Michael Ableman is an American-Canadian author, organic farmer, educator, and advocate for
sustainable agriculture. Michael has been farming organically since the early 1970s and is considered one of the pioneers of the organic farming and urban agriculture movements. He is a frequent lecturer to audiences all over the world and the winner of numerous awards for his work. Ableman is the author of four trade published books: ''From the Good Earth: A celebration of growing food around the world; On Good Land: The autobiography of an urban farm; Fields Of Plenty; A farmer's journey in search of real food and the people who grow it'', and most recently ''Street Farm; Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban Frontier.'' Michael Ableman is the founder of the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens in Goleta, California where he farmed for 20 years; co-founder and director of
Sole Food Street Farms
Sole Food Street Farms is an urban agriculture project in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 2008 by Michael Ableman and Seann Dory, Sole Food's mission is to provide low-income residents of the Downtown Eastside with "jobs, agricul ...
and the charity Cultivate Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia; and founder and director of the Center for Arts, Ecology and Agriculture based at his family home and farm on
Salt Spring Island.
Biography
Ableman originally intended to become a photographer. However, in 1972 he joined an agrarian commune east of Ojai, California where he was to eventually manage of pear and apple orchards.
After a time managing a nursery on the coast north of Santa Barbara, in 1981 Ableman took a job grafting orange trees at Fairview Gardens. When the previous manager left, Ableman remained, "farm-sitting," until 2001. At its peak the farm served as an important community and education center and a national model for small-scale and urban agriculture, hosting as many as 5000 people per year for tours, classes, festivals, and apprenticeships. Under Ableman's leadership, the farm was saved from development and preserved under one of the earliest and most unusual active agricultural conservation easements of its type in the country.
A frequent speaker at conferences throughout North America, Ableman gave a plenary presentation on the future of farming at the
Bioneers conference in 2005.
[Collective Heritage Institute (2007]
Bioneers 2005 Conference Catalogue
Retrieved 25 February 2009.
Ableman lives with his family on an organic farm on
Saltspring Island, British Columbia.
Ableman now lives and farms at the historic 120-acre
Foxglove Farm
Michael Ableman is an American-Canadian author, organic farmer, educator, and advocate for sustainable agriculture. Michael has been farming organically since the early 1970s and is considered one of the pioneers of the organic farming and urban ...
where he also directs the Center For Arts, Ecology, and Agriculture.
Michael, co-founded North America's largest Urban Agriculture project,
Sole Food Street Farms
Sole Food Street Farms is an urban agriculture project in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 2008 by Michael Ableman and Seann Dory, Sole Food's mission is to provide low-income residents of the Downtown Eastside with "jobs, agricul ...
in
Vancouver, British Columbia. Sole Food transforms vacant urban land into street farms that grow artisan quality fruits and vegetables and provides jobs to residents in the downtown Eastside of Vancouver who faces for whatever reason challenges to employment.
Beginning with a half-acre parking lot on Hastings and Hawks streets on the downtown east-side of Vancouver, the project established urban production farms throughout Vancouver that employed individuals working through the challenges of material poverty, addiction, and mental illness while generating large quantities of food.
Foxglove Farm
Foxglove Farm is a 120-acre
organic farm on
Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada owned by Ableman. Foxglove Farm is home to the Centre for Arts, Ecology and Agriculture which specializes in agricultural and culinary arts workshops.
Works
* ''Street Farm: Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban Frontier''. Chelsea Green (2016
* ''Fields of Plenty: A Farmer's Journey in Search of Real Food and the People Who Grow It.'' Chronicle Books (2005).
* ''On Good Land: The Autobiography of an Urban Farmer.'' Chronicle Books (1998).
* ''From the Good Earth: A Celebration of Growing Food Around the World,'' with Cynthia Wisehart, Sam Bittman. Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, (1993).
See also
*
Clara Whitehill Hunt
Clara Whitehill Hunt (June 25, 1871 - January 10, 1958) was an American teacher, librarian, writer, and advocate for children's library services.
Early life and career
Clara Whitehill Hunt was born in Utica, New York, in 1871. Born to Edwin and ...
*
Lawrence Fraser Abbott
Lawrence Fraser Abbott (1859–1933) was an American editor and writer, son of Lyman Abbott.
Biography
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Lyman Abbott. He graduated from Amherst College in 1881. In 1891, he became president of the Outlo ...
*
Adeline Pond Adams
Adeline Valentine Pond Adams (1859–1948) was an American writer and the wife of Herbert Adams. The chief subjects of her writings were American fine artists and art history. She published at least seven texts. On December 14, 1930, she was aw ...
References
External links
Ableman's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ableman, Michael
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
American agricultural writers
Organic farmers
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainability advocates