I’m heading to the Mother Earth News Fair in a few weeks. This is a four-year-long tradition now – I think I’ve attended every Seattle-area Mother Earth News Fair since it started. I always come away from the Fair re-energized and re-inspired about what we’re trying to do here on our own one-third acre.
I wrote a post last year called Practical v. Political: People Who Give A Damn after attending the 2013 Fair. I think it captures what I love most about the Fair. When you put a fair together with topics like raw milk and mortgage-free DIY homes and sustainable gardening, a group of people shows up that represents the full spectrum of political viewpoints. And yet, we find this common ground in practical strategies for creating a life on our own terms.
This strange-bedfellows, hippie/prepper aspect is my favorite thing about attending the Fair. It makes me deeply reassured that, if push came to shove, those of us who care enough to just show up and get our hands dirty would be able to put the fear-mongering aside and get to work.
That said, you don’t have to get all misty-eyed like me about this philosophical community crap to get a ton from attending your local Mother Earth News Fair.
The amount of info the Mother Earth News team manages to cram into two days, and the talent they get to speak, is staggering.
What do you want to learn more about? Beekeeping, craft distilling, marketing your farm, picking out a tractor, growing nutrient dense fruits and vegetables, making raw milk goat cheese, heritage breed livestock from rabbits to hogs, poultry slaughter and processing, gluten free breads, herbal healing, straw bale homes, basic seed starting? Something else?
All those topics and many, many more are covered. And if you just want to look at cute baby animals, well, the MEN Fair has that too.
Joel Salatin, Toby Hemingway and Bob Moore of Bob’s Red Mill will be there, being all famous and stuff. Jessi Bloom (Free Range Chicken Gardens), Sherri Brooks Vinton (Put ‘Em Up), Lisa Kivirist (Farmstead Chef), Matt Reed of Bee Thinking, and a ton of other experts in sustainability will be giving talks and leading demonstrations.
There are also hundreds of exhibitor booths where you can check out everything from composting toilets to tiny home kits to permaculture and rare fruit nurseries like Raintree.
My friends and sponsors, High Mowing Organic Seeds, will be showing off their 100% organic seeds at Booth 819 (tell ’em Erica sent you!), and if there’s any interest I’m happy to set aside an hour on Saturday or Sunday for a NW Edible reader meet-up. Just let me know!
Bottom Line, if you are within a few hours drive of Puyallup, WA (or any of the other sites), the Mother Earth News Fair is totally worth the trip. And at $20 for one day or $25 for both Saturday and Sunday – kids 17 and under get in free – it’s very reasonably priced. Last year I ate at least $25 worth of Theo’s Chocolate samples (Coconut Curry forever!) if that helps in your decision making.
Info At A Glance
What
The Mother Earth News Fair – A giant weekend of modern homesteading and sustainable living awesomeness!
Where
Puyallup, WA at the Puyallup Fair Ground
110 9th Avenue Southwest
Puyallup, Wash. 98371
When
Saturday May 31st, 9:00 AM-7:00 PM
Sunday June 1st, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
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 $25 if you pre-order and $30 at the gate.
Youth 17 and under free. Like, totally free, so bring the kids!
Everything Else
More info on the Mother Earth News Fair website.
Giveaway!
I’d really like you to come to the Mother Earth News Fair, and so would the folks at Mother Earth News! In fact, they want you to come so much they’ve set aside five pairs of full weekend tickets to the 2014 Puyallup, WA Mother Earth News Fair for you guys!
Each winner will have two passes left at the will-call pick up window of the Puyallup Fairgrounds under their name. I ask that you only enter if you think you are actually able to attend the Fair. It would be a shame for these free tickets to not get used, so if you live in New Zealand and know you aren’t flying out for this, please refrain from entering.
To enter to win one pair of free tickets to the Puyallup, WA, 2014 Mother Earth News Fair, leave a comment below telling me which presentation you are most excited to see . I’d also love to know if you are interested in a meet-up type thing at all.
Five winners will be picked. One entry per person, please. Additional entries will be disqualified.
Contest is open until Friday, May 23rd at 8:00 pm. Winners will be notified by email and have 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck! Tell your Seattle and Portland friends, and I hope to see you at the Fair!
