Perhaps you have fond memories of family meals. Maybe there was something great a grandparent, parent, or a friend used to make. Remember a time when you felt comforted or at home. We all crave community and togetherness. We feel nostalgic for home made things, gathering, and feeling connected.
We are opening a new location at 340 Barton Street East to serve you coffee, drinks, and comfort food, sourced from local farmers, preserved fresh, in season. Our focus is on fermentation, slow food, and creating pure, unique flavours. Come join us for coffee while you work, meet friends here, or come for brunch. We will have a safe space and a warm cup for you.
Someday ElderCamp will be a real camp, with a community kitchen, events space, and cabins or rooms for overnight stays. ElderCamp will be a community space to share tasks, tell stories, and make connections. It will not be workshop or a class, but a time to learn from and help each other. It’s the sharing of knowledge from one generation to another, and the forging of your future family traditions. At ElderCamp, we look at the resources around us, whether it’s in season produce to preserve, breads or dumplings to make when food prices get high, or learning a new skill to be able to make handcrafted heirlooms.
Kathryn & Nadine at Hamilton Pride 2022
ElderCamp was founded in 2019 by Kathryn Dieroff and Nadine Ubl under the name NanaCamp. Kathryn is a designer goldsmith, sewist, and chef. She has been learning all the things, from grandparents and parents since she was a child. Whether it was making pies with nana, sewing with mom, processing film and prints in the darkroom, painting, stitching, or creating the perfect sandwich with her brother, Kathryn has strived to find a way to do-it-herself at home. Not only does Kathryn have a little bit of knowledge of just about everything, she approaches all her work with care and precision, making every act one of careful craftsmanship and an expression of love. Kathryn completed a honours bachelor of arts degree from Trent University in Cultural Studies, with a focus of visual and written storytelling. Kathryn attended George Brown College for Jewellery Arts and Design, and apprenticed with master goldsmith and gemsetter, Carl Torode. In 1999, Kathryn started her first business and has been self-employed ever since, working in coworking spaces, owning a retail store, selling work in stores all across Canada, and doing shows and festivals.