Homesteaders Emporium grand opening and 3-day workshops in the DTES

As you know, I’m an adoring fan of all things DTES and East Vancouver. I am, after all, a Main Street boy. I recently found out about Homesteader’s Emporium, a store that just opened up in East Vancouver that carries supplies and puts on workshops which encourage sustainable and self-sufficient living. Rick Havlak, the owner, sells everything from canning supplies, to bee keeping kits, and gardening tools and products. What’s neat though, is he is going to join forces with local groups like Victory Gardens and put on workshops, teaching people how to make soap, build chicken coops and other wonderful things. I think that’s awesome and I hope people can enjoy it. More information below.

Join us for an educational & exciting opening weekend of Homesteader’s Emporium! Activities, workshops & demonstrations guarantee a good time. Come by to join us for a workshop or two (come early to guarantee a spot) or just say hi! Please check out full schedule details below:

*Friday, July 27*

2 pm – Chickens 101 with Duncan Martin; the Vancooper
Tour of a chicken coop with discussions of chicken behavior and City of Vancouver regulations. Q&A to follow.

3 pm – Growing Mushrooms at Home and in your garden with Scott Henderson, the Mushroom Man. Scott will show how to grow specialty mushrooms on grain mix or coffee grounds, and discuss ways to establish sustainable, self-perpetuating mushroom patches in your home or garden.

4 pm – Keeping and Baking with Sourdough Starter with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will demonstrate two styles of sourdough starter and give introductory level suggestions for baking sourdough bread.

*Saturday, July 28*

11 am – Cheese and Yogurt 101 with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will demonstrate various techniques for making soft cheeses and yogurts at home, with a discussion of how to extend the process for hard cheeses.

12 pm – Canning Safety 101 with Asia Warner of Homesteader’s Emporium. Asia will discuss key measures to ensure the safety of canned produce through a ‘dry run’ of the basic canning process. A hands-on demonstration of herb and fruit infusions will follow.

1 pm – Upcycling Planters with Victory Gardens. Victory Gardens is excited to host a workshop for the DIY grower who wants to upcycle while growing. There will be a live construction demo and some current gardening tips provided. Come down and learn how to reuse for growing! $5 suggested donation for materials.

2 pm – Growing Mushrooms on coffee grounds with Mushboo.
Matt Unger of Mushboo will demonstrate how to farm oyster mushrooms on spent coffee grounds.

3 pm – Rainwater Harvesting with Adam Scheuer of Water Tiger. Adam will demonstrate connecting rain collectors to existing gutter systems and show us how to reduce contaminants.

4pm – Composting in Small Spaces with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will demonstrate two styles of worm composters and discuss alternative methods for composting indoors or in small spaces: bokashi, and automated.

*Sunday, July 29*

12 pm – DIY Stamp Crafts with Asia Warner of Homesteader’s Emporium. Asia will lead participants in stamping fabric with attractive patters using repurposed household items.

*NEW TIME* 1 pm – Soil Nutrients 101 with Emi Do of Yummy Yards.
Emi will tell us about her experiences with soil management and give some pointers for getting the most out of your soil.

2 pm – Beehive Anatomy with Lianne Shyry of Two Bees Apiary. Lianne will take apart a (beeless) beehive with participants, explaining along the way how each part of the hive supports bee ecology.

*NEW TIME* 3 pm – The Science of Fermentation with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will discuss the role of fermentation in many of the foods we love: beer, cheese, sausage, sauerkraut, kombucha, and more.

4 pm – Basic Soap Making with Asia Warner of Homesteader’s Emporium. Asia will lead participants in making customized homemade bar soap. $5 Suggested donation.

Donations accepted.
Facebook page for the event.
Phone: 604-568-7675
Website
Twitter: @homesteadersemp