|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
News from Reevis Mountain School
September 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Division of the PAAK Foundation, an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Peter Bigfoot, Founder and Director / Patricia Busnack, Office Manager and Editor
|
 Bigfoot's
big fun for the past month has been working on the masonry for the swimming
pool in the creek. The January floods washed out two huge boulders that had
been supporting part of the patio on the east side. We were concerned that the
patio might collapse. So Peter is filling in under it with masonry, including constructing a
little stone bench in the wall below the patio. With fall rains promising for next week, Bigfoot is working as fast as he can to get the project done before the pool fills up!
Peter has had
help from Ted - a helpful and personable Prescott College student who was with us just for the month
of September - and from the delightful and industrious Annies ... who, we are very sad to report, will be
leaving us soon. We are happy, though, to have Christopher and Kim
here now. They are from Chicago and have never farmed or even gardened before,
so we are excited to teach them, and hope they will enjoy being here.
Thank you
to everyone who has donated to our solar pump fund. With over $3,000
raised so far, we are well on our way to funding the replacement of our
gasoline pump - used to move water from the creek into the irrigation tank -
with a solar pump. We are especially grateful to Chris Wood of CentroSolar America in Scottsdale for arranging the sale to Reevis, at a very low price, of
four 175 watt Sharp solar modules (collectors).
We are
very excited to have copies of Peter's Natural Remedies for Bites and Stings book,
hot off the press! Bigfoot wrote the original version of this book in 1990, and
for this edition he added lots more of the herbal wisdom that he has
learned over the past 50 years. We have published it in a softcover format with more than 70 beautiful pen illustrations of the plants and animals by Kentree Speirs. Of course, it is full of Bigfoot's amazing stories of healing and
survival, along with factual information for making and using remedies for
injuries inflicted by animals from gnats to rattlesnakes.
We had
more fun in September, too - speaking at the Arizona Herb Association, selling
cucumbers at the Gila County Fair, and taking a quick fall herb-gathering trip
to Mt. Graham, where we found a bounty of thriving cleavers, as well as red
raspberry leaves. Here at home, we have been painting the yurpees white inside
to discourage scorpions, hatching more chicks to restore our flock, and eating
home-grown watermelon just about every afternoon.
Trying to
increase our chicken flock is a long and sometimes discouraging process. Last
summer we had about 55 chickens, but predation over the past year reduced the
number to about 22. Our local nursery has had trouble getting chicks, so a few
months ago we purchased an incubator and have been hatching our own. Our first
batch was somewhat successful - 14 chicks from 36 eggs, of which 10 survived to
join the adult flock. We then hatched eight of 11 eggs ... but we lost all eight
when, after a long day of harvesting and preparing for Peter and Patricia to go
to town the following day, not a single one of the five of us remembered to
bring the chicks in from outdoors for the night. Out in the garden alone, they
were probably found by a lucky skunk, fox, or snake. Since then we have hatched
another seven, and we have another batch due to hatch this weekend! On the
other hand, Patricia sighted a bobcat a few days ago right outside the yurpee
window. Yesterday we found a pile of feathers in the orchard where a chicken had been killed. Perhaps the bobcat. So it goes.
But Bigfoot
is grinning from ear to ear right now, having got himself something he has
wanted for a long time - a commercial-grade riding lawnmower! We have needed
one to keep the weeds in the orchard down. They get thick in the summertime,
and it can be difficult for the interns even to find the irrigation valves ... as
well as being a little scary when we can't see if there is a snake or gila
monster underfoot. The new mower replaces a very old push mower, and will make
it a lot easier to keep the orchard tidy.
If you
remember Lucky Duck, the duckling we raised in the house last fall, the verdict is
in: she's a girl! She has been looking around for a place to lay eggs, and it
seems she's chosen a box in the workshop. She's as sweet and mellow as ever.
Mouser, our young cat, is turning out to be a treasure. She is wild at heart
and likes to sleep in the ag shed, but visits the house regularly to snack on
cat food, play with big Max, and snuggle with the humans.
Coming up, Peter will be teaching Herbal Pharmacology here at Reevis the weekend of the 16th. There is still room in the
class, and the farm is beautiful this time of year (and about 12 degrees cooler
than Phoenix), so we hope you will think about joining us. Peter will also be
speaking about his new book at Preparing Wisely in Mesa on October 12 at 6:30
p.m. - all are invited.
For more
information (and pictures!) about the farm, Peter Bigfoot's herbal remedies, and classes and events, please visit www.reevismountain.org.
|
|
|
Great News for Reevis's Solar Pump Fund Raiser
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Big thanks 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 $3,055!
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.
|
|
Natural Remedies for Bites and Stings Hot off the Press!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 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 information 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.
You can
order online or by emailing Patricia.
|
|
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. Take home a salve and tincture made in class. Two days. Please see class details and registration info below.
|
|
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.
|
|
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
We recently planted cool-weather crops, hoping for a break in the hot weather to get these seedlings off to a good start. We planted red and daikon radishes, cabbage, kale, chard, bok choy, several types of lettuce, parsley, arugula, garlic, shallots, onions, and rutabagas. Most of these seedlings are knee-high to a mouse right now.
What We're Harvesting
Early
in the month we harvested our crop of grinding corn. This year, although the
stalks grew very tall, we harvested about the same amount of corn as last
year - around 200 pounds. This is enough to supply our household needs through
the year. It is gorgeous Indian corn colored from yellow to burgundy. We also still have cucumbers and summer squash, plus lettuces, chard, beets, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers. In the orchard we just finished harvesting the pears, except for the Comice pears, which ripen in November. We still have some Golden Delicious apples on one tree, the end of a very good apple harvest this year. Come December we will have persimmons from our seven Hashiya and Fuyu trees! What We're EatingEvery meal at RMS is built around greens, whole grains, and animal protein. Please visit our website for lots of delicious and wholesome farm recipes! |
|
How to Buy Reevis Produce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Throughout the growing season, our garden, orchard, and chickens 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.
|
| 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. |
|
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.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The joy of Being, which is the only true happiness, cannot come to you through any form, possession, achievement, person, or event - through anything that happens. That joy cannot come to you - ever. It emanates from the formless dimension within you, from consciousness itself and thus is one with who you are." - Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
|
|
|
