Cider Making - Principals and Practices

The Northwest Agriculture Business Center is bringing internationally-recognized cider production expert Peter Mitchell to lead an intensive week-long class in cider and perry production. Mitchell has over 25 years of practical experience in hard cider production. He is a certified UK and USA cider competition judge and an award-winning producer in his own right. If you have wanted to develop your skills in hard cider and perry making this is the course to attend.

“Cider Making-Principles and Practice” will be held at the Skagit Valley College campus in Mount Vernon, WA. The course will run 8:00am - 5:00pm daily, June 28 - July 2, 2010. Mitchell will cover industry foundations such as the cider market, business opportunity, orcharding, production methods and management, and quality control. The class will provide practical processing and laboratory work along with lectures. The week will also be filled with cider making workshops and a field-trip visit to commercial cideries. The format and content of the class is suitable for beginners, new businesses and existing producers (large & small-scale) alike.

You may register for “Cider Making-Principles and Practice” online at the NABC website, www.agbizcenter.org or contact Jake Fowler at NABC (360-336-3727). Registrants will be sent directions and schedule prior to the class.

CSA Farmer-Trainees for 2010-Wanted

The Community Supported Agriculture Training Center at Historic Greenbank Farm on beautiful Whidbey Island, WA is seeking eight to ten new farmer-trainees for 2010. The CSA Training Center will select new trainees on a rolling admission throughout November, December and January. Selected farmer-trainees will be exposed to a diversified cropping system of fruits and vegetables on almost ten acres of organically certified land using a CSA model. Applications and information about the program can be found on the NABC website: www.AgBizCenter.org. This year, housing is also available through the Whidbey Island WISH Foundation. The WISH housing application can be found on the NABC website.

The CSA training program will begin in early February, 2010 and run through October. Farmer trainees receive a monthly stipend of $500 and a $1,000 educational award at the completion of the year for supplies, tools and or equipment needed for future farming activities. Participants in the program will be expected to work an average of 30 hours per week, with most of these hours coming during the summer growing season. Our goal will be 50 CSA shareholders.

Sebastian Aguilar from Port Townsend has been hired as the new CSA Coordinator and will begin his responsibilities in late November. Mr. Aguilar has been farming organic vegetables fulltime for the past 13 years. He and his wife, Kelly, have three children and have managed farms in New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Washington State. Sebastian’s goals of top quality produce, healthy soils, and social outreach have guided his farming practices and are an excellent match for what is being done at the Training Center at Greenbank Farm.

On the Aguilar’s farm in Port Townsend, they use minimum tillage, cover cropping, compost, and biodynamic preparations to build and maintain healthy, fertile soils. He has done seed trials for the Seed Alliance and sold produce to the Port Townsend Food Coop. Farm apprenticeships, CSA’s, youth education and community involvement have always connected Sebastian’s farm to the local community, thereby building relationships that strengthen the local food system and the awareness that supports it. Sebastian grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and spent summers gardening with his grandfather in France. He started farming full-time at age 20 and has been passionate about developing a model of small scale organic agriculture that is ecologically, economically, and socially healthy ever since. Having started as an apprentice, Sebastian has learned how to host apprentices of his own – striving to offer them a thorough and holistic agricultural education.

The CSA Training Center at Greenbank Farm, the first of its kind in western Washington, is an innovative community response to what is an alarming reality across our nation: the steady decrease in farmland, a food system dangerously dependent on fossil fuel, and an impersonal food chain that transports food items an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to our dining tables.

The second year of this project is made possible by a grant awarded by the USDA Farmer Market Promotion Grant and matched by the Northwest Agriculture Business Center. It brings together mentor farmers, food activists, agricultural organizations and local officials as a team growing new farmers and more food for direct distribution to consumers.

For application materials, a CSA brochure, or more information, visit the NABC website at www.AgBizCenter.org, or contact CSA Project Director, Maryon Attwood at 360-336-3727 or CSA Coordinator, Sebastian Aguilar after November 23rd at the CSA Training Center Office: 360-222-3171.

Holiday Essential Oil Workshop!

Fall Workshops

September 24 6-7:30pm
Organic Skin Care & Scar healing with Essential Oils

Learn to make luxurious and healing skin care oils with essential oils, jojoba oil, carrotseed oil, rosehip seed oil and more! Learn how to be naturally beautiful and treat your skin with healing essential oils and natural ingredients which are gentle to your skin. You will make a 1/3 oz. smoothing, healing and age defying oil for your skin type. Pure organic rose, sandalwood, jasmine, helichrysum and MORE will be available!

October 19th 6-7:30 pm
Essential Remedies with Michelle Mahler
Pain relief & sleep management with Essential Oils! Find relief naturally with the oldest alternative therapy. Essential Oils from flowers and herbs have been used safely and effectively to treat inflammation, arthritis, carpal tunnel, back pain, for centuries. We will discuss the many applications of these miracle oils and learn how to utilize them in our lives. Class fee of $15 per student includes your own therapy oil and bath salts to take home.


November 16th 6-7:30
Essential Oil Holiday FUN workshop!

