There’s something crawling underfoot in Saugerties—and for once, that’s a good thing. On July 26, from 9am to 2pm, White Feather Farm hosts its annual soil-forward fete, Soil Fest 2025, a celebration of the unsung heroes of agriculture: microbes, worms, fungi, and the humans who know how to harness them. Part educational field day, part puppet-fueled pageant, this year’s fest promises an earthy mix of workshops, soil testing, regenerative ag demos, and community creativity.
The highlight? The “Puppet Procession of the Bugs,” a surreal dirt-hymn to the underground, led by Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles of Processional Arts. The duo—veterans of New York City’s Village Halloween Parade—will transform attendees into puppeteers of worms, grubs, and centipedes, bringing soil critters to improbable grandeur in a jubilant farm-wide march.
Meanwhile, on the ground (literally), Director of Sustainability Bill Hilgendorf will demonstrate the alchemy of biochar: turning backyard brush into carbon-sequestering soil amendment. Kids can dive into a soil safari or get grubby with soil painting. Compost fans can simmer a steaming “soil stew” while Upstate Bowls slings plant-forward nosh to hungry mycophiles and mulch-heads alike.
There’s also free soil lead testing from the USDA’s SoilSHOP, organic farmstand produce, and ongoing tours for anyone seeking to turn their garden into a carbon sink—or at least not poison their tomatoes.
At heart, Soil Fest is a hands-on, family-friendly education in the quiet, regenerative power of soil—ground zero for a sustainable food future. Or, as White Feather Farm Executive Director Marcos Stafne puts it: “We’re sowing seeds for a resilient, sustainable future.” And some of those seeds may just be puppets.
This article appears in June 2025.
