Bounty of the County: Stronger Together
In support of Solano County food, wine and chefsThese are the highlights of the Fall 2020 Bounty of the County. Looking for the upcoming Bounty of the County details? Visit SustainableSolano.org/Bounty
Miss the Presentations? Scroll Down to Watch Them All!
Each week of Bounty of the County: Stronger Together brought together Solano County farmers, chefs, business owners and winemakers. Scroll down to watch the highlights of each presentation and learn more!
Support Local Farms, Restaurants and Wineries
If you are interested in supporting local growers, one of the best ways is to purchase from Solano County farms and the restaurants that source from local food producers. Learn more about how to support a local food system here!
Bounty of the County: Stronger Together raised funds for Solano County farmers and growers who have lost property, crops and animals to the wildfires. Learn more about farm fire recovery here.
This year’s Bounty of the County was developed in collaboration with the Solano County Fair Association and is presented in partnership with the Solano Small Business Development Center.
Generous Donors
167
Total Donations
$10,335
Farm Fire Recovery
Learn more about how to help local farms here
Fall 2020 Bounty of the County
Week 1: Sept. 1
Featured Team:
Meet the owners of Tenbrink Farms, The Pip Wine Bar & Shop in Dixon and winemakers from Tolenas Vineyards and Winery. This presentation features a discussion with Amy Grabish, owner of The Pip, and Lisa Howard of Tolenas. Lisa talks about growing up at Tenbrink Farms and about starting Tolenas, and highlights pairings and discusses how to find their delectable wines.
About the Farm
Steve and Linda Tenbrink started their first farm on a 5-acre orchard in 1982 and now farm over 100 acres in Suisun Valley. Tenbrink Farms grows fruits, vegetables, nuts and grapes for wine using sustainable practices that build healthy soil. While the farm previously had a roadside fruit stand and participated in farmers markets, its sales are now primarily to restaurants. The farm was the county’s first to be a dedicated easement, now managed by the Solano Land Trust so that it cannot ever be parceled or used for purposes other than agriculture. Learn more here.
About the Restaurant
Amy Grabish is owner of The Pip Wine Bar & Shop in downtown Dixon. While the wine bar is closed due to COVID restrictions, the shop remains open with wine for purchase and snacks available for takeout.
About the Winery
Tolenas is a family-owned winery focused on producing premium natural wines from grapes grown in Suisun Valley. Owners Cliff and Lisa Howard are second generation farmers and winemakers (Lisa’s parents are Steve and Linda Tenbrink). Learn more here.
Week 2: Sept. 8
Featured Team:
Chef Michael Warring shows how to make multiple courses with fresh, seasonal Solano ingredients. Chef Warring is joined by Wilkinson Acres farmers Mike and Courtney Wilkinson and Suisun Creek Winery winemaker Brian Babcock to discuss seasonal crops and wine pairings.
About the Farm
Mike and Courtney Wilkinson’s Suisun Valley farm sits on 5 acres and uses low-till practices to build soil and intensively grow CCOF certified organic produce, including mixed stone fruit and seasonal vegetables. Learn more here.
About the Chef
Michael Warring dishes up recipes using fresh seasonal ingredients, most recently offering gourmet meal kits for finishing at home. Learn more here.
About the Winery
Suisun Creek Winery is a family owned and operated. All of Suisun Creek’s wines are Estate Grown, which means they grow their own grapes and produce wines only from their vineyards. The winemaker, Brian Babcock, is also the vineyard manager and has full control of how the grapes are grown to produce the highest quality wine. Brian has over 20 years of winemaking experience. Learn more here.
Week 3: Sept. 15
Featured Team:
Meet the farmers from Terra Firma Farm, Chef Lindsey Chelini from Vacaville’s BackDoor Bistro and winemakers from Wooden Valley Winery. This presentation features a lively cooking demonstration by Chef Lindsey, who shows how she is using Terra Firma’s produce on her seasonal menu. Alicia Baddorf from Terra Firma discusses the farm’s CSA program and organic farming practices and Wooden Valley’s Ron Lanza talks about the family business, and highlights pairings and where to find their locally produced wines.
About the Farm
Terra Firma is a 200-acre organic farm that grows a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts. The farm has been in operation since the late 1980s, focusing on its Community Supported Agriculture program, which provides weekly boxes of fresh produce to 1,200 families around Winters, Vacaville, Benicia, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento Area. Terra Firma Farm seeks to provide nutritious produce to local communities while providing year-round employment for its farmworker crew. Learn more here.
About the Restaurant
Vacaville’s BackDoor Bistro Wine Bar offers a seasonal menu with locally sourced, organic and sustainable ingredients to create holistic, balanced and proportioned plates. Chef Lindsey Chelini, a Vacaville native, started the restaurant in 2012. Learn more here.
About the Winery
Since 1933, family-owned Wooden Valley Winery has been producing award-winning wines from the Suisun Valley appellation. Today, third generation family members continue the traditions set in place by the first generation — crafting exceptional varietals from the surrounding vineyards and warmly inviting visitors to sample their wine and enjoy their hospitality. Learn more here.
