November 2023 Newsletter
November Newsletter: Christmas Market, Naramata School Garden & more!
NaramataSlow Harvest Supper
We were thrilled to once again host our annual Long Table Harvest Supper on the lawn of Columbia Hall. The weather was picture-perfect, allowing us to arrange tables for an alfresco outdoor dining experience. When we gather together to share a meal, we discover commonalities with our neighbors and celebrate the strengths of our community.
The true star of the event was none other than Jay Drysdale's masterfully slow-roasted pig. We visited Bella Winery the night before to witness the spectacular pig roast in action. The whole process was a grand production that had its beginnings months ago, from the nurturing and raising of the pigs to the villagers generously providing food scraps, culminating in an all-night roasting extravaganza.
The roast pig was complemented by the potluck dishes that each guest brought to share. The Open Air Wine Lab highlighted some of the unique Naramata-specific blessings that allow us to grow and make beautiful wine and cider here. Creek and Gully's apple experts were on hand opening our eyes (and mouths) to what real apples taste like (heavenly). There was fabulous live music, a scavenger hunt for the kids, and a marshmallow roast. It was a magical affair filled with great food, wine, music, and friendship. What a wonderful opportunity to come together in gratitude and celebrate as one. It reminds us how truly lucky we are to live in a place like this.
NaramataSlow would like to thank the following businesses, organizations, and people who helped make this event happen:
• Jay Drysdale and Wendy Rose/Bella Farmstead – for their loving care in raising the pig, a true centerpiece of our feast, gifted and expertly smoked overnight.
• The Naramata Centre – for generously sharing their space, equipment, and kitchen to accommodate our enthusiastic crowd.
• The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen – for their seed funding support for the supper.
• The Simonsen Family and Creek and Gully Cidery – for their abundant supply of apples and the awesome and flavourful apple education they offered.
• Dan Pederson & Eileen Muzzin – for their stunning Dahlias, and Elizabeth van Heerden and Joan Boras, who artfully arranged them with skill and affection.
• Dana Ewart and Cam Smith – for their beautiful, nourishing, and bountiful bread, a masterpiece baked in dough.
• Chabendo Gelato – for loading up the cart and sharing a rainbow of Naramata-inspired iced indulgences, delighting all our guests.
• The talented musicians Consuela and Allejandro – for keeping us entertained throughout the dinner.
• To the Wineries and the Cidery: 1 Mill Road, Bella Wines, Deep Roots, Elephant Island, Hillside, Lock & Worth, Nichol Vineyard, Van Westen, Terravista, Ruby Blues, Tightrope, and Creek and Gully Cidery – for providing an exceptional sampling library that educated us on the virtues of Naramata-grown beverages and quenched our thirst as we enjoyed our meals.
• To the Volunteers – the dedicated individuals who showed up, set up tables and chairs, and transformed the lawn into a magical dining setting. Also, to those who managed the Wine Lab, Wine and Cider sales, and those who pitched in pulling pork, supplying and stoking the fire pits, and overseeing the marshmallow roast and kids' scavenger hunt.
• To the participants – the creative souls who prepared and savored the Naramata-grown and inspired dishes that complemented the pork.
• Last but certainly not least, to the NaramataSlow Committee: Dawn Lennie, Jacquie Carlson, Gayl Grant, Rene Mehrer, Nicole Hackworth, Miranda Halladay, Jim Simpson, Dan Pederson, and Jay Drysdale – together, they have nurtured a platform where ambitious and sometimes unconventional ideas about building community and enriching Naramata have been given the opportunity to blossom into reality. For the Harvest Supper, this entailed making meticulous lists, thorough preparations, and tireless efforts to secure decorations, glassware, hotplates, chairs, tables, and coordinating an army of volunteers. And, thank you Mother Nature for gifting us with the perfect sunny autumn day!
Neighborhood Small Grants
South Okanagan Similkameen
We extend our gratitude to the community members who applied for and were awarded three Small Grants, enabling us to bring these events to life.
1. The first event of 2023 was the Laneway Flowering Project. Led by the incredibly knowledgeable Alyce and Bonnie, participants learned about using low effort plantings to beautify forgotten laneways and create amazing pollinator supporting ecosystems.
2. The Dark Sky Movie Night was held September 27 at Columbia Hall. We were pleased to present the film "October Sky" and connect with the Royal Astronomical Society. Stay tuned for future Dark Sky speakers.
3. Finally the School Garden Cleanup was held October 1, at Naramata Elementary School. Neighbours joined in a garden clean up and workshop on three types of composting by Master Gardener James Young.
Naramata Elementary School Garden
The power of community is strong at the Naramata Elementary School Garden.
After a fall and winter's worth of veggies were harvested by local chefs to serve soup every week to the students - the remainder of the harvest was sorted into 80 bags of veggies for the students to take home.
Thank you James Young for all of the expertise, time and sweat equity that you contribute to the school garden. It is truly amazing how much food this little garden producers and the future value to the kids of Naramata Elementary in learning and getting their hands in the dirt is priceless!
Naramata Seeks Dark Sky Designation
By becoming a Dark Sky Community, we are committed to
preserving our precious night sky environment
Our Dark Sky Team has been working diligently towards achieving an International Dark Sky Community designation for Naramata. This would be a first in Canada. One of the primary goals in achieving this designation is to use light more efficiently, by updating the existing street lighting bylaw and improving the new build bylaw to incorporate the latest advancements in the appropriate use of light. Here's what you can do at home.
5 Principles of Outdoor Lighting:
Principle #1: Useful
Does the Light Serve a Clear and Necessary Purpose? Consider how extra light impacts wildlife and the environment. Light only areas you need.
Principle #2: Targeted
Light should be directed only where needed. Use shielding and careful aiming to target the direction of the light beam so that it points downward and doesn't spill beyond where it's needed.
Principle #3: Low Light Levels
Light should be no brighter than necessary. Use the lowest light level required. Be mindful of surface conditions, as some surfaces may reflect more light into the night sky than intended.
Principle #4: Controlled Light
Use light only when it's needed. Use controls such as timers or motion detectors to ensure light is available when needed, dimmed when possible, and turned off when not needed.
Naramata Community Christmas Market
December 1, 2023
The Naramata Community Christmas Market is back on Main Street, Robinson Avenue, for a single, magical evening on December 1, 2023.
Our European-style community winter market has all the activities and vendors to make you proud to shop, and gift, a little (or a lot) of #NaramataLove! The market will have Christmas music, a fire pit to roast marshmallows, steaming hot chocolate, delicious locally made treats, and our amazing farmers, artisans and crafters offering up the most thoughtful, practical, flavourful and beautiful creations that you could stuff a stocking with. Plus - gourmet hot dogs, hearty soups and snacks, and an abundance of both sweet and savoury baking.
Folks can extend their market experience by wandering down to the Naramata Inn. Members of the Naramata Bench Wine Association will be pouring tastings on the lawn of the hotel and the Eliza wine bar will be open for your enjoyment.
We still have room for enthusiastic vendors who can help us usher in the holiday season in style. If you're ready to join the festivities, please reach out to us at naramataslow@gmail.com
Centre Beach Dedication
We are dedicated to creating a celebration to commemorate the successful fundraising campaign, which ensures the preservation of Centre Beach for the benefit of future generations. Embracing the essence of slowness, we are steadily advancing in the development of the Centre Beach Sculpture installation. This locally designed piece not only honours this accomplishment but also mirrors the spirit of our community. Keep an eye out for the upcoming Dedication Event scheduled for the Spring of 2024
READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER:
https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?u=8c8daecb8c625dbbc24ba3f45&id=0091589706
