Iron Range Earth Fest 2010
Dear Readers,
The second annual Iron Range Earth Fest is coming soon! Last year, Hometown Focus was proud to be the exclusive print media sponsor for this event. We did six weeks of pre-event coverage featuring stories from community members across the Iron Range on topics that dealt with sustainability practices. The day of the event, I was driving there and as I came over the hill on Hwy. 169 and saw hundreds of cars in the parking lot, I was so thrilled! The event was a resounding success with over 500 attendees. This year the event promises to be even bigger and better, with more presenters, exhibits, and activities.
We hope you’ll mark your calendar and participate in this great event. Visit with friends and neighbors sharing information and ways to have fun, enrich our lives and make our communities an even better place to live.
Jean Cole, Editor.
Calling all Young Inventors!
At a meeting of the Earth Fest committee for the 2009, a high school junior named Devon came to the meeting with an idea to have a contest on inventions that would promote sustainability. We did not have time or resources to pull that great idea off last year, but this year we started our planning early. Iron Range Earth Fest 2010 is proud to host the first annual “Green Inventors Contest.” Now we are looking for students to share their ideas on how we can make planet earth more sustainable through new gadgets, changing habits, improving old ways or a myriad of other creative ideas.
The contest will be broken into three age brackets, grades 4-6, grades 7-8 and grades 9-12. Prizes will be awarded to the top three inventions for each age bracket and all participants will receive a certificate of completion. Judging will occur at the Iron Range Earth Fest on April 17, 2010. For a complete registration packet and guideline sheet, visit www.ironrangeearthfest.org.
If you are not an inventor, please come and support our youth in their efforts to make a difference. All the inventions will be on display from 9-5 at the Merritt Elementary School as part of the Iron Range Earth Fest on April 17. See you there!
WHEN: Saturday, April 17, 2010, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. / Concert at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mt. Iron Community Center, Messiah Lutheran Church, Merritt Elementary School, Mesabi Family YMCA
Presented by: Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability (IRPS); Northeast Minnesota Sustainable Development Partnership / U of M; Iron Range Resources; NE Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)
What is Iron Range Earth Fest?
Earth Fest is a celebration of local traditions and practical resources for sustainable living on the Iron Range of Northeastern Minnesota. The event offers opportunities to explore how we can all live more sustainably in our homes and communities, our economy and our environment. Participants are invited to learn about new and existing technological approaches as well as rediscover some of our long standing local traditions. We will tap into the knowledge of cutting edge experts as well as our local indigenous knowledge through exhibits, demonstrations, speakers and vendors. Emphasis is placed on local products, local services, local foods, local entertainment, and our local wilderness.
Sponsors: Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability, Club Mesabi, Inc.; Congregations Caring for the Earth; Iron Range Youth in Action; Laurentian Environmental Center; Natural Harvest Food Co-op; North St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District; Virginia Sustainability Task Force
Media Sponsors Hometown Focus Newspaper; KAXE Radio, Range 11 / Northland’s NewsCenter
Community Sponsors ArcelorMittal Minorca Mine; Minnesota Power
Donors
Eveleth-Gilbert Community
Education; Holiday Inn Express
and Suites (Mt. Iron); Iron
Range Labor Assembly;
Laurentian Energy Authority;
Mesabi Unitarian Universalist
Church; Mt. Iron-Buhl Community
Education; Virginia
Community Education
Schedule of Events
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Exhibitors, Speakers, Vendors
at all three venues
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Food served by Natural Harvest
Food Co-op
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Youth activities
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
YMCA Healthy Kids Day
5:30 p.m.
Concert with Pat Surface and
the Boundary Water Boys, Merritt
Elementary School
General Information:
Connie Olson, North St. Louis
Soil & Water Conservation
District • 218-742-9504
Our email address:
ironrangeearthfest@yahoo.com
Exhibitor / Sponsor Information:
Ardy Nurmi-Wilberg
Earth Fest Coordinator
PO Box 139
Virginia, MN 55792
218-749-4331
ardynw@msn.com
Go to our web site:
www.ironrangeearthfest.org
Topics of
Presentation
Sustainable Communities
Local Traditions:
• Storing and preserving food
• Wild rice
• Fiber arts - spinning, weaving, knitting
• Blacksmithing
• History of agriculture in our region
• We call it sustainability, our ancestors called it survival
What are our communities
doing?
• Community Colleges
• Faith Based Creation Care
• Virginia Green House
• Energy Efficient Ely
Health:
• Reiki
• Myofacial Release Therapy
• Chair Massage
Sustainable Economy
Energy Efficiency
Renewable Energy (wind, solar, geothermal)
Green jobs - Iron Range
Labor Assembly
Local Vendors:
• "Green" products
• Making your home energy
efficient
• Locally produced foods
Sustainable Environment
Sustainable Agriculture:
• Gardening
• Composting
• Making a rain barrel
• Buying locally produced foods
Protecting our Environment:
• Hybrid cars
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• Recycling
• Hazardous waste management
Youth Activities:
• Green Inventors Contest
• Concerts with the Okee
• Dokee Brothers
• Puppet shows
• Jeopardy
• Energy projects
• YMCA Healthy Kids Day
2010 Exhibitors,
Speakers, Vendors
(as of 3/10/10 - watch for more
coming!)
AEOA
Big Timber Coffee
Boreal Natives
Jo & Bruce Bjerke – master
gardeners
NE CERTs
Cherry Greenhouse
Conservation Technologies
Cook Area Farmers Market
DNR Ecological Resources
Division
DNR Waters Division
Echo North Massage
ECO (Environmentally Conscious
Options)
Energy Efficient Ely (E3)
Fat Chicken Farm
Gilley’s Naturals
Gone 2 Green Wind Energy
Gustafson Bicycle Service
Habitat for Humanity
Hometown Focus
1894 Treaty Authority
Iron Range Labor Assembly
Iron Range Resources - tree
seedling give away
KAXE
Kunnari’s Farmers Market
Laurentian Environmental
Center
Mark’s Country Market
Menart Forge
Mesaba Park
Mesabi Recreation
Mesabi Trail
Midwest Renewable Energy
Association
MN Episcopal Environmental
Stewardship
MN Institute for Sustainable
Agriculture
Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency
Minnesota Power
Natural Harvest Food Co-op
Natural Resources Conservation
Service
NE CERTS
North Country Heating, Cooling
& Refrigeration
Northeast Higher Education
NE MN Sustainable Development
Partnership
Northland Electric Services
No St Louis Soil & Water Conservation
District
Piragis
Range Fiber Arts Guild
Renewable & Sustainable
Solutions
St Louis County Environmental
Services
Sherwin Williams
Virginia Greenhouse
Virginia Historical Society
Virginia Sustainability Task
Force
