Residential water customers can call (707) 778-4507 or click here for more information.  Commercial customers must call (707) 778-4507 to schedule a representative to perform a site evaluation.

I just learned about Mulch Madness yesterday from Dave Iribarne, the City’s Water Conservation Coordinator and, I suspect, the mastermind behind the program.  (Sidenote - Dave was a founding member of the City of Petaluma’s Green Team in 2006 and has been a tireless and creative proponent within the City for water conservation, green building, and a more sustainable community.)  It was clear from my conversation with Dave that, if you’ve been thinking about growing more of your own food, either for your own family or to donate to the Bounty Hunters program, this is the time to ditch your lawn and plant your crops.

For help getting your edible garden going, Petaluma Bounty’s Backyard Bounty program can do it for you, from a simple garden box to a full-scale landscape design.  Give Backyard Bounty a call at 775-3663, ext. 218 or email us at backyardbounty@petalumabounty.org for more information.

Specifically, we are seeking once-a-week and back-up drivers to deliver and pick-up Bounty Boxes at east and west Petaluma locations, as well as  drivers to move fresh surplus produce from various collection locations around town to the people who need it at local food pantries, low-income housing centers, and other sites.

Please let us know if you have an hour each week for a route or can substitute drive as needed.  Contact bountyhunters@petalumabounty.org or 775-3663 x216.

WEDNESDAY

9:30 am - 11:30 am: Petaluma Mail Depot
40 Fourth Street (between B & C)

12:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Kaiser Medical Offices
3900 Lakeville Highway

THURSDAY

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Petaluma Health Center
1301 Southpoint Blvd.

FRIDAY

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm: The Bounty Farm
55 Shasta Avenue (off Petaluma Blvd. North across from the Lucky grocery store)

Either way, the food (and herb and flower and…) swap is back in action this Saturday at Fourth & Sea at 4th and C Streets in Petaluma at 1:30 on June 19.  Click here for more info.

Thank you for your support, participation … YOU did it.  Arroyo Community Garden is in!!!

Saturday, ACG garden volunteers filled  garden boxes with soil and compost.
AND…planted.

Arroyo Community Garden is built, seeded, planted and growing.  All as a result of a partnership with Living Word Lutheran Church, Petaluma Bounty, friends and  neighbors who have come together to create this wonderful community garden. Thank you.

Of course there are things to do in the garden and yes we’ll continue to have monthly work days and look forward to your continued participation.

Mark and Elaine started us all off early in the morning (9 am) with bagels, cream cheeses and fresh home ground and made coffee. Thank you. Then Elaine made “Crane” Sandwiches to share …delicious. One of the top three sandwiches of all time. Thank you again.

Rebecca put us all to the test first thing … seeing if we could follow directions and move together…she directed us how to move two boxes and turn them around. It worked - community team work.

Denise, Angelo, Rebecca all brought plants to share.

Karen was tending to plants between shoveling loads of compost.

Sandy and Bill were in the garden shoveling and planting …unsupervised…no grand daughter with them this time.

Kathy and David shoveled and constructed.

Dennis and his wife from the church join us to shovel with us gardeners - Thank you both.

Jessica was returned, from Thursday, to help shovel.

Angelo shoveled and planted … and planted corn.

Jim made special pick up and deliveries…Thank you.

Corkie spent the day sorting out our finances, volunteer hours (be sure to let us know your April and May hours by the end of the month), what plot fees are due, writing and sending “thank you’s” to each of our donors. Thank You!!!

You raised over $5,500 to build the garden. Top Speed Data and Whole Foods make pace setting financial contributions to the ACG  project. With in-kind donations to the garden donations exceeded $10,000. Total volunteer hours came to nearly 1000 from gardeners and friends 5 years of age to … well over 60 “something”.

Although Saturday was the last in a long series of continuous Saturday community garden work days since January, and ACG is basically built, we will continue to have monthly community garden work days. The community work days are considered part of the community garden commitment to maintain the garden in good standing for us and our host, Living Word Lutheran Church.

