>> COMMUNITY EVENT
Stag Vets Inc. Agro-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program will host the Le Pied Du Mont Boucherie Festival at Comfort Farms from Jan.
13-15.
This is the seventh year that the farm has hosted the multi-day educational event. The festival aims to allow the community to witness the craft of butchers, farmers and chefs who work together throughout the growing season to prepare seasonal and delicious meals from local, sustainable and organic sources.
It also aims to honor lives lost and bring people closer together through cultural and close-knit activities.
“Upon coming to Milledgeville, I always wanted to do a celebration for the sacrifices that our brothers and sisters make in the military,” said Jon Johnson, founder of Stag Vets Inc. and Comfort Farms. “I was visiting around the country and the boucheries held in Louisiana and Guatemala Island in South Carolina inspired me.”
The festival was founded with a focus on family, community, a sense of purpose, culture and tradition. Jackson expressed that, over time, traditions have been fading and the sense of understanding to what a tradition is has been lost as well. Through hosting this annual festival, he hopes to spark the sense of unity that comes with doing something that spans history.
“The more convenience we have, the more we lose the sense of tradition.
Hosting an event like this and participating in the activities reconnects us to what makes us human,” said Jackson. “It allows us to reflect on ourselves and find a sense of purpose.”
According to Jackson, the boucherie is inspired by the teachings and cooking of “our forefathers” who typically used the cold months as an educational time to teach traditional cooking and homestead skills.
“Like we teach our veterans, we show people that nothing grows in comfort. To learn and connect to these cultural experiences and the food, you have to get out of your comfort zone,” said Jackson.
For example, when teaching humane slaughter, using rabbits or pigs, the instructors walk attendees through a ceremonial process to honor the life given by the animal and the food being given to eat. Though this ceremony is foreign and uncomfortable to many attendees, Jackson expressed that people come to embrace and support it.
Another example is using cultural bonding events to make people uncomfortable and refocus their inner selves.
One event offered is the experience of an Inipi sweat lodge from ancient Lakota tradition.
“On the back of our property we have a lodge built of all natural material and it is covered with animal skin and wool blankets issued by the military. During the ceremony, participants sweat in the lodge to cleanse themselves and offer their inner self a purity of the mind,” said Jackson. “The sweat lodge represents the mother’s womb, the transfer between the dimensions in our life.
It can be uncomfortable to experience but it allows attendees to recenter themselves and let go of the negative energy within. All of our experiences are about this holistic approach to discovering yourself and honoring life.”
This year, the festival will also be hosting a range of professionals to teach how to get into food services, how to humanely slaughter animals, and an entire day focused around heritage and homestead lessons. This educational component allows participants to move on and identify problems and solutions for a more healthy food system within their local communities.
“We’ve got many cool things on the menu this year,” said Jackson. “Our itinerary is full with education, good food, and rejuvenating experiences.” The Le Pied Du Mont Boucherie Festival will be hosted at Comfort Farms from Jan. 13-15. This year, the festival will be honoring fallen veteran and farmer Roy Embry of Embry Farms.
“Roy Embry was extremely influential in helping me found Comfort Farms in Milledgeville and it’s an honor to share my experiences with Roy this year.
He brought beauty to Comfort Farms and we will be honoring him on Sunday.”
To learn more about the itinerary, check the Comfort Farms Facebook page and individuals may buy tickets at www. georgiaboucheriefestivals. com.