Week 4: Sept. 22
Featured Team:
Meet the farmers from Be Love Farm, Chef Joey Jaraba from Two60 Kitchen + Bar in Fairfield and winemakers from Suisun Valley Wine Co-op! This presentation features a lively cooking demonstration by Chef Joey who shows how he is using Be Love Farm’s organic produce. Matthew Engelhart from Be Love Farm discusses the regenerative farming practices on their diverse family farm, and Fah Sathirapongsasuti highlights pairings from three distinct micro-wineries that make up the co-op: Sunset Cellars, Blacksmith Cellars and King Andrews Vineyards.
About the Farm
Matthew and Terces Engelhart started Be Love Farm in Vacaville more than a decade ago with a dedication to regenerative farming. The farm produces fruit, vegetables and nuts and a variety of other goods, including wine. Learn more here.
About the Restaurant
Cordelia’s Two60 Kitchen + Bar features Nouveau California Cuisine heavily influenced by the styles of France, Italy and the Pacific Rim. Executive Chef Joey M. Jaraba Jr., drawing on his background, classical training and award-winning culinary career, blends modern American cuisine with global influences to create a menu deeply rooted in farm-to-table principles. Learn more here.
About the Co-op
Suisun Valley Wine Cooperative offers an enjoyable, relaxed wine tasting experience. Sample outstanding wines poured by actual winemakers and growers from three distinct, family-owned wineries: Blacksmith Cellars, Sunset Cellars, and King Andrews Vineyards. Most of the tasting room staff at the Wine Co-op are actual wine producers and grape growers. While visiting, you will learn firsthand the vision and philosophies behind the wines. Learn more here.
Week 5: Sept. 29
Featured Team:
Join Chef Wyatt Brege of The Barn & Pantry in Dixon for an informative cooking demonstration using fresh, organic produce from Eatwell Farm. Hear about Eatwell Farm’s sustainable farming practices to raise a diverse array of crops for its CSA and farmers market customers. Sky Ranch Estate discusses organic farming to create wine and olive oil — and how they plan to rebuild after destruction from the wildfire.
About the Farm
Eatwell Farm sits on 105 acres in Dixon and delivers its organic produce to customers through its CSA program and farmers markets. The farm grows hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables to ensure a diverse offering to its customers. Owner Lorraine Walker took over the farm from her late husband, Nigel, who started Eatwell in 1997. Learn more here.
About the Restaurant
About the Winery
Lee Perry started Sky Ranch Estate more than 20 years ago in Solano County’s Vaca Mountains, elevation 2,000 feet. The organic estate produces wines, including Il Cocuzzolo, a 2017 Estate Syrah, and Two Old Guys, a 2016 proprietary blend. Sky Ranch also produces organic olive oil farmed on the estate. The property suffered a lot of damage from the fire. Learn more here.
Week 6: Oct. 6
Featured Team:
Join the team from Virtue Juice Bar in Vacaville to see how they make organic cold-pressed juice packed with micronutrients, smoothies (and more!) with fresh organic produce from Lockewood Acres. Farmer Ben Lyons talks about his diverse family farm, what’s growing now and where to find his delicious products. Winemaker Gina Richmond from Mangels Vineyards discusses her methods for making premium wines from Suisun Valley varietals – a tradition of winemaking started by their great grandfather over 100 years ago.
About the Farm
Ben and Denise Lyons started their self-sustainable, organic, family farm in 2010 off a 1948 drawing called “Security Acres.” The farm is accessible to the community through the Vacaville Farmers Market and through its Community Supported Agriculture program (prepaid box of the week with pickup at the farm) and at several local restaurants. Lockewood Acres grows heritage fruits, vegetables and animals to add a continuous option of diverse choices throughout the growing season. Learn more here.
About the Restaurant
A cross between a fast-casual restaurant and a wellness resource center, Virtue Juice Bar is passionate about how people fuel their bodies. The juice bar uses Goodnature’s X1 Mini juicers to provide organic cold-pressed juice made to order with roughly 2 pounds of fresh organic produce. Virtue aims to serve not only the tastiest chilled juice on the market, but also smoothies, salads, acai bowls and more that provide all of the incredible nutrients and micronutrients that organic produce can offer. Learn more here.
About the Winery
Mangels Vineyards, founded in 2009 by Gary Mangels and winemaker Gina Richmond, makes premium wines from Suisun Valley varietals. The Mangels family began planting grape vines and winemaking in the late 1800s, becoming one of the largest producers in the state. While the family shifted away from winemaking in the 1940s, they maintained a ranching business and continued to grow grapes for other wineries. In 1988, Gary Mangels purchased land that would eventually become Mangels Vineyards. Learn more here.
Interested in being a featured farm, restaurant or winery in future Bounty of the County events?
Contact Local Food Program Manager Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan at stephanie@sustainablesolano.org