|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
News from Reevis Mountain School
May 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Division of the PAAK Foundation, an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Peter Bigfoot, Founder and Director / Patricia Sanders, Office Manager and Editor
|
 This is Lucky Duck, a new addition to the Reevis family. We brought him into the house last month, because we were concerned that his mother wouldn't be able to take care of him. (This was after his three siblings didn't make it through their first night!) He loves to help process herbs, he was the life of the party during the herb study class, and he is growing up to be a real people-duck. A few days ago Lucky was helping in the garden, when he wandered into the thistle patch - where his mama is sitting on a new nest - and there was a beautiful reunion. Now he spends part of his day with mom and part of it with his human family. He will be a duck with a webbed foot in both worlds.
We were sad that our intern Alix, who was with us for two months, left
in May to return home to Canada. Alix is helpful, considerate, and always
cheerful (even during that intense heat that set in in mid-April), and
was all around a blessing to Reevis as an intern and a friend. We wish her
well in all her adventures.
David, who has been with us since last November, is also about to depart - he'll be moving on to Missoula, Montana, with his backpack and his mandolin. We'll miss him - he's mellow, easygoing, and always willing to do what needs to be done. We hope he'll consider Reevis a second home.
We are delighted to welcome Annie, our newest intern. She is a pastry chef from southern California, and just returned to the U.S. from working on a farm in Argentina. When she applied she noted that she is 5'2" but not to underestimate her, and that's for sure! Annie is a dynamo with a huge smile. We wouldn't be surprised to see her running the tiller - which weighs about twice what she does!
We hope you will read the article below about GMOs. For a long time we have been looking for ways we could affordably replace the commercial feed that we give to our chickens, turkeys, and ducks. (We use about 3,000 pounds each year.) Up to now, the expense has stood in our way - but after recently learning a lot more about GMOs, we have decided to stop feeding the birds corn and soy - which are GM crops. We'll give them only wheat and milo, which are not.
It seems more and more that to assure healthful food - for us and the animals that count on us - we have to grow our own. In that same spirit, we'd like to support other home gardeners by making our seeds available. We are starting with bok choy, and plan to add lettuces, chard, kale (dinosaur and curly), squash, cucumbers, collards, and root vegetables. We're asking just a dollar for a packet of about a teaspoon of seeds. You can visit our website or email Patricia for more information.
We would like to thank the students in our Homestead Living class and herb study class this past month - for their presence, good energy, and assistance while they were here. The Homestead Living class - among other things - helped to lay out the irrigation for the corn field and then plant the seeds. We could not have gotten that work done ourselves within the planting time window and are super grateful for their willingness to help.
We had been a little uncertain about holding the classes so soon after Peter's eye injury, and we are very appreciative of all the students' understanding and support. And big thanks to our friend Lee Ann, for all her help - cooking, cleaning, and more - during the Homestead Living class.
Peter's eye continues to improve, but his vision out of the left eye is still very limited. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has sent prayers and healing energies, and we would like to ask you to keep sending them. Although Peter is seeing an ophthalmologist and a retinologist, we have a strong desire to return the eye to health and clear vision naturally and without surgery.
Please look for the next newsletter around the end of June, which will include the fall class and event schedule. And if you are ready to start planning for the holidays, it's not too early to reserve a turkey. These birds will be pastured and fed no corn or soy, and will be dressed and ready to pop in the oven, for $3.50 per pound.
For more
information (and pictures!) about the farm, Peter Bigfoot's herbal remedies, and classes and events, please visit www.reevismountain.org.
|
|
|
Reevis Rejects GMOs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For quite a while we have been discussing how we could improve the quality of feed for our chickens, ducks, and turkeys. However, the cost was an obstacle - we felt that we just don't have the budget to buy more expensive feed. We use about 3,000 pounds each year.
