Yosemite ‘23 Was a Great Delight!
Climbers and farmers set the table with a feast of hope, connection and joy!
Climbing + Connection + Joy
The third annual Farm To Crag Yosemite Gathering was full of joy, delicious food, hard work, thoughtful conversations, learning, and some perfect Yosemite granite.
Photos - Eric Bissell
Some Highlights
Our weekend began with fabulous humans filtering in and setting up camp at Raw Roots Farm. The farm tour from Lauren and Andrew Glikin was a deep dive into how regenerative organic farming on 4 acres of land can feed 70+ families all while adding carbon to the soil.
Sandra Chapman and Jeanette Acosta spoke on behalf of indigenous food pathways, their relationship to Yosemite, the Elderberry and the Manzanita. They offered hopeful advice to get to know one plant, like a dear friend, before you get to know them all. They sent us climbing, promising to ask permission from the soaring granite walls before diving into upward movement.
Chef Matt Dillon showcased the bounty of local flavors on Friday with wood fired sourdough pizza featuring fiddle head ferns, Wondernut Farm cheese, and the delicate flavors of fava bean leaves.
A slideshow by Kate Rutherford highlighted her journey from climbing in Yosemite, Patagonia and ultimately co-founding Farm To Crag.
The Weekend
Saturday morning began as Esther Smith brought her physical therapy wisdom to wake us up and teach us about warming up our bodies for farming and climbing.
Patagonia Chef’s Dylan and Daniel Carter, teamed up with Wild Idea Buffalo’s Jill O’Brian to make breakfast and speak to restoring the prairie though Bison grazing as they have evolved to do, fertilizing as they go and encouraging the grasses to have deep roots.
The work party began in earnest as it warmed up and we built tomato trellises, spread compost on new beds, transplanted onions, hung shade tarps, and more!
Our friend Tyler Karow, Patagonia Provisions, and climbing partners Ima and Rachel created a beautiful lunch akin to the pizza they cooked in a cast iron dutch oven while freeing the South African route in the Torres Del Paine. ❤️
We avoided the food coma, with Dr. Becca Ryals, taking soil sample cores on different parts of the farm and learning about the carbon cycle and how healthy soil = healthy plants = healthy humans.
Jeanette Acosta then walked us across the farm speaking to indigenous knowledge, native plants and how to use the land to best make use of the natural flow of the water, sun, wind and animals.
From there we transitioned in to hearing from our incredible panelists about how we can take action in our everyday lives on behalf of sustainable food including Dani Rays-Acosta, Juli Obudzinski, Zoe Hart, Katie Lamb, Kate Rutherford, Natalie Siddique and Ryan Pace, and moderated by biologist Ben Ward.
Celebrating the depth of what the land has to offer, we learned about terroir from Outward Wines and why healthy soil and regenerative practices make more flavorful wines.
A magnificent dinner from the land followed, stunning long tables with the Farm To Crag family style of abundance and Matt Dillon’s supreme wrangling of flavors.
After desert, Katie Lamb, Patagonia’s newest climbing ambassador spoke to how her strength as a data scientist working with energy data to help solve the climate crisis is akin to highball bouldering, the commitment that both take, and how well poised climbers are to take on that kind of commitment.
How can we take action? Panel discussion moderated by Ben Ward with Ryan, Natalie, Zoe, Dani, Katie, Kate.
Photo - Eric Bissell
Sunday morning after a very moving poem, Madaleine Sorkin, Katie Lamb, Tyler Karow, and Kate Rutherford headed to Yosemite for climbing with everyone.
We celebrated the end of our time in El Cap Meadow with snacks, a group hug and a rounding cry of "Farm To Crag Forever!” What an incredible family of friends we are becoming. We are not in this alone. We are the seeds for the future.
