Are you looking for a new and exciting experience? These five Eastman businesses are offering various workshops that will do just the trick! From farmy goodness to unleashing the artist in you, you can discover, practice, or advance your skills.

*Disclaimer*

• Stay home if you have been travelling or do not feel well. Here is an excellent resource if you are quarantined. This will help you find people in Manitoba who are willing and able to help you while quarantined. Help Next Door Manitoba
• Go out with people within your household, but practice social distancing (2 metres away) with other groups.
• Please call ahead before visiting a business and inquire about their regulations to enter the building, such as capacity, sanitation, etc. Also, consider using curbside pickup where possible.
• Please practice Leave No Trace. Clean up after yourself and leave nothing behind, such as trash and waste.

Borealis Beading (Ste. Genevieve)

Dive into the cultural and historical significance of the Métis people while learning the skills of 2-Needle Beading, Finger Weaving, and Quilting. Borealis Beading is owned and operated by Melanie Gamache, a Manitoba Métis beadwork artisan who started beading in 2015. Melanie has always been a creative individual, but her talent for beadwork has developed along with her passion for sharing the Métis culture and history relating to beadwork. Borealis Beading has grown from creating her very own beadwork pieces to organizing workshops, hosting Métis cultural learning experiences and carrying basic beading supplies required to start you on your beading journey.

Discover and critique your newfound talent with their Virtual Experiences. With the help of Zoom, you can start your journey with their Introduction to 2-Needle Beading, move up to Traditional Métis Tobacco/Fire Bag, and advance to the Traditional Leather Medicine Bag.

 

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A post shared by Melanie Gamache (@borealis_beading)

 

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A post shared by Melanie Gamache (@borealis_beading)

Green Pastures Farm (Gardenton)

Green Pastures Farm is always adding new and exciting workshops, but the fun, sharing of knowledge, and fascinating subjects stays the same. Guy and Leah Bouchard, with the help of their young sons, operate Green Pastures Farm. They live on a second-generation family farm in southeastern Manitoba. Based on 160 acres, the farm nestles in an old-growth oak forest on the banks of the Roseau River; it’s the perfect location to raise turkeys, sheep, crops, and wool.

Currently, you can participate in Make Your Own Wool Comforter (date pending), Learn to Knit (date pending) and Farm Classes where you can learn about Equine Leadership, nature, working with wool, caring for sheep and lambs, gardening, chickens, and more.

JoyeZ Art (Beausejour)

JoyeZ Art does more than just guide you through finding your creative side. They show you how to take care of your mind, heart, and soul with art. At JoyeZ Art, they believe art is an expression of our feelings and a glimpse into our hearts and soul. It provides us with a therapeutic release of our emotions, stresses and tensions; freeing us from what is locked within. As a form of expressive therapy, it uses the creative process of making art to improve our physical, mental and emotional well-being. It becomes a form of expression, allowing those incapable of expressing themselves with words to communicate with the world around them.

Their workshops, done through virtual classes, explore a variety of art mediums like acrylic painting, collage art, sculpting, chalk/pastel art, drawing, and more. With their workshops, not only will you discover your creative side, but also find your way to express yourself and find a release from everyday life.

Long Way Homestead (Ste. Genevieve)

Long Way Homestead is situated on 140 acres east of Winnipeg at the edge of the Boreal Plains region and currently has laying hens, a flock of Shetland Sheep and Merino cross sheep and two llamas. In the summer, they raise chickens and heritage breed pigs for meat. In the fall, they sell pastured poultry, free-range eggs and pork direct from the farm. As guiding values for how they treat the animals on the farm, they strive for:

• Providing access to fresh seasonal vegetation for all our animals. (Pasture-Raised).
• No growth hormones or antibiotics.
• Source their grain locally and avoid known GMO grains.
• Use permaculture principles on the farm and work towards a regenerative agricultural plan for the farm as they study and learn about the benefits and strategies of regenerative practices.

Their workshops are perfect for any occasion and can be done through Zoom. From Breed Specific Knitting, Breed Specific Felting, to Sheep School: Intro to Starting Your own Fiber Flock, and more, you can learn a variety of skills.

 

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A post shared by Long Way Homestead (@longwayhomestead)

 

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Masagana Flower Farm & Studio (La Broquerie)

Masagana Flower Farm is a woman-led, BIPOC owned and operated small-scale flower farm and natural dye studio near La Broquerie, Manitoba. No matter who and where we are, creating magic and growing joy is right at our fingertips. They advocate for an eco-conscious lifestyle and inspire others to turn their lawns into garden beds. Aside from growing seasonal blooms, they also cultivate dye plants that they use to make handmade, small-batch, naturally dyed textile goods at their second business, Tinta Studio.

Their onsite Experiential Tour Workshop will leave you inspired to try something new. It’s an exclusive experience for participants ready to engage all their senses in creating wearable art, a piece to adorn an empty wall or keep in a cedar chest with the rest of one’s heirloom pieces.

This experience starts with the fire pit, where you have a full view of the flower farm, the family home and the workshop. Awakening your senses begins here. You will be welcomed by Lourdes, founder of Masagana Flower Farm and Tinta Studio.

During your visit, you’ll learn of the flowers on the farm, their stories and how they came to be while selecting your favourite varieties. After you’ll head to their bright, natural dye studio and start creating your new, favourite fashion piece: choose from a silk scarf, cotton bandana, or a long shawl.

 

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A post shared by LOURDES | Flowers and Tinta (@masaganaflowerfarm)

 

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