Although our hair doesn't still smell like campfire and there's no more dirt between our toes (at least not from Festival), the Solstice magic we shared in the pasture stays with everyone in their good work.
And if you're wondering why a meat company like Old Salt Co-op holds a cultural festival, it’s because: the most important change in agriculture — and in our entire economy — is culture itself. Old Salt celebrates and nourishes a culture of care for neighbors, and therefore care of the land. That's the whole notion. The work's right in front of us.
Since moving into town and away from the land I grew up on, I've been asking myself: How can I stay connected to the land and treat it as kin?
A few options:
Take care of each other. If land is kin, then taking care of each other and taking care of the land is exactly the same work. Everyone is involved in land stewardship.
Get your food and fiber from a place you have multiple reasons to trust. That one decision, repeated, is how regenerative agriculture survives.
Get involved with neighbors to care for land. Whether it's a conservation collaborative or a CSA, land stewardship takes a community. As a certain someone said about land stewardship at this year’s Festival: "It's not ours, it’s just our turn."
Over the next few weeks, we'll share more reflections, photos, and ways to listen to the speakers and producers from Old Salt Festival you may have missed. And go ahead and mark your calendars for Solstice weekend, 2027. We'd love to have you join us out on the ranch!
Yours,
Cole
