Join me for an in-depth chat with Dennis Pratt, a philosopher and gentleman. We talk about his “Coming to NH” story, some of the myriad of projects he is working on, including an upcoming Seacoast bus tour and comedy festival in December at the SHELL, and what you can expect at PorcFest XIX.
The 18th Annual Porcupine Freedom Festival ended yesterday, but lament not, tickets are already on sale for 2022. Get yours TODAY! Why come to PorcFest? Because if you’ve ever wondered what the Free State Project is about, there’s no better way to get a flavor of our growing and thriving community than spending a week camping with us in the woods.
Over the years, PorcFest has often been described by attendees as “a gateway drug for the liberty curious.” PorcFest draws people who sense something is unbalanced in our world and are seeking answers–whether it is to the violence we see, the pain and suffering caused by the state in the name of control, the destruction of our purchasing power through inflation and unsustainable monetary policy, or, well, frankly, whatever the f*ck 2020 was–PorcFest is the place where free-thinkers come to share their visions for a better world.
After almost two decades, we know that mingling our community’s “porc power” with the “liberty curious” turns attendees into movers. We also know the more like-minded, peaceful people we can gather together in New Hampshire, the stronger our chances of building the “prosperity-for-all” future we seek.
We are on a mission to create a peaceful free state based on voluntary human interaction and consent.
This year, we sold more than 2,500 tickets. We had scores of intellectuals and academics speaking about a myriad of socio-economic topics, including feminist writer Naomi Wolf (read THIS) and antiwar spokesman Scott Horton. For the first time, both the Anthem Film Festival, and Gene Epstein’s SOHO Forum were present. We were also delighted to welcome back some of our favorites, like economist David Friedman, podcaster Tom Woods, writer Jeffrey Tucker, and comedian Dave Smith.
PorcFest XVIII had 15 main stage sponsors and 10 facilities sponsors. About 500 decentralized events were hosted by smaller hubs, villages, and individuals across the campground. Topics ranged from knitting and knives, to body positivity and health freedom, to tiny homes, off-the-grid living and how to raise chickens, to school choice and unschooling, to teaching newbies gun safety and how to shoot.
Hundreds of free-range children spent the week playing together. Some sold printed programs, knickknacks, and walked dogs for cash. Drones flew over drum circles. A Thriller flash mob appeared on the field before the Bardo Pork roast on Saturday, which took place opposite a Shrimp Boil. [Aside: I had incredible #freedomnomnom noshes all week long, including authentic bánh mì sandwiches and phở. I’ll do an entire foodie post later!]
PorcFest epitomizes the best of the Free State movement: individualism, team work, selling and buying things, crypto and other alternatives to the coercion of the state, sharing ideas, agreeing, disagreeing, growing, thriving, teaching and learning, all always, always PEACEFUL.
Reporters often ask me, “Explain who Free Staters are,” and, after I have a good belly laugh, I explain that as individuals, we are all different, but if there’s one thing you might say unites us, it’s the ethical stance of the non-aggression principle. As one of PorcFest’s sponsors, Free the People’s t-shirt says: “Don’t hurt ppl; don’t take their stuff.” Easy enough!
I’ve been doing this “Liberty lives in New Hampshire” thing for a good long time now. I attended my first PorcFest in 2005, and moved to New Hampshire in 2008. I organized PorcFest in 2009 and 2010, doubling attendance. In 2020, I proceeded with PorcFest XVII as a First and Second Amendment protected assembly, with no negative outcomes.
This year feels different, like we’ve arrived. PorcFest XVIII’s Chef de Village, Dennis Pratt, somehow managed to take the picture I’ve had in my head for years and years and made it appear before my eyes. I am in awe of what Dennis accomplished.
By engaging and energizing hundreds of others to bring their best and brightest, to bring their ideas and passions, to bring their swagger and game, i.e. by decentralizing and trusting one another, we had the biggest and best PorcFest yet!
