Great Grow Out Solano

Gardeners in Solano County and the surrounding areas can grow most vegetable crops at home, but not all varieties grow and produce well in our unique climate and soils. What if we had an abundance of seeds for vegetable varieties proven both to grow well in our gardens and to taste great on the table?

Great Grow Out Solano is an annual community of gardeners in Solano County and the surrounding areas that collectively plan and grow the future of hyperlocal home garden vegetable varieties. The overall goal is to grow out as many vegetable varieties as possible and to share knowledge and seeds from our tastiest successes. In the process, we will identify, improve or even create varieties that grow well in home gardens here with minimal inputs and effort.

Great Grow Out Solano takes place in any home garden, from the tiniest corner of a raised bed to a full-sized plot. The project is open to anyone in Solano County and the surrounding areas. This is first and foremost a community of generosity. The more gardeners who do this work, the faster we can create truly special hyperlocal foods. All are welcome.

Group Benefits

Basic training on all aspects of planting, growing, selecting, and saving seeds
Join a community of learning and pooled knowledge
Increase the biodiversity in local communities
Better-tasting home-grown food
Project hours for UCCE Master Gardeners

Ways to Participate

Grower: Register a Great Grow Out project. A project is a specific variety or vegetable type you will grow at home organically and save seeds from the best plants. Two types of projects are: (1) grow out a named variety for the purpose of saving seeds from plants that grow best in your local conditions, and (2) cross-pollinate and save seeds to replant for the purpose of developing a new variety.
Starter: Grow seedlings for free distribution to the group and the broader home gardening community.
Seed Steward: Store, buy and share seeds.
Organizer: Track and organize information on seed sources, production, trials, and other data from all participants.

To Join Great Grow Out Solano 2022

Email Alex (alexrussvacaville@gmail.com) with the following information:

Your name, city, and best contact information.
Whether you would like to participate as a Grower, Starter, Seed Steward, or Organizer.
If participating as a Grower, detail the project you would like to register that including the variety or vegetable type, any specific goals you would like to accomplish, any training or information you need to get started, and whether you would like to invite others to join your project by growing out seeds or seedlings that you provide.

2022 Dates

January 22, 2022: Presentation on Great Grow Out Solano 2022 and ways to participate: https://www.meetup.com/Vacaville-Gardening-Meetup/events/283222494/
February 5, 2022: Group meeting, training requests, seed exchange
March 2022: Full training on organic home gardening and seed saving, Date/time TBD
April 2, 2022: Group meeting and seedling exchange
July 2022: Group update meeting, Date/time TBD
September 2022: Tasting and season updates, Date/time TBD