Dec 15, 2016
Leveling a swale
Thanks to the Solano County Water Agency, we are able to expand our Benicia Sustainable Backyard Program to the cities of Fairfield and Vallejo in 2017.
The program is designed to support regenerative landscaping in Solano County in conjunction with the changing climate and persistent drought, demonstrate simple and affordable water-saving techniques (laundry-to-landscape greywater systems, rainwater harvesting in the ground with help of simple swales, and roofwater diversion directly to landscapes,) and to encourage creation of diverse ecosystems in our backyards, including food-producing plants, while still conserving water and other resources.
In 2017 we will offer sustainable landscaping educational series in Fairfield and Vallejo (everybody is welcome!). The program includes free talks and lectures on sustainable landscaping and permaculture, and a series of hands-on workshops on greywater installation, earthwork to retain rainwater, and permaculture food forests installation and maintenance. Please check our calendar regularly for updated schedules and registration details.
We are looking for houses in Fairfield and Vallejo to plant demonstration food forest gardens. If you are interested to learn more, please email to info@sustainablesolano.org.
Professional landscapers, both experienced and new, are welcome to explore our Land Caretakers Training where we teach the same simple techniques in depth necessary to incorporate these practices into your businesses.
To preview the impact of this program, please plan to visit Benicia demonstration food forests during public tours in January – May 2017.
Dec 15, 2016
Join us in co-creating a world that works for everyone. Whether you were with us for the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, or you want to learn more about how you, with your own unique values, skills, and concerns, can commit to creating the change you want to see, a good place to start with with the Game Changer Intensive. Offered by Pachamama Alliance, it is a seven-week online course designed to educate, inspire, and equip you to be a pro-activist leader, a game changer in your community.
Sustainable Solano is partnering with Pachamama Alliance and Solano County libraries to offer, in conjunction with the online session, regular meeting spaces for residents of Solano County to meet, build, and support our communities together. If you are interested in registering, please submit your interest here. Pachamama and Sustainable Solano will contact you with more information according to the respective cities that you live in. For any additional information, please contact info@sustainablesolano.org.
Dec 15, 2016
We are pleased to announce the speakers for the remaining tours in 2017! All tours begin at 10 am on Saturdays and usually last about 2.5 hours. Each tour includes an indoor talk about permaculture /urban food forests, secondary water and water saving techniques, and an outdoor part where participants explore the existing food forest under the guidance of an experienced professional. Tours go rain or shine, so please plan accordingly and bring your rain gear and warm cloth. The tours are free, but you do have to register to receive the exact address. Registrations are coming soon.
January 28
David Shaw from Santa Cruz Permaculture will lead a tour of the “Barley’s Backyard”
February 28
Lydia Neilsen from the Regenerative Design Institute will lead a tour of the “Greyhawk Grove”
March 25
Our very own Kathleen Huffman, who is completing her permaculture design certificate with Toby Hemenway at the Permaculture Skills Center will lead a tour of “The Curious Garden”.
April 22
Jessica Bates from the Food Forest Farm West will lead a tour of the “Marina Place Food Forest”
May 20
You will have a unique opportunity to see all seven gardens in one day. Stay tuned for more details of this exciting and informative day!
To learn more about the program and seven demonstration food forests in Benicia.
Dec 15, 2016
By Stephanie Oelsligle
Image from www.sustainablefoodcenter.org
Sustainable Solano is working on a new vision – a Community Food Center! One main goal of the Center is to build a community-supported collective of local food entrepreneurs, who use locally-sourced ingredients to cook healthy, affordable and wholesome prepared food for our community. We want to better connect area farmers to the chefs, the chefs to a kitchen, and the food to our community. We also see the Community Food Center as a hub of healthy food-related activities – a place where you can buy a nutritious dinner, attend a lecture on how to grow your own mushrooms, view a documentary on permaculture, and then pick up your CSA box on your way out – all under one roof! Right now we are surveying locations, fine-tuning the vision, and we’ll be researching grant opportunities soon. Stay tuned! If you are interested in learning more, email info@sustainablesolano.org
Dec 15, 2016
Dear friends of Sustainable Solano,
As I am looking back at the eventful and transformative year of 2016, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all people who helped co-create Sustainable Solano: the Board, our volunteer leadership team, our funders and supporters, and all of you who made a personal commitment to make a difference, to participate in something bigger than ourselves, to nurture heart-based initiatives for the good of the whole.
In 2017 we will continue to refine and shape the vision for the organization, to deepen our understanding of our current situation and to develop strategies to help making Solano County more environmentally and economically sustainable, socially just and personally fulfilling place to live and work.
We will continue with meaningful conversations in the community, beginning with a seven-week “Game Changer Intensive” offered by Pachamama Alliance as a follow up to the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. Everyone can participate in this program! Our goal is to provide opportunities for face-to-face meetings in Solano County allowing us to deepen the connections we felt so profoundly with each other at the Symposium and to engage with each other in new and existing initiatives that facilitate change at the local level and beyond. Learn more and to register.
Our sustainable landscaping efforts will continue with monthly tours of Benicia demonstration permaculture food forests, installation of demonstration gardens in Fairfield and Vallejo, and a series of talks and workshops in Benicia, Fairfield and Vallejo – watch for regular updates on our calendar.
We invited professional landscapers, both established and new, to explore our Land Caretakers Program. Sustainable Landscapers Association of Solano County is forming now – please email info@sustainablesolano.org if you are interested in learning more.
Calling all the players in Solano local food movement to get to know each other and to join our efforts to create a robust, healthy, inclusive local food system in the county. We are planning to have a Solano Local Food Summit in the spring of 2017. If you are interested to learn more, please email info@sustainablesolano.org.
For cooking classes and talks on healthy, local food throughout the county, please check our calendar regularly (and let us know if you would like to promote your efforts of brining wholesome local food to our communities through our website and newsletter).
I am looking forward to see you at these upcoming programs and events. Please let me know if you have suggestions, ideas or questions. I wish you a peaceful and restful holiday season!
In gratitude,
Elena Karoulina
Executive Director
Sustainable Solano
