Okotoks likes sustainability and green living, or at least that’s what the success of the Green Living Workshops would suggest.
The third instalment of the Town-hosted workshops was so popular it sold out in a day, leading to a second date being added to accommodate the demand.
That date sold out too, according to environment and sustainability specialist Jinny Toffelmire.
“[The workshops] have been going very well, to be honest we’ve sold out every event we have done,” said Toffelmire. “People are very interested in what they can do, these are little things people can concentrate on in their lives to be a little greener, the little choices they can make, so we’re trying to make it easier for them and bring in some great speakers.”
As for the appetite for the sessions diminishing, Toffelmire doubts it.
“Our native bee session in a month is already sold out as well, so I think this means we may need to grow into a different premise,” she said. “But it’s wonderful and I think it shows the appetite that’s out there for people to learn more about little things people can do every day to be just a little more sustainable and care about their environment.”
The events have a wide-reach as well, according to Toffelmire, as while there are a few familiar faces at the different workshops there are more new people each time.
The events will run for the rest of the year and, depending on continued success later in the year, may become a fixture of the community.
“In the summer, we are going to be hosting in June, July and August in the amphitheatre by the library, so there [attendance] is endless,” said Toffelmire. “We’ll see what September holds.”
This month’s workshops, held on March 13 and 17, focused on growing vegetables for beginners, and was presented by Lori Neufeld, community garden co-ordinator for the Okotoks Community Garden.
Neufeld, a biologist, has always gardened, but her focus shifted from flowers to vegetables in the last few years following her son’s diagnosis of four autoimmune disorders in 2014, including Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.
“When you have autoimmune disorders there’s often environmental triggers,” said Neufeld. “We don’t have a lot of that in our family on the genetic side, so for me I thought it was more on the side of environmental triggers.
“I just wanted to grow healthy food for my family. At one time I was more about the flowers, perennial gardens and diversity of the species, and I still am, but I really try to maximize the food production and grow as much food as I can, and harvest and process it so we have it through the winter.”
For Neufeld, growing her own vegetables is a “self-satisfying” endeavour, and found it taught her children more respect for their food.
“I think it’s really important that kids understand where food comes from, that it doesn’t just come from a grocery store. It’s just so important to know how to grow your own food.”
As for the workshops as a whole, Neufeld was surprised by the turnout.
“I think it’s a great initiative, and I didn’t realize until I did the first workshop on Wednesday how many people there are in town that had never had a vegetable garden.”
Advice to new gardeners was to not give up, despite the Okotoks climate, and to start small with vegetables you enjoy eating.
The next workshops are on native bees and water-wise yards, on April 17 and May 25 respectively. The events are held at the EPCOR Environmental Education Centre, and are free to attend.
Information on future events and how to RSVP is available through the Town of Okotoks website and social media pages.
