Join ADAMAH on December 6th “Inside the Activist Studio”

Are you part of the Jewish Social Activist community, or want to be? Adamah is co-sponsoring Inside the Activist Studio on December 6th, in Brooklyn. Come and be inspired by awesome local change-makers, meet new people and build community. Read on for more details.
Hope to see you there! (We’ll be selling pickles and cheese if that is an incentive for you).

Join us to learn from and be energized by local Jewish change-makers and to celebrate the multitude of ways we are collectively working to create a more just and equitable world.

PANEL DISCUSSION WITH:
Carinne Luck – Israel, food and feminist issues organizer
Alan Lungen – Attorney and Darfuri refugee advocate
Avi Rosenthalis – JFREJ member organizer on housing justice / Rude Mechanical Orchestra

SKILLS SHARE WORKSHOPS WITH:
Adam Baruchowitz – Founder, Wearable Collections
Dan Fishback – Performance Artist, Six Points Fellowship
Suzanne Grossman – Career coach, LYJ – Love Your Job
Alison Hirsh – Assistant Political Director of East Coast and Federal Programs, SEIU 32BJ
Isaac Luria – Campaigns Director, JStreet
Amy Schiller – Consultant, CCS Fundraising
Alissa Wise – Program Director, Ma’ayan

Reception with dinner and spoken word performances will follow.

Emceed and with special performances by Daniel “Fritz” Hershel Silber-Baker, award winning slam poet and Brooklyn-based community activist.

Date: Sunday, December 6th
Time: 4pm-9pm, registration at 3:30pm
Place: Congregation Beth Elohim at 274 Garfield Place, in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Cost: Sliding scale, $8 – $18 (nobody will be turned away for lack of funds)

For more information and to register, visit http://whoinspiresyou.eventbrite.com

Hosted by the AJWS-AVODAH Partnership and our partners:
Jewschool.com, the New Israel Fund’s New Generations, Uri L’Tzedek, and the Young Leaders of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

Co-sponsored by:
Adamah, Bronfman Youth Fellowships, Congregation Beth Elohim / Brooklyn Jews, B’nai Jeshurun, Hazon, Jewish Labor Committee, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Moishe House, Romemu, Teva Learning Center, Zeek, and others TBA.

Live Culture At It’s Best

• By: Lauren Weinberg (Current Pickle Apprentice and Fall 2007)
• About two weeks ago, Miriam (Picklady) and I held our
  Lacto-Fermentation 101 class for the fantastic crew of fall
  Adamahniks. We’ve been working non-stop in the Cultural Center
  (formerly the Picklearium) since the start of the season, and decided
  to take an afternoon off Kraut and Kimchi production to teach the
  history and science behind the Lacto-Fermentation process.

  Prior to our class, Miriam and I decided we should incorporate some
  sort of silly skit to get the Adamahniks stoked about
  Lacto-Fermentation. We discussed a few possible ideas, and before I
  knew it, I was stepping inside of one of our 55 gallon fermentation
  barrels. The plan: I would hide inside of the barrel while Miriam
  acted annoyed that I was late to our class, and in the meantime (ie:
  while I was crouched down in the barrel) figure out what I would do
  when I emerged. Mind you, I have zero improv or contortionist
  experience.

  The scene: The Adamahniks filed into the Cultural Center, Miriam asked
  if anyone had seen me on their way to class (I tried not to giggle or
  make any movements from inside the barrel), then Miriam started off
  the class with a pickle meditation. She distributed delicious Adamah
  Dills to all Adamahniks, and asked everyone to take a few minutes to
  observe the pickle; taste it, hear the crunch, smell the brine. You
  get the idea.

  At this point, I had been in the barrel for a little over 10 minutes
  and it was time to emerge (my legs were starting to fall asleep). I
  popped the lid off the barrel, stood up, and launched into my
  monologue in a ridiculous accent (think Lower East Side Pickle Monger
  meets Dr. Schmaltzenfus) regarding my feelings toward the pickle
  meditation….”What is this meditation business!? You must become ONE
  with the pickle!” I’m uncertain that my re-telling does the scene much
  justice but the look of surprise and confusion on the Adamahniks’
  faces was priceless. Top that, Cirque Du Soleil!

