Rich grew up on a 80-acre dairy farm, and – like his parents and grandparents before him – he attended schools in the Lincoln area. He is a graduate of American River College. His father Alex Ferreira was a Placer County Supervisor, and Rich’s family has farmed in this community for three generations. Rich owns and operates Side Hill Citrus Farm, which he and his family permanently protected via an agricultural conservation easement in 2014. Side Hill Citrus is the world’s first and only permanently protected mandarin orange orchard; Rich grows organic and pesticide-free mandarins and other citrus fruits on nearly 50 acres. He also owns and operates Circle Welding, fabricating steel to supplement his agricultural income. He lives on the farm in Lincoln.
“The amount of change to the rural landscape of Placer County has been staggering over the past 50 years and the rate of development, especially in my neck of the woods, continues to concern me. I feel strongly that if action is not taken now to preserve some of what’s left that makes this County so special, it will be too late. Placer Land Trust is committed to the permanent preservation of our rural landscapes, and I’m proud to be a part of that effort.”
