Meristem

Meristem Meristem is a multi-year transitional program for young adults on the autism spectrum. Posts/Comments Policy

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We have some exciting news to share.Meristem has received a Doyuti T'uhkama grant from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and...
08/21/2026

We have some exciting news to share.

Meristem has received a Doyuti T'uhkama grant from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and we are truly grateful.

Doyuti T'uhkama means "to give the acorn" in the Patwin language. It reflects the Tribe's deep commitment to sharing resources with the communities around them. For a program like ours, where young adults with autism and other neurodiversities learn to grow food, tend animals, practice traditional crafts, and build lives of meaning, that kind of investment hits close to home.

This grant supports our "Building a Community Health Hub with Autistic Young Adults" initiative. Here is what we are building:

🌱 Expanding our land steward program to serve 65 autistic and neurodiverse young adults in hands-on programming across agriculture, herbal arts, bushcraft, woodworking, nutrition, and more.

🤝 Formalizing partnerships with sovereign Indigenous tribes, including community members with ties to the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and the Jackson Band of Miwuk Indians, to create shared educational spaces and cultivate traditional medicinal plants together.

🌾 Developing a long-term land stewardship plan that brings traditional land management practices into the future of our 13-acre campus.

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation's values of stewardship, respect, and community are ones we share. We are honored by their trust and excited about the work ahead.

Thank you, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. 🙏

Learn more about Doyuti T'uhkama: https://yochadehe.gov/giving/doyuti-tuhkama/

Back-to-school season comes with a lot for every family. New routines. New teachers. New schedules. New expectations. Ev...
08/19/2026

Back-to-school season comes with a lot for every family. New routines. New teachers. New schedules. New expectations. Even the lunchbox has a job description now.

For autistic students and young adults, all of those changes can arrive at once. A different route. An unfamiliar classroom. A new schedule. More sensory input. More systems to keep track of.

Meristem’s new guide offers practical ways to make the unfamiliar more predictable before the first day, from practicing routines and previewing environments to planning for sensory needs, accommodations, and recovery time.

The goal is not a flawless first day. It is helping each student enter the new term with more agency and less avoidable stress.

Read the guide: https://meristem.pro/family-caregiver-resources/back-to-school-for-autistic-students-a-practical-guide-for-families-and-young-adults/

There are dishes you can make all year. Then there are dishes that belong to a particular moment.Chef Sean’s Gazpacho be...
08/18/2026

There are dishes you can make all year. Then there are dishes that belong to a particular moment.

Chef Sean’s Gazpacho belongs to late summer.

Smoked tomato. Cucumber stock. Watermelon. Mint. Red onion. Blackberry gastrique. Crostini.

It is cool, bright, a little unexpected, and built for the kind of August afternoon that makes you rethink a hot lunch.

The Meristem Cafe is open Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu is entirely gluten-free and dairy-free.

Order online: https://order.toasttab.com/online/meristem-cafe-9200-fair-oaks-boulevard

What does greater independence actually look like?The honest answer is that it looks different for everyone.For one pers...
08/18/2026

What does greater independence actually look like?

The honest answer is that it looks different for everyone.
For one person, it may mean getting a job or going to college. For someone else, it may mean cooking a meal, taking care of a personal need, building a first friendship, or being able to contribute more at home.

This week on Anatomy of Growth, Erin explores the idea of defining an outcome. Start with where you are. Consider what is possible. Then identify the smaller steps that can help bridge the space between the two.

The practice this week is presence. Be inwardly focused on the task in front of you, while staying engaged with the world around you.

The value is “I am the change I wish to see, collaboration.” We are responsible for our own change. We also need the perspectives of others to help us see the part we may be missing.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/mXAgxmF7sA4

The Meristem Cafe is open again today.Before we reopen the doors for lunch, we wanted to share a look at one of the thin...
08/12/2026

The Meristem Cafe is open again today.

Before we reopen the doors for lunch, we wanted to share a look at one of the things that makes this space matter. New students and staff gathered here for dinner, getting to know one another.