Come have a great time making bath salts and aromatherapy sprays for yourself and friends and family!they can help us to relax, unwind, find peace, focus, relieve pain, insomnia, grief and depression and aid in stress relief and memory loss You can make as many 2oz. cobalt blue glass sprays & salts as time allows for a $5 supply fee each:) where else can you smell and play with dozens of pure Organic Essential Oils? Don't miss this one, families welcome:) Home schoolers too!

Event update

Our scheduled Essential Oil class with Michelle Mahler for today has been postponed until Monday August 24th. Please join us! The class is free, but with a small fee of $15.00 you can make things during the workshop to take home and are provided with a wealth of information.

Tuesday August 25 - Nordic Naturals will be here at the store doing a demonstration. Come on by!

Joy, Peace and Serenity with Essential Oils

August 20th 5:30-7pm Joy, Peace and Serenity with Essential Oils
Essential Oils are extracted from flowers and herbs and have been used safely and effectively for uplifting the spirit and bringing peace and tranquility since ancient times. Find relief from stress, negativity and depression naturally with the oldest alternative therapy. We will discuss the many applications of mother earths miracle oils on the Olfactory senses and your brain. 

Class fee of $15 per student (optional) includes creating your own blend to take home. Beginners welcome!

Preregistration helps keep workshops and classes from being canceled, and ensures continued classes on the calendar!
Sign up in the Co-op information room, or email info@snoislefoods.coop

Get Farming!

The Cultivating Success Sustainable Small Farming and Ranching Course starts Wednesday, Sept. 2 and will be held every Wednesday evening, from 6-9pm, through Nov. 18, with some weekend farm visits.

This course is excellent for individuals and couples who wish to start or redesign a small farm enterprise. It helps participants take a realistic look at their goals and resources and decide what type of small acreage enterprise is right for them. Students are exposed to all type of farming and ranching systems, guest farmers speak to the class, and field trips are taken to local farms.

The course fee is $250; some scholarships are available.

Courses will be held at the WSU Mt. Vernon Research Center, located at 16650 State Route 536
Mount Vernon, WA 98273 (map and driving instructions).

This year's course will be taught in English and Spanish, using the "adult dual-language model" - That is, some portions of the course will be in English with Spanish translation, while others will be in Spanish with English translation. All printed materials are available in both languages and written work is completed in the participant's preferred language.

To register, or for more information, please reply to this email or call Sarita Schaffer at 206-914-7948.

Space is limited so please call today!

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El curso “Agricultura Sostenible de Pequeña Escala”, está programado para el 2 de septiembre y será todos los miércoles por la tarde, desde las 6 hasta las 9 horas, empezando el 2 de Septiembre, terminando el 18 de Noviembre.

Este curso es excelente para personas y parejas que quieren empezar o expandir un pequeño negocio agrícola. El curso les ayuda a los participantes a evaluar sus metas y recursos y decidir cuál tipo de empresa pequeña agrícola más les conviene. Los participantes tienen la oportunidad de ver muchos sistemas de agricultura y ganadería a través de visitas guiadas y charlas con agricultores pequeños locales.

No hay costo para participantes hispanohablantes.

El curso tendrá lugar en el Centro de Investigación y Extensión Agrícola de WSU en Mount Vernon, que se ubica en 16650 Ruta Estatal 536 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 (mapa y cómo llegar).

Los que completen este curso y también el curso “Planificación de Negocios Agrícolas” habrán cumplido con las condiciones para participar en un nuevo “Incubadora de Negocios Agrícolas” que ofrece a agricultores nuevos y minoritarios el acceso asequible a la tierra, agua, financiación, y la asistencia técnica con la producción y el desarrollo del negocio.

Espacio está limitado, por favor llame hoy para registrarse.

Para más información sobre el curso y/o la Incubadora de Negocios Agrícolas, por favor comuníquese con Sarita Schaffer al 206-914-7948 o envíele un correo electrónico a sschaffer@wsu.edu. Hablamos Español.

Workshops this Week

July 21 5:30 pm
Organic skin care with essential Oils. 5:30 pm at the Co-op classroom. The workshop is free, with an optional $15.00 supply fee paid to the instructor, so you can make and take home your own goodies. Really fun and informative!

July 25 11 am
Introduction to Raw foods with Maria Chavez. This has a $35 fee paid to instructor


Sign up for either of the 2 above workshops in advance so they don't get canceled!
You can sign up in our information room next to The Sol Deli, or email: info@snoislefoods.coop

FUN IN STORE DEMO THIS SATURDAY
July 25 11 am Bill from Vital Scents will be doing a demonstration in the store and answering your essential oil questions from 11-3!

Spring Workshops at the Co-op

We are pleased to offer a monthly series of Aromatherapy workshops!

April 23 1-2:30 pm
Gentle Aromatherapy for Children

May 6 6:30 pm

Essential Oils Spray workshop

June 10 6:30 pm

Essential Remedies: Sinus, Asthma & Allergies

Please sign up in advance at the Co-op in our Information room.

$15.00 supply fee paid to instructor, Michelle Maher. For detailed descriptions, please see our current Newsletter! Questions? Contact Mollie@snoislefoods.coop