Franchise success rates are often touted online as being wildly successful, but further examination has shown attaining reliable data is difficult. The franchise arrangement is inherently risky for both parties — but some Sacramento-based small businesses are going for it regardless.

Bryan Barrett knows this land well.

Before much of the land was slated for development in recent years, Barrett’s grandparents David and Dolly Fiddyment owned a ranch near what is now Blue Oaks Boulevard and Orchard View Road in West Roseville. Barrett learned how to drive a tractor on this land, how to swim in a nearby creek.

There is probably no stronger indication of the strength and maturity of the Sacramento beer scene than the fact that so many breweries, both local and out-of-town, have opened or plan to open second or third locations in the area.

Passmore Ranch invites local chefs to swim for their fish.

Comstock’s spoke with a few women brewery owners in the Capital Region about their diverse backgrounds, their paths to leadership and their thoughts on getting more women into craft beer.

Shiloh London is an early riser of the extreme variety. She wakes up at 4 a.m., spends a few minutes in silence over black coffee, laces her sneakers and literally trains for a marathon. Afterward she connects with her running mates over coffee — all before a full day’s work.

La Placita, a local favorite in Orangeville, has stood the test of time. 

Eight of the world’s 10 largest vegetable seed companies are located near UC Davis, a world leader in plant science and agricultural research. The Capital Region is home to a vast ecosystem at the forefront of advancing food production — here’s how all the pieces come together.

General Produce, a third generation family business, has been feeding the region for over eight decades. 

Placer County will soon be home to it’s third farmhouse brewery, marrying farm-to-fork ideals with the craft beer craze. Do these breweries offer the area trappings to make it a tourist destination?