Orchard with contour swales on a regenerated Sonoma County property

Who We Are

Helping landowners maximize the potential of their properties.

Community Soil is a comprehensive design, installation, and maintenance company that offers a range of services to assist landowners in maximizing the potential of their properties.

We manage sites from the foundation of the home to the edges of the property lines, including all aspects of construction from infrastructures and utilities to intricate plantings. Throughout the project, our top priority is clear communication, ensuring that our clients' expectations regarding aesthetics, functionality, and costs are understood and met.

Our practice is ecologically driven, taking into account the changing climate, the regional environment, and the life cycles of the materials we use. Upon project completion, our clients can expect beautiful spaces that not only serve their functional purposes but also grow more resilient and enjoyable over time.

At Community Soil, site maintenance goes beyond a simple weekly mow and blow routine. We create spaces that can thrive with care provided on a monthly, bi-monthly, or even quarterly basis. By establishing a tailored maintenance plan, we ensure the ongoing health and vitality of the landscapes we create.

How We Got Started

Our History

Community Soil was founded in 2010 as a family-oriented and ethically driven business with deep roots in Sonoma County. We feel fortunate to live and work in this remarkable region, improving landscapes throughout diverse and favorable microclimates. Our appreciation for our neighbors drives us to care for the land in a way that ensures that its beauty, abundance, and biodiversity can be cherished by many generations to come. We deeply value our employees, and respect the need to provide living wages and benefits.

Landowners today understand the critical importance of addressing climate change, and we are honored to collaborate with them in creating sustainable solutions that mitigate climate impacts, improve resilience, and ensure long-term productivity.

Community Soil is more than just a business; it is a family-owned and operated venture deeply rooted in Sonoma County. We feel fortunate to raise our families in this remarkable region while working with the land in such a diverse and favorable microclimate.

Terraced planting beds on a Sonoma County property cared for by Community Soil

Est. 2012 · Our Sister Nonprofit

Community Soil Foundation

Community Soil Foundation was founded in 2012 to share our priorities with a wider population. The Foundation offers ecological education to school children, garden produce to local residents, and fire and flood mitigation to impacted communities.

It grew from a simple conviction: that the same regenerative practices we bring to private land can strengthen the resilience and well-being of the wider community.

Meet Our Team Leaders

Skilled, principled people who care for your land like their own.

Paolo Tantarelli

Owner · Principal · Project Manager

Paolo Tantarelli is a Sonoma County native and the founding principal of Community Soil, a mission-driven business specializing in high-end landscape design, site planning, construction, and maintenance. He has overseen the implementation of family property legacy projects in the North Bay for over 15 years.

His strengths include project planning, communications, estimation, and project management. Dedicated to sustainability and whole-systems thinking, Paolo understands how the California landscape can remain resilient to climate change while being enjoyed by multiple generations.

He has traveled extensively in Central and South America, following a passion to study human behavior and healthy food systems throughout history. His gardening style reflects key principles of permaculture, bio-intensive methods, and biomimicry.

Josho Somine, MLA, BFA, CPI

Lead Designer

Josho is a Bay Area native who first encountered permaculture in the late '90s, studying, working and teaching nationally and internationally over the next 10+ years. He earned a BFA in sculpture and public art from CCAC in '02, and worked in nonprofit garden-based education for several years.

Seeking more design rigor, he completed a Master's in Landscape Architecture at UW Seattle in 2010, and worked at a high-end design firm for 5 years before joining Community Soil.

Devoted to aesthetics and a stickler for details, he likes to connect big-picture thinking with intimate built details, and seeks to cultivate legibility and spatial dynamism in the landscape.

Isaac Lakatos

Project Manager

Isaac has over a decade of hands-on experience in agriculture, beginning in Hawai‘i and expanding into commercial operations across California. His work includes irrigation design, fertigation systems, soil improvement, and plant health programs for high-value crops.

He has also consulted internationally in Mexico, Italy, and Spain on cultivation systems and supply chain consistency.

At Community Soil, Isaac focuses on irrigation design, water system diagnostics, project planning, and clear technical support for clients.

Start With The Land

Book your site visit.

Tell us about your property and what you hope it can become. We offer a complimentary half-hour visit for prospective Sonoma County clients.

Book a Free Site Visit Call 707-889-1744