The Stash - by Adam Lewis

Your guide to the best in vital living in Toronto and beyond. Sharing news, insights, events and more.

Volume 008: The Future is Now - Watch Video

Table of Contents

1. The Stash - by Adam Lewis

2. 📆 My Event Picks Column

3. 🤼‍♂️ Brotherhood in Action - A Glimpse into the F …

4. 🥕 Merkaba Farm Food CSA Now Open

5. 🤖 AI Tire-Pumping Precautions

📆 My Event Picks Column

🤼‍♂️ Brotherhood in Action - A Glimpse into the Future

A few weeks ago, a heavy ice storm tore through Ontario and hit our family farm, Merkaba Acres, really hard. Trees were down everywhere, paths were blocked. The land looked like a mess. Apparently this was one of the worst storms in terms of damage to hit the area since ‘97. It was by far the worst I have ever seen things there.

For those of you unfamiliar, Merkaba Acres is a legacy project my mother initiated and I’ve had the privilege of helping steward over the past 6 years. We practice regenerative farming and living with our market garden of veggies, herd of wagyu cattle, laying hens and more. It’s like an extreme hobby farm that we’re stewarding to turn into a haven for future generations to truly connect with regenerative practices, clean, vital food and our fundamentals of nature.

Beyond farming, Merkaba is also where we host ManCamp, where I put a lot of energy towards building a future and where a lot of my heart lives. So when the storm left the farm in rough shape, I was definitely a bit distraught and immediately knew we were going to need help to clean up the huge mess of trees and branches down throughout the property.

I sent out a message to the ManCamp community via our Whatsapp chat, hoping a few guys might be able to make it.

What resulted blew me away. Over a dozen men showed up, some with chainsaws in hand, ready to work. No one asked what they were getting out of it. No one needed to be told what to do. It just flowed.

It took a decent amount of work to coordinate everything - lodging, start times, arrivals etc.. My mom and Chelsea owned the kitchen to make sure that an exchange we could offer was an abundant of farm-to-table nourishment to fuel us throughout the weekend.

We had an array of expertise show up and it all unfolded beautifully. Some skilled arborists to guys who had never touched a chainsaw before. Teams formed without needing to be assigned. Everyone found their role. The experienced taught the less experienced and everyone found a flow to efficiently and jubilantly get the job done. It felt ancient in a way, like tapping into something we all know deep down but don’t get to live out very often.

We worked all day clearing trees and debris, and then sat down together at lunch and dinner to share farm-to-table meals my mom and Chels prepared. Eating food from the land we had just helped heal. Laughing. Telling stories. It was simple, and it was real.

And it reminded me what true brotherhood feels like.

Not the kind that’s about words or ceremony or other contemporary examples that we’ve come to imagine. The kind that’s built through action. Through showing up for each other. Through shared work, shared meals, and shared purpose.

This weekend wasn’t just about cleaning up the farm.

It was about remembering who we are when we come together with our hands, our hearts, and our time.

It’s the spirit that ManCamp is built on. It’s the spirit Merkaba Acres is rooted in. And it’s a glimpse of what’s possible when we answer the call, not just for ourselves, but for each other and something greater - which in this instance is a more beautiful future I intend on living in where this kind of community isn’t novel, it is a way of life. Supporting each other and the land we live on.

Thanks for reading. And thanks to every brother who showed up that weekend. You gave more than your labour. You brought something to the land that will stay here long after the branches are cleared.

🥕 Merkaba Farm Food CSA Now Open

As a subscriber to the Stash, you’re now getting exclusive advanced access to our Merkaba Acres CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA is a model that connects producers and consumers within the food system closely by allowing consumers to subscribe to the harvest of a certain farm or group of farms. This model is an alternative socioeconomic approach to agriculture and food distribution that allows producers and consumers to share the risks of farming. It’s like a private members co-op we offer to those who want to get in on the goods we grow with so much love and care.

So without further ado, we’re excited to open the gates of Merkaba Acres and offer a special opportunity to participate in our 18-week CSA program starting June 15th. This is more than just a produce box; it’s a seasonal journey of nourishment, learning, and reconnection with your food, nature, and each other.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• Weekly Harvest Box: A vibrant selection of seasonal, organically grown produce, herbs, and surprises from the land.

• Farm Connection: Spend a day or an overnight visit to witness the sunrise, interact with chickens and cows, and walk barefoot along forest trails.

