OUR WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES
Workshops are an extremely important part of the Abbondanza project and it had
been frustrating to have had to abandon them during the pandemic summers.
So it is with great optimism and delight that we are able to offer you a diverse
series of practical and engaging educational activities once again.
Workshops are an extremely important part of the Abbondanza project and it had
been frustrating to have had to abandon them during the pandemic summers.
So it is with great optimism and delight that we are able to offer you a diverse
series of practical and engaging educational activities once again.
Click here to learn more about other learning opportunities at Abbondanza.
GROWING THE BEST BERRIES
Sunday May 15
10 a.m.-1:oo p.m.
What can be a more delicious summer treat than enjoying luscious raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries grown right in your own garden, or even in a pot on your balcony.
Whether you are already growing fruit or want to get started, in this workshop you will learn how to successfully grow beautiful berries, including selecting the best varieties, where and when to plant, how to prune and how to keep your plants healthy and productive.
The workshop will be given by master berry grower Denis Dragon proprietor of Aux petits fruits du Dragon Permaculture Nursery in Portneuf.
Everyone attending the workshop will take home a plant to add to their garden.
The workshop will be bilingual.
Cost: $30
GARDENING FOR CHANGE
Sunday July 10
10 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
2022 has been declared the year of the garden. Mark the occasion by learning how you can make our planet healthier and more beautiful by the choices you make about what to grow in your garden and how you grow it.
The workshop will be a mix of the practical and the political as we look at how and why we need to support and protect pollinators as well as heirloom and native plants by creating hospitable habitats for these valuable insect and plant species while making gorgeous, easier to care for gardens.
The workshop will be led by Lorraine Johnson and Gwynne Basen.
Lorraine is a writer, editor, community advocate and self described cultivation activist. She is the author of numerous books and articles on growing native plants, gardening for pollinators, and activist gardening. Her wide ranging knowledge and passionate commitment makes her a sought after speaker and educator whose goal is nothing less than encouraging us to change the world from our gardens.
Gwynne Basen has been stewarding her part of Potton for the last 22 years gently shaping the landscape by building beautiful and productive gardens on the historic hill farm she calls Abbondanza. Her practice is guided by an activist commitment to strengthening and protecting agricultural biodiversity and bringing beauty into the world.
The workshop will be in English
Cost: $30
DIY CHICKEN BUTCHERING
TBA
1:00 p.m.-3:00 P.M.
If you have ever thought about raising your own poultry, this workshop will give you a hands on experience in how to humanely slaughter, butcher and freeze your own chickens.
And even if you never plan to have your own flock, the workshop will give you the opportunity to learn how that chicken breast got to your plate- and isn’t that important for every omnivore to know!
The workshop will be given by Carmen Sherrer who has been raising and slaughtering chickens since she was a girl on her parent’s farm. She approaches the task with a calm respectfulness that comes from experience and a genuine affection for her birds.
Please dress appropriately.
The workshop will be bilingual.
Cost: $20
Click here to register.
SEED SAVING FOR EVERYONE
Sunday October 2
10 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
$30
Have you always wanted to save seeds from your favorite garden vegetables and flowers but weren’t quite sure how to do it? Well it’s easier than you think! In this workshop you will learn everything you need to get started saving and storing your own seeds.
And, you will find out why seed saving is not only a fun, practical addition to your gardening activity but can also make an important contribution towards preserving and protecting our precious agriculture heritage. And you are saving money!
The workshop will be given by Teprine Baldo, proprietor of the seed company Semences Les Noyau Seed based in Stanbridge East.
Teprine is dedicated to protecting seeds that she has been gifted as well as ones that she has fallen in love with. From heirloom to new discoveries she shares her love of good food and how it all starts with a seed.
The workshop will take place in the gardens of Abbondanza Farm in Potton where for the last twenty years Gwynne Basen has been gently shaping the landscape, and growing heirloom vegetables and flowers. Abbondanza's many gardens are filled with a tremendous diversity of plants that will provide excellent examples of how to save your very own garden seeds.
The workshop will be bilingual.
Click here to register.
Have you attended an Abbondanza workshop?
We'd love to have your feedback about your experience! Click here to write us a message.
We'd love to have your feedback about your experience! Click here to write us a message.
FUN WITH FERMENTATION
Sunday October 23
10 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
$30
You can find fermented food in the diets of every human culture. The process makes foods both more nutritious as well as delicious. And hundreds of medical and scientific studies confirm what folklore has always known - the microscopic organisms that transform the food also extend its usefulness by helping people stay healthy.
During the workshop we will make Sauerkraut with organic root veggies, and Sauer brined mixed vegetable pickles with the freshest vegetables harvested right from our farm. Participants will prepare and take home a 1l jar of their choice of ferment.
Our teacher, Jeremiah Bullied, is a professional chef and food aficionado. He is passionate about using fresh, local products and encouraging everyone to do the same in their kitchens.
The workshop will be bilingual.
Cost:$30
Click here to register.
