Events 2015

Richters 2015 Seminars

Some are available online. Check the links to the recorded presentations below.
More will be posted online in the coming months. Watch our 2014 presentations here!

FEB 22 FOR THE LOVE OF TEA

With Herbalist Penelope Beaudrow

Penelope covers the whirlwind history of tea. Learn everything there is to know about tea, including: how to determine a quality tea; and how to grow, pick, blend and prepare different types of tea. Experience a free tea tasting of all the wonderful types of tea: white tea, green tea, black tea, yellow tea, red tea, scented teas and Penelope’s favourite herbal teas. You will acquire the knowledge and confidence to blend and prepare your own teas for relaxation or a medicinal cup of tea to sooth a loved ones’ ailments. Penelope Beaudrow is a chartered herbalist, herbal educator and community outreach coordinator at Faunus herbs and founder of the Gingko Tree and Dogwood & Brambles Farm. For more information, visit her Facebook page. At the conclusion of the seminar psychic Julie Ditta, proprietor of Whole Soul, a practice dedicated to psychic and spiritual experience, offered private tea leaf and palm readings (not recorded). View the Recorded Presentation

MAR 1 FAIRY GARDENING

With Marthe Monique Hook, Proprietor of The Fairy Garden

Marthe gives a brief history of miniature and fairy gardening. She discusses indoor and outdoor fairy gardens, best design practices, supplies, Facebook groups and more! Marthe is owner of the magical home-based garden design business, The Fairy Garden, the first online store in Canada specializing in products for miniature and fairy gardening. She has presented workshops on fairy gardening at horticultural clubs, garden centres and in her home. She is the author of a DIY blog on fairy gardening. View the Recorded Presentation

MAR 8 WILD EDIBLES IN YOUR GARDEN

With Karen Stephenson, Wild Food Educator and Proprietor of Edible Wild Food

Learn how to identify, harvest and cook with wild plants. Wild plants are often seen as nothing more than weeds to be removed from the garden landscape, however, they are highly nutrient foods that in some cases have valuable medicinal benefits, so include these low cost wild plants in your backyard. When planning your garden in the spring, look to wild weeds as indicator of the type of soil you have and what you can grow most successfully in your own backyard. Learn how and what wild food and medicinal edibles to include in your edible landscape, a garden that will bring you close to nature and become just a bit more self reliant. Karen Stephenson is a wild food educator who also works as a professional writer and researcher. She spends a lot of her time educating people about wild food via her website, public speaking and through hosting "wild walks". She is passionate about proper nutrition, reading labels, eating healthy and companion gardening with weeds. She has studied herbal pharmacy and nutrition and has an honours BA in English. View the Recorded Presentation

MAR 15 CREATING A LIVING GARDEN SCULPTURE

With Artist Heather Rigby

With a little ingenuity you can create a delightful piece of living garden art to bring joyful conversation into your summer harvest. Artist Heather Rigby explores ways to build a flowering sculpture with a few tools, found or recycled objects, proper soil preparation and tried and climbing plants that will enhance your outdoor space and create a haven of earthly delights. Heather’s vision is to interweave the body, culture and environment through her gallery and landscape pieces. Her shift to the outdoor canvas of the land through works like the "Eat Local" reveals her intention to create a dialogue on food sovereignty within the local and extended community. Her background includes extensive contracts in the film industry, museum and teaching engagements in high school, college and university levels. Currently, Heather serves on the Executive Board of an environmental group Land over Landings and the Dharma Centre of Canada, a retreat centre in north Ontario. She served as the artist in residence in 2014 for Markham Museum’s exhibition, "Farm to Table". Visit her website for more information www.heatherrigbyartist.com. View the Recorded Presentation

MAR 22 BETTER HEALTH WITH BITTERS

With Certified GAPS Practitioner Katalin Brown

It seems like every other person is on an acid reducing medication. Katalin will discuss this common problem and how this may be the result of poor digestion. She explained how we digest our food, why people get digestive problems and how poor digestion prevent nutrients from reaching your cells and inevitably leading to poor health. The digestive system is the river of life and the key to good health. Join Katalin as she discusses how to rebalance the digestive tract for optimal health, including adding bitter foods and herbs to the diet. A healthy start for a new year! This is Katalin’s second seminar at Richters: her first seminar on Lacto-Fermentation: The Secret of Healing has been seen by more than 25,000 people at our Youtube channel and lots of wonderful feedback: “Man this is phenomenal information! Thank you so much!". For more information about Katalin Brown and GAPS healing system, visit Katalin’s website.