• Harvest Participation: Join us in harvesting vegetables, feeding animals, and learning about regenerative farming from our expert team.

• Seasonal Refreshments: Enjoy nourishing drinks and snacks made with ingredients straight from our garden.

INVESTMENT IN THE EARTH & YOUR WELL-BEING:

Full 18-Week Share: $1,100 for the season.

Sliding scale and payment plans are available because we believe in food sovereignty and equitable access. Detailed information about the weekly harvest boxes can be found in our Notion document, which will be provided upon confirmation.

WHY JOIN THIS CSA?

• You'll enjoy food that makes you feel alive, potent, and connected to its source.

• You'll deepen your understanding of where food comes from and how it is grown with reverence.

• You'll support the healing of soil, animals, and people—together.

LET’S GROW TOGETHER:

If you’re interested, please fill out the sign-up form to reserve your spot. We will follow up with the Notion link, payment options, pickup logistics, and more.

Merkaba Acres is more than a farm. It’s a living, breathing story of harmony, stewardship, and joy. We would be honoured to share it with you.

🤖 AI Tire-Pumping Precautions

The AI glazing has been really apparent and bothering me in many ways. It feels less and less like I'm talking to someone these days and more often like I'm just responding to prompts.

It reeks of inauthenticity and feels like a step in the wrong direction for those of us acutely aware of and addressing societal issues around loneliness, disconnect and poor digital hygiene.

One of the most dangerous parts of the glazing and tire-pumping that I notice in my own chat responses is where I don't even notice it happening.

I also acknowledge the vague awareness I have of it that many others may still be completely oblivious to.

This has almost resulted in a compromised relationship and in bad business dealings in recent weeks. I have my instincts and general directness in how I communicate with people to thank for addressing them before they turned into chaos.

Operating blindly can send you into delusion and further distort your reality from AI's ability to be a compelling 'yes man' to you and the world it thinks is ideal for you vs. being an accurate mirror of the world that you live within.

Normalize calling people out for replying with a copy + paste response to you vs them actually thinking through a problem or situation or consulting an expert.

Here are the questions I think everyone should ask while using AI to make sure they are grounded in their learning and exploration without overinflating their ego, rooting in confirmation bias or over-allocation of agreeableness to suit a favourable response for the prompter vs. one rooted in absolute truth.

“Am I falling into confirmation bias? Can you challenge me?”
“Am I only seeing what I want to see? Can you show me blind spots?”
“What assumptions am I making that could be false?
“In what ways might I be lying to myself without realizing it?”
“Can you show me perspectives that completely contradict my current belief?”
“How could I be misinterpreting the insights I’m receiving?”
“What wisdom traditions or philosophies offer a completely different view on this?”

This may be uncomfortable to some, but will likely reveal tremendous personal growth as it is looking into our blind spots and shadows that we uncover our greatest potential. It means confronting out insecurities and part of ourselves that hide behind our biases and heuristics, but I promise you, this is a shortcut to sharpening your metacognitive faculties and decision-making that will help you better wield this technology right now

Stay safe out there.

To make sure you don’t miss out on these emails, reply to this email or add me to your accepted senders list.

⭐️ I’ll be reading each one personally, so please introduce yourself. I’d love to hear your goals, desires and anything else that can help me help you on your journey. ⭐️

👋 How to get involved:

• Looking to attend more events? See upcoming events here.

• Are you a facilitator hosting an event or experience? Get your event featured in front of thousands of locals. Share your details here.

• Do you run a business? Join a community of other operators and receive specialized growth tactics in your inbox every month. Sign up here.

• Looking for work? Submit to our talent collective, I’ll do my best to match-make with our network of businesses.

• Are you hiring? Reply to me directly here with what you’re looking for.

• Book a private 1:1 with me by replying here with the subject “Request 1:1” and a short description of why in the body.

Connect and Share:
Stay tuned for next week’s list and learnings, and don’t forget to share this newsletter with friends who might enjoy the journey too. 

Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more updates and what else is Stash’d away.

🙏 Special Thanks This Week:

To all my brothers who answered the call, came up to the farm and helped with the clean up. My gratitude is endless for the generous contributions to Merkaba and the Mancamp mission. You all inspire me to be a better man and continue to build a world I hope us to all be able to flourish in.

Thank you, I love you all ❤️ 

Adam