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Fri Aug 9

1:30 pm –

Plant Spirit Meditation

Carissa QuadfassGarden

A plant spirit meditation to connect with a plant (or other being!) that calls to you. This is an opportunity to quiet the colonized mind, the loud and busy mind, and drop into the somatic experience of atunement with our other-than-human friends.

All you’ll need is an open mind and heart, something to sit on and some paper and a writing tool. I recommend something nicer to honor the ritual and intention, but anything will do!

We’ll start with some gentle movement to ground and a body scan meditation to quiet the mind and connect us with our felt senses. We’ll then listen as a plant reaches out to connect with us, or we’ll reach out to a plant that captivates us. 

Then we’ll take a guided journey of connection and sensual experience as a group to befriend the plants we’ve chosen, or who have chosen us. This will include a guided meditation as well as tactile experiencing. After this we’ll take some time to integrate and/or record our impressions. 
Finally there will be an option to do a drawing of the plant we’ve connected with or to further explore our impressions in a more embodied way.

Fri 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
18 max

Tending the Body as a Garden

Chad CornellForest

Join herbalist Chad Cornell to explore our body as an ecosystem and our ecosystem as a body. We will explore key plant allies that can easily be grown or harvested locally. We will also spotlight specific herbs as they relate to our body systems as well as discuss which plants like to grow together and the conditions they thrive in!

Fri 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
30 max

Wild Herbal Sodas

Jodi HildebrandKitchen

After collecting herbal flavours from the herb garden (and perhaps the land), we’ll concoct our own “wild” soda blend. You’ll learn how to create a wild soda starter and/or use store-bought starter. You’ll also receive “how to” instructions and suggestions for creating your very own wild sodas at home!

Please bring:

  • 1 – 500ml jar with lid

Fri 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
16 max

3:30 pm –

Doshas & The 6 Fundamental Qualities of Herbs

Callen FroeseGarden

Join Callen to discover your dosha and explore 6 fundamental qualities of herbs. Examine and taste a variety of medicines to understand their characteristics and how they relate to each dosha.

Fri 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
30 max

Folk Tincture-Making

Amelia MacDougallKitchen

Step by step how to make a folk tincture, with teachings on which herbs make good tinctures, their usefulness, and different tinctures to try and compare.

Please bring:

  1. A jar – No larger than 16oz (500ml) is best.

  2. A solvent of your choice – We recommend vodka or brandy. Vodka lets the flavour of the herb take centre stage, while brandy lends a sweeter flavor. If you would like to avoid alcohol, you can bring apple cider vinegar. Fresher is better here as vinegar is more prone to losing its preservative action over time. Bring about 250mL of your chosen solvent.

  3. Optional: a funnel.

Fri 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
18 max

Native Plant ID Walk

Jenna VandalForest

Join Jenna for a native plant ID walk, including sharing of knowledge on how to identify prairie plants, their edible and medicinal uses, as well as their Indigenous names. Also learn resources to help start you on your own plant identification journey.

Jenna is a Metis naturalist and activist born and raised in St. Boniface, Winnipeg- the heart of the Metis Nation. She delivers Native plant identification walks in both English and French and have been facilitating these walks since 2019 in urban greenspaces in and around Winnipeg. I am most passionate about engaging with Indigenous youth on the land, and exploring their connection to, and inherent knowledge of prairie plants, as well as teaching people how to be safe and secure out on the land.
Fri 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
14 max

Sat Aug 10

9:30 am –

Herbal Kitchen Terroir

Jodi Hildebrand1. Kitchen

Expand your relationship to homegrown and ethically wild-crafted herbs by working with them to create beautiful and flavourful culinary dishes. Incorporate nourishing foods that grow in your biome into delightful treats including baked goods, flavoured vinegars, salts and sugars, popsicles, dehydrated powders, etc.

Note:

This venue has workstations made for standing. There will be one table to sit at; if you need to sit, please let us know and we will reserve that space for you. Make sure to bring your chair!

Sat 9:30 am – 11:00 am
17 max

Mushroom Foray

Tom Nagy3. Tent

Let’s go on a mushroom foray through the fields and forests on the fest grounds where we will search for, observe and discuss wild fungi and how to identify them.

