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
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
Oct 10, 2016
Save the Date: Awakening the Dreamer Symposium Comes to Solano County
Are you ready for a deeply transformative experience? On December 3rd, 2016 from 10am-2pm, the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium comes to Solano County at Solano County Events Center in Fairfield, offering a dynamic multimedia half-day workshop that uses videos, personal reflection, and group activities to engage people everywhere as the co-creators of an environmentally sustainable, socially just, and spiritually fulfilling world.
Register for this free event.
Imagine:
- Having everything we need to create a sustainable, just, and fulfilling world
- Understanding the unique contribution you can make in your community
- Feeling hopeful about the future of our planet and species
You don’t have to just imagine these things–together, we can make them real. Participants will leave the Symposium empowered to take clear steps to embody their vision for a better world, and having established new connections to work with others on common issues for the common good of the whole.
The Symposium is developed and distributed by The Pachamama Alliance, a San Francisco-based nonprofit started at the invitation of indigenous people of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest. Through the Symposium and other workshops, they work to generate widespread awakening at the grassroots level and a transformation of our worldview, such that humanity becomes committed to restoring and protecting the environment and moves towards social justice and spiritual fulfillment.
For even more details on the Symposium and The Pachamama Alliance, please visit:
www.pachamama.org
Pachamama Alliance Workshops and Events
Awakening the Dreamer: A Transformative Workshop for People and Planet (Video):
https://youtu.be/n8zaUjvCJOY
This Symposium will be open to anyone who wishes to take practical steps to bring about transformation to the environmental, social and spiritual presence of humanity on the earth. We hope you join us!
Sep 1, 2016
We are please to announce that the enrollment to our second training class is now open!
Sustainable Solano, in partnership with Solano County Small Business Development Center, is taking initiative to provide intensive training and to expand employment opportunities in the growing field of sustainable landscaping practices.
Why? Given the continuing drought, it’s important that water-retention techniques for landscaping be widely implemented throughout communities. Sustainable Solano’s aim is to give eligible individuals the basic training necessary to start and manage a “sole proprietorship” landscaping business that can design and help create more sustainable home gardens to conserve water and provide healthy food.
Focus Areas:
Rainwater harvest and retention; laundry-to-landscape greywater systems; edible landscaping; chicken-keeping; small business start-up and operation; Solano urban agriculture laws and more!
When: October, 2016 – March, 2017 (2 Tuesday evenings and 2 half-Saturdays a month)
Where: Benicia
Who: residents and businesses of Solano County are given the first priority; we’ll consider application from surrounding counties on a case-by-case basis (some restrictions may apply– please inquire)
Cost: Free
Preferred: background in horticulture and/or small construction / handyman / plumbing
Goal: launch new and/or support existing small businesses focused on helping local residents transform front- and/or backyards into thriving, sustainable ecosystems; support creation of a cooperative of people with hands-on practical sustainability skills for the Solano community.
To apply: please send Sustainable Solano c/o <info@sustainablesolano.org> a letter of interest describing your background, current business (if applicable), and your vision for your personal contribution to our community’s sustainability.
Interested? Here’s more info on the Land Caretakers Program:
Sustainable Solano (formerly Benicia Community Gardens) has partnered with Solano County’s Small Business Development Center to support the launch of several pilot small businesses engaged in sustainable edible landscaping.
In conjunction with our Benicia Sustainable Backyard Program, Sustainable Solano will train a select number of qualified local residents who have some foundational knowledge in horticulture and/or small construction (plumbing), in practical aspects of permaculture and sustainable landscaping, water re-use, chicken-keeping, and also, business, legal and human aspects of running a small business in Solano County.
Our vision:
After completion of the six-month training program, participants will be capable (and well positioned in the local community) to create their own sole proprietorship businesses to offer such services in Solano County. Sustainable Solano will provide ongoing support and promotion for those new businesses and will employ them, where appropriate, for other projects and programs in the community. We are creating a Land Caretakers Association of sustainable landscapers in Solano County to support this work.