The cafe is where purpose meets the plate. It is also a place to connect, practice real skills, and be part of campus life.

Come see us Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everything is gluten-free and dairy-free.

Order online: https://order.toasttab.com/online/meristem-cafe-9200-fair-oaks-boulevard

The Meristem Cafe will be closed from July 27 through August 11 as our campus takes a brief break and prepares to welcom...
07/28/2026

The Meristem Cafe will be closed from July 27 through August 11 as our campus takes a brief break and prepares to welcome a new group of students this fall.

We reopen on Tuesday, August 12. See you then.

Last week, the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce came to us.We were glad to welcome them into Norton Hall, our newly renovat...
07/21/2026

Last week, the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce came to us.

We were glad to welcome them into Norton Hall, our newly renovated administration space, for an afternoon of connection and conversation. The room was full, the food was good, and the community showed up in the way it always does.

Meristem does not exist in isolation. The work we do on this campus is made possible by the people and organizations around us who believe in it. The Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce is one of those partners, and having them here felt like exactly that.

Thank you for coming. The door is always open.

Meristem in the Community.Last week, our students took a trip to Volcano, CA to explore the caverns there. And it was mo...
07/15/2026

Meristem in the Community.

Last week, our students took a trip to Volcano, CA to explore the caverns there. And it was more than just a field trip.

Moving through an underground environment asks something specific of you. The terrain is uneven. The light is different. The sounds and temperature shift. You have to pay attention to where your body is, where the walls are, where the path goes. You have to slow down and notice.

That kind of environmental awareness is something we work on every day at Meristem. Getting out into the world and practicing it in a place like this makes it real in a way a classroom cannot.

Adventure, movement, and presence. All in one afternoon.

At Meristem, staff are not trying to heal anyone.That is a deliberate choice, and it points to something fundamental abo...
07/13/2026

At Meristem, staff are not trying to heal anyone.

That is a deliberate choice, and it points to something fundamental about how this work is done.
This week on Anatomy of Growth, Erin opens a new concept: healing. But not the way most people mean it. The premise is this: every person already has the capacity to be whole.

Challenges and hard moments can create disconnects from that wholeness, but the wholeness itself is always there. The work of a teacher or support person is not to fix someone. It is to hold space for them to reconnect to what they already possess.

That is what "awaken the possible" actually means.
The practice this week is communication, taken deeper than words. The invitation is to explore listening at the level where you do not even need to share a language to understand what someone is trying to express. That kind of listening requires stillness. And it requires noticing the habits (tiredness, distraction, internal noise) that keep you from getting there.

The value is: I want to learn individual potential. The example is one most people will recognize. You are in a meeting. Your tone is calm. But your fists are clenched. Notice it. Release the grip. Feel your feet on the ground. Sometimes that single shift is enough to change everything.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/XGfe9Kw5isE?si=S8HW3NI5ZPbvhW9w

07/09/2026

The Meristem Cafe has a new summer menu, and it is worth coming in for.

Chef Sean's Gazpacho is made with smoked tomato, cucumber stock, watermelon, mint, red onion, and a blackberry gastrique. It is cold, it is complex, and it is exactly what Sacramento summer calls for.

Chef Teresa's Street Tacos bring shredded chicken mole with charred elote corn salsa, micro greens, and chips and salsa. The kind of dish that makes you wonder why you ever ordered anything else.

Chef David's Cold Banh Mi Noodle Salad layers rice noodles, shredded cabbage, house-pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, shiitake mushroom, and cilantro in a creamy lemongrass dressing. Add grilled chicken if you want to make it a full meal.

As always, everything on the menu is gluten-free and dairy-free. Made by our students. Served Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 AM to 2 PM.

Reserve your table or order online:
https://order.toasttab.com/online/meristem-cafe-9200-fair-oaks-boulevard

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Address

9200 Fair Oaks Boulevard
Fair Oaks, CA
95628

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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