EcoFarm Insight: Reflection, Observation & Irrigation

Feb 26, 2025

By Patrick Murphy, Program Manager

I had the opportunity to attend EcoFarm’s 45th Anniversary conference this year and had a wonderful time. My colleagues and I attended a variety of presentations and participated in a number of wonderful discussions with people from around California who work on similar projects related to urban agriculture, local food, and creating connections in their community.

There were a number of wonderful presentations that affirmed going back to basics like water retention, soil health, building up organic matter and biological activity, as well as taking your time to plan each project.

Again and again I heard from folks working in agriculture, education, farms and gardens that they had the most success when they took their time to reflect and observe before acting. Taking deliberate and well-paced steps to mulch, to build up organic matter in the soil, to increase water infiltration, and to develop rich and biologically active soil were the most impactful things they did. They stressed the importance of avoiding jumping into an idea that sounds good but is untested — the sheer force of nature is too powerful to work against.

Some key recommendations:

  • Take your time when you’re planning, and revisit a site multiple times before beginning work, with and without your plans.
  • Install a flow gauge and Schrader valves (similar to bicycle tire valves) in your irrigation system, and use a pressure gauge to check your system for leaks and issues.
  • Heat stress can make plants more prone to pest issues.

Here is a breakdown of some of the presentations:

Regenerative Landscaper Erik Ohlsen gave a talk about the importance of getting to know a site. He said that to truly understand a location, you should be visiting it in the rain, at night and early morning, and you should always check and recheck your plans with the reality of what is on the ground. Ohlsen also stressed the number of career opportunities which exist in landscape design.

Cameron McDonald from Santa Cruz Resource Conservation District spoke about the importance of monitoring water systems using flow gauges and pressure gauges. McDonald spoke about how farmers (and homeowners) can balance design, operations and maintenance, and irrigation scheduling to maximize yield, conserve resources, minimize nutrient loss, ensure uniform crops, and reduce fuel costs.

The mantra was “You can’t know what you don’t measure” — measuring flow rates is essential, and tools like flow meters for home gardeners, or telemetry systems, data loggers, and remote data collection for large-scale operations provide an enormous amount of information. SRCD has a number of common recommendations they offer to improve efficiency on farms, (1) use pressure regulators (these $13 units have saved Sustainable Solano hours of work), (2) fix leaks, (3) add spaghetti lines to direct the flow of water and (4) opt for oval-shaped hoses to reduce accidental kinks.

McDonald reiterated the standard recommended pressures are 0-30 PSI for drip irrigation and 100 PSI for sprinklers. Proper pressure management is critical for uniform water application; use a hand pressure gauge and Schrader valves to check your systems pressure, use one hand gauge to check the whole system to ensure consistent calibration. Elevation changes also impact pressure — every 2.3 feet elevation changes PSI by 1 PSI (increasing PSI when descending down, decreasing PSI when going uphill). Be mindful of the water hammer effect, a rapid change of pressure caused by quickly turning on/off valves, and look for unexplained pressure loss. Everyone should be flushing their irrigation system more often (once per year at least) and install or use soil moisture sensors for better field or lawn management. By implementing these strategies, farmers and homeowners can optimize irrigation systems for efficiency, cost savings, and irrigation uniformity.

Bill Snyder gave a presentation on a study he and his graduate students conducted on whitefly infestations attacking squash crops. In a 2016-2017 drought, potato whitefly infestation exploded. They had a theory regarding bidirectional stress on cotton plants, where the larva of the whiteflies were born and developed. Cotton plants under extreme heat stress are unable to fight off white fly infections, while populations of bugs and animals which traditionally consume these insects are also decimated by heat stress and overuse of broad spectrum pesticides. Snyder and his team found correlation between these extreme droughts and high volumes of insecticide use (per acre). In a natural experiment using center-irrigated fields and increased mulching practices, the Georgia team feels confident that the combinations of heat stress on plants and insects were a driving cause in the rise of whitefly populations. Learn more about his research here.

