Farminary Fest 2026

9:00 – 10:00 am | Worship Service at the Farm:

• Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, III

10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Morning Workshops:

• It’s Always Been Bigger Than Food | Heber Brown, III: Many farmers, land stewards, and food justice stakeholders are motivated by desires and dreams that go far beyond food access alone. They are driven by the chance to help cultivate the realization of something greater. However, their hope for a better present and more hopeful future can be hampered by the constant assault of a myriad of obstacles; many of which seem insurmountable. Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, III will highlight important Black food sovereignty history that will speak to some of these challenges while also pointing the way to approaches that can sustain our hope and the work of our hands right now.
• Cooking with the Earth | Rachel Pennington: The best ingredients often begin just beyond the kitchen door. Join Chef Gabby Aron for a hands-on workshop that explores the connection between the land beneath our feet and the meals we share. Together, participants will venture into the Farminary landscape to learn about seasonal plants and edible ingredients, discover the basics of responsible foraging, and explore how paying attention to place can transform the way we cook. Whether you’re an experienced home cook or simply enjoy good food and learning something new, this workshop offers an opportunity to connect with the land, expand your culinary imagination, and share a meal in community. No prior cooking or foraging experience is necessary.
• Connecting Children and Nature | Thais Carter + Kristin Koop: Designed for kids, K-6, this child-focused workshop will help elementary-age kids build a deeper connection with nature and food through hands-on, age-appropriate activities that spark curiosity and care for the earth. Parents must attend.

12:00 – 3:00 pm | Lunch:

• Head to downtown Princeton or stay on-site and grab lunch from Nomad Pizza

3:00 – 4:30 pm | Afternoon Workshops:

• Beyond the Choir: Lessons in Communicating Across the Climate Divide | Peter Girard: This workshop explores how to engage with people who are skeptical, disengaged, or outside the “climate choir.” Join C-Change Conversations founder and lead presenter Kathleen Biggins for a session on what it takes to move climate conversations beyond familiar circles. Drawing on years of successful engagement with skeptical and conservative leaning audiences, this workshop explores how to communicate climate-related issues in ways that resonate across political, cultural, and ideological lines. Lauded by both conservative policymakers and leading climate scientists, C-Change Conversations has presented to communities of faith, businesses, healthcare professionals, universities, and community organizations, reaching more than 25,000 people across 34 states and internationally.
• The Poetry of Place | Jessica Jacobs: What does it mean to truly notice the place where you are? Join acclaimed poet Jessica Jacobs for an immersive poetry workshop at the Farminary, where fields, gardens, and changing seasons become invitations to slow down, observe, and write. Through close attention to the natural world, participants will explore how landscape, memory, and lived experience can shape powerful poems. Whether you’re an experienced writer or have never written a poem before, you’ll leave with new ways of seeing, fresh words on the page, and practical tools for cultivating a creative practice rooted in curiosity and attention.
• Walk. Worship. Witness. | Vanessa Renae: What if a walk could change the story we tell about ourselves, the earth, and what’s possible? Join activist, storyteller, and GirlTREK co-founder Vanessa Renae—who helped build one of the world’s largest movements organized around walking—for an embodied journey across the Farminary. Together, we’ll explore walking as worship and discover new ways of being in relationship with creation through movement, prayer, story, and community. Then we’ll turn what we experience into witness: stories that can change how we see, how we live, and how we organize for a more just and connected world. Come ready to walk, worship, tell stories, and experience the Farminary in a whole new way.

5:00 – 6:30 pm | Farm Chef Fest:

• Join us for a tasting extravaganza with signature bites provided by regional chefs who have supported the work of the Farminary.

7:00 pm | Interview & Poetry Reading with Featured Guest, Jessica Jacobs:

• To conclude the day, join acclaimed poet Jessica Jacobs for an intimate conversation and poetry reading. Through an engaging interview, Jessica will reflect on the intersections of poetry, place, ecology, and the creative life, followed by a reading of selected works that invite us to see the natural world with fresh attention and wonder. Whether you’ve spent the day in the workshops or are joining us for the evening, this culminating event offers an inspiring opportunity to gather, listen, and celebrate the power of language to deepen our connection to the world around us.

Worship is free to all, please join us!

While the event is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis to promote accessibility, we’ve established a modest minimum contribution for two key reasons:

Reliable Attendance Planning; When events are free, it’s common for people to register without a firm commitment—leading to no-shows that impact the experience for everyone. A small financial commitment helps us plan more accurately for materials, space, and food, ensuring a better experience for those who attend.

Supporting Administrative Costs: Even the simplest event involves real costs: communication, registration tracking, space prep, and staff time. A payment minimum helps offset these behind-the-scenes expenses so we can continue to offer high-quality events sustainably.

This small baseline contribution supports both accessibility and sustainability, and we deeply appreciate your partnership in making that balance work.

There is limited parking at the farm. We encourage people to utilize the free shuttle that will be available throughout the day, taking guests back and forth from the parking lot of Wright Library (25 Library Place, Princeton) to the Farminary.

Yes. We are working with all our vendors to make sure there are good options for people across a variety of dietary restrictions and allergies. 

The Seminary’s 21-acre farm includes a barn with running water, a pond, a garden plot, and two all-gender portable toilets, one of which is ADA-compliant. Participants should prepare for dirt, gravel, and grass-covered grounds, along with a rugged setting surrounded by natural elements like weather, insects, and animals. We encourage participants to consider their participation accordingly.