There are very few jails that serve organic, heirloom moon and star melons, but the North County Detention Facility in Sonoma not only has these growing in the garden, but they also harvest about 300 pounds of zucchini a week, as well Roma tomatoes for sauce, and fresh fruit from their orchard and berry bushes. However, Rick Stern, instructor for the jail industry program, assured, "Mostly the food served here is pretty bad. It's jail food."

Rick oversees the inmates in a gardening program that's a collaboration between Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, the Sonoma County Office of Education, and the National Tree Trust. Lessons for this certificate program run the gamut from plant propagation to work readiness skills. The inmates are non-violent offenders who are serving 1 year or less and the hopes are that new job skills will assist them get a better start when they get out. Kathy Taylor, a student in the program said. "I like being outside and feeling productive. We see things from seed to flower," she said. She's working on a certificate and hopes to find work at an orchard supply company when she gets out.

They've been focusing on cultivating Sonoma All Stars. This group of landscaping plants includes both California natives like Manzanita and yarrow as well as Mediterranean species including lavender and rosemary that have been selected for their drought tolerance properties; these have few problems with pests and diseases so are easier to maintain organically and support native birds and insects. The demonstration garden shows ways to replace lawns with the Sonoma All Stars.

This program is economically self-sufficient due to their plant sales. You can make an appointment to visit the nursery and purchase plants by contacting Rick Stern at (jailind@mcn.org). Since they use donated tools and containers, as well as inmate labor, they are able to sell 1-gallon plants for a little as $2.00. In the past they donated over 100,000 trees and plants to the community, but with recent budget cuts, they've had to stop this, but they still give schools a 20% discount, and people willing to volunteer get a 50% discount.

One inmate who chose to remain anonymous had this to say about the program: "It's better than the cell," he said. "It's nice to get fresh air and learn something educational. As well, plants are therapeutic. This program is about rehabilitation. Everything else about jail is punishment."

Upcoming plant sales and open houses will be held on October 3rd and October 24th. You can walk through the demonstration gardens and Sonoma County Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your questions. Visit their website for more information at Sonoma Jail Industries.

The following donations are needed by the program, so if you have these gathering dust, please drop them off: Wagons, wheelbarrow, garbage cans, empty plant containers, cordless drill, folding tables, digital camera, laptop and tractor.

Next Week on City Dirt

Tomato Varietal Garden and wine pairings by Jeff Dawson, garden curator at Round Pond Estates and seasonal tomato recipes from chef David Lawrence at 1300 On Fillmore.

Calendar Buzz

Kendall-Jackson is holding a tomato festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 12th. Visit their garden and admire the 175 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Activities include garden seminars, garden tours, a tomato growing contest, live entertainment, and food from the North Bay's top chefs, all paired with Kendall-Jackson wines. The Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, located at 5007 Fulton Road in Santa Rosa. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center at 800.769.3649. Tickets can also be purchased at the Kendall-Jackson Tasting Room in Healdsburg at 337 Healdsburg Avenue or at their website. The Kendall Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival is a charitable event supporting the School Garden Network of Sonoma County.