Past Workshops & Events

Discover the magic of Natural Indigo with textile artist Darcy Smith. We start with a brief discussion on the history + chemistry of natural indigo, then explore different techniques (tie, clamp, wrap, etc) to create shaped resists on organic cotton before dipping our pieces into community indigo vats. You’ll leave with your own personalized textile art + a new love for indigo handcraft.

About Indigo: Within the indigo plant waits a secret world of colour. Indigo is prized as the only clear, colourfast source of natural blue, producing breathtaking shades from the palest sky blue to deep navy. Natural indigo dye and the resist techniques we will explore in this workshop originate from many traditional cultures around the world, and it is with gratitude and honour that we invite you to share in the craft.

Dyeing with indigo is a process like no other. The indigo plant is harvested then fermented and oxidized to extract the blue pigment. The dye vat is prepared through a process that activates the indigo. When the fibre is dipped in the dye vat it comes out a bright yellow-green. Slowly the air changes it to the beautiful deep and rich blue of indigo - a truly wonderful moment to witness.

Come to the Sharing Farm for a morning of laughing and learning all about pollinators! This workshop will be a blast for any child who is interested in insects or plants or helping pollinators. We will be learning about how to identify different pollinators and their habitats. The morning ends with an activity that the kids will take home with them!

In this demonstration workshop, you will see how we can work with freshly milled local whole grain flour and a variety of sweet and savory ingredients. We will use inclusions to make a variety of loaves and shapes. This workshop is for people who have either taken the first “beginner” workshop or are baking already and have been maintaining their own sourdough culture! A participant kit with fresh milled local organic flour is included. Examples of bread to be confirmed closer to workshop

Examples of bread we will demonstrate below:

* Inclusions and Shaping – how to fold in for more even distribution

~ Chocolate Cherry Maple Oat

~ Apples, Oats and Rye

* Variety Shaping

~ Sesame Buns

~ Fougasse with Garlic Herb

~ Onion and Cheese “Boats”

~ Rustic Olive Ciabatta

Join Willoughby Arevalo for a walk around Terra Nova Park to explore the fascinating world of mushrooms!

Tracing mycelial webs through the forest, we will encounter and observe fungi with multiple senses to try to understand their worlds, lifeways, relationships and behaviour. The conversation will include basic principles of mushroom identification based on features visible with the naked eye, helping you be able to recognize mushroom form groups and work towards learning important genera and species. Learn where and how to collect specimens for ID and an honourable harvest. Connect with resources for further learning. Special attention will be given to some of the most ecologically impactful, edible, medicinal and toxic species.

With hands of an artist, eyes of an ecologist, and the heart of a deeply connected human, Willoughby Arevalo brings the practical and the joyful together through the science and wonder of mycology, interdisciplinary visual and performing arts, and education. His community-engaged artwork is an invitation for community members to not only learn from fungi, but to grow their true earthy relationships. Raised in Arcata, California (Wiyot and Yurok Territories), he strives to be a good guest on Coast Salish Territory.

Join us at the Sharing Farm to have an open dialogue about reconciliation. The discussions will be led by Charlene Seward, a member of the Squamish Nation and the Indigenous Foodways Community Outreach Facilitator at KPU. Charlene is known for creating a safe space for dialogue and learning about reconciliation.

Join maker and natural dyer Darcy Smith for an exploration of colour on cloth. Discover the magic of dyeing with flowers! With flowers from Darcy's dye garden, we will create vibrant prints on beautiful silk scarves.

We start with a brief discussion on the flower dye garden and bundle dyeing / flower printing techniques, then we'll get our hands on fresh and dried blooms to create stunning flower prints on ready-to-dye 29" x 29" organic silk habotai scarves.

We'll use tango cosmos, coreopsis, marigolds, black night scabiosa, and dyer's chamomile for vibrant - get ready to capture the sunshine!

At the end of the workshop, you’ll take home a personalized piece of wearable art + a new love for natural dyes. This workshop will give you an understanding of how to create your own dye projects at home using flowers from the dye garden.