Last year we experimented with growing our own corn, and that was a success in terms of quality, but not quantity. We harvested about 200 pounds of beautiful multicolored grinding corn - enough to supply the needs of our table, but nowhere near enough to satisfy the needs of our chickens, ducks, and turkeys. And it isn't possible for us to grow a much larger crop of corn, due to the water that would require.
We also planted patches of wheat and milo, but the wild birds ate most of the milo, and the chickens have shown little interest in foraging in the wheat patch.
Our feeling had been that we would do the best we could to supply our own grain, while continuing to purchase regular commercial feed. So a few weeks ago, we went ahead and purchased a ton of scratch (a corn-wheat-milo mix), as we usually do once or twice a year.
But our attitude changed when we heard an interview on Coast to Coast AM with author and filmmaker Jeffrey M. Smith of the Institute for Responsible Technology. Our jaws dropped as we listened to his stories of animals refusing to eat GM feed and becoming sick, failing to reproduce, or even dying when they did. And how GMOs can survive and keep producing toxins inside the stomach of animals - and people - who eat them.
We began to wonder if this was why the chickens and turkeys were reluctant to eat the corn in the new feed - they had been scratching around in it as if they were hoping to find something better. And was it why only one hen has sat on eggs in the past year? And why none of the turkey eggs we were incubating last month ever hatched?
Even if not, just knowing that animal studies of GMOs "have resulted in potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged
immune systems, smaller brains, livers, and testicles, partial atrophy
or increased density of the liver, odd shaped cell nuclei and other
unexplained anomalies, false pregnancies and higher death rates" is enough to convince us to stop feeding them to our animals - and ourselves.
We immediately switched to giving our birds only wheat and milo - no more scratch (which contains corn) or turkey feed (which includes corn and soy ingredients). We will be returning to the feed store all of the scratch we bought that is still in sacks.
What to do with the scratch we already unsacked into barrels? We have close to a ton of it, and we don't want to continue using it, nor introduce it into the wild animals here. We've discussed using it for road fill, hoping the wild critters will turn up their noses at it. We might simply burn it - like the Haitian farmers plan to do
with the 60,000 sacks of seed that Monsanto donated as an "Easter gift" to their country.
The interview with Jeffrey Smith is devastating, and we hope you can take the time to listen to it. If you would like to learn more, or take action, you might also look at the Organic Consumers Association website.
|
|
Stone Masonry Class with Peter Bigfoot, at RMS June 7-12, $143
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. Please see class details and registration info below.
|
|
How to Buy Reevis Produce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Throughout the growing season, our garden, orchard, and chickens will produce a cornucopia of fruit - including apricots, peaches, plums, grapes, figs, quince, pears, pomegranates, and persimmons - a variety of veggies, and multicolored fertile eggs from pastured chickens. We'll also have pastured turkeys for the holidays, and occasionally we have Muscovy ducks.
We visit Roosevelt, Globe/Miami, and the Phoenix metro area on an irregular schedule, so the best way to buy our produce is to be on our email list. We'll email you the day before our trips to let you know what we have and the prices - then you can let us know what you'd like to have, and we'll harvest it just for you. To get on the list, just email Patricia and let her know your location and a phone number where you can be reached during the day.
|
|
What We're Growing, Harvesting, and Eating
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  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
You name it, just about! We have just sowed carrots, beets, lettuce, arugula, parsley, kale, summer squash, melons, zucchini, cucumbers, and sweet corn. Earlier in May, we planted grinding corn, tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), collards, okra, beans, and basil. There's also chard and garlic, onions and shallots, and leeks that we're letting flower in order to save the seeds.
Over the past few weeks, many of the leafy crops we planted have failed because it has been so dry. The baby seedlings can easily die if they dry out for even an hour or two. So we planted again. We've been using weeds (which don't seem to be having any problems at all!) as mulch - we just pull up the weeds and lay them down around the seedlings to help keep moisture in the soil.
