CLIMATE RESILIENCE
NURTURING NIBBLES IN THE CITY
FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
Urban landscapes are changing. When you travel, look around for examples of how cities and towns are regenerating nature in unused plots of land. A visit to Fairfield, California, can give you ideas about nurturing green spaces and growing food in your community.
What's
changing
Eating food grown locally is not only good for the environment, it can change how city dwellers think about nature and discover ways to connect it.
What's already
possible
In Fairfield, California, an organization called Sustainable Solano is working to reshape the urban landscape of the city and educate residents and visitors through projects that champion drought-resistant yards, urban forests and edible gardens for food security.
Seizing
the opportunity
The organization got its start by creating seven food forest demonstration gardens, which save 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of water each year. In 2016, this success secured the organization’s funding from Solano County Water Agency to expand the program countywide. Through the demonstration food forests, residents and visitors are learning how intentional landscaping choices and multi-use plants can work together to enhance soil quality, conserve water, create wildlife habitats, provide shade and feed people. The program, which has largely been in private yards across the county, is expanding to locations that are more visible. Sustainable Solano pays for retrofitting gardens to be regenerative when a homeowner commits to providing tours and demonstrations of the garden for five years.
Standout
tactic
In 2017, Sustainable Solano opened a demonstration garden in Fairfield at Mission Solano, a transitional housing and community resource center. Land in the area was not being used, and the mission could feed those in need with produce from food forests, reducing the need for donations. Those staying at the mission learned skills in the garden that they could transfer to jobs. Mission Solano no longer operates, but food forest gardens are still growing and are part of organized garden tours at locations throughout the city, like local retirement homes, churches and schools.
How
it helps
More than 40 green spaces have benefitted from the program. One food forest garden at Parkway Plaza will produce 435 pounds of food in five years, and organizations with food pantries are seeing the benefits of establishing on-site gardens to alleviate dependency on donated food.
Diving
deeper
Does this kind of program's reliance on volunteers and community involvement pose a risk that fluctuating levels of participation could lead to inconsistent maintenance and care of the gardens, potentially affecting their long-term sustainability?
Increasing
impact
Programs like this can be made more practical for areas with shorter growing seasons by using greenhouses to experiment with maintaining food supplies through winter.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
