You know I love me some Mother Earth News, right? It’s been the official publication of simple-living folks and wanna-be simple-living folks since 1970!
Every year, The Mother Earth News people put on the Mother Earth News Fair, which is a giant expo dedicated to urban and rural homesteading and greener, more thoughtful living.
There are hundreds of presentations and demonstrations from experts in, well everything: gardening, permaculture, food preservation, modern home economics, herbal medicine, animal husbandry, solar renovation, off-grid living, raising poultry, green and alternative building techniques, fermentation, farm financing strategies and more.
In fact, my biggest problem with the Mother Earth News Fair is that I inevitably miss presentations I’d love to attend because there are multiple compelling speakers at the same time – there are 14 speaker’s stages this year for goodness sakes!
To simplify the arduous selection process, I do have a few must-see speakers I recommend for new attendees:
Must See Speakers
Joel Salatin is one of the keynote speakers and you must go see him. I’m sure you know him as the “Grassfarmer” in Omnivores Dilemma, and maybe from his own fantastic and fascinating books too. In person, he is like watching a high-energy version, hilarious version of every anti-industrial food rant that’s ever popped into your head.
Jessi Bloom is a local-girl, garden designer and expert on chicken-keeping and systems-based gardening. She wrote what I consider to be one of the essential books on chicken keeping and she’ll be talking about “Easy Peasy Edibles” and how to combine chickens and gardening (“What The Cluck?!”) at the MEN Fair. Great, compelling speaker – make sure to seek her out.
Lisa Kivirist is a pro at combining economics and earth stewardship, both in and out of the home. She has written several books detailing how to move from a corporate life to a considered life. Her latest work is a cookbook inspired by the recipes she uses as the owner of an ecologically-focused Bed & Breakfast in Wisconsin. Last year I was highly impressed with her MEN News presentation “Farmstead Chef: Organic Eating On A Dime” so I’m very happy to see she’ll be doing that presentation again. If you are trying to eat well but your budget is tight, she has excellent tips.
Ira Wallace, owner of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, has literally traveled the world building up an encyclopedic knowledge of edible plants and seed saving. She gives wonderful, fun and personal-knowledge-backed presentations and has cooler hair than probably any other presenter. She’ll be talking about “Extending The Harvest,” “Seed Starting Simplified” and “Growing Great Garlic.” Pick one or all, you won’t be disappointed. Just remember that her varietal suggestions will be based on her extensive experience growing in the Southeast, so Northwest gardeners may need to adapt the specific varietals.
Meet Up With Me (And My Super Cool Friends) to Chat Sustainability!
At past Mother Earth News Fairs, I’ve been lucky enough to run into readers of this blog and meet some the wonderful people who make up this community. This year, I thought it’d be fun to formalize a get together time.
So, I’ll be hanging out in the food court area (lots of tables) from 2:00 to 3:00 (ish) on Saturday afternoon, drinking coffee and talking to my inspirational friend, simple living expert Lisa Kivirist, about sustainability, women in agriculture, gardening, getting out of corporate servitude*, living a homesteady life and whatever else pops into our heads.
Drop in any time – if you come and join us, we can talk about whatever pops into your head too! Gardening questions? Composting? How to balance kids and jobs and productive homekeeping? Whatever. It’s basically a coffee break.
I know a few other amazing writers and speakers who will be at the fair, and I’m going to try to sweet talk them into joining us, too, if their schedules allow. This could be a really fun group of folks!
All You Need To Know: The Mother Earth News Fair Basics
What – A giant weekend of modern hippie living awesomeness!
Where – Puyallup, WA at the Puyallup Fair Ground
- 110 9th Avenue Southwest
- Puyallup, Wash. 98371
- (map)
When – First weekend in June.
- Saturday June 1st, 9:00 AM-7:00 PM
- Sunday June 2nd, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
Speakers & Demonstrators – too many to list.
- Full schedule here.
Tickets
- One day (Saturday or Sunday) tickets are $20 if you pre-order and $25 at the gate.
