In 1978, Alan Venetsky invited around 150 locals to his farm in Williams, Oregon to trade crops at harvest time. This became an annual event with the skunk as its mascot and "Dedicated to the Cultural and Religious Integrity of Natural Peoples Everywhere" as its motto. By 1995, the Barter Fair had exploded into a counter-culture festival spanning three days, drawing over 10,000 people to the historic 156-acre Buckley farm in Ruch ... and also drawing the scrutiny of Jackson County's commissioners and sheriff. In 1996, a new $18,000 fee imposed by the county, and the presence of almost 100 sheriff's deputies with vans ready for mass arrests, caused a significant drop in attendance and led to the demise of the Fair as well as to federal civil rights litigation. Jackson County was found guilty of violating First Amendment rights and paid $60,000 to the Barter Fair organizers.

Three participants in the Fair from its early years through the 1990s will share their memories and memorabilia. Jessie Spero recently sold her farm in Williams to move to Phoenix. Maya Reames remains a resident of Williams, as does Michelle Scherer who continues to grow and sell organic produce locally

The monthly Windows in Time lunchtime lectures feature well-known writers and historians and bring alive the people, values, and events that shaped our Southern Oregon heritage. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) and Jackson County Library Services. Programs are presented in Medford (first Wednesdays) and again in Ashland (second Wednesdays). Recordings of Medford presentations are available on the JCLS Beyond YouTube channel.