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Well, I’m dying to know to grow more nutrient dense foods!
As for my, I think I’d like the Busy Bee presentation the best. Gotta love those bees! They always create quite a buzz =)
Would love a meet up, have friends in Seattle, think that’s close enough?
Free Range Chicken Gardening is a real interest for me. We have set in permanent gardens and I would like to get chickens and bees going now.
Easy Peasy Edibles is the one for me as I get our perennial shrub layer going!
Fearless Pressure Cooking: The new fast food – I am just discovering the joys of my pressure cooker and need inspiration. Just one of a dozen workshops I’d love to attend. A few of us hold a small Homesteading Fair in the Gorge once a year (this will be our third) and I am in awe of everyone who shares their skill and knowledge. Thanks for the chance to win tickets, Erica.
I can’t decide between the bee keeping (I’ve been wanting to start a hive) or the essential homemade beauty products. Those and the other topics are going to be great! I can’t wait.
Hi Erica! This will be the first fair we have planned on attending. Of course the big draw for us would be Mr. Salatin & his fanatical fabulousness. We live on a 1/4 acre urban homestead in Port Orchard, Washington with chickens & veggies, would love to learn to expand into bees? goats? A meet-up would be great, we will definitely be attending Sunday (early for the poultry processing demo). If you have time to plan a meet please e-mail us & let us know. My husband & I both enjoy your blog very much, it’s comforting to know of other urban homesteaders trying to make a go of it!
Hey Erica! I have never been to the big show and am looking forward to being able to go this year. I’m wanting to become more confident in canning, and veggie growing. 🙂
I already got my tickets, so excited! My thing is organic and permaculture, though I want to sneak into a couple of the “make your own alcohol” talks. See you there!
THANK YOU for sharing this post – well all your posts are awesome, but I had no idea there was a MEN fair – and to have it so close to home in Topeka KS this fall. My goodness, I wonder how I did not know this. Probably b/c I don’t have time to read my mags that come -idk, but thank you again for posting this today!!!
Topeka is where MEN and the related publications are headquartered! 🙂 It’s Ground Zero!
I would love to learn more about the straw bale homes. Anytime I can get a look at better free range chicken care, organic gardens and sustainable living, count me in!!! Thank you for the opportunity to attend the Fair. Smiling!!!!
My daughter and i will be there at the fair on Sunday.
You gonna be somewhere in particular that day?
I simply wish to thank you for the great blog you run.
In case i don’t see you — Thanks for the great blog !
I will coordinate something and definitely do an announcement. Thanks!
That is hard to choose! I had no idea there were so many classes offered! I can’t believe I’ve never gone to this before. I am really interested in the Craft Distillary class, many of the chicken classes, the soil building for nutrient dense food class, and about a zillion more.
OK… I just saw the duck workshop…. and that cinched it 😉 I’m debating between chickens and ducks, and this might be just where I need to get info and ask my questions, so I’ll
‘take a ticket’. And the distilling… been contemplating how useful that info might be in ‘the future’……plus, I’d love to say ‘hi’ and give/get a hug from one of my favorite yet-unmet people;)
In case I don’t see you, THANKS A BUNCH… you are a treasure, and local, yet! 😉
N
I’m so excited to hear about this. We are building a home on five acres in Arlington with the intention of running a small family farm. There are many presentations that I’m excited about. I’m learning to be gluten free, hoping to have a farm business, wanting to raise ducks and interested in brewing honey mead. My favorite, however, is Solar Power Basics and Washington State Incentives for Solar. I’m certain solar power is in our future and learning to do it the smart way will be a big relief. Thanks for drawing my attention to this. Meeting up would be wonderful.
So many choices even in the area of bees. I’ve really gotten into the Mason Bee bug this year and see Italian honey bees working my raspberries and another wonderfully colored bee making residence in my wood pile. I have to learn more about beekeeping and about mead. Since Matt Reed will be dealing with a hive I’d like to make I’m really looking forward to taking his course as well as as many of the other bee courses that don’t conflict.
Honestly, there is something of great interest to me every hour of every day. From solar, to mud, hay bales, nutrient density, aquaponics- I would dedicate my entire weekend!
