A cool and overcast morning gave way to bright sunny skies on Sept. 10, providing the perfect backdrop to our 4th Annual Fall Plant Sale.

This was the first plant sale since the pandemic where we lifted the requirement for customers to preregister for a shopping time slot. We were glad to see a constant and steady flow of customers and no chaos!

We had veggie and herb starts, free compost from Zero Waste Sonoma, and a succulent sale run by the Master Gardeners of Sonoma County. We had U-pick flowers and tomatoes. “Everyone seems happy to be here,” observed Allison, our newest staff member who joined Petaluma Bounty just weeks ago as the new Bounty Hunters Gleaning Coordinator.

We were happy to see many customers also purchasing produce from our farm stand. We had strong sales that will help support our programs.

As always, we accepted CalFresh/EBT payments for edible plants and produce. With Market Match, we were able to offer CalFresh customers 50-percent off. We hope to continue seeing CalFresh customers at our plant sales and produce outlets. We are grateful for the work that the Ecology Center does for the Market Match program.

We are grateful for all the volunteers, the Master Gardeners who also provided expert gardening advice to customers, and sponsors. Thanks also go to our teammate Raney, who brought home-cooked food for us, Petaluma People Services Center. We’ll do it all over again in spring, 2024, and beyond.