A HUGE, SPECIAL THANK YOU to Dennis Pratt and the entire volunteer team, especially the core heavy lifters, Chris Lopez, Constance Spencer, Shawn Grissom, Pete E, Scott S, Frans Honer, Katie, Aureus H, Zoe Noctum, Anie, Stephen Nass (and their relevant partners!), and all the other amazeballs, incredible, awesomesauce Free Staters who worked hard to make PorcFest a smashing success!
As totalitarianism grows around us, so too does interest in the opposite: self-respect and human dignity through self-ownership. As I jokingly said throughout PorcFest XVIII: “2020 was good for those of us in the freedom business!” The more the boot of the state stomps down, the stronger our movement grows.
Remember: There is safety in numbers.
Think of the Free State movement as creating a “libertarian safe space” where we can choose to “Live Free and Thrive!” Surely we too are allowed to exist somewhere? In many ways, Free Staters are refugees, seeking safe harbor from the exploitation of a corrupt, immoral, unrestricted, and unaccountable federal government.
We seek one place to exist, and we come in peace to New Hampshire in order to preserve and expand the liberties we find here.
If YOU are liberty curious, I encourage you to follow the Free State Project, PorcFest, and me personally (Twitter; Facebook; Insta; MeWe; YouTube–where I host a weekly political show and have a cooking show called #Freedomnomnom). The FSP will be hosting more events as we grow, so stay tuned for more info, but in the meantime, buy your PorcFest XIX tickets TODAY for June 20-26, 2022.
I will be writing more pieces about PorcFest in the coming days, and encourage you to seek more information online (see #porcfest on social media). I will update here on The Art of Independence with news pieces and other speakers media and social media posts as I gather them.
Thank you to everyone who attended, love ya, and see YOU next year, if not before! My heart is full.
The more things change the more they stay the same!?! PorcFest is happening next week in the beautiful White Mountains of the Free State of New Hampshire.
We’re SOLD OUT, and expecting more than 2,500 people, of which 2/3 are from out of state. That’s a LOT of potential movers, people seeking a better life, which is what living in liberty in NH offers!
As the rest of the world moves towards more top-down control and totalitarianism, I encourage all peaceful liberty lovers who believe in private property and self-ownership to join us!
I am doing several talks at PorcFest, including “Make America States Again”; my future vision; police accountability; and the how and why of the Free State Project. I am looking forward to talks by speakers like Naomi Wolf, Tom Woods, Jeffrey Tucker, Gene Epstein, Stephen Kinsella, Scott Horton, and more!
On Saturday at 6PM, we are again hosting SOAPBOX IDOL, which is YOUR opportunity to do a 3-minute rant about whatever you are most passionate about. Don’t miss the auditions 11A most days in the Upper Picnic Tent.
If you haven’t looked at the schedule yet, it’s bananas! On top of the main field, there are HUNDREDS of programs, from knitting to newbie shoots, being offered by individuals. Be sure to walk around the campground and enjoy each others’ company. We are all here to learn and share!
A reminder, PorcFest is about personal responsibility, i.e. how YOU are behaving and showing up in the world. We want YOU to have the time of your life, while also being considerate of others. Attendees run the gamut from singles to great-grandparents, with a lot of families with young ‘uns in-between. Quiet time is 11PM. Tomorrow is another day; pace yourself. 
Take photos, record talks, and use this PUBLIC link to upload pics: https://dropevent.com/PorcFest. Live tweet, and help us create buzz and capture memories. Use #PorcFest and #LiveFreeAndThrive. I can’t wait to meet YOU.
Come say “hi.” Plan to buy my book, The Ecstatic Pessimist for $20 and/or support my Carla Gericke for New Hampshire efforts. Liberty lives in New Hampshire! Come join the fun!
(PS: I’m pretty sure the whip was a prop. The gun and crown are real. 
)
From a 2012 interview in GQ… Not to date myself, but I’ve been doing this “Free State of NH” thing for a good long while… and now I need YOU! 
Interested in helping to build the coolest little independent state in the North x North East?
