Sustainable Solano | Local Food

Buy Local: Strategies to Build Interest in Local Food

Sep 28, 2026

By Sustainable Solano

From Gen Z buyers to cost-conscious consumers, the messaging and marketing of local food has to subtly shift to address the inherent needs and desires of each buyer.

Sustainable Solano partnered with UC Davis around the research of what drives buyer behavior, and Protective Marketing LLC for messaging strategies to reach specific audiences. The results were shared at a forum hosted by the Solano Local Food System Alliance in September.

The Solano Local Food System Alliance is dedicated to supporting an environmentally sustainable, economically viable, socially just and equitable local food system in Solano County. The Alliance brings together a variety of stakeholders, organizations and agencies that work within the local food system, from producers to retailers to food access providers. An important part of the Alliance’s work is education. It holds regular educational forums to learn more about topics that intersect with the local food system.

During the most recent forum, Dr. Kristin Kiesel, an Alliance member and the UC Davis lead researcher on this project, presented the findings and marketing plan. Darren Holmes of Protective Marketing LLC reviewed a comprehensive communications strategy that builds on the research. SuSol’s Elena Karoulina reviewed two practical applications of the marketing messages, including a taste test at a local college and a cost comparison.

You can watch the presentation in the video below. All of the resources and materials from the project can be found here.

From Backyard Fruit Trees to a Community Gleaning Network

Aug 31, 2026

By Syrus Tator, Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient

Syrus is a college freshman from Vallejo who recently completed her Girl Scout Gold Award to revitalize, strengthen and make sustainable gleaning efforts to get food that would otherwise go to waste to people who can use it. The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve. Here, she shares about her project.

Syrus (left), and Jesse collect produce at the Vallejo Farmers Market

Last fall, I began working to rebuild the Solano Gleaning Initiative as my Girl Scout Gold Award project. Gleaning is the process of collecting food that would otherwise go unused and getting it to people who can use it. In our case, that means harvesting excess fruit from backyard trees and recovering produce from local farmers markets that might otherwise go to waste.

When I started the project, I knew there were fruit trees throughout Solano County producing more than their owners could possibly use. I also knew there were people in our community who could use that food. My goal was to help connect those two things.

I started by organizing volunteer teams to harvest backyard fruit trees. Homeowners contact us when they have fruit ready to pick, and volunteers come out to harvest it. Homeowners can keep whatever they would like, volunteers are welcome to take produce they can use, and the remaining harvest is donated to Food is Free Bay Area for distribution in the community.

The project grew beyond what I originally expected.

In November, we added weekly produce recovery at the Vallejo Farmers Market. Each Saturday, we bring bins to farmers who expect to have produce left at the end of the market that won’t last until their next market day. We return at the end of the market, collect and weigh the produce, and bring it back for distribution through Food is Free.

Through both backyard harvests and farmers market recovery, the Solano Gleaning Initiative has rescued more than 12,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables in about 10 months.

But the number of pounds rescued isn’t the part of the project I am most proud of.

The most important thing has been building a community around the work. Homeowners have called us back when another tree is ready. Farmers have gotten to know our volunteers and save produce for us. Volunteers who started by coming to one harvest have returned again and again. Our harvests have also given high school students a way to earn community service hours, and Girl Scout troops and other groups have come out to harvest together.

We’ve also developed a partnership with Forstr, another local gleaning organization. Because they primarily harvest in Dixon, Vacaville and surrounding areas, we refer homeowners and harvest opportunities to each other depending on location and volunteer availability. Rather than duplicating efforts, we’re able to help more fruit get harvested throughout the county.

My Gold Award project was never intended to end when I finished my award. We are building the structure that will allow the Solano Gleaning Initiative to continue, including volunteer harvest leads, a farmers market recovery team, and community members who can help guide and support the program.

And we need more people to join us.

There are lots of ways to help. Volunteers can come to an occasional backyard harvest, help collect produce at the Vallejo Farmers Market on Saturdays, lead harvest teams, help with volunteer coordination and outreach, or support the program in other ways. You don’t have to make a huge commitment to make a difference.

One of the things I’ve learned through this project is how much food already exists in our community. Sometimes the challenge isn’t producing more — it’s making sure that the food we already have doesn’t go to waste.

