Food Action Society

What seeds are you sowing this spring?

Mikaela Cannon is WOW with the wild w**ds, don't miss your chance to learn from her.

Coming up this weekend, Sunday, April 7th from 2-3pm is our final Sunday Session for Self-Sufficiency hosted at Buckerfield's Salmon Arm! It will be a great session to discover the bounty all around us as the fresh "w**ds" begin to pop up in our gardens and yards. Is it a w**d or is it actually a food? Learn more from foraging author and wild foodie, Mikaela Cannon.
She'll provide knowledge AND samples and a passion for Foraging as a Way of Life!

Be sure to register to let us know how many are coming!
Head to www.shuswapfood.ca/sunday-sessions

We want to thank the support of Buckerfield's for allowing us to be in their space each Sunday, where they held the room for us and set up the chairs for guests. We couldn't do this without these kinds of partnerships!

We also thank the wonderful speakers who came to present and share their time and knowledge with us. We are all truly blessed to have so much information to access right in our own community.

And thank you to all those who came and learned with us. We hope it will have encouraged more people to learn how to grow, raise and make their own food and medicine and then SHARE that knowledge with others.

More learning to come as we begin the physical work of growing and making food for the community! The Shuswap Community Teaching Garden is taking shape and work bees coming soon! Opportunities to learn will be on-site with our excellent Garden Crew! Stay tuned and head to our page www.shuswapfood.ca/communitygarden where you can sign up for our newsletter and be kept up to date with garden specific topics.

How to Use Every Mulch: The Ultimate Growers' Guide Today's video is a total mulch breakdown. We cover: how to use straw, what is straw, what is hay, how to use hay, mulching with leaves, mulching with cardboa...

The best part? Dandelions are some of the first flowers in spring and they feed the bees.... AND.. they fix nitrogen into the soil for all the other plants....❤

On Monday, April 29th, join us for an online screening of our recently produced Innovative Cover Cropping Video Series! Dig into new and diverse cover cropping practices in the Peace Region, South Okanagan and Fraser Valley/Lower Mainland, spanning five different sectors.

After the screening, there will be a Q&A session with featured farmers and researchers, including Jed Franklin of SR Farms, Karnail Sidhu Singh of Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Dr. Kirsten Hannam of Summerland Research and Development Centre, Alex Schwichtenberg of Holberg Farm, and Jolene Noble of Jackknife Creek Land & Cattle.

This event is free but registration is required. Save your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/innovative-cover-cropping-video-series-screening-tickets-861799945837

Check your pallets before you put them in your garden.

As upcycling pallets in the garden becomes more fashionable pallet safety becomes more important.... How to choose non-toxic pallets for your diy projects.....
From lovelygreens.com

Tomorrow, April 3rd, is the last day to register for How to Start Farming, an online program for people who are farm-curious!

Love the idea of farming, but not quite sure if you'd love the day-to-day? Wondering whether raising chickens for eggs or meat is a better fit for your goals and lifestyle? Our 4-week program can help you answer those questions.

How to Start Farming will cover everything from overviews of different kinds of farming to basic soil health principles to preparing for your first farm visit. In this program, you will have the opportunity to:

🌿Be introduced to Indigenous food systems and relationship to the land (led by Nehiyaw/Métis Knowledge Keeper Audrey Logan, Treaty 1 Territory)
🌿Discover how to address climate change through farming methods
🌿Explore paths to get more involved in farming
🌿Meet farmers and peers who are passionate about local food
🌿Hear first-hand stories of the joys and challenges of growing food

WHEN: April 3-24, 2024

Learn more and register here: https://youngagrarians.org/courses/how-to-start-farming/

Here's a learning opportunity in Chase BC Sunday April 7!

This is a great opportunity to explore the topic of lasagna gardening and get some hands on experience with Regenerative Landscape Designer, Shelaigh Garson from EveryOne's Eden Permaculture Land Design.
Bring some gloves, a water bottle, and a wheelbarrow if you can, all help is welcome!

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) has started a community garden initiative, providing supplemental greens to their Community Agencies: local non-profits that run food programming.

Tucked away in a parking lot in behind the Vancouver Agencies Market, the garden creates the perfect environment to engage with their Agencies about food, recipes, and gardening. The GVFB currently has over 130 Agencies across Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and the North Shore. Partnerships include housing agencies, neighbourhood houses, after school programs, universities, and many more. Depending on the size and capacity of each Agency, they receive food support on a weekly basis to go towards their meal, snack, or hamper programs.

The GVFB gardens' greens are added as a supplementary addition to the Agencies’ weekly food orders. Last year, they've distributed over 400 lbs. of produce! Their Agencies were thrilled with the quality and have reported how the produce has been a great addition to their salads, soups, sandwiches, and other dishes.

