Ricky Baruc

Ricky Baruc, together with his wife Deb Habib, is cofounder of the nonprofit organization Seeds of Solidarity, a visionary farm and education center based in Orange, Massachusetts, that has transformed the lives of hundreds of youth. With a mission to "awaken the power among youth, schools, and families to grow food everywhere to transform hunger to health and create resilient lives and communities," the farm is a model of energy efficiency and is fully powered by solar electricity. Seeds of Solidarity runs a variety of programs, including a school gardens program and the Seeds of Leadership program that teaches underemployed and low-income teenagers sustainable agriculture and how to cook with local foods.

Deb Habib and Ricky Baruc are also founders of, and continue to organize with their neighbors, the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival, one of the premier agricultural events of New England. It attracts 12,000 people each year, only produces 3 bags of trash, and inspires the artistic and agricultural economy while revitalizing an economically struggling community.

Living a life of passion and purpose that included an 8-month pilgrimage from Auschwitz to Hiroshima, they also teach relationship workshops to help couples live a life of love, purpose, and compassion. They are currently at work on their fist book, Making Love While Farming: A Field Guide to a Life of Joy.