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Strawberries and Asparagus June 14th, 2008

“Strawberries & Asparagus” is a community celebration of all things green. This festival in Toronto’s Cedarvale Park promotes public space, local and organic food, local sustainable business, nature appreciation, music, and fitness & health. Come along on June 14 from 11.00am to 5.00pm and enjoy:

• healthy snacks and solar ice cream
• free activities for children and adults
• live music on our solar stage
• a marketplace for green businesses and environmental organizations

This not-for-profit event is organized each year by EvolutionGreen.Com and human capital partner Green Neighbours 21, a grass-roots environmental group in Toronto’s Ward 21. There is also an Inorganic Market™ taking place – you can drop off used or broken electronic items for free recycling. Laptops, desktops, iPods, mp3 players, cell phones and more will be collected. Come out, meet the community, and enjoy the fun!

Read on to learn about the day’s CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES, ADULT AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES, INORGANIC MARKET, GREEN MARKETPLACE and to see a LOCATION MAP where the event will take place. If it’s raining, our rain date is Sunday June 15, 2008.

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

Children’s Concert:
Juno Award Winning Children’s Singer Jen Gould performs. Her album “Music Soup” was given a Juno for best children’s album of the year. Her performance is followed by songs performed by Evolution Green’s Chris Chopik together with the kids from the Cedarvale Community Children’s Garden

• 1.00pm - 2.00pm at the solar stage

Gardening Activities for Children:
“Strawberries and Asparagus” takes place in the grounds around the Cedarvale Community Children’s Garden, established by Claire Rodger and “the gardening angels” a group of devoted adult volunteers. Learn more about this wonderful group by participating in their activities at “Strawberries and Asparagus” including:

• 11.00am - 12.45pm - Vegetable planting(Children should dress appropriately)
• 2.00pm - 3.00pm - Storytelling
• 3.00pm-4.30 pm - Rhubarb compote tasting

Make your own cob birdhouse:
The Blue Jays are back! Now that these birds have returned to the Cedarvale neighbourhood, children and adults can build them a birdhouse all the while learning about environmentally friendly building techniques. Cob is a building material made out of earth and straw. This hands on workshop is being led by members of the Fourth Pig Worker Co-op who are experts in sustainable building, alternative materials and energy retrofits. Wear clothing that you don’t mind getting muddy and you’ll be able to take your own cob birdhouse home with you.

• Sessions begin at 11.30am, 12.30pm and on a drop in basis throughout the day

Eco Trivia Game:
Earth Day Canada will be running their Eco Trivia game where children play a ball game while answering questions about the environment. Children can win prizes. In the Earth Day Canada booth they will also be handing out promotional material to help teachers and other educators bring environmental issues into the curriculum.

• New games begin at 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.00pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm and 4.00pm

ADULT AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES:

TREC Solar Tour: This year at the Strawberries and Asparagus Festival, the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative is launching the first ever free and guided 90-minute residential solar tour. The tour will commence at 11am on the grounds of the festival near the TREC/WISE booth. Then participants will proceed by Hydrogen Bus to visit four residential destinations. Participants will have the chance to view the featured photovoltaic or solar thermal installations and an opportunity to speak with homeowners about their solar experience. The bus trips in between also offer a chance for an ongoing solar power question/answer period. Refreshments will be provided at the Pinewood stop of the tour.

LEAF and Garden Green:
Learn stories relating to our local trees. Arborist Todd Irvine from LEAF leads a tour that investigates the stories of local street trees and new plantings in the ravine. There will be a number of guest speakers on the tour. The walk lasts 90 minutes and is appropriate for walkers of all ages. Co-sponsored by Garden Green. Our local M.P. Carolyn Bennett will be in attendance. Wear comfortable shoes.

• 1.00pm - 3.00pm LEAF Cedarvale Tree Walk (departs from Cedarvale Community Children’s Garden)

Daily Apple:
Daily Apple wellness services will be running their signature outdoor fitness class called “Trailmix”. This low-impact class integrates cardio, weights, pilates and yoga. Wear comfortable clothes and running shoes.

• 2.00pm - 2.45pm (Departs from the Daily Apple booth)

Zen: Watch and participate in a Zen practice with practioner and teacher Olga Moritz of Full Circle Healing Arts. Sessions take place in the Zen Zone which can be entered from the park or from Arlington Road. Sessions are 45 minutes long and have been sponsored by the Inorganic Market™.

• Sessions begin at 11.00am, 12.30 pm, and 2.00pm.

INORGANIC MARKET

 

Inorganic Market™: The Inorganic Market™ is a citizen-based approach to raise awareness about the issue of electronic waste based on community engagement through education and creative expression.The event includes community members’ creative expression through an activity, art, writing, or performance. We provide education through factual information and conversations about the issues surrounding electronic waste and consumerism. We also provide a collective opportunity for individuals to gather and dispose of their electronic waste.

Bring your unwanted electronics to the Inorganic Market™. They accept laptops, desktops, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines, ipods, mp3 players, power bars, any type of wires and cables, speakers, keyboards, mice, video game consoles, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS’s), cell phones and routers. Components will be reused or recycled.