Come to the 18th Annual Porcupine Freedom Festival to learn more about the thousands of #bitcoin and #crypto early adopters building a consent-based society based on self-ownership. PorcFest XVIII tix for folks like comedian Dave Smith, Tom Woods are only $50 right now, get yours today.
Read the whole interview at GQ.
This article from the Caledonian Record captures much of the spirit of the 17th Annual Porcupine Freedom Festival. Some excellent quotes by yours truly, too!
“I think Libertarians are the people in the middle,” said Carla Gericke, president emeritus of the Free State Project, created to recruit 20,000 libertarians to move to New Hampshire. “We’re the ones who actually do believe in ‘live and let live, don’t hurt other people, and don’t tell me what to do’.”
Carla Gericke
“I think there are a lot of angry people,” said Gericke about today’s political climate, noting that Libertarians “are people who have already channeled that anger, we’ve sort of processed it already, and we know what the problems are. So we get together at PorcFest to talk about the solutions.” Gericke, who is running against 11-term incumbent Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester) for the District 20 State Senate seat, said she hoped public dissatisfaction with the Democratic and Republican parties would lead to stronger support for third party candidates. “I hope it is our moment.”
Carla Gericke
“I mean, this is one of the biggest political events in the North Country. Earlier today there was a talk about school choice. And there’s people that come up from think tanks in Washington, D.C., they’ve had articles published in the New York Times and they’re talking about these policy issues at a high-end level, and it’s right in my own backyard,” said Beaulier. “So it’s really interesting seeing some of the people and personalities that come out. Some of them I agree with, and some of them are like totally nuts, but you get a really interesting mix of people.”
Calvin Beaulier
The amazing Jeffrey Tucker gave an incredible talk and wrote this excellent piece about PorcFest XVII for AIER, Broadway Closed But PorcFest Stayed Open. Some choice quotes below.
I’m sure that the organizers faced some pressure to call it off, but Carla Gericke looked past the propaganda and went ahead anyway. This year too was a bit different from usual, lacking some of the glitz and organizational formalism of the past. But we were no worse for it. There were talks on every aspect of health, economics, history, philosophy, commerce, crypto, firearms, COVID, and you name it. The main pavilion had something go on day and night, and there were mini gatherings all over the campground.
Jeffrey Tucker
All that aside, we used to speak of this country as the land of the free and home of the brave. Our response to this virus has sacrificed freedom based on fear. Rather than focusing on the actual problem — vulnerable people in nursing homes, many of which were actually forced to take in COVID-19 patients — we shut down nearly the whole country for absolutely no reason.
Jeffrey Tucker
Never forget that the message of liberty is spreading! I received the following mail from someone who attended my PorcFest talk about police accountability:
The dais you were on at PorcFest about the good, the bad & the ugly moved me. I am a former 18 year Texas Police Officer. I currently live in Massachusetts and moving to New Hampshire soon. I would love to collaborate with you on establishing accountability between law enforcement and the public. This is near and dear to my heart. I hope we can work together on this.
Jay
Tom Woods will be attending PorcFest for the first time this year–ooooh-lah-lah! In this episode, we discuss the 17th Annual Porcupine Freedom Festival, and what it will look like given the Control Freak Times we live in–spoiler alert, IT’S GOING TO BE EPIC (but only if YOU come!). Tom and I both feel strongly that THIS YEAR it is CRUCIAL to attend and show the world that free people move freely and can make their own decisions based on their own risk profiles. Buy YOUR $25 PorcFest tix today. Can’t join the fun but agree we’re doing the right thing? Show your support by buying “In Spirit” tickets. It’s the next best thing to attending (but attending is better!).
LISTEN to The Tom Woods Show NOW…
We also touched on:
My first book, The Ecstatic Pessimist, a collection of award-winning short stories and essays about the Free State Project and liberty in NH, which will be having the most epic of book launches at PorcFest, The Ecstatic Pessimist Book Launch Party. BUY YOUR KINDLE COPY TODAY! (Paperback coming soon!)
My Carla Gericke for New Hampshire Senate race. DONATE TODAY!
My super essential firefighting skills.
