Superb Food Independence Summit puts focus on local
One of the hopes of the creators of the upcoming Superb Food Independence Summit is to encourage people to pay more attention to the quality of their food, rather than just the experience and the taste.
Encouraging people to grow and distribute food locally is at the crux of the upcoming Superb Food Independence Summit Sept. 22-23 at Timbercrest Camp & RV Park, 5552 state Route 515, north of Walnut Creek, where a host of well-known food industry leaders both on the local and national level will present a variety of topics designed to inspire people to invest more in locally grown foods and the quality of food being placed on tables.
Those wishing to attend can learn more about food growing, harvesting, preservation and preparation.
Workshops include a canning extravaganza, seed savings, composting, butchering, freeze drying and cheesemaking while hands-on learning experiences include timber framing, bread making, milking, sewing, fermenting and butter making.
The event came about when John Miller, owner of Superb Industries, and Marcus Wengerd, owner of Berlin Seed, put their heads together to create a two-day event that focuses on the importance of growing and sharing food locally.
“We have a lot of small, specialized growers in our community who make life better for local people,” Wengerd said. “We wanted to create an avenue to give those people some exposure, and the other thing that burns strongly for me is that while we have a lot of great-tasting food that is neatly packaged and available to all of us, we don’t pay much attention to where our food comes from. I think people should learn to pay more attention to the quality of their food, rather than just the experience and the taste.”
Wengerd said presenting a platform for area growers was a big part of this endeavor. He said one of the strengths of this community is it has many growers, and the capability to develop those avenues to provide quality food is already in place.
The lineup of guest speakers includes respected entrepreneurs from near and far.
Joel Salatin, author of the books, “Folks This Ain’t Normal” and “Homestead Tsunami,” will speak Thursday from 8:55-9:50 a.m. and Friday from 10:40-11:40 a.m.
Salatin’s broad-based cultural presentation on “Folks This Ain’t Normal” addresses the abnormalities in modern culture. His talk assumes historical patterns that stood the test of time will ultimately win out over today’s systems.
His talk on “Homestead Tsunami” will explore why people are heading out of the city and onto a homestead, as he explores current interest, migration and opportunities as people seek food and lifestyle security in an increasingly dysfunctional society.
Justin Rhodes is a permaculturalist, film producer, author and teacher. He will speak on the topic, The Rooted Life & Permaculture Chickens. Rhodes helps people learn to work with nature to produce their own sustenance so they can live a more abundant life. He founded Abundant Permaculture out of a love of teaching and the sustainable movement. He will speak Thursday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and Friday from 8:55-9:50 a.m.
“We were fortunate to build a great list of presenters, and Joel and Justin are two of the top names in homesteading,” Miller said.
Miller, founder and president of Superb Industries, will present Putting a Lid on It and Yes, You Can!
Local entrepreneurs Galan Lehman and Mark Coblentz will join Miller and talk about how they teamed up with Superb Industries to solve a Mason jar lid shortage. Learn how these three companies teamed up to solve the lid shortage of 2021 so the homegrown harvest could be preserved.
Yes, You Can! is a motivational sum-up of what will be learned at the Superb Food Independence Summit and what people can do to declare food independence for family and friends.
“Too often we focus on what we cannot do instead of what we can do,” Miller said.
What does it take to say, “Yes, we can?”
These discussions will take place Thursday from 8:35-8:55 a.m. and Friday from 11:40 a.m. to noon.
Coblentz also will present Supply Chain for a Sustainable Lifestyle, exploring challenges to meet today’s food chain supply issues.
“It sounds so simple, from seed to the table, and it would be simple if we still had the 90% of Americans living on farms like we did in the early 1900s,” Coblentz said. “But today’s food supply chain demands stewardship while fulfilling food needs in rural and remote areas.”
Coblentz, founder and CEO of Walnut Creek Foods, has invested 45 years determining customer desires and fulfilling them with market efficiency in manufacturing, distribution and retailing.
He will speak Thursday from 10-10:30 a.m.
Marcus Wengerd, founder of Carlisle Printing, will present Seeds: Currency of the Planet on Thursday from 9:50-10:10 a.m.
Dan Laudon will present Politics, Food and Feeding Your Family on Friday from 8:35-8:55 a.m. Laudon will delve into why people who pushed a pandemic and went against science to force lockdowns and masks are now turning their attention to the nation’s food sources. He will explore the future of food and how politics play a role.
Homestead preppers Mark and Shallon of The Appalachian Homestead, tucked into the mountains of Central Appalachia, come from a long line of mountaineer homesteaders who saw fit to preserve and pass down the wisdom of their ancestral ways, which are kept alive still today in practice on their family homesteads. They will speak Friday from 9:50-10:10 a.m.
TikTok sensation Sarah will present Canning: It doesn’t have to be difficult.
Sarah is an educational content creator known as PeeliesNPetals with more than 1 million followers on TikTok. She considers herself a homesteading economist, teacher and naturalist. Her mission is to help others achieve a lifestyle of self-sufficiency through subsistence agriculture, home food preservation techniques and naturalism.
“When we started planning this in late June, Marcus told me I was thinking too small,” Miller said. “It has quickly grown into something that we hope will be an annual event that will walk people through the food industry from seeds to spoons.”
Those wishing to purchase tickets for the summit may do so by visiting www.eventbright.com and searching Superb Food Independence Summit.