Blog Style Three – Classic

Our Farmstand, all classes and events are on hold at the moment… Please check back as we are monitoring the COVID-19 guidelines for re-opening services and responding accordingly.

Thank you for Attending our 17th Annual Fundraiser

Thank you for your generous support of our Autumn Equinox Celebration! The event is a labor of love with many wonderful people and organizations collaborating to make it happen. We are grateful for the support we receive to restore and develop the historic American River Ranch. It is a community treasure filled with possibilities that we are proud to make accessible to the public.

Please stay involved with Soil Born Farms. We rely on your generous donations of time and money to help us grow organic food, feed families, educate youth and adults, train new farmers and gardeners, inspire healthy living and create a regional center for food, health and the environment. Together we can make a difference and improve the quality of life in our community.
View event photos by Joan Cusick and Brian B. Fox >>

Many thanks to our event partners, title sponsor and underwriters:

Sign-up for the Fall/Winter Season

As a Soil Born Farms CSA member, the impact of your dollars goes beyond putting healthy, organic, delicious food on your table. This investment in Soil Born Farms allows you to reconnect with the land, know your farmers and participate directly in a local food system. In addition, you provide valuable support for innovative education programs, food access initiatives and the development of our nonprofit community farm and education center. You can choose to receive a CSA farm box every week or every other week. Sign up by phone with Kara, 916-363-9685 Ext. 1005. For more info >>

Thunderstorms Projected for Sunday, We are Heeding Mother Nature

A Day on the Farm is an important fundraiser for Soil Born Farms and a beloved regional event for our community. Despite these realities, incurred costs and months of planning, the safety and enjoyment of our guests is paramount.

The American River Ranch is absolutely beautiful right now so please join us for Saturdays at the Farm every week from 9am-1pm for farm fresh produce, live music and activities.

A special thanks to our sponsors, musicians, community partners and volunteers who are committed to this event.

Please consider this a rain check and we will keep you posted on the rescheduled date. We hope you will join us to eat, learn & celebrate on a sunny day on the farm soon.

Thank you for your understanding and support,

With love from all of us at Soil Born Farms

Many thanks to our event sponsors:

Saturday, March 9 • 9am to 5pm • $75 • American River Ranch

Enjoy a day of inspiration, nature and rejuvenation at Soil Born Farms without leaving the city. Start the spring season off with simple, practical tips for making self-care part of every day. You will hear inspiring personal stories woven with cutting edge research, helpful lifestyle suggestions, cooking, self-healing techniques, nutrition and herbal wisdom. Gather insights and tools that will help you feel your best and stay healthy with the seasons. We’ve planned a day that includes presentations, movement, hands-on activities and nourishing meals. There will be time to ask questions, relax, set your personal intentions, enjoy the American River Ranch and visit with presenters and guests. A light breakfast, delicious organic lunch and afternoon tea will be served. Come make the connection between food, health and the environment. You’ll feel refreshed and motivated to take good care of YOU!
Space is limited. Adults only. Register >>

8:30 to 9am Check-in & Breakfast

9am Welcome & Review the Day

Morning Session

9:15am (choose one):

Outdoor Yoga

with Summer Ward, Yoga and Meditation Instructor
Summer’s teaching is grounded in nature. This class will be a blend of breath work, along with intentional movement. Her style is intuitive and accommodating to all levels. (you can bring your own yoga mat or borrow one)

OR

Nature Walk

with Alyssa Kassner, SBF Youth Educator & Naturalist
Take a moment to get grounded and reconnect with yourself and the environment. Allow the natural world to capture your curiosity, engage all of your senses and inspire gratitude on a peaceful walk around the farm.

10:20am Guided Meditation & Journaling

10:45am Establishing Good Habits

with Rev. Candis Cantin, Integrative Herbalist, Counselor & Teacher, EverGreen School of Integrative Herbology
Ayurveda proposes three stages in the quest for good health: Routine, daily and seasonal activities to prevent illness, purification and palliative therapy for disease, and rejuvenation of the system to enhance health and quality of life. Ayurveda’s preventive medicine is called SVASTHAVRTTA, establishing oneself in good habits. And its salient principle is that one must reject excess in everything. Harmony and health are possible only when everything in life is enjoyed at the proper moment in the proper amount.

11:30am Caring for Your Inner Clock

with Maxine Barish-Wreden, MD, ABIHM Medical Director of the Institute for Health & Healing in Sacramento
Longevity is affected by many things, including our nutrition, sleep, and exercise. But did you know that the timing of your meals, exercise, and sleep may also have a profound impact on your health and longevity? Dr. Max will explore how the body’s natural biological rhythms, also known as circadian rhythms, may be a key contributor to our long-term good health by optimizing our metabolism and ensuring the healthy expression of our genes.

12:30 to 1:30pm Lunch served in the Farmhouse Kitchen & Patio

Enjoy an organic salad bar of your dreams, homemade soup and special treats. The lunch is sponsored by Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and prepared by our Culinary Arts Team.

Afternoon Session

1:30pm (choose one):

Herb Walk & Talk

with Rev. Candis Cantin, Integrative Herbalist, Counselor and Teacher and Daylin Wade, Clinical Herbalist and Community Educator, Owner, Taproot Botanicals
Meet near the outdoor theatre and explore the farm and herb gardens with Candis and Daylin. Learn how to wildcraft herbal medicine in your own backyard. They will share tips for growing, harvesting and making herbal remedies. We will be offering medicinal herb starts and products for sale from Soil Born Farms and Taproot Botanicals.

