Seeds Were Sown
Our farm and community hosted its 2nd annual Homestead Conference, and over 3,000 folks from all over the country showed up. A dedicated, serious group of families and small businesses united in their pursuit of healthier food, sustainable living, local economy, and a simpler life.
The weather was a bit warm and muggy, but the air was crisp with energy and enthusiasm.
My favorite speaker, per usual, was the one & only Mr. Joel Salatin.
He’s an incredible mouthpiece for the movement, a man of deep conviction and character. If you haven’t seen any of the countless documentaries in which he’s appeared, you should (I love this one). I first discovered him as a young teen reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma, a fantastic book on food which awakened in me a love for writing.
Joel is a man of big, powerful little phrases. He coins them every time he speaks it seems, and they stick. He’s a farmer, a philosopher, and a prophet. But there were so many great presentations, and such a wealth of knowledge. Gives me a lot of hope for where we’re going.
I gave a talk on how to create a thriving hospitality destination out of your farm or homestead. This is a key component for a lot of these folks if they’re to be successful not only materially, but evangelistically in spreading the word about a better way to live and eat. Historically, there’s been a huge mismatch between agriculture (especially the healthy, regenerative kind) and the things that make a place worth visiting: beauty, storytelling, hospitality.
I’ve wanted the chance to address this head on for a while, and it seemed to be well received. (If enough of you are interested, I might post the whole thing on my YouTube channel, so let me know.)
Most exciting to me, I can hardly believe 130 folks registered (and paid $30 each) to come tour our orchard! If I ever needed validation for the hospitality layer on top of the fruit production possibility of this place, this weekend was just that (and I made a lot of new friends!).
If I could quantify success for the project, it would be that it inspired someone else to plant and tend their own orchard in their own barren field — even if only a handful of trees. It can heal the soil, provide delicious, wholesome abundance, and teach you more about yourself than you’d believe. It can spark dreams and talents you didn’t know you had. It can make your own corner of creation a little bit better than what you inherited.
Seeds were sown. I believe we’re going to see fruit. And this is just the beginning of that part of the journey. I’ve got some exciting plans underway for the next chapter of the orchard, and they involve you, so stay tuned!