“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
— R. Buckminster Fuller
What’s Growing?
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. If you would like to comment or get in touch with local sustainability and resilience makers and shakers profiled in our blogs, please email us at info@sustainablesolano.org
The Seasonal Food Guide: Your Farmers’ Market Cheat Sheet
We’ve all heard at least some of the benefits of eating local: fresher produce, better for the environment, contributes to a stronger local economy. Shopping your local farmers' market is a great way to support your local farmers and eat seasonally. But before you...
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Urgent message from the leaders of 11 indigenous nations in Ecuador
[Read SF Chronicle full article here] "The accelerated destruction of the sacred headwaters of the Amazon in Ecuador and Peru alone will disrupt the entire Earth’s distribution of rain." As leaders of the Sapara people, part of the confederation of 11 indigenous...
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Got Dinner?
By Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan, Local Food Project Manager I once came across a birthday or anniversary card that said something like this: “I love it when you whisper those 3 little words in my ear…..Let’s Eat Out!” It’s true. Making dinner has become something we...
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Solano Spotlight: Soul Food Farm
By: Marcella Licea In the late 1990s, owners Alexis and Eric Koefoed bought 55 acres of prime pasture and farmland off Pleasants Valley Road in Vacaville, a historically agricultural area. The land had been untended for 30 years. Their vision at the beginning was...
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Meeting Solano Farmers
By Elena Karoulina, Executive Director We continue working on our big vision for the environmentally and economically sustainable and socially just local food system in our county. As a part of our Community Food Center project, funded by USDA, we are finalizing the...
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The Food is Coming: Cultivate Community Food Co-op Launches New Farm-to-Table Delivery Pilot
As part of a large, multi-stake Solano Local Food system project, Cultivate Community Food Co-op, in cooperation with other county organizations, will be working on a pilot project through September 21st with local farmers and chefs to offer participating co-op owners...
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Restoring Our Local Water Cycle Using Permaculture: Lydia Neilsen Launches Vacaville Expansion with Inspiring Talk
When it comes to the changing the environment and global climate change, the cause of the problem — humans — can also be the key to the solution. That was the hopeful message permaculture expert Lydia Neilsen brought to a crowd of listeners on a warm August Saturday...
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New Restoration Project in Vallejo!
The Vallejo Watershed Alliance welcomes Chris Rose from the Solano Resource Conservation District (RCD) to help lead its next restoration project in Vallejo. Since their last successful partnership to restore habitat in the Blue Rock Springs Creek Corridor, the RCD...
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The Buzz on Clay’s Bees
By Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan Over the past month, I (and others on the Local Food team) have been visiting farmers, ranchers and food producers in Solano County to get a more concrete picture of the current local food supply. Clay Ford of Pleasants Valley Honey...
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Sustainable Solano in Vacaville!
[Click here for full Daily Republic article] Sustainable Solano is a grassroots, county-wide movement uniting people and their initiatives aiming to serve the future of Solano County, to promote ecologically sustainable, economically and socially just communities. The...
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Fun Facts About Soil For Children and Adults!
It's no secret that kids and soil go hand in hand. Kids definitely know where to find it and love to dig in it. While they might find playing in it fun, they may be surprised to learn that soil is the basis for all growing things including the food they...
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Solano Local Food Spotlight: The Cloverleaf Farm
The Cloverleaf Farm is a 10-acre, certified organic orchard and farm in Dixon bursting with juicy peaches, nectarines, apricots and figs. Emma Torbert and Katie Fyhrie lease the orchard from The Collins Farm and co-manage the Collins Community Farmstand. For the 2018...
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Remaking and Repairing CA Food Systems
The Berkeley Food Institute launches its newest project, 'Hungry for Change,' a collection of compelling profiles showcasing the work of 20 emerging food system leaders across California who are advancing equity, health, and sustainability in food systems. These 20...
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Solano County Farm-to-Table Spotlight: BackDoor Bistro and Wine Bar
Sustainable Solano envisions an environmentally, economically sustainable and equitable local food system for residents across Solano County. In addition to stronger relationships with our farmers through Community Supported Agriculture, supporting local sustainable...
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“What’s For Dinner?” 2018 Workshop Schedule
Solano County Library, The Friends of the Vallejo Public Library, in partnership with Sustainable Solano and UR what U eat bring you the next series of "What's For Dinner?"- healthy cooking workshops aiming to educate the community on healthy, nutritious food choices...