- Weekend tickets (both Saturday and Sunday) are $30 if you pre-order and $35 at the gate.
- Youth 17 and under free. Like, totally, totally free, so bring the kids.
- Or enter the giveaway and maybe you can go for free!
Everything Else – more info here.
Giveaway! Massive Giveaway!
I want as many people as possible to come to the Mother Earth News Fair and soak up this info. And Mother Earth News feels the same way, so they’re sponsoring this giveaway of five (FIVE!) pairs of weekend passes to the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup. Each of these five prizes is worth $70!
Each winner will have their two passes left at the will-call pick up window of the Puyallup Fairgrounds under their name.
This is a fantastic giveaway! I ask that you only enter if you are actually able to attend the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup, WA on June 1st and/or 2nd. It would be a shame for these free tickets to not get used, so if you live in New York or something and know you can’t fly out for this, please refrain from entering (check out the other locations the MEN Fair will be this year).
To enter to win one pair of free tickets to the Puyallup, WA Mother Earth News Fair, leave a comment below telling me what topic you are most interested in learning about at the Mother Earth News Fair, or which speaker you are most excited to see. Five winners will be picked at random. One entry per person, please. Additional entries will be disqualified.
Contest is open until Sunday, May 19th at 8:00 pm. Winners will be notified on Monday, May 20th by email. Winners must respond to my email by Wednesday, May 22nd at 8:00 pm or their prizes will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen. This is to make sure all winners have appropriate time to make any necessary travel arrangements.
Good luck! Hope to see you at the Fair!
Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Deon, Kristina, Nicole, Tanaya and Ginelle. Please check your email for instructions on claiming your prize.
*hat tip to Sarah at Dogs or Dollars for introducing me to the phrase “corporate servitude.”
1
I would love to hear about the organic cooking on a budget. Such a helpful topic, And how to grow a good organic veggie garden out here. all of that is interesting to me.
thanks
Kristina
I missed Joel Salatin when he was in Salem, OR a few months back because I was sick. I would love another chance to hear him but even without him there I think it would be an awesome event to go to. Plus I could take a girlfriend and leave the kids at home with the hubster!!!
Very interested in organic edibles and eating our front yard with toddlers.
Thanks!
I would love an opportunity to hear Joel Salatin, I love his book “Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal.” I am also researching options for solar/wind for my home.
Wow, I’d love to go. There are so many things I’d want to see… from permaculture classes to food preservation classes (esp fermenting) to duck keeping. Great stuff!
I really just want to hear Joel Salatin speak. Love him.
I haven’t been able to go in years past but this year the dates work! Hurray!
I really would like to see a food fermentation demonstration. I have read lots about it but am still scared of the process. I think I need a visual demo.
We would LOVE to learn about bee keeping and continue our education in general gardening. Also water preservation! Fantastic giveaway!
We missed the event last year, but would love to go this year! Especially interested in Joel Salatin, my hubby talks about Joel’s methods to anyone who will listen! I just bought the Gardening with Chickens book for myself, LOVE IT. So will be thrilled to see both of these great authors! We have a little hobby farm north of Seattle, and are learning as we go. Just added some runner ducks to our farm for slug eating. Still have so much to learn, but enjoying the really rewarding life….
Hmm, don’t know if I could pick! But I’d love to learn more about fermentation, seed saving, and to hear Joel Salatin speak!
I’ve been living here in WA for 5 years now and still have yet to go! What is wrong with me?? I’d listen to as many speakers as possible! How can I pick just one to be excited for?
I am so excited to attend this year and it actually falls when I have a day off and an open schedule! I am looking forward to all of it, but Easy Peasey – plant once reap the harvest for years has especially caught my interest.
I’m super stoked to see everybody, but if I have to pick one I’ll go with the top bar beehive guy.
I would looove to hear Joel Salatin speak!
I would love to attend and learn as much as possible, organic gardening, fermentation, seed saving… Thanks for this opportunity.
