BEDFORD — Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for life.

That's the credo at Common Earth Farms — a collaboration of volunteers, social organizations and Rwandan and Bhutanese refugees — only instead of fish, it's all about vegetables.

Gail Prince, who oversees the program, served in the U.S. Air Force for 25 years. Upon retiring, she dedicated herself to social justice work, she said.

“I moved back to New Hampshire in 2008 and bought a rundown nursery in Bedford with the intent of providing quality food to the marginalized in the community,” she said.

Prince's house, which she characterizes as an ordinary Bedford home, is a center for eight farmers and 20 other workers, in addition to numerous volunteers who come through on a regular basis.

Working with her neighbors, the Arel family, the farmers converted some 1.5 acres of grass into fertile farmland.

Prince said productive land is far preferable to a lawn.

“It's having pretty grass instead of feeding people that are poor and don't have access to quality foods,” she said. “I would much rather have that. And it's beautiful. I look out from my bedroom window, from my home, and I see beautiful gardens.”

Prince said the farmers find fulfillment in their work.

“It gives them fresh produce, and it gives them joy, I mean, it just gives them joy to be able to come out here and work in their comfort zone where they're accepted.”

The project is a collaboration with the International Institute of New Hampshire, an area nonprofit organization that helps refugees and immigrants become active in the social, political, and economic richness of American life, according to the organization's website.

Jeremiah Vernon is the institute's agricultural specialist, and works with the farmers at Common Earth on what Prince called a threefold goal: to teach the refugees farming techniques, help them learn English, and allow them to earn supplemental income.

“This guy is just amazing,” Prince said. “He's done amazing things out here.”

Prince said the two work together full time and make a perfect partnership, each of them possessing distinct skills from the other.

Though the program began in 2009, Prince was called out of retirement to do police development with the Afghan Ministry of Interior in Kabul. She went away for a year, and the program fizzled until her return in July 2010.

Now the program is in full swing. Prince said she puts in close to 60 hours a week. “I'm retired. I'm not supposed to work that hard. But I love it so much. What do I do?”

Common Earth also works with Bedford High School and religious groups in the area. It is developing a relationship with the Bedford Rotary Club, and are in talks with St. Anselm College about a service program at the farm.

With the help of Vernon, Prince and neighbor Roger Arel — a woodworker who builds whatever is needed on the farm — the farmers produce tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, lettuce, kale and other vegetables.

Everything is 100 percent organic and sold each weekend at a farmstand at 64 Jenkins Road in Bedford.

In February, the workers produced 70,000 seedlings – 10,000 were sold and the rest were planted in the fields.

“Everyone who's used our seeds are like, oh my God, our plants are just doing wonderful,” Prince said. “It's amazing how strong our plants are. And we start everything from seed in this greenhouse.”

The farmstand is manned by the farmers, and visitors can take a tour.

Hours of operation are Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, call Vernon at 603-647-1500, or Prince at 603-714-9896.

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Simon Rios may be reached at srios@newstote.com.