The Solano Gleaning Initiative is one small way our community can make that connection.

Get Involved

Students and groups are welcome! Harvests are a great opportunity for high school students to earn community service hours, and youth groups, Girl Scout troops, service clubs and other community groups can arrange to participate together.

If you have a fruit tree producing more than you can use, please use the link below. Depending on where you live and volunteer availability, Solano Gleaning Initiative or a gleaning partner may be able to help get that fruit harvested and into the community.

Volunteer with the Solano Gleaning Initiative

Fill out this form if you have a fruit tree that needs harvesting

Questions or interested in helping lead the program? Contact gleaning@fifbayarea.org

The True Cost of Local Food

Aug 28, 2026

By Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan, Local Food Program Manager

Comparison with grocery store prices reveals farm boxes are the better bargain

Back in 2018 or 2019 — before the words “Covid” or “broken food chain” entered our vernacular — I wanted to know how my weekly box of organic produce from a local farm compared to purchasing those same items at the grocery store. (To be honest, part of this exercise was to prove my husband wrong, who thought for sure the farm produce was triple the cost of the grocery store.) When I received my box that week, I weighed my local farm items with my digital kitchen scale, trekked to the store, noted prices per pound on the equivalent organic produce, and did the math. The results were not too dramatic, but I had enough data to prove my point: the farm won the contest, coming in about a dollar cheaper than the grocery store.

Now that we’re in 2026, and prices have undoubtedly risen everywhere, I wanted to run this experiment again. For several years, I’ve been subscribing to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes from two different farms: Terra Firma Farm near Winters, and Eatwell Farm outside of Dixon. Both grow a wide array of organic vegetables and fruit. Because I get what’s growing right now (no picking and choosing), my lunches and dinners have, for the most part, landed squarely into “seasonal” meals.

The process was the same as seven years ago: One August afternoon I got out my digital scale and started weighing produce from my Terra Firma “Medium” box: 1 lb. peaches and nectarines, 2 lbs. 5 oz. heirloom tomatoes, 1 lb. purple grapes, 7 ¾ lbs. personal sized watermelons, 1 ¼ lbs. zucchini, 1 lb. carrots, 9 oz. green beans and 9 oz. gypsy peppers (similar to lunchbox peppers). I also had the opportunity to weigh out my neighbor’s “Large” size Terra Firma box, which had the same as above (except slightly larger quantities of each thing) plus a pound of serpent cucumbers (comparable to an English cucumber). Meanwhile, Eatwell’s box that week had 8 oz. of fresh basil, 1 bunch of swiss chard, 1.6 lbs. of yellow plums, 2 lbs. of nectarines, 2 ½ lbs. of mixed yellow squash and zucchini, a little over 2 lbs. of cucumbers, 2 lbs. gold potatoes, about 1 ¾ lbs. of turnips and 3 heads of garlic.

List in hand, I went to the grocery store, noted prices per pound (or looked them up on their website, if the actual item was not in the store) and plugged it all into a spreadsheet. Here’s what I found:

FARM	CSA BOX COST	GROCERY STORE COST
Terra Firma Farm (medium box)	$35.50	$42.63
Terra Firma Farm (large box)	$46	$63.40
Eatwell Farm (one size box)	$32	$57.63

I actually had done this same test a month prior, comparing two different grocery stores with Terra Firma’s box and found similar trends, with one store about 60% more expensive.

This analysis got me thinking about how one could apply several definitions to the “cost” of purchasing local food:

the actual dollar value cost
the cost of getting what is seasonal and not being able to choose your weekly produce (but I think our bodies probably need what’s growing now!)
the convenience (or burden) of driving to the pick up location in my neighborhood each week (although my neighbor and I often share this responsibility)
the environmental costs of food miles traveled (or not) and purchasing from farms practicing regenerative (or extractive/industrial) agriculture
the cost of time, doing a little research and more cooking at home with produce that may not be as familiar
the cost of avoiding cyclospora (sorry, I had to mention it!) because the produce is not caught up in a complex chain of trucking, distributors, warehouses, the grocery store, and (finally) your kitchen

For anyone unfamiliar with how a CSA works, it’s essentially an agreement between you and the farm. You pre-pay a sum (usually around $100-$200, with discounts for higher deposits), and the farm deducts the cost of the box each week as you receive your subscription. When your deposited sum is gone, the farm re-charges your credit card, pulls from Venmo, etc. On the designated day, you pick up your subscription from a centrally located site, take it home and get cooking. This structure helps the farmer, who often has upfront costs like seeds, compost, machinery repair, etc., before the harvest takes place. In exchange, you receive super fresh produce, often picked 24-48 hours before it lands at your local CSA pick-up site.

