Anyone seeking a great way to dive into gardening season – or simply celebrate spring in a beautiful place – is invited to visit the Seeds of Solidarity Farm and Education Center in Orange on Saturday morning, April 26. At 10:30 am, they’ll host a free, one-hour program called Grow Great Gardens, after which attendees are welcome to take self-guided tours. The event coincides with their farm stand’s opening day.

It would be impossible to fully relate the remarkable Seeds of Solidarity story in one column; fortunately, in 2019, the project’s founders, Deb Habib and Ricky Baruch, co-wrote a book: “Making Love While Farming: Field Guide to a Life of Passion & Purpose” (Levellers Press, Amherst). The couple met over 40 years ago, and in 1997 began building soil and their current dwellings. (Note: Readers may have seen Ricky’s surname spelled without an H; he uses both spellings, but prefers the six-letter version.)

Seeds of Solidarity encompasses distinct entities. “The farm refers to our family farm, which is separate from the nonprofit founded in 2000,” Habib said. But the two, rooted in the same place, both represent hard-won victories. “We were told we’d never be able to grow stuff here,” said Habib. “Years ago, Ricky had a 20-acre tractor farm in New York State and found that it wasn’t humanly sustainable. Now, we’re completely no-till and have commercial-scale hoop houses and high tunnels, which are greenhouses without heat sources other than the sun.”

Many locals have attended the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival, the annual blockbuster event Habib, Baruch, and their team of dedicated volunteers put together. Mark your calendars for the weekend of September 27-28 so you won’t miss the delicious, ecologically sustainable celebration that draws crowds representing every age group.

But you don’t have to wait until autumn to hang out with and learn from the folks in Orange; they’re presenting several workshops over the next few months. We’ll take a peek at the offerings; for complete information about workshop registration, eligibility, cost (or lack thereof), and related details, visit seedsofsolidarity.org/workshops-and-events/.

On Sunday, April 27 from 1 to 4 p.m., “No-till Gardens and Farms: Healthy Soil, Heal Climate” will offer information for farmers or gardeners who wish to use no-till methods that involve simple tools, build healthy soil, reduce labor and cost inputs, and promote climate resilience. (Anyone who’s watched the documentary “Kiss the Ground” will be familiar with no-till strategies, but for many, the concept may be a new one.)

According to Habib, most of the world’s farmers get the job done using their hands, simple tools, and various animals. “The percentage of farmers using tractors is pretty small,” said Habib, “in terms of actual numbers of people. Some mainstream midwestern farmers are noticing that their soils have lost vitality; they’re interested in alternatives.” Baruch was part of a group of farmers invited to Cornell University to help conduct research on this very topic.

Seeds of Solidarity also offers ways to enhance emotional and spiritual well-being. On Sunday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., they’ll host a Reconnect Retreat where attendees will learn ways to de-stress and stay centered amid uncertainty, including through Reiki, forest meditation, yoga, and recipes for grounding and nourishing foods and beverages. “It’s important to feel our feelings,” said Habib, “including the grief that’s so common in our time. Concrete information about growing food and building are important, but for our hearts, we want to share aspects that have kept us going. Embodied practices help us reconnect with the land, ourselves, and each other.”

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For those interested in a combination of hands-on and spiritual, the Saturday, June 21 workshop about creating garden altars could fit the bill and be a lovely way to celebrate the summer solstice. “Participants will build their own beautiful creation of wood and sacred and found objects to enhance their garden or yard, to promote meditative practices, and honor the land,” said Habib. “We have a number of these altars around our farm.”

Habib and Baruch offer philosophical discussions, too, as in their Wednesday, July 9th, 6 p.m. potluck and Interdependence Conversation. That evening, folks are welcome to conduct self-guided tours, and are invited to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to take a look around before dinner and discussion.

One workshop will span two days: “Building Immersion, Life Tools,” will happen on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. Baruch invites participants to “come learn to use a variety of hand and power tools, and gain or expand your building skills.” Baruch noted that “increasing your DIY skill set can be helpful to farmers and artists. Proper tool use and techniques can inspire you to make furniture, a shed or studio, or even a tiny house!”

Seeds of Solidarity folks will be very busy during September, but following the Garlic & Arts Festival, they’ll get back to inviting folks onto their land. On Saturday morning, Oct. 25, they’ll host a guided farm tour that will include mocktails from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. “Come see our abundant no-till gardens, solar greenhouses, and energy efficient structures while having inspiring conversations along the way,” said Habib. The next day, on Sunday, Oct. 26, they’ll offer “Rich and Healthy: No-till for Successful Farms” – an expanded version of their April workshop.

Habib feels that the messages and mission of Seeds of Solidarity are more relevant than ever. “We need to create the world we want to live in,” she said. “It’s not an original idea; it’s a message that many ancestors and current activists have been saying for a long time. But we want people to know that it’s still possible.” Although Habib has lived on a farm for decades, she emphasized, “You don’t need to have acreage in order to connect with the earth. My grandparents lived in a housing project, and part of how they learned English was by identifying nearby trees. We can all start where we are.”

Eveline MacDougall is the author of “Fiery Hope” and an artist, musician, and mom. eveline@amandlachorus.org.