Hi everyone.
Just finalizing details on workshops for the upcoming season;
Some of you expressed interest in coming out and helping with the greenhouse and planting or taking care of the garden this summer. I am opening it up to all helpers. We will have a help in the greenhouse day, and several planting and gardening days. This year we are growing organic vegetables that are on offer for pickup in Edmonton weekly. You can buy a share and pay week to week. See Birch Island Foods at gmail dot com for details. Website: birchislandfoods dot ca
Greenhouse helpers day – bring a bag lunch and come help transplant in the greenhouse for the morning, afternoon or all day. Limited space, contact me via email if you are interested. This will happen Starting April 28, May 4, May 11, and then we will see. We will also be building some temporary greenhouses, hoop houses and preparing garden beds.
Planting workshops will be May 18, May 25 and June 1, 8, and 15. We will be teaching about planting transplants, care and maintenance of the garden, mulching beds, and planting the fields, which you might be able to glimpse and partake of also. We will be putting on the floating row covers, and tending the garlic and potato beds. Participants will be able to take home fresh veggies and possibly plants for their own gardens.
We will also host participants through the summer on Saturday afternoons for help with garden maintenance in exchange for fresh produce or beef. Give us a call or email smileyo at xplornet dot ca if you are interested in any of these dates, and I will put your name in. We have limited space and it is for a few hours so we would like to know who is coming so all our weekends are not tied up and no one shows up. Thanks to all who are passionate about gardening and want to know more about organic growing of large scale produce, heirloom seed production or farming.
We also have one position open for a summer helper. It is not paid but we could do an exchange for a garden spot if you are interested. I have one who is, but if you are interested, please email me anyway.
We are also planning a mushroom hunt and walk for June 1 in the morning, just to have a quick look around and see if anything is showing up yet. Email if you want to combine that with the afternoon in the garden. Fee is $20.
Our fall mushroom hunts will be August 24 and 31. They will be here in Cherhill. Some of you emailed about getting me out to your location. Just send me a quick reminder and we will figure out dates for that. Fall hunts are $20 per person.
Our herb walk and tincture day will be August 10. Fee is $50 and it is all day education about wild plants and medicinal uses. You must register in advance. It is a potluck and we will do it weather be darned.
OUR SUPERFANTASTIC Alberta Open Farm Days event called the Rural Roots Farmer Showcase is happening August 17, at the George Pegg Botanic Garden!! We are so excited to be part of this first Annual Local food event in the County of Lac Ste Anne and we will be showcasing local food and farmers during the hours of 9 AM to 4 PM. All local farmers with products, food, anything wonderful will be there for you to meet, and learn about where your food is coming from and what their philosophy is on their farms. We will have local beer and or wine, crafts, art and musicians, and it will be a wonderful time to experience local delicacies. In the evening from 5-9 we close the garden as it is a ticketed LOCAL FOOD EXTRAVAGANZA CULINARY EXPERIENCE!! Local chefs with extensive experience will work with local farmers fresh items to prepare the meal of the century! It will be a dining experience to remember under the open skies and fantastic surroundings of one of the oldest, most unique gardens in Alberta. A best kept secret. Tickets are limited to 50 and are $100 each. If you are interested, you must get a hold of us early. Call 780 seven eight five, 2622.
I am thinking of hosting a preservation workshop for canning and freezing and drying of fresh produce for long term storage. This will be informal but at a commercial kitchen in the local hall. So there will be a full day workshop, and you will have to bring a canner, jars and whatever you want to preserve. We will cover pickles, jam, jelly, fresh fruit, vegetables in season and kale chips probably. We might even do relish. I would bring in a seasoned professional with me and it will be limited space, only 15 participants. The fee for the day is $50 to cover hall rental and educational materials and recipes. Please email me early as this always fills up. We will host this in July on the 20th if the hall is available.
Also on July 24 in the afternoon of the mushroom walk, we will have a workshop on beginner seed saving, so people can take a walk in the garden and learn about pollinating by hand (melons and squashes), see the plants in various stages of seed development and help with some harvest of early things (lettuce). It is an awesome time to be in the garden and in the world. Space limited to 10. This course will be $25. We will host another in September on the 7th and 14th when there are more hands on things to do. Again, these are $25.
We may host some final gardening workshops in late August and early September where helpers can take home fresh produce in exchange for help with the harvesting and clean up of the gardens. If you are interested, call or email.
We will do a final seed harvesting workshop in October. TBA.
I hope everyone has a great season, and makes this the year to learn about all those things that are important to you and that you actually take the time for you!!
Make it a great year!
Denise
A'Bunadh Seeds (A-Boo-Nar) 
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