Warning: this is flat out going to be a plug for the annual Mother Earth News Fair in the event one is held near you. It’s more than worth the cost of a ticket to see and hear famous speakers in the permaculture and homesteading worlds. And the subject matter is endless so even a casual backyard organic gardener will learn loads of stuff.
We went to the fair in Asheville, NC this past weekend. Despite the fact that it was cold (with really bitter winds on the first day) we certainly got our money’s worth! Famous speakers on hand at this event included Joel Salatin, Elliot Coleman, Curtis Stone, Jerome Osentowski and Jean-Martin Fourtier.
The only issue I had with the fair was that there needed to be three or four of me! I had to choose from three to four speakers each hour that I really wanted to hear because they offered so much! There were talks going on at over twelve stages at any given time of the day. Next year, I’ll choose the subjects that I’m less familiar with, whether that’s beekeeping, free range chickens or info about growing Pawpaw trees. There were also hundreds of exhibitors, from organic herbal tinctures to tractors. There were greenhouses on display, solar cookers, log splitters, blacksmithing, horse and oxen teams and even a couple of amazing tiny homes to tour!
I got a lot of great info and I think we may have found the perfect greenhouse for the “back forty” as we call the back forty feet of our little half acre homestead. I also picked up some great ideas for implementing a food forest in the front yard (or “lower forty”). All in all, a great weekend and a great event from a company that has supported homesteaders and farmers for years.