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Tom Nagy is an environmental consultant and ecologist with a passion for ethnobotany and mycology. Tom advocates for a greater understanding and appreciation of how we interact with the natural world by delivering thoughtful and engaging workshops and lectures on organic agriculture, mushroom cultivation and wild foraging. His enthusiasm for and knowledge of plants and fungi is addictive, enlightening and highly entertaining.
Sat 9:30 am – 11:00 am
15 max

Pig Butchery

Nick Turnbull4. Orchard

How to butcher your own pork and prepare for the incredible abundance that a family pig provides, from meat, bones for broth, fat for rendering into lard, and basic home curing. Some hands-on components.

Nick and his family moved out to the Whitemouth area in Spring 2019, to a 22 acre parcel of forested land at the edge of the wild, where the great Canadian Shield meets the open prairie. Their dream of growing their own chemical-free, all natural, nutrient-dense food started to become reality. Their ethos: Respect for the soil. Respect for the water. Respect for the diversity of life.
Sat 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
15 max

Plant ID Walk

Jenna Vandal5. A-Frame

Join Jenna for a native plant ID walk, including sharing of knowledge on how to identify prairie plants, their edible and medicinal uses, as well as their Indigenous names. Also learn resources to help start you on your own plant identification journey.

Jenna is a Metis naturalist and activist born and raised in St. Boniface, Winnipeg- the heart of the Metis Nation. She delivers Native plant identification walks in both English and French and have been facilitating these walks since 2019 in urban greenspaces in and around Winnipeg. I am most passionate about engaging with Indigenous youth on the land, and exploring their connection to, and inherent knowledge of prairie plants, as well as teaching people how to be safe and secure out on the land.
Sat 9:30 am – 11:00 am
12 max

Wicking Bed Build

Paul Kruse2. Picnic Shelter

Join Paul, of Northern Grove, for a wicking bed build. We’ll discuss rainwater harvesting and soil health, and then build a wicking bed together on site.

Sat 9:30 am – 11:00 am

12:00 pm –

Cob Oven Baking

Karin Kliewer2. Picnic Shelter

Baking with fire elevates breads and pizzas to a whole new level, and connects us to baking traditions used around the world for centuries.  Join this hands-on baking workshop to learn all about cob ovens and how to bake with one.  We will talk about cob oven construction, firing an oven, and participate in hands-on baking of personal pita breads on the hearth.  Gluten-free dough will be available.

Sat 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
20 max

Fermentation

Reta Saborowski1. Kitchen

“Fermented Condiments: Create Delicious Magic in a Jar” where Reta will inspire you to bravely swirl salt, spice and veggies to replace the boring supermarket fare that you have been forced to endure.

Please bring:

  • a knife you love (paring/kitchen)

  • grater/rasp

  • bowl (min 3 L)

  • jars (2 jars with plastic lid; 1 pint each)

  • wide mouth funnel (jar funnel)

  • salt

Note:

This venue has workstations made for standing. There will be one table to sit at; if you need to sit, please let us know and we will reserve that space for you. Make sure to bring your chair!

Born of love and chaos, Reta Saborowski is a fierce adventurer in search of flavour, experience and expertise. By day, an ISA certified arborist who runs Bee EZ Tree Service with her husband Chris, by early evening, you will find Reta whipping up epicurean delights in her kitchen, trying to figure out what plants the previous owners of her acreage planted, hanging with her favourite kiddo or walking the dog. After a stint in the food safety governed world of restaurants, there was no way that Reta would leave a jar on the counter for two hours, let alone two weeks. But over the past two decades, from wine making to beer brewing, cheese to sourdough, sauerkraut to salsa, Reta has tended to them all (with a reasonable rate of success) Reta believes that dancing with Mother Nature, as she was taught, is the best way to have success in the garden and the kitchen. Reta's favourite colour is green, her favourite vegetable is zucchini and her favourite place is in community with like minded people. 
Sat 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
15 max

Soapmaking

Deann Chambers3. Tent

Learn the steps to cold-process soap-making using animal fats, mainly lard from pigs (but we will talk about how to use other animal fats or oils that participants may have access to). We’ll talk about incorporating herbs into homemade soaps and harvest a little bunch of herbs from the field near our workshop for you to take home for your next batch of soap.

Please bring:

  • Bring a 1L milk carton

  • Safety glasses

  • Rubber gloves

  • Apron

  • Button-up/long-sleeve shirt

*This group will meet briefly on Sunday at 11:30am to check the soap and possibly cut it (if not ready, we can meet again at 2:30pm).

