I stopped by Festival Earth today at the Morristown EcoCenter, and it turns out I timed it perfectly with the brief bout of rain we had this afternoon. The event was a little quiet, I suspect because it was the first nice day all week and people wanted to be outside doing outdoorsy things, but the smaller crowd allowed me to really talk with some of the neat vendors at the event. I’ve been to Earth Day events and green fairs in the area before, so it was great to meet many new people.
The first was Beaux Art Green, an eco-friendly furniture & interior design company based out of Plainfield, NJ. I learned about the marmoleum – just like linoleum, but made from all natural components – that clicks together in tiles, allowing for maximum portability (if moving to a new house), or allowing homeowners to replace only the tiles that are scratched. They also have a similar system for bamboo flooring.
I spoke with Jeff at Quercus Studio about landscape architecture and how T and I have been talking about putting in a rain garden to sop up the small lake that is our backyard each spring. He actually was the landscape architect for a home down the street from me that implemented the LEED for Homes principles. We talked about how bringing in a landscape architect early in the process allows them to work with the engineer and architect to integrate the natural systems into the home, but most people tend to bringing in the landscape designer after the house is complete.
I bought spare ribs from pasture-raised pigs raised from the great Totten Family Farm booth (they also had produce and vegetable plants). I had a nice conversation with Kyle from the farm about their sustainable principles, and it’s abundantly clear that this farm is doing ALL of the right things! He was even talking about how the lamb they raise may be the most sustainable thing they raise/grow – even more so than the vegetables. He explained that the lambs only graze on the pasture (and are in a portable enclosure which allows them to move the lambs to fresh grass). Even the electricity for the fence is solar powered! In comparison, the gas and imbedded energy needed to run tractors for tilling and such probably make vegetables less sustainable. They’ll be at the Mendham All Natural & Organic Farmers Market on Saturdays June 25-October 1 (Mendham Township Elementary School). You can also sign up for CSA’s via their website.
I bought a big, soft baby blanket for a friend from Joy Organic, based out of Whippany. They do wholesale and retail, and I’ve seen them at a few events around town.
I also met a woman who is starting North Jersey Community Acupuncture, which has a sliding scale of prices for her clients, in order to make acupuncture accessible for everyone in the community. She’s located within Body In Mind massage on Morris Street in Morristown, and since she’s just starting out, she’s offering everyone a free session between now and June 15 – and she has Saturday appointments!
And last but certainly not least, is John.
He made this human-powered vehicle over 6 years ago, and he rides it just about everywhere! Inside is a seat and pedals that give him the benefits of riding a bicycle, but with better balance and a lower center of gravity. The outer body is made of foam and John says it withstood a car crash – it just bounced right back! It has lights and blinkers and is quite the work of art!
I highly encourage you to visit the fair tomorrow from 12-5. Tomorrow there will be live music all day and activities – like painting – for the kiddos. Go meet John and the rest of these vendors!