The garden is a true community effort with local businesses, donors, staff, volunteers, and board members coming together to tend to this wonderful project. Looking ahead, they continue to inspire Agencies to grow their own local produce, whether it be in their own parking lots or backyards! Follow along on their gardening journey by following their social media accounts. Follow them at: https://www.facebook.com/VanFoodBank/

This is an awesome program.

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) has started a community garden initiative, providing supplemental greens to their Community Agencies: local non-profits that run food programming.

Tucked away in a parking lot in behind the Vancouver Agencies Market, the garden creates the perfect environment to engage with their Agencies about food, recipes, and gardening. The GVFB currently has over 130 Agencies across Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and the North Shore. Partnerships include housing agencies, neighbourhood houses, after school programs, universities, and many more. Depending on the size and capacity of each Agency, they receive food support on a weekly basis to go towards their meal, snack, or hamper programs.

The GVFB gardens' greens are added as a supplementary addition to the Agencies’ weekly food orders. Last year, they've distributed over 400 lbs. of produce! Their Agencies were thrilled with the quality and have reported how the produce has been a great addition to their salads, soups, sandwiches, and other dishes.

The garden is a true community effort with local businesses, donors, staff, volunteers, and board members coming together to tend to this wonderful project. Looking ahead, they continue to inspire Agencies to grow their own local produce, whether it be in their own parking lots or backyards! Follow along on their gardening journey by following their social media accounts. Follow them at: https://www.facebook.com/VanFoodBank/

This Sunday in Salmon Arm, check it out!

Coming up this Sunday from 2-3pm at Buckerfield's Salmon Arm, our Sunday Session is with Mari Summers of Mari's Gold Aromatherapy!
As we come into the gardening season and summer, it's great to learn more about the plants that can aid in our skin health (and so much more). Mari's focus will be on Calendula, an amazing flower which has so many uses, and St. John's Wort. Food AND Medicine. Nature is awesome.

The Sessions will be hosted at Buckerfield's in their upstairs conference room. Sessions are a sliding scale donation between $5-15. Registration is not required but it is very much appreciated. You can do so here: www.shuswapfood.ca/sunday-sessions

Sunday Sessions for Self Sufficiency are down to the last 2 of this season! We will still be offering opportunities for learning through the growing season at our garden programs so stay tuned for that yet the Sessions at Buckerfield's Salmon Arm will stop as of Sunday, April 7th when we host local forager and author, Mikaela Cannon. You can sign up for her Session, Foarging as a Way of Life, at the above link.

"By integrating livestock into the farming system, biodynamic farmers aim to create a harmonious and self-sustaining ecosystem where plants, animals, and soil interact in a balanced and regenerative manner."

Livestock on a biodynamic farm are a true eco-partner!

By integrating livestock into the farming system, biodynamic farmers aim to create a harmonious and self-sustaining ecosystem where plants, animals, and soil interact in a balanced and regenerative manner. Livestock produces valuable manure, enriching the soil naturally and removing the need for external fertilisers, and grazing practices, like rotational grazing, not only ensure healthier pastures but also contribute to biodiversity, soil health and minimising soil erosion.

This holistic approach reflects the interconnectedness of all elements on the farm and aligns with the principles of biodynamic agriculture. Their presence isn't just about farming; it's about fostering a balanced, self-sustaining ecosystem where every element plays a vital role. 🌍💚

This conversation is tomorrow. Looks interesting!

WEBINAR: Join Dr. Branimir Gjetvaj of the Prairie Food System Vision Network for a webinar on bioodiversity conservation and food security!

Biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability and food production have traditionally been explored as separate disciplines. In his presentation, Branimir will argue for a transformative, systems approach to seek solutions that will work in synergy to restore biodiversity and improve agroecosystem resilience.

WHEN: Friday, March 22nd, 2024 at 12:00pm MT

Learn more and register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0Bzy4S99QtGSw0mCm0Nn8g

Save the date!

Check out this free course offered by West Coast Seeds!

➕️Add eco-friendly practices to your organic gardening toolkit by signing up for our new FREE Grow Greener course.

With a focus on sustainability, this self-paced course will guide you through shrinking waste, swapping out lawns, building better soil, gardening for pollinators, and so much more.

Get started today for a 🌍️greener tomorrow.

🔗http://tinyurl.com/3tkthn7m

Easy peasy lettuce squeezy!

Planting a garden into cardboard boxes is one of the best (and easiest no dig) methods we have found to garden yet... And next year just put new boxes on top of old boxes... it all eventually is compost. Fantastic method for areas with terrible soil of if you don't have a way to dig (or want to)...❤