Food Forest Keeper: Karen

As a 4-H Community Leader in Solano County, I saw the potential for a great partnership with Sustainable Solano. The opportunity to bridge the work of Sustainable Solano with the inquisitive minds of the 4-H youth in our county has been like planting a seed in the ground and watching the miracle of growth.

Site Details

Installation Date:

January 2023

Size:

1100 square feet

Sun Exposure:

8+ hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

1

Secondary Water:

Lawn Conversion

Rainwater

Roofwater Diverted to Swales

Total annual water impact:

68,762 gallons

Design:

Designers: John Davenport (swales & berms); Scott Dodson (plants)

Plant List:

Installation:

This install was not meant to be a completed garden, but instead, we’ve created a canvas for learning and experimentation for years to come. As with any great learning experience, there were challenges to overcome, mistakes to learn from and surprise successes.

Vision for the Future:

I look forward to using the space for our 4-H projects, experiment with the plantings for our climate and welcome the ever-evolving process of learning about growing food, healthy soil and water management.

Food Forest Keepers: Tanisha & Nate

I grew up in the inner city with few opportunities of gardening except for every third weekend of each month, when I would go to my godparents’ home. My godfather did his gardening like clockwork every Saturday after breakfast. He’d grab his hat and gloves and I’d trot right behind him. It was my job to pick up all the fruit that had fallen from the trees. His job was picking leafy vegetables and protecting his crop. Spending time with him in the garden was peaceful, he’d listen to me talk about things that were going on at school or home with my siblings, adding very little to the conversation. In between me talking, he’d whistle. When our work was done outdoors, we’d head inside where my godmother would be waiting to complete the next phase – washing, picking, bagging and storing. To date, I still love to hear the snapping of fresh peas. For me the garden was a place of bonding, peace, fun and laughter — it was nourishment for the body and mind.

Shortly after moving to Fairfield, I looked out into the yard one day and began to reflect on my childhood memories of being in the garden and thought it would be a great idea for our family, community and for the children in my preschool program.

Site Details

Installation Date:

February 2022

Size:

1500 square feet

Sun Exposure:

8+ hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

1

Secondary Water:

Lawn Conversion

Rainwater

Roofwater Diverted to Swales

Total annual water impact:

86,970 gallons

Design:

Designer: John Davenport

Plant List:

Installation:

Working with Sustainable Solano was a great experience. The installation of the garden was amazing. I really enjoyed watching people whom I’d never met work with me and my family to dig and plant in Garden of Shalom. My vision of unity, community, and education was happening! The staff and volunteers were friendly and an absolute pleasure to work with. It was beautiful watching relationships form as we all gathered for the common cause of learning or expanding the permaculture community. We even had a volunteer donate plants. It was beautiful. The experience was much greater than I’d imagined.

Vision for the Future:

My vision for the garden is to create sustainability, build community, educate, and bring peace to everyone whose feet touch the pathways or who ingests any of the fruits and vegetables. I image in a few years there will be an abundance of fruits and vegetables growing, children will be walking around and through the garden with magnifying glasses discussing what insects and pollinators they see, drawing pictures, asking what a swale is, and trying to decide what to pick for lunch.

Food Forest Keepers: Laura

I purchased my home in 1997. The front yard was a traditional front yard of grass, a tree and foundation plants. After several years of off and on drought, my front yard and my pocketbook needed changes.

In 2017 a friend asked if I would join her at workshop hosted by Sustainable Solano. This workshop was fantastic. The speakers spoke about expanding single community gardens into food forest yards thoughout the community. Reclaiming water from the roof by installing swales from the downspouts and diverting greywater from the washers were some water-saving techniques discussed. Also, the use of native plants throughout the landscape was another water-saving option. I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and I totally agreed with the concept.

Site Details

Installation Date:

May 2019

Size:

900 square feet

Sun Exposure:

8 hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

1

Secondary Water:

Lawn Conversion

Rainwater

Roofwater Diverted to Swales

Total annual water impact:

70,648 gallons

Design:

Designer: Kathleen Huffman

Plant List:

Installation:

It took me two years to take the plunge to convert my front yard into a food forest — the beginning of my “Magical Garden.” It was the best thing I ever did. It was a two-weekend project to transform my front yard. When the project was done my yard had transformed from a lawn to the following: an apple tree, a cherry tree, a pomegranate tree, a lemon tree, and a lime tree. Along with several varieties of tomatoes, green and yellow squash, string beans, cantaloupe, Chinese eggplant, cucumbers, lemon cucumber, spinach, several strawberry and raspberry, and a few more. The pollinators plants were scattered throughout the yard, and brought in bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Magical Garden Slideshow

Vision for the Future:

This was such a fun project. I am amazed how much my neighbors enjoyed all the fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fairfield Sustainable Backyard

Food Forest Keepers: Shelter Inc.

