SLUGS

Fermented Beverages, Sunday May 26th, 1:00-4:00 pm

Ever wondered how your grandad made his own carbonated root beer? Or what kombucha is? In this focused workshop, we’ll explore the wide world of fermented beverages. From kombucha to kvass, ginger beer to fizzy sweet cider, we’ll look at the actions of microbacteria that turn the most mundane of ingredients into incredible delights! After a brief presentation on the theory of yeast and lactobacillus-based ferments, we will spend the workshop preparing a variety of drinks.

Please visit our Eventbrite page to register, as space is limited.

There is a plethora of communication happening right before our eyes in the plant world. Come hang out, get a glimpse into the intricate relationships between plants, and learn how we can read some of these plant signals to further our own understanding of our garden ecosystem. We’ll be talking companion planting, the importance of phenology (allowing different flowerings or migrations to be your signals for when to plant things) and taking an in-depth look at a handful of “all-star plants” that will blow your mind with all that they offer the garden and you.

Location: The straw bale building at the Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St, Victoria BC.

Suggested donation: $5-10 (no one turned away)

Please visit our Eventbrite page to reserve your space for this workshop.

Vancouver Island is a wild foodie’s heaven!  There are tons of species of plants both native and invasive that make fantastic free fare. This workshop will focus on native edible species that are found in high enough abundance to be harvested sustainably.  Participants will be taught how to positively ID a number of native edibles as well as their poisonous lookalikes.  Historical and medicinal uses will also be discussed.

This workshop will be taught by Katy Harding, who you may remember from our edible weeds and mushroom walk events last year.  She has been munching on wild plants since she was a young child and has gained a keen knowledge of biology through her diploma in environmental technology and work term as a Garry oak recovery technician which helped develop many of the skills she uses today to ID plants.  Wild and home grown foods make up a large part of her diet and due to extreme caution regarding research and identification  she has not poisoned herself or any of those around her while pursuing her passion.

Suggested donation:  $5-10 (no one turned away)

Location:  The straw bale building at the Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St, Victoria, BC

Please register through our Eventbrite site, as space is limited.

Come learn to make your own bean ferments! Tempeh and Miso are tasty and incredibly nutritious bean-based ferments which use the enzymatic power of specific fungal cultures to pre-digest and transforms ordinary beans into extraordinary culinary delights.

In this interactive workshop, we will cover the basic concepts involved in home fermenting. We will then dive into the specific world of bean ferments, including sourcing ingredients and equipment, with plenty of room for Q+A. Finally, we will get hands on, and make our own batches of Miso and Tempeh!  Each participant will take home some samples, as well as recipes, a ‘suggested reading list’, and inspiration for future fermenting fervor!

Please bring your own pint-sized mason jars for samples. If you forget, there will be some jars provided.

Location:  The straw bale building at the Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St, Victoria BC.

Suggested donation:  $10 (no one turned away)

Please register through our Eventbrite page.

“My ancestors have farmed this land generation after generation, and I just about ended the whole thing. What do you do when nothing is left? And in a rural community where you aren’t welcome because you’re kind of different.” —Farmer John Peterson
The Real Dirt on Farmer John examines the decline in family farms and the increasing industrialization of farming in the U.S. through the lens of one farmer’s experience. Equal parts powerful and quirky, this film chronicles Petersen’s fight to keep his family farm as well as his battle to find his place in a rural community where radical thinking and creative self expression are not always entirely welcome.

Location: Camas Books, 2620 Quadra St

Cost: by donation, with all profits going to Camas Books