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An open letter by John Klar:
I am writing to disagree with a letter to the editors of the Deerfield Valley News and the Valley News titled “Food festival offers platform for misinformation.” Jenevra Wetmore of Strafford wrote that this year’s December 12-14th Liberty Food Fest in Bellows Falls
“….will host at least two public figures who have a record of spreading misinformation about COVID-19: Margo Baldwin and Joel Salatin. I believe that the public should be aware of the background of these speakers before paying for an event ticket. I would also encourage the residents of Rockingham and Bellows Falls Opera House not to platform these speakers by hosting the event.”
The letter criticizes Margo Baldwin for publishing a book by Joseph Mercola about vaccines, and condemns Joel Salatin for “downplay[ing] the seriousness of COVID-19 and claim[ing] that masks are not effective. He promoted false content on his blog….” These complaints are misplaced – this is an event about food and farming, for which Joel Salatin and Margo Baldwin (whose company has published hundreds of titles devoted to farming and homesteading) are eminently qualified. Joel Salatin is literally “the most famous farmer in America.”
The Liberty Food Fest has nothing to do with vaccines. There are a total of 18 speakers, including Vermont Lieutenant Governor-Elect John Rodgers, indigenous environmental rights activist Winona Duke, and health educator and aquaponics expert Yemi Amu. The event features local businesses and restaurants, including food sold at the venue by Julian Johnson, aka “Jamaican Jewelz.” There is an exclusive movie showing on Friday evening (“Off the Grid with Thomas Massie”), and food, crafts, and gifts from local artisans will be available on both days. The Opera House likely receives a fee for the use of its facilities to celebrate food, which is then used to support and preserve the building. Yet, Jenevre Wetmore advocates preventing this public facility from hosting any of these speakers, farmers, or local businesses because of what Joel Salatin allegedly said about vaccines years ago….
Jenevre Wetmore boasts a master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School and is Executive Director of Sustainable Woodstock, a 501(c)(3) entity that claims one of its goals is “improving long-term food security.” It is unseemly for the leader of a supposed sustainability project to so aggressively and unfairly attack another nonprofit’s event that is themed around local food security, let alone call for unconstitutional restrictions of others’ clear free speech rights.
Jenevre ends their unfounded attack by calling for the Liberty Food Fest to be banned from using the Bellows Falls Opera House:
“The Liberty Food Fest will be held at the Bellows Fall Opera House. An event that platforms speakers like Margo Baldwin and Joel Salatin should not be hosted in a building that is owned and operated by the citizens of Rockingham. Hosting these speakers sends the message that the town endorses their views, and further spreads misinformation.”
This is false disinformation: the use of public spaces is not government endorsement of speakers’ views unless the government filters content as Jenevre counsels. It is further disinformation to dismiss “their views” about food security and the importance of regenerative agriculture (topics on which they are both established experts) based on alleged vaccination misstatements made years ago (or, in Margo’s case, a single book her company published by someone else) and that have zero to do with this event’s itinerary.
It is unconstitutional for government to filter event content at public facilities in the fashion Jenevre proposes. So-called “disinformation” is protected free speech – even Jenevre’s call to use public property to violate others’ liberties, and these perverse attack letters against an educational food and farming event. Dumb speech like Jenevre’s is protected, so why shouldn’t smart speech by educated people (and their constitutional liberties) be protected, too? Or should Vermonters boycott any activities by Sustainable Woodstock because their Executive Director – not a visiting guest – writes baseless wackadoodle attacks against other nonprofits doing good work? That’s not historically the way Vermonters discuss issues – Leave it Better, the host of the Liberty Food Fest, states at their website that “We listen to everyone, all sides; Our community is part of our creative process; We combine different points of view to make something better; We greet new ideas with curiosity.” Perhaps they don’t do that at Sustainable Woodstock under Jenevre the Slanderer, but that’s what we do at Liberty Food Fest – I will be speaking on Friday and Saturday about food and its importance for all people and their cultures.
Perhaps Jenevre should attend the Liberty Food Fest in Bellows Falls on December 13 and 14 – they might learn something.
