Well-known for its ethical principles and emphasis on organically farmed, locally grown produce, River Cottage is to feature at this year’s Country Living Magazine Spring Fair. Held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London on 12-16th March 2008, the Fair welcomes two experts from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s renowned organisation. Fungi and wild food expert John Wright and gardening and climate change expert Mark Diacono will feature at the Fair, giving visitors an informative insight into their specialist areas. Visitors can hear what Mark has to say about climate change gardening on Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th and Friday 14th from 2.30 – 3.30pm and John will be presenting a talk on wild food and demonstrating one of his wildest recipes on Saturday 15th from 2.30 – 3.30pm and Sunday from 1-2pm.

Gardening and Climate Change Expert Mark Diacono

Now in its 17th year, the Spring Fair sees hundreds of exclusive designers, craftspeople and small producers showcasing the finest in British crafts, home furnishings, specialist beauty products, unique jewellery and fashions as well as the best in homemade food and drink, with specialist demonstrations and talks throughout the duration of the event.

Owner of the UK’s only climate change farm – Otter Farm, Mark Diacono is hoping to take advantage of global warming to home grow ‘foreign’ food such as almonds, pecans, persimmons and apricots and sustainably add many of them to the British larder.

This ‘future’ farm’ is a pioneering and positive response to an issue which is often shrouded by negativity. By making them widely available to a local market without the heavy carbon load/food miles often associated with these ‘foreign’ foods. Mark aims to involve people in working with climate change, in a cycle which assists to decline its acceleration.

Mark says, “I feel it is important to spread the idea of climate change growing and at this year’s Country Living Magazine Spring Fair I will be encouraging visitors to take advantage of the longer hotter summers were seeing as a result of global warming and get involved in developing our changing countryside. By using climate change to our advantage and working together with it, we can perhaps help to lessen its acceleration. I’m really looking forward to visiting the Fair and believe it’s going to be a great opportunity to create a great awareness around climate change growing.”

Fungi expert John Wright has a great passion for mushrooms and toadstools which started when he was 14 years old. At the Fair he will be sharing with visitors his vast knowledge on fungi and other wild food that he has accumulated over the years. John also teaches educational classes and runs fungus forays for several organisations in and around Dorset. He also runs regular courses at River Cottage HQ on mushrooms and edible seashore plants. In 2007 he wrote the ‘River Cottage Mushroom Handbook’.

For further information and to book tickets, please visit www.countrylivingfair.com or call 08701 261 800