THE BEST EVER.  Earth Day 2009

Click for PICS:    Kids      Non-Profits & Farms     Sampling

Childrens Poster Contest Winners!

As New Morning begins to plan for Earth Day 2010, the landscape is daunting. Every person who became part of the 15th Annual New Morning Earth Day Extravaganza, conspired, without exception, to make it the BEST ever. You know who you are!

Thanks to our guests: newbies and regulars, non-profit partners, farmers and naturopathic practitioners, INCREDIBLE food and beverages, local and national producers, gluten-free bakers and fabulous musicians, you made us all look way too good. But more importantly, you caused almost everyone this writer saw to walk around with foolish grins on their faces, from start to finish.  What kind of Earth Day is that? ONE GREAT DAY.

Exhibitor spaces filled up over two weeks ahead this year. The breadth and variety of local and regional specialties was astounding, from giant fresh wild salmon from Gulf Shrimp to crusty fresh Bantam Breads with dipping oils from Watertown’s Olive Oil Factory to Middletown’s own The Bridge (the best in the world tofu) and gluten free specialties from Shayna B’s and the Pickle. I hope you got to stop in at the Laurel Ridge barbecue and unbelievable portable wooden sugarhouse from Morris’s Brook View Sugar House for incredible maple cream and tasty local beef. More Sampling!

Thanks to our Conservation Partners: Audubon Center at the Bent of the River; Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust; Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition and the Southbury Land Trust, this year brought all kinds of new nature tours. If you didn’t get up early enough on April 25th to indulge in one of their special Earth Day walks before 11:00 am, take one soon soon-they’re open all year round! If you have kids, what better way to get them outside and into real life? Pics of kids activities. Not to rub it in, but on Earth Day, the Wild Things really were out and roaming the vernal pools of the Audubon Center but you probably missed that if you slept in; Farming Fever took hold of numerous victims young and old at Flanders-as they enjoyed great farm animals and seed planting. We’re not sure how far downstream the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition guides ushered their delighted guests because that river keeps on rolling. What are you waiting for? There’s all summer left! Get out there before the snow flies next winter and you won’t be sorry! For more info about the Conservation Partners…

This year, first time ever, special thanks to Femina Melodia, a vigorous drumming circle opened New Morning’s official Earth Day at 11:00. What a great crew. Maybe next, year, we can spring for a sound system so everybody can tune in! Bill Duesing, CT NOFA’s Executive Director, is one of New Morning’s  original Earth Day partners and we’re always thrilled to see him. We count on him to bring the sun straight from his organic farm in Oxford.

Early Birds, Bob Constanzo and “Diesel” Doug Echols of the now infamous Car Bob Show, WPKN, our favorite LIVE radio show were talking their heads off by 10:00am and continued live, until 2:00pm, entertaining such environmentally savvy notables as Bob Wall and Jim Motavalli. If the fabulous hot sunny day, merry fair-goers and voracious foodies turned you off, you could pick up WPKN at home at 89.5 FM Bridgeport and WPKM-88.7 FM, Montauk. Don’t worry, we have it on good authority Bob and Doug will be back next year. Car Bob’s four-wheeled guests this year included a SMART car from the SMART Center of Fairfield, a bio-diesel Mercedes from Hale Hill Biofuels in Branford, an all electric VW, courtesy of the NE Electric Auto Association, and West Chevrolet’s (our neighbor from across the street) Malibu Hybrid. GREAT SHOW, did you sit in the SMART car? Very cozy.  See Cars

Back by very popular demand, Dr. Z (for Zampieron) Naturopathic physician, Medical Botanist, and Professor of Botanical Studies at the University of Bridgeport, took Earth Day participants for herb walk around & behind the New Morning grounds.

The beauty experts took people of all ages in hand from Mod Skin; Kiss My face and Burt’s Bees, not to mention the exquisite mineral make-up specialists from Larenim (left). Don’t miss that tent next year! Kudos to our very knowledgeable local practitioners, including Dr. Jim Prado of Pomperaug Chiropractic and Alison Birks, New Morning’s nutritionist, (Did you know Alison starred on Channel 3’s Better CT Earth Day promo this year)? She, John Pittari, and Larry Hunt (of MASQUE) regaled Scot Haney on April 21 in their Rocky Hill Studio.

Our special partner, Kimberly Snow from Aleia’s Gluten Free Foods, brought some of her fabulous NEW French bread, and tapanade, that people gobbled up all day on Earth Day. Well, why not, it tastes so darn good!  Luckily, it has no calories, right Kim?

We had a lean, yet well-chosen audience for New Morning and the Conservation Partners’ first ever concert Earth Day evening- after the exhibits closed down. You do not want to miss this next year! We were graced by several several local and VERY talented musicians who donated their time help us chill after a busy day. Southbury’s own Willie Nininger on guitar and Ken Melton of Bethlehem on percussion opened up with a rousing set of familiar songs and conversation about issues near and dear to all of us, not to mention a local favorite,“New Morning” an original Bob Dylan hit. Next out were a drumming group called the Offbeats performing an intriguing selection of traditional and original music, followed by Bethlehem’s Doug Mahard on guitar and vocals with Peter Witkin on bass. The evening ended with a stellar group performance by Pomperaug High School’s own PHS Guitar Guys on electric guitar.

See you next year!