Drawing in Nature

Drawing in Nature

By morgan hamilton on June 22, 2019

Drawing in Nature

About this Workshop

Drawing in Nature at UBC Farm. This experimental course will integrate different drawing techniques to explore the diverse environments found at UBC Farm. From drawing individual plants, to approaching landscapes, to conceptual drawings relating the plants to their uses, this course will allow you to develop better drawing and memory retention techniques and to learn more about our natural surroundings. No previous drawing experience required.

About the Instructor

Karen Yurkovich is an artist whose practice is centered on Nature and it’s cultural significance. Her specific interests include biodiversity. She teaches at ECUAD and La Salle College in Vancouver and was Director and professor of the MFA studio art program at SACI, Florence, Italy from 2013-2016.

Date and Time

Monday, July 22-Friday, July 26 | 9:30 – 12:30 pm (3 hours daily)

Location

UBC Farm

3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver BC

Cost

$245 Standard ($225 Student) + GST

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The Ruminant Podcast Feature: Alex Lyon & CANOVI

By Salloum on June 20, 2019

The Ruminant Podcast Feature: Alex Lyon & CANOVI

Dr. Alex Lyon in front of carrot flowers ready to be pollinated.

Our CSFS Post-Doc, Alex Lyon, was featured on the agriculture podcast, The Ruminant Podcast. In it, she talked about participatory plant breeding and her work with CANOVI at the UBC Farm.

CANOVI is a CSFS project funded by Organic Science Cluster 3, part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Bauta Famliy Initative on Canadian Seed Security is a collaborator and provides additional financial support.

Give it a listen and revel in the insights she has to offer.

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Medicinal Plant Walk

By Salloum on June 18, 2019

Medicinal Plant Walk

About this Workshop

Join us for a guided walk through the Garden with Katolen Yardley, Medical Herbalist, where we will identify some local and non-local flowers, herbs, and common weeds, and discuss some of their medicinal properties and ways to apply these plants for common first aid and general health care.

About the Instructor

Katolen Yardley, MNIMH, RH (AHG) is a medical herbalist and nature knower with over 20 years of clinical and herbal medicine making experience in private practice in Vancouver, BC. She enjoys providing people with tools for optimal health through inspiration and education. She is the author of the “Good Living Guide to Natural and Herbal Remedies” (August 2016) and current president of the Canadian Herbalist’s Association of British Columbia. She is a clinic supervisor at Dominion Herbal College and adjunct faculty at Boucher Naturopathic College and offers seminars to the general public.

Date and Time

DATE Thursday, July 25 | 6:30 – 8:00 pm (1.5 hours)

Location

UBC Farm

3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver BC

Cost

$40 Standard ($34 Student) + GST

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Saturday Farmers’ Market Vendor Feature: CRUW

By carissa kirk on June 17, 2019

Saturday Farmers’ Market Vendor Feature: CRUW

CRUW team at a 2018 market, educating customers about their product.

This week we are featuring CRUW, which stands for Culturally Relevant Urban Wellness. This program was developed in 2011 in order to promote green space as a source of wellness and concrete skill development for vulnerable youth. There are four distinct program streams for the youth to participate in, one of which is the UBC Farm Program. Through this stream, youth are exposed to gardening, food preservation canning, salmon smoking, as well as medicinal tea and salve production from plants at the UBC Farm. On June 8th, we were able to speak with Ryley, who is both the Market Coordinator and a Program Coordinating Assistant for CRUW. He answered the following questions for us:

What product are you selling at Market today?

Today we are selling the infamous CRUW salve, which is something the program has been producing for about 4 or 5 years now. We were taught how to make it by the Knowledge-keepers, our Aboriginal Elders, that work with the program. They share with us all the information about the plants that are native to the land and this allowed us to create this natural skin care product, tweak it for various needs, and produce it in large quantities.

What can CRUW salve be used for?

It can be used for bug bites, mosquito bites, rashes, skin inflammation, and things of the like. I have two cats at home and I am allergic to both of them and when we are playing and they scratch me it swells up. This is the product I use in order to help with the swelling and irritation.

What distinguishes this product from others in the “skin care family”?

I have tried a number of products for this need, but the ones sold in general stores all have an unspeakable amount of ingredients with strange chemicals. What is so great about our product is that all the ingredients can be found here; what we are growing, harvesting and creating on the farm. We know what is going onto our skin and we know that it will not harm us as the information has been passed down from generation to generation. It is amazing that we are now the next group of people with this knowledge and to know these benefits. Some of the ingredients included in the salve are: sage, vitamin E, coconut oil, lavender and chamomile.

