STEWARDSHIP FESTIVAL PIVOT

            We've decided to cancel the initially planned 2020 Stewardship Festival next summer July 16-17 because here at the farm we have lots of things developing that require our attention and dumping a multi-thousand-person event into the mix is more than we can handle.

             Sometimes judicious retreat is far better than sounding the charge, or in the words of Kenny Rodgers, "you've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em."    Fortunately, big decisions like this come with their own nuances in the ensuing discussions and I'm pleased to announce that we have some substitution plans in the pipeline.

             It became clear a couple of weeks ago when we hosted the pop-up  Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) shindig in our hoop house, which can seat 300 people.  We kept the doors open for plenty of air flow and everyone turned off their cell phones to eliminate electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs).  Of course, we were crucified in the orthodox world for hosting a super spreader event; not a single person who attended has gotten Covid. 

             We were prepared to say we were hosting a protest if authorities actually took some sort of legal action.  Interestingly, Covid does not spread at all at protests.  This was the fourth event like this we've hosted in the last year (Temple Grandin, Dr. Zach Bush, Rory Feek, WAPF) and it's affirmed a sweet spot for us.  We can handle that number of people (300) with existing infrastructure and personnel; we can feed that many folks with existing expertise and infrastructure; it's enough to make it economically viable but not so many we have additional expenses in tents and equipment.

             If you think Covid spreads by germs, we keep the doors open.  If you think Covid spreads by EMFs, we turn off cell phones.  And if you just want to get together as consenting adults exercising freedom of choice to laugh and learn, that's fine too.

             We have yet to flesh this all out for next year, but our thinking is to offer half a dozen of these events, kind of like a theater series or musical series.  You can buy season tickets or come to only one.  We've already been contacted by a couple of groups to host events and we have some ideas of our own.  At some point, people need good old-fashioned fellowship and hospitality . . . oops, I meant protests.

             So stay tuned as we put together a series.  We won't be announcing anything formal until after Jan 1, but just keep this in mind.  And if you have an idea for a gathering, please let me know; we're putting together an option list and are happy to entertain any and all ideas.

             Does this sound fun to you?  What or who would you like to see?