Creative ‘Food Forester’ Teaching June 22 & 23

Renowned Food Forester, Richard Walker, will be instructing on June 22nd and 23rd at the Shatford Centre. Space is limited, so we encourage you to research this amazing gardening process and decide whether you would like to attend as soon as possible.

Maybe you’ve read the recent UN report recognizing perennials as essential in creating sustainable food sources…

Or maybe you realized what many gardeners, farmers and people around have discovered…
Food Forest gardening provides food, fiber, fuel and medicine with lower maintenance and cost over time.

Whatever you’ve heard, food forest gardening is a method of gardening based on natural forest systems that, when mature, need little to no fertilizing, watering or maintenance.

Go to this link: http://www.permaculturebc.com/Richard-Walker-Food-Forestry-Spring-Victoria-2013 to learn more about this opportunity.

The workshop will be held from 9 am to 5 pm, June 22nd & 23rd. Cost is $200. For additional information and to register, go to http://www.osarts.com or contact Shatford Centre Okanagan School of the Arts at 250-770-7668 or send an e-mail to info@shatfordcentre.com.

Richard started as an organic farmer in Alberta. Not an easy task in the early 70′s in conservative Alberta. He applied his organic farming skills to 3 acres of bare horse pasture where 25 years later stood a lush self-sustaining forest garden. With over 400 nut trees, seven stories of food, fiber, fuel and medicinal bearing perennial plants and vines, this is a, if not the, premier food forest in Canada.

Having converted a degraded piece of land into an abundant mix of rare, unique nut, fruit and medicinal plants from all over the world, he is one of Canada’s most experienced food foresters. We are incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to learn from Richard. He’s a practicing gardener, plant breeder and herbalist.

Canada Permaculture Organic Leaf: His food forest was and is so successful that as students we can save years of trial and error by learning from him. This course attracts some of the leaders in the fields of permaculture, organic gardening, food forestry, urban homesteading and sustainability. The wealth of knowledge brought by the course participants will add to this unique opportunity to learn, share and network with others involved with regenerative land care.

Richard Walker will be instructing on June 22nd & 23rd!

Marion weeded and planted peas

Tom added new beds for planting

Michelle and Ryan installed irrigation

Michelle installed irrigation

We had another successful course last Saturday:

Brenda Lende of Naramata presented the third of our Courses at C.URB, all about how to use and look after bedding plants. There were eight in attendance, including three new members. (Welcome, Dale, Norma and Jack!) Brenda offered many good ideas for sheltering new plants and protecting them from weather, quail and other dangers. Lots of good questions were asked and answered, stories were shared, and PUAA ended up with a new bed of cauliflower.

The talk, and a panel on sustainable land use, is Thursday May 16, 6-9 pm, at the Shatford Centre and the cost is $10.

Purchase tickets online at http://www.meadowlarkfestival.bc.ca or Shatford Centre, Wed. and Sat. noon-2 pm.

Our aim is to make earth day every day. Get your green on and join us at one of our upcoming courses. Interested in volunteering? Contact us to learn you can help. Not a member yet? Join PUAA to help increase local food security in Pentiction and make your contribution to earth day at the same time.

Small Potatoes Course

Nine hardy people braved cloudy skies and a cold wind to learn about planting onions, potatoes, asparagus, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries at C.URB on April 20.
They cut seed potatoes, planted onion sets, leeks and strawberry and raspberry plants and dug ditches and holes for asparagus and blueberries. Several people even stayed after the course to discuss seeding times. Now that’s a passion for gardening!

Join us at our next course May 4th – check out our course page for more details.

Garden Boxes for Sale at C.URB

PUAA is selling garden boxes as a fundraiser.

They are 2′ 8″ x 4′ x 6″ high and we have many for sale for $20 each. Great deal!

Email coursesatcurb@gmail.com or bring $20 to a course date to pick up your garden box.

Planting of the vegetable beds at C.URB began on April 5. Eva, Kathryn, Merle, friend Norma and member Loraine seeded peas, spinach, lettuce and onions, and set out broccoli, bok choi, and kale plants. Beets and carrots were also planted as an experiment. The following days of rain should have gotten them off to a good start, however we will have to wait and see how the cold has affected the growing.