MAR 29 HERBAL TINCTURES FOR HEALTH & HEALING

With Naturopathic Doctor Terry Vanderheyden of St. Francis Herb Farm

Dr. Terry Vanderheyden helped explain tinctures and how to incorporate herbal tinctures (the liquid extract that contains a plant’s medicinal properties) into daily life. He discussed the benefits of herbal tinctures over other supplements, how to use them to maintain general health and why and how they can be used for first aid, children’s and women’s health. Terry talked about creating a herbal first aid kit for children and infants and what remedies to include and how to use them. He discussed how to make a herbal first aid and travel kit and the remedies you should include. And he discussed women’s herbs for menopause and the herbal remedies and tinctures that alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Did you ever wonder how tinctures are made? Dr. Terry gave a simple demonstration on how alcohol, glycerine, or vinegar are used to extract the medicinal properties of a plant that result in a preparation that is easy to use and long lasting. Dr. Terry Vanderheyden is a naturopathic doctor who has been in private clinical practice since 1994. He is a graduate of the Canadian College of naturopathic medicine and Ontario board certified ND. Terry has a general naturopathic practice with a focus on family health and cancer but treats all health issues including serious illness. He is an herb lover and was attracted to naturopathic medicine largely through his interest in plants and nutrition. Terry also completed a three year post graduate fellowship in homeopathy through the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy through the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy, under the tutelage of Dr. Andre Saine in Montreal. Terry is also a consultant for St. Francis Herb Farm, Inc where he is responsible for Research and Development, Regulatory Affairs and also acts as a medical advisor.

APR 12 KIDS IN THE GARDEN

With Award Winning Garden Writer Steven Biggs and Daughter Emma

Grow a gardener at this hands-on workshop with activities to capture young imaginations. Parents, stick around for ideas to make gardening kid-centered. Steven and Emma’s workshop introduced kids to fun things to do and see in the garden including bees, butterflies and other wee beasties. They explored all the fun things to collect like colourful fall leaves, exploding jewel weed pods and helicopter like maple keys! They talked about some cool plants and garden themes that you will want to grow in your own back yard, like an awesome pizza garden! Everyone took home a sunflower seedling in a biodegradable pot that they can plant in their garden and watch grow over the summer! Father and daughter Steven and Emma Biggs spend a lot of time together in the garden. Steven is a journalist and author specializing in gardening, farming, and food production. Emma is an elementary school student who loves to garden and help Steven at gardening events. Steven’s earliest garden memory is stealing a carrot from his Baba’s prized vegetable garden. He encourages his three children to steal as many carrots as they want from his garden. Steven and Emma’s book about gardening with children will be released in 2015. Steven book No Guff Vegetable Gardening, coauthored with Calgarian Donna Blazer, is a Canadian bestseller. His most recent book, the award-winning Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t, shows people how simple it can be to grow figs in cold climates.

APR 19 PERMACULTURE, HERB SPIRAL & MANDALA GARDEN DESIGN

With H.O.P.E. Members Phil Collins, June and Lee Davies, and Natalie Howard

Four founding members of the H.O.P.E Permaculture Network near Toronto will share their unique approaches to permaculture and how they integrate permaculture principles on their homesteads. This seminar will showcase the work of Phil Collins of Foggy River Farm, June and Lee Davies of Tycoed Farm, and Natalie Howard of the Realign Ranch. Phil used his Foggy River Restorative Farm as a teaching tool to show how to integrate function and form into our natural landscape and maximize our "edible space" while respecting the land and surrounding eco-system. Lee and June Davies offered a guided pictorial tour of their beautiful Tycoed Restorative Farm that is home to forests, ponds, diverse plants, a family eco-village and amazing views of the Lake Simcoe watershed. They described their plan to restore the farm through both permaculture and hugelculture principles, showing the significant changes that are already evident as their plan progresses through the phases. There was an interactive session on the meaning of community, and how to build community by the way we live, and how to get to know our land and watersheds to support a healthy community. Natalie Howard of the The Realign Ranch showed how to build a herbal spiral and mandala garden and how to energize it using permaculture and sacred geometry to create a beautiful healing edible space. Attendees learned how to build a herbal spiral garden that will include all your favourite culinary herbs and will make efficient use of space and water. Phil, June, Lee and Natalie concluded by talking about the H.O.P.E. Permaculture Annual Tour and how the H.O.P.E. community benefits each member by sharing resources and helpful tips that can be applied to the small backyard or large operating farm.

