You might wonder what an Executive Order has to do with our farm, but there is a very direct connection.  A few times a year we host farmers or food industry folks from other countries who are interested in how we farm and the unique practices we have in place here at Eatwell.  We have had visitors from South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Brazil, Canada, France.  Last year, Connie and I hosted a group of food innovators from Switzerland for a lunch in the farmhouse and a quick tour of the farm.  The lively discussion we had around the table was exciting and memorable.  For me, it was a wonderful experience and one I will never forget.  Recently a group of farmers from Germany reached out asking if they could come for a visit early in the summer.   Since my Mom is from Germany, I was really excited to host this group.  I was hoping they would take us up on the offer of lunch, giving us the best opportunity to really show off what we do here at the farm.  Their visit was set and scheduled.  Sadly we heard back from them last week letting us know that they have reconsidered visiting the US.  The reason was the Executive Order banning certain people from certain countries entering into the US. I am not sure specifically why they made this decision, whether they might have people in the group who are originally from one of the banned countries, or perhaps they are taking a stand against the ban on moral grounds.  No matter the reason, it is very disappointing.  There are unexpected consequences for all actions in life, sometimes good, sometimes bad.  No matter your personal belief about the ban, right or wrong, there are consequences and in this case a lost opportunity.  As much as Nigel and I love to share what and how we do things, we also always learn from others.  Germany in particular is a great country to learn from as their farms are not typically the size/scale of the American farms. This is one of the reasons we typically import Nigel's new "farm toys" from Germany, because our farm is more in-line with the size and production of German farms.  The opportunityfor information exchange has been lost, and this doesn't make me feel safer, it makes me feel isolated.