Conversation Circles Program Creates New Opportunities and Environmental Resources

May 14, 2021

By Gabriela Estrada and Jonathan Erwin, Program Managers

Flood map of Suisun City from Adapting to Rising Tides report

While the Conversation Circles program in Central Solano (formerly the Listening Circles program) has come to the end of its grant term, our commitment to increase the understanding of environmental issues that affect Solano communities is ongoing. Using what we learned through the Conversation Circles program, we will continue to help residents access important environmental, health and other data that you can use to inform decision-making within your community.

Toward that end, we have created our Environmental Resources section of the website, where you can learn more about some of the environmental and health factors that affect our communities and see resources at the county and city level when it comes to addressing environmental concerns and preparing for disaster. The pages also list organizations that are working in our communities.

We have robust data for Fairfield, Suisun City and Vacaville out of the Conversation Circles program, and hope to build similar data for our other Solano County cities going forward.

As part of closing the Conversation Circles program, we created a Neighborhood Impact and Assessment Report where we documented the project, challenges and opportunities. Here are some of the newly created opportunities and lessons learned through this project: 

Connecting with Other Community Groups

Connecting with other organizations in each of the cities we worked with is key. These partnerships have opened the door for future collaboration efforts and further community engagement at a neighborhood level. Equally important, it also created an opportunity for us to combine efforts towards a common goal.

Building Trust and Showing Up

While we have a lot of partnerships with other organizations, this project brought us to a few neighborhoods that we’ve never worked in before. By collaborating with other organizations serving these areas, we were able to begin building trust and a sense of community. Sustainable Solano will continue to show up and create opportunities for engagement and will continue to work with community members in creating a happy, healthy and thriving community.

Connecting with Government Officials

Connecting with government officials gave the project manager a clear idea of the “lay of the land” to learn about the neighborhoods, the opportunities, the history and some of the potential challenges (both environmental and social) that a project might face. Connecting with government officials also created room for future collaboration efforts, including urban forestry efforts, community gardens and resiliency efforts through our other programs.

Increasing Reach with Support from Other Programs

We will continue to seek creative ways we can connect with community members through our other programs about the environmental data that affects their neighborhoods. 

For more details, read the complete Neighborhood Impact and Assessment Report. 

We plan on building on these lessons to inform the Environmental Resources pages and the rest of our programs, including the Resilient Neighborhoods program, now expanding to Suisun City, and the Youth Leadership program.

As we have continued to scale our Resilient Neighborhoods program and our research across Solano County, we realize that there is a disconnect in the information on environmental progress and the general public access to that information. City and county plans are often spread across many websites and buried with departments and commissions. Within this cacophony of public information, it can be difficult to find what is relevant and what is most up to date within the county and selected cities. As we found with last fire season, and potentially any upcoming disaster, knowledge is power and can mean the difference between safety and struggle. We will continue to find ways to make that information more easily accessible within Resilient Neighborhoods and beyond.

The Youth Environmental Leadership Fellowship now in development will encourage high school youth to examine CalEnviroScreen and other data, examine environmental justice issues within the county and their communities, participate in hands-on mitigation training, and present to city leaders and community members about the environmental information and possible solutions at the individual, community and policy level. This will continue to engage the wider community through the youth presentations and projects, and the data they collect will make our Environmental Resources pages more robust throughout the county. 

Through these pages, we seek to emphasize relevant local work and organizations that share our mission of nurturing initiatives for the good of the whole. See anything we missed? Let us know at info@sustainablesolano.org

 

The Conversation Circles program and Environmental Resources page development was generously funded through the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Small Grants Program.

Asian Rice Bowl

May 3, 2021

Photo: Unsplash

Create this Asian Rice Bowl with seasonal vegetables and one of these two sauces: Spicy Cashew Cheese Sauce, or Ginger Soy Sauce.

Asian Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

Rice (brown or white)
Seasonal fresh vegetables (examples: golden beets, chard, carrots, onions, fresh snap peas)
About 2 garlic cloves
Sauce of choice (see below!)

Prepare rice per instructions, set aside.
Harvest or purchase, clean and chop fresh vegetables in season. Set aside.
Mince a little garlic.

In a skillet put some olive oil (Be Love Farm makes their own!)
Turn the skillet on to medium-high heat and saute the garlic.
Add the other vegetables and stir or toss as the vegetables cook. (Hard veggies need to be added first, followed by smaller/softer/leafier ones.)
You can always put a lid on them and turn the heat down for a little while.
Be careful when you take the lid off as condensation will have formed, turn the lid over when you lift it off.
When the vegetables are nearly done, add the rice, or if you prefer you can serve on top of the rice.
Stir occasionally.
Then add the sauce to finish and cook only enough to blend in the sauce.

Serve in a bowl.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Spicy Cashew Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw cashews (no need to soak them)
Water as needed
1 t. salt
fresh or dried chilies, to taste
1 small garlic clove
1 t. nutritional yeast

Put ½ cup raw cashews in a blender. Add water to cover. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Ginger Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
1 clove garlic
1 piece fresh ginger (start with a small slice) or ginger powder
1 T. water

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend well.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Recipes from Terces Engelhart of Be Love Farm

Learn how to make these recipes by watching the cooking class below

 

All About Artichokes

Apr 30, 2021

Photo: Unsplash

Artichokes can be cooked multiple ways. Learn how to prepare artichokes to make Roasted Artichokes with Quick Garlic-Lemon Aioli, and Marinated Artichokes.