I understand that subscribing to a CSA box is not for everyone, but if you’re even moderately familiar with seasonal cooking and eating, this might be a great option for healthy eating while supporting the local economy and environment, and saving on your grocery bill. To get you started, check out our library of seasonal recipes and cooking videos!

Making it Meaningful: Marketing Local Food to Gen Z

Aug 28, 2026

By Manpreet Singh, Public Education Coordinator Fellow

Interested in learning more about marketing local food? Join the Solano Local Food System Alliance’s online forum from 4-5:30 pm Sept. 17 to hear what the research says and learn marketing approaches.

Register here

A shining sun, clear blue sky, and a busy quad. Around a table, Solano Community College students sampled peaches from a local farm and a grocery store, voted on which they liked better, and answered questions to help us understand their perspective on local food in Solano County. Additionally, they had the opportunity to learn about local food in Solano County and provide feedback to help raise awareness of products that are locally sourced.

When taste testing the peaches, students identified a significant difference in taste between the peach from the local farmer and the grocery store. There was an overwhelming preference for the peach from the local farm with students believing it tasted much “juicier” and “richer”, was “softer” and “sweeter”, and they could “taste the love”. This event provided meaningful insight into what attracts these students and other members of Gen Z to local food.

SuSol Local Food Program Manager Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan cut fresh samples of farm and store-bought peaches on demand for SCC students to taste test

Solano County is rooted in agriculture with over 700 farms growing produce such as almonds, walnuts, and tomatoes. Many of these farms produce large quantities of these products for national and international markets, with little remaining in the county. Solano is also home to a number of smaller family-run farms that are trying to serve the local market, as well as farms in the broader region that can offer fresh, seasonal products to local buyers. Past research has shown an established need to build awareness of the importance of locally grown food and the local food system to build the demand needed to support those farms and shift from an unsustainable system to one that is better for the environment and people’s health.

Gen Z — individuals born between 1997 to 2012 — is joining the active global workforce and wield significant purchasing power that can shape global food systems and future food markets. This generation has grown up experiencing the extreme impacts of climate change and is the first digital generation — getting their information primarily from social media and online news outlets. Solano County has a growing Gen Z population that can play a significant role in growing our local food system and strengthen our communities.

Gen Z values sustainability, quality, and transparency and are one of the key groups that are on the frontline of advancing climate action and demand for sustainable practices. Through the power of social media, they have been exposed to videos about chemicals and additives added to their food and harmful practices in the supply chain from unsustainable agriculture practices to animal and human rights abuses. This has shaped desire and demand for more environmentally friendly sourced food, product integrity, and transparency about where food is coming from and what is in it. With Gen Z, there is a shift towards a moralized market. It’s not only about economic exchange, it is relational and ideological exchange around how food is produced in a way that aligns with their personal values.

Promoting locally grown food is a critical opportunity to shape the future of the food system and advance environmental, social, and economic sustainability benefits. This includes:

Reduced food miles: fewer emissions are released as vehicles travel shorter distances.
Health and taste: locally grown crops are often picked at peak ripeness, which means more nutritional value and taste is retained as nutrients and flavor are not lost during long distance transport.
Less risk of contamination: fewer steps between the farm and consumers and more transparency on where the crops are sourced from and practices used to grow them
Local economy: creates jobs and keeps money in the local community
Resilient food supply: communities are more resilient to challenges in the global food supply and price fluctuations.
Environment and biodiversity: smaller farms often use regenerative, organic, or sustainable practices that are beneficial to soil quality, open spaces in the community, and protect biodiversity of our region.
Community: Trust and community bonds strengthen by connecting consumers directly to the individuals who grow their food

Opportunities exist to engage Gen Z in boosting local food systems that build long-term community health, support regional economies, create a sense of community and belonging, and ensure sustainable food systems — especially in the face of growing threats to our food supply. According to a 2025 survey, 72% of Gen Z consumers reported feeling strongly about buying locally grown produce when available, but only 45% reported actually buying more local produce. This highlights that there is already interest, but accessibility may be an issue.The interest for local produce was echoed with Solano Community College students indicating overwhelming interest in advocating for the local farmers’ peaches to be served in their cafeteria and an interest in traveling to the local farm to purchase these fruits.

