We just capped off an amazing weekend at the Vernon Wellness Fair! Unapologetically showing up as Christians offering natural health via foraging wild foods and herbs is starting to reap rewards. We’ve been attending wellness fairs for just over a year now, not counting the nearly year-long ghosting we received for the first attempt. The organizer of the Vernon Wellness Fair broke that dearth a year ago, and we were at our third fair under their banner this weekend. This means we are becoming a known booth at the fair, with people getting to know who we are such that one person felt comfortable enough to ask us to pray for a health situation in their family. As one pastor refers to it when he shows up at the hockey rink, we have been engaging in the “ministry of presence”, just showing up, and showing up regularly in a consistent manner, not hiding who we are and what we represent.
Showing up in this manner has also been an encouragement to other Christians out there who are looking for alternative health methods but not knowing who to turn to. One woman this weekend who is a fellow believer, needed space to talk and vent in a way she often can’t engage in with most people around her. Others were thrilled to discover we shared their faith and very happily walked off with my brochure and other information.
One question that came up repeatedly this weekend, was whether or not we identify with the Seventh Day Adventist church. We do not. First, we are not members of that organization, we are evangelical with a bit of charismatic thrown in. Second, we will NOT make you go vegan or vegetarian! Contrary to what many Christians teach in the natural health space elsewhere around the western world, God’s Word does NOT teach a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. Diets discusssed in Scripture are there for specific circumstances and purposes and do not contradict what God pronounced for food prior to those circumstances in Scripture. After Noah left the ark, God mandated animals for food and later, when giving the Law to the Jewish people, would even tell them which insects He approved them eating.
So no, we are not connected to the SDA’s, nor espouse what they teach. This question alone may result in the beginnings of an FAQ section on my coaching site.
A major encouragement for us was seeing so many other Christians running booths at the fair themselves. From the Christian Farmers Association handing out walking sticks, to a prayer group, to a lady who sells Beamer products, another lady at a filtration booth, as well as ourselves making for more believers than a person might expect. A Christian lady and her daughter who run a gym in Vernon weren’t there this time, but they’ve been there in the past.
We got almost a full page of signatures for Shawn Buckley’s petition to lobby the Canadian Federal Government to make Natural Health Products into their own Act separate from Health Canada. Several flyers left the booth which can only lead to more awareness around efforts to clamp down on natural health products and their manufacturers. If you aren’t familiar with Shawn’s efforts, please run a search on “Shawn Buckley, NHPPA” and read up on his efforts to save the natural health product manufacturers here in Canada.
We had a lot of really good conversations today, and made far more sales than we’re used to for wellness fairs. A few of my books sold today, several Prickly Lettuce ACV bottles sold, a number of teas sold, and the occasional person made use of the Natural Health Fun Zone as well.
Mini Market at Priest Creek Kelowna BC
In two weeks we’ll be back at Priest Creek Winery for their fall mini-market, setting up under Ashtree Wildcrafting’s banner. One or two of my books will be present for that fair and while the prickly lettuce ACV will be in the trunk on site, it will only be available on request due to table space. We need to seriously consider buying a folding 8 ft table! Our 6ft works well, but we have more space when an 8ft table is present.
The Fall and Christmas craft fair season kicks into gear now, and we’ll miss another small wellness fair as a result in November due to conflicting dates that were already paid for. As a result it appears our wellness fair participation will begin again in January with a small event organizer before we once again appear at the Vernon Wellness Fair in April 2025.
It’s exciting to see what God is doing and such a thrill to be included in it! We give God the glory for our sales this weekend, and pray that our conversations around the table will benefit and bless those we conversed with into the coming days and months.
Now to return to fall foraging efforts to shore up stores before we dive into the fall schedule two weeks from now!
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We just capped off an amazing weekend at the Vernon Wellness Fair! Unapologetically showing up as Christians offering natural health via foraging wild foods and herbs is starting to reap rewards. We’ve been attending wellness fairs for just over a year now, not counting the nearly year-long ghosting we received for the first attempt. The organizer of the Vernon Wellness Fair broke that dearth a year ago, and we were at our third fair under their banner this weekend. This means we are becoming a known booth at the fair, with people getting to know who we are such that one person felt comfortable enough to ask us to pray for a health situation in their family. As one pastor refers to it when he shows up at the hockey rink, we have been engaging in the “ministry of presence”, just showing up, and showing up regularly in a consistent manner, not hiding who we are and what we represent.
Red meat in particular, plays a very important role in human health and wellbeing, providing the most bio-available versions of certain nutrients that either aren’t found in the plant world, or found bound up in ways the human gut can’t access very well.