• Collections will take place in the parking lot of Arlington Middle School from 11 am to 5 pm

GREEN MARKETPLACE:

Here are just a few of the many vendors and organizations that will be attending Strawberries and Asparagus 2008:

Arise Technologies: Arise Technologies whose solar energy systems are increasingly appearing on the roofs of Ward 21 in Toronto and beyond will be bringing a solar powered ice cream cooler to the event and handing out free ice cream. They will also be sharing a booth with WISE (below)

Chocosol: This fair-trade chocolate company will have biopower grinders and blenders, chocolate drinks, chocolate foods, and a whole artistic display. They will also be hosting special guest Gustavo Esteva, an author, storyteller and food activist from Mexico. Gustavo’s writings will be available.

Dutch Dreams: Over the last 20 years, Dutch Dreams has become a landmark in our community. Located at St. Clair and Vaughn Road, the ice cream parlor offers their own line of Canadian-made ice creams and cones. Together with Arise Technologies, Dutch Dreams has sponsored the festival’s “solar cooled” ice creams for just $1 a cone.

Earth Day Canada Eco Action Team: The Eco Action Team will have a booth where individuals or groups can commit to conservation and use an online calculator to see how much emissions they’ve saved.

Fashion Takes Action: Receive an invitation to Fashion Takes Action…the green fashion event of the year.

Whole Self Fitness:
Whole Self Fitness provides on-site personal training and lifestyle coaching. Whole Self Fitness also provides nutrition consulting, on-site group fitness classes and cooking workshops at Whole Foods Market. For more information contact Leehe Lev at 416-924-3145.

West Toronto Initiative for Solar Energy (WISE): WISE will have a booth illustrating what solar energy can do for you, your home and our environment.

ARTWALK: The St. Clair Arts Festival and Studio Tour, ARTWALK is the annual celebration of all forms of art in the St. Clair West area of Toronto. Manning the ARTWALK booth at Strawberries and Asparagus is Nelson Wong who creates art from common disposable material and will have a display of his art, and some of his works for sale. Nelson will also hold workshops throughout the day for people who want to learn how to create art from recycled materials.

City and North Custom Design: A member of Green Enterprise Toronto, City and North Custom Design uses reclaimed wood from old barns in Southern Ontario to create beautiful and functional environmentally-friendly furniture that will be a focal point in any room in your home or cottage. At our booth we’ll also offer children’s activities…of painting offcuts of barn board into Christmas ornaments!

Soma Earth Architect: A member of Green Enterprise Toronto, Soma Earth Architect is a pioneering architectural firm emphasizing healthy, EMF-free, Non-toxic, energy efficient, natural building materials & systems for green, sustainable, eco-architecture – new buildings, additions as well as renovation projects. We are local to the Cedarvale Park neighbourhoods at Winona & St. Clair.

Green Gardeners: Green Gardeners provides organic professional garden and lawn services for homeowners, community groups and commercial clients in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). We have years of experience customizing services that balance your landscaping needs with your need to live more sustainably. We can help you create a beautiful environmentally friendly garden.

Green Neighbours 21: Green Neighbours 21 was launched in February 2007 at a community meeting attended by 60 enthusiastic people who shared their concerns about the environment and ideas for action. Since then we have held monthly meetings, which often include a speaker, and organized a number of special events. We have an email list of over 200 who are notified of Green Neighbours 21 events and other green events in the city. All work is done by volunteers, with task groups formed for specific projects.

Dandelion Food and Herb: Dandelion Food and Herb offers a variety of locally-produced food and health products including herbal teas, deodorants and tooth powder. Free tea samples will be available at the booth. Proprietor Melodie Carew is a registered holistic nutritionist (R.N.C.P.) and herbalist and offers a variety of services to help clients improve their health.

The Little Green Book of Big Savings: The Little Green Book of Big Savings Toronto’s guide and coupon book for green living. Inside, you’ll find tips, resources and over $4,000 in savings and freebies from locally owned businesses that will encourage and inspire you to live a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.

Canadian Organic Growers: Canadian Organic Growers Inc. is Canada’s national membership-based education and networking organization representing farmers, gardeners, consumers and supporters in all provinces and territories.

 

Solid Waste Management Services: Hot on the heels of the introduction of our new recycling bins in Toronto, there’s another new thing Torontonians are going to have to get used to: new garbage bins. Soon you’ll be receiving a Garbage Bin order package. Need help deciding which bin is right for you? Visit the City of Toronto tent to see the different sizes of Garbage Bins available and to talk to City of Toronto staff.

EVENT LOCATION:

“Strawberries and Asparagus” takes place in the grounds around the Cedarvale Community Children’s Garden at the north end of Cedarvale Park. The nearest subway is Eglinton West. Then walk south on Everden Road to the park’s entrance on Ava. Enter the park and you’ll see the children’s garden up on a small hill on your right hand side. For a map showing the location of the festival and the location of the Eglinton West subway station, click here.

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