JEWS WITH ATTITUDE
Farming a food haven in the desert By Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim
T
he first frost came to the Verde Valley School Farm in Sedona in October, five weeks ahead of schedule. The following day, as the sun beat down from a serene sky, Michael Spielman stood amid the wreckage and pulled out blackened stalks of cherry tomatoes, shriveled carrots and limp, feathery tulsi (commonly known as holy basil) to make space to plant new winter crops. Then he picked up a tall stalk of corn and peeled back the papery skin to reveal a rainbow of jewel tones. “This Tie Dye corn I was able to save,” Michael says. He is especially proud of this variety that was gifted to him by a fellow independent farmer in nearby Cornville, who bred it over the course of 20 years, combining a variety of Zuni blue corn, heirloom sweet corn from Colorado’s Olathe region, and Hopi agricultural wisdom. Michael plans to set aside at least half of the kernels for seed. “I save things for flavor and abundance,” he says, “but also for their cultural history.” The farm Michael created on under one acre of red dirt desert on this international boarding school campus has flourished in just eight years. It provides nearly all the fresh staples for the school’s cafeteria as well as regular shipments to food-insecure communities in Yavapai County. Students help make teas and salves out of herbs, which are sold at the local farmer’s market, along with seasonal delicacies. 10
DECEMBER 2020 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE
Michael Spielman. PHOTO COURTESY LUCY SPIELMAN. But just as importantly, the farm has become a haven for students who come here to forage for strawberries or gaze at Cathedral Rock from the shade of a peach tree. “There is genuine excitement,” Michael says. “We are recognizing it is not just about food; it is about (the) experience.” He says that even though Verde Valley School has been able to offer in-person classes, students feel the loss of traditional leisure activities amid the increase in screen time. “You have to balance that with direct immersion,” he says. “Seeing, touching, tasting – getting stung. Viewing where we came from.” Michael stumbled into farming almost by accident. A native of Queens, NY, and the grandson of immigrants from Ukraine and Poland, he dreamt of becoming a poet, but his degree in creative writing led to an odd assortment of jobs including janitor, roofer, night watchman, bread MICHAEL SPIELMAN PORTRAIT BY LUCY SPIELMAN