We would also encourage and support our graduates to form a cooperative and work together to jointly offer services to local residents to transform their land into thriving ecosystems that use all the available resources wisely and that provide food, inspiration and beauty. (A cooperative arrangement would not prevent individual members to carry their own licenses and establish solo proprietorship businesses). The combined skill set should include: water retention on site (bio-swales, rainwater catchment and diversion to landscaping), water re-use (laundry-to-landscape greywater systems and potentially, shower-to-landscape conversions), permaculture food forest design and management, incorporation of edible plants into existing landscapes, conversion of annual vegetable gardens into more perennial food forests; construction of a chicken coop/chicken run and guidance in chicken-keeping, understanding of basic bee-keeping.
Our instructors and guest speakers are experienced sustainable landscaping professionals.
Focus Areas of Land Caretakers Training:
- Permaculture and ecological / edible landscaping (perennial agricultural design and practices)
- Water re-use (rainwater harvest/retention; laundry-to-landscape grey-water systems)
- Chicken-keeping as an integral part of a sustainable household
- Legal and business aspects of running a small sustainable/edible landscaping business
- Human aspect (working with clients, listening for their vision, offering guidance)
By completion of the Land Caretaker’s program, participants will be proficient to:
- Develop, design and start solo proprietorship business in sustainable edible landscaping;
- Understand and work with basic characteristics of land: sun, wind, soil, water movement;
- Demonstrate simple rainwater harvesting techniques including contour and diversion swales; roof rainwater catchment and diversion;
- Install simple laundry-to-landscape greywater systems;
- Convert established edible gardens into more sustainable, perennial-focused food producing ecosystems;
- Incorporate perennial and annual food producing plants into established ornamental landscapes;
- Develop on-going maintenance plan for established edible landscapes and permaculture food forests*, including further expansion and plant replacements (as needed);
- Consult homeowners on how to incorporate chicken-keeping into household routines, outlining procedures and chicken care “basics”;
- Understand basic beekeeping requirements and establish working relationships with professional beekeepers in Solano County (who can, in turn, incorporate bee colonies into sustainable landscapes of future clients);
- Understand basic legal requirements for urban agriculture in Solano County (zoning, small animal husbandry ordinances, beekeeping ordinances, other local rules and regulations relating to local food production and other practical sustainability activities);
- Understand small business start up and maintenance process, legal requirements, licensing, professional development;
- Understand logistics and finance of running a landscaping business: start up minimal cost; cost analysis and job estimates; sourcing plants and materials; job scheduling; dealing with unexpected;
- Gain insights into working with clients – the human part and heart of any business.
- 72-hour permaculture design training is recommended, but not required. Programs teaching permaculture design and techniques are offered in a few Bay Area locations ongoing.
Jul 24, 2016
By Kathleen Huffman, LCT Graduate
When I was asked to write a short piece about the “Land Caretakers” program, at first I was at a loss as to what to write about. So much has happened in the course of my time with the program that to try and get it all into one article is difficult at best. What an amazing adventure these classes have been. Some classes are hands on, and we get to install urban food forests in various places around the city. Some sessions are “off campus” and are wonderful field trips to visit various people and places. And then some days are opportunities to learn to run a profitable business.
David Mudge Consulting
First we spent weekends learning so much about the fascinating world of sustainable gardens and bio-swales with the delightful David Mudge , who’s easy demeanor and delightful personality, made a day behind a shovel and pick ax just about the best day ever! David is always eager to answer any questions about sustainable gardening and has wonderful stories to tell as well!
We then went to UC Davis where we spent 2 days learning about how to select, house and care for chickens. While there we visited with experts in all areas of poultry science…from pedigree to pests, from the eggs formation to its final inspection by the “egg police”. Even for someone who grew up taking care of the family chickens was so much more I was able to learn.
