A few years ago, some people got together because they all had the same idea: How about throwing a celebration of local food and farming? Tillers International provided a site for the event; its rural setting and mission of teaching farming techniques worldwide made it the ideal location.
Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest launched in 2003 with a handful of growers and exhibitors, a couple of musical acts, and heart-felt presentations on the benefits of eating local foods.
Thanks to this and other efforts, more people are aware of local, organic and sustainable food systems. Truly a community celebration, Harvest Fest continues to be organized and carried out entirely by volunteers, and draws people from several Michigan counties.
2009
Sponsors
- Platinum
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
- Good Karma Eco-Fair Trade Store
- Two Anonymous Turnip Lovers
- Nehil-Sivak Consulting Structural Engineers
2008
Sponsors
- Platinum
- Gold
- Silver
- Higher Grounds Trading Co.
- People's Food Co-op
- Sawall Health Foods
- C.S. Mott Chair for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University
- Food Dance
- Bronze
- Nature Connection
- Two Anonymous Turnip Lovers
Presenters
- Will Allen, urban farmer, educator, and 2008 MacArthur Fellow
- Donna McClurkan, participant in The Splendid Table's "Locavore Nation" series on NPR
Growers
- Agriculture & Health Alive, LLC, Marne, MI
- Al's Organic Vegetables, Coldwater, Michigan
- Blue Dog Greens, Bangor, Michigan
- Come-Union Garden
- Dancing Goat Dairy
- Eaters' Guild, Bangor, Michigan
- Green's MM Beefalo Farm, Vicksburg MI
- High Tower Farm
- Lake Village Homestead
- Mattawan Artisan Creamery
- Nila's Goat Farm, Nila Thompson
- Nine Oaks Farm, Gracie Dailey
- TANSTAAFL Farmstead
- White Yarrow Farm, Marcellus, Michigan
Exhibitors
- Dan Alway, Renewable Energy Systems
- American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
- Audubon Society of Kalamazoo
- Bauer Power
- The Blue Butterfly
- Bradley Method® of Natural Childbirth
- Brickyard Farms Soaps
- Creation Farm
- Department of Peace Campaign in Southwest Michigan
- Fair Food Matters
- Farm Research Cooperative, Dr. LeRoy Ray
- Farmworker Legal Services
- Flowerfield Enterprises
- Friend of Birds, Jonathan Morgan, Wildlife Photography
- Full Circle Service Center
- Gluten Free Queenz
- Great Harvest Bread Company
- Van Buren County Greens and the Green Party of Kalamazoo
- Dr. Michael Hamm, C.S. Mott Chair for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU
- Healing Hands Holistic Arts
- Higher Grounds Trading Company
- Horsepower Pictures, Photography by Matthew Clydsdale
- Donna Wright, Certified Health Educator, Wellness Coordinator and Juice Plus+ distributor
- Kalamazoo Baha'i Community
- Kalamazoo Conservation District
- Caricatures by Kenjji, Kito Jumanne-Marshall
- KC Crafts
- Joan Khaled, Potter
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station at MSU
- Laurie Kmen, Artist
- K'zoo Folklife Organization
- Lavender Daydreams
- LifeSource Marketplace, Galesburg, Michigan
- Lucy-in-the-Sky Quilts
- Manitou Arbor Ecovillage
- Michigan Land Trustees
- Mi Milk Maidens
- Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance (MOFFA)
- Natural Balance Magazine
- Natural Health Center
- K. Pearson Fibers
- People's Food Co-op
- Puddingstone Farm, Cleve & Gloria Hayes, Lawton, MI
- Sue Rockenbach, Energetic Life Balancing, Reiki Master & Teacher
- The Rug Lady
- Sawall Health Foods
- The Seeded Earth, Lawrence MI
- Tillers International
- The Victorian Bakery
Demonstrations
- Worm Composting & Compost Tea — Flowerfield Enterprises
- Kids & Veggies: Fun with Food — Channon Mondoux
- Fermentation — Shawna Greenway
- Old-time Farming Skills — Tillers volunteers
- Making Biodiesel — Steve Bertman and the Kalamazoo Biodiesel Cooperative
- Spinning & Weaving — Weaver's Guild of Kalamazoo
- Survival Camp — John Windsor and friends
- Heritage Animals — American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
Music
- Andru Bemis
- Gale Horst
- Desafinado
- Fiddle Fire
- The Brothers Kalamazov
- K'zoo Folklife Organization
Concessions
- The Crow's Nest
- Papa's Italian Sausages
- Guy's Amish Popcorn
- People's Food Co-op
- Rasa Ria
- Shawarma King
- Water Street Coffee Joint
2007
Harvest Fest attendance went up more than 40 percent, and our list of exhibitors grew to 55. We snagged an author/speaker duo, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, just as they came to be well known across the country. Alisa and J.B. gave their presentation to a standing room-only crowd in the new museum building at Tillers.
