Agricultural events - one of Elara's favorite things to do. Big or little, all shapes and sizes, there is usually no shortage of things to do, see, smell, pet, ride, eat and buy (but not necessarily in that order).
A smaller fair of 10,000 to 40,000 people is a much difference experience than a large, elbow-crowding, junk food bonanza of 500,000 to 2 million. Both types of experiences have something wonderful to offer, but at a smaller fair you can actually get a bit more hands-on with just about everything. A great representation of that concept is the Mother Earth News Fair series, which is held at various places around the country, and usually around five locations per year. The one we're going to share with you was held this last weekend in Albany, Oregon.
With this episode of the podcast, we thought we would bring you something a little more experiential, since that's what a fair is all about. You might periodically hear background noise of kids (human and goat), sheep, workshop speakers (and audience participation), log splitters, straw bale construction, food grilling, and the many other sounds of a lively event such as this. You will not hear the alpaca, as he didn't feel the need to contribute anything at all.
For our interviews, we took a tiny slice of the types of people you might meet here. We spoke with Janice Cox, author of books on beauty recipes you can make at home. Jim Reiland of the California Straw Bale Building Association. Joe Putnam of Premiere One farm supplies (and a visit with Bill Marion of Shasta Ranch for a fencing and "sheep chair" discussion), and Charlene Couch of the Livestock Conservancy. And of course, a very tired but happy Elara, obviously excited to see and hear it all. Until you hit the next agricultural event, hopefully this will help you feel like you were there.