CANTON -- The Local Living Venture's monthly "meet up" gathering will be held Wednesday, April 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Crary Mills Community Center, 35 Post Rd.

The free and family-friendly event is focused on skill-sharing, in keeping with the theme of resourceful living skills. Several demonstrations are planned, including a make and take of natural cleaning products, knife sharpening, a handmade long bow and arrows, coffee roasting, a healthy food demo and a presentation on beekeeping.

The Local Living Venture's Bee Group, that meets monthly, will be re-stocking their hives with a group co-op order and a member of the group will be sharing how to remove bees from their packages or nucs and load them in the hives, though no actual bees will be used in the presentation.

Additionally, there will be time for show and tell by anyone who has a project, skill or hobby to share in brief presentations. Interested individuals can sign up for a time slot at the door. A service project of cutting up used (not new) plastic grocery bags for a future crocheting project is also planned and attendees are encouraged bring scissors and old bags to create the plarn or plastic yarn.

Healthy snacks and locally-roasted coffee will be available at no charge, and the event is free and open to the public. The event is underwritten with generous support by Nature's Storehouse, a full service health food store with deli and catering operations in Canton, and Jernabi's Coffeehouse in Potsdam, featuring their own St. Lawrence Valley Roasters coffee blends.

All are welcome to join in this free event, held on the third Wednesday of each month. Some children's activities will be provided.

Every other month the event is a "Bulk Food Fiesta" where large amounts of healthy main dishes are cooked by the assembled group and then divvied up to take home and freeze for easy meals later. In May the group will focus on creating signage and other plans for a horse-drawn float contingent in the upcoming Dairy Princess Parade.

RSVP or info: LocalLivingVenture@gmail.com, 347-4223 or www.LocalLivingVenture.org/full-events-schedule.