Nothing concentrates the mind like gardening. In 1996, when Ricky Baruc and Deb Habib came upon a clearing in the woods near the Quabbin reservoir, they saw healthy soil where there was none.
The new alchemist alum gathered their knowledge to become one with the land by using new and old techniques. The resulting paradise, Seeds of Solidarity in Orange, consists of four thriving greenhouses, two stucco buildings and an educational entity, all humming along on alternative energy. Their no-till gardening, healthy worm population and solar wizardry make up the curriculum of their non-profit and the basis of The Garlic Festival, a community celebration that attracts tens of thousands of people every year.
Seeds of Solidarity is a major contributor of salad greens and knowledge to Western Mass and beyond. Deb runs the Grow Food Everywhere institute, training educators and others to do just that, and Ricky maintains the gardens. Getting back to the earth is more than driving a Prius and squatting in the woods for them—it means honoring practices and forces that were here before the 21st century and will be here long after we're gone. And gardening is step one.
"People have three misconceptions about how to grow food, and that is why they don't do it," says Ricky. "One, my back hurts. Two, I don't have a tiller. Three, I don't have the time. None of that is true except for the back, but you can get around that."
Doing without petrochemicals is a matter of embracing the planting practices in place before the arrival of Columbus. "We need to bring spirit into the conversation," says Ricky. "As a farmer, what I see missing in the articles and conversations surrounding food is the spirit of the land, all that is not seen, the sacredness that connects food to the larger universe."
Ricky's no-till gardening approach allows one to have an instant garden without disrupting the soil or having to rely on machinery. It is a matter of laying down cardboard on grass to break down the sod and throwing decent mulch on top. The worms do a lot of what a tiller would, and nature takes its course. There is more to it than that depending on what you choose to plant, but not much more.
To hear about the process of "No-Till Gardening" and to get the Seeds of Solidarity vibe, visit the open house on June 13 (Solidarity Saturday tour, Saturday, June 13, 10-11.30a.m.).
Now is the time to increase food and energy interdependence, and you can start by experiencing the Seeds of Solidarity home and education center, integrating solar greenhouses, energy-efficient buildings, abundant market gardens, solar electric and hot water systems and biodiesel vehicles (all for free). After the tour, you're invited to bring a potluck lunch, then stay for the afternoon workshop (No-Till Gardening for Life, Saturday June 13, 1-3 p.m.)
Permanent raised beds, mulching and "the cardboard method" build fertile living soil, produce abundant food and mitigate climate change. Seeds of Solidarity offers this free workshop to support the efforts of Grow Food Everywhere. These workshops are free and open to the public, and held shine or rain at Seeds of Solidarity in Orange. No registration is required.
For more information about Seeds of Solidarity and directions to the site for this event, visit www.seedsofsolidarity.org or call (978) 544-9023. You can also read more about Seeds of Solidarity at my website, www.valleylocavore.com.
Pony Up, Y'all
Last week over $20,000 was ponied up at a Food Bank fundraiser held at the Blue Heron in Sunderland. The $100-per-person extravaganza celebrated Southern cooking (like Coca Cola Glazed Baby Back Ribs) with upscale Yankee fare (like Roasted Local Asparagus with 12-year-old Balsamic Syrup). Celebrity chef Virginia Willis, author of Bon App?tit, Y'all, made a guest appearance to sign books and collaborate with Deb Snow, the executive chef and owner of Blue Heron in Sunderland.
The menu featured the kind of food Calpurnia (the beloved servant in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird) might have dished out had she attended cooking school in France. On the third floor at the Blue Heron, under the stamped tin ceiling, stood a Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Grits Bar.
A Southern staple, grits are a side dish of cooked ground corn (or hominy), served with just about everything. The "everything" at this event included Shrimp Creole, smoky Collard Greens, seared Spice Rubbed Skirt Steak, Duck Ragu and Eggplant Jam. Some of the dishes were Virginia's, some were Deb's.
The dueling Southern and Midwestern accents heard during prep earlier were wielded by seasoned pros in strong command of the staff, the heat of the oven and technique. Virginia was kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living Television. Deb is an award-winning chef and educator who has trained many chefs the region. The atmosphere in the kitchen (from which I was banished due to too much talking) was brisk and professional.
The money ponied up by eaters (an anonymous person donated $5,000) and providers (Blue Heron, Seeds of Solidarity, V-1 Vodka and Diemand Farms, among others), is a timely sum. According to Executive Director of the Food Bank of Western Mass Andrew Morehouse, demand is up eight percent and the expectation is that it will continue to grow because of the state budget crisis, the rising cost of living and lay-offs. With unemployment at a 25-year high, Morehouse says that it will be much harder for people to put food on the table.
Locavore: In your literature, you say that because of the price breaks the Food Bank gets through purchasing in bulk and receiving government subsidies, the buying power of a $100 donation is higher than a straight dollar for dollar equation. How does that work?
Andrew Morehouse: As the central clearinghouse for the region, we receive local food donations from supermarkets, farmers, small businesses and food drives as well as donations from national manufacturers and wholesalers by virtue of our relationship with Feeding America, the national association of food banks.
We also receive food from state and federal emergency food programs. All of this is stored in our warehouse in Hatfield. Frontline food providers [agencies] then collect it at our warehouse; in the case of 140 local feeding programs, we distribute it to them every month.
Lastly, we receive about 200,000 pounds of fresh organic produce from our very own Food Bank Farm in Hadley.
What do you say to those who claim they can get a meal for less at McDonald's?
Try living off of traditional McDonald's food for an extended period. Wasn't there a movie about this? The Food Bank places an emphasis on stocking nutritious foods. Also, what if you don't have $4.70 after you pay all your bills until your next paycheck or SSI check arrives?
Did you have a favorite last night from the variety of Southern and Northern food served?
I thought the grits were amazing… inexpensive, nutritious and very tasty!
