Fairfield is hosting the Inaugural Celebration of the state funded Eco-Design Center, an Amish Pole Barn built with straw-bale and earth plasters, powered by solar and wind energy, and lanscaped with native & edible species.  The festivities include free eco-workshops on vibrant organic annual production and perennial orchards; home-scale solar and wind energy; and cost effective natural building design.  The evening gala dinner includes guests from the private and public sectors speaking about environmental initiatives blooming all around Iowa.  Among them, Francis Thicke on the role of alternative energy in the modern day farm and a five-course Slow Food Seasonal Scrumptious Feast!  Everyone is invited!

Schedule of Events: Free Eco-Workshops and Tours
Saturday August 22

Explore Fairfield
11:00 am Tour of Cypress Villages: 1st LEED certified Platinum home in Iowa. Located 1.5 miles north of Fairfield on Hwy 1, left at 179th St. for more information: 641-469-5900 www.cypressvillages.com

1:00 pm Tour of Eco-Design Center, Abundance Ecovillage, and Mullenneaux Homestead all located at 185th and B St. For more information call 641-430-1089
Workshops

2:30 – 3:30 and 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Secrets to Vibrant Annual Gardens and Perennial Orchards with Dean & Grover: Learn about soil restoration practices, varieties that are best suited to our climate, attracting beneficial omnivores, and the importance of diversity and successions in home-scale gardens and orchards. Grover Stock lives in Fairfield and has gardened organically for over 30 years. Permaculture, Biodynamics, and Analog Forestry have inspired his 4-acre forest garden that includes 80 species of fruits, nuts, berries and timbers. Dean Goodale oversees Maharishi Vedic Organics and operates the only year-round Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program in Iowa and the largest organic solar greenhouse in the Midwest using crop-specific compost, amendments, tea blends, and plant rotations.

Home Scale Power with Michael: What are the first steps to setting up solar and wind at home for energy and hot water? Learn about how to reduce costs, the types of components, which companies make them, and general installation. Michael Havelka engineered and consulted for many of the ecological features of Abundance Ecovilllage, including energy efficient building design and electricity. He works with Soil Technology and he and his wife have been energy self-sufficient for 15 years in a naturally built home with solar/wind.

Natural Building Tour with Brad and Hap: Join us for an on site lesson in the materials and methods of natural home building. Tour a clay plastered straw-bale home, a cob home, and a hybrid bale/cob home under construction. See how natural materials can sustainably create low cost, energy efficient & beautifully sculpted homes. Brad Young has been building & teaching Natural Building for over a decade. His teachers include Pete Foost, Catherine Waneck, and Steve Vessey. Brad is an expert in straw bale construction and other natural construction techniques. Hap and Lin Mullenneaux live off the grid in a cob house built for under $10,000. They’ve begun building 2 other straw bale/cob homes, which will be available for viewing during the Natural Building Tour.

Here is your invitation:

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