CRESTVIEW — An estimated 50 vendors will promote conservation and sustainability at the Environmental Conservation Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.
Businesses will promote the use of solar energy, wind power, propane and compressed natural gas, or CNG, use.
Event organizers are the city of Crestview and CH2M Hill, which manages the city's wastewater treatment facility.
"We want people to know that sustainability and conservation is not just about recycling,” CH2M Hill project manager Jayne Swift said.
Many vendors will show attendees — whether they’re homeowners, professionals or city officials — environmentally green, cost-effective technologies and practices like growing produce to raise livestock. There also will be food and family-friendly activities.
Bringing innovative projects
Swift approached Mossy Head resident Jason O'Daniels, a DeFuniak Springs code enforcement officer, to help organize Crestview’s event.
"I did the exact same project on a smaller scale in the city of Defuniak Springs," O'Daniels said. "I'm trying to bring innovative projects to Northwest Florida and to the citizens so they can see what's out there."
For instance, he said, one business featured at the DeFuniak Springs event installs geothermal heating and cooling systems.
"You can heat and cool your house by the energy that is stored underground through simple piping, pumps, fans," he said. "People can retrofit their current household and not draw off the (electrical) grid so much."
Other retrofitting methods include converting gas-powered vehicles to CNG, biodiesel or electric or using solar panels or wind turbines to produce energy.
Former Crestview Councilman Ben Iannucci — who spearheaded the event with O'Daniels, Swift and Crestview Public Services Director Wayne Steele — said he hopes the event benefits private individuals and attracts green businesses.
"The expectation is to get homeowners involved and to show those industries that Crestview is a great environment to bring jobs," he said.
Want to go?
The Environmental Conservation Fair is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Crestview.
Prospective vendors cancontact the city's public works department, 682-6133 extension 100.
Interested food vendors can call the Crestview Main Street Association, 682-4846.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Saturday environmental fair brings education, food and fun to Crestview