Finally, kids old enough not to nag and bother, and a weekend unscheduled! I would love to hear Lisa Kivirist, because I can’t yet seem to afford the considered life, without the corporate dollars, despite integrating MMM principles, and ditching our Evil Cable Service.
i have the very first 10 years of mother earth news….i want to hear joe salatin speak..i want to learn more about EVERYTHING…i want to be inspired…we have two acres of producing gardens and there is always more to learn …and mother earth news is always there for us…and june 2 is my birthday…what more could i ever want?
I can’t even narrow it down. Gardening with children, Perfect Pie Crust, DIY Solar Panels, Easy Peasy Edibles and Put ‘Em Up are some favorites! Will have to go this year now that I have weekends off!
I’d love to hear Christopher Shein speak. His book (“The Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Permaculture”) is the first book about permaculture that actually sounds do-able to me!
I Have Always Wanted To Attend And If I Were To Win No More Excuses. I Have Always Been To Lazy To Get A Fall Winter Harvest Planned So Thats Is What I’Ll Concentrate On. TheCapitalization Of Every Word Is Thanks To My Phone, Which Apparently Is Really Excited To Go As Well.
OOH, ooh, I want to come! I am very interested in Lisa Kivirist’s presentation; any time I can learn more and connect to economic systems that are mixing other valuations in with the ‘normalized’ money valuation, I get very excited. As someone who’s chosen to step out of the corporate bubble and set up as a freelancer, I know that the balance is crucial- I make less money, but I have more time to garden and feed chickens and take care of other creatures which allow me to SAVE more money, so it evens out. Anyway, any tips and tricks and encouragement that help me and my home-team eat better for less- huge! Seed saving tips also sound pretty appealing…
Would love to meet both you (been following you on Facebook for a couple of years now) and Joel Salatin–I’ve read his books and loved them. Also super interested in learning more about saving seeds; permaculture and way, way more….way too much to list here….all of it! I’ve lived off the grid for 7 yrs at one point; then moved into an intentional community and learned so much more about permaculture and sustainability–one can never have too much knowledge~!
Also been a long, long, long time subscriber to Mother Earth News but never been able to attend so winning would be a once in a lifetime event for me!
Thanks,
Ria from Ria’s RE-Sacks
I would also love to see Joel Salatin – I missed him when he was at Willamette University because one of my kids (4) had noro… worst. three days. ever.
Other than that, would love to see Matt Reed’s presentation on Natural Beekeeping, Sylvia Bernstein’s presentation on Aquaponics Gardening as we’re considering adding this to our modest property, presentations on garden permaculture, alternative energy, yogurt making, TOO MUCH AWESOME STUFF…
My wife could also use the break from the kids, and there are a bunch of presentations she would love to see as well. She’s been a subscriber for a VERY long time, I would really love to take her up there, but it’s sadly not in the budget.
Thanks for making the giveaway available.
Cheers,
Ben
Wow! I have read Mother Earth News for ages and I never knew they had a fair. Would love to go and learn more about permaculture and apple growing and grafting. My son saw the exhibit on making bows and arrows and said, “Wicked!”.
Hard to say as so much looks so good but I will pick Jessi Bloom. I’m always trying to get my garden and my chickens to do their best 🙂 thanks
Sooo many things I want to learn about and speakers I want to see, but one of them is definitely beekeeping. I’ve attended in the past and loved it!
I would love to see Joel Salatin. Also interested in seed saving, cheese making, and permaculture.
I would really like to learn about making cheese and cultures then organic gardening and saving seeds
I would love to win tickets to MEN Fair weekend! How to narrow my interests?? I am an avid gardener, but only last year began a functional/edible garden, so I’d like to learn more about growing my own veggies, extending the harvest, then how to make the most use of them. Plus the baking topics on the King Arthur Flour Baking Stage as I’m no longer eating packaged foods (or should I call them non foods); oh & the quick & simple cheeses sounds fascinating! Like you, I won’t get to see everything if I get to go!! Thanks for the opportunity.
All looks great – but definitely sign me up for learning how to escape corporate servitude.
Chickens and Bees! Hopefully both will be coming to my garden very soon 🙂
Loved the fair last year. I really want to attend and learn about season extnsion and gardening in response to a changing climate.
