Pearl Of An Idea
Baltimorean's farm in Costa Rica stems from his kibbutz experience
The Baltimore Jewish Times, July 29, 2011
Author: Ben Leiner
The Baltimore Jewish Times, July 29, 2011
Author: Ben Leiner
Ten years ago, Dr.Paul B.Siegel would never have envisioned himself owning a farm in Costa Rica.Now, the Baltimore native's spread on the banks of the Pearl River, Finca Rio Perla, is leading the way in sustainable farming and a growing tourist destination. I'm looking out my window and can see 50 miles into the horizon and see the Caribbean and hear the birds singing and the breeze blowing around, Siegel says over Skype. It's an incredible feeling. For Siegel-known as Paulo by Costa Rican locals-establishing a farm had been a lifelong dream.He was raised in an outdoorsy family and remembers excursions with his parents from their Ranchleigh home to the country (which is today Owings Mills) to see cows and wildlife. In his grandparents' house was a portrait of Siegel's great-grandfather, Moshe Fishman, who established a community farm in what was then Palestine in the 1920s after moving from Poland. My grandparents were always talking about the farm, Siegel says. The summer of his bar mitzvah at Chizuk Amuno Congregation, Siegel travelled to Moshav Balfouria, the kibbutz that Fishman helped settle near the Israeli town of Afula.There, he met his great-grandfather, then in his 90s, and encountered agriculture for the first time. |
Dr. Paul B. Siegel says of his Costa Rican farm, Finca Rio Perla, ""It's an evolving concept.".
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I was impressed by the simplicity of Israel and the lack of comforts, Siegel says. It was an agricultural country and seemed like one big family. Siegel graduated from Pikesville High School in 1970 and started college at the University of Maryland. After dropping out briefly to work on a kibbutz in Israel, he returned to College Park and graduated with a bachelor's degree in horticulture Siegel earned a second bachelor's degree in Jewish studies in 1977.
From 1977 to 1984, the twice divorced Siegel lived in Israel, earning his master's degree in agricultural economics from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.He returned to the United States in 1984 to consult for the World Bank and earned his doctorate from Virginia Tech.
With the World Bank, Siegel worked in development in more than 20 countries and it occurred to him that he might eventually like to buy a farm in Israel.However, he found most of the land already settled there and the unsettled land contested by Arabs who claimed to have owned it.
From 1977 to 1984, the twice divorced Siegel lived in Israel, earning his master's degree in agricultural economics from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.He returned to the United States in 1984 to consult for the World Bank and earned his doctorate from Virginia Tech.
With the World Bank, Siegel worked in development in more than 20 countries and it occurred to him that he might eventually like to buy a farm in Israel.However, he found most of the land already settled there and the unsettled land contested by Arabs who claimed to have owned it.
One of the many waterfalls on Finca Rio Perla. "I have more and bigger waterfalls than all of Israel on this property." - Dr. Paul B. Siegel
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A lot of unoccupied land has a history and belongs to someone else, Siegel says It's difficult finding places that are non-controversial in Israel. Siegel was open to alternatives.At a 2005 office party at the World Bank, such an opportunity presented itself. Siegel's boss owned a macadamia nut farm in Costa Rica- a couple of hours east of the capital of San Jose-that he was looking to sell and thought Siegel was just the man to buy it.
It felt like a perfect fit, Siegel says. The farm was named 'The Pearl,'which was the name of my great-aunt who died in the Holocaust and my namesake. Some of the macadamia nut varieties could also be found in Israel. Siegel bought the farm and seven surrounding plots to create the 250-acre FincaRio Perla, which translates to The Pearl River Farm. He initially tried to add a Hebrew touch, naming the farm Meshek Perla, but Spanish had to suffice because locals couldn't pronounce the Hebrew name. |
The farm's mission has changed since 2005 from being exclusively a macadamia farm to being a sustainable community based on the kibbutz model.
Our goal is to try to establish a sustainable community that's connected with the modern world but is also independent, Siegel says. We produce our own food, have access to our own water.We want to enjoy nature, live simply and have a high quality of life without material demands.The caveat is that it's much easier said than done. The fundamental principle at the farm is the idea of agro-eco pragmatism, a concept coined by Siegel. Instead of declaring that we're 100 percent organic or permaculture, we try to do the best we can, he says. We use a mix of traditional Costa Rican techniques and modern methods. Today, the farm produces organic, kosher cheeses and fruits and vegetables, among other products, and houses goats, cows and chickens.
It also hosts vacationers who come to enjoy nature and volunteers who perform various projects on the farm. Some activities on the farm include horseback riding, hiking, cheesemaking and adventures in the Costa Rican wilderness.
I have more and bigger waterfalls than all of Israel on this property, says Siegel, who largely splits his time between Finca Rio Perla and Washington, D.C.,when not traveling to Africa for the World Bank or spending time with his girlfriend in Florida.
Siegel's farm has had a larger impact on the region-it is the only employer in the nearby town.
We're growing together, learning from them and they're learning from us, Siegel says. This is development in practice. For a Jewish touch, Siegel is giving Hebrew names to the plants, animals and geographical landmarks he discovers.
He is also reaching out to Jewish groups in the United States and elsewhere to spread the word about his farm.
It's a Jewish person making a very Jewish-like community, he says of Finca Rio Perla. It's an evolving concept.
We're still trying to move ahead and find out what we do best. For information about Finca Rio Perla, visit www.fincarioperla.com or email fincarioperla@gmail.com.
Our goal is to try to establish a sustainable community that's connected with the modern world but is also independent, Siegel says. We produce our own food, have access to our own water.We want to enjoy nature, live simply and have a high quality of life without material demands.The caveat is that it's much easier said than done. The fundamental principle at the farm is the idea of agro-eco pragmatism, a concept coined by Siegel. Instead of declaring that we're 100 percent organic or permaculture, we try to do the best we can, he says. We use a mix of traditional Costa Rican techniques and modern methods. Today, the farm produces organic, kosher cheeses and fruits and vegetables, among other products, and houses goats, cows and chickens.
It also hosts vacationers who come to enjoy nature and volunteers who perform various projects on the farm. Some activities on the farm include horseback riding, hiking, cheesemaking and adventures in the Costa Rican wilderness.
I have more and bigger waterfalls than all of Israel on this property, says Siegel, who largely splits his time between Finca Rio Perla and Washington, D.C.,when not traveling to Africa for the World Bank or spending time with his girlfriend in Florida.
Siegel's farm has had a larger impact on the region-it is the only employer in the nearby town.
We're growing together, learning from them and they're learning from us, Siegel says. This is development in practice. For a Jewish touch, Siegel is giving Hebrew names to the plants, animals and geographical landmarks he discovers.
He is also reaching out to Jewish groups in the United States and elsewhere to spread the word about his farm.
It's a Jewish person making a very Jewish-like community, he says of Finca Rio Perla. It's an evolving concept.
We're still trying to move ahead and find out what we do best. For information about Finca Rio Perla, visit www.fincarioperla.com or email fincarioperla@gmail.com.