Book a Child & Youth Workshop

Fall is the time to put the garden to rest. Whether you have overwintering crops in the vegetable gardens, perennials that need pruning back and tucking in, autumn is the time to ensure the soil is protected from winter winds and rains. 

In this workshop we’ll cover the following:  

• the best techniques for building soil all winter long 
• preferred mulches to protect soils  
• vegetable crops that overwinter well 
• which crops need which type of insulation and winter care  
• making compost in cooler temperatures
• wintertime garden maintenance 

In this workshop we’ll explore the basis of all life on earth: Healthy Soil! We’ll explore what soil is made of and the vast importance of soil microbes. We’ll answer these questions and many more: 

• What is soil made of and why does soil chemistry matter for growing healthy gardens?
• What is the function of beneficial soil microbes?
• What are some gardening methods that can help my garden thrive with beneficial soil microbes and healthy soil chemistry?
• How can I compost like an expert, mulch like a superstar and build soil organic matter every day of the year?
• Check out on site composting operations in the demonstration gardens: Earth machines, hot compost, tumblers, sheet mulches and worm bins! Together we will build a compost pile.

Come learn why soil is so important for plant growth and how to build incredible soil. 

It’s the time of year when gardeners get excited about plotting and planning what they will be planting in their garden. Here on Southern Vancouver Island, good planning makes it possible to harvest produce from our gardens during every month of the year. In this workshop we will cover: 

• Why garden in the first place?
• Get to know your garden site, sun, soil, temperature
• Time and money budgeting
• Choosing what to grow, when to plant it, and when to transition to other crops for year-round growing
• Draw a garden plan!
• Take a mini tour of the Compost Education Centre’s annual veggie garden to see how we’ve planned things out for the season

We’ll cover options that are available for composting without a yard. Surprisingly, there are many, and we’ll discover the benefits and drawbacks to each so you can determine the system that is right for your life & home. We’ll learn about: 

• countertop electric food dehydrators & “composters” 
• private food scrap pick up, municipal food scrap pick up & proper use of greenbins 
• bokashi composting 
• worm composting 

Bring your questions, we’ll have time for Q & A.

Learn the basics of how to make a successful gluten free sourdough starter, which flours are the best for gluten free bread baking, and methods for how to make wholesome home-made loaves of bread. We’ll start by discussing the background of what fermentation actually is, and perhaps even taste some yummy delicacies.

Did you know that you can not only preserve vegetables, but also make them into sources of healthy bacteria, simply by adding salt? At this workshop, we’ll talk shop about the basics of fermenting vegetables and there will be a demo of how to make sauerkraut. Go away with a recipe and method to make your own batch!

Start brewing your own yummy, good for your tummy, fermented Kombucha with this crash course.  Having mysterious histories, these fermented, probiotic rich delicacies are known for being full of good things that promote overall digestive wellness. They are delicious and satisfying and there is a great number of ways you can flavor your goods! In this workshop we’ll go over the basics of how to ferment kombucha, and we’ll learn how to create effervescent kombucha with unique flavoring, like purchased kombuchas so often have.