Honestly, there is something of great interest to me every hour of every day. From solar, to mud, hay bales, nutrient density, aquaponics- all value lable information to apply to what I already have going.
May I put in a plug for an amazing fair on the opposite side of the country? The Common Ground Country Fair, in Unity, Maine, September 19-21. It’s sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and has been growing and developing for many years. It sounds a lot like this fair in dynamic and direction. If you’re ever in Maine in September, this is the place to be.
Beekeeping, Pressure Canning, Organic Seeds…..the list is endless. 🙂 Am thinking of driving up from Southern Oregon – more than a few hours out but I think well worth it.
Wow, I had no idea this existed! What a great lineup of speakers and topics. I like the ones on natural medicines, especially the one on how to avoid antibiotics.
I would definitely want to see Brewing Honey Mead and Kombucha because I just tasted Kombucha for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it. Really curious to see how it is made.
Also, would love to see Financial, Emotional, and Environmental Benefits of Living Tiny!
I feel a week long instead of a weekend long would work best for me!
Picking just one is impossible! I am trying my hand at fermenting, perennial gardening, chickens, bees, and bio intensive gardening and seed saving as well as preserving wild foraged foods for year round enjoyment.
I would LOVE a meet up… If I won tickets I would be coming from Southeast Idaho… so winning would help offset the cost of the travel (not a lot, but every little bit helps) and it would be my plea to my husband… ‘but I won! I have to go!’ LOL!!!
I want to learn about brewing honey mead and kombucha! I’ve considered going in past years since I’m only 20 minutes from the fairgrounds, but I never did for some reason. Your article has helped push me to go. I would love the free tickets!
Gosh…this is a hard list to choose from! I think we’d most like to see Matt Rees speak abut Bees. We are looking to add bee-keeping to our little homestead and more information is definitely needed! I love the canning book Put em Up- in fact in using it today- so there’s some fan excitement around that one too!
If it works to meet up, I think that would be fun. Thanks for the opportunity, and enjoy it and learn lots and lots!
Since I have 14 fruit trees, 2 figs, raspberries, strawberries, 6 blueberries, 6 chickens,(in greenwood of all places), and a yen for progressive politics, I will find this event all interesting. I often have coffee in the morning with your blog, it would be nice talk in person. I am always open to a seasoned gardener visit. Forgot to mention we have 27 solar panels, solar hot water preheater,and an electric car. Carry on.
I’d love to attend the fair, the Beginning Beekeeping and Solar presentations. Thanks!
We’ve been meaning to go for the last couple years but life has gotten in the way. No more!! This is the year we go, kids in tow. Well knowing about the Theo samples is motivation but I want to learn more about fermentation and also bee keeping.
Thanks for writing such a helpful blog.
Ducks and permaculture, creating great soil, and solar classes are among the many that interest me.
I would love to learn more about keeping chickens including the processing afterwards. I would also like to visit your sponsor for seeds. A meet up would be AWESOME!!!!! I would love to meet you and trade gardener ideas and ask a question about my new apple trees.
Looking forward to Permaculture presentation.
I would love to learn about keeping chickens, permaculture, and solar panels. Besides everything else! I also live in Port Orchard on almost two acres and have just begun my sustainable journey. If you do meet up, tell us the time and I will probably be the person in the back, lurking but listening avidly.
We moved last summer to Washington State, and have been working on getting settled into our new homestead property. I really wanted to attend the TMEN Fair last summer, but we were still in the process of moving, so that didn’t work out. We are really looking forward to attending this year, though! (By the way, the blog site linked above desperately needs updating, but we have been so busy getting our homestead up and running that I haven’t had much time to blog.)
The presentations we are most interested in seeing are:
Live Poultry Processing Demo: We started our heritage breed Silver Grey Dorking chicken flock last year, and will attempt to raise our first pastured Dorkings this summer. We are starting a Midget White turkey flock this year.
At least one of the Solar presentations and the MicroHydro presentation: We have plans to eventually go partially off-grid with micro hydro and solar, so I think attending a couple of these presentations would be an excellent way for us to learn more about our options here.
