Earth Day 2008, on April 19th, was the BEST EVER. The sun burst out early morning, bringing with it a record number of practitioners, vendors and non-profit organizations that came out to share their knowledge and talents with all our guests. The food tent was brimming with everything from fresh organic salmon to silken maple cream, to tangy pestos and specialty cured meats. The practitioners’ tent was humming with people seeking insight to naturopathic methods of healing from energy balancing to yoga to chiropractic and massage. As with every Earth Day, there is great and wonderful participation by those sharing alternative energy options from solar and bio-fuels for the home to an all-hydrogen powered car of the near future. We were thrilled to have our good friends from area non-profit organizations teaching us about a kinder stewardship of our land and water. Most, who were relegated to the open air and bright sun that lasted throughout the day, were heroes for staying all day to welcome all who came out. We thank you all and hope we’ll see you again next year-bring your sun block and hats! Children enjoyed special treats in the form of face painting, baby piglets and a gorgeous Clydesdale horse, part of a local rescue program. Thanks to area farmers who offered their generous expertise in seed planting and information about growing natural and organic. Back again by popular demand, the enclosed observation hive of live honeybees-information about this important insect and the wonderful hobby of beekeeping were fascinating to the curious of all ages. Did you know that the gentle honeybees are responsible for one third of the food in our diet? Earth Day is such a great celebration-Spring makes its grand appearance on that day, rain or shine. By the way, it’s true- New Morning heirloom seeds are in- waiting for your planting attention! Soon, local bedding plants will be arriving. Anybody else getting planting fever? Be careful-we’re still getting frost at night. WPKN outdid itself once again, setting up the microphone for our hero, Woodbury Native American, Wendell Deer with Horns, as he opened up the 14th Annual Earth Day for us with attendant drummer and incense. (Thank you Fumio!). Radio station WPKN 89.5 FM Bridgeport and WPKM- 88.7 FM, Montauk- specifically Bob Costanzo and Doug Echols of the Car Bob Show, broadcast live from the event. John Pittari, a regular guest on the show on Earth Day, ushered in many walk-ons from alternative energy to Bob Wall, CT Clean Energy Fund, to an organic farmer to a General Motors engineer. Yes! The Children's poster contest winners have been chosen! Soon we’ll be drawing the winners of  $500.00 of groceries or a new Mountain Bike! We’re also in the process of contacting customers who have been drawn for many other generous raffle prizes donated by New Morning vendors. This year's theme was Earth Household. Consider your own household- what’s under your sink? Most households contribute toxins to the environment through everyday products used for cleaning, personal care and lawn care. We were pleased to have Danbury’s own Citra Solv this year sampling its answer to clean, cleaning products. The discharge from laundry, showers or lawns runs into the groundwater, our wells, rivers, lakes and eventually Long Island Sound. The greatest challenge to water quality in Connecticut is this type of contamination, which enters the watershed from many different sources. You can honor Earth Day every day!  For those of you who are residents of Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown and Woodbury- hazardous waste collections days are coming up. It’s a great opportunity for you to search out in your home and eliminate toxic products that might otherwise wind up in your local landfill or groundwater. Send this to your friends! We look forward to seeing you in the store! Look who was there! Adivasi - body care Akeena Solar Alison Birks - Nutritionist Ariston Specialties - olive oil Audubon Center/Bent of the River Back Yard Beekeepers - with live bees Balanced Body Wellness Center Bantam Bread Bear Pond Pestos Biopro Brookview Sugar House Castle Rock Herbs&Spices Chiropractic Specialties of CT CitraSolv Clean Water Action Coffee-Tea-Etc Country Life CT Clean Energy Fund D'Artagnan - specialty meats Dr Ron's Ultra Pure - supplements and skin care Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Eclectic Institute Energy Balancing Enzymatic Therapy Equine Angels Rescue - with rescued horses Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust Food Should Taste Good Gazsi, Dr. Michael ND Gershman's Drinks Gilbert's Gourmet Goodies - baked goodies Greyston Bakery Guayaki Yerba Mate Gulf Shrimp Hain-Celestial Hawleyville Naturopatic Med Ctr Heart Wise Learning Resources Helios Health Products High Hill Orchard Holistic Moms Network Honey Gardens Apiaries Housatonic Valley Association Joella Lawson Kathie's Kitchen Keed's Farm Kiss My Face Kneading Hands Krazy for Kazu's Inc. - grilled chicken and asparagus dipped in Kazu's sauces Lacewing and Lavendar Larenim Mineral Products - mineral makeup makeovers Laurel Ridge - grass fed beef Melodia Drummers Mod Skin Labs Nantucket Wild Gourmet & Smokehouse - line caught smoked fish, hummus, soda breads, etc. Natural Specialties Natures Path Nature's Plus Natures Way New Chapter New Morning's Provender - with a sampling of New Morning favorites NOFA Nordic Naturals Nutraceutical Odwalla - juices Owen & Mandeville Pet Products Ox Hollow Farm - bringing newborn piglets Pompergaug River Watershed Coalition Reiki Connection River Bank Farm Sierra Club CT Chapter Simpson & Vail Skye Botanicals Smuckers Quality Beverages,Inc. Snootyfood Solgar Source Naturals STEAZ - natural tea sodas Stepping Stones Museum for Children Sterling Planet Stone Wall Dairy Farm Sunlight Solar Energy Sunshine Burger Corp. Sweetwater Natural Products Tom's of Maine Topline Marketing - Burts Bees products UCONN Extension Service UNFI - organic pizzas, chocolate milk and chips and salsa United Plant Savers USA Martial Arts Waldingfield Farm Wave Hill Breads Wellspring Marketing Whole Body Medicine Woodbury Open Space Committee Woodbury Shade Tree and Sidewalk  Committee Woodbury Yoga Center WPKN