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Guest Speakers Schedule
Guest Speakers Bios
Hosted by
James Bay Market
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Victoria's premier networking and educational event for gardeners of all abilities! Join us at the first gardening event of the year that features::
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- open-pollinated, organic, heritage and unique seeds for sale direct from the growers
- perennials, native plants, bulbs
- small fruits and seedlings
- products from and for the garden
- mushroom kits, hemp seed, cheese and more
- mason bees, bee boxes, honey
- garden club and non-profit displays and demonstrations
- kids' educational activities
- Master Gardeners
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Bring your own saved seeds to donate or trade at the Seed Exchange. Seeds should be cleaned, packaged in clear bags, and labelled with the variety and year saved.
The Kids' Space will offer simple activities supervised by Victoria Compost Education Centre volunteers; parents stay with their children.
Seedy Cafe is offered this year with snacks, beverages and light lunches from 11am - 2pm.
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For information, please call 250.381.5323.
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2:00 PM
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Brian Minter, Minter Country Garden
Connecting Sustainability to LIfe Styles and Food Gardening
A look at today’s changing lifestyles and the relevancy of gardening and sustainability, including what’s hot in vegetable and container gardening, exciting new varieties, healthy oxidants, and trendy new colours.
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Note that the speaker presentations are free but seating is limited to first come, first served. All sessions are one hour in length.
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10:15 AM
Closing the Loop for Great Soil
Kelly Klassen, Deep Roots Organic Garden Services
Without healthy soil, our gardening efforts are for naught. Learn how to develop great soil by employing simple ways to reduce waste, retain nutrients, and return them to your garden.
Growing Food in Containers
Jacqueline Bradbury, Garden Arts
Just because you don’t have a yard, doesn’t mean you can’t grow your own food. In this session you will learn how to successfully grow fruit and vegetables in containers. Details include the ideal choice of container, soil requirements, seeding, companion plantings, and the ongoing care, watering and feeding of your container garden.
Rain Garden Basics
Lise Townsend, Greenway Consulting
Rain gardens are designed to capture and filter rainwater from roofs, driveways and roads. They are attractive landscapes, wonderful habitat for birds and butterflies, and help protect aquatic ecosystems by recharging groundwater and reducing runoff. Learn how you can design and build a rain garden in your yard.
11:30 AM
Mushroom Growing for the Backyard
Justin Napier, Oystercatcher Mushrooms
This presentation will give a brief description of the history and methods used in the cultivation of gourmet mushrooms. A demonstration of how to grow mushrooms outside on hardwood logs is included. This is a very simple, low-tech way to ensure you have the freshest, tastiest, and healthiest mushrooms for your gastronomic delight!
Fruit Tree Pruning 101
Philip Young, Glendale Gardens
Why prune and train fruit trees? Learn about basic pruning methods and the right tools to use to get the most fruit from your trees.
Creative Campaigning for Food/Seed Justice
Kate Green, Unitarian Service Canada (USC) and Robin Tunnicliffe, Saanich Organics
What can we do to ensure food security in our region? Many people and groups are working hard to spread the word about seeds and food issues, and justice. Games, films and a variety of educational tools will be presented, critiqued and tried out in this very participatory workshop. Come share your own ideas and have fun! Attendees will receive a DVD of "THE STORY OF FOOD".
12:45 PM
Mason Bees – Gardeners’ Delight
Steve Mitchell, Bee Haven Farm
The Mason bee, Osmia lignaria propinqua, is one of many species of solitary bees indigenous to Vancouver Island. They are excellent spring pollinators for backyard gardens! Learn about their nesting behavior and pollinating activities, nest care and cocoon cleaning, and parasitic wasps and mites.
Grow Your Own Pancakes: Organic grains on a small scale
Brock McLeod and Heather Walker, Makaria Farm
Learn how easy it is to grow your own wheat, oats, quinoa, barley and other grains in your garden or small farm - all organic, no combine required.
The Zero-Mile Diet
Carolyn Herriot, The Garden Path Organic Nursery
This talk will give you a good overview of what you need to know about growing your own food, saving seeds, and preserving the harvest.
2:00 PM
KEYNOTE Connecting Sustainability to LIfe Styles and Food Gardening
Brian Minter, Minter Country Garden
A look at today’s changing lifestyles and the relevancy of gardening and sustainability, including what’s hot in vegetable and container gardening, exciting new varieties, healthy oxidants, and trendy new colours.
Backyard Chickens – Urban Hens
Marilyn Soames, Saanich Fair Poultry Show
A brief overview of the joys, enrichment and benefits of keeping chickens wherever you are. This presentation will cover the health, housing and maintenance of chickens in an urban setting. Learn how to use their manure to benefit your garden and planters, as well as hints for mulching and growing tomatoes
3:00 PM
A Seed Saving Crash Course
Patrick Steiner, Stellar Seeds
What are the basic techniques needed to save seeds from your favourite vegetables? This session will demystify the art and science behind seedsaving, and engage you in a session that is both fun and educational. By the end of the talk you will have the knowledge and confidence to start saving your own seeds.
Creative Campaigning for Food/Seed Justice
Kate Green, Unitarian Service Canada (USC) and Robin Tunnicliffe, Saanich Organics
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