Biography
Ableman originally intended to become a photographer. However, in 1972 joined an agrarian commune east of Ojai, California where he was to eventually manage 100 acres (0.40 km2) 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 unique 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.
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 where he also directs the Center For Arts, Ecology, and Agriculture.
Michael is along with Seann Dory of SOLEFood Street Farms 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 face for whatever reason challenges to employment.
Michael Ableman and Seann Dory were brought together around a half-acre parking lot on Hastings and Hawks streets on the downtown east-side of Vancouver. Seann wanted to grow food and employ people from the neighborhood, Michael had the experience to make it happen.
Together they forged a working relationship, a friendship and ultimately developed a very ambitious plan to create urban production farms throughout Vancouver that would employ individuals working through the challenges of material poverty, addiction, and mental illness while generating production quantities of food.
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