Maharishi University of Management Eco-Fair 2002, M.U.M. SU 100, Fairfield, Iowa 52557 Ph. 641-472-1134 http://www.ecofair2002.org For Immediate Release: Contact: Ken Chawkin Ph. 641-472-7000 ext. 5042 --- PRESS RELEASE --- Pioneering Organic Farmer Eliot Coleman, Author of Two Books to Speak and present workshops on Organic Farming and Year-Round Farming in Fairfield - Eliot Coleman, known nationally for his organic farming techniques and famous for his year-round growing in frigid Maine, will be in Fairfield on May 10-11 to give lectures and workshops on organic and winter gardening. Coleman is the author of "The New Organic Grower" and "Four-Season Harvest," the primary working texts for organic farming in North America and in the English-speaking world. In September, he is out seeding his lettuces, carrots, radishes, and salad greens, which grow bountifully throughout the winter in his unheated greenhouses in Maine. While the typical farmer sows and harvest hundreds of acres of grains and legumes from May to November, he cultivates 6 acres of land year-round in one of the country's coldest climates. He will conduct workshops on simple ways to grow vegetables year-round using inexpensive techniques without the use of fossil fuels. This program eliminates the confines of the growing season and provides technologies for protecting the environment and conserving energy. It has the potential to create a new niche in Iowa¹s agricultural economy by enabling more growers to provide locally grown produce all year long. This will support Secretary of Agriculture Patti Judge¹s view that Iowa growers are just beginning to grow food for Iowans (as opposed to growing agricultural commodities for the world). ‹MORE‹ Schedule: Friday, May 10th 9:15 am Natural Pest Prevention 1:00 pm Winter Gardening in Iowa 7:45 pm Keynote Speech - "Action to Create a Sustainable World Begins in Our Backyard" Saturday, May 11th 9:00 am Mini keynote talk 10:20 am Building Soil Fertility with On Site Inputs 1:00 pm Winter Gardening in Iowa The fee for his workshops is $30. each. Fee can be discounted as low as $10. for students and those needing a financial break . Fee for the Friday evening keynote address is $5. Eliot Coleman will be just one of dozens of speakers and events comprising the Eco-Fair 2002 on the campus of Maharishi University of Management, May 9th -12th. For more information on the Eco-Fair, see: http://www.ecofair2002.org/. Or call Joan Masover at Iowa Progressive Asset Management at 641-469-4000 or 800-509-9096 until May 3. After May 3, contact Dr. M. Savard at <[log in to unmask]> or 641-472-9180. For more information on Eliot Coleman, see: http://family_friendly.tripod.com/gardening/organic/Eliot-Coleman.htm http://www.chelseagreen.com/Coleman/ http://www.chelseagreen.com/Coleman/NYTNov01.htm The co-sponsors of the event are: Abundance Eco-Village, American Pride, Builders Wholesale Supply, Carroll Lumber and Home Design Studio, Creative Edge, Everybody's Inc., Fairfield Lumber, Genetic I.D., Insultech, Iowa Progressive Asset Management, Iowa Renewable Energy Association,Jefferson County Hospital, Leopold Group of the Iowa Sierra Club, Natural Merchants Association of Fairfield, Radiance Dairy, Second Nature/Alliant Energy and Soil Technologies. Eco-Fair 2002 is also being supported by grants from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Ministry of Renewable Energy, Global Country of World Peace, from Wal-Mart and from the Leighty Foundation. ### -- Ericka Dana Sierra Club Iowa Chapter Executive Committee http://www.sierraclub.org/chapters/ia/ Organic Consumers Association Regional Coordinator http://www.purefood.org Catnip Farm Organic (319) 685-4270 <[log in to unmask]> http://www.catnipfarm.com http://www.localharvest.org/listing.jsp?id=87&hit=1 Geodesic dome season extension project: http://us.geocities.com/catnipfarmdome/index.html --------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]