Featuring rural heritage exhibits, fresh organic food, local performers, kids' activities and more
Local community members, farmers, musicians, artisans and people across the Midwest will celebrate farming and America's rural heritage at the fourth annual Kickapoo Country Fair, Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29, 2007 at Organic Valley's headquarters in La Farge, Wis.
The weekend-long festival – sponsored by Organic Valley Family of Farms and more than 35 local businesses and organizations, including founding partners Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve—showcases rural cultural traditions, farm and garden exhibits, music, dance, arts, natural and organic foods and cooking, green housing and renewable energy, community health and education, and environmental responsibility.
“The Kickapoo Country Fair is one of Organic Valley's favorite and most meaningful annual events,” said George Siemon, CEO for Organic Valley. “It brings together thousands of farmers, families and friends to the beautiful Kickapoo River Valley to celebrate everything our co-op values most—family farming, community, rural living, the spirit of organics and the health of our earth.”
The fair features a wide range of activities, exhibits and offerings, including tours of local organic farms; farmers and farm animals; garden and rural heritage exhibits; sustainability workshops, ranging from organic cooking to natural crafting; hiking; kids' activities; all-day music, entertainment and dancing; and a tent village of local merchants, artisans, food vendors and nonprofit organizations.
Organic Valley will welcome two prominent keynote speakers to this year's event: Dr. Charles Benbrook, chief scientist of The Organic Center, and Jean Feraca, Wisconsin Public Radio's distinguished senior broadcaster and host of the program, “Here on Earth.” On Saturday at 2 p.m., Benbrook will share his extensive experience and timely vision for the vital role science can play in shaping a healthy future. Feraca will offer her unique and rich perspective on the topic of “local” and the value of food in every day life at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Additional special events include the Butter Churn Bike Tour, which will begin Saturday at 8 a.m.; the Carrot Café tasting event, hosted by Slow Food Madison from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday; tours of Organic Valley's new state-of-the-art Cashton Distribution Center at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday; a Word Tent featuring appearances by Ben Logan, renowned author of The Land Remembers, on Saturday from 11:15 a.m.-noon, and Michael Perry, humorist and best-selling author, on Saturday from 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.; and a performance by headliner band, Dutch Henry, on Saturday at 8 p.m.
For more information about the event, including schedule details and lodging information, visit www.kickapoocountryfair.org.
Organic Valley Family of Farms: Independent and Farmer-Owned
Organic Valley is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation's leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents over 1,000 farmers in 29 states and one Canadian province, and achieved $334 million in 2006 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces more than 200 organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice, which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie Family of Farms label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.com and the cooperative's farmers' website, www.farmers.coop.
