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News from Reevis Mountain School
February 2009
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A Division of the PAAK Foundation, an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
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 The orchard is breaking out in blossoms, and the chickens are laying again - first signs of spring!
We had a wonderful time at Winter Count. Bigfoot taught classes in bow and drill fire making, useful plants, and natural healing, and Patricia learned to make traditional sandals from yucca leaves. We met new and old friends there, and heard some stories about healing with herbs. In one, a little girl had had Valley Fever for over a year, had been to doctors and taken loads of antibiotics, and was still sick, so her father came to Peter for help. Peter suggested yerba santa tea ... and we learned at Winter Count that the little girl got well within a couple of weeks. Her father told us she was so impressed by the power of the herbs that now she is interested in herbology.
Our interns Minnie and Travis have both continued on their way - we miss them and wish them happy trails. They were enormously helpful in completing long-standing projects and allowing Peter and Patricia time to work on Peter's books. We have nearly finished revising Peter's Useful Wild Western Plants book, and the Book of Natural Remedies is almost done, too! By the end of March we expect to have printed copies.
The Boulder cabin is nearly finished. Peter and our new friend Hans are making a 400-pound door for it (slight exaggeration). We've been working on our vehicles, as well. The Ford van got a new paint job (thanks especially to Nate!) - green and brown - and it looks like a new van.
For more
information (and pictures!) about the farm, Peter Bigfoot's herbal remedies, and classes and events, please visit www.reevismountain.org.
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Coming Events
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oriental Touch Healing, at RMS, March 5-8, $268
Wild Edible, Medicinal, and Useful Plants, Lost Dutchman State Park, March 15, $78
Wilderness Survival, at RMS, March 28-April 4, $975
Nature Retreat at RMS, April 10-12, $198
Herbal Pharmacology, at RMS, April 24-26, $198
Wild Edible, Medicinal, and Useful Plants, at RMS, April 29-May 2, $268
Stone Masonry, at RMS, June 1-6, $152
Please see below for more information.
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What We're Growing, Harvesting, and Eating
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 We'd like to share with you what's going on in the garden, the orchard, and the kitchen - the vegetables we're planting, the bounty (fruit, veggies, livestock, and herbs!) we're harvesting, and how we turn our harvest into nourishing, delicious meals.
What We're Growing
Peter is finishing up pruning the orchard. We have baby lettuce getting started out in the garden now, as well as leeks, beautiful cabbages, and other vegetables, like chard and carrots, that have lasted through the winter. This month Patricia is going to put in a kitchen herb garden, out near the powerhouse.
What We're Harvesting
We still have lovely lettuce and other greens from the greenhouse, and plenty of big winter squashes. (We have squash for sale - email us if you're interested!) Recently we harvested deer vetch, a bushy desert herb that's good for the lungs and makes you happy, which is bloom now with little yellow-and-red orchid-like blossoms. We're getting lots of eggs, now that the weather is warm.
What We're Eating
Every meal at RMS is built around greens, whole grains, and meat or eggs. We are lucky to have had some fantastic cooks here. Travis introduced us to homemade hominy, made with ash from the woodstove. Nate has been cooking up treats like tamale pie and frittatas. And we're eating a lot of turkey! We harvested the last tom just a couple of days ago.
Travis's Homemade Hominy
Hominy is dried corn kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization, to make the corn more palatable, more nutritious, and easier to digest. This process has been used since at least 1200 B.C. Hominy is good to eat on its own, or it can be made into menudo, posole, bread, chili, grits, or masa.
To make it, you will need dried corn kernels - we purchase large bags at a feed store and inspect them as you would beans - ash from a wood fire (no plastics!), and water. Fill a bowl with about two quarts of the wood ash and add a half gallon of water. Now filter the water out with a sieve or cheesecloth. This leach water is called potash.
In a nonreactive pot (steel, enamel, glass, or glazed ceramic), combine the potash with 4 cups of corn. Boil for 15 minutes, then simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Now, strain out the corn and wash it thoroughly to remove all of the potash. Return the corn to the pot, add enough clear water to cover, and simmer, covered, for about 5 hours. Add a little salt before serving.
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Oriental Touch Healing, at RMS, March 5-8, $268
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A doctor may not be available when you need one - now you can learn to take care of yourself! Oriental touch healing (jin shin jyutsu) is a simple and profoundly effective healing art founded on the understanding of the human body as animated by life force energy that constantly flows through meridians in and around the body. Most illness is caused by a restriction in the free flow of life force. OTH is an art designed to reestablish that free flow and return us to our natural state of being: painless, joyous, and loving. You will learn the philosophy of OTH, the meridians and pulse points, diagnosis through reading the pulses, techniques of touch healing, and first aid with OTH. Includes Bigfoot's Book of Ancient Natural Remedies. Three days. |
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Wild Edible, Medicinal, and Useful Plants, March 15 or April 29-May 2
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 Our Sonoran desert plants, bushes, and trees harbor many secret treasures, from healthy nourishment to remedies for illness, injury, and venomous bites and stings. We make it easy and fun to learn ... and, of course, you'll get Bigfoot himself answering your questions, and his fascinating stories of healing and survival. You will receive a personal plant study book that contains information on more than 150 medicinal and edible wild plants (a $20 value!) plus room to add actual samples that are gathered during the class. Easy hiking through the desert, exploring the plant life as we go. Dress for the weather, including a wide-brimmed hat for protection from the sun. Choose from March 15 at Lost Dutchman State Park (north of Apache
Junction), 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., $78, and the three-day class at RMS, April
29-May 2, $268.
