There’s no doubt about it. Foodstock was a rip-roaring success. By various accounts anywhere between 20 and 30,000 people were in attendance–eating, drinking and raising much needed funds to fight Highland Companies‘ proposed quarry. The event also brought an unbelievable amount of awareness to the proposed quarry and the risk it poses to the environment, agriculture, water and health of communities across Ontario.
Michael Stadtlander set an attendance goal of 20,000, and up to a week before the event organizers were secretly saying they hoped that 5-10,000 people would attend. No one could have anticipated the number of muddy wellies trudging through the forest last weekend. But once you consider the strategic steps employed around stopping the megaquarry, the results are no surprise.
Here are the 5 most important lessons to be learned from Foodstock’s success:
- A Staged Process: In the months leading up to Foodstock, awareness events were built around specific thoughtfully articulated issues. The first event at Marben, was focused on food and the implications the quarry would have on our local food supply. The second event at Patagonia was about the potential impacts on our water. Rather than throwing out all the issues at once (and seeing what stuck) each issue was given its due and as a result those who participated walked away with a deeper understanding of what’s at stake and the urgency of getting involved.
- Engage Communities of Interest: At each of the gatherings there was a healthy mix of non-profit leaders, intellectuals, members of the media, bloggers, community advocates, representing a range of issues. Heck, Barry and I were even invited. The organizers thought about all of the groups who could possibly care about the mega quarry and built relationships with them, one at a time.
- Create Short Term, Achieveable Goals: Rather than conveying the knee-jerk “No Mega-Quarry” message at the outset, the initial thrust of the effort was focused entirely on ensuring that Highland Companies were required to undertake an environmental assessment before moving forward with their proposed quarry. When this happened it was a clear win for the issue and created the momentum needed to make Foodstock a real celebration and a sign that we could collectively make a difference.
- Have Fun: Imagine this was a traditional protest instead of a concert and food festival. How many people would have shown up (in the rain) with placards in hand? The fun-factor made the event appealing to a much wider constituency who aren’t the usual activist suspects. A gathering at French’s Farm where chefs served up delicious local food under the forest canopy reminded everyone what’s at stake. And the music of Hayden, Jim Cuddy, Sarah Harmer and members of the Barenaked Ladies warmed the cold and soggy crowd and made Foodstock feel like a modern day protest. At one point Hayden reminded everyone not to “Eat the brown crème brûlée.” We can fight for change and have a good time at the same time, can’t we?
- Give People the Tools they Need: Upon arrival at Foodstock every person was handed a brightly coloured envelope for donations. The crowd was reminded from the stage that the fight was just beginning and that people needed to chase down their MP’s and let them know that the quarry needs to be stopped. You need to give people tools. People have good intentions but the right tools help them get the job done.
