Homestead City

- Season 1

(2017)

Homesteading is not what it used to be, and has taken on a modern eco-friendly approach. With so many resources available to us in our own city, take a visit to the Toronto Tool Library. Your host Laura introduces you to Lawrence who started this unique library of tools and things people may need but don't necessarily have in their home.

Have something that is collecting dust on your shelf? What if you could exchange it for free for something that you do need? Sustainable living is a reality in downtown Toronto. Laura Lehman introduces you to David Morton who works at Bunz Trading Zone. Bunz is a very successful new way of bartering goods.

People automatically think preserving food is too much work or too time consuming. But it's a lot simpler than you think. Laura shows you that preserving food is a reality for many in our city. Meet Joel MacCharles who preserves everything from bacon to jam to booze.

Sue Arndt works for Not Far From The Tree Toronto, which creates connections between communities and nature, allowing people to see the city in a different way. With so much food from trees often going to waste, Not Far From The Tree organizes the community to work together to pick and share the harvest from fruit trees.

Making your own furniture from recycled wood may seem intimidating, but it is happening right in our own backyard. Laura introduces you to homesteader Alyssa Hobin who does just that. She takes discarded wood and palettes, and reclaims them into unique furniture pieces.

Homesteader Jennifer Rong takes scrap materials and items that are no longer of use, and transforms them into usable, functional, and beautiful pieces of art, furniture, and jewellery. Jennifer also gives back by teaching her skills to the community so that they learn to do what she does.

We create a lot of waste in our everyday lives, no longer seeing value in the things we own. Recycling allows you to turn waste into potential masterpieces. Get to know "Green" Jean Ferguson, who upcycles wasted trash into functional and visual art.

Learning to live a greener lifestyle is a lot easier than you may realize. You don't need a lot of money, or have to let go of things you love to be green. Laura introduces you to Nikki Fotheringham, who provides the necessary resources to help you make the lifestyle change through her website.