Vallejo People's Garden 

 Thank you volunteers Aaron and Thomas who came out to help turn the compost bins. We add compost to the raised beds and containers before each planting and use it to topdress our trees. The reason for composting are 1) it's good for the environment because you recycle kitchen and yard waste thereby reducing landfill waste 2) it adds nutrients and improves tilth to the soil 3) it introduces valuable organisms to the soil such as fungi, bacteria, and protozoa 4) it's great exercise and you can be outdoors breathing in fresh air. Lastly, it's good for the soul. Try your hand at composting. If you would like to learn how to compost, come by Sunday mornings at the Vallejo People's Garden where Ravi, our compost master can help you learn how.  

 

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees Ian Rinehart, Theresa Corless, Tasha Lo Porto delivered compost to the Vallejo People’s Garden with our faithful compost turner, Ravi (in bin) . Why we compost: It enriches the soil, helping to retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. It encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. Healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy people!  🌱 . Thank you USDA for volunteering your time at the Vallejo People's Garden !

Upcoming Events! Do you want to volunteer? We could use your help!  😀

Veggie Rx s a partnership between TUCOM and Vallejo People's Garden which aims to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables to the many Vallejo residents living in food deserts. Through volunteering and community outreach projects, we aim to not only provide food to those in need, but to provide recipes and information on the importance of healthy eating. We would love to have your support , so come out and see what we are all about! Check out our schedule below. Hope to see you at the Vallejo People's Garden!

The winter cold, wind and rain did a little damage to our garden, like freeze damage to our sweet potatoes and some spotty flooding around parts of our walkways. We are so ready for spring and grateful for the help students from Jesse Bethel provided. They spent their Saturday morning helping us pull weeds, add mulch to our walkways, clean our aquaponic system and overall general cleanup. Thank you to the National Honor Club at Jesse Bethel! Harvesting worm castings Cleaning the rocks for our aquaponic system Taking a break from moving mulch Adding fresh mulch to the walkways Pulling weeds

Join us at the Vallejo premiere of SEED: The Untold Story! October 8 at 7pm at the Empress Theatre! Q&A with special guests after the screening. http://empresstheatre.org/events/empress-film-seed-the-untold-story/ SEED: The Untold Story is an award winning, beautifully shot documentary about the dramatic loss of seed diversity and the future of our food, from the filmmakers behind Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? The film features seed heroes Dr. Jane Goodall, Vandana Shiva, and Winona LaDuke, and is executive produced by Marisa Tomei, Marc Turtletaub (Little Miss Sunshine), and Phil Fairclough (Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams).

A significant number of our neighbors live without ready access to fresh, healthy affordable food, putting them at risk for chronic health problems, including diabetes and obesity. Many individuals and organizations across the country are engaged in efforts to address this important issue, including the Vallejo People's Garden! Here we are doing our part at the Solano County Food Oasis giving out free and delicious samples of bruchetta, fresh produce, and wheatgrass!

With California facing severe drought, many folks have been thinking about ways to save water. The Vallejo People's Garden have collaborated with The Solano County Water Agency and Vallejo Water Division to offer two free workshops on how to reuse the water from the laundry for use in the landscape--one of many ways to save water. 2 workshops available - Sign up for both Greywater 101 Workshop - Monday, October 12th - 6:00 to 7:30 PM, Florence Douglas Senior Center, 333 Amador Street Hands-On Workshop - Saturday, October 17 - 10:00 AM to 12:30, Vallejo People’s Garden , 1055 Azuar Drive, Mare Island What You’ll Learn 􏰀   The basics of greywater – what it is and what it is not 􏰀   How to design a system for your home and landscape  􏰀   How to build a system- you’ll create a “mock - up” of a real system with real greywater parts  􏰀   What parts you’ll need for your hom 􏰀   How ...

Music, Good Company, Raffle Prizes and a ticket* for one plate of FREE food by the local food truck The Yolk to the first one hundred who attend. All we need is YOU. Saturday, September 12, 5-8pm behind 1055 Azuar Avenue (corner of East Poplar Avenue and Oscar Street) on Mare Island *One ticket per person. Start at tent and see Corinne for a ticket.

Hello fellow gardeners, On Sunday, when we were digging holes to plant the new seedlings in, I found a visitor to the garden I’d like to introduce you to. Don't be fooled by this kinda cute little critter. If you have him stay in the garden, he will not want to leave and he will invite his other bad friends. Just between us, these juvenile delinquents will become bad members of the gang JB or Japanese Beetles. Here are their markings: metallic green thorax and copper wings. They will devour the food you are laboriously growing in the garden mostly the leaves of beans, squash, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, peas, and tomatoes! (No!!!) until they look like this:     So if you see that kinda cute little grub in the garden, just sing ‘No, I don't want no grub. A grub is a bug who'll get no love from me!’ and give ‘em to your friends who have chickens who would gladly eat them! Or just squish ‘em but whatever yo...

Our location on Mare Island is a little isolated, and it is expensive to transport students to an off campus site. We decided to build a mobile garden to deliver education opportunities directly where they are needed: schools, other gardens, and festivals. It will carry tools, seedlings, container gardens, cooking equipment, and displays. We got the funds ready (PB cycle 1 Gardens and Nutrition) and started looking for a vehicle. After months of searching, Dennis Scarla, Michael Mees and Meriel Melendrez drove this 1993 Ford E-350 shuttle bus from Redwood City back to Vallejo People's Garden. Once the good folks at Tommy's Auto Repair finish patching a leak on the fuel line, we will be ready to transform it into a garden classroom on wheels. We need your help! Do you have any spare parts for a large vehicle, like shelves or an RV shade? Do you have an aptitude for tinkering? Do you have great ideas for garden classes on the go? Are you a gardener, artist, mechanic, or ch...

Our very own Ravi Shankar and Vilma Aquino on msn.com. Check it out: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstories/the-city-that-gave-its-residents-dollar3-million/ar-BBdigTg

Slow Roasted Tomatoes Photo by Michael Mees When tomatoes are in season, it can be hard to eat them fast enough. This simple technique will improve their shelf life, and concentrate the best of their flavor. Ingredients: Tomatoes. Olive oil. Salt. Cut larger tomatoes into halves or quarters and place cut side up on a baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt. I use kosher salt because I like the large, airy flakes. Place them in the oven at 200°F and roast for 1-8 hours, depending on the size of the tomato. Cherry tomatoes only need an hour or two; big tomatoes can roast for a whole 8 hours. For those large tomatoes, you can even put them in the oven before you go to sleep, and turn off the oven when you wake up and go to work. The tomatoes shrivel to a gooey concentrate. Drizzle with olive oil and store in the refrigerator in a container for up to two weeks. Serve on bread, in salads and stews, or by just themselves. Add fresh basil leaves for a great flavor combination...