Eco Fair: Environment and Sustainable Agriculture

Part 1: Eco Fair Introduction

I'm sorry to say, this was the first eco-fair I've attended. I enjoyed myself, and learned a lot - who could ask for more? Actually, I could have asked for more people. I have a hard time understanding why there weren't two thousand attending, instead of a couple of hundred.

Maybe because the eco-fair took place in the middle of nowhere, deep in S.E. Iowa, 1½ hours from the nearest regional airport, and 4 hours from the closest major airport. It's a fact that it takes all day to get here from anywhere else in the country. Another reason could have been that people didn't know about it, which is a shame.

Would I have come if I lived in Chicago, St. Louis, or Minneapolis? Good question! I would've come if I knew how beautiful SE Iowa is in late May, and how perfect the weather at this time of year. Or if I knew that the small town of Fairfield, IA is a major center for alternative healing, spirituality, sustainable agriculture,environmental activism and vegetarianism. Plus there seems to be more professional visual artists, actors, dancers and musicians per capita than perhaps anywhere else in the world. All that Fairfield lacks to be completely perfect, in my view, is an ocean, or at least a big natural lake, but who knows what global warming will bring? :-)

Even if I lived far away:
I'd have come if I'd known more about the eco-fair host. Maharishi University of Management is a tiny university with a lovely big campus, devoted to consciousness-based education. They are small but noted for academic excellence and innovative vedic education programs, and for amazingly bright, talented students from all over the world. The cafeteria serves delicious organic vegetarian food, the campus is as close to drug-free as it is possible to get, and is going completely non-smoking next year.

I'd have come a long way to this eco-fair:

• For the impressive array of workshops and speakers on environmental issues and sustainable agriculture.
• I'd have jumped right in line, if they offered an attractive package for travel, attendance, meals, entertainment and lodging, to tempt me to the wilds of S.E. Iowa.
• I don't know anything about organization and publicity for the fair, but my guess is it wasn't nearly enough.
• But happily, I came, because I live here, and there was enough local publicity to get my attention.

Everything at the Eco Fair Was Great:

• The trade show, with a hundred or so eco-exhibitors, worth several hours of happy meandering and schmoozing.
• Food from the Red Avocado, a fabulous gourmet vegan restaurant in IA City, hip capital of Iowa.
• An eco-fashion show, which was brilliant.
• Music on a solar-powered stage.
• Tour of sustainable architecture, and the eco-village project.
• Dozens of first class presentations and workshops on environmental issues and sustainable agriculture, many of which I missed for lack of time.

For details on workshops and presentations, see Eco-Fair Part 2 and Part 3

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Articles and Reviews on Related Topics:

Big Green Summer: Sustainable Internships Eco-Fair Pt 2: Speakers and Events Eco-Fair Pt 3: Sustainable Agriculture Speakers State of the Eco-Union, by Joel Salatin Organic Agriculture Standards Part 1 Organic Agriculture Standards Part 2 Organic Agriculture Standards Part 3 Farmers Backs Against The Wall Over GMO Products Book Review: The Food Revolution, John Robbins Ecological Organic Agriculture Got Local Organic Milk? What is Organic Food and Why Should We Eat It? Organic Consumers Association Natural Water Collection, Purification and Storage

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