The first weekend of June Sarah and I attended the Mother Earth News Fair at the Puyallup Fairgrounds (Brynn also attended most of Saturday). It’s held annually here, but we had never been before. It was highly recommended by some good friends who went last year, and since it’s practically in our backyard we made it a priority to attend.
The Mother Earth News crowd was different from the typical prepper crowd. There were a lot of old (and new) hippies, tree huggers, and minimizing your carbon footprint types — not that this is a bad thing, but different. Mother Earth News describes themselves on their Facebook ‘About’ page as: “Launched in 1970, Mother Earth News features practical and money-saving information on organic gardening; do-it-yourself projects; cutting energy costs; using renewable energy; green home building and remodeling; rural living; and conscientious, self-sufficient lifestyles.” All these are also prepper goals, but their motivation and scope are different. For example, with the exception of Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy (yes they were there, more below), there was no discussion of collapse scenarios or disaster preparedness. And there definitely wasn’t any mention of guns, security, or home defense.
Again I’m not saying this as a negative observation, just an observation. Just because they don’t have the same endgame in mind doesn’t make their skill-sets, knowledge, and goals any less valuable. It was actually refreshing to approach some of these topics without the typically implied doom and gloom caveats.
The fair was centered around two full days of classes (six class blocks each day), with thirteen available choices each block (yea, there were a lot to choose from). Of course there were also the many booths and vendors supplying both information and equipment, ongoing demonstrations, and animal displays.
Sarah and I, after pondering the list of classes, took a class almost every block; some together but mostly separate to be able to cover more information. Some of the notable classes we took were:
- What Can Solar Power Do for you Today and Tomorrow? by Brad Burkhartzmeyer
- Practical Permaculture Techniques by Marilene Richardson
- Herbal Medicine Making Basics by Erin McIntosh
- The Basics of Raising Ducks by Victoria Miller
- Top 10 Multipurpose Herbs, by Sue Goetz
- Choosing Livestock for Your Homestead, by Deborah Niemann
- Managing Your Forest, by Ann Larkin Hansen
- Heritage Breed Goats, by Alison Martin
- 10 Not So Pesky Weeds, by Erin McIntosh
- Homestead Healthcare, by Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy
- Don’t Be Scared, Be Strange, by keynote speaker Joel Salatin
We learned a ton and are very motivated to apply the new knowledge we gained. As we get closer to getting our own 5-acre homestead we can’t wait to try our hand with more livestock, permaculture planning, and alternative power! (Quick home purchasing update: We recently got the appraisal back and were very happy with it, hopefully we’ll close about mid-July.)
A highlight of the weekend was getting to meet Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy (aka Joe and Amy Alton). We’ve “known” them for a couple of years, but had never met in person. They are awesome and incredible people, anxious to share their vast knowledge, and full of positive 
energy! We were able to have dinner with them and, because Amy had just met Dave Duffy the founder of Backwoods Home Magazine, Dave and his assistant Toby came to dinner also!
It was a great weekend: the organization, the people, the knowledge, and the energy. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Mother Earth News Fair. If there’s one in your area I can’t recommend it enough! (Seven Springs, PA September 20-22, Lawrence, KS October 12-13).