Sustainable Solano started in 1999 with the creation of Swenson Garden in Benicia, the first of many community gardens supported through our work.

We expanded our work with local communities in partnership with Solano County, starting the Solano Gardens program to install and maintain gardens at schools, places of worship and multiunit housing. Roll over and click on the photos below to learn more about each project, its impact on the community and lessons learned.

Benicia Community Gardens

Learn more about Swenson Garden, Avant Garden and the community orchard here.

Inactive Gardens

The gardens below were created through this program, but for various reasons are no longer part of the network or no longer in operation

Each garden design is unique to the community it serves and offers opportunities for members to build relationships and grow organic produce in neighborhoods with limited access to fresh, good-quality produce. Participating organizations gather their own teams of community champions passionate about sustainable food to care for the garden.

The installations serve as an educational platform for sustainable landscape practice where participants can learn the principles of sustainable urban agriculture. Workshops are free and open to the community. Following installations, Sustainable Solano provides garden support for 18 months.

If you know of a site that might be a good location for a garden, contact Solano Gardens Program Manager Patrick Murphy at patrick@sustainablesolano.org or fill out our Solano Gardens Interest Form here!

To learn more about Solano Gardens:

• Read the full report on the 2023-2024 year of the program here
• Read the full report on the 2021-2022 year of the program here
• Read the full report from the first year of the program here

The Solano Gardens program is funded through Solano County as a part of the Solano Community Health Improvement Plan.

Resources

WATER