“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves”
~ Mahatma K. Ghandi
All the food we eat comes from plants as they are the base of the food and life cycle. Healthy food depends on healthy soil, as that’s where plants get their nutrients from…
In Partnership and thanks to the support from Village Surrey Transition Initiative…
Where: Multipurpose Room 1 – Newton Recreation Centre – 13730 – 72nd Avenue
When: April 22 (Wednesday) from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
What: Free Workshop on “The Secrets of Healthy Soil” for beginner gardeners and city dwellers growing food
Bring:
- A list of plants naturally growing in your landscape (“weeds”, natives and “invasives”)
- A picture of the area you want to improve
- A cup of soil from the area you want to improve(in a glass jar)
- Notes about: how the water behaves in your landscape? What’s the path of the sun and for how many hours? If you dig a small hole, what creatures would you see (worms, beetles, slugs, aphids, ants?…) Do you have any other animals using this landscape? Who else uses it and what do they do? (people, vehicles, landscape maintenance people, etc.)
- Questions you may have about your soil
- Curiosity and willingness to learn and share
Soil, along with water, air and biodiversity is one of the pillars of life: without soil, we couldn’t have trees to produce the oxygen we breathe or the plants that make the foundation of all the food we eat. Our wonderful soil is also used for healing, building and playing!
In this short workshop, local permaculturist Silvia Di Blasio will introduce us to the wonders of soil: from how is it made to how to recognize its texture and improve its structure. You’ll learn what nutrients are important and how to get them from natural and inexpensive sources. Understanding the soil under our feet helps us to understand the marvellous interconnections of life; grow healthier food and restore life to our mighty soil.