Northbound Bloom

I am SO thrilled to announce the launch of Verge Permaculture's 2nd Online Permaculture Design Certificate beginning November 24th! I will be coordinating this online course and am happy to answer any questions you may have. This course will run until the end of February 2021 where you'll learn how to create a household, a neighbourhood, a community, and a culture that exists in harmony with the natural world. Permaculture changed my life and led me to the work I do today. If you're looking for resilience and security in these challenges times, this is the course to take! To learn more and sign up, check out the link below: https://iu359.isrefer.com/go/online/jn

This winter I will be working on a format to share resources with you related to permaculture, gardening, project highlights and ecological living. Could you help me out and take the poll below to let me know how you prefer to learn? Video? Or Written?

Yesterday we were able to harvest thousands of pounds of potatoes with our community! Local food security matters

Folks, you can truly grow food ANYWHERE. Have you ever had the thought that your yard is too small to grow anything? This client from 2019 is THE master of carrots and just pulled out this monster from her FRONT YARD URBAN LOT in zone 3a. You can do it too!!

The air is getting cool and the rain is relentless, but there's still a few projects to wrap up before winter! Looking forward to seeing these little designs come to life next year with The City of Timmins and Bee City Canada - revamping public planters with perennial and native pollinator friendly species

The reality of our current food system. When food is shipped overseas (twice) not only are we outsourcing our food needs, but this food is reduced in nutritional density, is picked before ripe and ready, is grown with heavy chemical use in a monocrop setting, and contributes to a fragile food system where we depend on kilometres of travel to have our food brought to us. What happens when that food can no longer make the trip? Grow local folks!

Nothing can make me happier than seeing these client-installed designs from last year - COMPLETELY THRIVING! This front yard was a blast to design and within 1 year is producing an abundance of annual and perennial foods as well as pollinator habitat. @ Timmins, Ontario

Building a resilient local food system in the North involves meat. Rubber Boot Farm is leading the way in our region for ethically raised animals and regenerative farming. Having visited their pigs personally, I can say they live excellent lives foraging in the brush in the sunshine. Contact them for orders!

Come join us on Zoom tomorrow afternoon to discuss beginner seed saving! Email [email protected] to register and receive the link.

Growing a front (or back) yard garden has tremendous impacts that include: - growing hyper local, nutrient dense food for you and your family - food security - increasing biodiversity in your yard - creating habitat for beneficial insects... - encouraging bees and pollination See more

Another raised bed install from last week! Cant wait to see these beds thriving with herbs and veggies!

Join us tomorrow evening to chat about COMPOST! To sign up: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/all-about-compost-tickets-11444 Black River Foraging Co.

Hey all! This fantastic FREE series launches tomorrow!!! Use the link in the post below to sign up

Check out this exciting workshop on compost Im hosting with Black River Foraging Co. next Wednesday! Were really looking forward to diving into this topic, explaining the basics, but also deep diving into some details on the importance of compost for our personal and environmental health - among so many other topics. If youve been on the fence about starting a compost pile of your own, this is a great place to start! See you there! <3

Growing food doesnt have to be fancy at all. This little pumpkin is growing right outside my front door in a 5 gallon bucket

Yesterday was a blast installing a couple of raised beds and the start of a longer term full-yard kitchen garden! . High quality, untreated cedar was used (carpentry by Mike Degagne) along with customized vegetable and herb seedlings from Black River Foraging Co. (grown naturally in Matheson without the use of any chemicals). . Grow food not lawns folks! Theres still time this summer to set up consultations if youre interested in edible and native landscapes in Northern Ontario.

As the weeks and months go by this year, a lot of us are realizing that theres no going back to the way things were before. This can create unease, worry, and a lot of uncertainty as we try to navigate new ways of going about our days. Recently, Ive had the pleasure of chatting along side dozens of talented, inspiring women who are looking to share their knowledge and best practices on how to move forward. Join me and over 20 phenomenal experts in womens health for a FREE... online interview series called Moving Forward Together: Mastering Our New Habits for a Fit, Fearless & Fabulous Life. Ill be discussing care of your garden, ecology, and community and while listening to others youll learn to create, build on and master new habits that will benefit your health and life now and in the future. The series starts Monday, July 27th, and you dont want to miss it! Click the link below to sign up! https://lorriemickelson.com/j-nobel

Come out to grab your free kit! See ya soon!

Check out this great program run through Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins ! You are able to pick up your free gardening kit on Friday this week at the Timmins Community Gardens (corner of Bannerman and Cloutier St S) between 11-3pm. This is a great way for beginners to start growing!

A big thanks to everyone who came out for the Edible Gardens for Tiny Spaces workshop! Future workshop topics welcomed A big thanks to everyone who came out for the Edible Gardens for Tiny Spaces workshop! Future workshop topics welcomed

I am thrilled to announce the launch of this little project: Locally curated cedar raised bed garden kits This is a ready-to-go custom kit curated especially for our region in Northern Ontario. It removes the hassle of sourcing materials, guessing plant spacing, and the general feeling of not knowing where to start. Included is a step-by-step guide on how to assemble, install, and get growing fresh, healthy food for your family as quickly as possible! This kit includes... everything you need to get started, delivered directly to your door. Digital guides, local tips, and planting plans will be sent to you while all required material (partially assembled 3x8 cedar bed, nutritionally dense soil mix for healthy plants, seedlings, & seeds) are delivered to you. Included (grown naturally and sourced from Black River Foraging Co. ): - radish seeds - red russian kale seedlings - sugar pumpkin seedling - beet seeds - sorrel seeds - nasturtium seeds If youve never found the time to get around to starting a garden, or if you have larger visions around creating food security for you and your family, this is an easy way to get started - its not too late to plant! Kits are delivered within the city of Timmins and are $650/kit (delivery included). Email [email protected] to order.