Deanne Chambers from Four Sons Homestead is located in Northwest Ontario, north of Kenora, Treaty 3. Her family of 6 – four boys, husband, and herself live off-grid on a 140 forest. They live with 10 puppies, 2 livestock guardian dogs, a German Shepherd, a handful of pigs, chickens, and cats!
Sat 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
16 max

Soil Food Web Compost-Making

Heather Unger5. A-Frame

Join us for Biological Composting 101. We’ll chat about all things soil health and then get our hands dirty. We’ll bring in knowledge from Dr. Elaine Ingham’s teaching on composting.

Sat 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
30 max

3:30 pm –

Healing with Tradition

Carl Smith5. A-Frame

Join Carl Smith, of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, and chair of Debwendon (and the Brokenhead Wetland Interpretive Trail) to explore Healing with Tradition.

Sat 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
12 max

Natural Movement

Sara Siggelkow4. Orchard

Join Sara Siggelkow, certified Movenat coach, for a natural movement session. Learn to move how our ancestors moved and how the human body is still built to move.

Sat 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
15 max

Salo Curing

Maarit Tymchyshyn1. Kitchen

Students will learn about the history and culture of Ukrainian pork fat curing, as well as the method by which to cure pork fat in this tradition. We’ll cover the salt-curing method and students will create their own seasoning blends with traditional spices and how to do the curing with a piece of pork fat (hands-on).

Note:

This venue has workstations made for standing. There will be one table to sit at; if you need to sit, please let us know and we will reserve that space for you. Make sure to bring your chair!

Sat 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
20 max

Tree Pruning & Planting

Paul Kruse2. Picnic Shelter

Workshop description coming soon.

Sat 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
30 max

Sun Aug 11

9:30 am –

Beekeeping

Jordan Janisse3. Tent

Workshop description coming soon.

Sun 9:30 am – 11:00 am
15 max

Fermentation

Reta Saborowski1. Kitchen

“Fermented Condiments: Create Delicious Magic in a Jar” where Reta will inspire you to bravely swirl salt, spice and veggies to replace the boring supermarket fare that you have been forced to endure.

Please bring:

  • a knife you love (paring/kitchen)

  • grater/rasp

  • bowl (min 3 L)

  • jars (2 jars with plastic lid; 1 pint each)

  • wide mouth funnel (jar funnel)

  • salt

Note:

This venue has workstations made for standing. There will be one table to sit at; if you need to sit, please let us know and we will reserve that space for you. Make sure to bring your chair!

Born of love and chaos, Reta Saborowski is a fierce adventurer in search of flavour, experience and expertise. By day, an ISA certified arborist who runs Bee EZ Tree Service with her husband Chris, by early evening, you will find Reta whipping up epicurean delights in her kitchen, trying to figure out what plants the previous owners of her acreage planted, hanging with her favourite kiddo or walking the dog. After a stint in the food safety governed world of restaurants, there was no way that Reta would leave a jar on the counter for two hours, let alone two weeks. But over the past two decades, from wine making to beer brewing, cheese to sourdough, sauerkraut to salsa, Reta has tended to them all (with a reasonable rate of success) Reta believes that dancing with Mother Nature, as she was taught, is the best way to have success in the garden and the kitchen. Reta's favourite colour is green, her favourite vegetable is zucchini and her favourite place is in community with like minded people. 
Sun 9:30 am – 11:00 am
12 max

Moon Cycle Planting & Fall/Winter Seeding

Audrey Logan5. A-Frame

Join Audrey Logan, founder of the Klinic Teaching Garden, to talk about fall/winter seeding and moon cycle seeding, with storytelling involved about said methods.

Audrey will tell 3 stories first, then the science of them. How the Seed got over the Mountain, Moon Talks to the Seeds on Why the Trees Lose their Leaves.

Sun 9:30 am – 11:00 am
30 max

Plant ID: Tips and Tricks

Laura Reeves2. Picnic Shelter

Are you wanting to break through the “wall of green”? Learn the basics of plant identification and test your new skill with a fun scavenger hunt!

Sun 9:30 am – 11:00 am
15 max

Wild Game Cooking

Dawn Scarfe4. Orchard

Join Dawn in the campground kitchen to work together to create some amazing dishes with wild game! Learn the differences and similarities of cooking wild game vs farmed meat. Explore goose, duck, and grouse, and try your hand at cooking with cast iron, a tripod over the fire, and more! 

Sun 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
15 max

12:00 pm –

Greenhouse Dome Build

Mike Mailman2. Picnic Shelter

Join us to work together to construct a wooden geodesic dome greenhouse! This hands-on workshop will include some basic tool use. Greenhouses are forever a work in progress, re-imagining the set-up and workflow can transform your space from dance studio to workshop, sauna, etc. and back to greenhouse. The possibilities are boundless as your imagination.

