Back To Basics Wants To Bring The Power Of Change

“No matter if it’s good times or bad, the more you live resiliently or sustainably the better off you’ll be,” said Happy Dancing Turtle Board Chair Lynn Hunt.

Imagine how much money you’d save by growing your garden produce or obtaining power through solar energy. Pine River-Backus School hosted the 11th annual Back to Basics event to help people take the next step toward sustainability for the environment.

“It can really make an impact in your daily living, and overall then we’re making an impact to live comfortably on this planet,” said Happy Dancing Turtle Sustainability and Stewardship Coordinator Quinn Swanson.

The day began with keynote speaker and Fresh Energy Science Policy Director J. Drake Hamilton emphasizing the importance of clean energy.

“Now there are 82 in Minnesota, Minnesota companies that work on solar energy and there are 47 companies that work on wind energy and they’re located in many different parts of the state including Central Minnesota and they’re providing good paying jobs in the clean energy sector,” said Fresh Energy Science Policy Director J. Drake Hamilton.

During the workshops you could make essential oils or even a T-shirt as a keepsake. Inside the gym there were nearly 50 vendors offering handmade or natural items.

Ninety year old Jack McAllister of Jack Mack Inc has been gardening since he was a young boy. McAllister created a system that makes gardening easier. His paper pots are made with his roley-rooter device.

After they’re grown you can put the complete pot in the ground or you can strip the newspaper off and you can use it that way,” said Jack McAllister of Jack Mack Inc.

This biomass stove can be used for cooking or to heat your home during Minnesota winters. It doesn’t require electricity so if it powers out you’ll still have heat.

“So it burns wood, wood by-products…anything basically that grows on Earth you can use as fuel for the stove,” said Sedore Co-Owner Bruce Wolfe.

The next time you plant a seed or cook you may be sustaining energy.