Does CRUW make other products?

Later in the summer season, we usually sell teas, which are also made from plants that are native to the land. We just finished making them last week, so we are moving onto the labeling process. We also make sage oil, by letting sage bathe in caster or olive oil for an extended period of time to soak up all the nutrients and benefits of the sage. It has an amazing aroma!

Do you anticipate any new products in the future?

Yes! This year we are trying something new and working to develop a greater variety of skincare products and self-care items. For example, bath bombs, salts and foot scrubs. We are also looking at creating a salve for your lips. A lot of exciting things are coming our way and we are looking forward to sharing these products with others and hearing how they enjoy it.

Who makes the products within the program?

All youth part of the UBC Farm Program participate in some way, as they are all involved in growing and harvesting of the plants. The Youth Mentorship Committee is responsible for turning the ingredients into an effective product. The youth mentors meet about once per month for a few hours, and it is during these meetings that they work hard to make, label and organize the product so that they are ready for sale.

What is something you would like customers to know about CRUW?

We are selling our products to bring forward the knowledge that we have while also sustaining the programs that our organization provides. CRUW is highly valuable because it allows many youth, such as myself, to feel connected to our culture. Growing up in foster care is really tough, and it can be so easy to get lost in the city and within the systems delegated to “protecting” youth. This program is really awesome for me personally, because the leaders have been able to teach me how to cultivate my own feeling of how to be a strong Indigenous person. This type of experience is what customers are supporting when they purchase our products, as all proceeds go directly back to the program.

How long have you been involved with the CRUW Program?

I was a participant in the program in 2011 and 2012, after that I moved into the youth mentor role. I have continued volunteering my time to this program because I feel that it has helped me so much in getting a jumpstart in life. I have gained so much leadership capacity and life skills throughout my time with CRUW.

CRUW can be found at the UBC Farm Saturday Farmers’ Market every second week on all of the following dates: Jun 22, July 06, July 20, Aug 03, Aug 17, Aug 31, Sept 14, Sept 28 and Oct 12. For more information on CRUW see the following links: Website | UBC Farm Facebook | UBC LFS Website.

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Natural History of Honey Bees

By morgan hamilton on June 15, 2019

The Natural Hisory of Honey Bees

About this Workshop

A presentation and demonstration about the natural history of honey bees. As a Super Organism honey bee colonies are dazzling in their complexity and fascinating to study. We will cover the salient points of what makes a honey bee a honey bee, placing these charming and endearing creatures into an environmental context while learning about their own internal ecology.

About the Instructor

Brian became immersed in the rich and amazing world of bees while he and his four sons spent many a glorious day observing the curious activities of bees, noticing the bees’ consistent patterns, collective activities, and the surprising comparisons to our own human patterns and behaviours. He’s never looked back and today is a Certified Beemaster and beekeeper, heavily involved in food security issues in Richmond and the Lower Mainland. Brian guest lectures for Gaia College’s Growing Food in the City certificate program, for adult education at Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver, for Kwantlen’s Richmond Farm School and teaches young people in the city about honey bees as well as native types. He is President of the Richmond Beekeepers Association, a BC Association Master Gardener, Sustainable Gardening and Bee Master to West Coast Seeds, and offers classes in grafting fruit trees, food preserving, and other farm skills.

Date and Time

DATE Wednesday, July 24 | 7:00 – 9:00 pm (2 hours)

Location

UBC Farm

3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver BC

Cost

$35 Standard ($28 Student) + GST

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Seeds of Knowledge: Research Showcase

By lewish on June 14, 2019

Seeds of Knowledge

Saturday July 20, 2019, 10:00AM-2:00PM

Join us for an exciting day for the whole family to learn about and celebrate research with the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm!

Seeds of Knowledge showcases the innovative research happening at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and our partners, highlighting results and giving the public the chance to meet researchers, explore research tools, and join a tour led by researchers to see what research in action looks like at the UBC Farm.

