QB Seedy Saturday 2020 Speakers ~ Saturday, February 1
Chris ‘Farmer’ Brown ~ 10:30 am to 11:30 am ~ ‘Local Food Solves Global Problems’
This presentation explores the intimate relationships and interconnectedness between the living soils where we cultivate our produce, the splendour of working with plants, and the joy of the harvest.
Chris ‘Farmer’ Brown is a permaculturalist, anthropologist, agricultural educator, entrepreneur and activist. 
We all eat for a living; agriculture is part of our shared history. Globally, for-profit agricultural activities such as industrial-scale farming and the commodification of seed are disrupting and threatening the health of ecosystems and communities. Regenerative agricultural practices and permaculture have the potential to increase biodiversity and restore damaged soils. Adapting to climate change involves cultivating local food systems and seeding hope. We can all contribute because local food solves global problems.
Chris lives in Nanaimo and is active with urban farming initiatives and education in collaboration with Nanaimo FoodShare. He is hopeful for the future and believes that agriculture should be part of public education. After all, no farmers, no food.
Explore more information about Farmer Brown online
Website: www.farmerbrown.earth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joyce McMenamon ~ 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm ~ ‘Backyard Composting’
Learn how to safely and easily turn scraps into a rich nutritious soil amendment. Joyce has been enthusiastically composting for decades and is eager to share her wormy insights and answer your questions. Feed the soil that feeds the plants that feed us!
Joyce McMenamon, the daughter of the original inventor, is working with an amazing team to make the Speedibin widely available. Composting and backyard food production is becoming mainstream. This is wonderful for the planet: less trucking, less material to the landfill and more nutrients returned to the earth. But often backyard composing means that we are ringing the dinner bell for pests.
Fresh Earth Products is eager to resolve that obstacle. We have tweaked the design of the original Speedibin to create the ideal and affordable composter for backyard use. We have made several significant improvements to the original design including a latching handle that keeps out raccoons, dogs and the wind. The Deluxe Speedibin has a hinged lid to make it a little easier to use. Our goal is to make backyard composting easy and safe.
Explore more information about Speedibins online:
Website: www.speedibin.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/speedibin