Ever wanted to cook with maple or grow mushrooms, harvest honey or stock a root cellar, make your house more energy efficient, or raise sheep, pigs, goats, cows or turkeys? The 2013 Homesteading Fair at the Lewis County Fairgrounds on Friday, September 6 from 4pm to 8pm and Saturday, September 7 from 7am to 5pm in Lowville, NY, is the place to learn from those who know how.
Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Lewis County and the Mother Earth News are sponsoring the event with more than 40 educational workshops.
Admission on Friday is free to enjoy vendors, food booths, and musical entertainment..
On Saturday, 45-minute workshops throughout the day will focus on six major areas: sustainable energy, backyard poultry, livestock, maple and forestry entrepreneurship, growing your own food, and using live horsepower.
Presenters include veterinarians, a horse chiropractor, commercial scale on-farm food processors, a beekeeper, solar energy equipment provider, the Northern New York Regional Local Foods Specialist, and Jean O’Toole of the NY Beef Industry Council
Demonstrators include the Monday Morning Knitters and Safety Specialist Robert Coscomb with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Live animal exhibits include the award-winning draft horse hitch of Randy Nichols of Copenhagen, NY. Nichols will be presenting on draft horse driving.
The Homesteading Fair takes place rain or shine. Hours are Friday 4pm-8pm and Saturday 7am-5pm, workshops will start at 9am; breakfast will be available at the American Maple Museum booth 7am-9am.
Parking is free. Saturday admission is $10.00/person by advance sale, $15 at the gate, children under 17 are free when accompanied by paying adult. Tickets are available at CCE Lewis County and Lewis County Chamber of Commerce in Lowville. Purchase online at http://blogs.cornell.edu/ccelewis/ and by credit card through CCE Jefferson County, 315-788-8450.
The Pratt-Northam Foundation; Countryside Veterinary Clinic; Cazenovia Equipment; Cornell Cooperative Extensions Associations of the North Country; American Maple Museum; Lewis County Maple Producers Association; New York State Beef Industry Council; Lewis County Farm Bureau; and others are co-sponsoring the event. Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. #