Event Features:

  • Free UBC Farm tour with guest spots from researchers
  • Scavenger hunt and colouring contest for kids
  • Passport to Knowledge prize draw
  • Live music from Route 9 and The William Chernoff Band
  • Food and coffee trucks
  • More than 30 different local vendors selling produce, fruit, meat, mushrooms, cheese, eggs, baked goods, beverages, sweet treats, alcohol, artisan goods, and more

    • Date and Time

    Saturday, July 20, 2019 | 10:00AM – 2:00PM

    Location

    UBC Farm | 3461 Ross Drive

    Cost

    FREE

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Market Recipe Blog: Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Lemon, and Radish Tops

By noni nabors on June 13, 2019

Market Recipe Blog: Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Lemon, and Radish Tops

 

You’ve tried radishes sliced in salads and quick pickled on sandwiches and rice bowls. Did you know you can roast them too? Their high water content and crispiness mean they require less time than other root vegetables. Here we share how to roast them to perfection simply with lemon and brown butter, but you can accompany your radish roast with a miso glaze, fresh herbs (like rosemary or thyme), or with fresh pressed garlic. Enjoy this dish all summer long!

Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Lemon, and Radish Tops

Recipe

  • 2 bunches radishes
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • Pinch coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off radish greens; set greens aside. Cut radishes in half lengthwise and place in medium bowl. Add 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes.
  2. While radishes are roasting, rinse the reserved greens thoroughly and coarsely chop. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, melt butter and add chopped greens. Add a pinch of coarse salt and cook until butter browns, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in lemon juice.
  3. Toss roasted radishes with greens and butter and serve.

Pick up produce at any of our three weekly markets: Tuesdays 4-6:30PM at the UBC Farm, Wednesdays 11:30AM-1:30PM at the UBC Bookstore, and Saturdays 10AM-2PM at UBC Farm. Learn more about our produce and browse other recipes in our Market Recipe Blog. Recieve regular market recipes from our newsletter here.

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Saturday Farmers’ Market Vendor Feature: Haltwhistle Cheese Company

By nicole ma on June 12, 2019

Saturday Farmers’ Market Vendor Feature: Haltwhistle Cheese Company

Cory at the market, talking to a customer

This week, we are featuring a new vendor to our market, the Haltwhistle Cheese Company, who make fine cheeses crafted in the Cowichan Valley! We were able to chat with Cory a bit about their origins, and about their delicious goats’ and cows’ milk cheeses. They will be at the market every week, so make sure to stop by and try their cheese!

How did you start making cheese?

I took a cheese course in 2005 and began making cheese at home, then for a summer a couple years after that, I made cheese at Moonstruck Cheese in Salt Spring Island. Two years later, we decided to start pursuing it as a long term plan so we went to the UK and southern France to really begin learning about cheese-making because we were interested in the old-world dairy culture there. The names of our business and some of our cheeses is actually selected from the villages around the area in northern England where I started making cheese!

What’s your signature cheese?

One of our main cheeses is a French-style cheese called Tomme. We have a goat’s milk version called Tomme de Vallée and a cow’s milk version called Thombury. It’s actually the first cheese we started making in Canada and the cheese we’ve been making the longest! We brought the recipe back from our cheese-making time in France and adapted it from sheep’s milk to what we have today. It’s one of our bestsellers and we feel like this cheese really represents everything we like about being here.

What’s the difference between goats’ milk and cows’ milk cheese?

The difference between our goats’ milk and cows’ milk cheeses is mostly the flavour. Goats’ milk cheese adds a bit of goaty flavour to it that the cows’ milk cheese lacks. Most of our goats’ milk cheeses like our aged goats’ milk are quite mild and do not have a strong goaty flavour to it, although in some cheeses we try to bring it out and you can taste the goaty flavour more in our Feta and our fresh goats’ milk cheese and curds.

What else would you like your customers to know about Haltwhistle Cheese Company?

One of our defining things is that most of our cheeses are made from raw milk, so it brings a lot of flavour that’s not there in a lot of industrially-produced, pasteurized cheeses! We love introducing our cheeses to people and surprising them with the different flavour profiles that are present that they might not be used to.

Where can customers find you other than the UBC Farmers’ Market?

We can be found at the Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market on Sundays, Benton Brothers, Les amis du fromage, and by the end of summer, in Whole Foods across the province. Check their website here for more locations and details!

Haltwhistle Cheese Company can be found every week at the UBC Farm Saturday Farmers’ Market on the following dates: Jun 15, Jun 22, Jun 29, Jul 06, Jul 13, Jul 20, Jul 27, Aug 03, Aug 10, Aug 17, Aug 24, Aug 31, Sep 07, Sep 14, Sep 21, Sep 28, Oct 05, Oct 12, Oct 19, Oct 26, Nov 02, Nov 09, Nov 16, Nov 23, and Nov 30. For more information on Haltwhistle Cheese, and photos of their delicious food see the following links: Website | Facebook | Instagram.

