to buy a cold popsicle with our soda bottle money and then back home enjoying every bite.
I cherish these childhood memories, and I wanted my kids and now my grandkids to know and love the rural lifestyle like I do. I had stability, something all kids deserve, and the opportunity to dream. To this end, my husband and I bought our home on acreage on Sheldon Road in the early ‘90s, when our boys were in elementary school.
Fast Forward
When Elk Grove became a city in July 2000, we were there. We attended city council and planning meetings, standing alongside our neighbors to protect the rural character of this area. We were assured that the designated Elk Grove rural area would remain rural and that this region would officially and proudly be recognized with signs reading:
Welcome to ELK GROVE RURAL COMMUNITY Established 1850
The City of Elk Grove describes the Sheldon rural area as a protected landscape, emphasizing its agricultural heritage, open space, wildlife habitat, and slower pace of life. The City’s website highlights that cattle and horses roam freely, crops grow in open fields, and the rural community is a “valuable asset to be preserved and appreciated.”
The General Plan and Rural Area Community Plan reinforce this by designating the area as Rural Residential (RR) with 2 acre minimum parcels, private wells, septic systems, and two lane country roads, all intended to maintain the rural character.
Today, once again, we are standing alongside our neighbors to protect the rural character of this area. This time we’re battling against an urban-style development proposal called Summer Villas.
Please help us.
Rural Roots Sunday – GSREHA History
April 19, 2026 | By Eileen Conwell, GSREHA President
The Greater Sheldon Road Estates HOA (GSREHA) is one of two advocacy groups in Elk Grove’s rural area. This history provides context behind GSREHA’s ongoing commitment to protecting the rural community.
In the early 1970s, a 2-acre subdivision called Sheldon Road Estates began developing along Sheldon Road between Elk Grove Florin and Waterman. Families moved in seeking a rural lifestyle.
By 1989, before Elk Grove was incorporated, Sacramento County proposed an urban plan for the area. Residents quickly recognized the threat of urban encroachment and began organizing to protect their land use and way of life. What started as kitchen table discussions led to the formation of GSREHA.
At the same time, nearby agricultural land north of the community was purchased and rezoned for higher-density housing, later developed as Perry Ranch. This included plans for 5 to 10 homes per acre and proposals to connect new roads through Sheldon Road Estates.
GSREHA organized, pooled resources, and hired a land-use attorney.
Their efforts resulted in:
• Closing all north-facing roads into the Sheldon Road Estates development.
• Securing 38 acres of wetlands and open space as a permanent buffer between rural and urban areas. This established a lasting precedent for protecting rural boundaries.
Following this effort, GSREHA made a long-term commitment to preserving Elk Grove’s rural character. That work continues today.
Over the years, many members have contributed to this mission. Notably, Shirley Peters led GSREHA for 34 years until her passing in April 2023. Today, GSREHA works alongside the Sheldon Community Association (SCA) on issues such as rural road policies, domestic well monitoring, and opposing developments like the proposed Summer Villas project.
Please join us.
Rural Roots Sunday - A Surprise Adventure in Rural Elk Grove
April 12, 2026 | By Renae B., Rural Elk Grove Resident
We are fortunate to live in the rural area of Elk Grove: Our two-acre property has enough room for our chickens, our two trail-horses, a garden and a small pond. We have had wild ducks visit our pond over the years. There is a seasonal creek at the back of the property, and we put up a couple of wood duck boxes on the nearby eucalyptus trees years ago. The boxes hatched out many ducklings every spring. I once was lucky enough to witness “Ping-Pong” sized ducklings jump out of the box, fall 15 feet to the earth below, scurry through the tall grass and into the creek to their becoming mother. An amazing sight!
One year, while spying on the boxes with my binoculars, I noticed that the hole in one of the boxes was different? I zoomed in to see that it was now larger and now round instead of oval! ??? I kept up my surveillance for a few minutes and suddenly a face appeared in the opening . . . a barn owl! I was so excited to see an owl. This was the year that our pasture and yard had been taken over by Voles, and now we had a natural exterminator!
I became obsessed with spying on the owl box. However, after a few weeks, I no longer saw the face in the opening and began to worry. I convinced my husband to get the tall ladder so I could peek inside. I was startled a bit at the sight of single owlet, looking up at me with a so otherworldly face!
