SOUTH AFRICA

            Today is my first foray into transcontinental trips since covid, heading to South Africa and hosted by Hope Farm.  Looks like 3  two-day masterclasses in three cities:  Johannesburg, East London, and then Cape Town.

            These two-day seminars are divided like this:  Day One is all power point slides of Polyface, what we do, how we do it, and why.  Hard core animal husbandry and landscape management.   I divide Day Two into two segments:  the morning is all about team building, relationships, collaborations;  what I call the people portion of a farming business. 

            Then I devote the afternoon to marketing, which includes messaging, platforms, pricing and strategic positioning within food and fiber commerce.  It’s tiring but fast paced; we always run out of time and this format has served me well all over the world.  These will be the first masterclasses in this format I’ve done since BC (Before Covid); I’m looking forward to getting back into that space.  Of course, lots of new things to talk about; think about how much has changed in the last four years.

            This particular trip was originally scheduled for the spring of 2019, then postponed to that fall (remember the “only two weeks” plan?), then rescheduled for 2021 (surely things will let up by then—NOT!) and finally rescheduled for Nov. 3-14, 2023.  And here we are.  In 2019 I had five transcontinental seminars canceled.  As the world turns to Zoom, though, I think we’re all learning that part of being human is being able to physically interact; nothing beats personal proximate, physical fellowship.  We are social beings.

            When I come back on Nov. 13, I don’t even get to come home, but switch bags (yes, I’m taking an overnight bag to leave in my car at the airport) and head to Michigan to do a lecture at Hillsdale College.  They’re putting on a three-day conference themed “Building a Parallel Universe.”  They have sessions on economies, education, health care and I’m doing the one on a parallel agriculture.  To say I’m honored and excited about this opportunity is the understatement of the year. 

            The conservative community, epitomized by Hillsdale, has not embraced an ecological approach to food and farming and my goal is to build that bridge with this speech.  Because it will be printed in their conference proceedings, I had to write it out, which means I can put it in this blog after it’s delivered.  I have a ten-point outline comparing the orthodox food and farm universe to a functional parallel one.  I don’t hold back; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity so I’ll deliver with good humor, but uncompromised.

            Today Del Bigtree and HIGHWIRE are featuring Polyface on their podcast—Nov. 3.  I encourage everyone to see it.  He wanted me in the studio while it was being aired, but I can’t be in South Africa and Austin at the same time, so alas and alack, it’ll be broadcast without me.  But Del is a powerhouse and a truly great guy.  I’m confident it will present my message accurately and encouragingly.

            That’s the news from Lake Wobegon, I mean Swoope.  I’ll do my best to check in while I’m gone but these are whirlwind trips and I apologize in advance if I go quiet for a couple of weeks.  I’ll miss you.  Hold the country together. 

            What kind of country do you think I’ll return to, post mid-terms?