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Market Recipe Blog: Tempeh Bacon Caesar Salad

By lewish on June 11, 2019

Market Recipe Blog: Tempeh Bacon Caesar Salad

 

Nothing says summer like a big crispy head of romaine lettuce in a creamy caesar salad! Katie Neufeld, who CSA members may remember from 2015 when she ran the CSA pick-ups, shared this caesar salad recipe and it turned into a favourite for us. We also love the flavour of this tempeh bacon, both delicious and crispy. Pick up some romaine from our market, tempeh from our Saturday Farmers’ Market vendor Tempea Natural Foods, and a firm aged cheese like Gillandsbeck from vendor Haltwhistle Cheese Company.

Tempeh Bacon Caesar Salad

Salad ingredients

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
  • 1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce (can buy gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2.5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheese
  • 2 large heads of romaine lettuce

Tempeh bacon ingredients

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup soya sauce (can buy gluten-free)
  • 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 32 (2 small packages) tempeh, cut into thin strips

    • Instructions

    1. Whisk together tempeh bacon ingredients in a shallow dish, then add tempeh and gently toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2-4 hours if possible, but still tastes great cooked right away!
    2. Lay tempeh out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has a rim (so nothing drips off). Drizzle with remaining marinade.
    3. Bake tempeh at 400F and toss after 10 minutes to evenly coat. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until dark and crispy. Chop into small pieces.
    4. Mix together salad dressing ingredients (shaking in a mason jar works well) and toss with chopped lettuce (leaves, stems and all) and chopped tempeh. Enjoy!

    Pick up produce at any of our three weekly markets: Tuesdays 4-6:30PM at the UBC Farm, Wednesdays 11:30AM-1:30PM at the UBC Bookstore, and Saturdays 10AM-2PM at UBC Farm. Learn more about our produce and browse other recipes in our Market Recipe Blog. Recieve regular market recipes from our newsletter here.

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    Understanding Soil Organic Matter’s Relationship with Agricultural Productivity

    By Salloum on June 10, 2019

    Cluster Hire in LFS Applied Biology, Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment, and CSFS at UBC Farm

    Research Seminar: Soil Organic Matter Formation and Function: Understanding Soil Organic Matter’s Relationship with Agricultural Productivity

    Dr. Emily Oldfield

    Research Science Advisor

    Forestry and Environmental Studies

    Yale University

    Click here to fill out the Feedback Form for Dr. Emily Oldfield

    From sustaining crop production to enhancing water quality to mitigating climate change, soil organic matter (SOM) provides a multitude of ecosystem services. Yet despite the general consensus of the benefits derived from SOM, research remains inconclusive regarding the enhanced functional benefits derived from additions of SOM. Furthermore, scientific understanding of the mechanisms behind SOM formation and stabilization is currently undergoing a paradigm shift, with significant implications for predicting what will happen to both agricultural yields and soil carbon stocks under climate change. To better understand the mechanisms behind SOM’s contribution to ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and productivity, my research explores SOM as both a driving variable and an outcome variable. By conducting research on working farms throughout British Columbia, including the UBC Farm, I plan to delve further into consequential relationships between SOM, agricultural management, and ecosystem outcomes.

    When and Where?

    • June 27, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    • MacMillan Building, Room 160

    About the Presenter

    Dr. Emily Oldfield, Yale University

    Dr. Emily Oldfield is a soil ecologist exploring how we can feed a growing population in ways that minimize harm on the environment. Her research focuses on soil ecological processes related to soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrient cycling. She asks mechanistic questions related to processes of SOM formation occurring at the microbial scale as well as applied management questions occurring at the landscape and global scale. She explores these basic and applied questions through extensive analysis of the literature, laboratory investigations, and field and greenhouse experimentation. Her research aims to engage stakeholders in ways that advance ecological understanding while also having direct implications for management. While at Yale, she has been actively involved in engaging students in hands-on experiential learning on the Yale Farm.

    This seminar is part of the LFS Applied Biology Faculty Cluster Hire in Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment. Ten short-listed candidates will be giving seminars in May and June as part of their intensive interview process. Click here see a full list of events.

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