Diversity is Resiliency at the New Agrarian Collective
by Sara Stapleton
Wendell Berry writes in his essay, “The Pleasures of Eating,” that “eating is, inescapably, an agricultural act.” His statement implies that the way we eat—the way we source our food and the way we cook—“determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used.” If eating is an agricultural act, then farming can surely be a revolutionary one. And when you bring together on the front lines some of the most spunky, passionate, and fearless young agrarians in our county, diverse, spirited, resourceful, and powerful things are bound to unfold.
It’s an autumn morning on Ridgewood Ranch, and Ruthie King and Joshua Sternberg are processing the beets that Joshua just harvested, grown from seed with thoughtful intention. The wilted greens that they pull off of these deep red, nutrient-dense root crops will be fed to the sheep that Ruthie grazes and raises with her fellow collective member, Eliot Hartley. Those sheep will feed members of the collective, as well as members of the community through the farmers market and through their meat share program. The hides are tanned, the wool often sheared and spun, and sometimes even utilized by Jes Pearce and Keith Michalak at their Buttercup Compost Lab to experiment with the many ways of creating microorganism-rich compost that will help to build healthy, working soil. Everything is connected and nothing is wasted, and it is that interconnectedness that is the spirit of the collective.
Traditionally, a collective is a group of entities that shares or is motivated by a common interest or goal. The objective that brings these agrarian rebels together is their desire to change the way that we interact with our food and with our environment through sustainable agricultural practices—to live in reciprocity with the land that provides so much. All of the members bring different skills, interests, and businesses to the table, and the collective acts as an organic support network. It is the glue that holds them accountable, encourages creativity, gives time for reflection, and binds them together as a team. It is the backbone that supports their radical endeavors, both physically and emotionally.
The members of the collective came together largely through the School of Adaptive Agriculture in Willits, a hub that has brought together many like-minded folks from farms and organizations all over the county since its inception. After a number of years working closely with the school, though, the members of the collective were seeking a greater sense of autonomy, ownership, and security. They wanted to express their own individualities while still working as a team. “Many minds make for more interesting dreams” after all, said Ruthie and Joshua, and diversity is resiliency. The school offered the opportunity to immerse in theory, while this project would bring deeper understanding and knowledge through experience and experimentation.
They aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel, but rather to do new things in old ways and old things in new ways, to call back upon a time when communities joined together in meaningful work. Joshua, who co-manages the Mendocino Renegade Certified vegetable and flower farm with Caroline Radice, brings his skill for deep observation and attentiveness, as well as his sometimes dark and often sarcastic humor, to the group. Caroline Rehrberger leads the harvests and organizes their abundant, mile-high tables of produce for the farmers market, greeting customers with friendly warmth.
Dedicating themselves to small scale, organic vegetable farming and providing thoughtfully grown food is their form of activism. Ruthie and Eliot head the livestock operation, she becoming one of our area’s most enthusiastic shearers and he the local bread wizard, making hearty loaves from locally grown grain, some of which he cultivates himself. Through their grazing strategies, they work to improve water, energy, and nutrient cycles, increase biodiversity in the soil, and reduce fuel for wildfire. Jes and Keith manage the waste stream and work passionately to close the loop, creating both beautiful produce and compost through their labor of love, farming biodynamically and by hand, focusing on the efficiency of scale.
The crew also includes local renaissance woman Caroline Radice, who manages the Mendo Lake Food Hub and co-founded the Good Farm Fund. She provides everything from office management to harvest help, and she particularly loves managing the cut flower program and planting. When reflecting on her role, Caroline says, “I also love unique and heirloom varietals of produce, so I tend to be the one who sneaks the “weird” things into the field.“ She does all this in addition to owning Black Dog Farm and Catering, where they utilize the amazing produce and meat grown and raised by the collective.
All of their titles aside, it is what the general public might not get to see that truly makes them a dynamic team—repairing a broken water line in the midst of blazing summer heat to make sure crops don’t buckle under the hot sun; herding sheep and setting fence lines before dawn; finding ways to cope and bounce back from predation; constantly striving to find a balance between agriculture and the wild. Jes and Keith recently laid 43 hens to rest in their compost after a bobcat found its way into their pasture and made a kill that weighs heavy on the crew. Farming is incredibly hard, brutal, and sometimes disheartening work, but to have the support of comrades in this valiant cause, to sit down once a month and share a meal, to break bread, talk shop, and find solace amongst the struggles and the triumphs—it is messy magic, but shared between them is a deep love of what they do and a hope to create change, to have a positive impact on the world around us.
With so many creative minds, the team is constantly working to improve operations and solve problems that come up in the day-to-day, because with farming, we know that the work is never complete. The element of surprise is thrilling, and a streak of healthy competitiveness in the group adds to the fun. The collective is a constant practice of relationship-building, communication, and self-growth, a reminder to be open to the process.
If they are the revolutionaries, let us be the army behind them. Consider strengthening your commitment to building a stronger local food economy—to learn the skills of generations past, to learn and to love every part of the animal, and to eat with the seasons, preserving the bounty and sharing with your neighbor. Talk to your farmers, shake their hands, and let their work inspire you to join them in moving toward a more resilient tomorrow.
Sara Stapleton lives high up on Greenwood Ridge and feels most at home in the tall trees, alongside meandering streams and birdsong. She is a passionate eater, seeking out local food wherever she goes. You can find her serving up farmer tales and deliciousness at the Bewildered Pig in Philo.
