Category — Vancouver Island, BC

From the good folks on Denman Island who are working a 40 acre piece of land with permaculture and subsistence skills and values at the forefront:

This is an invitation to come to the farm to participate in workbees and to share and expand your skills at the workshops we are offering. For those of you who haven’t been here, we are living and working on a 40 acre piece of land on Denamn island. Our activities here are subsistence focused, and include organic gardening, hunting, child rearing, harvesting wild foods, making music, planting fruit and nut trees, among many other projects. We are excited about opening up some projects here to include our friends and neighbors.

WORK BEE’S

April 24^th-29^th – Chip Slip Work Bee

May 29^th – 31^st – Chip Slip (probably plaster work, too). Learn how to insulate your walls using local materials – clay and woodchips (will probably include doing some basic carpentry too if you want!)

WORKSHOPS

Some of these are free and some of these have a suggested donation because of the amount of work that we must do in order to prepare the workshop. No one will be turned away for inability to pay and we are also open to trades.

May 2^nd – Traditional Beer Making. We’re gonna make beer the old way. We will be using herbal ingredients (but no hops!), home sprouted grains, and sourdough culture instead of yeast packets.

Suggested donation – $20.00-50.00

June 6^th and 7th – Buckskin Tanning Workshop. Limited space. RSVP. Learn how to turn animal hides into useable fabric. We will go through the process of ‘brain tanning’ a deer hide from skinning to softening. Small class with lots of hands on work. Wear an old pair of clothes.

Suggested donation – $50.00-100.00

Our land has limited infrastructure at this moment so please consider this if you would like to come over. We can only offer camping options to visitors at this time (bring your own gear!). During the summer months our well can not be overtaxed so we are also unable to offer showers. There are, however, lakes and beaches near by.. also a marsh if you are so inclined. For people who are participating in the work bees we are planning on providing lunch and dinner. If you have special requirements or are vegetarian or vegan we highly recommend bringing food with you (especially snack foods and – for the veggies - protein sources). We have no flushing toilets, only outhouses and similar set ups. Don’t worry – there’ll be toilet paper. We will not be preparing food for workshop participants, but bring food to make communal meals if you like. if you have a dog in your life and want to bring them, please talk to us first!

if you are coming to the work bees and have any of the following, please bring them along:

• shovels

• work gloves

• wheel barrow

• buckets

• hammer

Please RSVP if you plan on attending workshops or work bees so we can prepare for your arrival. we can arrange pick ups from the ferry. denman island is 2 1/2 hours north of vic and 1 1/2 from Nanaimo. the ferry to Denman leaves from Buckley Bay, 20 min south of Courtenay. Please contact Janette via email if you are planning on attending any of the events. cormier.ja@gmail.com

Also upcoming: the Bush Weekend in Robert’s Creek on the Sunshine Coast (15 minutes from the ferry at Langdale.)

You are warmly invited to these upcoming opportunities to learn with Robin Wheeler of the Sustainable Living Arts School on Vancouver Island and the Gulf islands.

February 21 – Home Food Security Intensive

10 – 2 pm Duncan, BC.

Register: Call Beth at 250 – 337-1958 or Pat at 250-709-2391 (machine) for details or email morefoodnow@gmail.com.

Directed towards the interested householder, we will spend four hours learning about garden cycles, food harvest and storage, subsistence gardening and stockpiling. $62 includes snack, beverage and copy of Food Security for the Faint of heart.
February 22 – Duncan Sustainable Microfarm Forum Duncan, BC.

9:30 – 4 pm Food and beverages provided. $100

Register: Call Beth at 250–337-1958 or Pat at 250-709-2391 (leave message) for details.

Full day workshop for the beginner smallholder trying to increase production to enter the commercial level.  Segments include “Understanding your Land” and “Water Wisdom”, and we will talk about free resources, working cooperatively, season extending and how to define “organic”. Marika Nagasaka will be giving her wonderful class on “Efficiency on the Farm”.

February 24 – Free Food Security talk on  Gabriola Island

7 – 8 pm at the Roxy.

March 8 – Gambier Microfarm Forum

Gambier Community Hall.  Normally limited to Gambier residents.

To potential and new organic food growers:

The Sustainable Microfarm Forum is coming to Courtenay!

Reduce our community’s dependence on off coast food sources

Sunday November 16, 2008 9:30 - 4:00

Improve your ability to market garden at this all-day intensive workshop. Participants will leave feeling better equipped and supported, with clearer ideas of the challenges that face them, and with better tools for moving ahead as food providers.

Location and Cost: Filberg Centre, Courtney $95 includes vegetarian lunch and refreshments

Register early! Phone Beth Mowat (250) 337-1958 or emailmorefoodnow@gmail.com. Some subsidies available.

Topics include: Water conservation techniques, stretching your harvest season, using microclimates, value-added pros and cons, skill sharing and much more.

Facilitated by Robin Wheeler of the Sustainable Living Arts School, Roberts Creek (slas.ca), owner of Edible Landscapes (ediblelandscapes.ca) , founder of the One Straw Society (onestraw.ca) , author of Food Security for the Faint of Heart and Gardening for the Faint of Heart.