  Following the class, each of the Adamahniks were invited to experiment
  with ingredients and create their own recipe. Salt, spices, cabbage,
  root veggies, and apples were flying. It was a fermentation frenzy!

ADAMAH’s Urban Sustainability Shabbat with Jewish Farm School

By: Julia Gazdag (Current Adamahnik)

Alright. For this blog entry to work, we’ll need to use our imaginations and pretend it’s  November 1, which is when I was supposed to write this. Alas, farm life leaves you with precious little free time and energy, which I’ve flagrantly donated to phoning home (assuming I find service up here in the woods) instead of blogging.

Until now! Let’s rewind, shall we, to the last weekend of October, and the third annual Jewish Farm School weekend workshop in Philadelphia. I mean, as far as field trips go, this one was pretty sweet.

We arrived at the JFS house and were greeted by Nati Passow, the founder/director of the program. Dazed from the drive and bearing endless bins of Sadeh veggies and apples, we settled into our respective homes for the weekend and returned to Nati’s for Shabbat celebrations. Throughout Shabbat there was learning of an agricultural nature, permaculture study, a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop, and of course, homegrown meals accompanied by much loud singing.

Sunday we went to Monster Haus, an urban sustainability project in Philadelphia. After a tour of the house’s interior, greywater system, and garden (complete with compost pile and cobb oven) we set to work on the grounds. Flowers were planted, paths were mulched, sweet potatoes harvested and garlic planted. The compost pile was restructured, and vegan chili was cooked in the kitchen. It’s amazing how much can be done with an urban space, and how a little bit of green can go a long way.

No more carrots…pass the sour ruben

Last night we marked the end of Adamah’s second CSA season in White Plains with a grand finale festival.  The folks from the Teva Climate Change Action Bus brought their topsy turvy truck.  Vendors sold wine and cheese (kosher & organic, of course). And nearly all of the fall Adamahniks made the treck down to White Plains to educate, feed and celebrate the end of the season with the CSA members.

Events included a Seed Match table, run by Clare and Catherine.  Do you know what the seeds from your favorite vegetable look like?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a table where you could make Sour Ruben (what to do with all those turnips!?) and learn about lacto-fermentation; a table where you could sample, and make your own, apple salsa; a recipe conversation where folks could chat about all things food; and of course, our delicious pickled products available on sale.  A real highlight was Mike, Josh and Chasdi playing music and singing, with Mike and Josh in Hazon’s human-sized carrot and pea costumes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A great time was had by all.  What a great way to end the season!

 

Cool new sustainable food jobs website!

Check out this new website which offers jobs, internships and other placements in the sustainable food world.

Pickles, cheese and an end of the season celebration!

The Adamah staff and all the fall Adamah fellows will be at Temple Israel Center (White Plains) from 4-8pm, and we have a lot of fun activities planned including cooking demos; pickling projects; an introduction to the world of grease, biodiesel and alternative fuels; recipe shares, and more. We’ll also be debuting the trailer for ADAMAH: the movie.   We’ll also be bringing down our pickled products and cheese to stock up for the winter.  If you know ahead of time that you’d like to buy a case of anything, please email Anna (anna@isabellafreedman.org) before Thursday so we can bring enough.  And, our sauerkraut sale continues: if you buy four jars of any pickled products, we’ll throw in a jar of sauerkraut free!

Also joining ADAMAH at TIC on Thursday:

Get on Board the Climate Change Bus Tour! Powered by Teva, Hazon and Vegetable Oil

