Urban Homesteading Workshops 2010 - Now Posted!

Urban Homesteading for 2010
* hands-on, sustainable, creative, do-it-ourselves
The new workshops being offered at Little City Farm for the upcoming year are now posted. We are excited about what is lined up! With an emphasis on urban agriculture (including 10 workshops related to urban farming from organic methods, to permaculture, to seed starting, to compost), plus eco-crafting, herbal health, slow food, natural building, and more!

Check our website for registration details - www.littlecityfarm.ca

All workshops require pre-registration as there is limited space.

WINTER:

Woolen Waldorf-Inspired Animals - Cost: $25/person (all materials included)
Sat, January 23, 1-3 pm. With Eve Geisler, of Eve's Little Earthlings.
Create "Waldorf-inspired" earth-friendly soft and cuddly all natural toys from recycled wool and felted sweaters. During this workshop each participant will make a rabbit and small mouse out of wool. All materials provided.

Dress Like You Mean It! - Cost: $25/person
Sat, February 6, 1-3 pm. With Sapphire Singh, self-taught fasion artist and entrepreneur with Revolution Wear.
Create Change. ReUse Everything! Learn how practical fashion art created from second hand, found and salvaged materials can be used as a tool for communication and empowerment. Bring a your flabbiest over sized t-shirt and a readiness to create. Workshop includes demonstration and experimentation with re-design, and creating wearable art.

Worms Eat My Compost: Vermicomposting - Cost: $25/person (includes your own worms to take home)
Sat, February 13, 1-3 pm. With Jeff Kitchen, of Transition KW.
Learn what it takes to farm your own worms, to turn your kitchen compost into wonderful soil! Participants take home worms and instructions to start your own vermicomposting system.

Grow Your Own Food! Planning Your Garden - Cost: $20/person
Sat, February 20, 1- 3 pm. With Greg Roberts & Karin Kliewer, from Little City Farm.
Prepare for the upcoming growing season - learn the basics about garden planning, companion planting, crop rotation, cold frames, biointensive gardening, urban agriculture, and more. Take home seeds to get started!

Knitting Your Own Socks - Cost: $35/person
Sat, March 13, 1-3 pm. With Nicole Ethier, from the KW Spinners & Weavers Guild.
Join the knitting revolution! In this hands-on workshop we will demystify the intricacies of sock knitting, and participants will get a good start on a warm woolen pair of socks for themselves. All supplies provided (yarn, needles, etc). Basic knitting skills required.

Seed Starting - Cost: $10/person
Sat, March 20, 1-3 pm. With Angie Koch, of Fertile Ground CSA (date to be confirmed).
It's time to start your garden seedlings! Local organic farmer Angie Koch will walk you through everything you need to know about seedlings - proper soil mixes, how to plant, when to plant, indoor plant care, transplanting, hardening off, and more.

SPRING

Intro to Organic Gardening: The Urban Gardener's Primer - Cost: $25/person
Sat, April 10, 1-3 pm. With Greg Roberts & Karin Kliewer, of Little City Farm.
Grow healthy, natural food for yourself that thrives without harsh chemicals or toxic pesticides! Attend this workshop to learn the basics of organic gardening and leave feeling confident in your gardening abilities. Including organic pest controls, sourcing organic seeds, building soil health, attracting beneficial insects, companion planting, biointensive growing, and permaculture tips.

Fermented Foods for Health - Cost: $25/person
Sat, April 17, 1-3 pm. With Jackie McMillan, local whole foods educator.
Let your taste buds tingle! Discussion will cover background on fermenting foods, how and why to ferment foods, health benefits, and a spectacular taste testing of various lactic acid ferments. Workshop participants will prepare colourful multi-vegetable sauerkraut as part of this interactive session.

Beyond Band-Aids: Homeopathic First Aid - Cost: $25/person
Sat, May 8, 1-3 pm. With Rachel Vandenberg, of Healing Path Centre for Natural Medicine.
Looking to stock your first aid kit with natural remedies that work? Look no further! In this workshop you will learn the basics of homeopathic prescribing including how to select and dose appropriate homeopathic remedies. Focus is on the most common remedies in a summer first aid kit.

Permaculture Design Basics - Cost: $25/person
Sat, May 15, 1-3 pm. With Tracie Seedhouse, of Earthchild Designs.
Permaculture is a unique approach to designing human settlements and agriculture/gardens in ways that mimic relationships and patterns found in nature. During this workshop, Tracie will introduce key permaculture ideas and techniques. Participants will create basic permaculture designs for their own properties using the permaculture approaches discussed.

8th Annual Seedling Sale at Little City Farm!!
Sat, May 22, 9 am-12 noon. Come early for best selection!
Join us at Little City Farm as we host our 8th Annual Organic Seedling Sale! Find organic and heirloom varieties of vegetables & herbs ready for planting. Specializing in heirloom tomato varieties. This is a free event. Seedlings cost $2-$3/each.

