We had the good fortune of connecting with Shay Olivarria and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shay, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Mesquite Weekend helps the Mohave County community by creating a space for people to learn about permaculture which includes gardening, water usage and harvesting, learning about native, drought-tolerant plants and trees, land stewardship, creating community, and sharing the resources that each of us has for the betterment of all.

It’s important that we work together and share our resources. The desert can be a harsh environment but people have inhabited our area since the Pipa Aha Macav, meaning “People by the River”. Besides the speakers and vendors, people enjoy being able to try the different drought-tolerant ingredients that grow here. The first year, we offered mesquite pancakes. The second year, we offered nopal tacos. The third year, we offered mesquite cookies, mesquite graham crackers, and UNchocolate bars made from mesquite. Our presenting sponsor, Mez Foods, made sure each Snack Ticket and Brilliant Ticket holder had a full sized bar to try.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Mesquite Weekend is amazing! It started as a seed exchange and has grown to a two-day event in Golden Valley each March. I wasn’t sure if people would be into it but the seed exchanges always brought in lots of community members eager to share their plants, trees, and seeds.

We did a survey last year and asked what people most looked forward to at Mesquite Weekend. The two answers that tied for first place were trying new foods and creating community. As we move forward, we are working to provide a space where people can try drought-tolerant foods in a low-risk environment while meeting other people that are interested in people care, planet care, and fair share.

I think one of our largest challenges has been getting the word out. Mohave County is a big place and most of us moved out here to be away from people. Lol Word of mouth has helped us overcome that challenge. People WANT to learn new things, they WANT to try drought-tolerant foods, and they WANT to have a place to hang out with people that share the same world view.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When people visit the greater Kingman area I think they should come in the spring, before it gets too hot, and they should visit: Hualapi mountain, SolRa Studio, Golden Valley Botanicals, West of 3rd, Golden Valley Events, Mohave Community College, and Mesquite Weekend.

The Hualapi mountain area is beautiful. Start by visiting the Ranger Station. They always have lots of events going on so you may be able to do some hiking, play in the snow, or hunt for hunt for Sasquatch depending on when you visit.

After a day in the mountains, get a relaxing massage at SolRa Studios and check out the art from the local artists that hangs on the walls. Each month, there is a different interesting theme.

Once your massage is done, walk down to West of 3rd to check out all the local products from creatives, gardeners, homesteaders, and permaculturists in Kingman and Golden Valley. There is sure to be something interesting there. If you order a plant or tree from Golden Valley Botanicals, you can even pick it up at West of 3rd.

Of course, no visit to the greater Kingman area would be complete without a visit to Mesquite Weekend. If you come to Golden Valley in March, you’ll be treated to engaging speakers, a seed exchange, family yard games, drought-tolerant foods to try, and vendors.

See you at Mesquite Weekend!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout the people of Mohave County. I like to say that the permaculture community in Mohave County is a small, but passionate group. They have come out to Mesquite Weekend each year to learn, grow, and support what we are doing. As the event gets larger each year, I have to thank the librarians that post and share our flyers, the city workers that include our event in their event promotions, the vendors that are happy to work with the permaculture community, and the people that look forward to attending each year and encourage their friends to attend as well. This year, even the community college came on board!

A special shoutout goes to SolRa Studios and Golden Valley Events that partner with us every year to put on this event for the community. They give their time and emotional support. Thank you.

This year we were able to partner with Mez Foods as presenting sponsor. Mez has been an amazing partner! They helped us get the word out, provided drought-tolerant UNchocolate bars, and even provided a discount code for anyone that wants to order. You can get 20% off by using GVMez20 until 7/1/2025.

Mesquite Weekend can’t happen without everyone pitching in. Thank you!

Website: https://www.GVMesquiteWeekend.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090496127434

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