My podcast Told You So, which will return after Porcfest, so catch up on old episodes now!
Liberty activist and NH state senate candidate Carla Gericke joins Tatiana and Josh in the first part of the show to discuss coronavirus response in New Hampshire and nationwide, and why she believes the full lockdown was an unnecessary infringement of our rights. She also discusses her ongoing New Hampshire state senate campaign and her plans for this year’s PorcFest.
Then, GIVE Nation co-founder and blockchain strategist Alyze Sam joins Tatiana to talk about Virtual Blockchain Week, a live streaming event featuring some of the biggest names in crypto (and Tatiana’s performance at the after party), as well as her involvement with the charity organization GIVE Nation.
About the Guests:
Carla Gericke (JD, MFA) is an advocate of liberty specializing in localized voluntarism, self-determination, and how responsible human action can lead to peace and prosperity. She is president emeritus of the Free State Project, and lives in New Hampshire with thousands of fellow freedom fighters. In 2014, Carla won a landmark court case affirming the 1st Amendment right to film police encounters. She has appeared on WMUR, CNN, and Fox News, been featured in GQ and Playboy, been quoted in The Economist, and has discussed libertarianism on the BBC. She has visited more than 40 countries, hiked to the base camp of the 10th highest mountain in the world, lost a shoe in a taxi more than once, had her passport stolen in Goa, got kidnapped in Vietnam, and has noshed on more “mystery meat” street food than she cares to admit. Carla once spent an entire summer while working as in-house counsel at Logitech eating tuna fish sandwiches with Doug Engelbart (the Mother Of All Demos dude), she worked on Apple’s acquisition of Steve Job’s NeXT, and bought her first Bitcoin for $6. Carla co-hosts the Told You So podcast, and co-chairs Manch Talk TV. She serves on several non-profit boards, follows a Keto lifestyle (read about her transformation), practices yoga and shooting, and plays a mean game of Scrabble. Carla enjoys cooking, gardening, painting, reading, and watching documentary films. She has twice run for New Hampshire Senate, garnering 42% of the vote in 2018 against an 11-term incumbent, and believes in 2020, third time will be the charm! DONATE to her race TODAY! Carla’s first book, The Ecstatic Pessimist, a collection of award-winning short stories, flashes, speeches, and essays is forthcoming next month. Show your support by pre-ordering the Amazon Kindle version of The Ecstatic Pessimist now!
Alyze Sam is a refreshing blockchain strategist, a novel educator, and vehemently driven advocate. First, dedicating her life to her patients in hospice nursing, Sam passionately embraced the world of financial technology after nearly losing her own life, not once, but twice! Sam feels her destiny lies within serving her community and assisting other ‘underdogs’ with love and education. She’s achieving these dreams with roles as; Co-Founder and Chief Executive Assistant for GIVE Nation, a non-profit children’s financial literacy AI/blockchain project which rewards altruistic behaviors. She’s a Founder and Community Director of Women in Blockchain International and sits as an ‘Social Impact Advisor’ for blockchain nonprofits; Blockchance.eu & Women in Blockchain Foundation. Alyze has been an active participant and speaker in the internationally known Women in Blockchain community.
If you like this content, please send a tip with BTC to: 1Q2QHoNowg8D2QzWhBQU1YrraG771aCpgS
More Info:
The Ecstatic Pessimist (Pre-order)
PorcFest
Free State Project
Carla for NH Senate
Told You So
GIVE Nation
Women in Blockchain
Virtual Blockchain Week
TatianaMoroz.com
Vaultoro
Friends and Sponsors of the Show:
Proof of Love
Crypto Media Hub
*You have been listening to the Tatiana Show. This show may contain adult content, language, and humor and is intended for mature audiences. If that’s not you, please stop listening. Nothing you hear on The Tatiana Show is intended as financial advice, legal advice, or really, anything other than entertainment. Take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Oh, and if you’re hearing us on an affiliate network, the ideas and views expressed on this show, are not necessarily those of the network you are listening on, or of any sponsors or any affiliate products you may hear about on the show.