LOWVILLE — The Homesteading Fair continues today after attracting nearly 400 people Saturday from all over the state.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County hosted the event, with help from other extension offices.

“It was the only way to make this all happen,” said Michele E. Ledoux, executive director of the Lewis County office.

More than 80 workshops were scheduled for the weekend. Participants learned about food preservation, small farm machinery, poultry, livestock, maple management, forestry, energy and renewable resources, and beekeeping.

Just as the classes offered a variety of topics, attendees came from a variety of backgrounds with many different reasons for attending.

The Barker family from Beaver Falls visited the fair to help them plan the use of their newly purchased land in Belfort. “We’d like to learn more about sustainable living,” Nate Barker said.

Heidi DiGiovanni and her husband Andy traveled from Long Island for the event.

As a resident of Nassau County, where a land trust program is in its infancy, Mrs. DiGiovanni explained, “We don’t have anything like this on Long Island.” It was the weekend pass for only $15 that attracted her, at first. She stated that just one of the workshops offered would have cost hundreds of dollars at a community college.

She attended classes on composting, beekeeping and raising chickens, and plans to take her new knowledge home with her to share with the Nassau County Land Trust.

“There’s so many usable areas on Long Island, but it’s just not being utilized,” she said.

The fair opens at 8 a.m. today with more than 30 workshops available until 4 p.m. at the Maple Ridge Center on East Road in Lowville. For the full schedule, visit http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/lewis.

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