Days went by and I still hadn’t seen the face of the adult owl. I convinced myself that the baby owl was going to die and that something horrible had happened to its mother. After much discussion we decided to detach the box from the tree and take owlet “Sheldon”, still in the box and seat-belted in our pickup truck, to the Wildlife Rescue on the old McClellan Air Base. During the hour-long drive “Sheldon” was hissing like a snake and making loud clicking sounds.
When we arrived, the ladies took the box to the back room to examine the owlet. After a few minutes they returned with the box and reported that “Sheldon” was a very well fed and healthy owlet, and we should hurry home and put him back on the tree as soon as possible. We learned that both parents feed the young and come back mostly at night to do so. Did I feel foolish? Yes, I did.
Moments after reattaching the nesting box to the tree the mother owl did a fly-by. I wondered how many of those she did while we were gone. The purchase of a wildlife camera set my mind at ease. So many pictures of the parents bringing Voles to the waiting in the box “Sheldon” night after night. Eventually he fledged as a beautiful barn owl, now in the nearby trees, but still calling out loudly in the dark for more owl food.
The owl pair came back to their box for two more springs, hatching out two owlets the second year and three the last year. Our yard and pasture were cleaned of voles and gophers.
It is so important to keep our rural Elk Grove full of pastures and open spaces where nature can thrive! And eat them Voles!
Rural Roots Sunday - The old railroad through Sheldon
April 5, 2026 | By Matt A., a Rural Elk Grove resident
If you’ve spent any time in the Rural Elk Grove area, you’ve probably seen it.
A narrow stretch of raised ground cutting through fields and properties. Old rails in some spots, gone in others. Trees growing in where trains once ran. It passes near Sheldon, by the feed store, and continues north toward Sacramento and south toward Galt.
Today, it’s quiet.
People walk it. Some ride horses along it. You’ll see the occasional dirt bike or someone just out for a run. It blends into the landscape now, like it’s always been part of it.
But it wasn’t always like that.
This rail line was originally part of a network built in the late 1800s and early 1900s to support agriculture in the region. Lines like this connected smaller farming communities directly into Sacramento, allowing crops, livestock, dairy, and supplies to move efficiently to market.
Before trucks and highways took over, rail was the backbone of how goods moved. Farmers relied on these lines to get products out and bring supplies in. Areas like Sheldon had access points and loading areas that tied directly into that system.
It wasn’t just transportation. It was infrastructure that made farming at scale possible.
Over time, that shifted.
By the mid to late 1900s, trucking became more flexible and cost effective. Highways expanded, and smaller branch rail lines like this one started to lose their role. Service slowed, sections were abandoned, and eventually the line stopped operating altogether.
What was once a working rail corridor slowly became what you see today.
Unused, but not forgotten.
There are even local stories from the late 1990s of a small rail car or caboose being moved along parts of the track by a local individual. Nothing formally documented, but something longtime residents still talk about. It’s one of those pieces of local history that sits somewhere between fact and memory, and it reflects how long this line remained part of everyday life even after its main purpose had faded.
Now it serves a different purpose.
It’s a path. A boundary line. A reminder.
It cuts through properties that are still used for agriculture. It runs alongside pastures, barns, and open land. And while the trains are gone, the connection to the area’s agricultural history is still there.
It’s one of those pieces of Rural Elk Grove that doesn’t stand out unless you know what you’re looking at.
But once you do, you start to see it differently.
Not just as an old rail line, but as part of how this area was built, and how it still carries that history forward.
Rural Roots Sunday - Why we decided to live in Rural Elk Grove
March 29, 2026 | By Matt A., a Rural Elk Grove resident
There’s a reason people choose to live out here, and it usually has nothing to do with policy language or planning maps.
For me, it started earlier in life, working on my grandparents’ farm in a small town in East Texas. Just land, animals, and work that needed to get done. Nothing fancy, but it stuck with me. The work ethic. The ability to provide for your family with the land and the knowledge.
Later in life, we found Rural Elk Grove and made it our home because it felt different. The pace slowed down. The noise faded. There was real space, not just a fence line. You step outside and hear birds instead of sirens, see stars instead of streetlights, and actually notice the moon at night.
Out here, you can have land. Enough to garden, raise animals, and live a life that feels separate from the constant noise of news and social media.
