Environmental Group to Recognize Local Farmers at Annual Festival

Save the Environment of Moorestown (STEM) will mark its annual Open Space Festival this year with a “Salute to Local Farmers.”

The festival, on Oct. 2, will feature five Moorestown farms: , Darmo, , Lew’s and Moriuchi's.

“We are so excited this year. Our local farmers do just a wonderful job,” said Jean Fox, director of the STEM steering committee. “We’ve invited them to come and show their stuff and tell people why they should buy local.”

In addition to the farmer’s market, festival attendees can enjoy canoe rides, a live animal exhibit, a fishing contest and the results of a scarecrow coloring contest held for kindergarten through third-grade students, among many other highlights.

Elizabeth Endres, another member of the steering committee, said the festival has made a conscious effort to add kid and family-friendly activities, like the coloring contest, in recent years.

“That’s attracting a lot of families,” she said. “They get to see their kids working and getting ribbons.”

Last year was the festival’s biggest year in terms of attendance, with roughly 500 people, though it’s hard to keep track, Fox said, because they don’t sell tickets.

The festival will be held at , at Kings Highway and Haines Drive. The park is one of 14 open space properties STEM monitors and maintains for the township, Fox said. “When a path needs to be cleared, a tree falls, we do that.”

She said walking tours of the park will also be conducted during the festival.

“We have a trail through here,” she said. “A lot of people aren’t even aware you can walk through (these areas).”

One section of the trail is the highest point in town, offering a great view, said Fox.

Aside from coming out and having a good time, the purpose of the festival, Endres said, is really education and recruitment.

There’ll be information available about the local flora and fauna, recycling, composting and buying locally. STEM was able to get an electric car to put on display as well, she said.

“We want to show people, ‘See how beautiful this is? Don’t you want to be a part of this?’” Endres said.

The festival goes from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2. Admission is free.

For more information, visit stemonline.org.