Summer at the Farm

Happy August New Moon!

As we enter the middle of August and a whole new lunar cycle it feels like a total reset. We move from seeding, weeding and staking, into harvest season.

The hens are laying consistently and we graciously accept ten fresh eggs each day! The Rustic Ranger chicks have grown from chicks into large birds, ready to be harvested next week. We are being fuelled by our berry and vegetable harvests. We intentionally allow every healthy plant to go to seed and look forward to the natural resilience of locally adapted seeds that grow better than anything out of a package in seasons to come.

We have now delivered most of our community dinners and private bookings, each one unique, that became much more than a shared meal celebrating fresh, ecologically produce grown within view.  They evolved into living, community-based laboratories where live art, music, poetry, and culture were blended to create a memorable experience that allowed us to realize our wildest dreams.

In serving one another, through collaboration (and being way outside our comfort zone) we nourish our bodies, reconnect to our spirits and uplift our community. This act of coming together grounds us in ecological belonging, reminding us that personal inner growth begins when we invite others to witness our creativity and create the conditions that nurture the roots of our community.

As grateful as I am for everything we have created with our in-person events, we also acknowledge that nourishment should not be reserved for those able to splurge on tickets to attend dinner experiences. This is why we are honoured to dedicate 100% of proceeds from our Sept 11 signature fundraiser, Harvestfest to The Sharing Place Food Centre in Orillia.

The Sharing Place has committed to solving one of the most pressing needs in our community; to end hunger and reimagine and build a resilient local food system that ensures high quality, nutritious food is accessible to all with dignity. By purchasing a ticket to Harvestfest, every Chef made soup, stew and conversation directly fuels a well-fed, flourishing region.

Join us for the last few events of the season, to cultivate connections and nourish ourselves and our neighbours. Tickets and more information are available at hammock.earth.

We are deeply grateful to our founding members and guests who make our dreams possible, and look forward to sharing the abundant harvest season with you.

Hello! How has your summer been? Life has felt so very full in this summer of the fire horse, and now here we are in the month of eclipses. Today brings a solar eclipse on the new moon, and we're approaching our last farm table dinner this Friday.

Last Friday was truly a dream come true. I got to collaborate with my friend Huong to bring this idea to life: healing our immigrant experience of intergenerational trauma through our first Vietnamese farm table dinner at the farm, with herbs planted from seed, secret recipes passed down by our mothers, locally raised meat and seafood, and poetry and spoken word. It was my first time feeling safe enough to share so authentically, in the company of dear friends, my mom, and our ever-growing community of support and the beautiful land, well loved plants and farm animals.

One of the things I shared that night were three questions I've been asking myself all year, questions that have really helped me make tough decisions:

• What do you live for?

• What would you die for?

• What is worth your life force energy?

On this new moon, I wanted to pass them along in case they're helpful for your own reflections on your why, so you can also create the conditions for your life force energy to flow toward your dreams.

If you'd like to see the menu and some of the poetry shared that night, we made a landing page here.

I'm incredibly grateful for our growing community of people who resonate with creating and supporting ecological belonging through our own obscure superpowers. Please reach out and tell us your dreams, and how we can support you.

PS. If you're looking to get away from Toronto and stay for a few days in my old school house in Omemee, Kawartha Lakes beside Wu Tai Shan Buddhist Garden, you're welcome to. Happy to design your own retreat out here.

Join us for Harvestfest on Sept 11 and some exciting retreats happening on the Autumn Equinox weekend.