Upon arriving at the Seeds of Solidarity Education center in Orange, Mass., I come upon my friend Ricky Baruc walking down a row of beans, disturbed about "losing track of varieties". There was a row of dried beans next to a row of fresh beans, or was it the other way around? His markers were either hidden or the writing was lost in the rain. (Who hasn't had that experience? The hardest part of my gardening is keeping track of the varieties). He then immediately reflected on the miraculous way of nature in producing the crop from a tiny seed.
I have known Ricky and his wife Deb Habib for several years and knew they were busy folk. However, until I interviewed them for this story I never realized the extent of projects and activities they are involved with. While we talked, their 2-year-old son Levi kept us supplied with grapes.
Deb and Ricky met at the New Alchemy Institute on Cape Cod in the early '80s. The NAI is a research group that teaches individuals how to create self-sufficient systems for community use. They do this by living with renewable energy sources, producing food through low-input farming/gardening practices and through various forms of recycling/reusing what others consider waste, e.g. using grey water for irrigation. This experience at NAI appears to have shaped their beliefs about living in a less resource-intensive style. They ran their first market garden together there. Ricky then became owner of an organic 20-acre vegetable farm in upstate New York, selling produce to the markets in NYC.
Deb and Ricky married in 1996. Deb worked as a multicultural and environmental educator, Ricky as a carpenter. After marrying, they found themselves slowly putting ideas and concepts learned at NAI into practice. They began searching for land. They believe that no one truly owns the earth, we are just stewards of the land, and as such need to treat it with respect. This philosophy led them down a slightly different path than most folks searching for property.
Through the efforts of Leigh Youngblood at the Mt. Grace Land Conversation Trust, they purchased the 30 acres that would be their farm. It had a variety of restrictions. First, the land would be limited in development allowed. Furthermore, the land would be used only for agricultural endeavors and education, with a residence allowed. This conservation restriction is part of the land title in perpetuity. They have effectively removed the land from the often destructive hands of real estate developers.
The desire to create a healthier life for themselves and little Levi has led them to use solar energy for both the electrical and hot water needs of their super-insulated home. It is heated with only a wood stove and passive solar gain. They use bio-diesel fuel for their two vehicles and a generator, farm organically, and put their professional energies into educating others in lifestyle patterns suited to our planet.
Their farm has become the Seeds of Solidarity Education Center (SOS) incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2000. The mission of the center is to provide educational programs that promote regional food and energy self-reliance. Their "work is a response to the inequitable distribution of resources and ecological destruction that plague communities locally and globally." A combination working farm and education center, SOS offers apprenticeships, and workshops on food production, solar electricity, energy efficient home construction, and bio-diesel.
A teen outreach program is the most visible component of SOS. The Seeds of Leadership (SOL) garden began in 1998 as a partnership between SOS farm and Quabbin Mediation. An after school and summer program, it teaches leadership and teamwork to teens from the Orange and Athol area through organic farming practices and using renewable energy. Some of the teens' accomplishments (as garnered from the SOL Connection, the newsletter of the SOL) at SOL Garden are: starting seedlings for a 4000-sq.-ft. organic garden, designing a solar powered well pump for irrigation, learning sustainable forestry skills, selling produce at the farmers market, donating produce to area homeless shelters, presenting at UMass Earth Connection Conference, and making ceramic bowls for sale at the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival and the Massachusetts Marketplace West.
Deb and Ricky operate the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival, held each September in Orange, MA. They'd been growing garlic for market and liked the idea of a festival that would promote local agriculture and provide a venue for area artists also. From a meager beginning - five friends and neighbors contributing $20 each - began what is now in its third year a very successful event.
They've found the festival is one of the best teaching opportunities for organic agriculture, renewable energy and bio-diesel fuel since it brings together people of all backgrounds and philosophies - not only organic enthusiasts. "No need to preach to people already converted," says Deb. You can purchase local art at the festival, or sample garlic ice cream, listen to area musicians using solar energy as their power source, or listen to Deb give a talk on growing garlic while you sit under a tree with a plate of delicious food from area businesses. Or talk to Ricky about bio-diesel.
Bio-diesel is really Ricky's passion. It's a clean burning vegetable-based fuel for diesel engines, for which no modifications are needed. Everything on the SOS farm runs on it, from a 20-year-old Mercedes Benz, to a tractor, to the back-up generator, to the new pickup truck. Their decision to switch to that fuel resulted from spending ten days in Iraq several years ago as part of the interfaith pilgrimage for Peace and Life. They witnessed first-hand the effects of a war over oil and knew that they could not keep supporting the oil producers.
There is a bio-diesel producer in the western Massachusetts town of Ashfield. Several large cities are operating bus lines and other town vehicles with it. As Ricky mused, perhaps there are a few farmers with fallow land looking for an opportunity to grow their fuel - soybeans, sunflowers, or corn.
Their license plate on the Mercedes Benz tells all - "VEGPWR". Enjoy the smell of French fries or BBQ coming from the tailpipe - Deb Habib and Ricky Baruc, an inspiration to many, are driving by!
This page was last modified on January 14, 2008 at 12:25:47 PM.