Speakers 2017
11:30 am
Fruit Growing in Alberta by Thean Pheh
"Thean Pheh grew up in Malaysia and worked for the country’s department of agriculture for 15 years. He moved to Edmonton in 1982 and became a fruit and vegetable technologist with Alberta Agriculture from 2002 until his retirement in 2007. Over the last 27 years, he has grafted 14 varieties of apples onto a single tree in his backyard. The fruit is larger and juicer than one would expect from our short growing season." - Caroline Barlott, Avenue Magazine
12:30 pm
Seed Saving by Bruce Bashforth
1:30 pm
Tips, Technology, and Tools from the Pros: Beginning Gardening with Reclaim Urban Farm by Ryan Mason
Food lover, gardener, husband and pensively absent. Ryan has grown roots to gardening and Alberta that stretch way down. His great grandfather began it all when he immigrated to Edmonton and tried to make a living off of 5 acres in current day Bonnie Doon. Ryan was raised on a small farm at Pigeon Lake, where he competed with his brother to see who could fill the most yogurt containers with raspberries (and won)! Through the Augustana Campus, UofA he traveled to Mexico and Cuba where he renewed his passion for food justice and learned from the best campesinas around. Just recently, he returned from Tanzania where his food security research enabled him to work alongside wakulimu (farmers) harvesting, thrashing and winnowing an assortment of grains. Bringing us back full circle, he follows in his great grandfather's footsteps to grow great food in the heart of a great city.
2:30 pm
Bee Panel with Dustin Bajer, Patty Milligan & Lori Weidenhammer
Dustin Bajer is an educator, permaculture designer, master gardener, and self-described network nerd. Raised in the country and living in the city, Dustin is passionate about systems that unite the natural and built environments. In 2011, Dustin began building beehives and keeping honeybees in his urban backyard. He currently sells his beecentric beehive design on the local market and produces more honey than he knows what to do with.
Patty Milligan is a small-scale beekeeper in the Bon Accord area. Lola Canola has been selling local honey at Edmonton-area farmers’ markets since 2000. She is a mom, writer, and gardener too.
Lori Weidenhammer is a performance-based artist/educator and author of Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees, which is published by Douglas and McIntyre and will be released in the spring of 2016. Lori gives workshops and talks on gardening for bees to curious folks of all ages.
11:30 am
Fruit Growing in Alberta by Thean Pheh
"Thean Pheh grew up in Malaysia and worked for the country’s department of agriculture for 15 years. He moved to Edmonton in 1982 and became a fruit and vegetable technologist with Alberta Agriculture from 2002 until his retirement in 2007. Over the last 27 years, he has grafted 14 varieties of apples onto a single tree in his backyard. The fruit is larger and juicer than one would expect from our short growing season." - Caroline Barlott, Avenue Magazine
12:30 pm
Seed Saving by Bruce Bashforth
1:30 pm
Tips, Technology, and Tools from the Pros: Beginning Gardening with Reclaim Urban Farm by Ryan Mason
Food lover, gardener, husband and pensively absent. Ryan has grown roots to gardening and Alberta that stretch way down. His great grandfather began it all when he immigrated to Edmonton and tried to make a living off of 5 acres in current day Bonnie Doon. Ryan was raised on a small farm at Pigeon Lake, where he competed with his brother to see who could fill the most yogurt containers with raspberries (and won)! Through the Augustana Campus, UofA he traveled to Mexico and Cuba where he renewed his passion for food justice and learned from the best campesinas around. Just recently, he returned from Tanzania where his food security research enabled him to work alongside wakulimu (farmers) harvesting, thrashing and winnowing an assortment of grains. Bringing us back full circle, he follows in his great grandfather's footsteps to grow great food in the heart of a great city.
2:30 pm
Bee Panel with Dustin Bajer, Patty Milligan & Lori Weidenhammer
Dustin Bajer is an educator, permaculture designer, master gardener, and self-described network nerd. Raised in the country and living in the city, Dustin is passionate about systems that unite the natural and built environments. In 2011, Dustin began building beehives and keeping honeybees in his urban backyard. He currently sells his beecentric beehive design on the local market and produces more honey than he knows what to do with.
Patty Milligan is a small-scale beekeeper in the Bon Accord area. Lola Canola has been selling local honey at Edmonton-area farmers’ markets since 2000. She is a mom, writer, and gardener too.
Lori Weidenhammer is a performance-based artist/educator and author of Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees, which is published by Douglas and McIntyre and will be released in the spring of 2016. Lori gives workshops and talks on gardening for bees to curious folks of all ages.