b"distillationsandorganicfarming. Ruditz says she now produces and/or runsbetweentenandtwelveweek-long retreats per year. Its all about connections, Ruditz tells me. (As if arranging for a dozen strangers to travel overseas and share living quarters, food, and sightseeing for a week is a seamless operation.) Forher,thesetripsareawayto bringtogetherpeoplesheadmires. Because shes in the wine industry and stillimportsdelicacieslikeoliveoil, Schmidt and his family raise their ownvinegar, and saffron, she is constantlyT HIISSIISSHHOOMMEEmeeting people who are either chefs orTHmeats for eating. excited about learning more about the art of cooking and farming. Susan Blodgett, ABR VillaMontecastelloisaworking school that would take place at Villaorganicfarmwithanextensiveveg- Broker / Sales Associate Montecastello the following summer.etablegarden,soallthecookingon973-214-4636 Ruditzs retreats started growing or- theseretreatsinvolvesfreshingredi- Susan.Blodgett@cbmoves.com ganically from there: some- ents from the surroundingGinny Spiegel times focused solelyfields. Schmidt andSales Associate oncookinghis family raise973-219-8865 classeswiththeirownVirginia.Spiegel@cbmoves.com 145 Maplewood AvenueMaplewood, NJ differentmeatsfor973-378-8300 @WeKnowNJRealEstate w e l l - e a t i n g knownanduseSERVICE KNOWLEDGE EXPERTISE c h e f s ;the wild o t h e rh e r b s t i m e sfordis-m o r etillinges-c e n t e r e dsential oils. aroundherbS c h m i d t Everyone shares communal meals at long sprawling tables filled with fresh cut flowers.Because of Ruditz' interest in wellness, she has expanded the scope of her retreats to include personal training, yoga, and flower arranging.feature story /15"