The fourth in a series of Local Sustainability Festivals will be held at the Hare Krishna Temple Grounds at 1283 Prabhupada Road in Sandy Ridge on April 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no charge to participants.

Organizers of previous festivals felt the need for this latest event based on statistics that say record numbers of Americans are growing gardens this year. Many sources report that seed sales have tripled. Even President Obama has joined the garden-planting craze. This Saturday’s festival will focus on a variety of gardening practices that should prove useful for the novice as well as for the experienced.

This event will be focusing on various types of agricultural practices from around the world that are in use here in this region. Participants are urged to bring notepads to record the extensive information that will be presented.

The seminars and speakers are as follows:

--India’s agricultural practices—still producing food on the same land after 5000 years (Shauri and Shamala)

--Increasing soil fertility with cover crops and composting (Tony McGee)

--Gardening in raised beds and other low tech innovations (Pat Flinchum)

--Food storage (Boo Dempsey)

--Vegetable crops from India that grow like weeds (Sanjiv Saini)

--Permaculture (Anooka)

--Appropriate technology—a Westinghouse technician getting 67 mpg with a homemade hydrogen converter (DeWayne Truhe)

--Biodynamic farming, magic potions, and techniques that work wonders (Cameron of Earthsong Farm, Woolwine Va.)

--A prosperous garden without the use of tractors and tillers (John Hartman and Kay Richey)

--Doing just fine with less—a one-armed farmer shares his success stories of Shiitake mushrooms, blueberries, blackberries and a homemade sawmill. A chemistry major, he’ll also demonstrate his homemade hydrogen converter (Dallas Carrol)

--Yoga—a few short sessions between the lectures. A longer, more involved session will also be available. (Ramona Flint)

--Vegetarian cooking classes—even if you’re not a vegetarian, you’ll learn some healthy and quick recipes. (Paul and Haley Genet)

--Tai chi—a few short sessions between the lectures. A longer, more involved session will also be available. (San Gee and Anooka of Stokes County’s own Golden Flower Tai Chi Acadamy)

--Cob house tour—a tour of an experimental building made of a mixture of mud and straw that is nearing completion.

There will be live music during the lunch break and possibly afterwards, depending on the crowd and the weather. Participants are invited to bring their instruments if they would like to play along.

There will be a seed-sharing table for those who have extra seeds or starts they’d like to share or trade. A description is needed for each type of seed. A car utilizing a hydrogen generator for improved fuel economy and a car that runs on used cooking oil will be exhibited.

A biodiesel producer from Christiansburg, Va. will bring his tanker and sell his tested bio diesel for 10 cents below the off road diesel price. Those interested in purchasing the fuel are asked to bring their empty fuel cans.

For directions to the festival, visit www.prabhupadavillage.com.