Dec 15, 2016
In the midst of this holiday season, despite fears and worries surrounding the unprecedented national election, I more than ever want to honor and celebrate what all of you have actually achieved this past year. Together, we’ve demonstrated how vital hopes for a better, more sustainable world can be made manifest right where we live. Together, we’ve shown that real change comes from the ground up when we share an ethical vision and actually roll up our sleeves and work to make “the possible” come alive through committed, collective actions.
Our mission in 2017 will continue, nourishing initiatives for the good of the whole. One of our major changes and accomplishments in 2016: Benicia Community Gardens as a non-profit organization has grown, becoming “Sustainable Solano” for wider reach to Solano communities, thus to embrace initiatives and partnerships inspired by many others sharing our vision. BCG’s accomplishments in 2016 will carry us into 2017. Here’s what we’ve done together:
- installed the last 3 of a total of 7 food forest gardens under the Benicia Sustainable Backyard program, with 3 public garden tours, and 5 more tours planned for 2017;
- inaugurated the first Land Caretakers program for training novices and professional landscapers in sustainable practices for creating edible, wise-water gardens using greywater and rain water harvesting systems;
- partnered with local chefs in Vallejo and Benicia to create community-supported kitchens, with a pilot kitchen program in Benicia to launch in 2017;
- established partnership with the Solano County Water Agency — contract awarded to establish a total of 5 food forest gardens, three in Fairfield and two in Vallejo;
- Hosted, in consort with Pachamama Alliance, a very moving and successful “Awakening the Dreamer Symposium” in Fairfield, the event serving to inspire individuals toward embracing a new dream and to take actions that can heal the world where we live, and to introduce Sustainable Solano as an organization embracing that new dream.
Thank you all for a milestone year in 2016! May we keep hope, working together to strengthen our communities, upholding basic values for a more just, healthy world.
With appreciation and gratitude,
Marilyn Bardet,
Board Chair
Nov 27, 2016
A cool, drizzly morning couldn’t stop the over two dozen people who gathered in a cozy group at the site of Sustainable Solano’s oldest demonstration food forests, “Birds, Bees and Beyond.” A Walk in a Food Forest’s third stop was hosted by Heather and Frank and their children, who volunteered their home and garden not only for demonstrating roof water catchment, laundry to landscape graywater reuse, permaculture landscape planning–but also for Benicia’s first permitted shower-to-landscape graywater installation.
Professional landscapers, gardening enthusiasts, permaculture students, and everyone in between, from Suisun, Benicia, Fairfield, Vallejo, and beyond Solano County came to hear John Valenzuela of Cornucopia Food Forest Gardens. John started his presentation with a brief overview of permaculture concepts and quickly honed into his passion of trees: pruning, grafting, guilds of trees and plants that exist in nature, and especially the edible ones native to, or thrive in, northern California. He provided fascinating historical and political context for the plants in the region, showing a deep love of place an understanding of how things came to be, and thus how things can be in the future.
Immediately following the presentation the guests were led out into the garden to see and hear about the site specific ideas applied to “Birds, Bees and Beyond”. Heather and Frank explained the process of working with a permaculture landscape designer and their hopes for the garden. John chimed in to point out elements that worked well such as herbal plantings that deter pests, things that he particularly enjoyed such as a front yard designed to invite the neighborhood in, and some things that might be done differently (such as an avocado tree very near the house).
“What you need to know for the future,” said a guest, a professional landscaper who had attended the previous talk, “Is that the next time John gives a talk, you should give him a pair of shears and he’ll prune your trees.”
“It’s true,” he agreed, demonstrating a 45 degree angle he’d like to see a branch at.
At the end of the tour, which ran overtime despite the rain, shears were indeed passed out for guests to take cuttings from the garden home.
“Thank you for this tour,” another guest, who had recently moved to Vallejo, said to the hosts. “I have enjoyed eating my way through your garden. And now I just want to go home and get started on my own!”
There will be no tours in December, due to Sustainable Solano’s “Awakening the Dreamer” Symposium and official launch. We hope you join us for the symposium–a natural extension of many permaculture concepts. And we look forward to seeing everyone on January 28th for the fourth stop of our “Walk in a Food Forest” Tour.
Stay tuned for an update of resources John mentioned during this tour’s talk.