SUMMER

Natural Plant Dyes - Cost: $25/person
Sat, June 5, 1-3 pm. With Erin Anton, self-taught fibre artist and local urban homesteader.
Learn to use common plants, roots, bark and berries (such as marigold, rhubarb, black walnut, and elderberry) for dyeing cotton, wool and silk fibres. During this workshop we will demonstrate the 5 stages of the natural dye process: washing the fibre, preparing the dye bath, the mordant process, the dyeing process, and rinsing & drying.

Creating Great Compost! - Cost: $25/person
Sat, June 12, 1-3 pm. With Anna-Maria Schulteis, local organic grower.
Composting is the wonderful process whereby biodegradable household and yard “waste” products decompose into extremely useful rich humus-like soil. Discover how to make great compost, and how to build an effective home composting system.

Cook with the Sun! Building a Solar Dehydrator - Cost: $25/person
Sat, July 17, 1-3 pm. With Alfred Remepel, local urban homesteader.
Cooking off grid in the city! Learn to harness the sun's energy with a solar dehydrator, drying fruit and vegetables to perfection without any use of electricity. Participants will each build a small portable solar dehydrator from recycled materials, as well as learn about other more advanced designs.

Preserving the Harvest - Canning Salsa - Cost: $30/person (all supplies provided)
Sat, August 14, 1-3 pm. With Karin Kliewer, of Little City Farm.
In this busy workshop we will make salsa (using all local ingredients)to demonstrate the canning process, and discuss safe canning and preserving techniques! Each person will take home samples of salsa, plus enough resources and tips to feel confident with home canning & preserving.

Backyard Herbal Teas - Cost: $20/person
Sat, August 21, 1-3 pm. With Karin Kliewer, Master Herbalist at Little City Farm.
Feverfew for migraines...sage for sore throats...peppermint for indigestion...We will explore the herbal garden at Little City Farm, teaching which herbs grow best in our climate, when to start seedlings, how to maximize growing space, how to pick, process & dry herb teas, and make the perfect herbal infusion. Discover simple herbs you can grow that are aids for winter flus, digestion, women’s cycles, children, and stress reduction.

FALL

Saving Seeds - Cost: Pay-What-You-Can (suggested $5/person)
Sat, September 11, 1-3 pm. With Bob Wildfong, Executive Director of Seeds of Diversity.
Saving seeds & knowing how to grow our own food may be some of the most important skills we can have, as food prices rise and crop diversity declines. Attend this workshop to learn proper techniques for collecting seeds from your own garden this season, from beans to tomatoes, herbs to flowers. Proceeds from this workshop go to Seeds of Diversity, Canada’s Heritage Seed Program. More info at: www.seeds.ca.

Simple Sourdough & Baking in a Wood-Fired Cob Oven - Cost: $25/person (all supplies provided)
Sat, September 18, 1-3 pm. With Karin Kliewer, of Little City Farm.
Learn about traditional cob (adobe) construction and wood-fired baking. During this workshop we will create simple sourdough bread, and bake it in our wood-fired outdoor oven. Participants take home their own sourdough starter and recipes.

All About Fruit Trees - Cost: $25/person
Sat, October 9, 1-3 pm. With Anna-Maria Schulteis, local organic grower.
Fresh fruit picked in season from your own backyard! From planting to tending, pruning to harvest, in this workshop you will learn which fruit trees grow best in our climate and organic methods for maintaining healthy trees. Also information on how to get involved as volunteers with the local Fruit Tree Project, harvesting fruit from abandoned trees in our city.

The Art of Winemaking - Cost: $25/person
Sat, October 16, 1-3 pm. With Alfred Rempel, local urban homesteader.
Enjoy the fantastic flavours of homemade wine, made from fresh local fruit, berries, even herbs and flowers. During this workshop we will cover all the stages of home winemaking, from equipment needed, sourcing fruit, racking and bottling - and we will make a batch of wine using fresh Ontario grapes, and of course enjoy some tasting.

3rd Annual Central Art Walk & Studio Tour
Sat, October 23, 10 am-5 pm. Date to Be Confirmed.
Take a leisurely stroll through the Breithaupt-Mount Hope neighbourhood during this 3rd annual art walk/studio tour and sale. Drop by Little City Farm to see a variety of talented artists creating earth-friendly art and handmade crafts.

Traditional Rag Rug Making - Cost: $25/person
Sat, November 6, 1-3 pm to be confirmed. With Meghan MacKinnon, local urban homesteader.
Nothing says home quite so well as a rag rug on the floor, especially if you made it yourself. That's the reason that rag rugs have been made, used and loved for generations. Originally created out of necessity with limited supplies and the simplest of tools, rag rugs aren't hard to make and you can use just about any kind of fabric. They are a wonderful way to connect with the past, create an heirloom piece for your family, and preserve the traditional art of rug making. Participants will be asked to bring a selection favourite recycled fabrics from their home to weave into their own rug during this workshop.

Vegan Treats: Simple Healthy Baking for the Holidays - Cost: $25/person (all supplies provided)
Sat, November 13, 1-3 pm. With Karin Kliewer, of Little City Farm.
The holiday season can be difficult for those who have food allergies or choose a vegan diet. Learn to make simple delectable vegan treats, including raw and gluten-free ideas, to surprise your guests this season. Please bring a container to take home samples.