Crowds of locals and visitors converged on the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, to take in the sights, sounds and tastes of the 2015 Mother Earth News Fair. A full roster of presenters from the WNC area and across the U.S. offered workshops and discussions on topics relating to renewable energy, organic gardening, homesteading, green building and sustainable living.
The barns of the Ag Center were filled with exhibitors offering demonstrations and displays featuring everything from quail to goats to camels. Hundreds of vendors were also on hand with booths highlighting farm and garden supplies, clothing, value-added food products and more.
This year marked the fair’s second trip to Asheville with future stops scheduled this spring and summer in Albany, Ore.; West Bend, Wis.; Seven Springs, Pa.; and Topeka, Kan.
Photos by Tori Pace
Log-splitting
Log-splitting demonstration
Wood-Mizer portable sawmill demonstration
David Gumpert gives a talk about raw milk
James “Jeep” Sabo demonstrates blacksmithing
Steve Gabriel during his presentation on ‘Farming the Woods’
Steve Gabriel teaches fairgoers how to farm the woods
Hendrikus Schraven & Nirav Peterson demonstrate soil testing techniques
GROWING GREEN: Crowds of people converged on the 2015 Mother Earth News Fair Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, at the WNC Agricultural Center. Although official numbers were unavailable at press time, fair director Andrew Perkins estimates that 18,000 people attended this year’s event, up from 16,000 in 2014.
Sawmill demonstration
Terry Durham discusses elderberry cultivation
Wood-carving demonstration by Riverwood Trading Company
Natalie Bogwalker responds to audience questions during her presentation
Becky Beyer from Buchi Kombucha teaches fair attendees how to brew kombucha at home
Alex Medley serves a customer at the Buchi Kombucha booth
David Gumpert
Virginia Daly from Growers Supply with a hydroponic lettuce-growing setup
Exhibitors from Wild Food Adventures discuss wild-harvested foods with a fair attendee
Natalie Bogwalker
Joseph Klinefelter from River Hills Harvest hands out a sample of elderberry jam
Jeanine Davis gives a ramp-growing demonstration
Bryan Welch, publisher of Mother Earth News, with Tami Schwerin of Abundance, N.C.
Nan Chase demonstrates equipment used in home winemaking
Nan Chase teaches fair attendees how to bottle and label their homemade wine
Angie Lavezzo with Sow True Seed helps a customer with his seed purchase
Laura King, a.k.a. ‘Mac,’ with Ira Wallace, author of Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast at the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange booth
Emily Coleman-Wolf hands out a sample at Soda Papa
Ben White serves a customer at Soda Papa
Joel Salatin engages the crowd during his presentation
Paper straws
Alan Muskat
Alan Muskat during his presentation on Wild Mushrooms
No pictures of the livestock exhibitors, or any information as to their presentations? I guess your crew didn’t walk that far down to the barns. To bad, as there were large crowds down there listening and learning about livestock in the sustainable lifestyle as well. The Mother Earth Fair wasn’t all about the retail vendors selling their “stuff” to eager, hungry consumers with cash to burn. Oh well….Maybe next year……
Thanks for your comment, Edison. You make a great point — the livestock exhibits and presentations were fantastic, and I personally was at the livestock barns on Saturday live tweeting (with photos) about the displays and events. It is unfortunate that no photos of the livestock made it into this gallery. I appreciate you highlighting that important aspect of the fair, and I’ve amended the slideshow text to include mention of the livestock exhibits.
Thanks Gina!
I sure hope that there is something like this here in Arizona, this is one thing i will not miss to go to at all. Thanks for sharing.
I was curious if they had any knowledge as to how far people had traveled to attend, and I went to the show office and asked them just that. I learned from the management office that 80% of those in attendance came from out of state. I enjoyed this style and format of a “fair”, and I am impressed with its’ organization, and most grateful that it is in our backyard in Asheville. The attendance numbers along with the vendors and exhibitors were up from last year’s excellent first time show which translates that they will be back next year! Looking foward to it!
It was our first fair, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The presentations were first rate, as were the exhibits. The only critical thing I can say is, the car dealer was disruptive to several of the presentations and seemed really out of place. If they are invited back I would take measures to locate them away from any presentation tent.
My hat is off to the organization team…splendid job!