Strong, cared for and ready to till the land without diesel

Today Val and I went to the annual Harvest Fest, a celebration of local food, local farming and sustainable living, held at Tillers International in Scotts, Michigan.  Tillers is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, offering classes in farming with oxen and horses, blacksmithing, timber framing, cheesemaking, canning and preserving, chair caning, woodworking and rope-making to mention a few.  Tillers specializes in promoting international rural development through overseas trainings in farming with oxen.

We were there as vendors for our artisan soaps.  It was a perfect fall day to watch hundreds of families enjoy the music, speakers, crafts and demonstrations.  There were hay rides and face painting, along with a fabulous food tent that served everything from grass-fed beef burgers with onion jam, to Indian and Indonesian curries, Italian sausages, fresh salads and crostini.  We enjoyed both the grass-fed burgers and a delicious Beef Rendang with just the right amount of heat.  You could watch demonstrations on spinning, blacksmithing, broom making and rope construction.  The table next to us was a mentoring program for youth called: Beadventure.  This is a non-profit program that teaches bead jewelry techniques and the business skills related to sales; to educate and empower students as artistic entrepreneurs.

Jordan Beebe and Jadon Webber, proud entrepreneurs!

There were also many informational booths explaining things like renewable energy using wind turbines, composting, hydroponic growing and how to use rain barrels.  What really impressed us were how many people were asking questions, interested in learning and acquiring information, picking up hand-outs and totally immersed in the activities of the day.  What a great day!  We look forward to next years Harvest Fest.

“It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot think of one without the others.”                       — M.F.K. Fisher   The Art of Eating