Shalom!

Welcome to Tuv Ha’aretz, the Portland-area Jewish CSA. My name is Danielle Frankel – I’ll call myself a “microbe” of this project, perhaps “lead microbe,” to emphasize that this endeavor is the culmination of many hearts and minds. A microbe breaks down organic matter in the soil, thereby making nutrients available to plants, thus enabling the beautiful process of growth in our environment. I see myself as “breaking down” or “exploring further” the rich experiences of my short life, as to make available the nuggets of wisdom and expansion I’ve gleaned from teachers of all colors. I also majored in creative writing.

With Tuv Ha’aretz, this boils down to my awakening I had at Urban Adamah, of the deep and delicious intersection of Judaism and agriculture. Though I had dabbled in farming at Pitzer College (whose barefoot ethos is planted the seed) my three-month fellowship at Urban Adamah post-college showed me that agriculture wasn’t just a way to combine my love of food and the outdoors, but a means to express a breed of Judaism that simmered behind my seasoned skepticism of institutional religion. It was mindful eating, and meditation, and thinking about food systems, and farm workers, and tilling, and sauerkraut – but it came from a place distinctly personal, a place of my people, my culture, my roots.

I wanted to start Tuv Ha’aretz in my native and darling Portland, Oregon as a nexus point for expanding upon the issues that surfaced in the Adamah program, for creating really connected community, and most importantly, for the sake of getting the food that is produced in a way that is healing to the earth on people’s Shabbat tables. And for fun! There is nothing I love more than sharing food with people and a CSA allows for that. I look forward to embarking on this journey with you, fellow microbe. L’chaim!