The second annual sustainable living fair will be held Aug. 6 and 7 at The Blooming Fields.The fair is part of the Summer Country Drive, a self-guided driving tour of about 25 destinations in the area that showcase rural living in Alberta. The tour ranges from greenhouse operations to asparagus farms to goat farms and quilt shops.ìIt was a success last year Ö we're hoping it will be bigger than last year. It's something that we really believe in ourselves and live ourselves and it's really close to our heart,î said Mary-Ann van Oeveren, proprietor of the Blooming Fields.Van Oeveren said the idea of the fair was arrived at as a means to promote sustainable living. She believes that people should be responsible for their actions and taking small steps can influence the environment for the better.The Blooming Fields is moving toward an organic farm that is chemical-free. Last year, the farm stopped spraying chemicals on the U-pick vegetables and this year the farm stopped spraying on U-pick berries and trees.ìIt's worked out really good. We are using natural elements like calcium and spraying with composting. We are surprised at how well everything is keeping up,î van Oeveren said.While the farm had been leaning towards being chemical-free for several years, a trip to Cuba with Organics Alberta this winter convinced van Ouveren that chemical-free was the way to go.ìIn Cuba they do a lot of organic growing because in the '90s they didn't get any fertilizer and chemicals from Russia Ö so they had to (farm organically). We were taken back by the quality of the crops so we decided if it works in Cuba, we would give it a try too,î she said.Van Oeveren is hoping that more people will show an interest in the sustainable living fair this year and believes that will be the case.A total of 13 businesses, individuals and organizations are onboard with the fair this year, marketing and showcasing everything from natural soaps to environmentally-friendly cleaning cloths, The Slow Food Movement and Elsie Archer, a local painter and artist.Last year's event had demonstrations of straw bale buildings, geothermal heating, solar heating natural fibres and a wildlife conservation group.