Participating in monthly work days is part of the commitment each of us agreed to when we signed with ACG. Work days will usually be a Saturday and begin at 9 am.
We’ll let you know next week when the next work day will be in June.

Some of the little and big things that will need tending in the upcoming months in the garden include: cleaning up along the back fence of  “stuff”; setting up the visual screen properly; building a garden shed; possible green house or cold-frame; building a potting bench; erecting a proper compost bins; creating and planting the perimeter berms; and of course managing the weeds and keeping the garden clean and organized.  Actually any one of the above project may be great for a college project, Eagle Scout project or possibly a high school senior project. Contact ACG for more information.

Bringing us todate and current, Angelo created a “blog” for ACG gardeners to enjoy and share check it out at: http://arroyogarden.blogspot.com
Thank you Angelo and we look forward to your image and video posts.

Thank you again for building a great garden.
Arroyo Community Garden
Lead Team

You can join as an Individual Bounty Member or a Business Bounty Member.   Either way, your membership tells our community, our funders, elected officials and the many local institutions and business partners we work with, that Petaluma’s food system matters to you and your fellow members.  Membership fees will also provide a stable source of support to help keep our programs going and growing.

Plus, as a Bounty member, you’ll get some goodies–like a Petaluma Bounty window cling,  a recycled cotton tote bag,  discounts at our Mobile Market and Bounty Farm stands, and more (depending on the membership level you choose).

Click here for details about our Individual and Business Memberships.

The initiative, which also seeks to educate and empower community and support local businesses, is a collaboration of Daily Acts, iGROW Sonoma, GoLocal, and Living Mandala, in conjunction with the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) and dozens of other community groups and companies. The 350 Garden Challenge will strengthen existing projects and encourage new gardeners in efforts to save water, unite neighborhoods, and build a strong movement for local food production. Garden sites and participation is coordinated online and in individual community meetings and events.

“Sonoma County’s 350 Garden Challenge seeks to inspire our citizens to create a healthy, homegrown food supply, save water and cut greenhouse gas emissions,” said Trathen Heckman, Director of Daily Acts, a Petaluma-based nonprofit that provides education about greywater, home food production, and a range of sustainable living skills. ”Together, we will lead the way to a healthier, more self-sufficient community.” Homegrown food reduces carbon emissions from transportation and promotes awareness about where food comes from.

Key projects to be undertaken over the weekend include:

* On the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2010, 20 members of the U.S. Coast Guard will revitalize a garden at Burbank Heights Apartments in Sebastopol; community members will plant this garden on May 15th and 16th.

* Green Sangha, a nonprofit group of environmental activists, will install a model garden at Community Market natural foods store near Santa Rosa Junior College.

* Wine barrels, plants, and soil will be distributed to the nonprofit community organization Nuestra Voz to install container gardens at 60 households at Spring Village, a low-income housing complex in Boyes Hot Springs.

“Now is the time for our community to take action and embrace the concept of growing food locally,” said SCWA Chairwoman Valerie Brown. SCWA Director Shirlee Zane added, “The Water Agency is proud to partner with the 350 Challenge because it aligns with our water conservation efforts and illustrates how water should be used efficiently outdoors.” SCWA has provided a generous $25,000 matching grant for this project.

“In Sonoma County, the more we raise awareness about local, sustainable food, we’re also reinforcing a local identity rich in diverse nurseries, irrigation suppliers, restaurants and food producers. This isn’t just a passing fad, we’re directly strengthening our existing local economy,” said Kelley Rajala, Director of the Sonoma County GoLocal Cooperative, a network of locally owned businesses, non-profit organizations and residents.

Inspired by this initiative, The Victory Garden Foundation in Oakland, CA aims to match Sonoma County’s Challenge and install 350 gardens over the same weekend in May. In Santa Monica, the third annual 100 Garden Challenge pioneered by Gardens of Gratitude will take place April 24th and 25th, 2010.

Click here to get involved or register your garden.