THE WHITE PLAINS TUV HA’ARETZ CSA of the 5 SYNAGOGUES of WHITE PLAINS invites you to the CSA SEASON FINALE Thursday, November 12 starting at 3 pm Temple Israel Center 280 Old Mamaroneck Road White Plains (CSA pick-up at usual time 4 pm – 8 pm) Programming for all ages Tour Teva Climate Change Bus and other Teva interactive stations from 3 pm – 6 pm Learn about climate change and ways that you can help solve environmental issues! The Topsy Turvy Bus fueled by carbon-neutral veggie oil Connecting the Chanukah story with energy consumption,conservation and climate change Resources on the Jewish Environmental movement (and how we can all get involved) Bus tour with explanation of the grease and composting systems Solar panels demonstration Human powered bicycle generator Building your own solar oven (please bring empty shoe box or pizza box) Ways to get involved in The Jewish Climate Change Campaign Other special activities and stations:   * Learn all about making pickles with Adamah Farm and Adamahniks   * Enjoy sampling and purchasing from local,kosher, organic vendors. * Enjoy community! Questions: Ellen Weininger eeweininger@gmail.com A joint project of Teva, Hazon, Adamah, White Plains Tuv Ha’Aretz CSA and the 5 Synagogues of White Plains

ADVA Reunion Update!

Dearest alumni!!!

The reunion is fast approaching and there are over 130 of you signed up! There aren’t many spots left! Register now at www.advanetwork.org!

Many of you are probably wondering “So what are we actually gonna do at the reunion, besides just hang out and have the best time ever?” Good, no – GREAT – question…

Fairs!

We’re having a farmer’s market/craft & program fair/seed swap! What sorts of cool projects have you involved yourself in these days? Do you work for a place that’s so great you have to tell everyone about it? Would you like to see Dr. Shamu’s personally designed line of fashionable grease-stained wear on display?* WHAT?! Come to the reunion’s market fair and find out!

Sign up now to reserve a full table or just space for a pile of fliers for your cool program or business, sell your t-shirts, books or calendars or to barter your special magic sunflower seeds!

Program Fair: Melissa Simon, melsimon@gmail.com

Craft Fair: Shira Salcman, shiranetanya@gmail.com

Farmer’s Market/Seed Swaperoo: Miram Feiner, miriam@isabellafreedman.org or Lauren Weinberg, lsweinberg@gmail.com

Shares!

What will we learn at the reunion? TONS!

We’ve got networking events with master networker Adam Berman, an exclusive tour of the Isabella Freedman solar panels with Adamah alum and solar panel guru Jason Ross, talks about alternative approaches to education, how to maximize your urban growing space and more….

Saturday Night Auction!

Were you really excited to watch Adam creatively raise money from a relatively broke group of 20-somethings? Looking forward to slouching in your chair so he wouldn’t call you out to drop your coffee-a-day habit in exchange for donating to Adamah? Sorry to disappoint, but we’re going in a different direction this year.

Come bid at the Saturday Night Auction instead and support Adamah and Teva! Sign up to auction off lessons, a homemade craft, a date, some friendly cuddle time or anything else clever you can think of. (I don’t know about you, but if Becca Weaver makes it, I’m bidding on it.) Get creative and have fun!

Contact Jakir Manela at jmanela@yahoo.com to sign up for the auction.

See you soon at this epic event! Register before space runs out at www.advanetwork.org

“Growing Together” w/ Adamah

By: Anna (Farm manager and Summer 2007)

Wanted to tell you about a neat, off-farm event we participated in on Sunday at Congregation Bet Am Shalom in White Plains, NY (one of the participating shuls of our White Plains CSA).   A grant from UJA brought together students from Kol Ami, Bet Am Shalom, and the Elm Street Community Center for an afternoon of learning, cooking and eating with Adamah alumni.  With the sing-song chorus of ‘Dirt made my lunch” echoing in the room, the children worked in small groups to prepare a vegetarian chili and apple crisp using ingredients from the Adamah farm.  They talked about healthy eating, cooking, organic farming and the importance of being thankful for our food.  Afterwards, with a magical sleight of hand, an extremely efficient and impressive team of volunteers whisked away the prepared (raw) chils and crisps, and brought out already cooked ones for everyone to enjoy!  After many helpings of chili, apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, the group offered thanks: girls from Elm Street shared a thanksgiving song, and Rabbi Les Bronstein led the whole room in a version of Birkat Hamazon.

For us at Adamah, it was an incredibly inspiring event.  We loved getting to interact with the kids, talk about their favorite vegetables, and see them enjoy a tasty meal from the food that we grow.  It was also an opportunity for us to reconnect, as the folks attending the event were Adamah alumni from several different seasons, who now live in and near New York City.  Adamahniks carry the spark of Adamah with them after they leave the program, and are ever-ready to bring it out and share it; it was wonderful to have such a great occasion to do so!