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Wilderness Survival, at RMS, March 28-April 4, $975
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a comprehensive desert skills course. Experience life on a working homestead in the mountains of the Superstition Wilderness while acquiring wilderness skills and nature awareness in a desert environment. Skills covered: bow and drill primitive fire making; knife sharpening; all-natural emergency first aid including wilderness healing of venomous bites and stings; rope and string made of natural fibers; emergency shelters; land navigation; traps and animal preparation for food; and so much more. Meet new friends, eat home-grown food, enjoy evening campfires - a unique, life-enriching experience. Maximum 14 students. Seven days. For this class, shuttle pickup on the first day is at 3 p.m.
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| Nature Retreat at RMS, April 10-12, $198
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy two days and nights in RMS's magical wilderness sanctuary - a place of inspiration and peace, a space to experience inner tranquility. Includes lodging in a cabin or yurpy (as available); a one-hour herb walk and one-hour natural healing lesson and Q&A session with Bigfoot; healthful and hearty organic meals from our garden; informal nutritional counseling; and ample time for relaxation or hiking in nature's beauty. Option for meditation class with Peter Bigfoot: Learn and practice several meditation techniques on your journey to achieving inner peace and a tranquil mind. Learn to manifest what you want to have and what you want to become. Peter Bigfoot has been practicing meditation for over 35 years and will share his experience with you.
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Herbal Pharmacology, at RMS, April 24-26, $198
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peter Bigfoot has been making herbal remedies for over 25 years. In this class he teaches how to gather, dry, process, and store herbs; methods of preparation (tea, decoction, fomentation, poultice, salve, tincture, and more); and the properties of medicinal and culinary herbs. Two days.
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Stone Masonry, at RMS, June 1-6, $152
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hands-on experience in the art and skill of stone wall construction: selecting native stones, mixing concrete, placing stones, esthetic and structural considerations, choice of tools and materials. Bring work gloves and work clothes. Help build something that will virtually last forever and never need paint. Five days. For this class, shuttle pickup on the first day is at 10 a.m.
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Planning to attend a class or event?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Classes held at Reevis Mountain School include: meals (arrival night meal is a potluck party - bring a healthful, natural dish to share!), class supplies, hot showers, and campsite. Camping is free, or stay in a yurpy ($10 per night) or cabin ($25 per night) (availability permitting). Yurpies and cabins have beds and pillows; bring your own sheets and blankets or sleeping bag.
Complimentary shuttle service from Roosevelt, 10 miles one way - or caravan in your own 4X4. Shuttle pickup is at 5 p.m., first day of class (please note exceptions), at M&S Marine, Hwy. 188, Roosevelt (between milepost 233 and 234).
Early Registration: 10% discount if you register with full payment 30 days prior to class date.
To Register: Send your name, phone number, postal and email addresses, and a 50% deposit to the address below. Indicate whether you will need shuttle service from Roosevelt and/or wish to rent a yurpy or cabin instead of camping. Balance due prior to class.
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| Wilderness Retreats at RMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  RMS is a sanctuary free of most modern-day distractions and pollutants (including television!), a place to reconnect with Earth and Spirit, while enjoying the school's organic/whole foods cuisine and wilderness surroundings. Yurpys and cabins are available for overnight, weekend, or longer retreats. Please visit www.reevismountain.org or email us for more information. |
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How to Purchase RMS Remedies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peter Bigfoot's herbal tinctures and salves are available to order by email (orders@reevismountain.org), phone (928) 467-2675, on our website (www.reevismountain.org, click on Country Store), by mail (HC-2 Box 1534, Roosevelt, AZ 85545), or at retailers in Phoenix (Healthy Habit, 6029 N. 7th St.), Scottsdale (The Natural Medicinary at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, 8010 E. MacDowell Rd.), Mesa (Preparing Wisely, 144 S. Mesa Dr.), Tempe (SWIHA's bookstore, 1100 E. Apache Dr.), Flagstaff (New Frontiers Market and Village Healing Center), Sedona (New Frontiers Market), Cottonwood (Mt. Hope Foods), and Camp Verde (Healthy Thymes). Retailers: Please order by email, phone, or mail at the numbers and addresses given here.
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We Welcome Donations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RMS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization; donations may be tax deductible. We're currently wishing for the donation of a commercial-grade riding lawnmower, a second solar water pump to replace the gasoline pump, and two or three Merino sheep. Cash donations are always welcomed with deep gratitude and will help us with the costs of feeding our work-exchange residents, who are not required to pay for their room and board.
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Quick Links...
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"The heart is the soul's gateway, both into life and beyond into eternity. The heart is the timeless and indestructible source of all higher knowledge. It is the point within each person where the inner and outer forces are the same. Within the heart, the will of God and your own may be brought into harmony." - Jesus Christ, through Glenda Green, in Love Without End: Jesus Speaks
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