Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA was the setting once again for the second annual God’s Good Table Conference with the theme, “God-Given Food”. The weekend was a highly informative and encouraging event, with those in attendance leaving feeling grateful, edified, informed and renewed!
This year's conference included presentations from past speakers including GGT co-founder Maureen Diaz, Mike the Fit Farmer, Tommy Wheatley of Raw Milk & Dead Lifts, and Pork Rhyne. Chelsea Blackbird of The Christian Nutritionist, Kat Owens of Taste and See Biblical Nutrition, Sophia Eng of Sprinkle With Soil and author of Nourishing Asian Kitchen, and Wendell Mickelsen of Redmond Real Salt were new to us, and shared with everyone their knowledge and passion! We covered topics as diverse as biblical nutrition, the safety and health benefits of unprocessed milk, the power of fermented foods, why we need (real) salt and traditional fats in our diets, and the important benefits of fasting-wow! All while looking to our Creator God for His wisdom and guidance in this very important facet of all our lives!
Saturday night’s VIP dinner was a big success, with the lovely John and Stella of Nu Beginnings in Staunton, VA, cooking up many of Maureen and Kat's recipes, served in their lovely courtyard downtown. We partook of the relaxed atmosphere, lively conversations, good food, and warm fellowship of those in attendance!
The kids program was a hit once again, as all the children enjoyed a wide variety of activities on the farm, making new friends while enjoying the new Polyface playground. Abby Lichliter and crew kept the kids busy, entertained, and active!
One element that was constant throughout our event was the reverence and worship of God, with daily attention to thanksgiving, prayer, worship, and song. Ken Logan headed up the worship music aspect of our weekend, leading us in beautiful song throughout the event which kept us focused on the end goal: heaven, with all of its glory including perfect health and fellowship with one another and our Lord!
A great group of exhibitors provided really wonderful treats for our attendees to enjoy both during the weekend, and at home. Lily from Hearth & Homestead brought her very beautiful, nourishing skincare products for all to enjoy (Erin & Maureen’s favorite products!).
Our favorite medicinal herb company, Natural Hope Herbals, brought a broad selection of their 100% clean, well-prepared tinctures, teas, salves, and Maureen’s personal favorite-Energizing Morning Blend.
Green Pasture Products provided us with samples of their fermented cod & skate liver oils (which our family swears by!). Dirt and Devotion brought their beautiful assortment of clothing of their own design (we all own many t-shirts, and keep on giving as gifts to friends and family!). Voyager Coffee out of Norfolk, VA brought their delicious Nitro Cold Brew coffee to keep us all charged, while Cup-a-Health provided us their healthy, organic coffee beverage as well (we LOVE the Java Boost coffee!) - everyone was going back and forth between the two beverage tables all weekend as both were so delicious!
The Simply Ghee gals provided us with beautiful ghee for our meals, and offered both domestic & A2A2 ghee for sale, along with their beautiful spice mixes. The Weston A. Price Foundation was with us to share important information which completely corroborates and validates biblical nutrition. Author Celia Marie brought her book, God-Given Food, to share with everyone (an excellent resource!). Redmond Real Salt had a variety of real salt products for us to try, providing samples for everyone who attended (we use these in our own kitchens daily). Kat from Taste and See Biblical Nutrition also had a booth, bringing along sourdough starters and information about her wonderful classes.
And of course, Sunday we were charged with another excellent lesson from our favorite preacher/farmer, Joel Salatin, as we worshiped the giver of all good things in a most inspirational settings! And the icing on the cake? A baptism in the farm pond! Thanks to Pork Rhyne for being so open and encouraging to others, as he was God's instrument in helping an attendee turn his life and heart towards Jesus.
We are still beaming from the wonderful weekend with friends old and new! We're looking forward to several more events in 2024 (keep an eye on our Events page!) as we are planning for the theme, “God-Given Food as Medicine” - we hope to see you at the next one!
Videos of the presentations and workshops will be available soon - stay tuned for more info!
