For the past few years, it has been my delight to set my GPS and head out to Yolo County's farms and orchards. The Art & Ag Project of Yolo Arts is a wonderful program. As the website notes, it cultivates a dialogue between artists, farmers and the community to raise awareness of the various issues surrounding the county's farmlands and open spaces, as well as the preservation of the arts. The program asks farmers to open up their lands and farm buildings to artists. These spaces would not typically be available for the diverse collection of plein aire painters and photographers that gather monthly to explore these often historic spaces. Annually, Yolo Placer Arts then invites artists to exhibit their agriculturally-inspired artwork as part of the Art Farm Gala. It's a wonderful culmination of a year of rural outings to the far corners of the county.