Roasted Artichokes with Quick Garlic-Lemon Aioli

Ingredients:

1 lemon, plus extra for serving
4 artichokes (8-10 oz. each)
3 T. olive oil
Salt & pepper

Adjust oven to lower-middle position and preheat to 475.

Put about 2 quarts water into a large bowl. Cut lemon in half, squeeze juice into the water, and drop in spent lemon halves.

Prepare artichokes: Trim stem to about ¾ inch. Cut off top quarter (a serrated bread knife works well). Pull tough outer leaves downward toward stem and break off at base; continue until first 3-4 rows of leaves are off. If desired, using a paring knife, trim any rough, dark green areas around base. Cut artichoke in half (top to bottom) and drop into acidulated water. Using a spoon, remove fuzzy choke. Pull out inner, tiny purple leaves, leaving a small cavity in the center of each half. Return to the lemon water until finished with all artichoke halves.

Brush a 9 x 13 (or similar sized) pan with 1 T. olive oil. Remove artichokes from water, shaking off the excess lemon water (some water will still be on them – that’s OK). Toss artichokes with remaining 2 T. oil, salt and pepper, working the oil and seasonings between the leaves.

Arrange artichokes cut side down in the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast until cut sides are starting to brown and both bases and leaves are tender when poked with tip of paring knife, 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with aioli on the side.

Quick Garlic-Lemon “Aioli”

½ t. finely grated lemon zest
1 ½ T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. minced garlic (about 1 clove)
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ t. salt
black pepper, to taste

Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered. (Makes about ½ cup aioli.)

Serves 4-5

Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Marinated Artichokes

Ingredients:

2 lemons, divided
2 ½ cups olive oil
3 lbs. baby artichokes (2-4 oz. each), or large artichokes
8 garlic cloves, peeled (6 smashed, 2 minced)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 t. table salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. red pepper flakes
2-3 T. minced fresh mint

Using a vegetable peeler, remove three 2-inch strips of zest from 1 lemon. Grate and reserve ½ t. zest from other lemon. Juice lemons to make ¼ cup. Keep spent lemon halves.

Combine oil and lemon zest strips in medium saucepan. Prepare artichokes: cut off top quarter of artichoke, snap off outer leaves and trim away dark skin. Peel and trim stem if desired. Cut artichoke in half lengthwise. (If using large artichokes, quarter them and remove fuzzy choke.) Rub each artichoke half with spent lemon halves and add to saucepan.

Add smashed garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and pepper flakes to saucepan and bring to a rapid simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally to submerge all artichokes, until all can be pierced with a fork but are still firm, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover; let sit until artichokes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

Fold in mint, lemon juice, lemon zest and minced garlic. Season with salt to taste. Using slotted spoon, transfer artichokes to two 1-pint jars with tight lids. Strain oil through fine-mesh strainer set over large liquid measuring cup. Discard thyme sprigs then spoon solids evenly into jars. Cover artichokes with strained oil and let cool. Keep in the refrigerator and use within 5-6 days.

Chef’s Note: Refrigerate strained oil and use on salads, sauteing or drizzling over vegetables or fish!

Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Learn how to make these recipes by watching the cooking class below

Permaculture Design Course Graduates 12 in Benicia

Apr 21, 2021

By Allison Nagel, Program Manager

The 2021 Benicia PDC class participants, instructors and homeowners

Solano County’s first Permaculture Design Certificate course wrapped up on April 10, with 12 students presenting their capstone design projects and receiving their PDC certificates.

It was powerful to see how this group used what they had learned to shape plans for four very different projects: One on a gradual rewilding of an aging DMV site to create a city park space; one envisioning the transformation of bare soil and turf at a city park into a welcoming space for enjoyment and reflection; one creating a healing garden space at a veterans home; and one bringing regenerative farming practices to a homestead that could support the family that lives there and supply food for their restaurants.

It was also powerful to connect with a group of individuals that signed up for the PDC program for a variety of reasons, from professional advancement to personal goals, but who all brought their passion, knowledge and desire to shape a better world to the course and their projects.

2021 Benicia PDC Slideshow


2021 Benicia PDC

The program was offered in Benicia through a partnership between Sustainable Solano and Benicia Adult Education. The PDC, which is an internationally recognized certification program, has 72 hours of standard required curriculum, but instructors bring their own expertise and insight to each program. We were lucky to have Lydia Neilsen and Anne Freiwald of Vital Cycles lead the PDC class in Benicia, which had a hands-on component focused on putting permaculture principles to use in a suburban setting.

The PDC demonstration project sheet-mulched the grass on the front yard of a Benicia home, dug an in-ground swale to capture rainwater from the roof of the house, planted guilds of plants that work together and support one another for a healthy ecosystem in the front yard, and installed a laundry-to-landscape greywater system that will take the used wash water and run it into mulch basins on the side yard for the plants there.