That’s how it started for us. A few chickens. Then a few more. A lot of trial and error, figuring out what worked and what didn’t. Now it’s more chickens than we can count, crazy goats, loud sheep, and a few stinky pigs we’ve made part of the family.
It hasn’t been perfect. A lot of learning, a lot of adjusting, and more than a few things breaking along the way. That’s part of it.
That space changes things. The stress drops. The noise from everything else softens when you turn onto roads without sidewalks or streetlights, where people take care of their property and help their neighbors when needed.
Day to day, I work in a fast paced world. Technology, meetings, emails, travel, always pushing to do more with less. This life balances that. It slows things down and brings you back to what’s in front of you and what matters.
At night, it gets quiet in a way that’s hard to explain. No engines. No constant hum. Just stillness and the sense that you can breathe again. Maybe a few frogs or a donkey in the background.
What makes this place special is the balance.
You can live this way and still be 15 or 20 minutes from everything you need. You can step into the high energy of Sacramento when you want to, then come back to something quieter and more grounded.
We have small town stores in the Sheldon area. Places where people know you, not because they have to, but because that’s how it works out here.
This didn’t happen by accident.
People made choices to keep parts of this area rural, and most of us don’t think about all they’ve done. We just live it.
That’s why people love Rural Elk Grove.
Not because it stopped time, but because it gives you space from it. Helps you stay grounded.
This way of life isn’t for everyone, but for those who choose it, it matters.
Rural Roots Sunday - Going Nuts!
March 22, 2026 | By Eileen C. & Frank R., Rural Area Residents
Having been raised on a couple acres in Oakdale and having worked as a teenager in an orchard, Frank hoped to one day own his own small parcel on which to grow walnuts. The purchase of our home in 1984 on 2 ½-acres in the Elk Grove rural area brought him one step closer to making this a reality. Mid-1990 we expanded our lot to 5-acres, started planting Chandler walnut trees, Frank retired, and we went all in.
As the trees grew and the crops increased, we began buying harvesting equipment, a hulling system, and dryers. One thing led to another, and, due to their high quality and demand, we invested in a shelling system.
We could not have predicted what we had gotten ourselves into! At the height, we were getting 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of in-shell walnuts per season. We sold walnuts under the name Elk Grove Walnut Co to several farmers’ markets, local Chinese restaurants, and we had an incredibly large faithful following of customers who bought direct from our property.
After close to 20 years of growing, harvesting, processing, and selling, we retired the operation in the Fall of 2014.
This remarkable journey within Elk Grove’s city limits was made possible because city leaders upheld the promise to honor and protect the community’s beloved rural area. We urge today’s city leaders to preserve the rural area so that future generations can continue to experience meaningful agricultural opportunities on small parcels of land.
Rural Roots Sunday - Growing Up as a kid in Rural Elk Grove
March 8, 2026 | By Debbie M., a Rural Area Resident.....at Heart!
I was fortunate to spend my formative years growing up in rural Sheldon. In 1987, just before my eighth grade year, my family moved to the Sheldon area from Sacramento. That move turned out to be one of the best decisions my parents ever made for our family.
At the time, Sheldon was defined by open space and simplicity. The north side of Calvine Road was nothing but fields. West of Highway 99 stretched orchards and cattle ranches. Roads like Grant Line and Waterman cut through farmland. It’s hard for my children to imagine that landscape today, but it shaped who I am.
I had always been a bit of a tomboy, catching frogs and chasing butterflies, but rural life expanded that freedom in ways the city never could. With wide open fields and large properties, we spent entire summer days outdoors, safe to roam, explore, and discover. My friends and I would saddle our horses in the morning, riding all day through the Sleepy Hollow area and north, crossing Calvine Road, creating memories that remain deeply meaningful to me.
Now I enjoy bringing my grandchildren to visit my parent’s home, where the rhythm of life feels wonderfully unchanged. We love watching cousins, grandkids and great grandkids race across the grass and field barefoot, laughing, tumbling into cartwheels, chasing volleyballs, and catching frogs. My three year old granddaughter is happiest with dirt under her fingernails, while carefully digging for worms in her “Maka’s” (great grandma’s) compost pile as if she’s uncovering buried treasure. I’m deeply thankful that Sheldon has remained a place of open spaces and large parcels, allowing a third generation of our family to know the simple joys of open land, curious days, and a childhood spent outdoors, just as I once did.
