Repair Fair planned for Fairfield Farmers Market Saturday

FAIRFIELD — The Southeast Iowa Sierra Club invites the public to bring damaged clothing, dull knives or jewelry needing repair to the Fairfield Farmers Market on Saturday, June 10 at Howard Park.

The Sierra Club is sponsoring its third annual “Repair Fair” from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents will learn how to fix broken items, or have a specialist look at their broken items to see if they can fix it. The club hopes that by teaching the public to repair damaged items instead of throwing them away, they can reduce the amount of refuse that ends up in a landfill.

The club has arranged for six specialists to have their own booths where they will help the public with specific items, such as:

•Bill Arnold from Cedar Rapids will conduct repairs on shoes, boots and purses.

•Leslie Hollis will focus on jewelry repairs.

•Avi Pogel will walk through how to sharpen knives.

•Justin McKay will give instruction on small engine repairs.

•Greg Conner is a jack-of-all-trades who can give handyman advice.

•Jolynn Gates from the MIU Maker Space will share her knowledge of sewing, fabric and textile projects.

The Southeast Iowa Sierra Club stated in a news release that these “fixit wonder workers” will diagnose and fix items on the spot when possible, advise about next steps when an instant repair can’t be done, and counsel residents on looming home repair projects that may be worrying.

Margaret Dwyer, co-chair of the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club, said the club feels it is hitting its stride with the third year of the Repair Fair.

“For our first one, it was in the middle of COVID and we didn’t know how to do it exactly,” Dwyer said. “Last year, it really got going strong. This is a great opportunity to let people know about resources that already exist, as well as to get their items fixed.”

Dwyer said some of the vendors will be able to fix items right then and there, such as shoe repairs or a broken watch.

“If you have eight knives to sharpen, you probably want to make an appointment,” Dwyer said.

Dwyer said some vendors have agreed to perform the repairs for free while others are charging a fee.

The reason the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club has taken the initiative to lead the Repair Fair is because it fits into its mission of promoting sustainable consumption, Dwyer said.

“In the Great Depression, we had this concept of ‘planned obsolescence’ to help the economy, but that’s a timebomb,” Dwyer said. “We don’t have enough resources to make enough of everything, so we need to figure out how to recycle resources. Also, this Repair Fair should save people money.”

Saturday’s Repair Fair is part of a monthly series of programs the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club has planned for the outdoor farmers market. On July 8, the club will host a program on retrofitting a house for energy savings, and on Aug. 26 it will host a talk on the future of e-transportation with an electric truck and car expo. For Sept. 9, the club will talk about a “Homegrown National Park” with a discussion of using native plants to benefit the environment, and Oct. 21 will conclude its outdoor programming with a program on the importance of pollinators.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com