Sandalwood Farm and Sanctuary
The Rancho Cucamonga Community & Arts Foundation is proud to support grantee Sandalwood Farm and Sanctuary, a regenerative retreat rooted in ancestral wisdom, ecological stewardship, and community healing. Founded with a vision of food sovereignty and intergenerational connection, Sandalwood Farm creates spaces where art, culture, and environmental stewardship converge to inspire and educate the community.
For the Living Pallet series, Sandalwood Farm partnered with the Maloof Foundation to present a collection of free, two-hour workshops for Rancho Cucamonga residents. Designed for participants of all ages, the workshops explored the intersections of foodways, nature, and creative expression while emphasizing the importance of food preservation, gardening, and cultural traditions in strengthening community ties and ecological awareness.
Held in the beautiful outdoor setting of the Maloof Foundation from October 2025 through April 2026, the four workshops offered hands-on learning experiences that encouraged creativity, sustainability, and collaboration.
Participants in Terracotta Olla Plant Pals, led by artist Alcira “Alley Cat” Mendoza, created handcrafted “ollas,” a traditional clay vessel that slowly releases water into the soil to nourish garden plants. Each piece was uniquely decorated while serving as a practical and sustainable gardening tool.
Fiber and natural dye artist Cayetano Talavera led a workshop exploring the vibrant colors found in local plants and kitchen scraps. Participants learned how to extract natural dyes from onion skins and black walnuts and apply them to silk and cotton fabrics using resist-tying techniques to create one-of-a-kind bandanas.
In Earth and Garden Stakes, artists Luz Durini and Dawn Mendelson guided participants in creating mosaic plant markers with reusable materials, demonstrating a creative, environmentally conscious approach to labeling garden crops.
The final workshop, Walking with Anansi: Giant Community Puppet Making, was led by Solstice Theatre IE, a grassroots theater project that uplifts stories of land, diaspora, environmental awareness, and community empowerment through shadow puppetry and performance. Community members collaborated on a giant puppet inspired by Anansi the spider before joining a lively parade through the Maloof wildlife habitat.
Through the Living Pallet series, Sandalwood Farm and Sanctuary created meaningful opportunities for residents of Rancho Cucamonga to engage with art, culture, and sustainability. This series of free workshops was made possible by the Arts Organization/Community Art Grant and served over 100 participants.
To learn more about Sandalwood Farm and Sanctuary, visit their Instagram.
