By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel
ENCINTAS, California — I arrived at the Coastal Roots Farm around 10.30 Sunday morning, a bit delayed as I assumed the entrance was on Saxony Road, and had to circle around to Ecke Ranch road, north of the farm.. The day’s event was in honor of the Jewish holiday of Trees, Tu B’Shevat , that occurs on the 15th day of the Lunar Hebrew month of Sh’vat that is this year on January 21st.
Spread out across the campground were tents for food, learning, wine tasting, kids’ activities, tree planting, registration, a platform for instrumentalists, and story telling. The place was alive with the sound of music! Five hundred people were expected and over 700 people of every age was there by noon. The weather was perfect and it was a fun to be in a learning atmosphere, with helpful staff and friendly people.
Knowing I was planning to write an article, the Executive Director, Javier Guerro, gave me a personal tour of the farm in a small open SUV as the usual golf carts could not comfortably navigate rough grounds that included chicken coups, storage and cooling buildings, rows of fruit trees, and many buildings
High mounds of mulch are everywhere, filled with parts of gardens and trees to be recycled back into the ground. Chicken coups are being enlarged for free range chickens, and their eggs will be harvested.
Sitting next to me after I bought a barley salad for lunch was a couple with their three children from La Mesa, who visit the farm often. Last year they purchased and planted a tree at the farm and returned Sunday to see how it has grown.
Jim Farley, the CEO of the Leichtag Foundation, was walking around the campus and he sat down with me to chat. He is one of the innovators and energizers to carry on this amazing project inspired by the essence of Judaism, “Tikun Olam” to save our our planet.
Farley shared some of the history of the non-profit Leichetag Foundation’s goal to build a physical platform to advance and amplify this living campus. He described it as a nexus of social enterprise, innovative agriculture, Jewish community engagement, educational programs, creative arts, and culture. It is situated on 67.5 acres in the heart of Encinitas, less than one mile from the Pacific Ocean.
The Foundation serves the Coastal Roots Farm, Encinitas Union School District Farm Lab, Magdalena Ecke YMCA, San Diego Botanic Garden, San Dieguito Heritage Ranch and Seacrest Village Retirement Communities. These partners collaborate with Leichtag tto improve our region and better serve the community.
The Foundation leases out 900,000 square feet of greenhouse space to a diverse array of innovative agricultural and horticultural tenants. Citizen farmers and social entrepreneurs work together for productive interchange .
The Farm holds agricultural festivals (such as the one I visited Sunday), throughout the year, and offers hands-on education by inviting neighbors to connect to the land and to each other. Kudos to the many volunteers and staff who warmly welcomed everyone and shuttled folks around in golf carts.
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Merel is cantor emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel. He may be contacted via sheldon.merel@sdjewishworld.com