On October 7, Israeli agriculture experienced a terrible blow: from north to south, migrant workers from Thailand left, farmers were called up for reserve duty, fields and crops were destroyed, and guests stopped coming. In “The Soil Will Grow Again,” Asif offers farmers a plot of land on our rooftop farm to tell their story, show off their crops, put down roots, and plant a memory of life on the land, in the face of challenges and loss.
Cauliflower | Meshek Regev | Ma’ale Gamla
Established in 2016 by Erez and Yael Regev in the Golan Heights, Meshek Regev is renowned for its Maya mangoes. Each summer, boxes of the juicy and sweet fruit are distributed all around Israel. Shortly after October 7, the farm faced a double blow: Erez was called up for reserve duty, and visitors stopped coming. Yael remained behind to operate the farm’s store, selling mangoes along with other produce, including cauliflower, which they have struggled to sell. It is now planted on our roof, offering this resilient crop the stage — and a temporary home away from home.
Lemongrass | Meshek Havivian | Hodaya
Israeli farmers have faced a severe labor shortage since the start of the war. The local agriculture industry relies heavily on workers from Thailand, who were urged to return home by their government after October 7. But when Thai workers at Meshek Havivian saw their farm flooded with volunteers and aid, they decided to stay. They are the “farm’s heart and soul,” says owner Michal Havivian, who has operated the family farm with her partner Boaz and his family — his sister Orit, her husband Ilan and grandma Shula — since 2007. “They are devoted managers who always think 10 steps ahead,” she adds. “They’re true professionals in everything they do, and they train the rest of the staff. They’re irreplaceable. Running the farm without them would be like running a hospital without doctors.”
On their own plots near the farm, the workers planted bananas, dragon fruit, and lemongrass as reminders of home. Inspired by that, we transplanted a few of their lemongrass plants in their “The Soil Will Grow Again” garden plot.
Desert Oregano | Project Wadi Attir | Hura
Launched 12 years ago in the Negev, Project Wadi Attir — a joint venture of Muhammad al-Nabari, former mayor of the Bedouin town of Hura, and Michael Ben-Eli, founder of the NYC-based Sustainability Laboratory — brings together traditional Bedouin knowledge with cutting edge, sustainable agricultural technology.
The project uses an integrated infrastructure of green technologies (from solar energy to advanced irrigation), to raise sheep and goats, which provide milk for its wonderful dairy, and grow 26 different varieties of medicinal plants. One of them is Origanum dayi, which they donated to Asif’s farm.
On October 7, the project lost a treasured friend and founder: Vivian Silver. In her memory, and in the memory of the war’s victims in Bedouin society, the project helped plant 120 varieties of edible trees — a first-of-its-kind edible forest in the Negev. Planted by Jewish and Bedouin activists, it symbolizes hope for a more united and egalitarian society.
Chard | Organica | Yated
Avi and Sapir Havivian moved to Moshav Yated eight years ago in search of a quiet piece of land where they could raise their children. Sapir says the plot they purchased was “the wasteland of the moshav. This is where people dumped construction and agricultural waste.” The couple transformed this neglected land into Organica, an organic vegetable farm, which grows more than 60 different crops. “For us, organic is not only about how we treat the land and nature; it’s also about our relationship with our workers,” Sapir says. “We celebrate the holidays together and try to give them a sense of family.”
The strength of these relationships manifested itself on October 7, when 15 terrorists stormed the moshav, located near the Gaza border. Avi joined the moshav’s emergency response team, fighting for over 40 hours. The farm’s workers barricaded themselves in the warehouse’s safe room, while Sapir found shelter in the safe room of her home with her children, as well as guests who had joined them for Sukkot. They spent 36 hours in the safe room with no electricity, before the emergency response team began evacuating residents. Sapir explains: “We left the moshav with our workers in a convoy of trucks we normally use for transporting produce. The children and I stayed with family, then continued to Jerusalem. Avi stayed on the moshav. Three of the workers joined him — they understood that without them, the farm would quickly collapse.”
The Havivian family and the community of Yated experienced deep losses. “We lost so many friends and acquaintances,” says Sapir. “We had to live apart — I was in Jerusalem with the kids, and Avi was guarding the moshav — but we tried to continue our family life from a distance.”
