Making
a Difference: Seeds of Solidarity Farm
By
Columnist-in-Chief Eve Brown-Waite
August 22, 2001
What
do organic produce, ceramic bowls and a biodiesel
station wagon all have in common? Beats me, but I saw
all three at the Seeds of Solidarity booth at the
Greenfield Farmer's Market on a recent Saturday morning.
Turns out all three items are part of Seeds of
Solidarity's eclectic mix of environmentally-sustainable
programming. Seeds of Solidarity Education Center in
Orange, is a non-profit organization founded by Ricky
Baruc and Deb Habib in 2000.
"We
met when we were studying at the New Alchemy Institute
in Cape Cod," Habib told me. "There we learned
about growing food ecologically and using solar green
houses, solar and wind power and aquaculture. So we were
already moving toward trying to farm in a more
ecological way. Then we took part in the Interfaith
Pilgrimage for Peace and Life in 1994-'95. This took us
from Auschwitz to Hiroshima and we got to see for
ourselves the impact of war. It was in Iraq where we got
to see firsthand the impact of a war over oil."
After
witnessing this, Habib and Baruc came back to
Massachusetts committed not only to using biodiesel and
solar power for their own energy needs, but to educating
others to do the same. They founded the Seeds of
Solidarity Education Center which now provides
educational programs that promote regional food and
energy self-reliance. Their education center strives to
educate people about the connection between
environmental and social justice issues through
research, demonstration, and hands-on education.
Seeds
of Solidarity's programs now include:
•
Apprenticeships and workshops on food production, solar
electricity, energy efficient construction and biodiesel,
a vegetable based renewable fuel;
•
SOL (Seeds of Leadership) Garden, an after school and
summer program that inspires leadership and activism
among diverse, local teenagers as they cultivate food
and a hopeful future;
•
Interactive presentations, field trips and innovative
curriculum development for schools and community
organizations;
•
North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival — a celebration
of art, agriculture and community that ignites economic
vitality in the region. Keep your nose out for this
year's festival which will take place on Saturday,
September 22 (or click here for full details).
Within
the next three years, Seeds of Solidarity hopes to
complete work on their SOLidarity Center. This structure
will bring together youth and community members in
building an education center that incorporates and
demonstrates practical environmental and social change.
They also plan to begin the SOL Patrol — a biodiesel-powered
van that will be used by teens to implement gardens for
low income residents, and to increase access to
presentations on food and energy by taking them on the
road.
With their eclectic mix of innovative programs, Seeds of
Solidarity is intent on making a difference globally by
acting locally. To find out more about Seeds of
Solidarity, their upcoming Garlic Festival, and how you
can get involved, visit www.seedsofsolidarity.org.
Or call Deb or Ricky at 978-544-7564.
(Back
to Making a Difference)
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