MARCH 2-3, 2019: GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB – YA Peace Country Winter Mixer

Posted by Lilli Klamke on February 12, 2019

The second Young Agrarians Farmer Mixer in the Peace Country is coming up! If you are a farmer, passionate food lover, grower, or a farm dreamer, join us! These two days will be filled with networking, skill sharing, and farm inspiration to help you grow your own farm business and farm story.

When: Saturday, March 2 – Sunday, March 3, 2019

Where:  Camp Tamarack located south of Grande Prairie. Follow Highway 40 south, turn east onto secondary Highway 668, turn south onto Range Road 62 and you will find the camp on your left side. Find it on Google Maps.

Cost: $75 + GST/person includes overnight accommodation and meals sourced from local farmers.  If you are unable to join us for both days, we have a day rate available as well. Work trade positions available, contact Lilli: albertapeace@youngagrarians.org

Registration: Please save your spot by clicking here!

Questions? Please contact Lilli: albertapeace@youngagrarians.org

The following topics will be part of this year’s workshop:

  • Financial Farm Planning
  • “Local Roots Gardens” successful farm start-up story
  • Farm Cooperatives
  • Reconciliation and Farming on Treaty Land
  • Farming Apprenticeships by Young & Elder Agrarians

Meet with other farmers and share your story, your ideas, struggles, and successes. Find mentors and supporters, engage in new opportunities and get to know your farming companions in the Peace Country.

Sign up for our traditional Farmer Slide Shows, bring books for the Farmer’s Library and meet interesting folks at our Saturday evening potluck dinner! It is open to everyone, feel free to bring your friends!

ACCOMMODATION & MEALS

  • Delicious lunches and Sunday morning breakfast featuring local ingredients will be provided (please inform us about dietary restrictions in the registration questionnaire)
  • If you are staying overnight, guests are asked to please bring their own bedding, towels, and toiletries. Rooms are shared. Showers are available to guests. Please inform us that you are staying overnight in the registration questionnaire. Rooms are available for Friday and Saturday night.
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU: 
  • Travel mug for your coffee or tea (this will help us do fewer dishes!)
  • Potluck dish for our Saturday night potluck social – invite your friends! A small kitchen will be available for heating up food and refrigerating potluck dishes.
  • Bedding, pillow, towel, toiletries.
  • Your best (or worst) farm photos for our Farmer Slideshow
  • Notebook for soaking up all the farmtastic wisdom!
  • Warm, winter clothing for walks outside

Workshop Schedule:

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Farm Business-/ Financial Management and Co-operatives in Agriculture- Chris Bodnar, Farmer, and Business Planning Consultant

Chris BodnarChris Bodnar co-owns and operates Close to Home Organics with his wife, Paige, at Glen Valley Organic Farm in Abbotsford. Prior to farming, Chris earned a Ph.D. in Communication from Carleton University. Chris teaches the business planning components of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Sustainable Agriculture program. Chris sits on the board of the Mount Lehman Credit Union. He does business planning consulting with small-scale farmers and is a mentor with the Young Agrarians’ BC Business Mentorship Network.


Gardening and Sharing Your Farm Story – Sarah Simmonds, Local Roots Garden

SS Sarah and Micheal Simmonds have been farming together since 2010 on land that was homesteaded by Micheals’ family in 1969. Local Roots is a market garden located between High Prairie and Valleyview Alberta, where Sarah and Micheal are farming with their roots deeply planted in the local community. Over the years their farm business has been expanding and they ventured from supplying the local eatery “The Farm Truck” to a “CSA Veggie Box Subscription” as well as supplying their produce at Farmers Markets in the area.

 


Reconciliation and Farming on Treaty Land – Julian Napoleon, Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty

JN Julian Napoleon is Dane-zaa and Cree from the Peace River region. Napoleon grew up immersed in the subsistence practices of his family and community, hunting, fishing, foraging, and learning cultural protocols. Napoleon studied applied biology in Food & Environment at the University of British Columbia. He has also spent many years studying and practicing small-scale organic agriculture. As a member of the Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Napoleon is dedicated to raising awareness around Indigenous issues related to land, water, food, and community as well as, challenging the misconceptions surrounding the dominant western capitalist ideology.


Hands-on: Young Agrarians Apprentice Mackenzie Lynn Bouteiller shares her Apprenticeship Story

MB Mackenzie Lynn Bouteiller took part in the Alberta Young Agrarians Apprenticeship program. Close to Red Deer Alberta, she gained experience at Steel Pony Farm, a market garden brought to life by Mike Kozlowski. 

 

 


“Nourish Your Inner Pioneer” – Donovan and Lisa Kitt, Farmer, The Homestead

The Homestead

Lisa and Donovan Kitt  first met at a Holistic management course in the Peace Country. Only a year and a half later, they purchased a quarter section of land that is now THE HOMESTEAD. Their vision is to nourish the bodies and minds of their community and to celebrate local food by creating a relationship between the farmer and the consumer. Lisa and Donovan are living simply in a log cabin powered by the sun, heated with a wood stove, and by producing as much of their own food as possible.


Farming Apprenticeships by Elder Agrarians – Jerry Kitt, Farmer, First Nature Farms

Jerry Kitt Jerry Kitt has experienced it all, it seems like. The interested and eager interns, the relaxed and casual visitors. For decades he has inspired people of all ages and nationalities who have come to work and learn on First Nature Farms in Goodfare, AB. Wwoofers and apprentices have a range of duties and farm tasks to accomplish, but one thing is consistent – many of them choose to either stay longer or come back as soon as they can.  If you have any questions about being a farm host and mentor, Jerry is the man to field your questions.


All are welcome; we are looking forward to seeing you!

 

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