Shelter Inc. aims to prevent and end homelessness for low-income, homeless, and disadvantaged families and individuals by providing housing, services, support, and resources that lead to self-sufficiency. This partnership began with a shared vision for creating better access to healthier, more nutritious food options for resident guests, educational opportunities and job skill training to encourage independent sustainable living practices for residents transitioning back into the community. The garden will provide opportunities to learn about permaculture, growing food and wise water use in the garden.

Site Details

Installation Date:

December 2017

Size:

1,300 square feet

Sun Exposure:

6-8 hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

1

Secondary Water:

Rainwater

Laundry-to-Landscape Greywater System

Roofwater Diverted to Swales

Total annual water impact:

57,960 gallons

Design:

Designer: Kathleen Huffman

Plant List:

Installation:

In December of 2017, Sustainable Solano expanded its mission to promote environmental, economic, and socially just communities by installing this edible, permaculture garden fed by secondary water sources (laundry-to-landscape greywater system and diverted roofwater). Through numerous hands-on workshops, community members and shelter residents worked hard to plant trees and edible plants, dig swales and install a laundry-to-landscape greywater system to create a beautiful, thriving landscape fed by secondary water.

Vision for the Future:

Long-term benefits of this project will include soil and soul restoration, water and energy conservation and groundwater recharge. This garden will continue to expand on our vision for sustainable food sources and clean air through continuing community partnerships. In the winter of 2018, we will launch the Urban Forest program that will include the planting of up to 60 carbon-sequestering trees across the shelter’s 3.5 acre campus. This urban forest planting project will serve as a living lab for Solano County residents to learn about sustainable landscaping and secondary water use and provide job training for shelter residents.

Fairfield Sustainable Backyard

Food Forest Keepers: Brenda

In November 2012 I moved back to Fairfield to take care of Mom who had been in her home since 1972.  I had grown up in this home. Mom’s front and back was typical of the 1970s, ie, a front lawn with some junipers while the back yard had lawn and four old fruit trees.

Over the years the lawn became weedy with Bermuda grass and never got green and lush.  I started remodeling the front yard by removing all the junipers and Bermuda and planted various low water, heat tolerant plants and ornamentals to get a burst of colors.  After seeing the success of the front I decided to remodel the back yard to remove all grass and plant some more fruit tress.  I added 2 citrus and 10 bare root fruit trees and thought that was enough. I was interested in using grey water but had no idea how to get this done. After listening to a lecture by Sustainable Solano about edible landscapes and water harvesting I eagerly submitted an application to be one of the first houses in Fairfield to install a food forest that was beyond fruit trees.   I thought it was so cool to be able to grow an edible landscape and share the bounty with others.

I called the project Mom’s Delight because mom was now able to enjoy being in the back yard and seeing everything grow.  She loved to eat the food coming from the yard and enjoyed just sitting on the patio looking at all the new fruit trees and flowering plants that attracted the bees and hummingbirds.  Prior to this, we rarely sat in the back yard.

Site Details

Installation Date:

November 2017

Size:

1,200 square feet

Sun Exposure:

6-8 hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

3

Secondary Water:

Rainwater

Laundry-to-Landscape Greywater System

Roofwater Diverted to Swales

Total annual water impact:

43,867 gallons

Design:

Designer: Kathleen Huffman

Plant List:

Installation:

The installation of the swales, edible plants and grey water system went very well. The lectures before the work began each day were very informative, educational and interactive.  Friends from Solano Community College Horticulture club participated along with some family and new folks from the community.  Meeting new folks was wonderful as everyone shared things  they were doing to their homes or wanted to do in the future.

My sister Cindy and Kathy a family friend, prepared the morning snacks and lunch with deserts which everyone enjoyed eating.  They did so much work which allowed me to interact with everyone as well as do the physical labor.

Vision for the Future:

My thought is to be a good example to my neighbors and to inspire others to do the same.  My cousin who helped with the installation became excited after participating and converted a portion of his back yard grass into an edible landscape.  I am thrilled to be part of the Sustainable Solano community so I can share with others the bounty of the back yard and show how harvesting the rain water and using grey water make this project very earth friendly.