Comstock's magazine 0620 - June June 2020

VACAVILLE & SOLANO REGION Events offer small farmers the opportunity to diversify their income, particularly when crops are not in season. Farmers don’t often have the funds to pay for permits and fees, says Laughlin, which can wipe out an event’s profits. PVAA and supporters like Visit Vacaville and Sustainable Solano, a nonprofit dedicated to a sustainable and just food system, are working to strike a balance with the county, which wants to preserve the agricultural community and ensure the association’s events don’t negatively affect other residents living in the region, says Laughlin, such as with overtourism. But she says the program is structured to retain the authenticity of the rural community and minimize its footprint through appointment-based programs and designated events. In 2017, Visit Vacaville began hosting its annual Farm to Table Dinner on Main Street in downtown Vacaville. It’s a multicourse meal made from locally procured ingredients by local chefs to highlight the area’s farmers and what they produce, says Laughlin. “We really want to build this farmto-table culture for restaurateurs in our community, to show our chefs this can be done,” says Laughlin. This year’s event, expected to attract more than 150 people, remains tentatively scheduled for Oct. 10. Worldwide, tourism has been all but eliminated by the coronavirus pandemic. For the small farmers of Vacaville, it necessitated the cancellation of nearly all events, which normally take place between April and July. In response, Soul Food Farm has opened a temporary community supported agriculture program, bundling produce and products from various farms to support the local food supply chain. “Once we can all be together again, we’ll have a broader conversation about what we can do to reach out to our community,” says Koefoed. “We’ll think of something. … Something that says we made it through this.” Jennifer Berry writes about science, nature and the environment. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and on the air, including Highlights for Children and Public Radio International. Solano County ONE COUNTY, COUNTLESS POSSIBILITIES Winters Davis With sophisticated and scalable manufacturing capabilities from biotech to food, Solano offers an optimal Bay Area location without the price tag Vallejo Vacaville Fairfield Dixon Rio Vista Suisun City Benicia 888.864.1855 • solanoedc.org #choosesolano BENICIA SUISUN CITY FAIRFIELD RIO VISTA DIXON VACAVILLE VALLEJO 78 comstocksmag.com | June 2020

Comstock's magazine 0620 - June June 2020 | Page 78