As I watched the snow come down and down yesterday and last night, I was not looking forward to getting up bright an early to get to my seminars and many folks didn’t make it..
The seminar itself was run very smoothly, and the folks were friendly enough, the seat were comfy and the food was healthy and for the most part tasty, the coffee rocked!
The trade show was small, and for new folks I’m sure it was interesting, but I had seen all of them before for a number of years now, I was sad to see that there was little to no seeds for sale, as I had hoped to get seeds there and not have to get to the seedy saturday in March but that didn’t work so well.
The key note was very good, and off to the first seminar which was about how to make a website or blog to promote your farm, the speaker was very good at tech but it was far more basic then I thought it would be, and when asked if anyone in the room as a website/blog and I was pretty much it, I ended up being asked questions from the group and pretty much gave about 1/4 of the talk over all..
Then it was a nice long lunch with time for the trade show (which I had done before the key note) and so found a nice quiet table an was going to blog with the laptop given that I had high speed, when four of the folks plus mates from the website seminar spotted me and joined me, with thanks and questions..
After answering questions and being asked for advice on what would I do if I wanted X to happen, I finally called it and said I needed to go to the drying seminar, I was so excited as I have this speakers book and love it! I was not dissapointed in him at all, he is a wonderful speaker, and I will do a bit more as I want to review his book and link it back to some of the thing in the seminar itself.
However this seminar was to be for small scale farm and personal home production, I was more interested in the small scale farm, but as it turned out the other 60 plus were all in baby stages, as in how do you dry berries? What kind of tray do you use for this thing? As was proper, he kept it to the basic level , although it did geta bit more interesting in Question and Answer, I just wish we had more time there.
Then on to the health and wellness in regards to your food, it was again not what I expected, the speaker was smart, interactive and very into her lifestyle and choices, but she pushed over the top to the point that most of the folks were crossing arms, leaning away from her, covering their mouths and at times refusing to make eye contact, all sure signs that it had gone just a touch or more to far from main stream to even be truly heard.
The main thing she truly offered was a list of six book that would “change your views and life” Care to guess how many of those books I already own? If you said.. all of them, you would be right..
When I was a little child, my grandpa used to say to me, “if you have not learned something today, then its not been a good day” and I have to admit that I really do feel that way, if I have not learned something, read something , practised a skill or spent time working skills of some kind with the goal of getting better or learning how to do something, then I really do feel like something is missing in my day..
I went to the seminar with high hopes to learn lots, and have to admit that I was underwhelmed, no fault of the speakers or the seminar hosts, they were excellent!
I wanted much more indepth information to really grab me and spark my passion, give me new thoughts and idea’s that would take me forward into the coming year..
Instead, I have come home thoughtful.. and just a touch concerned at what I can only express as what seemed like questions that on the face of it, would appear that folks are lacking what I consider knowledge in some very basic things.
Just another Day on the Farm 
I was at a farm market meeting this morning and it turned to something similar in the break. We are in a chicken and egg situation, struggling to attract new sellers and customers and one wont grow without the other. Those at the meeting are much of one mind when it comes to food, doing their best to put healthy food on the table for their families with varying levels of success. We are all quite knowledgeable about food and have opinions about what we want. We are certain we are not the only ones in our area who feel the same. The problem we all keep meeting is people who are disinterested and poorly informed. It can be easy to forget that there are still millions of people who are not on a journey to home grown healthy food and millions more just starting all the time. Finding educational opportunites aimed at the more experienced practitioner may continue to be hard, when the mass market remains the beginner.
People’s thoughts on revitalising farm markets always gratefully received!
Hey FarmGal, it sounds like you and I might have had a common ancestor… My Grandma used to say that the day she didn’t/couldn’t learn something was the day she’d dig herself a hole and pull the lid shut.
Okay, now this part is for both you and Queen of String: That knowledge is a precious resource worth sharing is something that’s been discussed here at least once before and I’m bringing it up again… When you get to the top of the heap and find yourself alone, it’s time to start spreading the pile girls (pretty sure you’re both getting my analogy here, but just in case… Manure doesn’t do much good just sitting in a pile ; ) You both have a wealth of knowledge – it’s time to share it and fan the flame in those around you. Hugs, Deb
I hear you Deb, but to a large part I do feel that the blog meets those needs for me(and I don’t have to take time off the farm to do it), but as talked about before, I am slowly building more local networks. I will have a local farmers son coming to give a hand this summer and will be teaching him to garden, something he has never done before.
I have become more active in the one local food bank at the local town near me, and I just went to the biggest eco-farm event in our area this past weekend and did a fair amount of hi’s an hello’, mostly from folks I know though my years of going to the local farm sales.
Baby steps for sure but still steps 🙂
For sure, “passing it on”, is all that matters (and any steps will do; ) xo D.