On New Ground

A few weeks ago, I toured the Permaculture Skills Center in Sebastopol, CA. The reason for this was twofold: to see what these folks were up to, and because I was interested in the new Eco-Landscaper Immersion (ELI) program they are starting up in June. In an earlier post , I mentioned that I was planning to complete Merritt College's Permaculture Design Certificate program, but a lot has changed over the past year, and now that I'm a mom, I have to come up with a permaculture plan that meets a few more people's needs than just mine. It turns out the ELI isn't an exact fit either, but hopefully I'll be able to take some workshops and volunteer with one of the PSC's many developing projects in the future. The center started up just two years ago, in 2012, which is a relatively short amount of time to establish a full-blown CSA program ( Taproot Farm ) and  a functioning permaculture site, so I was impressed with how much they've established so q...

Last weekend, Sonoma Lavender threw a two-day long celebration of the lavender plant on their five acre farm in the rolling vineyards of Kenwood. With the seemingly endless rows of bright, purple flowers, low-humming bees and soothing smells, it was a true feast for the senses.  Although, since I’m supposed to be writing about edibles here, it seemed like a bit of a stretch to blog about the restorative benefits of lavender stitched into silky sachets and Lulu the Lavender Poodle.                                                          BUT it turns out lavender can be eaten just like any other herb and is a (small) source of vitamin A, calcium and iron! And the people at this festival were eating lavender on just about everything: BBQ ribs, corn, nuts, in raspberry lemonade and salt…  baked into c...

Last weekend, I had a mini-breakthrough in my life-long relationship to the Bay Area. Having grown up here, there are times when it can feel old, like: yep, been there, done that, worked in that building, lived in that neighborhood, celebrated a birthday in that park/restaurant/bar, went to school there, there and there. So, I'm always looking for ways to keep it fresh. Luckily, the Bay Area seldom fails to deliver, and last Saturday was one of those days when I peeled back a new layer of Oakland and Berkeley by going on the Urban Farm Tours, sponsored by the Institute of Urban Homesteading (IUH). The tour included farms of all sizes, each with its own distinct approach to using space and resources wisely. There were seven farms total, and I made it to four. Here are some glimpses of the farms, from small to large! Small: Tiny Berkeley Garden This little Berkeley garden really maximized space, using the front and sides of the house, as well as the back, to grow ...