FarmAde Volunteer Call-Out!

The annual celebration of food, community and the UBC Farm is coming up on Friday, Sept 16, 2011.  We look forward to seeing new and familiar faces alike for a stompin’ good time featuring fresh local music, BBQ, corn on the cob, farm tours, children’s area, beverage garden and oh so much more!

Volunteers play an important role in ensuring the fun and success of the 9th Annual FarmAde.  There are a wide range of volunteer tasks available from morning until evening on Sept 16.  This year we are stepping it up a notch in our support of sustainable transportation and are currently seeking Shuttle Van Drivers and assistance with coordinating a Bike Valetservice.  Stay tuned for a list of additional, general volunteer positions, coming soon!FarmAde Volunteers receive a free one of a kind t-shirt along with meal and beverage tickets.

Please email Margaret at lfsglobalpartnerships@gmail.com if you’d like to come on board as a shuttle van driver or bicycle valet volunteer!  Feel free to drop me a line if you’re interested in general FarmAde volunteer opportunities as well.

Shuttle Van Drivers

– One of our most prestigious volunteer positions!
– Must be Age 25+ with a valid driver’s license

– Seeking 9 volunteer drivers

– Pick up and drop off FarmAde attendees through our free, on-campus shuttle van service

– Must attend a route orientation prior to the event

– Shifts available from 2:30-5pm, 5-7:30pm, and 7:30-10pm

Bike Valet

a) Bicycle Valet Coordinator

– Must be available prior to FarmAde and on the day of the event

– Organize the printing of tickets to affix to bikes and distribute to bicycle owners at the valet entrance

– Coordinate bike parking attendant volunteers

– Solicit donations for a prize draw to offer cyclists (optional)

– Will be trained by our FarmAde Volunteer Coordinator

– Experience in volunteer coordination looks excellent on a resume! We are happy to provide a letter of reference to the well-suited candidate.

b) General Bicycle Valet Volunteers

– Responsible for receiving, monitoring and returning bikes at the Valet

– Shifts: 2:30-5pm, 4-6:30pm, and 6:30-9pm.

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Cucumbers, dill, and fermentation, oh my!

Pickling Cukes!

The Farm is a-buzz with visions of pickles, and the time is now for making them.  Pickling cukes are crawling out of their beds and into the rows, lending their spiny green skins to harvesting hands, revealing cool cucumbery flesh…  but more so they are ready for pickling!

Did you know? Pickles are loaded with Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Potassium, and are a good source of dietary fiber (the skins!).  The combination of hydrating flesh with fibery skins containing silica, K , Magnesium and other minerals make for an awesome, and nutritious snack.

Mmm, Mmm.  Pickles, gherkins, baby dills.  In a sandwich, on a stick, or by the jar full!  These days a majority of pickles are store bought and available in countless vinegar-based varieties.  You may have tried your hand at preserving your own or had a generous friend pass on a home-canned jar.  Ever had a sour or brined pickle?  I remember a kosher deli in the neighbourhood I grew up in, I’d order a bowl of soup, and most of all enjoy the never ending bowl of  brined pickles and beets on the counter – YUM!  Fermented pickles are easy to make and offer the additional benefits of fermented foods – contributing to a healthy digestive system for starters.

This week the farm has two opportunities for you to engage with Pickling Cukes!  Come on over to the Saturday market for pickling cukes, fresh garlic and herbs, in addition to the many other farm fresh offerings.  Extra special this week is a free Fermentation Demonstration at the Saturday market!  Explore further with the popular Food Preservation by Fermentation workshop on the evening of August 17th.  Join Chef Andrea Potter as she guides participants to create cucumber pickles, sauerkraut, and demonstrate kimchi making (check out the previous blog post about  Growing Seasons workshops or http://fermentaugust2011.eventbrite.com/ to register).

To avoid finding yourself in a pickle, come learn how to make your own – see you at the farm!

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Yoga at the Farm Aug 13 & 20th

What better summer combo than fresh, organic food and outdoor yoga?

Join instructor Alaina Thébault from the Environmental Youth Alliance for a special Saturday morning yoga class at the UBC Farm on August 13th and August 20th!
Spaces are limited, so please register online (free) and bring $10 cash to each class:

• Register for Aug 13
• Register for Aug 20

Yoga, like gardening, is a moving meditation; a direct and physical communion with the seasons, the sun, the moon and the elements. Join gardeners and non-gardeners alike in preventing and relieving back pain, increasing strength and mobility, and enriching your work in the garden and elsewhere through a deeper connection to body, mind and soil…

• Who: This class is appropriate for all skill levels. Many of the exercises are particularly beneficial for gardeners.
• What to bring: Participants should bring their own mats, although many yogis choose to savour the sensation of grass under hand and foot!
• Cost: $10 cash
• When: 10:30am-11:45am on Saturday, August 13 (please arrive on time)
• Where: South of the Children’s Learning Garden, by the Farm Centre (look for signs at the Farm Market, or ask one of our staff members or wonderful volunteers)

Instructor  Bio:

The two places Alaina feels most alive is on her yoga mat and outdoors. A budding green thumb and an avid yoga instructor, she designed this class for gardeners and yogis, at any stage of either path. Yoga, like gardening, is at its roots an ongoing practice. As gardeners we plant a seed and watch it grow, tending, nourishing and protecting it, welcoming the fruits of our labour. For a student of yoga, the seed is the breath that we witness as it nourishes and connects us to our body, mind and soul; the fruits are the peace and strength we ultimately achieve.

Alaina teaches various styles of yoga throughout Greater Vancouver, including a weekly Yoga for Gardeners class at the Strathcona Community Garden’s Eco Pavilion on Hawks and Prior. Classes are by donation and take place every Monday night from 7:00-8:30pm until August 29th.

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Upcoming Growing Season Workshops: Traditional Maya Cooking Class -August 13th! Fermentation Workshop – August 17th!

Growing Season Workshops!

 

Three Sisters in the Kitchen: A traditional Maya cooking class.

 

Join members of the UBC Farm Maya in Exile Garden for an interactive traditional cooking workshop on August 13^th, 2011 from 2pm-4pm. Learn some of the medicinal and culinary uses of various herbs and vegetables grown in their garden. In this workshop, participants will have a chance to make three dishes using amaranth (bledo), yerba mora and squash blossoms. Try your hand at making fresh tortillas, and enjoy the garden-fresh dishes you prepare! If time permits, participants will have a chance to visit the Maya Garden at the UBC Farm. For more information and to register click here!

Date: Saturday August 13^th,  2pm-4pm

Cost: $30 (+ $1.74 registration fee)

 

Food Preservation by Fermentation!

This popular class is an introduction to the world of fermented vegetables.

Fermenting foods is an ancient method of preserving the harvest. Rich in probiotics and enzymes for improving digestion, these raw foods are re-gaining their popularity. Reclaim this skill and learn how to make sauerkraut, kimchi and brined pickles at home. We will be making: Cucumber pickles featuring UBC Farm’s own pickling cucs! A batch of sauerkraut for you to take home and start fermenting right away. A demonstration of making kimchi is included. And of course a pickle tasting platter! For more information and to register click here!

Date: Wednesday August 17th, 6pm-9pm

Cost: $50 (+ 2.24 registration fee)

For more information check out the registration links above.

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