Vancouver Homesteader’s Emporium – a Transition Enterprise
-By Rick Havlak
Home-grown veggies, fruit preserves, and cheese. Fresh eggs, compost, honey, and homemade soap.
Do I have your attention? Maybe, like me two years ago, you suspect it’s possible to produce these things in your home, you know you could be healthier and more self sufficient, and you’re eager to learn. Maybe, like I was, you’re asking “How do I begin?”
I think this question should be an easy one. Forward-thinking organizations like Village Vancouver, UBC Farm, and the community centre network have broken ground by offering classes and workshops, but can lead to the “what now” factor; after learning to make cheese (or jam, or soap, or compost), it can be a pain to drive all over town or search the internet to get the supplies to put the new skill into action.
I think the answer is a permanent storefront that offers on-site educational programs and supplies for a wide variety of projects. That way, whether you learn to preserve (or raise chickens, or keep bees, or grow vegetables) through the store, through another community group, or have been doing it for years, you’ll always know where to go to find the supplies you need and helpful advice.
The store
In addition to the projects mentioned above, the store will carry supplies for grinding flour, pressing cider, roasting coffee, sausage making, mushroom cultivation, and more. We’re building a workshop program to offer instruction and demonstrations in all these areas, so if you’re an expert, we want to hear from you! Likewise, if you’re an organization that focuses on sustainability, community resiliency, or food security, we want to hear from you!
Keep in touch!
Update: Location announced! Homesteader's Emporium will be located in Strathcona at 649 E Hastings St., between Heatley and Princess. See you at the store when we open in June! To keep updated on the project, you can join the mailing list or just check in at www.HomesteadersEmporium.ca.