My hope is that rural Elk Grove remains…..more than just a memory.
Rural Roots Sunday - Big Oak Tree
March 1, 2026 | By Momina N., a Rural Area Resident
In front of my home in rural Elk Grove, a towering oak tree stands that has been there longer than I have, longer than the homes along our road.
When I was little, I would try to wrap my arms around the rugged tree trunk, but I never came close. Even when my siblings and I linked arms, we could not encircle the entire trunk. More than its size, what amazes me is the feeling that this tree has seen decades of change yet still stands firm in my yard.
To me, that oak tree feels like a symbol of rural Elk Grove itself: calm, rooted, and strong.
One winter during a storm, a heavy branch from that same oak tree fell across my driveway. Before my family even had time to react, neighbors showed up with chainsaws, trucks, and extra hands. Homes out here may sit farther apart, but that doesn’t define how close the community is. Moments like this are part of what makes daily life here feel so different from anywhere else.
What makes this place so special is its balance, which feels fragile right now. In minutes, I can reach the hustle and bustle of nearby downtown Elk Grove, but I still get to return home to open land, quiet roads, and that same oak tree standing guard in my front yard. The contrast is what makes rural Elk Grove unique.
When large housing developments or commercial centers are proposed here, it isn't just the land that will change; the balance will change, too. If you replace fields with concrete and buildings, the oak tree will begin to feel crowded and lose its grandeur.
I hope that when I am older, I can still come home to a place like rural Elk Grove, or maybe even this exact area. I hope the next generation can stretch their arms around that same oak tree, watch the same sunsets, and feel the same sense of belonging.
Rural Elk Grove is not empty land waiting to be filled; it must be protected so that it remains a place where nature, roots, and the community can thrive. Some things, like the oak tree, are meant to stand for generations, and so should the land that surrounds it.
Rural Roots Sunday - Oak Trees at the Center of Elk Grove Rural Identity
February 22, 2026 | By Bill M., a Rural Area Resident
Pictured: Nancy Myers - Sheldon Community Association, George Murphey - Former Planning Commissioner, Leo Fassler - GSREHA
Sheldon Community Association (SCA) was initially organized to protect the large oak trees native to the rural area. Subsequently, SCA did take on other issues such as protecting the Sheldon commercial area against destruction by the wide new connector coming down Grant Line Road.
For a number of years SCA and the Greater Sheldon Road Estates Homeowners Assoc. (GSREHA) annually organized the "Folks for Oaks" project, partnering with SMUD and the Sacramento Tree Foundation to enhance the oak tree cover in the rural area. That project planted 1,200 tree seedlings, more oaks than are contained in the Elk Grove city park, saving some of them. In addition, many rural residents have let wild oaks grow from acorns to now impressive trees.
In 2015 the Sacramento Tree Foundation awarded our organizations' "Folks for Oaks" its Austin B. Carroll "Tree Heroes" Award.
But we can remain "tree heroes" only by continuing to propagate and protect them against encroaching urbanization. Rural area lots of two acres or more are perfect environments for that.
A well treed rural area is not only beautiful, but carries the practical advantage of reducing the overall summer temperature in Elk Grove by as much as several degrees. That is a huge benefit to the whole city, as our climate already is becoming substantially hotter.
Today our rural area is increasingly threatened by commercial and legal pressures to urbanize that will be difficult to resist, spoiling much that we have defended.
But our history of protecting oaks provides a very practical way out. With the support of its organized rural residents, the city could designate the rural area as an official conservation area in which residents retain their current right of rural living in exchange for tending a forest cover that protects the city from growing heat threats.
This should provide sufficient legal and policy strength to resist current pressures that would eventually turn today's rural area into more subdivisions.
What do you prefer?
I vote for more of our beautiful native trees and continuation of a rural lifestyle that contributes to the entire community. That is who we are at our best.
Rural Roots Sunday - Growing Up in Rural Elk Grove
February 15, 2026 | By Natalie O., a Rural Area Resident
Growing up in rural Elk Grove has truly been an invaluable experience. On my drives to school, I admired beautiful sunrises spilling pink and orange colors onto foggy fields and grazing farm animals as if the land itself were just waking up. It's a memory that sticks with me because it reminded me how time moves more gently out here. I became less consumed by the constant urgency and impending deadlines urbanization quietly trains into you.
