Groveland pair find their roots

Published in Central Sierra Seasons 2004

Regina Hirsch didn’t grow up in Groveland – but her family roots here go deep. Three generations in her father’s family were born and raised in the historic Gold Rush town, and her grandmother, Mary Laveroni, just had the town park named in her honor.

So when Regina and her husband, Rob, decided to start married life by moving to Groveland to take over a nursery business, the venture was destined to blossom.

Their store, Mountain Sage, is located in the historic Laveroni home on Groveland’s Main Street . Regina and Rob -- both professional  biologists who left their  science careers for this move -- have turned it into a unique combination of retail nursery, outdoor store, arts-and-crafts gallery and community gathering place.

When they met three years ago, Rob was working in habitat restoration in Joshua Tree State Park and Regina was working as a biologist in Morro Bay . They were looking for a way to work together when they to visit Regina ’s grandmother, and discovered the little nursery next door was for sale.

"That was my dream – to own a nursery one day – and there it started,” Regina said.

Mary still lives next door and the century-old grape vines planted by Regina ’s great-grandfather still create a cool summer canopy over the porch and courtyard. Regina spent many family holidays there as a girl, helping to make ravioli on a customized  counter off the back porch, and playing with her grandfather’s coin collection in the back bedroom.

Each room now has a different focus. The back bedroom is lined with nature guides, games and journals. The front bedroom serves as a gallery for Rob’s nature photography. The living room with its huge stone fireplace – made by Regina ’s grandparents – has a selection of outdoor clothing and hand-made sweaters. Maps and information fill the ravioli closet, outdoor gear and winter snowshoe rentals fill a center room and a mixture of local and imported pottery, baskets, birdhouses and other arts and crafts line two back rooms.

Outside, they have nearly tripled the nursery grounds, and are creating a series of outdoor garden rooms: A hammock garden where people are welcome to hang out as long as they like, herb and butterfly gardens, a children’s section with a digging area and MeWok cedar bark structure, a shady tiered amphitheater where local musicians perform and work benches where local artisans hold arts and crafts classes.

"Eventually, we want to have weddings and other events out here, too”, Rob said. “We’re open to any ideas.”

One feature runs throughout the business’s varied offerings: all items are selected with a social and environmental conscience. The nursery specializes in native and drought-and-deer resistant plants to discourage chemical and pesticide use, and the clothing and crafts are mostly from “fair trade” companies and co-ops dedicated to decent working conditions and fair wages for workers.

"That’s really important to us,” Rob said, “and we get a chance to teach people about these ideas. We couldn’t be doing this if it were just about making money.”

For both of them, coming back to family has been rewarding in many ways.

"It’s been risky,” Rob said. “Neither of us had ever done anything like this. We’re scientists. But it had so much potential, with the location and the history and our interests and backgrounds.”

The town has been very supportive. “They call us ‘the kids,’ “ Rob said with a laugh. “And we’re doing really well for a new business … Once people find us, we get a lot of repeat customers and great feedback, but we need to let more people know we’re here.”

Groveland’s remoteness, though, is much of its charm.

“We really love it here,” Regina said. “I’m getting to do my dream job in my great grandmother’s home. What could be better?”