Local food messaging is a critical method that connects consumers to products. For Gen Z, local food messaging needs to connect with their values. At Solano Community College, we tested 4 local food marketing messages:

If you try it, you’ll buy it!
Taste the difference!
One bite changes everything!
Taste local! Love local!

Of these 4 messages, the one that resonated the most with students was “Taste local! Love local!”. When asked why, students emphasized the inclusion of the word “local” because it resonated with their desires and values to support their local community.

Messaging helps promote locally sourced food by communicating the product’s value and building consumer interest. Based on insights from the Solano Community College taste test, messaging should not only emphasize the environmental, economic, and health benefits of purchasing locally sourced food but also reflect the local and community aspect. Emphasizing that product came from the local community, along with all the benefits, ensures that the product resonates with their values while helping Gen Z consumers understand the benefits of their actions when they purchase locally sourced food.

A critical method to reach Gen Z is through using social media. This group is the first digital generation, as they have been deeply shaped by the rise and constant presence of online digital connections and utilize social media for access to information, the newest trends, and connections. Social media plays a significant role in shaping their consumer behavior by exposing them to the newest trends via influencers and videos about what is happening in different areas.

Another method to reach Gen Z is to build and strengthen those community connections. This means being a constant presence at locations such as farmers markets or community events. Local farmers can hear from Gen Z what they want and build trust and community connections that can have a far reaching impact on the local food system.

Food has the power to bring the people together, and in a region like Solano County where community is emphasized, supporting locally grown food can make us stronger.

You know what they say: “Taste local! Love local!

Reflections from an SSC Fellow

May 25, 2026

By Manpreet Singh, Public Education Coordinator Fellow

Manpreet joined SuSol in February as our Public Education Coordinator Fellow through the Sustainability Service Corps. Here, she shares about her experience. It has been such a positive experience for the organization that we are honored to be a host site again this year for the September 2026-July 2027 Fellowship.

Are you interested in bringing change while growing as a sustainability leader? Learn more and apply here: https://www.sustainabilityservicecorps.org/fellowships

Manpreet works alongside community members at the Prosperity Park resilient garden installation in Suisun City

When I joined Sustainable Solano as a Sustainability Services Corp (SSC) Fellow, I hadn’t fully anticipated how deeply fulfilling this work would be, both personally and professionally.

During my graduate program at Boston University, I became passionate about addressing the intersection of climate change and social vulnerabilities. As I was navigating career goals and potential pathways for public service, I was driven to take climate action that addresses environmental injustices, empowers communities to speak up and take action, and plant the seeds for systemic change for regenerative, just and resilient communities.

I was drawn to join the AmeriCorps Fellow Program as a 2026 SSC Fellow due to their mission to support community-based climate change solutions. As Sustainable Solano’s Public Education Coordinator Fellow,I not only get to actualize the organization’s mission to build an ecologically regenerative, economically and socially just world through programs that empower communities to take climate action, but I also get to serve my community in Solano County where I was born and raised.

Although it’s only been a few months, I’ve had the opportunity to support a range of work that resonates with my core values and goals — particularly focusing on community-led localized action and addressing urgent and current issues impacting Solano County. Some key projects that I’ve supported include

Drafting the Rio Vista Community Air Quality Action Plan, a strategic document that centers community voices at the forefront of city decisions that affect air quality and resiliency.
Collaborating with community members and local government representatives to assess sea level risks in Solano County, raise awareness of sea level rise and how it can impact environmental justice and frontline communities throughout Solano County, and ensure that community input is heard and implemented in the development of a Regional Shoreline Action Plan as part of the Bayshore Resiliency Project
Developing the vision for a new program focused on a just transition in Benicia and Vallejo to set the stage for the shift away from a fossil fuel-based economy to a regenerative economy through youth and community empowerment, education, and workforce development.

