A small southeast Iowa institution is hosting what it bills as an international event this weekend to promote organic agriculture. Karen Krone is helping organize Eco-Fair 2004 at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield. Krone says the fair’s goal is to raise awareness in terms of environmental issues in food production and organic agriculture — no toxicants or pesticides and using a more natural system for agricultural production. She says the campus is trying to practice what it preaches and hopes to eventually be self-sustaining with all organic foods. The community has four large greenhouses — two at MUM, one at the school and another in Vedic City, the town just north of Fairfield. The greenhouses are being used to grow a variety of organic vegetables year-round, including tomatoes and lettuce. Krone says many events are on the weekend roster for the Eco-Fair, including a mini-film festival, all sorts of entertainment and, of course, organic food. There are also tours of the greenhouses and a number of local, national and international speakers. The theme this year is “Sustainable Organic Agriculture — Expressions of Higher Consciousness in Food Production,” and Krone says the emphasis is on growing food in a way that is healthiest for consumers and for the planet. For more information, surf to “www.mum.edu/ecofair”.