We also spent several weekends learning about “wise water” and how to “slow it, sink it and spread it”. We all watched as we adjusted water flow out of gutters and into swales. We crawled under houses to learn about laundry to landscape applications and running pipe in some very small places, my claustrophobia not withstanding…..
We also attended a week long gray water installers course lead by the amazing Laura Allen, author of “The Wise Water Home”, where we were not only taught the history, policy and processes of gray water installation, but we made lots of wonderful new friends as well.
Laura Allen of Gray Water Action teaching gray water installation
We were able to visit with several owners of existing urban food gardens with chickens and help then make additions to their landscape. There were also “makers” nights where we got together and built a chicken coop for one of these gardens.
These are just some of the opportunities I would never have been given had it not been for the Benicia Land Caretakers program. And the best part was that I was able to immediately apply what I had learned and by the end of the weekend a new skill was aquired, more importantly the program provided me with the fruit of possibility.
Leveling a swale
As one of the first graduates of the Land Caretakers Program, I know how much I learned from all the wonderful instructors and classes the program offers. Going through the program presented me with an enormous amount of information in various areas of organic farming and wise water usage. As the months went by I grew with each weekend class and blossomed with each completed garden installation.
As each new garden was installed, not only my knowledge grow but so did my love for what I was doing. Every weekend I saw how much these families were impacted by the gardens we were installing. When I was able to visit one of our first gardens after a year of growth I was blown away and it became apparent I needed to be even more involved with the Benicia land caretakers program.
Me doing some planting
So when this new group of caretakers begins this fall I am excited to say that I have been lucky enough to pick up some additional responsibilities and will be working more with the garden installations. I am looking forward to spending time speaking with others about an amazing array of water savings programs and the potential of the urban food garden.
Because my garden roots started on a small family farm in Oklahoma I understand the value of the garden to a family. We raised organic vegetables for additional food and income for the family and sold them from the back of our pickup truck. I spent many of my before and after school hours working the gardens with my father, dutifully picking bugs from the tomatoes and potatoes and learning a keen sense of appreciation for all that grows. Little did I know that these early years on the farm would help guide my career choices later in life….
More recently, my background in landscaping has been in a more traditional role. As a supervisor at a typical “mow, blow and go” landscaper, I saw firsthand the lack of bio –sensitive business practices in the industry. We tore out yard after yard and replaced it with rocks, caring little for how we left the earth. Surprisingly, even with the potential catastrophic effects to the industry from the looming drought, many in the industry are slow to change traditional practices. I believe that a big part of caring for the land is education. If I can help someone better understand what is happening in the soil in their garden, then they will have a better appreciation of the ground beneath them and not just see it as “dirt”.
Since graduating from the land caretaker’s course, I have started my own sustainable/edible landscaping business and have helped many people start a garden of their own. Whether it’s because of space or budget, most people start small, with just a few plants or a single fruit tree. As the garden grows, so does the excitement of future fresh fruits and vegetables, with each ripe tomato it seems a dream blossoms into reality.
So you can see why I am so excited to start the new semester of the Land Caretakers program. I have been so lucky to take this class that I want to pass this opportunity on to others. Right now we are still finishing up the details of the program, but from what I see, the next class is going to be even more amazing than the first. The classes are the perfect mix of class room presentations and hands on training. The emphasis is on understanding the overall premise of water conservation and urban farming. The implementation of the strategy and processes for laying out the landscaping are taught in real life situations, not just from a textbook. The people and gardens work together to educate the caretakers and provide food for the families involved.
So that’s just a bit of the information about the program, hope this sparks a fire within you to come and learn in a spirit of not just sharing but doing. We all dream of a world where water wasting lawns are replaced with plants and trees that are providing for the family, but until we are breaking ground with a shovel it is just a dream. Come join us to be part of the team that is doing something to change the world….one lawn at a time!
