Learn from expert local gardeners
Drawing on local expertise and successes growing food, we have prepared an information resource on edible plant varieties best suited to West Marin micro-climates.
In 2021 we recorded video tours of phenomenal food gardens that you can view online in the form of webinars with Burton Eubank (Inverness Park) and with Mark Butler (Bolinas).
Learn from community experts on water conservation
While gardening can help increase our access to healthy, fresh produce and increase our resilience to food supply disruptions, our ability to grow food is dependent on water supply. During drought season each summer and fall, and sometimes during dry winters, too, our water supply can dwindle. It makes sense to prepare by storing rainwater, and learning water conservation techniques.
In 2021, we hosted two informative webinars on adapting to drought conditions. You can view recordings of these events: Garden Watering During Drought; and Practical Water Conservation.
We hosted a practical workshop on Rooftop Water Catchment in the fall of 2022.
Some of our neighbors have installed water catchment systems at their homes. In addition to the examples above, here’s an example from a home in Inverness. These are food grade, 275 and 325 gallon IBC tanks: 48”x40”x46”. (On Craigslist, $99 each).
North Marin Water District offers rebates of up to $0.25 per gallon of storage.
We’d love to see more local examples. Please share photos and a short description of your water catchment system. It may help others to consider and install their own. Send to westmarinclimateaction@gmail.com.
Print and online resources
Golden Gate Gardening: We urge West Marin food gardeners to obtain a copy of Golden Gate Gardening: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Food Gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area & Coastal California, by Pam Pierce. Golden Gate Gardening is referred to by many as their “bible.” The 30th anniversary edition was published in August 2023, and older editions are also informative. GGG is also available through our libraries. GGG has excellent planting calendars for sunnier (warmer) and foggier (cooler) microclimates
UC Marin Master Gardeners (MMG)
The MMG Edibles Website is chock-full of useful information, including Soil, Tips & Techniques, Top 20 Edible Garden Problems, Container Gardening, and Grow & Care Sheets for over 65 vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
The MMG YouTube channel offers tips on a variety of topics ranging from straw-bale gardening to how to set a gopher trap.
Vegetable and Herb Planting Calendars for Marin County - This calendar doesn’t have warmer/cooler microclimate options. It’s an average for Marin.
However, late winter and spring are when planting dates vary the most between warmer and cooler locations. The MMG website has a second calendar for when to plant spring/summer edibles.
