A hands-on workshop in Stettler will show residents how to spot and safely eat wild plants that many consider nuisances. The “How to Eat Your Weeds” session runs June 14 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Stettler Town & Country Museum, giving gardeners and foragers practical skills right in their own backyards and green spaces.
Hosted as part of the museum’s second-year Gardening Club, the workshop is led by instructor Terina Stefanitis. The club offers residents a chance to learn everything from growing tomatoes to natural dyeing, with a $50 annual membership or a $5 drop-in fee for individual sessions. This particular event turns attention to plants often pulled and tossed, reframing them as a free, sustainable food source.
The museum itself sits at 6502 44 Avenue and bills itself as Alberta’s fifth largest pioneer village. This year marks its 50th anniversary, and the Gardening Club is one way the site has grown beyond historical exhibits to offer practical, community-driven education. The museum’s 10-acre property with over 25 historic buildings serves as an outdoor classroom for the workshop.
The session is promoted by Stettler Connects, a non-profit community hub run by a volunteer board. Founded as the Stettler Information and Referral Centre, it has served the Town and County of Stettler for 40 years, matching residents with local programs, services, and events. With a phone call to 403-742-1155, anyone can learn more about the workshop or other community connections.
Edible wild plant education is gaining ground across Alberta as people look for ways to eat locally and sustainably. Similar hands-on classes have sprouted up elsewhere in the province, teaching plant identification and ethical harvesting. The mid-June timing puts the workshop right in peak growing season, when many edible weeds are at their most recognizable and tender.
