R Jeff W introduced his wife and partner Andrea Wheeldon. They have lived in Brighton for 2 1/2 years.
Andrea gave us a brief history how her passion became a business, The Living Kitchen.
While living in Manitoba a few years ago, Andrea became interested in natural fermentation - bacteria and yeast - probiotics. She said the winters in Manitoba encourage a person to hide indoors. They were living in an area with a lot of Mennonites, and she took an interest in preserving their vegetables. But after a lot of burned hands and over heating the house, she discovered natural fermentation.
Natural fermentation is preserving with bacteria and yeast, a natural and ancient technique, developed in every culture. She said this process is becoming 'trendy'. She started doing it for her own family, keeping several strains going such as sour dough and others. She began sharing with friends and volunteering by teaching groups. This significantly expanded their friends and social network in southern Manitoba.
When it started costing too much to do as a volunteer, she eventually started it as a business, The Living Kitchen.
They moved to Brighton and southern Ontario Andrea wanted to grow her skills and knowledge in this field. She does work shops and other sessions, many at Codrington Community Hall. She will be attending the 2nd annual exhibit in Picton on August 4th. She advises that there are many similar small businesses using similar techniques and producing goods.
There was a lot of interest and questions from the floor.
Andrea's site is https://thelivingkitchen.live