bonnie rubrecht

bonnie rubrecht

Perennial Collective •

Giving rise from the ashes: Fireweed

Among the apparent defeat of blackened bark and earth after a fire, scattered seeds give rise to new growth. One perennial herb in particular has persisted for centuries in these trying conditions, with gifts for both the landscape and the people on it. Once the ash has settled and the fires are out, fireweed is likely to be one of the first plants to appear in the early stages of a disturbed landscape.

Colloquially named for its propensity to thrive in heavily disturbed soil — particularly tha
EcoTheo Collective •

Transcendence Beyond the Brutal —

A constant backdrop to the verses, the desert landscape is replete with the paradox of a life and death struggle, echoing a tension present throughout the collection. Neve-Midbar’s use of Hebrew in the text provides a window for readers, crafting a profound cultural geography that both welcomes native speakers and stirs questions and mystery for those less familiar with the language. The Hebrew emulates a central refrain in the Israeli-Palestinian lived experience: the continual encounter and in
The Curator •

Only One Heart

Franz Wright, the Pulitzer-Prize winning poet, grew up shrouded in a legacy of abandonment by his alcoholic father, the renowned poet James Wright. Later, Franz suffered abuse at the hands of his stepfather. In pursuit of respite from his childhood pain, depression, and suicidality, he fell into addiction.

Though Franz Wright’s poetry is scored by his depression, self-harm and addiction, his predilection to fixate on the darkness took a sudden turn in 1999. Wright had just emerged from a two-ye
The Unmooring Journal •

Spy Wednesday and Forgiveness —

Reading about the many incidents of violence against Asians and people of Asian descent, including the horrific Atlanta murders, on top of the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, has made this Wednesday in Holy Week challenging to write about anything other than our failing one another in love. At the same time, many Christian leaders and institutions have failed to respond in any adequate way to the ongoing challenges of racism or inequity, and especially the threat and heresy of Christian national
The Unmooring Journal •

Lent Week 3 - Radical Love —

We have reached another milestone of the pandemic, having existed in this new reality for a year, living with continued watchfulness, trying to assess the risks, plan for the future, and stay safe. In actuality, we can scarcely attempt any of these. The risks are yet unknown and ever changing. The future, dependent on the risks, remains uncertain and resists planning. “Staying safe” looks different depending on the day, the crowd, the location, the health of each individual. It changes constantl
An Irresistible Fleet of Bicycles •

greenhorns feature: resilient farming in a changing new england - Greenhorns

by Bonnie Rubrecht

Concord, Massachusetts might be known primarily for its ties to the Revolutionary War, but today it’s a thriving and affluent Boston suburb of a population of nearly 20,000. In the midst of historic mansions and some of the most valuable property outside of Boston, Hutchins Farm has been cultivating 65 acres of organic fruit and vegetables since the early 1970s. Greenhorns had the opportunity to talk to Liza Bemis, the great-great granddaughter of Charles Hutchins, who origi
Perennial Collective •

Wildfire Cycles and Resilience

Last fall, the deep, once-shaded slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains were dramatically transformed by fire. Started by a series of uncanny lightning strikes, the eerie orange of fiery skies lent an unsettling cast throughout the state of California, as our wild landscapes were indelibly changed. While many grieved the events of this time, wise souls familiar with these forests knew that beneath the narrative, nuanced redemption stories glow.

Encroaching development and deliberate fire suppressio
The Unmooring Journal •

Walls & Othering: Finding Hope Amidst Fear —

Around me, walls. A wall is not a border; a wall is static. Borders change. Borders fluctuate, redefine, undulate in summer sunlight and disappear in snowstorms. Unburied, we can’t find the dividing line. Above below and through, border-bright shifting.

No one redefines a wall. It is either here, or not here. It’s either standing, or torn down.

