This weekend, Tom and I planted our vegetable starts, and I have to say, there’s something about that simple act that just reminds you that our summer is right in front of us.

We try not to complicate it. A few starts in the soil, make it look pretty, and a little care. But standing there, looking out over what will soon become something we’ll eat, I was reminded again how lucky we are to live here.

Healdsburg, and really all of Sonoma County. gives us this incredible gift of climate. Warm days, cool evenings, that perfect feel that somehow turns a small tomato plant into something abundant. Tomatoes that taste like they should. Basil that grows faster than you can use it. Squash, peppers, herbs… it all just works here.

And the truth is, it doesn’t matter how big your space is. You can have a few pots on a patio, a couple of wine barrels, or a full garden with raised beds and rows of vegetables. It’s all the same feeling. It’s stepping outside in the morning, coffee in hand, and noticing what’s changed overnight. What’s ready. What you get to bring into your kitchen that day.

There’s something really satisfying about that. You plant, you wait, you tend to it a bit, and then, almost without thinking, your meals start to revolve around what’s growing. A simple pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil (my favorite). Grilled vegetables picked just hours before. It doesn’t need to be complicated to feel special.

But there’s another layer to it especially living here in Healdsburg and being a part of the Rotary Club of Healdsburg.

We’re surrounded by abundance, but there’s also a quiet, ongoing effort in this community to make sure that fresh, healthy food reaches everyone. People who give their time, their land, and their energy to grow vegetables not for themselves, but for others. And what I love is the thoughtfulness behind it, growing what people recognize, what families know how to cook, what feels familiar and nourishing. It’s not just about providing food. It’s about providing something meaningful.

And then there’s the sharing. Perhaps you could consider delivering some additional tomatoes to a neighbor. Dropping off herbs to a friend. Or just being a little more aware of what it means to have access to fresh, homegrown food. For me, this weekend was a reminder of all of it.

The simplicity of planting. The beauty of watching something grow. The ease of living in a place where this is even possible. And the connection, both to the land and to the people around us—that comes from something as simple as a garden.

This really is the Sonoma County lifestyle at its core. Not the polished version, not the picture-perfect version, but the real one. Where you step outside, pick what’s ready, and feel just a little more connected to where you are.