Sandy Loam is excited to announce a new partnership with Sonoma County Ag + Open Space to launch Gathered Leaves, an initiative that expands access to farms and nature for people with increased care needs.

Sandy Loam designs and delivers place-based, community-centered programs that integrate agriculture, environmental stewardship, and foundational community wellbeing. We believe that farms and nature are foundational determinants of health and wellbeing. Likewise, healthy food systems and resilient landscapes depend upon active community and environmental stewardship. These reciprocal relationships should be open to everyone, regardless of age, socioeconomic background, or physical or developmental ability. Through this partnership, Sandy Loam will develop two new programs:

Gathered Leaves Livelihoods: A farm- and nature-based workforce readiness program for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Participants develop practical job skills through floriculture, ecological stewardship, habitat restoration, and land-based work.

Gathered Leaves Teahouse: A bilingual program that brings older adults together through nature, art, gentle movement, tea, and conversation to promote wellbeing, creativity, and connection to both community and the natural world.

About Sonoma County Ag + Open Space

Sonoma County Ag + Open Space is a community-created, taxpayer-funded special district dedicated to protecting Sonoma County’s farms, ranches, natural lands, and places for public access and recreation. Through partnerships with organizations across the county, Ag + Open Space helps ensure that conserved lands provide lasting benefits for wildlife, agriculture, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.

We are grateful to Ag + Open Space for investing in a vision that demonstrates how conserved lands can support not only healthy ecosystems, but healthier, more connected communities.