When they tore down that heartspace, the Berlin Wall, I was 9 years old. I didn’t understand why this undoing was important. My friend’s brother had a
Edible Ojai & Ventura County •

Farmivore Delivers Fresh Local Produce to Your Door

When Max Becher began selling second-quality produce from his truck seven years ago, he had no idea it would lead to an entirely new way to connect the community to fresh produce from small-scale farmers. What started in 2013 as an email list where Becher sold slightly blemished produce for cash from local farms in Ojai, has become a thriving business bringing local produce to the doorsteps of residents throughout Ventura County.

Ojai Farmstand, as it was then known, was a way to get crops into
Edible Ojai & Ventura County •

The Wild World of Natural Yeast

In order to “catch” wild yeast to use for leavening bread, you need to add equal parts flour and water in a jar and cover loosely. My husband insists on weighing all ingredients, so we started with 125g of each. It’s deceptively simple, but here’s a couple important notes to make sure your starter thrives.

First, use unbleached flour. The bleaching process can kill yeast that exists in the flour—in fact, most of the yeast you are going cultivate in your starter comes from the flour itself, and,
Edible Ojai & Ventura County •

High Hopes

What if there was a commercial plant that could be grown in Ventura County that used just a third of the water of vegetable crops, renewed the soil, used minimal (if any) pesticides, and was incredibly profitable?

Chances are, you’ve already heard about it: Industrial hemp is the crop in the center of all the buzz.

Since its cultivation was banned by the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, hemp has been subjected to the same disrepute as marijuana. Although the plants are closely related, indus
Perennial Collective •

One Story of Burning

Seeds lie in wait in the dry dirt of the chaparral ecosystem, sometimes for more than 100 years. They hold within a secret, a key to rebirth adapted to the nature of their surroundings: many of these seeds germinate in fire. Phoenix-like, the foliage and plants of the chaparral has evolved beautifully to the regions where it grows. These Mediterranean-like climates allow for evergreen scrub brush landscapes dominated by species of stalwart plants and herbs that stabilize otherwise barren hillsid
Perennial Collective •

Enfleurage: How to Save the Scent of Lilacs

Pressing flowers and plants in animal fat to create perfume? It may sound outlandish, but enfleurage, a technique first used by the Romans and the Greeks, is one of the only ways to preserve the scent of delicate flowers and plants. Perfected by the 19th century French perfumeries, enfleurage fell quickly out of favor with the advent of chemical mimicry, but this technique still stands out as a simple and inexpensive way to indulge in these fleeting fragrances long after the flowers are gone.

I
Perennial Collective •

Herald of Spring: Snowdrops

Snowdrops appear as if tears mourning the end of winter and beckoning the coming spring in the Northeast, where I first made their acquaintance. Even before their bright cousins, the purple and yellow crocus, the star of a snowdrop brings a momentary glimpse of the green to come. In New England, spotting a snowdrop is a hopeful moment in what always feels like too long of a winter. These tiny flowers are found all over gardens and lawns, in shady areas and under sprawling pasture trees.

Snowdro
Edible Ojai & Ventura County •

Pitching In: Local Restaurants and Producers Making a Difference

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit founded by chef José Andrés in 2010 as a way to support communities in the wake of natural disasters and crisis, and has worked all over the world. Now the team of WCK are delivering prepared food to Ventura County Medical Center, Santa Paula Hospital, Community Memorial Hospital, St. John’s in Oxnard and even the Ventura Council on Aging, which distributes meals to seniors throughout the county.

By participating as a partner with WCK, Gabrielle Moes o
Medium •

The One Thing that Helped

Today is mental health awareness day, and here we are, more aware than ever before. Social media is buzzing with checklists of warning signs, talking points proscribed by nonprofits, and swag from local 5K runs supporting suicide prevention. While all of this talk on behalf of mental health is great, most of it doesn’t offer a lot of practical advice for friends or loved ones close someone who is mentally ill.

If you’re living with someone suffering from an intangible ailment that’s life threat