Raising Goats Naturally: We are considering Kinder goats at some point, this would help us to decide whether the extra workload would fit into our lifestyle or not.
Livestock Guard Dogs: We have a coyote pack on the property, as well as raccoons, bobcats, stray cats and dogs, and various forms of Death From Above (raptors – including bald eagles, owls and hawks…) so we have definitely considered whether a guard dog might not be a good addition to our homestead. Plus, we like dogs. 🙂
There are quite a few more I wish we could attend, but maybe next year! We might be interested in a Meetup, depending on timing and location.
I’d like to attend the pressure cooking workshop as well as a bee keeping workshop. there are so many choices!!
I echo Teresa’s post. I’m most interested in MicroHydro, Guard Dogs, and Beekeeping presentations. There’s so much to choose from, and so much to do. Would love to do a meetup if timing works out.
Joel Salatin! Thanks for the giveaway. I would love to meet you 🙂 I’m in Vancouver, so easy drive for us.
My partner and I went last year for the first time and loved it. This year I’d reeeeely like to see Joel Salatin – I think he’s an inspiration! Oh, and the straw-bale construction, and bee-keeping, and ducks, and free-range chickening, and……
I would love to sit in on Bee Thinking and/or Puttin Up. We have a goal of bee keeping in 2 years or less. We live smack in the middle of town but our lot is very secluded, .42 acres, all our neighbors are great landscapers and our very next door neighbor has 2 acres and she is putting in a huge berry garden this fall! Lots of food for the bees. I also want to learn how to can with pressure so I can can salmon, beans, etc. Thanks for posting Erica!
Bee Kkeeping! Hands down.
It is very hard to narrow it down, but I’d love to hear Joel Salatin in person after years of reading his words and about his work.
I’m hoping to learn more about solar energy. The idea of becoming more independent of our electrical company thrills me.
My husband and I are trying to swing things to take all of our kids. We are super interested in adding ducks to our “backyard barnyard” (as my family calls it) so we are looking forward to the Raising Ducks presentation. A meet up would be awesome, I’m constantly quoting you to my hubby as “my favorite blogger person says…”
Awe, thanks! Our kids have done pretty well the past three years. My son loves the tractors and my daughter spends most of the time with the lifestock and poultry exhibition. I recommend packing lunches and snacks because the Fair Food, while of a higher quality than typical fair food, is pretty expensive.
I would love to see th DIY solar panel workshop, the herbal remedy workshop and anything that you are presenting!!!
Sooooo hard to pick just one…..I think I would really like to see How to Grow Tasty, Nutrient-Dense Fruits and Vegetables, to learn how to really pack the nutrients into my veggies, as I have neither the energy or space to do a huge garden.
Ditto on the growing nutrient dense fruits and vegetables !
Wow, thanks so much for putting us on to this fair! My family is from Vancouver but we are coming down, free tickets or not! I’m really excited to see Joel Salatin but also Hendrikus Schraven. We thought we were expert veggie gardeners until I read Organic Manifesto – so much to learn about soil!!
Oh this would be incredible! I’ve always wanted to go, but never have been able to make it. Now that we live in the PNW this is achievable for me- thanks for the giveaway!
Wow, so many choices!! I identified at least 9 classes I’d like to attend…how to choose?!
I guess the biggest priority would be the Fearless Pressure Cooking: The New Fast Food…as I am in the process of completely changing my and my families’ way of eating. Thank you for this opportunity- I had no idea that this was a thing and so close to me– really want to check it out! 🙂
I want to see Toby Hemingway to learn more about home-scale permaculture!
I want to attend EVERYTHING but really I see Pressure Cooking to be.incredibly useful right this instant I would love.to pressure cook rabbit especially since I have heard rave.reviews of it cooked that way. Also straw bale building, my husband just got back.from looking at 20+ acres we will be buying in the next 2 years and we know straw bale building may be a great option for us but need to know more about it.
I think my choice would be somewhere between Chickens and Kids together, Beginning Beekeeping, and oh, about a dozen others. Wow – time to plan that weekend! I have a big backyard with plans for chickens, and kinda hugelkultur beds in two random spots, and no idea what I’m doing – but that’s most of the fun! Would love to join a meet-up if one happens.