  The four founding members of the H.O.P.E. Permaculture Network

APR 26 HOW TO ATTRACT BEES, BUTTERFLIES & HUMMINGBIRDS

With Koidu Sulev of Richters Herbs

What are the best plants for attracting butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to your garden? Koidu Sulev discussed how to create a successful bee and butterfly haven in your garden that will provide important food sources for our lovely and much needed pollinators.
Check out our new SAVE THE BEES! Nectar Garden. Help the bees with nectar-producing herbs anise hyssop, bee balm, Faassens catnip, hyssop, English lavender and wild thyme in your garden.

Herb Day May 3, 2014 Savory Herb of the Year
Celebrate Herb Day was a celebration in praise of Savory, the Herb of the Year for 2015.

2 PM COOKING WITH SAVORY

With Yvonne Tremblay, Author and Food Stylist, and Proprietor of Quisine, a Food Consultancy

Savory is so widely used in food around the world that the word "savory" is synonymous with healthy, good tasting food. In this seminar Yvonne showed how to cook up some great savory food for family and friends. Yvonne explained the differences in aroma and taste between summer and winter savory and how she uses the two savories in cooking. Yvonne Tremblay is an educator, professional recipe developer, food stylist and food writer. Yvonne has a B.A.Sc. (Applied Science) in Food and Nutrition, and was a former associate food editor for Homemakers magazine. She is author of Thyme in the Kitchen, Prizewinning Preserves and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jams, Jellies and Preserves.

3 PM HOW TO GROW AND USE SAVORY

With Koidu Sulev, Richters Herbs

Savory is easy to grow, but which variety is best for your garden, balcony or windowsill? Many are surprised to learn that there is more than one savory, and the different varieties require different growing conditions. Not only that, there are intriguing near relatives of savory, such as Lemon Savory, Jamaican Mint, Yerba Buena, and Zuta Levana that are well worth trying in your garden. Koidu discussed all you need to know to grow and use the various savories, including Richters oustanding new varieties introduced in 2015.

SEP 13 CANNING & PRESERVING

With Christine Manning, of Manning Canning

In the past several years we have seen a growing interest in home preserving. Christine Manning teaches preserving classes throughout the Greater Toronto Area and has taught hundreds of people how to safely preserve the harvest. In this session, she discussed the role that sugar plays in preserves, explaining how to safely reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe and how doing so impacts the shelf life of your product. She also covered safe canning practices and how to determine if what you are making is safe for water bath canning. View the Recorded Presentation

SEP 20 ECO-DYEING

with Anna Luckai, Sustainable Fashion Designer and Proprietor of HEMP’t Clothing

Anna proves that we don’t need chemicals to make beautifully coloured cloth. At this seminar, Anna discussed the simple process of mixing silk with plant parts, stirring and dyeing. Dye some silk sachets, and then fill them with those same herbs to give away as aromatic gift or fill your home with scents, memories and a commitment to grateful living. Anna creates Hemp’t garments using natural materials involving gardening, cooking, sewing and teaching. She has used natural, sustainable and bridgeable fibers hemp and tencel, as well as all natural dyes and mordants. Alum, rhubarb, sumac, birch, mullein, pomegranate, onion, alkanet, madder, apple, milkweed, fruit tree gall, walnut, acorns are all used. Even indigo and woad are fermented the traditional way! Anna believes we have all we need and it is here all around us. Reconnecting with creation and with each other is important. So is returning to self reliance, on a personal and community level. We all have skill. We can all contribute to meeting each other’s needs.
A BIG THANK YOU from Richters! In September of 2014, some extremely talented women gathered together at Richters to share food, textile and travel stories, beautifully made garments and watch an amazing Canadian made documentary on the natural dye indigo. It was a wonderful afternoon and we want to thank Libbie Burns from Scugog Shores Fibre Artists Guild who organized the event and wore one of Anna’s stunning woad dyed designs!

OCT 18 COLD & FLU TEAS

with Herbalist Penelope Beaudrow, Proprietor of The Gingko Tree

Uh oh! You know the symptoms. You’ve got a cold, or worse the flu. With a bit of loving care and a healthy immune system a cold can usually run its course within a week. Learn some simple things to do and what not to do to prevent or eliminate symptoms. Natural remedies can help relieve cold and flu symptoms faster and may prevent secondary infections, like pneumonia. Penny showed how to use natural remedies to help you kick those winter cold symptoms and boost your immune system. Learn how to blend herbs and essential oils to create teas, tinctures and steam baths. Penny also touched on the benefits of eating the right foods, as Hippocrates said, "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food". Penelope Beaudrow is a chartered herbalist, herbal educator and community outreach coordinator at Faunus Herbs, and founder of The Gingko Tree and Dogwood & Brambles Farm.

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