Local event celebrates self-sufficiency and sustainable living
The Manitoba Homesteading Show is taking place for the first time and residents are invited to attend the event hosted by local homesteaders at the Little Britain United Church Hall in Lockport on April 20.
Homesteading Show organizer, Karen Insley, says that this show is for homesteaders, gardeners, and anyone interested in sustainable living and self-sufficiency.
“We’re basically offering people the chance to listen to others who do this and to glean as much information from it as possible,” said Insley.
As the founder and owner of Healthy Way Every Day Inc. Insley, with her husband and fellow show organizer Richard Insley, she thought that creating an event that was kind of like a farmer’s market but with a twist where the vendors share their knowledge was a great way of connecting people interested in homesteading with people who are homesteaders.
“It’s basically an interactive hands-on show with like-minded people. Whether you’re an urban gardener or somebody who wants to have chickens and llamas, however extensive that you want it to be, [there will be something there for you],” she explained.
Insley’s journey into homesteading started as a child in England where she lived with her parents on a farm that provided for the family. When she and her husband moved to Canada and were able to purchase land in Springfield, they were able to utilize their new space to live off the land which is something they had always been interested in.
“We had a friend a few years ago, who was a client of my husband’s, and he wanted to put a couple of beehives on our acreage because he lived in the city and at the time, [people in the city] weren’t allowed to [have bees]. We watched him for a year and then we decided to bring some bees onto the acreage ourselves and it just expanded. We have 18 hives now,” said Insley.
Naturally, the Insleys created Clover Honey Pot and sold their excess honey but Insley also found herself in need of a good natural skincare line. The combination of these two passions expanded their focus and bee-centred products.
When she was at farmer’s markets for her own business, she realized that she was only able to take a small amount of time with each person who came to see her table and wanted a way to share knowledge while also still giving people a chance to purchase products that they may get excited about after learning more from the person who makes them. In the Manitoba Homesteading Show, she hopes to do just that creating an atmosphere where homesteaders and those interested in learning more both benefit the most.
She also wants to bust the misconception that you have to have acres and acres of land to be able to do some homesteading.
“It isn’t complicated, you can do this in small little chunks, and you can make a difference and that’s what we’re looking [to share]. Like I always say, one good habit is still a really good habit. So, if you can introduce a couple of little things into your life that’re more environmentally friendly or look after the ecosystem, you don’t have to do everything at once,” said Insley.
While she says that starting with a small garden or making items for yourself is beneficial, she also acknowledges that even homesteaders can’t do everything and that’s another area where people might benefit. Insley explained that she purposefully chose vendors for this market with specialties that don’t overlap so that if you’re a homesteader who specializes in one area, for example soap making, you can still find people who specialize in other areas to learn from and get products from.
As for the events that will be taking place at the show, the day starts at 10 a.m. and the first 100 people through the door get a bag with goodies from the homesteaders. There will be presentations throughout the day with time in between to let people shop at the vendor booths, have a snack or chat with vendors who are all willing to share what they do. Residents can also expect free coffee, tea and water to keep everyone hydrated. The show wraps up at 3 p.m.
A list of vendors and presentations is available at the Manitoba Homesteading Show website at mbhomesteadingshow.com.
The event is free to attend.
Insley invites residents who are pros or new to homesteading and want to learn more to stop by.
“It’s a community event. It’s vendors and presenters who are living the life that they’re presenting about. They are walking the walk. You’re not listening to big corporate commercial organizations, you’re gleaning information and learning from people who do this and are living a life of sustainability whether it’s 10% of their life or 100% of their life. If people just want to learn how to incorporate [more sustainability] in an inviting environment and want to listen to a lot of different aspects of homesteading [they should come],” she said.
