Crestone Energy Fair

By Tricia Toney After an extended downpour and hail in downtown Crestone, as a rainbow formed over the peaks, about 40 people gathered under tents, with others viewing via livestream to hear about something brighter: the future of the San Luis Valley economy. A panel of local leaders, brought together by Ameille Warner, Executive Director of Saguache County Sustainable Environment and Economic Development (ScSEED), took on a broad range of topics shaping that future, including: public transit, tourism and housing. The panel included: • Ame Warner – Executive Director, ScSEED; Owner, Dandelion Creative Services; Marketing Consultant, Saguache County Tourism Council; Saguache Town...

By Anya Kaats The Crestone Energy Fair’s recent Natural Plasters & Earthbag Greenhouse workshops were a huge success, drawing participants from across Colorado and New Mexico—and as far as California—for two distinct weekends of immersive, hands-on learning. The Natural Plaster workshop was led by world-renowned natural plaster expert Athena Steen of the Canelo Project, whose decades of experience brought depth, artistry, and inspiration to the process of mixing and applying clay-based finishes. The Earthbag Greenhouse workshop was guided by local builder and CEF crew member Dana Oglesby, who taught participants how to construct strong, sustainable walls using scoria-filled earthbags—a DIY...

By Anya KaatsPhoto by Anya Kaats The Crestone Energy Fair (CEF) has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Mountain and Plains Environmental Justice Grant Hub (MAP EJ) to further its research on alternative building techniques. The funding will allow the organization to refine its data collection methods and continue advocating for sustainable housing solutions and preserve Saguache County’s lack of building codes. This grant comes on the heels of the recently concluded Sustainable Home Showdown (SHS), a citizen-led research initiative that evaluated a diverse array of homes in the Crestone area. The SHS aimed to collect data on home efficiency,...

The team behind the natural-build demo site on the corner of Birch St. and Golden Ave., in Crestone, is gearing up in anticipation of the 35th annual Crestone Energy Fair (CEF), September 14-15, 2024. Last year, Benjamin Byer and Michelle Beelendorf-Byer donated use of some of their land to CEF to help bring increased awareness to the event and its ongoing education program by way of a permanent mixed-medium shed installation. The shed showcases various building styles including a dry stack foundation, cob, strawbale, aircrete and hempcrete panels. The project was initially envisioned by Shawn King and construction began...

Here we are in season two of our newly formed Community Firewood Program. The program is sponsored by the Crestone Energy Exchange and this project is a partnership between Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN), Crestone Energy Fair and the Emergency Firewood Project. The purpose is to help provide firewood for our community members in financial or physical crisis.  We have also secured additional bulk wood that will be for sale beginning next summer.   On November 14 we gathered as a community to begin splitting the emergency portion of the inventory. Similar to last year’s event, we hosted education on chainsaw usage,...

Seven San Luis Valley leaders attended “Holding Space for Transformative Experiences”, a Living Facilitation Retreat, led by Adam Brock and Asia Dorsey of Regenerate Change.  This four-day training held at Yellow Barn Farm in Boulder is based on an ecological model of permaculture and looks at living systems regarding how to lead and build resilient, equitable and inclusive communities. La Puente received a grant from Colorado Health to identify and cultivate grassroots leadership and community-led solutions.  As part of this grant, Sherice Shiner, Healthy Food Access Coordinator of the Food Bank Network of the SLV, organized scholarships for Liza...

What an amazing year it was for the Home Tours and Energy Fair. With a dedicated team of people who brought lots of skill to this event, we were able to expand and explore so much. The home tours went amazingly. With more than double the turnout of years past, we were able to share the love of alternative style homes with people from all over Colorado and beyond.  By participating in the tours this year, people were able to get ideas for their own homes and experience what it’s like to walk into a well insulated home in the...

The 32nd Annual Crestone Energy Fair theme, RECONNECT:  Self, Village, Nature led us into deep terrain around permaculture and the social structures that can be created to provide a thriving and abundant ecosystem within each of our lives, communities and for the land.   We kicked off the weekend by honoring the indigenous lands we occupy in Crestone, the families that live here with 3-4 generations and set up a small memorial for community members who have gone before us.  Attendees were encouraged to compost what isn’t serving them from projects to relationships to emotions so that we can...