Trends for the next 10 years

As part of the Vision Quest we were asked to envision trend problems for the next 10 years. The following is what I wrote:


PAXTON'S TRENDS

In 10 years with no OCF change from the staus quo today..............

POLITICAL:

We will maintain out status as a center for counter culture continuing
to support education and alternative causes in the Veneta/Elmira and
Eugene areas.

While there will still be threats from the authorities our
anti-forfeiture work keeps us away from direct danger. Legal
challenges will come more from the family as they get disenchanted
with the support from the faire.

ENVIRONMENTAL:

The OCF site will remain largely undeveloped and wild due to the
"respect for the land" philosophy. While there will be growth
pressures all around us we will continue to preserve and replenish our
wetlands and, probably, purchase more.

The Peach Power Project, conservation and biodiesel will keep our
energy costs way below similar events. We will develop educational
projects around each of these.

The neighborhood restoration projects will plant and nurture trees and
underbrush with the help of those living in the neighborhood.
Neighborhoods will help replant, replenish and nurture their
respective homes. We will continue to develop restoration projects on
our site that enhances both our wetlands and uplands.

Long term booths and neighborhoods will remain good stewards of the
land and will, increasingly, take responsibility for their
environment. Some booths will fall into the river and be relocated as
we continue to accept the normal changes of the river. The faire will
continue to adapt with land changes.

Thanks to the fair's involvement and support the Long Tom Watershed
Council the Long Tom River will remain clean.

Waste Warriors and Recycling, while never reaching their goal of zero
waste, will minimize our contributions to the Landfills far more than
any other event.

SOCIAL:

Our artist community will continue to put pressure to develop more
booth sites. Crafters and food vendors, in general, will continue to
thrive and make money. The site and event will continue to be Psycho
Spiritual Rejuvination for almost all involved. Being on the Faire
site will affect everyone in a positive way. Respect for the land
remains a primary goal.

The computerized database system allows the faire to work with
individual crafters as the booth reps become stewards of the land they
inhabit. Some crafters and vendors will migrate into staff positions.

Our continued survey work will further refine why people attend the
faire both as volunteers and as paying attendees.

Our long term entertainers will continue to fall away from lack of
support by the OCF organization. More entertainers will be hired by
the day and not get involved with the faire family. Entertainment
costs will rise and our connection to our vaudeville origins will
shrink. The faire family will continue to produce and develop after
hours entertainment in their booths, eighborhoods and paths as they
can. Fire dancing will be a new draw created by the younger generation
of faire family.

Attendence by the paying public will fluctuate according to the type
and quality of both entertainment and advertising. As has been in the
past, a majority of the paying public will have attended three or
fewer years.

Faire population will grow both day and night as the family grows and
the faire expands. Night time fishtraps will become much more
successful as we learn how to make them work over the years. (we have
a long history of successful crew development.)

We will acknowledge that the family event on the land starts Wednesday
and finishes Monday afternoon at the end of the barter faire and
refine our plans to support all of the people on site.

ORGANIZATIONAL:

Despite suffering retirement of key employees the faire will continue
to thrive because of the decades of institutional memory developed by
the crews and family. Most employees will continue working the faire
as long as possible, some gaining several sabaticals which enhance
their personal development and performance at the fair.

Our annual faire will continue to generate most of the income to run
the organization. The faire will develop a reputation for being a
venue for small secondary events during the rest of the year. The site
will see more use by faire family for weddings and other family
events. It will also move towards the fourth generation of faire
family working the event and the land.

While we continue to love and maintain our old trucks, costs will rise
and some of the rolling stock will be replaced. Maintanence schedules
will become more formalized. Godzilla will reach elder status and will
be retired to being a ceremonial truck (note: this doesn´t stop
Godzilla from working, it just means we don't depend on it for work.)

PS: I didn't include the comment about being a regional or NW player
because I don't believe the fair has ever aspired to that.