On Thursday evening, while thousands fled the devastation of Lake County's Valley Fire that has so far consumed hundreds of homes and over 70,000 acres, our humble Grange Hall in Sebastopol, just sixty miles south of the inferno, overflowed with farmers, chefs and local food advocates who together raised over eighteen thousand dollars to aid victims of the wildfire.
Three days prior, when news of the fire was just appearing in headlines, Shannon Erickson Lee of Two Moon Family Farm in Sonoma, CA, posted on the Farmers Guild online forum "Can we maybe mobilize a farm-to-table potluck somewhere to raise funds for our farmer/ranch guild friends in lake county???" That spark soon set off an inferno of its own. First came Kerrie Williams, who wrote "I'm really good with organization and would love to help! I graduated from middletown high and have been looking for a good way to help." Then Rob Hogencamp chimed in, Executive Chef of Sonoma West Medical Center, volunteering to help cook. And nearby Laguna Farm offered to drop off fresh produce. Robin Carpenter, of KWMR's Farm & Foodshed Report, began to coordinate a silent auction. And by the time Sarah Silva of Green Star Farm, Marianna Gardenhire of Forestville's Backyard Restaurant and a dozen others jumped in the fray, we at the Farmers Guild had no choice but to appease the masses and begin to organize.
Three days prior, when news of the fire was just appearing in headlines, Shannon Erickson Lee of Two Moon Family Farm in Sonoma, CA, posted on the Farmers Guild online forum "Can we maybe mobilize a farm-to-table potluck somewhere to raise funds for our farmer/ranch guild friends in lake county???" That spark soon set off an inferno of its own. First came Kerrie Williams, who wrote "I'm really good with organization and would love to help! I graduated from middletown high and have been looking for a good way to help." Then Rob Hogencamp chimed in, Executive Chef of Sonoma West Medical Center, volunteering to help cook. And nearby Laguna Farm offered to drop off fresh produce. Robin Carpenter, of KWMR's Farm & Foodshed Report, began to coordinate a silent auction. And by the time Sarah Silva of Green Star Farm, Marianna Gardenhire of Forestville's Backyard Restaurant and a dozen others jumped in the fray, we at the Farmers Guild had no choice but to appease the masses and begin to organize.
As an organization specializing in community events, never have we seen a group that large, that committed and that effective mobilize in such a short span of time. Three days in, with several hundred RSVP's, local businesses piling up auction items, and farmers dropping off truckloads of ingredients, the only question on our minds was: how will we fit them all? But by Thursday evening tents began to arrive, extra chairs and tables appeared outside, and even a local brewery tour company pulled up in a bus, offering to shuttle the crowds from our little Grange hall to an overflow parking lot down the road.
Those eighteen thousand dollars came not from a handful of high-rolling sympathizers, but from the collective contributions of nearly four hundred people. And while we were pleased to see many new faces that night, most of the crowd was familiar, comprised of regulars from the Farmers Guild, i.e. young and small-scale farmers, most of whom struggle to make ends meet, but who nonetheless arrived to give of their time, money, skills and compassion.
Defining the Farmers Guild has never been easy. An advocacy group for agriculture? An educational program for young agrarians? Some get a glance at what we do and say, well, it's nothing but a potluck! And they might be right. For several years, while we've hosted workshops and trainings, advocated for policy change and educated the public on agricultural issues, at the heart of our work is a simple, monthly potluck. A couple dozen farmers, ranchers and local food advocates get together in a barn or Grange hall, share a meal, and talk shop.
Those eighteen thousand dollars came not from a handful of high-rolling sympathizers, but from the collective contributions of nearly four hundred people. And while we were pleased to see many new faces that night, most of the crowd was familiar, comprised of regulars from the Farmers Guild, i.e. young and small-scale farmers, most of whom struggle to make ends meet, but who nonetheless arrived to give of their time, money, skills and compassion.
Defining the Farmers Guild has never been easy. An advocacy group for agriculture? An educational program for young agrarians? Some get a glance at what we do and say, well, it's nothing but a potluck! And they might be right. For several years, while we've hosted workshops and trainings, advocated for policy change and educated the public on agricultural issues, at the heart of our work is a simple, monthly potluck. A couple dozen farmers, ranchers and local food advocates get together in a barn or Grange hall, share a meal, and talk shop.
But a potluck can be powerful. Whether it's the Grange or the Farmers Guild, a neighborhood group or a house of faith, cultivating the space for communion bears many fruit. Most of the time that fruit is hard to see, harder still to measure—relationships, inspiration, invisible threads spun throughout a community. On rare occasions, however, that impact is obvious. Even measurable. Like on Thursday evening. Three days to plan. Eighteen thousand dollars. Forty-three auction items. One Grange hall. Four hundred people.
For those in Lake County who've lost homes, crops, cars, livestock, businesses, photo albums, and even family members, we know that eighteen thousand dollars will make only a dent. And some things are irreplaceable. But we also know that ours is only one community of many. And so to all those who gathered with us on Thursday and all those who are, in their own communities, mobilizing to help those in need—and more importantly, to those who cultivate community even when giant billows of smoke don't waft overhead—I thank you.
For those in Lake County who've lost homes, crops, cars, livestock, businesses, photo albums, and even family members, we know that eighteen thousand dollars will make only a dent. And some things are irreplaceable. But we also know that ours is only one community of many. And so to all those who gathered with us on Thursday and all those who are, in their own communities, mobilizing to help those in need—and more importantly, to those who cultivate community even when giant billows of smoke don't waft overhead—I thank you.
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The money raised, currently held by our non-profit, will be dispersed in the coming weeks in partnership with organizations in Lake County who are working directly with the victims of the wildfire. A portion will go specifically to help small-scale family farmers and ranchers rebuild barns and fencing, feed displaced animals and recoup losses from this year's harvest.
To get involved, contact us here
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