Third annual Food Independence Summit returning to Walnut Creek
A child milks a Jersey cow during last year’s Food Independence Summit, which is one of the activities guests can experience during the afternoons. This year’s event is June 19 and 20 at Timbercrest Camp and RV Park in Walnut Creek.
With homesteading gaining a resurgence in recent years, local business owners in Holmes County decided to gather like-minded individuals together to help enthusiasts learn and grow.
The third annual Food Independence Summit will return Wednesday, June 19 and Thursday, June 20 at Timbercrest Camp and RV Park, 5552 OH-515, Walnut Creek. Gates will open at 7 a.m., with primary events running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The two-day event is founded by Berlin Seeds and Superb Sealing Solutions, along with several local and national sponsors.
Both days will include a mix of educational speakers in the morning, a noon meal break, and then workshops and demonstrations in the afternoon, said Marcus Wengerd, owner of Berlin Seeds and event organizer.
“(Homesteading) brings us back to connecting with creation and connecting with our neighbors,” he said.
From 8:30-11:45 a.m., attendees can listen to lectures on the main stage in the big tent. Speakers range from all over the country, bringing together a collection of topics.
A “meet and mingle” lunch will be from noon to 1 p.m. both days in the food tent by local caterer Byler’s BBQ. Wednesday’s meal will be an Amish wedding feast and Thursday’s a barn-raising feast.
From 1-5 p.m. activity tents will offer a mix of scheduled and recurring workshops and demonstrations, along with over 70 local and national creators and exhibitors. Hosted by locals and guest speakers, topics range from cow milking, candle dipping and carving, rope making, canning, chicken buttering, baking artisan breads, meat smoking, beef stick making, broom making and sticking, and knife making to portable sawmill and backyard structure frolic.
The children’s tent will offer plenty of fun including story time with Martha Miller, The Sciences of Sauerkraut for Kids by Karen Geiser, and Fun in the Garden with Obadiah by Obadiah and Karen Geiser.
For event coordinator Arlen Miller, the summit is about knowing where your food comes from, through learning to grow and produce your own food and finding local options.
“It’s hard work, but it’s an easy choice,” Arlen Miller said.
The event’s tagline is Seed to Spoon, a sentiment that echoes the values found by many locals within the Amish Country community, which makes the area an ideal setting for the event, Wengerd said.
“I believe we do a wonderful job at growing a good portion of our own food in our own backyard (and have) wonderful access to tools and expertise in the homesteading area that our guests can benefit from,” Wengerd said.
Wengerd and co-founder John Miller of Superb Sealing Solutions will participate in the morning lectures. Miller will kick off with a Welcome Wednesday and later give a talk titled God of the Garden: Why Homesteading Reflects the Image of God. Wengerd will give a lecture Thursday on The Seeds of Generosity.
One speaker highlight is farmer and lecturer Joel Salatin, who has participated in Food Independence every year.
“Joel is a grandpa of the homesteading movement if you will,” Wengerd said. “Joel was promoting homesteading and growing your own food long before it was popular.”
On Wednesday Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms in Virginia, will give his From a Frog’s Perspective lecture. On Thursday he will share his talk, What’s Holding You Back from Moving Forward.
Salatin will give demonstrations both afternoons in the farmstead tent titled The Family Cow on 1/4 Acre. Wednesday will be part one and Thursday part two.
A new speaker this year is agronomist Neal Kinsey of Kinsey Agricultural Services, who has decades of experience as a soil fertility consultant in conventional and no-till farming.
“Neal has served all over the world, helping people with their soil and plant nutrition,” Wengerd said. “I think many people in our area will enjoy hearing from him.”
Kinsey will give a lecture Wednesday called Nutrient Needs for Soils and Plants in Your Garden and then another on Thursday titled Solving Specific Problems in the Garden by Correcting Fertility Needs. Later he will give a demonstration on Better Soil Fertility and Crops on Wednesday and Compost and Manures for Amazing Garden Results on Thursday, both in the main stage tent.
Other speakers include homesteader and educator Anne Briggs, founder of AnneofAllTrades.com; John Moody, author and co-founder of Rogue Food Conference; David Stelzer, owner of organic food distributor Azure Standard; Codi and Michelle Knox, hosts of Home Than Farmers on YouTube; and Sarah Thrush, homesteading influencer of @Sarah Plain & Tall from TikTok. The speakers can be found later in the activity tents giving various presentations including canning, gardening techniques and chicken butchering.
Instead of live music offered in previous years, a Summit Social is being planned Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. Social media influencers and their followers will have a chance to meet and ask questions. There will be a chicken barbecue prepared by Byler’s BBQ. More details will follow on the summit’s Facebook page.
The family-oriented event has individual, family and ticket packages, which can be found by visiting www.foodindependence.life. Meal tickets can be purchased separately or with a combo ticket.
For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit the website, email discover@foodindepence.life or call 1-855-654-2002. Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/foodindependencesummit.