The author is a Brookfield best-selling author, lawyer, farmer and pastor.
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Categories: Agriculture, Community Events, Environment
Thank you, John Klar, for this thoughtful and passionate defense of the Liberty Food Fest and the principles of free speech. Events like this are vital for fostering dialogue and celebrating Vermont’s vibrant food and farming communities. Vermonters have a deep-rooted agricultural heritage, as well as a tradition of rugged independence and a fiscally conservative way of life—values that align with the themes of this event.
It’s disheartening to see attempts to stifle such gatherings based on unrelated matters. Joel Salatin and John Rodgers bring invaluable expertise to the table, and their contributions to discussions on agriculture, food security & freedom are sorely needed.
Your reminder about the importance of public spaces being open to diverse points of view is crucial. Encouraging conversations rather than silencing them is how we solve problems. The Liberty Food Fest is an incredible opportunity to celebrate local talent, food, and ideas, and I’m glad to see it championed. Keep standing up for these shared values that Vermonters hold dear!
I don’t always agree with John but I remember when Joel Salatin was just a homesteader giving advice about being autonomous. What a joke and attack on 1st Amendment rights. Maybe Jenevera should go get McDonald’s that day instead.
You failed to bring up the most salient point. They never spread misinformation to begin with. Everything they said turned out to be true. COVID was never a serious threat and masks were (and are) utterly useless.
ALL normal causes of death, (cancer, etc). went to practically zero during the “pandemic” – meaning nearly all deaths in 2020/21 were falsely attributed to COVID.
The COVID vaccine (which is not a vaccine by definition) was not only completely ineffective, but dangerous.
Stay in your lane, Jenevre. NOTHING in your job position qualifies you to render an opinion on the suitability of the presenters or attendees, and in fact, casts a shadow on Sustainability Woodstock as nothing more than yet another Leftist political front. NO ONE needs, or even asks, for your help on what to think. So go back to your office, and play in your East End park project, and leave the questions of farming and healthy food to the adults.
This seems to be more effort by Marxism to stifle anyone perceived to be opposition, or simply not in lockstep with policies.
Perhaps Sustainable Woodstock should be Canceled.
Some people just can’t let go or get over the fact that they were maliciously lied to during the covid plan/scamdemic and so they continue to hang onto their threadbare propaganda spoon fed to them by MSM and ABC agencies. They would rather continue to believe the REAL mis/disinformation about the now 5 year old flu, (which apparently will be the perpetual context for anyone getting sick ever again) rather than admit that they were HAD! It’s OK to admit you got duped, admit it, learn from it and be wiser going forward, but no some will take the lie to their grave. If they keep getting boosted, that may be sooner than later!
This is simply a classic example of “Woke” fascism. This person isn’t one of “us”, and has made statements with which we disagree. They should be Canceled.
However, I don’t agree that masks have absolutely no efficacy.
Masks, surgical masks or any face covering does not prevent a virus from penetration, in either direction. It is a spit guard or shield. Once you have worn a surgical mask for 7-10 minutes, the moisture in your breath absolutely conveys any virus on either side of the mask to transfer. (There are other factors) They are worn in the surgical suite to prevent spittle from landing in the surgical field which is a 3 foot area around the surgical site. In the OR, they are changed frequently for this reason. Curiously, this information was well documented in places like PubMed, the NIH before 2019. Then it disappeared in 2020 and was replaced with “other” information.
We could get into a discussion about particulate size, the wearer’s understanding of infection control and hand hygiene amongst many other topics. All of this has been rebutted and refuted by appropriate experts and indeed “Dr. Fauci” himself has admitted publicly that masks do not prevent the transmission of viruses. And he testified in June of this year stating the same thing. No science behind most of his or the CDC’s “recommendations”.
With all due respect Mr. Rosenthal, the country, you, me and the other 336 million other citizens, were lied to and in many cases are still being lied to.
If someone’s health is so precarious that they feel they need to wear a mask to go out in public, I would suggest, with great seriousness and concern that the person should refrain from doing so-going out in public. There are too many vectors, too many opportunities for infection to take place and a mask simply just causes you to rebreathe your own CO2 amongst other wastes.