Tag Archives: past event

It’s a wrap

wrapChristmas Eve morning saw Groundswell volunteers wrapping poinsettias for delivery to senior’s homes and valley churches to add beauty to their holiday.

wrapThe David Thompson EI student’s sparkling stars on the hill have stopped shining as the garden prepares to go back to sleep until spring.

wrapMain Street Fun and Games was presented with The Favourite Tree Award by Edson Martins, Store Manager of Home Hardware. The Paul Mondragon tree sculpture will be as treasured as Main Street’s dragon that they decorated their tree with. Be sure to drop into their store for a close up look and a word of Congratulations.

Four Points Books was a close second with a classic blue and white theme pointing us in the direction of a better future by growing ourselves through our reading, and Mrs. Armitage’s JA Laird class was a big hit with Gramma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.

The trees were voted on by attendees over the 4 nights of Groundswell’s First Annual Garden of Lights.

wrapWhether adding their wish for 2024 on the Wishing Tree, warming by the fire with friends or indulging in Carole singing along with Bryant Oleander and the Valley Voices …community celebrated the blessings of this valley as they contributed to the growing movement for Food Sustainability with Groundswell Community Greenhouse and Gardens and all their partners. We are working together to ensure that everyone who lives here goes to bed with a full, well-nourished tummy.

wrapThe Grinch waves good bye as he retreats to his mountain top to plan his return to upset your holiday in 2024. Hi Jinx creative designer, Arly Franson, has already started to dream of sugarplums
Ring in your new year by contacting us as a potential sponsor or volunteer for next year and make this valley even brighter.

Visit us at Groundswell later in January. Watch with your very own eyes the miracle of crisp lettuce, healthy kale, and new tomatoes sprouting under the leadership and green thumb of Marion Andrus, Groundswell manager Stephanie Stevens, and all the volunteers of Groundswell. Check out groundswellnetwork.ca/events.

Rustic Holiday Wreath 2023 – sold out

wreathEnjoy a festive evening with friends, while helping make magic for both the Garden of Light and your own home. Make a wreath to decorate the greenhouse and at the same time make a wreath to take home for yourself. You’ll work fast and efficiently on the Groundswell wreath and then get more creative on your own.

Mark your calendar:
Location: Lions Hall behind the Chamber of Commerce – Hwy 93
Date: Dec 5
Time: 6:00 to 9:00 PM – you can come later and leave earlier if your schedule requires

This event is sold out. Unfortunately, there won’t be another one. The facilitator will contact all that registered to the waiting list.

Materials will be supplied.

NOTE: For your own wreath – there may be some special decorations you want to add so bring them along.

Things to bring: Please bring a hot glue gun if you have one. Heavy scissors to cut branches, you may want gardening gloves to protect your hands.

We would appreciate fine wire if you have it to spare.

Cost: $20 goes to Groundswell – Tickets : events@groundswellnetwork.ca

NOTE: the ones for home will not have lights. The ones you make for Garden of Lights will have lights

Getting Down and Dirty – Old Blue Truck Farm – Dealing with Food Security

What are you interested in?
In this hands-on workshop you can help prep a row so you have an up close look at Permaculture and what a difference it makes to creating healthy, living soil.
You’ll peer through a magnifying glass to understand what living soil really is.
You’ll have an opportunity to make tea and can even buy some to take home.
You’ll finally get an answer to the makeup of the soil in the valley and solutions with rock dust for balance PH.
You’ll see with your own eyes the difference of the nutritional value of what is grown in a Permaculture crop compared to store bought.
Hugelkultur bedYou may even get to help build a Hügelkultur bed.
Groundswell members: $20; non-members: $30
Date: was Sunday, 2023 May 7
Time: 10 – 12
Location: Old Blue Truck Farm
What to Bring: Wear grubbies, comfy shoes that can get dirty, garden gloves, water bowl and your garden journal (if you don’t have one you can buy one there for $10 (cash).
Facilitator and Host: Dale Wilker

Event photos and comments:
Old blue truck farm workshop/tour. The tips and the learning never stopped, as we created living soil and planted the first seeds of the season.
“I always learn new things and I have been gardening for 40 years. Dale has so much knowledge to move us to a gentler way with the earth and then the earth gives us more back.” – Jim.

Old Blue Truck Farm – Dealing with Food SecurityOld Blue Truck Farm – Dealing with Food SecurityOld Blue Truck Farm – Dealing with Food SecurityOld Blue Truck Farm – Dealing with Food SecurityOld Blue Truck Farm – Dealing with Food Security

Literally… EARTH DAY!

Help make Invermere a soil & food healthy community!

“We don’t have a fertility issue on our planet, we have a biology issue”.

Her most exciting accomplishment to date is seeing one of her clients apply vermiextract on a section of their sand “lawn”, cover with rotting hay, and in a short 18 months the micro-organisms and weeds made 1″ of beautiful soil – Soil scientists say it takes 100 – 500 years to make 1″ of soil

Better than a garburator, friendly than fertilizer, and the best kitchen cleaner ever… worms.
Learn how to feed & grow healthy soil, using composting worms, so your soil produces the best nutrient dense foods using your home wastes!
Save hundreds of thousands of pounds of food waste that go to landfills.

Date: April 22, 2023
Time: 1 to 3 PM
Location: Groundswell Community Greenhouse 1535 14th Street
Price: Members: $15. Non Members: $25

Special guest facilitator:
Owner and Soil Microbiology Consultant –
Susan Panyluk
Kootenay Worm Composting

Susan Panyluk

‘The Worm Lady’, Susan is passionate about composting worms, recycling, garbage and soil microbes that build soil with the plants!
Susan is an avid student of “Life in the Soil” microbiology, with the help of her microscope, and soil regeneration practices. She has studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham, world renowned Soil Microbiologist, Gabe Brown and many others. Susan is an international Advisor, Consultant, and Educator, and has consulted to the three largest commercial worm farms in North America.

Topics will include:
Waste Management, Food Nutrient Density/Food Security, Worm Anatomy, Building Healthy Soil, Caring for Worms, Worm System Maintenance, Breeding of worms, Harvesting castings, Use of castings for planting/watering , Vermi teas/extracts, Sustainability

Own Your Own Worm Hut
After twenty years of worm composting, experimenting and testing many different systems, Susan invented the Continuous Airflow “Worm Hut”. This system provides optimal airflow and moisture management, easy to use, and most importantly is super easy to harvest.
These systems will be available for purchase at the session with profits going to Groundswell for their education programs.

• Worm Huts – 135.00
• Worms in Living Soil mix – Small bag (approx. 1,000 worms); 60.00 and Large Bag 175.00 (approx. 3,000 worms which is recommended for the Worm Hut).

Take home your own nutritious compost for the best garden ever.
• 20 lb bag of vermicompost for planting/watering 40.00