by Michelle Sproule | Homesteader’s Emporium is a new shop located between Princess and Heatley on East Hastings in Strathcona. We stopped in yesterday to take a look at what was going on and found a cool shop that carries everything you might need to get started on a variety of home self-sufficiency projects. That’s everything from growing and preserving your own food to making your own darn soap. How cool is that? With resources for beginners, a knowledgeable staff, lots of informative demonstrations, and instructional workshops, Homesteader’s is destined to become hub for both new and experienced DIY enthusiasts.

To introduce themselves to Vancouverites, they have a series of mini-workshops and demonstrations planned for this weekend. Check it out: keeping chickens, growing mushrooms, cheese making, baking, gardening, beekeeping – they have it all. So why not grab a coffee at The Wilder Snail or Harvest and wander over to Homesteaders to broaden your skill set? We’re in. Details after the jump…

Workshops | Friday, July 27

2 pm – Chickens 101 with Duncan Martin; the Vancooper
Tour of a chicken coop with discussions of chicken behavior and City of Vancouver regulations. Q&A to follow.

3 pm – Growing Mushrooms at Home and in your garden with Scott Henderson, the Mushroom Man. Scott will demonstrate growing specialty mushrooms on grain-based substrate, and discuss ways to establishing sustainable mushroom patches in your hard or garden.

4 pm – Keeping and Baking with Sourdough Starter with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will demonstrate two styles of sourdough starter and give introductory level suggestions for baking sourdough bread.

Workshops | Saturday, July 28

11 am – Cheese and Yogurt 101 with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will demonstrate various techniques for making soft cheeses and yogurts at home, with a discussion of how to extend the process for hard cheeses.

12 pm – Canning Safety 101 with Asia Warner of Homesteader’s Emporium. Asia will discuss key measures to ensure the safety of canned produce through a ‘dry run’ of the basic canning process. A hands-on demonstration of herb and fruit infusions will follow.

1 pm – Upcycling Planters with Victory Gardens. Victory Gardens is excited to host a workshop for the DIY grower who wants to upcycle while growing. There will be a live construction demo and some current gardening tips provided. Come down and learn how to reuse for growing! $5 suggested donation for materials.

2 pm – Growing Mushrooms on coffee grounds with Mushboo.
Matt Unger of Mushboo will demonstrate how to farm oyster mushrooms on spent coffee grounds.

3 pm – Rainwater Harvesting with Adam Scheuer of Water Tiger. Adam will demonstrate connecting rain collectors to existing gutter systems and show us how to reduce contaminants.

4pm – Composting in Small Spaces with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will demonstrate two styles of worm composters and discuss alternative methods for composting indoors or in small spaces: bokashi, and automated.

Workshops | Sunday, July 29

12 pm – DIY Stamp Crafts with Asia Warner of Homesteader’s Emporium. Asia will lead participants in stamping fabric with attractive patters using repurposed household items.

1 pm – The Science of Fermentation with Rick Havlak of Homesteader’s Emporium. Rick will discuss the role of fermentation in many of the foods we love: beer, cheese, sausage, sauerkraut, kombucha, and more.

2pm – Beehive Anatomy with Lianne Shyry of Two Bees Apiary. Lianne will take apart a (beeless) beehive with participants, explaining along the way how each part of the hive supports bee ecology.

3 pm – Soil Nutrients 101 with Emi Do of Yummy Yards.
Emi will tell us about her experiences with soil management and give some pointers for getting the most out of your soil.

4pm – Basic Soap Making with Asia Warner of Homesteader’s Emporium. Asia will lead participants in making customized homemade bar soap. $5 Suggested donation.

Homesteader’s Emporium | 649 East Hastings | Tuesday-Saturday: 10am – 6pm, Sunday: 11am – 5pm, Monday: Closed | Details

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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