As a busy high school student, juggling being ASB President, a varsity athlete, staying on top of coursework, and remaining thoroughly involved, my days were loud, fast, and full. There was always something so peaceful and grounding coming home to a quiet street with space in between the houses, welcoming neighbors, and my flock of chickens in their coop.
I remember when my family first moved to the rural side of Elk Grove, our neighbors came over, some brought pie, others introduced themselves and reassured us they were there if we needed anything, they meant it.
That kind of friendliness isn't performative or transactional. It's genuine.
People know each other here, they stop to talk, offer advice on starting a garden, exchange fresh eggs for homegrown vegetables, and always look out for each other. It feels like an older way of living, something much of city life has slowly lost. That's why developers shouldn't come here. This place harbors value precisely because it isn't maximized, packed with houses, or paved over.
The quiet, the space, the sense of belonging, those aren't empty vessels waiting to be transformed and this lifestyle isn't outdated. Calling rural Elk Grove "undeveloped" misidentifies its worth. This area preserves the history, way of living, and character of Elk Grove that modern developers seek to destroy.
As I prepare to transfer to a local UC campus, filled with a different and busier way of life, I hope, when I return home, I am greeted by the serene landscape I grew up in, preserved by those who truly understand and value it.
Rural Roots Sunday - The Chicken Farm
February 8, 2026 | By Eileen Conwell and Frank Roubos
Our Elk Grove rural roots began in April 1984 when we bought a house on Sandage Avenue on 2 ½-acres. Interestingly, we now lived across the street from a chicken ranch. Talk about rural life! The ranch was situated on 20-acres and consisted of 10 very large metal buildings which housed 10,000 chickens each. A truck came down the street filled with trays of couple-day old baby chicks. Chicks gathered around heaters that were lowered from the ceiling. As the chicks quickly grew the heaters were lifted and chickens filled the houses, with feathers everywhere! Six to seven weeks after their arrival, semi-trucks came to transport the full-grown birds to Petaluma for processing. Houses were cleaned and prepped for the next batch of chicks. On and on this went.
As we knew would happen one day, around 2016 the ranch ceased operation, the land sold, and the buildings were demolished. There is not so much as a chicken feather left to prove this operation once existed. As the 20-acre ranch property was being rezoned for houses, we stayed vigilant to ensure each parcel was 2-acre minimum or greater.
In 1984, 13 residences shared our one lane street. Today, 31 residences, including 5 ADUs, share our one lane street. It is obvious that a desire for this rural lifestyle is in demand. We occasionally reminisce about missing the chickens.
Where is Sandage Avenue, you ask? West off Bradshaw, just south of Sheldon, within the Elk Grove General Plan designated rural boundary, which we have sought to protect since the 1990s under Shirley Peters tutelage, as members of GSREHA.
Greater Sheldon Road Estates HOA, a rural area advocacy group since 1989
Rural Roots Sunday: Beginnings: Part 2
February 1, 2026 | By George Murphey
Last week’s article provided a snapshot of the settlement of the Sheldon and Rural Area of Elk Grove.
Fast forward to the year 2000.
Elk Grove’s population was approximately 73,000. This was the year residents voted to become a city. Many believed cityhood would provide a better opportunity to have a voice in Elk Grove’s future, rather than traveling to Sacramento to advocate for local issues.
Similar to the past, many names come to mind. These are people who cared deeply about Elk Grove’s future while also wanting to preserve its roots. Individuals like Leo Fassler, Shirley Peters, Tom Shine, Sarah Johnson, Tom Nelson, and many others were dedicated to protecting Elk Grove’s agricultural heritage.
Between 2003 and 2005, the city began adopting its own General Plan, moving away from Sacramento County policies. This marked the beginning of shaping Elk Grove’s future at the local level.
Community involvement grew during this time. Residents became increasingly concerned about losing what remained of Elk Grove’s agricultural identity. Advocacy efforts expanded, with more people stepping in to support preservation.
Two key groups helped bring those voices forward. The Greater Sheldon Road Estates Homeowners Association and the Sheldon Community Association, formed in 2002, worked together to represent rural residents and ensure their perspectives were included in planning discussions.
