by Claudia Chan | I dropped in on a couple of DIY home improvement workshops this past weekend at the newly launched Homesteader’s Emporium on East Hastings. In case you’re not already familiar with who they are, Homesteader’s is a one-stop shop for home self-sufficiency projects. Whether you’re interested in beekeeping, raising chickens in your backyard or making your own cheese, this is the place to really get your domestic on.

Rick Havlak is the principal behind the store. Having worked in various milieus from education centres, the IT industry and Mountain Equipment Co-op, Rick has always enjoyed keeping up on home projects as hobbies. He’s had to do a lot of his own research on how to roast coffee or make jam and cheese, scavenging all over town to pick up the requisite different pieces for his projects. He then wondered, “Wouldn’t it be easier if everything was in just one place?” Yes, Rick. Yes it would! Hence the conception of the Homesteader’s Emporium.

During my visit, Matt Unger of Mushboo gave a demonstration on how to cultivate your own home-grown oyster mushrooms with spent coffee grounds. With a bamboo case as a vase for a bag of coffee grounds, you just have to water it regularly to produce a decent harvest of gourmet mushrooms (after just 14 days). No need to go looking in the woods or squander at the grocery store. Mushrooms, I learned, can grow in the comfort of your own home.

After the shrooms talk, Adam Scheuer of Water Tiger spoke about the benefits of harvesting rainwater as a healthy, ecological alternative to relying on or heavily taxing the city’s water supply. When the reserves get dry, it’s a not a bad idea to start considering different sources of water, especially when there’s abundant rainfall here on the West Coast. It just takes a little bit of investing in the right equipment.

Rick led the last workshop of the afternoon on composting in small spaces. He showed off some of his worm collections and gave us the run down on vermi-composting and bokashi composting. If you live in an apartment or in place where you don’t have quick access to composting, these are easy and efficient ways of recycling your food scraps.

If you’re so inclined to do a little home0making of your own, rest assured there’ll be more workshops to come at the Homesteader’s Emporium. Visit their website regularly for updates or swing by the store to check out the awesome DIY goods that they have on hand.

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Claudia Chan is an advocate of all things green. Born and raised in Vancouver, she is inspired by the work of local urban farmers, eco artists and policy makers who make this city the most lush and livable to work and play in. Her mission with Scout and her “Greenlight” column is to impart her enthusiasm for bike lanes, community gardens, farmers’ markets and more to her fellow Vancouverites.