Earthwork Harvest Gathering

Earthwork Harvest Gathering creates an intergenerational safe space to cultivate healing, empowerment and collaborative community enrichment in a three-day cultural celebration on Earthwork Farm in rural Northern Michigan. Harvest Gathering celebrates diversity, practices inclusivity, and seeks to activate civic engagement and encourage social-ecological awareness among its attendees, volunteers, performers, vendors, staff, and guests through workshops, panel discussions, cultural traditions, and emphasis on local food and farming, in addition to a robust and eclectic offering of musical performances.

Earthwork Farm

Greetings friends. Some of my warmest memories of growing up on Earthwork Farm were from our barn dances. Folks came together to share food and enjoy music. Smiles and laughter and human kindness naturally flowed out in those spaces. When I finished my first album, I worked with my Dad to realize my dream of putting on a music event at the farm. In 2001, the Harvest Gathering tradition began with a potluck, campout and concert on a trailer stage in the field behind the barn. The following year we built a stage in the barn and put together an intergenerational tribute to Woody Guthrie. Friendships deepened, the circle grew, and year after year the Harvest Gathering became an event that more and more folks heard about and looked forward to attending. My family has always shared the farm as a space for learning, healing and connection. From school field trips to retreats to weddings to community powered maple syrup production, beekeeping and candle dipping. We’ve believed strongly in intentional living, in deep ecology and in standing up for people and for the earth in the face of injustices and exploitation. The community that has formed as part of the Harvest Gathering has helped to keep Earthwork Farm thriving. While making the event accessible and affordable, we’ve been able to use funds and receive help to restore our barn, replace our well, and build new stages and infrastructure to expand our events while maintaining the soul and the intention of this work. It’s a lot of work! The staff that serves this event is as great a group of humans as any that I know of. Hardworking, intelligent and big hearted. It’s expensive and time consuming to put all of these pieces together and tend to this Gathering with great care. It’s absolutely affirming when I hear folks tell me how much it means to them and their families. How Harvest Gathering has been transformative and healing. People have fallen in love, started organizations, formed bands and dreamed up new festivals and events in this space. We are continuing to work to make this event more inclusive and more impactful and inspiring. To be a truly safe container and an incubator for connection and collaboration. We have much to do to make this world a better place, especially for those most vulnerable. We sincerely hope that your time at the Harvest Gathering is joyful and uplifting and inspires you to do what you can to help this healing process along in a way that fuels your passion.
-Seth Bernard

Bob Bernard, owner of Earthwork Farm, has earned the titles of Waltz Fiddler, Beekeeper, Maple Syrup Purveyor, Sawmill Operator, Wildlife Biologist, Raptor Specialist, Grass-fed Scottish Highland Cattle Herdsman, Navy Lieutenant, Father, Grandfather, Bovine Bob and Rusty Robert.

Seth Bernard, his Son, a musician of note, started the Earthwork Harvest Gathering and the Skill Swap, an annual event co-presented with the Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology at the Farm, as well as the Earthwork Music Collective, an organization with the Farm as its place of origin and inspiration. Seth is a musician, educator, and activist, the founder and executive-director of Title Track (a non-profit organization working in clean water, racial equity, and youth empowerment).

Earthwork Farm
4399 N. 7 Mile Road
Lake City, MI 49651