Community Workshop Feature: Andrea Potter, Rooted Nutrition
Photo Credit: Honami Watanabe
What is your name and what do you do?
My name is Andrea Potter and I am the owner of Rooted Nutrition.
Where are you from originally?
I am from Innisfail close to Red Deer, Alberta.
What workshops have you offered to teach through the Farm workshop series and what are some workshops you’d love to do in the future?
I’ve been doing the fermentation workshop series at the Farm helping participants learn how to make stuff like sauerkraut, kimchi, brined pickles, ginger beer, etc… I usually teach healthy cooking classes at my business, but the fermentation series is really nice to do at the farm with the equipment that I have to work with. I think I would love to reach out past fermentation next season and maybe help people learn how to incorporate seasonal produce for healthy weeknight meals, soups, and salads.
How long have you been teaching workshops?
I was one of the first people leading workshops at the Farm. I was hired ten years ago to assist with a wedding at the Farm, two years later I moved into workshops, so eight years total now.
How did you originally become interested in your area(s) of expertise?
I went to the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and became certified as a registered holistic nutritionist. I started Rooted Nutrition while in school and I knew early on that healthy eating and cooking in a community setting were going to be the focus of my business. I moved to BC after graduating and I am still running these classes.
What is one hobby or activity that you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like to putter around with a lot of food things and learning to garden and tend to the small garden on my back porch. I also like checking out trails and doing yoga.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Farm workshop series?
Being able to just go outside and grab fresh herbs if I’ve forgotten to bring in some for my workshops. I’ve definitely enjoyed the bay leaves from outside. On that note, it’s also been fun to forage on my way to the Farm center for foods to use in the workshop. It’s pretty nice that people are so receptive to this style of teaching and it really is relaxing to work here.