Manpreet (center) conducts community asset mapping for flood resilience along with Vallejo Environmental Leadership Fellowship interns at the Vallejo Farmers Market

Setting up for tabling at Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District’s 75th anniversary event

Reflecting on my work over the past months, the moments I found most fulfilling were when I was engaging with people and the environment. I’m supporting community-engaged adaptation planning that puts community members’ voices at the forefront of addressing critical issues — a mission that I am passionate about pursuing.

At tabling events, workshops and garden installations, I’m not just sharing my knowledge, but I’m also listening and learning from community member’s lived experiences. Additionally, supporting classes for high schoolers in the Youth Air Protectors and Vallejo Environmental Leadership Fellows programs gives me the opportunity to connect with youth leaders and help shape the next generation of sustainability leaders. Actively engaging with residents and government leaders has provided me with pathways to pursue deeper connections within my community and help me hone my role as someone who can help my community grow.

A key goal of my going into this fellowship was to grow both professionally and personally. This means strengthening my policy analysis skills, communication skills, and confidence so that I can be the leader that I want to be. Sustainable Solano and SSC are actively making efforts to help me grow by shaping opportunities that align with my goals and providing mentorship that acts as the cornerstone of my career development.

At Sustainable Solano, I’m part of a team dedicated to empowering residents to take action at home and within their communities to address critical climate and environmental issues. This role has proven to be much more than just a job; it’s providing unexpected opportunities to make a real difference and grow. I‘m driven to leverage my experience as an SSC Fellow to champion community-driven policy in my public service career and ensure that community voices are central to policy development.

I encourage anyone interested in taking climate action through building systemic change and collaboration with communities to apply to serve as an SSC Fellow with Sustainable Solano.

Please feel free to reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn if you want to learn more or have any questions!

Doing Good: Bless’d Blossom

May 25, 2026

By Sustainable Solano

Bless’d Blossom owner Hannah Hartley inspects trellised cucumbers / Photo credit: Lan Ngo

Hannah Hartley’s face lights up as she gestures at the trees and soil around her and talks about regenerative farming, growing, and sharing the harvest and love of the Earth with her community.

“It’s a perfect design. From the soil community to the local community,” she said.

Hannah runs Bless’d Blossom, a regenerative market garden now in its third year on 1 acre she leases at Be Love Farm in Vacaville. The business brings together her love of farming, of growing healthy, nutrient dense, novel produce, and educating and serving others. It is a reflection of the connection she wants to have with the health of the soil and stewarding its care for the future while feeding people.

“For me, farming has always been a lifestyle — having the passion to cultivate garden veggies, and to pick them fresh at the utmost ripest moment for those around me and myself have been a cornerstone of my life,” she said. “It has naturally evolved into my career.”

Sustainable Solano is naming Bless’d Blossom as the recipient of our 2026 Doing Good business award. Hannah’s commitment to Earth Care and community makes her stand out. As does her beautiful heirloom produce and edible blooms.

Hannah specializes in greenhouse growing — pruning plants to grow vigorously, and trellising vertically to make the most of a small space and increase yield. In a 100-foot greenhouse, she can fit eight rows of tomatoes. That equates to more than 600 heirloom tomato plants towering more than 12 feet high. She envisions a future with market gardens built on the foundation of healthy soil in each city, which could revolutionize the food system.

Hannah has sold at farmers markets and farm stands. She also sells directly to many private chefs and local chefs who know the value of local food and seasonal menus, including Backdoor Bistro’s Chef Lindsey Chelini. This season, she has been selling most of her produce to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The Food Bank has a grant that helps it pay her organic prices. She picks the food the same day it’s delivered and it stays in Solano County to go to people who need it. That grant has been a huge boon, but it ends in June, and she’s not expecting that it will be available again. Hannah is hoping to have a flower/vegetable Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription soon. She can be found @blessdblossom on Instagram for updates.

Hannah harvests from the Bless’d Blossom market garden / Photo credit: Lan Ngo

Her market garden continues the regenerative farming revolution that Be Love Farm was founded on by original owners Matthew and Terces Engelhart. Regenerative farming places more physical demands on farmers, though once established can yield more through balanced, healthy systems. Hannah notes that weeding by hand is a constant “labor of love” in the regenerative garden. But there are parts that are simple that everyone could be doing as well. Hannah said cover crops are her favorite regenerative practice because they add life back to the soil and help it to flourish.

