Tonight on Listening Lyrics, we head to Sweden – a land better known for forests, Volvos, ABBA, winter nights, and great design, but also home to a remarkable jazz and blues tradition. Swedish jazz often blends cool elegance, folk melodies, and deep atmosphere, while Swedish blues brings heartfelt grit with a Scandinavian twist.

From smoky clubs in Stockholm to late-night festivals across the country, Sweden has long proven that soul and swing need no passport. So settle in – this is Swedish jazz and blues.

This week on Hello Davis!, host David Abramson speaks with Nelson Hawkins, a regenerative farmer, community food-system advocate, and founder/co-owner of We Grow Farms (also called We Grow Urban Farm) based in West Sacramento. Hawkins combines urban farming, food access, land stewardship, and social equity. Public profiles describe him as focused on building a regenerative local food system that “heals the land and people.” 

We Grow Farms began through the West Sac Urban Farm program. The farm transformed underused land into productive growing space, and it supplies seasonal produce to nearby communities. They grow dozens of varieties of fruits and vegetables.

Hawkins has been recognized for helping expand opportunities for BIPOC and historically underserved farmers. He has also been involved with the Ujamaa Farmer Collective, a Black-led, farmer-centered initiative focused on affordable land access, cooperative economics, and shared resources for farmers. He uses farming not just to grow food, but to grow community, opportunity, and environmental resilience in the Sacramento region.

With enrollment in Davis schools declining, the Davis school district is looking at shutting at least one elementary school. So far, two concepts have emerged — to close Patwin and possibly also Birch Lane — and to move programs and shift attendance boundaries. The School Board expects to decide in spring 2027, with any closure starting in fall 2028. 

Colleen Zern, a local attorney and UC Davis lecturer, is among the Davis parents opposing this idea. Today on Davisville she talks about process, the new-home development projects that people in Davis will vote on this year, the petition to form a citizens group to look at options to handle declining enrollment, and how she wants the district to proceed.

(Related program: "Davis faces choice between more homes, fewer schools," May 12, 2025)