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News from Reevis Mountain School
August 2010
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A Division of the PAAK Foundation, an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Peter Bigfoot, Founder and Director / Patricia Busnack, Office Manager and Editor
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 This
year, our plans for Thanksgiving are shaping up early - it's not yet the end of
August, and we already have eight guests confirmed, including Patricia's mother
flying in from Tulsa. Perhaps this just reflects our state of mind, because
throughout the month of August we have been constantly encountering occasions
for gratitude and appreciation.
One
example is the weather. Today, clouds are sweeping across the sky so that we
have alternately bright sun and cool winds. The temperature in the house, at
noon, is only 78 degrees! All month, rains have been blessing us every week or
so with cool hours and natural nourishment for the garden. Such a difference
from last year, when we had practically no rain all summer!
And
last year, Peter and Patricia were on their own during August, just managing to
get the chores done and the garden tended, hot and exhausted at the end of
every day. But this year, we have our two spectacular interns, Annie and Annie.
Getting the work done is only the beginning of the ways they fill Reevis with
light and life.
We've
had visits from friends - Jeremy, Tarja, Collin, and Jonathan - and the happiness
of knowing we will see more of these friends, and others. And it's good to know
that our wild friends are thriving, too: the wild bee colony is back in their
hive (after being absent most of the past year), the bats are filling the
rafters in the ag shed every night, and we have been hearing nocturnal music
from frog species that Peter says were last seen here eight years ago.
It
isn't all fun and games, though. Over the past few weeks we've had to cull most
of the turkey poults that we brought here in May, because of their leg problems
mentioned in past newsletters. Most of them did not improve, and their bodies were
getting too heavy for their one good leg to support their weight. We now have
just six young turkeys left, along with the four older ones (Harvey, Sweetheart,
and their two daughters). And yesterday, a six-foot bull snake ate several duck
eggs - just about to hatch, too! - before Annie saw him and raised the alarm.
Thankfully, four eggs are left, but we lost three or four, and the snake died.
Speaking
of snakes, we had a visit from a beautiful blacktail rattlesnake. Its yellow
scales were so bright they looked golden. We caught it and let it go a couple
of miles down the road. Had the bull snake not been in the very act of eating
duck eggs, we would have captured and relocated it, too.
In
the chicken department, we now have a total of nineteen new arrivals - eleven
adolescents, hatched in July, who've already moved into the coop, and eight
babies living it up in the herb patch and sleeping in the people house. Another
eleven eggs are in the incubator, due around the middle of September. We hope
to get our flock back up to fifty or sixty, and have extra eggs in the spring.
How
to feed all those chickens is an ongoing matter of investigation and
discussion. We have finally found a source of organic feed, Modesto Milling in
Empire, California, and we plan to purchase corn, scratch, and turkey crumbles
from them. Until we receive that feed, we are reluctantly, temporarily feeding
the turkeys regular commercial crumbles, and the chickens are getting our own
mix of whole grains.
The
chickens are also enjoying a new nutritious treat, Bigfoot's idea: with the
help of Tarja and Collin, we installed soil in the chicken pen, and we
broadcast scratch feed (a blend of cracked corn and whole wheat and milo) on it
and rake it in. We water the patch and cover it with a tarp for a few days.
When the wheat and milo have sprouted, we uncover the patch and let the
chickens dig in. They seem to love the sprouts! In this way we are making use
of the scratch feed that we bought before we learned about the evils of GMO
corn. The milo and wheat sprout, and the cracked corn - which we suspect is GMO,
and the chickens won't eat it - will just rot into the ground.
Please
see below for more news: the imminent publication of Peter's book Natural Remedies for Bites and Stings, a
talk by Peter Thursday evening for the Arizona Herb Association - to which you are
invited! - and great news in our fund drive for a solar water pump.
In the spirit of our
gratitude-filled August, thank you for reading ... for your support and interest
... and just for being there as our friends and family. We wish you a cool and
joyful rest of the summer.
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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Great News for Reevis's Solar Pump Fund Raiser
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Thank
you to all who have donated to our fund for a solar water pump!
We are raising
funds to replace the gasoline pump we currently use to pump irrigation water
from the creek into the water tank. Details can be found in the July newsletter
or on our website. The total amount we need to raise is $5,080, and the fund
now stands at $1,982!
We appreciate the very
generous contribution from CentroSolar America, Inc., of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Chris Wood, CentroSolar's regional sales director, arranged for Reevis to
purchase four 175-watt modules for only $700. We had expected to pay $2,120! The
fund total above includes the value of these modules. Chris and CentroSolar
have helped move us much closer to making the solar pump a reality, and we are
full of gratitude.
