News-Record.com

Discovering the treasures of one's own community is one of the themes in today's sustainability movement that seeks to rebuild local economies, wean society off fossil fuels, reverse environmental degradation and restore people's connection with their natural environments.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Stokes County residents will come together to for a "sustainability festival" at the Hare Krishna temple grounds in Sandy Ridge (1283 Prabhupada Road). The festival will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and feature local food, musicians and speakers.

Organizer Mark Walters, who goes by the name of Mitra, said he's hoping for a crowd of about 200 people. The event will include presentations on creating a local economy by Eric Henry of TS Designs in Burlington; on community-supported agriculture by Tony McGree of Stokes CORE; on the history and possible revival of hydroelectricity in Stokes County; local herbs and their uses; on and turning scarcity into abundance by Greensboro activist Liz Seymour.

"The world is ready for good ideas and it's exciting," said Mitra, who works for a new organization called My Green Earth Foundation. "It's become a patriotic thing to save energy and try to do something sustainable."

The festival will also include a solar oven competition, talks about alternative vehicles and a tour of a straw bale house and cob structure. Mitra said people who are not of Hindu faith should not be deterred from participating.

"We're not going to try to stop people from being Christians or whatever their religion is," he said. "I don't want people to be scared away thinking we are trying to lay something on them."

Above, a photo Mitra sent along of Norma-Jean and Lewis Hutchens, who will be supplying sweet potatoes for the event.