Alumni Update: Jeff Yoskowitz

By: Jeff Yoskowitz (Summer 2007 alum, Pickle apprentice 2008)

After my summer at Adamah in 2007 I flew to Israel for a yearlong research project. While living there the values and new sensibilities I took away from Adamah stuck with me and fueled my desire to continue composting in the most hostile of settings, volunteer on organic farms and meet the players in the world of Israeli sustainable agriculture.  When I returned from Israel I returned straight to Adamah, to work in the pickle kitchen.

Since leaving Adamah in the winter of 2008 I’ve moved to New York but have taken those sensibilites with me yet again and have been working on a project that works to provide a new market for independent, small-scale and sustainably-minded farmers in Israel.

As many people who join CSAs and eat locally in the Northeast will tell you, there are some things you cannot get locally but you still consider a staple in your kitchen.  One of those items is without a doubt quality olive oil.  Marvin Israelow, a strong supporter of sustainable desert agricultural research in the Negev and founder of Negev Nectars, had been working with an olive grower in the Negev who was fulfilling his lifelong dream to grow in the desert, without harming the land.  With Doron and incredible olive oil in mind, I teamed up with Marvin to bring Negev Nectars to fruition. 

Negev Nectars is a company that operates like CSA and three times a year provides an array of shelf-stable, Israeli products, such as olive oil, dried herbs, date syrup and special desert honeys (eucalyptus and desert flower varieties), as well as others. Negev Nectars distributes to existing CSAs in the New York area, and also ships to individuals’ homes.

The ultimate goal of the company is to support responsible Israeli farmers and their innovative growing practices, such as using brackish water to irrigate their fields, using plants native to the desert (the Barnea olive tree was discovered in the Sinai) and employing the latest in water conservation technology.  All of the profits from the company are going back to reinvest in the land of our partner farms, and while we don’t represent the only market for some of our producers, we are offering vital support, which we hope will be a mark of  success for organics in Israel that will hopefully influence surrounding farms to change their practices, and lessen the footprint of industrial farming.

Another mission of Negev Nectars is to connect many of Israel’s many tourists with our farms and encourage a different kind of travel in Israel, that involves visiting the farmers who grow and produce their favorite products and get to know the land in a unique kind of way.

To become a supporter of sustainable agriculture in Israel and a Negev Nectars member who receives three shipments throughout the year, go to the website and click on join, and if you live near our partner CSAs and want to pick up your packages, just click on one of those locations.  If you’d like the shipments mailed to your home or the home of a friend as a holiday gift, sign up with your address.

And perhaps the greatest aspect of it all is that one of Negev Nectars’ partner CSAs is White Plains, the same CSA where Adamah delivers its vegetables every week and sells its pickles, cheeses and jams once a month. This means that not only do I get to spend time with good friends from Adamah, but together we work to provide the latest and tastiest in gourmet, sustainable and kosher food for the White Plains community.

Pickles are God. Cheese is also God.

Join Isabella Freedman and Adamah at “Everything is God: a Jewish Spiritual Woodstock”, taking place at the Center for Jewish History in New York on Thursday, October 29th. This event celebrates the release of Jay Michaelson’s newest book, Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism. The event will include multiple musicians, a panel of Jewish scholars, and a Jewish organization fair.  Isabella Freedman and Adamah will be there; with literature, stickers, beautiful baskets of books and other goodies to raffle off, and of course, pickles and cheese for sale.

Details:

Center for Jewish History

15 West 16th Street (near Union Square) NYC

6-10 pm Thursday, October 29th

6-7pm: Welcome, ‘Spiritual Woodstock’ organization fair part 1, mingle, book-signing, hang out, get a good seat for the panel

7-8pm: Panel (starts at 7pm sharp!)

8-9pm: ‘Spiritual Woodstock’ organization fair, kosher reception catered by the Village Crown, DJ Dreamkote, book-signing

9-930: Music performance by Darshan & performance by Matthue Roth