ROSSLAND REAL FOOD: Kicking off spring with seeds, chickens, and the return of the market!

by Rossland REAL Food on 21 May 2012
in
ROSSLAND REAL FOOD: Kicking off spring with seeds, chickens, and the return of the market!
This spring the Rossland REAL Food group has a plethora of activities lined up to get your season started. Check them out below...
 
1. Annual Museum & Family Fun Day at the Rossland Museum (and seedling sale!)
 
Saturday, June 2
Rossland Museum
11:00-3:00
FREE!
 
Come and check out the Museum's NEW exibit: Rossland's Farms and Gardens
 
REAL Food is organizing a local seedling sale. If you have seedlings to sell, we welcome you and your plants! 
 
Some of the historically awesome activities include:
  • Museum entry free (includes guided site tours and the mine tour video)
  • Kids activities including the popular fish pond & rock painting
  • Planting of sunflower seedlings in the 3 ore cars that have soil in them
  • Scavenger hunt
  • Music by the Golden City Fiddlers
  • Bear Aware display
  • BBQ hotdogs and hamburgers plus coffee, juice etc
 
2. Annual Back Yard Chicken Crawl 
 
Sunday, June 3, 9:30am - 11:30am
$3 per person
 
Interested in getting back yard chickens? This annual event will teach you about all the "do & don't" lessons in raising backyard chickens. 
 
This popular annual event that seeks to educate community members about raising backyard chickens will have a slightly different format this year.  A map will be provided to participants with the local addresses of some Rossland residents who have back yard chickens. Between 9:30-11:30 am you will have the opportunity to tour the coups at your own speed. The home owners will be at their coups eagerly waiting to answer any questions that you have about raising back yard hens in Rossland. 
The map will be sent out to this group email list and we will post it on our website: www.rosslandfood.com
 
3. Native Pollinator FIELD DAYS
 
June 2 in Fruitvale 
June 16 and 17 in Rossland
FREE!
 
Participants in the OUTDOOR sessions will have an opportunity to visit a ‘bee friendly’ gardens and look for bees with native pollinator expert Ms Westcott.   
 
Rossland REAL Food is happy to announce that we have great sites for the upcoming Native Pollinator Field Days. Registration is now open for the low altitude site (in Fruitvale, on June 2nd)  and for the high altitude sites (in Rossland, on June 16 and 17). All three sites feature adequate parking and a wide variety of flowering plants: cultivated & wild flowers & shrubs, veggies, fruit trees, berry bushes, etc.  One of the Rossland sites also has awesome ground-nesting habitat.   Entomologist Lynn Westcott is thrilled with all three locations and eager to show us the bees and their habitats.
 
To ensure a good experience for all, we ask that interested people pre-register for a one- hour time slot with Hanne Smith.  This way, we'll have smaller groups, and all participants will be able to hear Lynn, and see what she's looking at.  Those who are really keen may sign up to visit more than one site.  :)
 
We will be starting later than earlier advertised, as bees become more active during the middle of the day. Start times for all sites are now set at 10:00am.   
 
The field days are FREE.  We ask participants to  pre-register for a one-hour time slot at their preferred location.   To pre-register, contact Hanne Smith (250)362-7767 smithhanne@gmail.com .
 
Funding & other support for these sessions is provided by Columbia Basin Trust, City of Rossland, Communities in Bloom, Selkirk College, Les Carter, and local gardening groups.     
 
4. Community Garden Update - Growing Gardens, Growing Community! 
 
The Rossland Community Garden has rented all but two of its 16 garden beds. Many people have begun to plant under their mini hoop houses (little green houses) and are having great luck with the terrific May weather. 
The Community Garden is a great place to learn and see what is growing in Rossland. Come for a picnic or take a stroll even if you don't have a garden plot. 
If you are interested in renting one of the remaining beds, please contact Ami at: journey_outside@yahoo.ca
We look forward to growing with you!
 
5. Rossland Mountain Market Update
 
The first Rossland Mountain Market will be on Thursday, June 28!
 
The market location will be moving this summer due to the construction in down town Rossland. The Market Committee is working with the City to find a suitable location for the 2012 season. Currently the best location has been identified as Queen Street between the Old Fire Hall and the Church with the Red Roof (just off First Avenue). This is a very scenic location and is still close to down town. We really hope that the locals will make the climb up the hill to come and visit us weekly! 
If you are interested in being a vendor for the 2012 season, please visit the REAL Food website: www.rosslandfood.com
 
6. Local Seed Saving Group
 
Local seed saver Sarah Flood is interested in starting an informal local seed saving group. The concept is to have a few gatherings over the growing season to discuss seeds saving techniques such as picking which plants to save seeds from and fall harvesting and cleaning of seed. If you are interested please call Sarah at 362-7067.
REAL Food is working on a new 'seed' website page as a resource to help you find places to source your seeds locally and to provide resources on saving seeds. 
 
 
Thank you for your interest in local food production, big or small! Happy planting!
 
Rossland REAL Food