Sponsors
- Platinum
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
- Food Dance
- Two Anonymous Turnip Lovers
Presenters
- Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, authors of Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally (a.k.a. The 100-Mile Diet)
Growers
- Agriculture & Health Alive, LLC, Marne, MI
- Al's Organic Vegetables, Coldwater, MI
- Blue Dog Greens, Bangor, MI
- Blue Heron Farm, Millersburg, IN
- Eater's Guild, Bangor, MI
- Lake Village Homestead
- Step-n-Tyme Farm
- TANSTAAFL Farmstead, on the Paw Paw River
Exhibitors
- Audubon Society of Kalamazoo
- Baby Holders
- Bauer Power
- BeadVenture
- Brickyard Farms Soaps
- BTF Solar
- Circle Pines Center
- Deep Lake, a Wellness Resort Community
- Emerald Car Cleaners
- Fair Food Matters
- Granny Janny Herbs / Creative Health & Birthing Arts
- Great Harvest Bread Company
- Greenpeace
- Kalamazoo Area Department of Peace Campaign
- Kalamazoo Baha'i Community
- K'zoo Folklife Organization
- MSU W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
- Caricatures by Kenjji
- Manitou Arbor Ecovillage
- Mary Ann's Michigan Trees and Shrubs
- Mary Large, Artist & Painting Instructor
- Michigan AgrAbility
- Michigan Fresh Milk Council
- Natural Balance Magazine
- K. Pearson Fibers
- People's Food Co-op
- Pottery by Joan
- Sue Rockenbach, Energetic Life Balancing, Reiki Master & Teacher
- The Rug Lady
- The Sassy Ewe, Barryton, MI
- Sunflower Ecovillage
- Susan Teague, Teague Art Studios, Paw Paw, Michigan
- Tillers International
- Van Buren County Greens and the Green Party of Kalamazoo
- Wild Ones Natural Landscaping
- Wiltse Kitchen, Scotts, MI
- Donna Wright, Certified Health Educator, Wellness Coordinator and Juice Plus+ distributor
Demonstrations
- Old-time Farming Skills: wheat threshing, sorghum grinding, ropemaking, plowing with oxen — Tillers volunteers
- Making Biodiesel — Steve Bertman and the Kalamazoo Biodiesel Cooperative
- Fermentation — Shawna Greenway
- Spinning and Weaving — Weavers' Guild of Kalamazoo
- Survival Camp — John Windsor & friends
Music
- Joe Reilly: acoustic guitar incorporating Native American, folk, blues, jazz, liturgical, and classical styles
- Cosmic Sojourner: traditional and exotic, folk and sacred
- Student Fiddle Group, Crescendo Academy: toe-tapping dance music in the Celtic, American, Swedish and Irish traditions
- Dunuya Drum and Dance: interactively presenting music of (West) Africa and the Diaspora (including Cuba, the Caribbean, North Africa, and Brazil)
Concessions
- The Crow's Nest
- Guy's Amish Popcorn
- Papa's Italian Sausages
- People's Food Co-op
- Water Street Coffee Joint
2006
Sponsors
- Platinum
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
Presenters
- Mr. Don Perrot: Potawatomi Life and Values
- Panel Discussion: Sustainable Living: Local Folks Harvesting the Good Life
- Maynard Kaufman, retired WMU professor and farmer
- Penny Kelly, author, holistic counselor, and teacher of intuition and organic gardening
- Lynne Heasley, associate professor of history and environmental studies at WMU, author, and Tillers International board member
- Tyler Bassett, botanist and community gardener
Growers
- Agriculture & Health Alive, LLC, Marne, MI
- Blue Dog Greens, Bangor, MI
- Blue Heron Farm, Millersburg, IN
- Eater's Guild, Bangor, MI
- The Little Red Hen Farm
- TANSTAAFL Farmstead, on the Paw Paw River
- White Yarrow Farm, Marcellus, MI
Exhibitors
- Audobon Society of Kalamazoo
- Bauer Power
- Beadventure
- Brickyard Farms Soaps
- Brubaker Corn Stove Heating
- BTF Solar
- Fair Food Matters
- Food Dance Cafe, Kalamazoo, MI,
- Lori Grear, Empress Feng Shui
- Granny Janny Herbs / Creative Health & Birthing Arts
- Great Harvest Bread Company
- Higher Grounds Trading Company
- Kalamazoo Area Department of Peace Campaign
- Kalamazoo Baha'i Community
- Kalamazoo Biodiesel Co-op, WMU Department of Chemistry
- Lawrence Farm Market
- Living Water Education
- Manitou Arbor Ecovillage
- Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance (MOFFA)
- Native Connections
- Natural Balance Magazine
- Katie Pearson
- People's Food Co-op
- Sue Rockenbach, Energetic Life Balancing, Reiki Master & Teacher
- The Sassy Ewe, Barryton, MI
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
- Tillers International
- Van Buren County Extension Office
- Van Buren County Greens and the Green Party of Kalamazoo
- Woven & Entwined
- Donna Wright, Certified Health Educator, Wellness Coordinator and Juice Plus+ distributor
Demonstrations
- Create your own herbal remedies — Janice Marsh-Prelesnik, Granny Janny Herbs
