Back to Basics/Preparedness Classes

The Community Connections Center has been hosting a series of classes in the Annex Building starting last summer. A series of classes centered on Growing Healthy and Eating Healthy. BZ Israel educated us on how we are all Toxic Guinea Pigs; The Unsustainability of our Food System; Gardening in a Changing Climate; Seed Starting, Sowing and Saving; Growing Vegetables for Seed and Seed Cleaning. Bill and Janice Berman taught us Raw Foods Preparation, Basic Bread Making, Soy and Nut Milk Recipes and basic Natural Water Treatments for Health. Ruth Davis taught us Simple Herbal Remedies, Jael Regis taught us How to Make Rice Milk and Tomi Stark taught us How to Cook with Home Storage and How to Cook in a Dutch Oven over an Open Fire. Master Canner/Preserver Bonnie Stichart taught us food preservation with a Pressure Canner. Marlece Hart gave a presentation on starting a Gleaners Club in our area. This promptly enabled three different families to stop and ask people with trees of nuts and fruit if they were willing to share. Walnuts, Asian Pears, Apples and Chestnuts were harvested that would have otherwise gone to waste. This year we will be meeting with the Colville Chapter and starting our own Gleaner’s Club in Northport. We have been so excited to have so many community members share their expertise with others. The next classes centered on Basic Preparedness in case of natural disaster. Bob Garrow from Life Preservation Institute in Hunters hosted two classes that had us look at the possible disasters that could affect our area, what their likelihood is and what can we do to prepare. He facilitated a frank discussion about the basic lack of preparedness of most individuals to handle any disaster from an extended power outage to the possibility of one of the many dams above our town failing. He gave us much food for thought. Next in this series will be hosting a Community Meeting with our Town Council to look at our plans or lack of plans in case of disaster. This class along with the others has been attended by 35 to 40 people showing the desire and pertinence of the subjects. Finally, Smokky shared with us the idea of starting an Alternative to Money System, thus enabling many including those without a job to acquire the items and services necessary to survive and thrive. He will be hosting a workshop for further discussion and hands on experience April 10, 2011 at 2 pm. For any further information about upcoming events or to get involved contact Kathy Jones, President of NCPR (509) 732-4061.