with Randan Redekop, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Participants will learn how to best organize and plant their garden for the best results! Learn about companion planting and how to use the space in your garden. With guidance from Randan, participants will have the opportunity to create planting plans for their own gardens. All materials will be provided. This will mostly be focused on fruit and vegetable gardens, however, Randan will be able and happy to answer questions about flower gardens.

with Jackie Labonte & Marie Louise, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Jackie and Marie will lead the Opening Ceremony for the Three Sisters Garden.

with Celina Parker, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Details to come.

with Randan Redekop & Marcia Christie, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Learn all you need to know to make your own probiotic-rich fermented cucumber pickles. Marcia will walk you through the steps to make your own crunchy sour pickled cucumbers, from selecting the best produce, to washing and preparing, packing the jars and making the brine. The fermenting process and best methods and time frames will be discussed in detail. All of this will be summed up in a written guide for the participants to take home.

About Marcia:

Marcia grew up on her parent’s Saskatchewan farm in the 60’s and 70’s. They were of Ukrainian heritage and food self-sufficient: foraging for wild plants, growing and raising any and every food that could be put away into storage. From an early age Marcia learned how to grow, harvest, prepare and store fruits and vegetables, and milk and meat products.

Fermenting was a key method of extending the life and nutrient-richness of vegetables like cucumbers and cabbage into pickles and sauerkraut and milk products into sour cream and cottage cheese. Foraging for wild berries like chokecherries and Saskatoon berries would turn into some nicely fermented wine. And Marcia’s father, bless his soul, would ferment grain for home-brew! Marcia continues many of the traditions lovingly handed down to her and is excited to share this heritage and nutrient-richness with anyone who is interested.

with Vincenzo Pietropaolo, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Learn about the impact of temporary farm labourers in Niagara and southern Ontario since the 19th century. Then, learn about Vincenzo’s book Harvest Pilgrims which tells the story of the thousands of migrant workers who come to Canada every year to work on our farms using high-quality photographs.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo is a documentary photographer based in Toronto. He has worked as a social documentary photographer since 1991. His work has been featured in approximately 100 solo groups and exhibits in North America, Latin America, and Europe. He has edited and published over a dozen books. You can find his full bio on his website.

with Carrissa Gracey, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m

Come join me while we learn about the importance of the three sisters in Haudenosaunee culture. Listen to a story and help work together in making the three sister soup. After learning and conversation we will all get to share our collaborative three sisters soup. Participants will work at stations to help prepare the ingredients needed.

About Carissa:

Carrissa Gracey grew up in the Niagara Region and resides there today with her husband, two children, 2 dogs and a cat. She is from the Mohawk Turtle Clan of Six Nations on her Mother's side. Carrissa has been a Designated Early Childhood Educator with the District School Board of Niagara for the past 15 years, she is currently on leave to obtain her Bachelor of Education degree in the Waaban Indigenous Education Program at York University. She has a love for nature, gardening and enjoying the great outdoors!

With Mary Lou Garr, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Presentation on behalf of the Friends of Lincoln’s History. Details to come.

with Randan Redekop, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Learn how to build a simple raised garden bed cover to help extend your growing season. Participants will learn by building garden covers for The Brown Homestead’s raised garden boxes, but they can use what they learn to create ones for their own garden. They will be provided with a supply list and instruction sheet to help them remember everything they learned.

with Dr. Catharine Wilson, 7 - 8 p.m.

Join Cathy as she tours the Rural Diary Archive and invites you to explore old farm diaries (1830-1930), the nature of diary writing, and the value of diaries for your historical research.

Catharine Wilson is University Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Guelph. She is the Founder and Director of the Rural Diary Archive, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Her recent book, “Being Neighbours,” the study of quilting and barn-raising bees, appeared in Fall 2022 published by McGil-Queen’s University Press.

with Jackie Labonte & Marie Louise, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Jackie and Marie will lead the Closing Ceremony for the Three Sisters Garden.