Hey Folks, theres still time to sign up for this online workshop on Monday at 11am EST. The session will be recorded, so if you are worried about missing it - no problem! The recording will be sent out to everyone who purchased a ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/edible-gardens-for-tiny-spaces- Or feel free to etransfer me at [email protected].

Have you seen Radical Gardens new seasonal mini summer cakes?! I love this offer because not only does it highlight a fun way to showcase seasonality and wild edibles but its also an amazing collaboration with Black River Foraging Co. . Way to go!

Feeling a bit uneasy about the food system even as the pandemic seems to be lifting in certain areas of the world? Are you unsure of how to move forward in a way that makes you feel food secure, community secure, and environmentally secure? Check out Boreal Food Studio s article on new approaches to living and using land regeneratively. Unsure of what Regenerative means? In short, its the opposite of degenerative and its a more promising way forward than just ... sustainable.

So excited to offer this workshop in a few weeks! If youre a beginner at growing your own food and looking to maximize a small space in a northern climate - this event is for you!

Its a stunning day for yard consultations! A common worry I hear in most consults is that my yard is full of weeds! Heres a secret - these weeds are actually fantastic and they are doing a lot of positive work to increase diversity and soil health in your yard. Most urban lots have tremendously compacted soil and most common weeds are trying to break up that compaction for you. Have you ever tried to pull an entire dandelion root out? Then you know how hard working their root systems are

Join us next Wednesday for a Zoom workshop! Its not too late to start your garden up north

Did you know that at the end of 2019 Timmins officially became a certified Bee City?! Today is World Bee Day and Bee City Canada is excited to have you pledge to protect pollinators in Northern Ontario. Visit https://beecitycanada.org/ to sign up and see the map of people in our area who have also pledged to support! (no donations needed). Interested in setting up a pollinator friendly garden this year? Give me a shout!

I adore seeing clients from last year incorporate their designs this spring! The excitement is real!! In this front yard, the goal was to maximize food production including annual and perennial food systems. In order to eliminate front yard grass without back-breaking work of removing sod, we recommended they sheet mulch and apply layers of nutrient dense organic matter - this includes cardboard, straw, compost, and top soil. These new raised bed and perennial garden beds are looking fantastic already!

What a blast collaborating with Black River Foraging Co. yesterday for a virtual live workshop on seed starting and container gardening! So many great questions and tons of fun! Is there still interest out there for more seed starting and container gardening workshops? Let us know!

Have you been stressed out about when to start your seeds or when to start planting? Think youre way behind? Dont worry!!! Check out this seed starting resource specifically for our area in Northern Ontario - it is sorted based on seed starting date. Youll see that there still tons of time to start new seeds.

How is everyone doing? I apologize for the silence recently but things have been busier than usual over here! I hope to share some great new information soon, but for now this drawing is an awesome visual of what we try to do at Northbound Bloom. Find new approaches to our lifestyles that embrace our surroundings, reduce waste, product healthier food, and provide you with security in times of uncertainty

Join this fantastic live stream now if you are looking for some great permaculture content on a Tuesday night!

Have you been wondering how to create a householda neighbourhooda communityand a culture that exists in harmony with the natural world in these challenging times? I am excited to announce that Verge Permaculture is offering, for the first time, a live Online Permaculture Design Certificate which starts in under a week! My PDC (permaculture design certificate) changed my life and led me to a new business and a new way of living. I am thrilled to be TA-ing this course, and hope that youll join us in exploring solution-based opportunities for the coming years. Click this link to learn more! https://iu359.isrefer.com/go/online/jn

Permaculture is a main focus at Northbound Bloom. Interested in the basics? Here are great quick tips - especially for interesting times like these!

Looking for an incredible northern source for regenerative chicken? Order from Rubber Boot Farm - you wont be disappointed! This is definitely the year to stock your freezers, I recommend getting your order in soon!

The winner for the garden consultation giveaway has been chosen and contacted! A huge thank you to everyone who participated The winner for the garden consultation giveaway has been chosen and contacted! A huge thank you to everyone who participated

2 days left to enter the yard consultation giveaway! Check out 2 posts back for details!

Whats your opinion on backyard chickens? Im so thrilled every time I come across a suburb or community that allows urban chickens. They are amazing users of food waste, reduce pests in the garden, and provide hyper-local food and soil health in return.

One year ago today I officially launched Northbound Bloom and today is our first birthday!!! To celebrate, I want to offer you a gift!! A free one-hour yard consultation. How to enter:... Tag a friend in the comments who would love to start their own edible landscape! (Each tag = 1 entry) Make sure you follow us on Instagram and Facebook @northboundbloom Share this post to your page Every action = 1 entry. A winner will be selected at random on March 11th at 5pm EST. Contest open to residents of Timmins, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Cochrane. GOOD LUCK!

Im honoured to be a board member at the Black River Coop. Check out this new interview that just came out surrounding what our coop is all about. If you have any questions surrounding our land-based projects or to find out more about what a coop is, feel free to reach out to Black River Cooperative .