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Seedy Saturday promises a 'wild' time for local foodies

The York Region Food Network's free event also includes a seed exchange and sale, vendors' marketplace and hands-on children's activities
20190301 pine treats seedy saturday
Pine-tree needle treats made by wild food educator Karen Stephenson. Supplied photo

You can learn how to use backyard weeds in the kitchen to boost your health at tomorrow’s Seedy Saturday Speaker Corner event hosted by the York Region Food Network.

Master naturalist and chartered herbalist Karen Stephenson, who is also a wild food educator, will present Weeds for a Healthy Garden and a Healthy You. Since launching her Edible Wild Food website in 2011, it has grown like a weed.

“Even in the winter there are lots of foraging opportunities for those who crave the goodness of wild foods,” said Stephenson.

If you’re like most gardeners, pulling weeds is a tedious task. But those pesky backyard weeds are actually beneficial not only to the soil, but to your health, as food and medicine, she added.

“Many wild foods overwinter and if you know where they grow, you will have a stash of fresh greens all winter long," Stephenson said. "Yes, you’ll have to move the snow to get them but it is worth the effort.”

Conifer tree needles, she explains, are loaded with nourishing components and, once ground into powder, can be used to create herbal seasonings, fine vinegar and tea.

“Pine-tree tea has a pleasant aroma and many healthy constituents that help support many functions in our body," said Stephenson. "When you can’t get to a forest to enjoy the scent, then the forest can come to your teacup.”

You may not think of dessert when you see a coniferous tree, but pine needles can even be the star ingredient in mouthwatering treats like cookies and muffins, as well as Stephenson’s own Pine Butter Cups recipe, a healthier take on the commercial brand.

Other speakers in the Seedy Saturday lineup include:

  • Simplicity of Sprouts, led by Cathy Nesbitt, Cathy’s Sprouters/Cathy’s Composters
  • Fighting Factory Food, facilitated by Shawn Sowten and Dushan Batrovic, Seed Voyage

The free event also features a seed exchange and sale, hands-on children’s activities, a vendor marketplace, and more.

It runs Saturday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Newmarket Community Centre and Lions Hall, 200 Doug Duncan Dr.

To register for the speaker forums or the drop-in Kids in the Kitchen family workshop and for the day's schedule, visit here.