Henning Sehmsdorf and Elizabeth Simpson, partnering with Transition Lopez Island, will host a year-long series of farm tours at S & S Homestead to showcase a wide range of topics on sustainable agriculture. Scheduled on the second Saturday of the month through December, each tour will feature a presentation on a particular topic, tours of the farm, a delicious, nutritionally whole meal from homegrown food, a copy of the book Eating Locally & Seasonally, and transportation via electric vehicles to and from the farm as needed, from the ferry terminal or lodgings. The series is being billed uniquely as a “fossil-free event.”
The tentative schedule for 2023 topics includes:
May 13 - Real Food on the Farm (The Weston A Price Story)
June 10 - Water Catchment
July 8 - Ecosystem Services: Mitigating Climate Change
August 12 - Micro Dairy and Cheese
September 09 - Harvesting the Sun
October 7 - Bees and Environmental Health
November 11 - Forestry: Ecosystem Succession
December 9 - Food Preservation for Nutritional Wholeness: Fermentation and Canning
Farm-grown meals lovingly prepared by Henning and Elizabeth will include wood-fired pizza, beef/bean/barley soup, chili, and Three Sisters casserole with vegetarian options available.
As a pilot project, the intention of the 2023 Farm Tour series is to demonstrate that tourism can shift from being extractive and negatively impactful to a more mutually rewarding sharing of experiences, cultures, inspirations, ideas, food, arts, island practices and love of our community. This would include promoting and implementing non-polluting transportation (walking, bicycling, privately or rented electric vehicles or by public electric shuttle), food venues and events that feature island cuisines based on locally grown food, and tourist activities that are attractive, entertaining, educational, family-oriented, outdoor centered, and support the local economy while preserving the natural landscape, beaches, forests, parks, and limited water resources.
Registration for the next event via Paypal is here. Cost is $100 per person with a discount for those who can furnish their own fossil-free transportation.
