Welcome to 2026. There is so much happening in the world right now that I can’t even find the words. Anything I say or do or write will fall woefully short of what is needed. I never thought I would find myself living in a highly polarized nation with tyranny in the news every day, too many beautiful lives destroyed by ICE, human rights eroded and environmental protections removed. It’s easy to be overwhelmed and overcome by it. I have dozens of strong feelings all competing for my attention: frustration, anger, grief, confusion, disappointment, inevitability. This is not politics. This is the fabric of our nation, the safety of our communities, and the health of our planet. It is as intrinsic as the water in our wells and the blood in our veins.

Simultaneously, despite the state of the world, I find myself relentlessly and repeatedly grounded back to the urgency of body and family and community and work. These things still matter. In fact, they are more important now than they ever have been. I chose this work because I believe it is necessary. I am trying, in my way, to build a better world. A healthier planet. A more connected people. Those things are worth fighting for. I don’t want to burn our world to the ground. I want to light it up with a blazing passion for all that is good and beautiful and alive.

Every January, I choose a word of intention for the coming year. Last year it was alchemy: transmuting obstacles into things of value. This year my word is clarity. I want to refine my work until its truth shines unmistakably and brightly. I want to cut through the misconceptions with laser-beam precision. I want to unify all the waves and particles of this business into one illuminating sunbeam.

Humans are a keystone species. We shape our environment. We have the power to shape it in ways that heal or ways that destroy. I want to spend as much time as possible working with my land and helping it reach its highest potential. I want to train and empower others to do the same, if they so choose. Through this work, the land will become more abundant. As it becomes more abundant, its fruits will benefit more people. We are all connected on this planet. Every person, every living being. We all breathe the same air. We all drink the same water. We are all born of the same soil. What hurts one of us hurts us all. What hurts this planet hurts us all. And the converse is also true: what heals this planet can begin to heal us all.

I intend to cultivate greater clarity through my words, actions, and choices in 2026. In every place and in every way that I show up this year, I will do so with the consistent message that we have the power to heal our land and our culture. We can bring forth a more abundant world with connected communities rooted in mutual care and reciprocity. I will shine out that message in my festival booth, from my social media platforms, through my speeches and on this blog. I will help to bring that world into being through my work and actions.

The antidote to the woes of our time is connection. We need to remember how we fit into the greater fabric of nature and community. We need that connection to strengthen us with energy and hope. If we do that, no one can divide us. If we stand together, we stand strong.

So this year, expect to hear more about permaculture and its themes of Earth care, people care, and fair share. Get ready to learn new ways of connecting with nature, living lightly on the land, and engaging in acts of mutual care and reciprocity. These are my areas of focus for the coming year, and I invite you to join me on this hopeful quest for clarity.

Wishing you an abundant year,

Laura