OR

Gorgeous Greens 3 Ways Cooking Class & Tasting

with Terese Hollander Esperas, Cooking Instructor, A Healthy Kitchen and SBF staff
Emerald Spinach Soup (so velvety and rich you won’t believe it’s dairy-free and quick to make), sautéed garlicky greens (everyone needs this in their repertoire) and a vibrant smoothie with greens, ginger and lemon.

OR

Senses, Massage & Movement

with Ann Sibbet, Co-Owner, Integrative Therapy & Learning Center
Selecting aromatic plants begins this class; with a brief share about the aromatic properties. We proceed to sit on stools for a self-massage sequence to awaken the senses and prepare the body for movement. Our class continues with gentle spine exercises, connected with breathing, seated and standing. Adapted from GYROKINESIS ^® (GYROTONIC^® Expansion System by Juliu Horvath).

2:45pm Spring Herbal Tea Tasting • Intention Ritual • Sound Healing

Sound Healing with Dana Marie, THY NATURE. Demonstration using crystal bowls and other instruments.

3:30pm Self ♥ Care Panel

Facilitated by Janet Zeller, Founder & Co-Director Soil Born Farms
Inspiring conversation about self care with a cook, farmer, activist, educator, herbalist, doctor and yogi.

4:30pm Closing Circle

Special thanks to the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op for supporting the meals for this event.

Work and Learn on Wellness Wednesdays

Looking for a fun way to get some exercise, fresh air and sunshine? Play, make friends, get your hands in the soil and nourish your spirit. Volunteers are welcome every Wednesday to assist the the staff in tending our mother and teaching gardens at the American River Ranch. You will learn about medicinal herbs, native plants, flowers, trees, vegetables and succulents. Volunteers support with greenhouse activities, plant sales and fruit tree orchard care. Tasks change with the season. It’s an opportunity to gain knowledge and build skills. Beginning and experienced gardeners are welcome. Help us plan accordingly, sign up for a volunteer shift in advance >>

Double Your Impact: Matching Grant Extended to Jan. 18

Invest in the Possibilities. In the spring of 2000, a seed holding the vision of what Soil Born Farms could become was planted in a vacant field behind Betsy Collins’ home on Hurley Way. This seed, cultivated with love and hard work and sustained by the support of a small number of donors and community partners, has blossomed into a powerful force for change in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. Our talented team of farmers, educators, activists and volunteers has accomplished a lot but there is much more to do. Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project is at a pivotal point in our mission to improve health, reduce hunger and move into the next phase of development of our Center for Food Health & the Environment at the American River Ranch. We need your financial support to continue this legacy project.

Double your impact. Help us meet our end-of-the-year fundraising goal of $150,000 by making a tax-deductible investment in Soil Born Farms by Jan. 18. Your gift will be matched with generous support from the Dave & Maxine Clark Family up to $75,000.

Priorities and Accomplishments

Grow More Food and Farmers

Develop a one-acre training garden to teach home-scale farming, manage our young fruit tree orchard and train more farming apprentices and urban gardeners. Help reduce hunger neighborhood by neighborhood. We have trained 59 beginning farmers since 2000. 1,795 adults attended classes in 2018.

Advance the School Garden Initiative

Cultivate relationships with partners and share resources across the region. Advocate for a garden in every school. Provide life-changing experiences for more students grades 1–12 attending Title 1 schools. Host A Garden in Every School Symposium on March 14 and 15, 2020. Our team engages more than 2,557 students in the garden during the school year at ten campuses in South Sacramento and Rancho Cordova.

Seed the Future of the Edible City

Install a new greenhouse, purchase supplies and equipment, and establish a nursery to provide starts of vegetables, fruit tree stock, native edibles, and medicinal and culinary herbs. This will support the visionary initiatives of our Harvest Sacramento, Growing Together and Grow Your Groceries programs. Since 2010, over 386,060 pounds of fruit has been gleaned and donated to families in need. This year, 130,000 plants were seeded in our greenhouse and over 118 varieties.

Restore and Develop the Historic American River Ranch

Construct the new Farmstand building to include a snack bar, commercial kitchen and cooking school, upgrade the parking lots and install a shade structure in the outdoor theatre. Over 4,200 students enjoyed hands-on experiences at the American River Ranch this year.

Partner with Soil Born Farms

In addition to raising essential funds to sustain our programs and initiatives, we are seeking individual and corporate partners to help us advance important priority projects in 2019. Contact Shawn Harrison or Janet Zeller for more info: (916) 363.9685 x1015.

Fund-a-Need: Mini-Jack Tincture Press

Our herbal studies program teaches people how to care for themselves and their families. students learn how to make herbal tea, cook with herbs and prepare natural medicine for healing using plants they can grow in their own backyard. We want to show people how to make herbal extracts and oils using a Tincture Press. This will provide students with practical experience and increase the value they receive from classes we offer. We need this important tool to launch a micro-business using organic herbs grown at the farm to make a line of herbal products that will help fund the work of our nonprofit organization and train youth. ($565)

We need additional funds to invest in priority needs for each program beyond our budgeted fundraising goals. Funding a need will be a game changer for our programs. Cash, check, card or pledges accepted. Donate online >>

After School Program: Cook’s Club

NEW! This pilot after school program is designed to give youth hands-on cooking experiences and seed-to-table knowledge about nutrition, organic produce and culinary herbs. Teens will prepare and share dishes that are both tasty and healthy. Our farm-to-fork recipes will inspire healthy eating habits, teach basic culinary skills while building a supportive community. We are devoted to giving every teen the opportunity of a positive connection to whole foods and empowering them to cook for themselves and their families. Dinner included every time we meet. Held on Tuesdays: Oct. 23, Nov. 13 and 27 and Dec. 4 and 11 from 3:30 to 6pm. Price: $199 includes meals. Register >>