Molly and I spent the weekend at the Mother Earth News Fair in Belton, TX. There were thousands of people there! Very inspirational. We attended great workshops lead by the people who are pioneering the sustainable living movement. There were also lots of vendors trying to catch the attention of the knowledge hungry crowds.
Molly spent most of her time learning about holistic remedies using herbs and essential oils. She made a point of feeding those hungry vendors. I must say, the “four thieves” infusion she had me inhale cured the head cold that I had been struggling with for 4 days. Within about 2 hours I was clear and the pressure was gone. And though I undertook another treatment the following day, the symptoms never returned.
I spent the first day learning about mushrooms. Tradd Cotter with Mountain Mushrooms put on some very impressive workshops about growing mushrooms. The work he is doing in my core mediation is very impressive. He is a very smart guy doing some cutting edge stuff.
The main reason I went to the fair was to get ideas on developing a business. There were workshops about local food and farming laws. Judith McGeary with the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance put on some awesome lectures about current and pending legislation as well as ways to structure a business. These people are doing great things to promote the small scale farmer and provide access for consumers to get nutritious, wholesome foods.
I was particularly impressed with Cody Hopkins with Grass Roots Farmers Coop. They formed a coop of small farmers with common interests so the farmers could focus on their core business, and the coop would manage the distribution and supply chain. There is much more to his story so, if you ever get a chance to hear him speak, it is worth whatever it takes. I wish more small farmers would join forces like this. I think it’s a great way to compete against Big Ag yet still provide personalized service.
This is just scratching the surface of the many workshops offered (over 130). There were so many great workshops that I had difficulty in choosing where to spend my time. All this for just $25!
Oh wait. Beyond the speakers and vendors, there were over 4,000 awesome attendees. It was inspiring to see so many like-minded people from all over the nation looking to find freedom in a sustainable lifestyle. I made a few connections with people making their way just like myself.
What a weekend.
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