Why I'll be going to Earthfest 4/16

You all know I'm a self-professed green geek. So how could I miss the annual celebration of all things green in Knoxville? Earthfest is scheduled for this Saturday, April 16 from 10am to 5pm. Admission is FREE and there will be lots of great activities and access to loads of information to "Green it and Mean it"--this year's theme.

Check out my highlights from last year's event. Looking through the list of this year's vendors, I'm sure you'll have many of the same experiences. Here are some of my favorites:

1. The solar industry will be well represented if you have questions on that (especially if you own a business trying to cut energy costs). The UT Solar Decathalon team will also be there.
2. Earthfare will be there and last year they had a great coupon! They're sponsoring the kids area which tends to have great crafts.
3. The Holistic Moms Network should have an area for you to nurse and change diapers (cloth a plus, but not a requirement ;)
4. The Knoxville Recycling Coalition can answer questions about recycling styrofoam and sell you a bag to begin collecting it.
5. They're aiming for a "zero waste" event and will have no trash cans on site. So if you can be mindful of any materials you bring and take them with you if they are not compostable or recyclable, that would be great.

There will also be three panels throughout the day:

1. Are we too clean? (11-11:50am)

2. Livable Communities (noon - 12:50pm)

3. Local Actions: Global Ramifications (1:00 - 1:50pm)

If you have these items, bring them:

1. mercury thermometer (can be exchanged for a new digital one)

2. incandescent lightbulb (can be exchanged for a compact fluorescent one; limit one per household)

3. 10 plastic bags or water bottles (can be exchanged for a reusable cloth bag)

4. Shoes to donate for Soles4Souls in Japan.

So, who else will be there?

Top 8 for Earthfest

Call me a crunchy chic, call me an earthy geek, but I had a GREAT time at Earthfest yesterday. If you missed it, too bad, but Oak Ridge is having its Earth Day next Saturday, April 24, 11am-3pm. Many of the same vendors will be there with the addition of lots more based in Oak Ridge. Check it out!

Due to our busy schedule, I actually went to Earthfest twice: once with the kids and once without. Here are the Top 8 Reasons I'm glad I went:

• Kids Tent: They had several eco-friendly crafts which Bobby loved. I'll be repeating some of these for them during the summer. They turned toilet paper rolls into bugs, made art with seeds and glue, and painted their own canvas bag with vegetables. Bobby painted his initials with a carrot, stamped shapes with potatoes, and made interesting effects with broccoli and artichokes.

• Thank you, Earthfare, for that $10 off $30 purchase coupon. I'll probably be using mine on 4/22 to get one of your free reusable bags along with organic apples, potatoes, and strawberries--on sale for $3--zowie! (Kroger had organic strawberries for $6.25 last week).

• All the major solar installers in Knoxville were there. In no particular order: EETN, Green Earth Solar, and Sustainable Future. If you own a business and are interested in solar, this is a particularly good time to pursue that technology. A system could pay for itself within 5-7 years!

• Alcoa was selling their very sturdy recycling bins for $5 each (a great value). Since we've loved the one we got last year, we picked up another one. Tip: If you don't yet recycle, start with aluminum and steel. I'll be posting about the many reasons why in the future.

• The Green Living Tent was filled with expert farmers. I learned there is not a single certified organic farmer in all of Tennessee, largely because of the expense and red tape involved. However, dedicated farmers to sustainable farming practices have created a comparable certification: Certified Naturally Grown. There are 15 CNG farms within 100 miles of Knoxville and 5 or 6 of them--including Organicism Farms and Colvin Family Farm--regularly sell at our farmers' markets. Look for them on your next visit.

• Farmer's Market tip: Off the record, some of the farmers I spoke with preferred the Market Square Farmer's Market to the others. Starting May 1, I'll probably be making that part of my routine: Saturdays 9am - 2pm, Wednesdays 11am - 2pm. We're also partial to the New Harvest Market because the kids can play on the playground and splash pad during the summer.

• I stopped to chat with the police in charge of the medication disposal program. I learned that they dispose of them through incineration. In a special giant oven with enormous heat, an entire batch of unwanted medication is evaporated within 30 seconds. Cool! This program is important to keep powerful medicines out of our water supply. So NEVER throw away extra antibiotics. Take them to the police department downtown instead.

• Finally, I was SO EXCITED to learn there is now a way to recycle styrofoam--what I call "the scourge of the earth." I bought a massive plastic bag from the Knoxville Recycling Coalition for $5. Once I fill that with as much styrofoam as I can fit, I drop it off at their Bearden location, take my bag home and fill it up again as many times as I need--no additional costs. With special machines, they compress an entire bag into a dense block you can hold. They in turn sell this to a company that uses it in their products. I encourage you to buy a bag to do the same. I'm going to offer to accept styrofoam for my entire neighborhood. Think about all the electronics, kids' toys, etc. that are shipped with styrofoam that now will never see landfill! Gives me the warm and fuzzies just thinking about it! ;-)

Earthfest this Saturday (4/17)

As you're making your weekend plans, please consider attending Earthfest at Pellissippi State. This Saturday, April 17 from 10am-5pm there will be food, fun, entertainment, and lots of environmental education opportunities. Best of all, it's FREE.

For the long list of exhibitors, go here. If you have the following, bring them: mercury thermometers, plastic bags or bottles, a non-fluorescent light bulb, and extra or expired medications. In exchange, you'll get a new digital thermometer, a reusable cloth bag, a compact fluorescent bulb (1 per household for the first 100 visitors) and the knowledge that what you brought will be properly recycled or disposed of. The police will actually be collecting the medications, primarily to prevent them from getting into the water supply.

If you're into biking (I used to bike to and from work in San Francisco), join the 15-20 mile ride around Hardin Valley that starts at 9am. Pre-registration is recommended; for details go here. From noon to 3pm, they'll be having a bike rodeo for kids 6 and up. Bring their helmets to check the fit; they can bring their own bikes or ride one on site. This could be a great chance to learn valuable bike safety tips.

Keep Knoxville Beautiful will be distributing 700 FREE trees; all you have to do is plant one. All of them are indigenous and grown in Tennessee. From 10am to 2pm, you can pick up a rain barrel for a bargain. Go here to pre-order one for $90; they'll be $100 at Earthfest (regularly $150). These are a great resource for re-using water for your garden.

Last year they had several booths giving away cloth bags, and Alcoa distributed large sturdy recycling bins. We'll pick up another one of those if they're available. The kids also enjoyed numerous "upcycling" crafts. I'm sure they'll have lots of good ideas. My boys are looking forward to the worms and water bugs. The Holistic Moms Network is sponsoring a diaper changing and nursing area; thanks for that service. We'll also be checking out the Green Living Tent with all sorts of ideas to green your home. They might actually have something we haven't thought of yet! Hope to see you there!