What’s Growing?
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Effective immediately, Sustainable Solano has halted all in-person events until further notice. You can find a list of Community Resilience Resources here and upcoming online events here.
The Sustainable Solano Blog is the hub for all the latest information about our many projects and programs, as well as a snapshot of grassroots community transformation in action. You can find recent news articles on Sustainable Solano here and read our blog archive here.
You can also stay up to date on what’s going on at Sustainable Solano through our newsletters. Read our archive of previous newsletters here and subscribe here.
Have a suggestion for a blog or want to get involved in telling our story? Contact us at info@sustainablesolano.org
Seeds of Hope
The weekend of Dec. 19 was just past the four month mark from the LNU Lightning Complex Fire that ripped through Vacaville’s rural area. Instead of looking at the destruction and blackened hills with a feeling of loss and overwhelming grief, the weekend offered the first glimmers of hope.
Seeking Suisun City, Fairfield & Vacaville Residents Interested in Yard Transformation
Do you live in Suisun City, Fairfield or Vacaville? Are you interested in working with your neighbors and community to install a demonstration food forest garden or other sustainable landscaping elements in the coming months at your home or a community site, like a place of worship or school?
‘Tis the Season for Local Food & Wine!
Need a last-minute special gift for someone? Give the gift of local food, wine and farm products!
Grant Expands Resilient Neighborhoods Program to Suisun City & Helps Address Flood Risk
Sustainable Solano is excited to announce that we have received a grant through PG&E Corporation Foundation that will support helping Suisun City residents learn about and address the challenges of increased flooding and bring together city leaders and community members as they work on larger plans to address flood risks.
CSA Farm Spotlight: Wilkinson Acres
Learn more about Wilkinson Acres and the people behind it in this Q&A with co-owner/farmer Courtney Wilkinson.
Perennial Edible Gardening
CompostGal’s Lori Caldwell answers more of your gardening questions — this time about growing perennial edible plants from artichokes to fig trees!
Vital Cycles Brings Permaculture Instruction to Solano County
Permaculture educators Anne Freiwald and Lydia Neilsen talk permaculture and working with soil, water, plants and community.
Wildfire Relief Goes to Farms to Meet Immediate Needs and Build Future Resilience
In the weeks since the LNU Lightning Complex wildfires tore through many of Solano County’s family farms, we have been humbled by the number of you who poured in donations to help those who had lost homes, animals and crops to the devastation.
Solano Community Foundation Funding Supports Sustainable Solano & Local Food
We are grateful to the Solano Community Foundation and its donors for their ongoing support of our work, including two recent funding awards that will help us continue our work supporting our local food system and access to healthy food within our communities.
Thank You to SCWA for Supporting Solano’s Sustainable Landscapes & Communities
Since 2016 we have received funding from the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) to install demonstration food forest gardens throughout the county through the Solano Sustainable Backyards Program. This has led to many other programs that continue to provide resources for Solano County while creating meaningful relationships.
Resilient Neighborhoods Plant Seeds for Future in Uncertain Times
The Resilient Neighborhoods program is creating its second Resilient Hub in Vallejo.
Seasonal Planting for Raised Beds & the Benefits of No-Till Gardening
Rachel Brinkerhoff, co-owner of Dog Island Farm/Grow a Pear Nursery, answers your questions on seasonal planting, raised beds and no-till gardening.
Permaculture Design Certificate Course Coming to Benicia
We’re excited to bring our first Permaculture Design Certificate course to Benicia starting in January 2021.
Avant Garden Scavenger Hunt Offers Fun Outside Activity Amid the Pandemic
The premier Kids in the Garden event was a scavenger hunt at Benicia’s Avant Garden, COVID-19 version. It proved to be a super successful, fun, educational and tasty event.
Share Your Inspired Gardens!
We want to share your inspired gardens so your projects can inspire others!
More Sustainable Landscaping Education Programs Planned for Benicia
As we plan for an exciting slate of programs based in Benicia for 2021, we want your insight on what sort of workshops we should hold in the city – what is most interesting to potential participants as well as property owners. These workshops will help to strengthen and expand the programs we piloted in Benicia at the beginning of this year.
The Power of Cultivating Vital Life Skills
Anne Freiwald’s talk was on how to restore the resource of self by cultivating vital life skills. These vital life skills are familiar, but what was intriguing was how Anne provided examples of parallels relating to nature and our bodies.
Backyard Chickens 101
Tyler Snortum-Phelps, who has been keeping chickens for more than 20 years, answers more questions about backyard chickens.
Fostering Food Security Through Collaboration
Sustainable Solano has been in conversation with organizations that are taking the initiative to move food from farms and gardens onto the plates of county residents. These organizations are seeking ways to collaborate toward supplying more people with the good food they need.
Regrow Your Own Vegetables From Kitchen Scraps
Mallory Traughber answers more questions about regrowing vegetables and saving seeds.
Edible Landscapes: A Food Forest Garden
Derek Downey answers more questions on permaculture food forest gardens
Seeking Vacaville, Suisun City Residents to Monitor Air Quality and Help Communities
In Vacaville and Suisun City, air monitors that could track pollutants and particulate matter in the air and offer valuable information to residents are lacking. We’re seeking individuals who want to install these monitors to help their neighborhoods.
Creating Change During a Crisis
When there is a crisis, it often can reveal underlying flaws in the existing system as well as opportunities for change. The current economic crises brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic also opens the dialogue for how to shift our economy in a way that works for more people.
Big Gardens in Small Spaces: Container Gardening Tips
Lori Caldwell answers more of your questions on container gardening
Students Write Poetry, Essay on Healing, Life-Supporting Water
Read the finalists and winner in the water essay/poetry contest from St. Patrick-St. Vincent Catholic High School
Eating Healthy with Immune-Boosting Foods
Culinary Arts Instructor Lisa Núñez-Hancock discusses foods that help you stay healthy.
CSA Farm Spotlight: Soul Food Farm
Learn more about Soul Food Farm and the people behind it in this Q&A with co-owner Alexis Koefoed.
Learn How to Plant Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables in New Video Tutorials
Get tips and tricks on how to prepare and plant your spring vegetables!
4th Annual Demonstration Food Forest Tour a Reimagined Success
Permaculture expert John Valenzuela gave this year’s annual demonstration food forest garden talk and tour in a Zoom call and video tour.
Local Food Reflections from the Sustainable Solano Team
Our team shares our local food connection, from growing vegetables to how we buy locally, which supports the local economy even as we benefit from having a closer relationship with the people behind our food.
Looking for more? Find our blog archive here!
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