The 8th Annual Living Local Expo is in the planning stages!

Sourcing food locally is an essential part of sustainability efforts. Visitors to the 8th annual Living Local Expo in Lawrence on March 28  will have the opportunity to discover the many food resources we have right here in our community. The free Expo will showcase more than a dozen local farm businesses and chefs. The farmers market, the first of the spring season, will feature local fruits and vegetables, meat, cheeses, food and food products.

Visit the farmers market to talk with local farmers about the coming season. Have a locally prepared lunch, soup, chili, bread, cider, fruit and more from local farms and food businesses. Find out about local cheeses, jams and jellies, pickled peppers, desserts, and wonderful flowers. Cooking demonstrations and samplings by local chefs will be offered all afternoon.

After your visit to the market you can check out a presentation on fuel efficient cars and electric bikes.  Area residents with fuel efficient cars will also have their vehicles on display. Walking and biking is the ultimate sustainable transportation, and as a bonus you get your exercise too. At the Expo you can find out about bike trails and walking paths throughout the area.

Newly organized by the Mercer County Sustainability Coalition, a  partnership of sustainability organizations from Ewing, Hopewell, Lawrence, Princeton, Trenton and the Mercer County Office of Economic Development and Sustainability, this year’s Expo will feature hands-on workshops, displays from 90-plus local businesses and non-profits, and the “Ask your Neighbor” table where visitors can hear how homeowners and businesses completed successful energy-efficient projects. Speakers will be on hand to discuss a variety of sustainability issues ranging from local farms, school gardening & projects, to the future of transportation and recycling in Mercer County, and more.

Ask your neighbors about their experiences in green remodeling and energy efficiency projects. Get to know the inside scoop and the incentives that you can still get from New Jersey Clean Energy.

Donate your old bike to The Trenton Bike Exchange, or donate gently used medical equipment to Goodwill Home Medical Equipment, a non-profit that sells affordable medical equipment like wheelchairs, walkers and canes.

This year we are trying to “green” our Green Fair, so don’t forget to bring your travel mug for your drinks.

Stay tuned for more info soon.