As the General Plan update progressed, these groups worked closely with city staff and council members. Their focus was defining the rural area and establishing policies to protect it from higher density development.
These policies were not created overnight. They came from months of workshops, discussions, and community input at City Hall. Residents had to clearly explain the reasoning behind what they were trying to preserve and why it mattered.
In the end, the effort paid off.
The city adopted a General Plan that formally defined the rural area and established policies to maintain its character. These included minimum lot sizes of two acres, development standards appropriate for rural properties, support for farming and agricultural activities, and preservation of the rural environment.
Now fast forward again to 2026.
Elk Grove’s population is approximately 183,000.
With that growth comes change.
The Southeast Connector is planned to run through the Sheldon business district, and new development pressures are increasing across the rural area.
One current proposal is the Summer Villas SPA project. This application seeks to amend the General Plan by changing approximately 116 acres from two acre rural zoning to higher density residential, allowing up to 499 homes.
That represents a significant increase compared to the existing zoning.
These proposed homes would be located next to established rural properties that operate under the Right to Farm. This includes normal agricultural activities such as equipment use, noise, dust, odors, and crop operations.
This raises important questions.
Will proximity to these activities be accepted or challenged?
Will existing policies remain in place, or begin to change?
What are the long term impacts to the rural area?
What unintended consequences could follow?
How should the community respond?
First, by staying informed and engaged.
These articles are intended to provide context for those unfamiliar with the rural area, and to highlight the efforts made over time by residents and the city to preserve, protect, and promote it.
Rural Roots Sunday: Beginnings: Part 1
January 25, 2026 | By George Murphey
How did the Sheldon area develop? What events led to the establishment of Sheldon’s place in Elk Grove’s history? This article will highlight just a few of the events in Sheldon’s history. Let’s start from the beginning.
There are many names in Elk Grove’s history associated with the Sheldon area. Names like William Daylor, Jared Sheldon’s partner, Donner, Rhoades, and Dillard. In particular is the name Jared Dixon Sheldon, for whom the settlement of Sheldon, established in 1860, was named. The community surrounding the Sheldon commercial district, along Grant Line Road, is known as the Sheldon area.
Jared Sheldon received a land grant of more than 18,000 acres from the Mexican government in 1844. The grant was in recognition of work done for the Mexican government in Monterey. The grant was known as the Omochumnes Land Grant. The grant’s northern boundary line came to be known as Grant Line Road. Future Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman was the surveyor for the land grant. Grant Line Road became a well traveled road, connecting Upper Sacramento Road (Highway 99) to Jackson Highway and the towns and gold fields to the east.
Jared Sheldon was a gold miner, cattle rancher, and farmer. Sheldon and Daylor established a farm and grist mill in Sloughhouse to supply miners working the Cosumnes River. In time, a dispute erupted over water rights between Sheldon, Daylor, and the miners. Both Sheldon and Daylor were shot and killed. Sheldon and Daylor are buried in the Sloughhouse Pioneer Cemetery off Jackson Highway.
During this time several businesses sprang up. One, a wagon manufacturing facility, became Miles Cash Market and finally what is now the Sheldon Inn restaurant. The Central California Traction Railroad ran through the heart of the Sheldon business district. A storage and loading shed, now Sheldon Feed, was built to house the many crops destined for Sacramento, Stockton, and beyond.
Over the years other famous, or infamous, buildings were built. There is no certainty as to the age of these buildings. There was a blacksmith shop, a gas station, now the Y-NOT, the Ponderosa Club, and Trudy’s Place, now Pholicious. Each of these buildings has been through several iterations and owners over the years. Their place in Sheldon’s history is well established and not forgotten.
Sheldon and the surrounding area, known as the Rural Area, have remained relatively rural in nature. But the winds of change are beginning to stir. There is pressure to develop the Rural Area. That pressure, along with the future Southeast Connector, will change the character of the area. The coming changes can be managed, allowing the Rural Area to remain intact. Next, we’ll take a look at what has occurred within the Rural Area since Elk Grove became a city.
Hopefully this brief glimpse into the past will encourage you to take a deeper dive into Elk Grove’s history. There are several books detailing the history of Elk Grove and the part the Sheldon area played. History Happened Here Books 1 and 2 and Images of America: Elk Grove by Elizabeth Pinkerton and Echoes of Yesterday by Lance Armstrong are excellent historical resources.