I want to see Joel Salatin! Thanks for the giveaway!
Oooh – pick me, pick me! I can’t go to both days and you made up my mind to come on Saturday to meet you in person and chat it up! I have never been before and definitely just want to go and feel the vibe and hippy it up with the rest of the cool kids.
Yay!
Joel Salatin! I’d love to ask him how it feels to be a rock star farmer! But my husband’s retiring in June and I think a reminder and tips from Lisa would be very beneficial. It’s a four hour drive (our small farm is 10 miles from the Columbia River in the Gorge) but I’ve got family to stay with in the area if I trade a ticket for one of their comfy beds.
i am definitely interested in learning more about introductory gardening and also keeping chickens. but i agree with all the other comments that there is WAY too much good stuff to select from!
I want to see it all and hear them all. I’m sure I will have the same problem you mentioned, too many speakers and not enough of me to go hear them. Gardening and composting with chickens is my interest right now but want to see if there is anything on backyard ovens.
Looking forward to seeing Joel Salatin! Visited his farm as a freshman in college back in Virginia, inspired me to learn more and dedicate my life to sustainable agriculture.
I would love to go! I just got a job on a small organic farm, it’s amazing! I am very interested in what Joel Salatin has to say, but the whole thing sounds fantastic! I want to learn as much as I can about this so I can one day have my own farm.
OMG! I had no idea Mother Earth News did this and I live so close. I would love to win tickets and the item I’m most interested in is Seed Starting Simplified but seriously I have many many more that interest me too! Thanks for spreading this wonderful news.
I would really like to see and listen to Jessi Bloom (how to combine chickens and gardening ) my wife wants to raise chickens.
I’m new to organic/considered living and its becoming a bit overwhelming. I’ve never been taught how to grow things (and my dad is in the agriculture business!) so I mostly kill the plants I do have. I mean, I’m having a hard time keeping tulips alive! 🙁 Honestly, all of the presentations would be interesting and beneficial to me! But, now that I know you’re doing a coffee get-together, I’d love to meet you, Joel Salatin and listen in on the herb gardening presentations!
I love Joel Salatin, but I always wonder how he has any time to do any farming because he’s always talking, touring, or writing. I did recently read Holy Shit, at his recommendation. Great book.
Family and interns, I guess. I gotta get me some of that.
So many things to learn about! Food Preservation, DIY Solar Panels, Ecothrifty Living, Backyard Composting, etc. etc. all look like fun things to learn about.
My gosh.!There are so many topics I want to hear about and see. I would love to hear about aquaponic gardening: growing fish and plants together, the half-acre homestead, hands-on healing remedies, organic farming manual, etc. I could spend so many hours on all three days and never run out of great topics to learn about. Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway!
I haven’t purchased my tickets yet, so I’d love to win!
Last year I just went and was a bit overwhelmed with everything to see, so this year I’d like to just sit and soak it in a bit more.
I’ve been hemming and hawing about going since I’ve never been before (I’ve always had to work on Saturdays). However, I didnt’ know that Joel Salatin was speaking and he is my absolute hero in food justice. I would love to see him speak. As far as what I’m interested in learning about… that would be beekeeping.
I have been a great fan of Mother (Mother Earth News) since I purchased my first copy on my first visit Stateside in 1982. I have been a subscriber for about 5 years. I just love it and have learned so much.
I woult love to be able to chat with folk about our solar heated/solar electric home and about our little garden where we manage to grow lots of fruit and veg. Visiting the Mother Earth Fair is on my “Bucket List” and I would just love to thank the folks for all the help and enthusiasm they give folk.
Would also love to visit with friends in Washington State too!
One small hitch though I am a fan from across the pond! Any chance of the air fare with the tickets? Only joking!
Iforonwy
I’ve been considering range free chickens -this presentation will be a must along with as many of the other “how to’s” I can fit in.
I am most excited to see Joel Salatin speak. Ever since I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma I have been inspired by his whole systems approach to sustainable agriculture.