- Living Foods: Making and eating fermented foods for health and enjoyment — Lori Evesque
- Making Biodiesel — Steve Bertman and the Kalamazoo Biodiesel Cooperative
- Spinning and weaving — Weavers' Guild of Kalamazoo
- Sorghum Pressing, blacksmithing, wheat threshing, oxen and other field work — Tillers volunteers
Music
- Andru Bemis: Banjo and guitar; tunes of travel, love and longing
- Tyler Bassett: Acoustic meandering and songs of adventure and intrigue
- Celery City Sod Busters: Featuring Richard Whitfield on fiddle, Marilyn Branch on bass, and members of the Lonesome Moonlight Trio
- Ryan's Doghouse: Old classic bluegrass and a tad of old gospel
Concessions
- Water Street Coffee Joint
- Papa's Italian Sausages
- People's Food Co-op
- The Crow's Nest
- Guy's Amish Popcorn
2005
Sponsors
- Platinum
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
- Food Dance Cafe
- Broughton Music Center
Presenters
- Kurt Cobb: The Energy We Eat: The Emerging Oil Crisis and the Future of Agriculture
- Lisa Kivirist & John Ivanko: Green Acres, Green Living and Harvesting the Good Life: Sustainable Living Simplified
- Lori Evesque: Living Foods: An Introduction to Fermentation
- Rita Bober: Tending the Soil, Mending the Spirit
- Larry Dyer: Thinking Globally, Growing and Eating Locally
Growers
- Agriculture & Health Alive, LLC, Marne, MI
- Al's Organic Vegetables, Coldwater, MI
- Blue Dog Greens, Bangor, MI
- Blue Heron Farm, Millersburg, IN
- Eater's Guild, Bangor, MI
- The Green Dance World Organics, Paw Paw, MI
- The Little Red Hen Farm
- White Yarrow Farm, Marcellus, MI
Exhibitors
- Athena Bookstore
- Audubon Society of Michigan
- BaBy Holders
- BoRick Botanicals
- Brickyard Farms Soaps
- BTF Solar
- Fair Food Matters
- Food Dance Cafe, Kalamazoo, MI
- Granny Janny Herbs / Creative Health & Birthing Arts
- Kalamazoo Biodiesel Co-op, WMU Department of Chemistry
- Lisa Kivirist & John Ivanko, speakers at the fest and authors of "Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life"
- Moonstruck Jewelry
- Queen Bead Collective
- Sue Rockenbach, Energetic Life Balancing, Reiki Master & Teacher
- The Sassy Ewe, Barryton, MI
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
- Tillers International
- Van Buren County Greens
- Wiltse Kitchen, Scotts, MI
Demonstrations
- Making Biodiesel — Steve Bertman and the Kalamazoo Biodiesel Cooperative
- Spinning and weaving — Weavers' Guild of Kalamazoo
- Oxen — Tillers volunteers
Music
- Mechele Peters, John Campos and Bill Jones: Original acoustic Americana singer/songwriters
- Ian Gorman, Rachel Flanigan, and Mark Duval: Acoustic multi-instrumental singer songwriters
- Hoodie Crow: Traditional Irish folk music
- Jay Gavan & Nathan Durham: Eclectic, original multi-instrumental singer/songwriters
- The Kalamazoo Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra: Orchestral music of centuries past arranged for mandolin
- Rapper Sword Dance Demo: An historical English dance performed by the five-member team "Look Smart" doing maneuvers while stepping to a swift jig
- The Cornfed Girls: Contemporary folk music
- The Thornapple Valley Hammered Dulcimer Society: Old-time favorite traditional tunes
- Contra Dancing featuring caller Danika Murray and music by the Brook Farm String Band
Music sponsored by Broughton Music Company, Kalamazoo
Sound system and sound engineering by Ian Gorman of the Music Barn, Kalamazoo
Concessions
- Water Street Coffee Joint
- Journeyman Cafe
- The Crow's Nest
- Guy's Amish Popcorn
2004
Presenters
- Doug Murray: Weeds & Why They Show Up
- Panel Discussion: Local Land Preservation
- Maynard Kaufmann, Michigan Land Trustees
- Jody Simois, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
- Rob Richardson, KCD
- Tony Kaufmann, Lake Village Homestead
- Lori Evesque & Jackie Smith: Seed Saving
- Tyler Bassett, Kalamazoo Community Gardens Initiative; Lee & Laurie Arboreal, CSA; Dale Hasenick, CSA: Supporting Local Food Systems
- Merrill Clark, organic farmer; James Carey, CHI: Growing & Eating for Good Health
Demonstrations
- Spinning and Weaving — Weavers' Guild of Kalamazoo
- Making Biodiesel — Steve Bertman
- Old-time Farming Skills: blacksmithing, sorghum grinding, ropemaking, plowing with oxen — Tillers volunteers
2003
Presenters
- Ken Dahlberg & Chris Dilley: Why Local Food?
- Penny Kelly: Gimme That Ol' Time Nutrition
- Rita Bober & Lori Evesque: The Wild & Wonderful World of Weeds
- Mary Appelhof: Worm Bins & Compost Tea
- Carol & Mike King: Eating (Almost) Year-round from Your Michigan Garden
- Jan Ryan: Organic Pest Management for the Home Garden