Sustainable Solano would like to thank the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Solano County Public Health and CHIP (the Child Health and Improvement Plan) for their support to attend the 45th EcoFarm Conference. Their support allowed us to learn so much about the state of urban agriculture, local food, and what other folks in our state, community and nation are working on. Thank you to the presenters and all the friends we made along the way.

Internship Addresses Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, Solutions

Aug 2, 2024

By Alan Candelario, Suisun City Nature-Based Solutions intern

Our Nature-Based Solutions internship in Suisun City focused on the risks posed by sea level rise and possibilities with nature-based solutions to flooding. Interns learned about these approaches and brought their insight to community gatherings to get resident insight about risks, how they use the waterfront, and what types of solutions they prioritize. Here, Alan shares about his experience in the internship.

Interns offer feedback on a map of downtown Suisun City during a community workshop

I’ve learned many things regarding climate change and what to expect for Suisun if nothing is done to combat rising sea levels. If we do nothing, Suisun could be practically submerged in 50 years time. I also learned ways to combat flooding – for example putting seawalls or a levee or nature-based solutions like marsh restoration, which restores the wetlands so animals can have a better habitat and the area around can be better. This could mean people being able to walk to it and just relax, and also for wildlife to have an area to call home.

I also made new friends here at the internship. Everyone at the internship was nice and explained things to us clearly. Some of my favorite events were the flood walk, which helped paint a picture of what parts of Suisun would be flooded if action isn’t taken. A flood walk is a great event to attend if you want to learn more about what the city is already doing to prevent flooding and what they could do in select areas to combat flooding.

Outside of Raley’s we helped hand out flyers to people in hopes that they would attend a workshop and get information about flooding and sea level rise in Suisun. The workshop was an event people could attend and learn about sea rise levels, ask questions if they had any concerns and share their perspectives. I also attended a garden walk where people went to get information on how to make a good garden for the environment which uses rain and rainwater. It also helps prevent floods if enough people do it.

At the end of the day my experience with the internship was amazing. I met cool people, I learned valuable things about climate change, and I had fun. If I were asked if I would do this again, I would say yes 10/10 would recommend. I also joined this internship since I wanted to see what the city was doing to combat climate change so people could have a better future here in Suisun.

This internship opened my eyes more to the world of environmental science. I was already interested in it since I had taken a class my junior year, but the internship helped me see the bigger picture like flood prevention. So I plan to hopefully study environmental science later in life and help prevent things like sea level rise.

Sustainable Solano’s Position on California Forever

May 29, 2024

By Sustainable Solano

Sustainable Solano has remained publicly silent until now about California Forever, both as a proposal and a ballot item. But we have spent that time in active discussions as a team and board to weigh the California Forever proposal and the process taken to get it to this point and test it for alignment with Sustainable Solano’s mission and objective to nurture initiatives for the good of the whole. We work to help bring our communities together in a way that connects people with each other, the Earth and something larger than themselves, and we must base our responses upon those values.

We have determined the motives behind California Forever do not align with our values as an organization, even if some parts of the proposed community do reflect measures we would like to see for Solano County’s existing cities.

Sustainable Solano’s work around community resilience, sustainable landscapes and local food all starts at a singular nexus — the interest in giving a voice to the community and building community trust toward the good of the whole. We can say without a doubt that the approach taken to acquire property and establish California Forever does not align with that core value for our organization. Solano County residents are frustrated due to the lack of transparency and absence of trust around the intentions of those behind California Forever. As an organization that is exploring what it means for us to democratically govern ourselves in an open manner, we ask no less of those who are seeking to change the county where we ground our work.

Even in the structure of its proposed community, California Forever does not align with our values. The decision for this community to remain unincorporated will result in residents being denied a locally elected municipal government. The new city will not have a mayor or city council, with many governmental functions relegated to nonprofits established by California Forever, or to the County Board of Supervisors. Consequently, the voices of residents may go unheard, and their ability to participate meaningfully in shaping the future of their community can be hindered. Without a local government, residents are often deprived of the essential mechanisms for representation, decision-making, and resource allocation that are fundamental to democratic governance. Issues such as environmental protection, infrastructure development, and public services become challenging to address without a locally elected centralized authority to coordinate efforts and advocate for community needs.