Networking

Merle and Kathryn give the PowerPoint presentation on PUAA to a meeting of the Southern Interior Horticulture Association on April 6. It generated questions, enthusiasm and plans for supporting PUAA in club newsletters, etc. PUAA board members Ryan and Monica set up shop at Seedy Saturday.

Courses

The first of the Courses at C.URB got off to a roaring start April 13 with eleven participants. Instructor Gabi Cursons held their attention with her wealth of knowledge about how to prepare and manage an organic vegetable garden.

Three-degree temps chased everyone out of the gardens and into the Shatford Centre for the course, but Jane Shaak warmed them up with hospitality and hot coffee.

Attendees said the course was exceptional and everyone expanded their knowledge base of how to start and manage an organic garden. Topics included growing challenges and benefits with specific soil types, nurturing the soil and nutrition for plants, along with timing of planting specific crops. Participates left with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to start their own gardens along with a “goody bag” of seeded greens from Gabi. We look forward to seeing Gabi at the local farmer’s market in May. See below for pictures of Gabi instructing and attentive participants!

The next course, “Small Potatoes,” is scheduled for April 20 at 10AM. Register now if you haven’t already done so. With any luck, it will be warm enough to hold the class in the gardens, because it’s very difficult to plant potatoes and blueberries in a classroom!”

Reminder: to register for course email coursesatcurb@gmail.com or call 250-494-8244.

Course: starting from scratch with Gabi Cursons

A beginner’s guide to soil basics, prep, seeds, bedding plants.

What did we do?! we pulled weeds and picked up garbage. We set up new beds and filled them with soil and compost and then restocked the compost bins. In glorious sunshine, we set up the picnic table ready for a new season of gardening courses. To top off the day, Dylan Neilson-Schenk, local arborist, arrived with a truckload of wood chips to extend the mulched area. 

Thanks to all the members of the Penticton Urban Agriculture Association who spent their Sunday morning working, and special thanks to our colleagues from the Community Garden Society, Rebecca Ogden and her sister Heather, and to Alice Mohr and Phoenix Gould-Thorneycroft for their support.

Let the growing season begin! 

Don’t forget to check out our 2013 course list!

The Penticton Whole Foods fresh produce department is seeking growers of spring vegetables to supply whole foods from April to June.
They are interested in the following products: 

Leaf Lettuce
Head (Iceberg) Lettuce
Bunch Radishes
Asian Vegetables
Spinach
Other early spring veggies and herbs
All items must be certified organic and grown in either the Similkameen or Okanagan Valleys.
For more information, please contact Whole Foods Market at 250-493-2855 or e-mail: organicrichard@shaw.ca

Sunday March 24th, 10am at C.URB

Turn up at C.URB to tidy the site in preparation for a new season of growing. Come help us rake leaves and perhaps pull a few weeds. It’s better together and you never know what you may learn!  Bring your work clothes and garden tools - and some drinking water!

Whether you are a current member, or simply interested in learning more about C.URB please feel free to stop by and say hello! There will be many members and board members present – a great way to network and meet our PUAA team.

Stay tuned for an update on our 2013 course schedule. We are offering twice as many as last year with a range of courses to suit both the novice and the seasoned gardners. There will be special course perks for members so don’t forget to renew your memberships!

We look forward to seeing you Sunday at C.URB!

When: Saturday March 9, 2013 10:00 am—2:00 pm (lunch included)

Where: Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, 4200 Hwy 97 S, Summerland

Who: All welcome

Register: friends.summerlandgardens@gmail.com or call 250-494-6385

Cost: $50 for public (membership included) $25 garden members

MAIN TOPIC:

In this workshop, Eva Durance will outline basic design principles to consider and how to put them into practice when thinking about garden design at home. She will lead us through the process of developing a plan from the idea stage through to the completion of the finished design on paper. She will also discuss how to best organize the installation, whether all in one season or over a number of seasons,

and give us tips on working out the types and numbers of plants suitable for your particular property design.

Please bring pictures of your property, including the house and other buildings, and ideas you may have of what you envision your garden/landscape to look like on completion of your garden renovation.

See the brochure here: Xeriscape ED 2013