Hannah met her partner, Terry Ryan, when he was her most loyal customer at the Vacaville farmers market. Their paths aligned, and it turned out he was a regenerative shepherd, tending a flock of St. Croix heritage sheep, grazing them for fire prevention and soil health.

“He is an endless wellspring of inspiration,” Hannah said. “His honorable stewardship of the land and most tender nurturing of the creatures have deepened my understanding in devotion, and in regeneration and animal integration, to such a profound level I did not know was possible.”

At the end of Hannah’s garden season, her partner’s flock grazes on the cover crop, nourishing themselves as well as the garden — and the community of microbial and fungal life under the soil.

As she talks, Hannah returns to community, which has supported her career over the years. A love of gardening and growing started when she was a child in her mother’s backyard garden, lovingly built by her father. The setting allowed both plants and young Hannah to flourish. Her mother instilled a lasting love of nature, while her father encouraged her that any dream was possible if she put her heart and soul into it.

She said her older brother, Holden, instilled in her “the strength to persevere” mentally and physically. She didn’t realize just how much she would need that fortitude: on a midsummer day trellising up another tomato in the 110-degree greenhouse, or going another week of working nonstop during the busiest parts of the season.

And she has Jon, a friend whom she calls her “regenerative farm angel”, who volunteers to help her and offers encouraging enthusiasm on the hardest of work days and guidance on regenerative farming.

Bless’d Blossom greenhouse gardening / Photo credit: Lan Ngo

When she first approached Be Love Farm about leasing an acre, owners Rachelle and Loren Ditmore encouraged her to grow not out of necessity, but out of love. The Ditmores have since moved, but Hannah keeps that connection. She is building a regenerative flower farm in Yuba City, where she will grow flowers for Rachelle’s nonprofit, “City of Refuge,” a shelter providing housing and services for women and children.

She hopes these women can find peaceful restoration amongst the flowers, recognizing “there is still an abundance of beauty, grace and life to be lived. That there is still so much goodness all around us, to be savored and shared.” Hannah has found that divinity of goodness is most accessible in the natural world and most specially in the tender unfolding of the garden; this is her favorite part to share from the garden with her fellow community members.

She continues to have support from Be Love farm’s current owners, Rob and Zina Kirtlink, who have made her feel like a part of the family. Hannah also holds gratitude for her neighbors on Bucktown Lane, who took such tender care in her daunting early years of becoming a small business owner and farming regeneratively.

“They have always consistently shown up to my beginning farm stands and markets, poured so much life-affirming encouragement over me, and they purchased from me (even when I knew they were purchasing too many vegetables to be able to eat themselves!” she said. They check in on her to see what she needs. They are the epitome of what it means to “support your local farmer.”

Hannah grew up in Vacaville, but spent years traveling and overseas, with many of those spent with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), a program where participants learn to farm sustainably and provide their labor in exchange for room and board. She felt called home in recent years, and now is putting down roots.

“The lifestyle of farming calls for you to be grounded,” she said. Planting a tree is a long-term commitment. “These plants demand your devotion.”

She has a degree in childhood education, and she can see a future where she’s pairing that love for learning and teaching with her passion for farming. She has future-focused approach and wants to instill that love, and the joy at watching that first sprout shoulder its way out of the earth, in the next generation of farmers. She feels it is her responsibility to not only share her knowledge and joys from the garden, but to also pass on the soil to the next farmer, in better condition than she found it. That is why she remains committed to regenerative farming.

“It’s so profound to ponder the garden,” she said. “The miracle of the garden and life itself.”

Doing Good

The Doing Good business recognition program spotlights Solano businesses that stand out in their efforts to support people and planet. Sustainable Solano’s work is informed by the practice of permaculture to form healthy ecosystems. The three ethics of permaculture are Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. In business, this can mean authentic sustainability practices, how companies care for their employees, and giving back to the community. Our program recognizes businesses that excel in any of these three areas.

Know a business that is Doing Good in Solano County? Let us know by submitting a nomination form here.