People and Land

In a sustainable agriculture project in Falls Village, CT, groups come together to learn about the connection of Jewish spirituality with the land. They seek to understand why preserving our land and environment, maintaining it and an awareness of the interconnection between soil and our bellies, is part of a deeper spiritual wholeness. We may disagree on which is more important - spirituality or sustainability. Perhaps they are interwoven in a symbiotic relationship.

Much of Jewish spirituality is centered around Kashrut. The objective is not necessarily healthy eating, however the Torah does discuss the ethics of eating - the need to preserve and take care of the land over which humans have been given dominion. The book of Genesis makes a point that we eat and live to eat - we care for the earth. We are the caretakers, the givers and takers of this planet.

Animals eat and rely on us to care for them as well. As a result, at adamah we are in charge of growing vegetables, caring for the crops, harvesting and saying blessings over the first harvest.

We care for goats, milk and feed them, care for the chickens and for their environment. The goats' sleeping barn requires constant maintenance. Our chickens share a yard with the goats, sometimes laying fresh eggs on the hey above the goats' sleeping spaces. This field has many of the vegetables that we harvest - baby male goats and bee hives.

Whether or not we agree about spirituality's connection to food, for adamah – the sadeh (Hebrew for field) is a place of deep connection and healing. No two days are the same, each bringing new fruit and fresh vigilance. A day away from the Sadeh feels empty, like being distanced from our souls. The energy energy can't be described in words –  each of us brings a presence to the field, we evolve and grow along with the cucumbers, radishes, squash, chives, scallions, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, watermelons, peppers, okra, dill, mint, kale, etc. You get the point.