In the absence of a community-elected municipal government, this unincorporated city may face significant obstacles in achieving the democratic ideals of equitable representation and collective decision-making.

There are other areas where California Forever does not properly align with Sustainable Solano’s mission and values. We promote sustainable land use and the protection of ag land, which this proposal would directly affect as well as removing range land and endangering critically important habitat. We work with communities to lift up residents’ voices around environmental degradation and injustice, and see where creation of a large new city in the county would increase the negative effects on surrounding communities commensurate with increased traffic and strains on water supplies.

California Forever paints a picture of a community that would be built for walkability with good jobs and affordable housing. We appreciate and understand the vital importance of these features of a sustainable city, and would like to see more in our existing cities — cities where people could easily walk, bike or take local transit to jobs that pay a livable wage, have access to grocery stores with healthy seasonal food, can gather in public spaces with urban greening, and use renewable, local energy. We would like to encourage building this vision within our existing cities, and invite you to think about how such changes could be brought to where you live. These strategies would strengthen Solano County and our local communities, but for California Forever they remain only ideas at this point, and there are far too many conflicts with our values for us to support the California Forever proposal as a whole.

Bay Area Butterfly Festival Lands May 19

Apr 30, 2024

By Annina Puccio, executive director of the Monarch Milkweed Project

The Monarch Milkweed Project and the Vallejo People’s Garden are hosting the inaugural Bay Area Butterfly Festival on May 19!

Join us and experience the beautiful view of the Carquinez Strait from the boardwalk on Mare Island while learning about the importance of protecting our pollinators. This is a family-friendly community festival!

On two stages, fantastic performers and live bands will delight you with their talents. Children’s free games and hands-on activities will entertain young ones throughout the day. Musical performances will fill the air — dancing is not required, but it is definitely recommended! Artisans and small businesses will sell their art, wares, and many fantastic sustainable goods.

On a third stage, community groups will lead pop-up workshops on a wide range of exciting topics, which will include a talk sponsored by Sustainable Solano by Heath Griffith of Grow With The Flow on how to turn your lawn into a native garden. Food vendors and food trucks will offer a variety of cuisines, including vegan and gluten-free options.

We will be hosting over 100 vendors/exhibitors from various organizations and nonprofits at the event. There will be a focus on sustainable living, clean water practices, and environmental education.

This festival is a low-to-no-waste event focusing on commemorating the historic monarch overwintering site on Mare island, as well as the importance of sustainable practices and saving our pollinators — especially the iconic monarch butterfly and our various native bee species.

Learn more about attending here

On Facebook: https://fb.me/e/3uncrnQqk

Register on Eventbrite: www.bit.ly/BABF2024

Volunteer here

All volunteers get the following: free food and drink, a volunteer festival T-shirt and two free classes at the Vallejo People’s Garden.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/o3Bx27kFusyriu2P6

2024 Benicia & Vallejo Demonstration Food Forest Garden Tour: April 27

Mar 28, 2024

By Nicole Newell, Sustainable Landscaping Program Manager

Loam Sweet Loam garden in Vallejo

Sustainable Solano’s annual tour of demonstration food forest gardens in Benicia and Vallejo returns on April 27 for its eighth year. Join us for our largest tour of some of the longest-established food forests in the county!

The day will include speakers and activities to keep you inspired and engaged. Register here!

We will start at 9 am at Avant Garden in Benicia with a talk about the many roles mulch plays in supporting a water-efficient garden with Heath Griffith from Grow with the Flow. Learn about:

  • What is the difference between wood chips and bark?
  • Why is mulch one of the superheroes of permaculture?
  • Does mulch increase or decrease fire risk around houses?
  • How does mulch support a water-efficient garden?