What We're Harvesting
So much is growing in the garden right now, but just a few crops are ready for harvest ... we're in-between the spring and summer crops. We're eating lots of romaine and Simpson lettuce, and we have white onions and shallots. The purslane is bounteous - it's considered a weed (which just means, we don't have to do any work at all to get it to grow), but it's a delicious salad or stir-fry green, with more omega-3s than any other vegetable source. We enjoy lots of it every summer. As we mentioned in the last newsletter, the fruit is all coming in
late this year ... but before much longer, in June, we will have luscious crops of apricots, blackberries, figs, and early peaches. Yum! What We're EatingEvery meal at RMS is built around greens, whole grains, and meat or eggs. Last week we all took a day off to go to Woods Canyon Lake. Peter fished, Patricia read and knitted, and David and Annie hiked around the lake and took naps. Peter brought home five trout, which we fried up with onions and butter. No recipe is necessary for that dish, but it inspired us to offer you Peter's method for cooking fish on a campfire - the result of lengthy experimentation one summer when he was fishing in Yellowstone, Wyoming. How to Cook Fish on a Campfire, Peter's WayPeter tried every which way to cook fish over the fire - on a skewer, on a hot rock, in foil, and so on. Finally he discovered the following method, which results in perfectly cooked and moist fish every time: Slice the fish along the belly and gut it. Leave the head on. Arrange it on the coals, so that the open belly faces up. This way, the fleshiest part of the fish gets the most heat, and the inside will fill up with juices. Remove the fish when it looks done to your liking. Please visit our website for lots more farm recipes! |
|
Pick Your Own Produce Emails
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Would you like to come pick your own fruit at Reevis this summer? Not only will you have some of the most luscious, juicy, vital fruit you could find anywhere ... but you'll enjoy an outing at Reevis (where it's about twelve degrees cooler than the Phoenix valley), and a snack lunch, if you request a day or two in advance.
If you would like to be kept informed of what fruit is available, please send an email to Patricia and ask to be put on the Pick Your Own list. Through the season we will have five kinds of apricots, nine varieties of peaches, figs, blackberries,
plums, pears, quince, jujubes, grapes, olives, pomegranates, and
persimmons.
|
| Wilderness Retreats at RMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  RMS is a sanctuary free of most modern-day distractions and pollutants (including television and cell phones!), a place to reconnect with Earth and Spirit while enjoying the school's organic/whole foods cuisine and wilderness surroundings. Yurpees and cabins are available for overnight, weekend, or longer retreats, for individuals, couples, or groups. Please email us for information. |
|
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 yurpee ($10 per night) or cabin (single $25 per night, double $50 per night) - availability permitting. Yurpees 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 4 p.m., first day of class (please note exceptions listed in class descriptions), 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: 3 ways: visit our website and register online; or mail your name, phone number, postal and email addresses and full payment or a 50% deposit to the address below; or email us with this information and mail a check or request Paypal instructions. Indicate whether you will need shuttle service from Roosevelt and/or wish to rent a yurpee or cabin instead of camping. Balance due prior to class.
|
|
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 (click on Country Store), by mail (7448 S. J-B Ranch Rd., Roosevelt, AZ 85545), or at retailers in Phoenix (Healthy Habit, 6029 N. 7th St., and Total Body Awakening Legacy (602-774-0160), 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 Blvd.), Flagstaff (New Frontiers Market and
Village Healing Center), Sedona (New Frontiers Market), Cottonwood (Mt. Hope Foods), Camp Verde (Healthy Thymes), and Globe (Back to Basics, corner of Broad and Cedar).
|
|
|
|
|
Quick Links...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
We Welcome Donations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RMS is a division of the PAAK Foundation, an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization; donations may be tax deductible. Currently our highest priority to is replace our gasoline creek pump with a solar pump, and any assistance toward that goal will be greatly appreciated. Cash donations are always welcomed with deep gratitude and will be put toward the pump fund, ongoing expenses, or the costs of housing and feeding our interns, who pay for their stay here in work rather than money.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That which is simplest and closest to nature will be the most fruitful." - Bigfoot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
|
|
|