If you would like to donate, you can mail a check payable to RMS to
our new address,
7448 S. J-B Ranch Rd., Roosevelt, AZ 85545, or use our website's Donate button.
Why donate? What's in it for you, besides a receipt for your taxes? Well, to feel good about making our world a little greener - to know you are helping to make a positive, daily difference at Reevis. And on top of that, you'll have your name inscribed on the solar pump project's permanent plaque of appreciation, a reminder of our gratitude.
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Bigfoot Slideshow at Arizona Herb Association Thursday Evening
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 Peter
will present a lecture and slideshow about the founding of Reevis, what we do here, and
wildcrafting, this coming Thursday evening (Sept. 2) at the Arizona Herb
Association's monthly meeting. He'll show slides from his 1976 solo trek and
from the history of Reevis from 1979 through today. All are welcome!
The
meeting begins at 7 p.m., and Peter is scheduled to speak for 45 minutes.
Remedies will be available for purchase. Meeting location: U of A Cooperative
Extension office, 4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix.
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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.
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Nature Retreat at Reevis Mountain School, October 8-10, $178
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy two full 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 yurpee (as available); a one-hour herb walk,
one-hour natural healing session, and meditation lessons with Peter Bigfoot;
healthful and hearty organic meals from our garden; informal nutritional
counseling; and ample time for relaxation or hiking in nature's beauty. Shuttle
picks you up at 4 p.m. Friday and returns to Roosevelt on Sunday at 4 p.m. Please see details and registration info below.
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Herbal Pharmacology, at RMS, October 15-17, $178
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. Please see class details and registration info below.
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Celebrate Thanksgiving at Reevis, November 25, $40
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You're invited to join us for Thanksgiving dinner and a day in RMS's
magical wilderness sanctuary. We'll serve turkey raised here, side dishes from
our organic garden, homemade whole-grain bread, and fresh pies. Relax in our
beautiful valley or hike through the surrounding mountains, then gather for the
meal at 2 p.m. Overnight option for camping ($10), cabin ($35), or yurpy ($20)
includes breakfast. Complimentary shuttle from Roosevelt (leaves 10 a.m.). Please see details and registration info below.
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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
As you can see in the picture, our herb patch is thriving! The purple flowers are Echinacea, the wide leaves at left and in the center are Comfrey, the grass is Lemongrass, and that's asparagus in the far back. In the garden now we also have all our summer crops: carrots, beets, summer squash, melons, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), okra, beans, basil, and chard - except for sweet corn, which is finished, and lettuce, which continues to struggle in our garden this year. Our okra is doing especially well this year, without interference from harlequin bugs.
What We're Harvesting
From the garden, we are enjoying all of the summer crops mentioned above ... plus grapes from the vineyard - Reliance, Thompson seedless, Black Manuka, and muscat! In the orchard, August has been the month for peaches this year! They came in slowly, and we still have a few that are not ripe yet ... but we will probably harvest them next week. We are also still enjoying black figs, and we expect the pears to be ready soon. What We're EatingEvery meal at RMS is built around greens, whole grains, and animal protein. Here's a wonderful way to enjoy August's abundance of summer squash. Annie's Summer Squash SoupChop an onion and saute until translucent. Add chopped summer squash or zucchini, and saute lightly (or longer, depending on your preference). In a small bowl, combine equal amounts of coconut milk powder and water, whisk until smooth, and add to the squash mixture. Add celery seed and salt to taste. We enjoy this soup cold. Please visit our website for lots more farm recipes! |
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Natural Remedies for Bites and Stings Available in September
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 This
88-page, illustrated softcover book offers Bigfoot's wisdom about natural remedies
for bites and stings, gathered from fifty years of firsthand observation and
experimentation. Concise instructions for preparing and applying the remedies
are enlivened by Bigfoot's vivid stories of actual experiences of healing and
survival, and Kentree Speirs' beautiful and accurate drawings of the plants and
animals aid identification.
The
focus is on Sonoran desert plants and animals - including remedies for
rattlesnake bites and scorpion stings - but much of the book would be useful
anywhere in the world, for treating common bites and stings - from ants to
ticks - with widely available plants such as Echinacea and Walnut.
The book is at the printer
now, and we anticipate receiving copies toward the end of September. You can
order online or by emailing Patricia.
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| 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. |
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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 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.
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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 (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).
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Quick Links...
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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.
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"Joy is the soul's pleasure in the presence of love. ... By your joy you shall know your love, and the nature of your soul, as it casts your love upon the waters of life." - Glenda Green, Love Without End: Jesus Speaks
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