10/30/2023
Oddstock, what’s the story?
The name Oddstock existed before I knew the story. As often happens, that little storyteller that exists as a feature and bug of human consciousness began to create the story in my mind.
The story has come to mean, for me, a place that gives wings to those that join our forces. Oddstock doesn’t arise from orchardists, trained cider or wine makers or beverage market analysts. It arose from a couple of dummies and a bunch of other beautiful humans. I’m one of the dummies. When the folks at Bad Granny upped the ante and suggested we just buy their cider brand instead of partnering with them, I thought, ‘why? Why not?’ So Iron Horse did that. We bought their brand. And drove it summarily into the ground, or a bridge, or a casket or tomb. You get the point.
Oddstock is a community of humans and ideas from varied places and philosophies. Oddstock is now an idea that captures more than cider. It is an umbrella that provides coverage, support and resources to many voices. To imagine just how many ideas occur under the roof at the Iron Horse production facility and in our extended imagination is somewhat overwhelming. Just my own ideas are overwhelming to me. So what can be done with all these ideas? I think they can be shared, explored and potentially pursued with the tiny-but-mighty energy of the Iron Horse/Oddstock family.
Sure, we can’t take on all the ideas we have, but we can surely take on some of them. Will it be pickles, a food hub, a food truck, virtual golf, a mid-week farmer’s market, an orchard? I can’t wait to find out, but more than anything I relish the fact that none of these ideas are mine. They came from the minds of these Oddstock and if we open our minds and hearts enough to explore each of them until we find a resounding yes, I think our collective efforts will bear much fruit, even if they are pursued by amateurs, newbies and the well-intentioned. And, even if they are deemed as failures when measured by the metrics of our dominant paradigm. What does success look like at Oddstock? Joy, grief and creation of a path that is distinctly ours.
- Greg Parker (owner)