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The Power of YOUR Voice: June 15th Deadline to Apply to Serve on the Vallejo Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members recommend to the City Council how to spend part of a public budget. It enables taxpayers to work with government to make the budget decisions that affect their lives. Developed first in...
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From Airman to Daisies: Suisun Wildlife Center Pollinator Project Draws in Community
By: Nicole Newell, Sustainable Backyard Program Manager The work at Suisun Wildlife Center was the most interesting and busiest installation yet! As we were learning, working, and getting to know each other, the raptors and a one-eyed coyote were watching us. ...
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The Search for a Business Model – Three Stone Hearth, Co-ops and Holacracy
By Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan As many of you know, Sustainable Solano has been working on a USDA Local Food Promotion Program planning grant, for what we’ve been calling “Community Food Centers”. We are in Phase 2 of the project, which includes exploring successful,...
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A VAST ECOLOGICAL PARK PROPOSED ALONG HWY 37
The Common Ground Team led by TLS Landscape Architecture has presented the “Grand Bayway” vision at the Resilient by Design Challenge in San Francisco, May 17th. The proposal looks at a resilient future for flood threatened and congested State Route 37 connecting the...
read moreMore Community Screenings of ‘A Quest for Meaning’ Coming to Solano County!
Last month in Vacaville, we offered a special screening of 'A Quest for Meaning', an inspiring film that connects personal growth and social change, and attempts to uncover the causes of the current world crisis to discover ways to bring about change. Attendees went...
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Sustainable Solano Receives Funding For Local Urban Forestry Project
Last December, we expanded our mission to promote environmental, economic, and socially just communities by partnering with Mission Solano, a local Fairfield homeless shelter, to install a demonstration food forest garden. We are pleased to announce that Sustainable...
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Healthy Soils, Healthy Farms, Healthy People
by: Elena Karoulina, Executive Director Our local food system team continues to learn about sustainable local food systems and is moving into the second stage of the Solano small farms feasibility study: interviews with local farmers. In the next two months, team...
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Pollinator Food Forest Garden Coming to Suisun Wildlife Center
Sustainable Solano’s Sustainable Backyard program expanded to Suisun City earlier this spring and is now celebrating the completion of a public demonstration food forest garden at a private Suisun residence. The program offers informative workshops and inspiring talks...
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365 Days of Care!
By: Nicole Newell, Sustainable Backyard Program Manager I am finding many Solano County treasures as our Sustainable Backyard Program expands. Suisun Wildlife Center is one of the jewels. Last weekend I learned first-hand the many incredible ways that this...
read moreThe Heritage Pantry in Dixon is OPEN!
By: Stephanie Oelsligle-Jordan, Local Food Project Manager As I pulled into the parking lot, I wondered if I was in the right place. Several tents were set up, people were bustling around, and a guy was grilling chicken on a huge BBQ. It looked more like a small...
read moreReclaiming the Food and Farm as a Commons Conversation with Neil Thapar
By: Elena Karoulina, Executive Director On a sunny Saturday morning, a group of local community members gathered at Morningsun Farm in Vacaville to have a conversation with a Food and Farm Attorney Neil Thapar from the Sustainable Economies Law Center. In the...
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“A Growing Future” in Suisun City
One private yard in Suisun City has been selected for the installation of a demonstration food forest garden as part of Sustainable Solano’s Sustainable Backyard program offering informative workshops and inspiring talks on sustainable landscape design, community...
read moreWarming Water and What Can be Done
On March 21st, The League of Women Voters hosted a panel discussion on climate change, rising sea level, water shortages and increased water cost in Benicia. The panel consisted of three key Solano County residents. Jerry Potter, a Nasa Climate Scientist, spoke about...
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“Greyhawk Grove” Demonstration Food Forest: Third Year Anniversary Reflections
In 2015, Benicia residents, Rob and Nam, submitted an application to have their yard transformed into a demonstration food forest garden, fed by secondary water (laundry-to-landcape greywater system & roofwater). This edible ecosystem would serve as a sustainable...
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Eatwell Farm
By Elena Karoulina, Executive Director It’s a crisp, breezy morning in March, and I am walking the fields of the Eatwell Farm with the farm manager, Cameron Ottens. It’s a fascinating place – I fell under its spell from the first minutes I saw the earth-sheltered...
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