Mike is a market gardener with a huge selection of tomatoes, a focus on fun, healthy food, and President of the Board for Friends of Gardens Manitoba, a non-profit, charitable organization engaging Manitoba communities through horticultural education.
Sun 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
15 max

Mini Willow Basket & Materials Walk

Laura Reeves5. A-Frame

Basket-making is a very relaxing and grounding activity. In this class, you will learn how to identify and harvest the proper willows to make a mini basket. Then you’ll make your own beautiful and, most importantly, functional basket for gathering … whatever you want! You will learn the purpose of several different weave patterns as you incorporate them into your basket.

Please bring:

  • Buck knife (no folding knives, please)

  • Pruners

  • Needle-nose pliers

  • Small board ~ 1 ft x 1 ft

  • Pen, pencil, notebook, camera

  • Rubber boots

  • Blanket or tarp to sit on (in case the ground is wet)

Sun 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
12 max

Mushroom Cultivation

Tom Nagy1. Kitchen

Join in on this hands-on mushroom cultivation program where we will assemble oyster mushroom grow kits and discuss mushroom growing in general.

  • There is a $20 fee (paid in cash, directly to the teacher, on the day of the workshop) to make & take your own ready-to-go mushroom pail. This is optional – you can take in the workshop and NOT add on the take-home element.

Note:

This venue has workstations made for standing. There will be one table to sit at; if you need to sit, please let us know and we will reserve that space for you. Make sure to bring your chair! Weather permitting, this workshop may take place outside.

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Tom Nagy is an environmental consultant and ecologist with a passion for ethnobotany and mycology. Tom advocates for a greater understanding and appreciation of how we interact with the natural world by delivering thoughtful and engaging workshops and lectures on organic agriculture, mushroom cultivation and wild foraging. His enthusiasm for and knowledge of plants and fungi is addictive, enlightening and highly entertaining.
Sun 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
20 max

Pastured Pigs

Nick Turnbull3. Tent

How to get started with pigs on your homestead and why they are the perfect addition to your homestead and your larder.

Nick and his family moved out to the Whitemouth area in Spring 2019, to a 22 acre parcel of forested land at the edge of the wild, where the great Canadian Shield meets the open prairie. Their dream of growing their own chemical-free, all natural, nutrient-dense food started to become reality. Their ethos: Respect for the soil. Respect for the water. Respect for the diversity of life.
Sun 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
40 max

3:30 pm –

Cityfolk Farm Tour

Mike Berg & Kris Antonius1. Kitchen

Join Mike for a guided tour and info session about the composting toilets used on the Take Root Fest grounds. We’ll explore the larger composting toilet outhouses as well as smaller bucket-sized toilets that can be used indoors.

Join Kris for a tour of the medicinal herb gardens. Spend time connecting with the plants, browsing herbal books, followed by a Q & A period.

Sun 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Floral Eco-Printing

Lourdes Still4. Orchard

Learn about eco-printing using botanicals that are growing at Awaken Herbs in this exploratory, hands-on workshop with Lourdes Still. Learn how to prepare fabric to take in the naturally occurring dyes and aftercare best practices. Participants will try out the process repurposing pre-mordanted fabric scraps from Lourdes’ studio.

Please bring:

  • A small piece of fabric (kerchief kind of size) to work with to compare the difference between mordanted and non-mordanted fibre.

Lourdes Still is the visionary behind Masagana Flower Farm & Studio, a seasonal flower farm, natural dye studio and experiential tourism destination near La Broquerie, Manitoba. Through a commitment to environmentally-conscious land stewardship, Lourdes emphasizes eco-friendly growing practices after turning lawns into garden beds. She grows seasonal blooms specializing in plants and flowers that can be used as natural dye sources. The farm is seasonal, but her floral-dyed projects are year-round. Focusing on the TINTA experience, guests use natural flower dyes to create their wearable art. Many of the plants are grown on-site, and depending on the time of year, guests can participate in a flower u-pick or forage-from-the-forest experience to create their unique eco-print on textiles. She believes that growing joy (through flowers) and making magic (through dye plants) is right at our fingertips and our gardens present opportunities to respond positively to the climate emergency.
Sun 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
20 max

Natural Movement

Sara Siggelkow3. Tent

Join Sara Siggelkow, certified Movenat coach, for a natural movement session. Learn to move how our ancestors moved and how the human body is still built to move.

Sun 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
15 max