Attendees will pick up the itineraries from 9-11 am at Avant Garden for a self-guided tour of the Benicia and Vallejo gardens. This year’s tour will continue to provide education on topics related to sustainability and highlight the amazing organizations and ways people are involved in uplifting the community. In addition to education, we will also have music, an adventurous scavenger hunt for our youth, two inspired gardens and a special guest that will be present to chat about calming calendula.

The Benicia gardens will be open from 10 am-1 pm, and the Vallejo gardens will be open from 1-4 pm. Attendees who can only participate in the afternoon can pick up the itineraries for Vallejo at the Pollinator Pathway garden on Mare Island from 12-1 pm.

You can learn about each garden and the special events going on at the gardens here.

To prepare a garden tour event that is in service to our community is a gift. As I learn what inspires our food forest keepers to live, grow and contribute, I am inspired in return. Spring brings new possibilities to discover what seeds we want to plant, in our garden and in our life. Each garden serves so many functions that support an abundant, healthy life. I invite you to explore these gardens and gain your own inspiration for your gardens, your communities and your lives.

This program is made possible by the generous support from the Solano County Water Agency.

Plan Your Day

Learn about each garden you can visit here

How It Will Work

You can choose to tour for the whole day or for half a day.
Benicia Demonstration Food Forest Gardens will be open 10 am-1 pm
Vallejo Demonstration Food Forest Gardens will be open 1-4 pm

Register here

Itinerary pickup and special events:

9-11 am: Itineraries will be available at Avant Garden in Benicia (400 First St.). This itinerary will include all of the demonstration food forest gardens in Benicia (open in the morning) and Vallejo (open in the afternoon). Families can pick up a scavenger hunt sheet that will make the day more fun!

9 am: Heath Griffith of Grow with the Flow will talk about the importance of mulch at Avant Garden.

12-1 pm: Itineraries for the Vallejo garden sites (open in the afternoon) will be available at the Global Center for Success (1055 Azuar Dr/BLDG 733).

Throughout the day: Special speakers, activities and information will be available at various gardens.

Goodbye Grass

Mar 20, 2024

By Tereasa Christopherson-Tso

Tereasa is a Solano County-based artist who is working with Arts Benicia on an “artivism” exhibit focused on water conservation. Tereasa reached out to SuSol about visiting one of the demonstration food forests established through our Solano Sustainable Backyards program, and visited “Living and Learning” in Benicia, where she beautifully captured the garden in spring. She has given us permission to share her painting and artist statement, which we feel encapsulates why these gardens are so important.

You can visit “Living and Learning” and other demonstration food forest gardens during our annual Benicia & Vallejo garden tour on April 27. Learn more and register here!

Keep an eye out for a special exhibition that brings together Arts Benicia and Vallejo Center for the Arts for “Stewarding our Water Resources: Solano Artists Create, Collaborate & Educate” from May 25 through June 23.

Goodbye Grass, Acrylic, 18”x24”

I have always been a lover of pure nature where I find joy in exploring landscapes in their wildest forms and where nature alone stewards the land. The arresting beauty of the forest and the awesome vastness of the ocean have never ceased to stir my soul with creative inspiration. This past year, however, I began exploring what it means to not only be an admirer of plants and bodies of water but how to better steward them. I began attending numerous workshops held by Sustainable Solano and touring gardens they had installed for people’s yards and community gardens. This inspired my garden efforts this year and the desire to create a garden as Monet did to inspire his paintings but also one that takes into account the high value of water as a limited resource here in northern California.

I found inspiration for this painting from a front yard garden in Benecia that Sustainable Solano installed. I had the pleasure of working with their Program Manager Nicole [Newell] to tour gardens I was interested in painting for this project. Here drought tolerant plants are seen throughout the landscape, a pathway of wood mulch provides a protective layer over the dirt, and native golden poppies have sprouted up in all their super-bloom glory. By excluding grass and using more sustainable garden practices this yard requires very little water yet does not sacrifice beauty.

-Tereasa Christopherson-Tso
Take a tour of the “Living and Learning” garden in this video, and join us for the Benicia & Vallejo Demonstration Food Forest Garden Tour on April 27!