The extent of the damage began to emerge when Avi returned to the farm. Sapir explains: “On an organic farm, nature does most of the work. We only use biological pest control, that is, good bugs that eat the bad bugs. Two weeks after the attack, when we returned to the fields, they were in a bad state. We had to discard tomatoes, cucumbers and 80 tons of sweet potato ready for harvesting. The fields simply collapsed.”
Shortly before Hanukkah, a group of student volunteers came to the rescue. “They lived with us for two months, and supported us not only physically in the restoration of the farm, but also emotionally, organizing bonfires and spending time together. They saved us,” Sapir says.
The Havivian family is still working to rebuild Organica. “Before the war, we were selling to 40 stores and farms. Some customers returned, and others want to, but we’re still short on labor and resources,” Sapir says. “We are trying to be grateful for what we have. To see this great miracle, that we survived, and we can get up and fight to make a living, and that we still have three longtime workers. There are still challenges to overcome, but I feel we need to talk more about regeneration, about rebirth. It’s hard to leave suffering behind, but if we don’t focus on revival, it won’t happen. I don’t want pity. I don’t want people to say, ‘we’ll do what we can to help, we feel for you.’ Come visit us, come not only for memorial services, but to see life. Every visit is sacred to us, even if it is short. And we’re here, doing what we know.”
Inspired by the Havivian family’s optimistic spirit, we planted colored chard in Organica’s farm plot.
Potatoes | Yarden Tzemach | Kibbutz Be’eri
“Everybody knows the story of what happened in Be’eri on October 7,” says Yarden Tzemach, who supervises some of the kibbutz’s crops. “I lost my older brother, and more than 100 kibbutz members were assassinated. We spent the first two weeks attending one funeral after the other. Kibbutz members were evacuated to hotels in the Dead Sea area, and it seemed like all of Israel’s therapists came to treat us. This was inspiring, but after two weeks I decided it wasn’t for me.” Yarden was the second person to return to Be’eri, after the kibbutz’s cattle breeder.
The agricultural sector of Be’eri suffered terrible damage. The kibbutz’s irrigation manager, Chen Even, who Yarden says was the living soul of the kibbutz, was among those murdered, and many Thai workers heeded their government’s call to return home.
In the first few weeks after he returned to the kibbutz, Yarden joined IDF soldiers in patrolling the orchards, where they feared terrorists were still hiding. Once security clearance was given, he turned to social networks to ask for help. “People from all strands of society, from Israel and abroad, left everything and came to help us pick avocados for four months,” he says. With the help of volunteers, 4,000 tons of avocados and citrus were picked. In December, the kibbutz started its seasonal wheat planting. This used to be the responsibility of the legendary Zeev Hecker, who was murdered on October 7. Now his son, Hagai, has stepped into his father’s shoes. With fall approaching, they will soon plant potatoes, the pride crop of the Western Negev. Now, visitors to Asif will be able to see the first sprouts of Be’eri’s recovering agriculture.
Organic Israel
The Organic Israel NGO was founded in 2021 to promote ecologic, sustainable, and organic farming in Israel.
“On October 8 it dawned on us: Our NGO had little resources, and we realized it would take time until the government came to its senses, if it ever did. We had to step up and fill the void,” says farmer Guy Rilov, owner of Makura Farm and co-founder of Organic Israel. Together with volunteers Madi Amer and Hilit Ma’ayan, he began paying visits to organic farms near the Gaza border, from north to south, in an attempt to identify their needs and challenges in this trying time.
The NGO began to raise money in the United States and Europe. They used the donations to replace agricultural equipment that was damaged or stolen, arrange accommodation and transportation for agricultural workers who felt unsafe staying on the farms, and apply organic solutions to address soil damage. “The heavy movement of tanks and armored vehicles left fissures in the soil, which can cause erosion. We were able to raise enough funds to plant cover crops, mainly clover, to prevent erosion and enrich the soil with natural nitrogen. This initiative sparked interest in cover crops, which are highly beneficial to the agricultural environment, and we plan to continue sowing clover next year,” says Rilov.
The project is still operated by volunteers. “People understood the importance of agriculture — it is definitely an exciting project.” Organic Israel supported the “The Soil Will Grow Again” project, and introduced us to Yarden Tzemach from Kibbutz Be’eri and Sapir Havivian of Moshav Yated, who the NGO supported after October 7.