Video courtesy of  PDC participant Sylvia Herrera

I had the unique opportunity to pursue my PDC along with the class, allowing me to reach a life goal I set back when I first started volunteering with Sustainable Solano and learning about permaculture. The program wasn’t without challenges. COVID-19 caused huge shifts in when we could offer the course, and then we had to make logistical adjustments to be able to offer the course safely under the state’s higher education guidelines. We were so fortunate that Anne and Lydia looked for creative ways to offer the class in a combination of online and in-person instruction; and that homeowners Chris and Megan, our newest Food Forest Keepers, generously made their backyard available for class instruction while the front and side yard were being transformed through the class’ hands-on projects. I appreciate the patience of my fellow students who pursued taking the course despite these challenges and worked to get the very most out of it. Along with the education that came from the program, I also feel we created a community among the class that comes from working so closely together.

The PDC course was offered as a part of our Workforce Development program, which has been a part of transforming three Benicia yards into food forest gardens that are edible, waterwise alternatives to lawns, while educating landscaping professionals, life-long learners and high school youth on permaculture principles and sustainable landscaping practices.

We are already starting to plan for our next PDC course! Interested? You can find details here in the coming months. And feel free to email me at allison@sustainablesolano.org to be added to the interest list.

Congratulations to our 2021 Permaculture Design Certificate recipients!

John Davenport*
Scott Dodson*
Jonathan Erwin
Clay Ford
Karen Lee Ford
Sylvia Herrera
Ron Kane
Jason Lingnau
Allison Nagel
Katie Rivera
Jaxon Shain
Susan Worden

*Learn more about these participants on our Sustainable Landscaping Professionals page

The Benicia PDC program and demonstration project were funded through student fees, Benicia Adult Education, the second amendment to the Valero/Good Neighbor Steering Committee Settlement Agreement, and the Solano County Water Agency.

Homemade Baby Food

Apr 14, 2021

Photo: Unsplash

Homemade baby food is healthy and costs less than the prepared stuff! Learn how to make and store Basic Steamed Vegetables for Baby, and Walnut & Raisin ‘Bon Bons’ for Toddlers.

Basic Steamed Vegetables for Baby

Veggie Options:

Sweet Potatoes, 1 lb. peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Asparagus, 1 bunch, washed well, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
Carrots, 1 bunch (about 6), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Green beans, 1 lb., stem ends trimmed
Green peas (fresh), 1 lb., removed from pods
Butternut Squash, 1 lb. peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Broccoli / Cauliflower, 1 head, cut into florets

Whatever veggie you choose, the key is to try and cut it into uniformly-sized pieces so it cooks evenly. Place water and steamer basket into saucepan, then place veggies on steamer in an even layer. (Veggies should be no more than 2 inches thick on the steamer basket.)

Cover the pan, turn heat to medium-high and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Steam until tender and a paring knife slides in easily. (Watch for color too: they will turn a brighter and more vibrant shade of green or orange.)

When veggies are done, transfer to a food processor and puree until very smooth. (You may need to scrape the processor down a couple of times with a spatula to get any lumps off the sides.) Test the temperature (so it’s not too hot) and serve!

• To refrigerate: let veggie cool slightly, put leftovers in a clean container, refrigerate and use within 3 days.
• To freeze: portion the veggie puree into a clean ice cube tray, or a silicone mold. Cover/wrap and freeze. When frozen, you can pop the veggie cubes out and store them in a container or freezer bag for quick, easy access.
• To thaw: 1 day before serving, pull out 1 veggie cube and place in a small bowl. Cover and keep in refrigerator until thawed. Or, defrost in the microwave and consume right away.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For beginning eaters, the mixture should be very smooth and run off the spoon. Feel free to thin with breast milk or formula.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Walnut & Raisin “Bon Bons” for Toddlers

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts or blanched/skinned almonds
½ cup raisins
4 oz. cream cheese (regular, not low-fat)
½ t. vanilla extract

If desired, toast the nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts out on a dry sheet pan and bake until lightly golden. (Nuts burn easily! Check them after 7 minutes, and then every 1-2 minutes until done.) Cool nuts completely.

Place 1 cup nuts in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Remove and spread out on a plate or small tray. (Don’t bother to clean the food processor bowl.)

Chop down the raisins, either by hand or in the food processor. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and process until well combined.

Take a bit of cream cheese mixture and form into a ball. Roll the ball in the ground nuts to coat it. Repeat with remaining cream cheese mixture and nuts.

Store bon bons in the refrigerator for 2 days, or freeze (despite being in the freezer, there is very little change in texture or firmness, and they can be served right out of the freezer).

Makes about 2 dozen marble-sized bon bons.

Chef’s Notes:
• If nuts need to be avoided, you can substitute about 4 T. wheat germ, rice cereal (like Rice Krispies), ground up Cheerios, or graham cracker crumbs.
• In place of the raisins, try substituting equal parts shredded carrots + minced, pitted dates.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Learn how to make these recipes by watching the cooking class below