Come out for Skookum’s ‘Cinco de Mayo’ AGM on Tuesday May 5, 2015

agmskookumlarge

It’s Skookum’s sixth Annual General Meeting and we’re making it one to remember. Mark your calendars now so you won’t forget!

TUESDAY, MAY 5 (cinco de mayo), at the United Church (Trinity Hall) at the corner of Michigan & Duncan, kitty-corner from Powell River City Hall.

Come straight from work and help set up if you like, or show up at 6:00 PM for food and socializing, with the AGM proper starting at 7:00 PM.

It’s a Mexican fiesta this year, with complimentary (and muy rico) main courses provided by Skookum member Jacqueline Huddleston (tacos, mole poblano with cheese on the side, vegan enchiladas with cheese on the side, & flan) with side dishes provided by your Board of Directors.

We will have Tattler reusable canning lids (the last batch on offer) and they are on SALE, plus we’ll also have Powell River Dollars on hand to exchange for you.

There are some big changes coming, what with a number of new directors coming on this time around, so please make an extra effort to come out to our AGM this year. Remember that a Skookum membership is a lifetime membership, so no need to renew it. Just bring your appetite and your ideas! We’ll feed you and regale you with news and updates on the past year’s activities, including a look at how our The Abundant Pantry project is progressing (deadline for the new order is coming up on May 10th), and more…“mi cooperativa es su cooperativa.”

Our Annual General Meeting will be Tues. May 13 at 6PM

skookumAGM

Our members are urged to attend our Annual General Meeting.

Potluck supper will start at 6PM. Skookum is providing two hearty main dishes, and members are encouraged to bring a side dish, salad, or dessert. If you can’t manage to bring a dish, bring an appetite; there will be plenty of food.

The AGM will start at 7PM.

Five (5) board positions are up for grabs including three 2-year terms and two 1-year terms.  The event will take place at The United Church Trinity Hall (at 6932 Crofton at Duncan — kitty corner to City Hall)

We will have Powell River Dollars for sale as well as Tattler Canning Lids (see prices here).

We hope to see you all there!

 

 

Time to Can? Tattler Lids and Rings Available to Skookum Members

Tattler Time.

Tattler Time.

This post is an excerpt from a permanent page on our site. Find it here.

Skookum Food Provisioners’ Cooperative has Tatter Canning Lids and Rings for sale to members only.

Why Use Tattler Lids, and why buy them from Skookum?

  • Tattler lids are reusable up to and beyond 20 times over (those conventional rubber-coated metal lids are only recommended for single use; the rubber rings are reusable up to 5 or so times– you can buy they separately from Skookum as well)
  • They are therefore cheaper to use in the long run (and even ‘medium’ run)
  • Unlike most canned foods (in metal cans, and those in jars or in plastic most of which contain the chemical Bisphenol-A), Tattler lids do not contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), a very controversial chemical used in plastics industry and banned by some countries using these on baby products. 
  • Unlike single-use lids, Tattler lids are recyclable (they contain only one material: BPA-free plastic and as such can be recycled)
  • Tattler lids are also excellent for canning high-acid foods that can corrode through to metal lids and throw the flavours off.
  • Tattler lids are different from conventional canning lids and follow a different procedure for canning. There are instructions on their website and included on paper with each purchase of lids you make from Skookum. Failure to follow their specifications may lead to troubles using the lids.
  • Tattler lids are not recommended for pressure canning.
  • Tattler lids can be used for dry food storage as well!

You can buy Tattler lids via Skookum for the best price possible (about half of what you’d pay via Amazon.ca, for example… and no shipping costs! See for yourself here). More information on the lids at the company’s website: http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/

Our prices are as follows; to order, use our contact page and tell us what you’d like, then you can pick them up by arrangement from our Westview neighbourhood location (sorry, we cannot ship the lids, and this is for members only– you can become a member here for just $20 for a lifetime membership).

Remember also that 15% of your purchase price goes to fund Skookum projects, too! It’s a win-win-win situation: you get to buy a product that is not widely available in Canada, you’re encouraged to can local and in-season food, you get to help Skookum fund projects, and you save c. 45% off what you would normally have to pay for the lids!

Here are your choices:

  • Regular sized lids
    • 24-packs of regular lids + rubber rings .60 ea ($14.50)
    • 50-packs of same ($30);
  • Wide-mouth lids
    • 24-pack wide mouth lids + rubber rings  .70 ea ($17.00)
    • 50-packs of same ($35);
  • Individual extra rubber rings (wide and regular) .22 each in packs of 5  ($1.10 per pack).

_______________________________________________________________

We also have more cover crop seeds available so plant sow them as soon as you harvest a crop (like for e.g. garlic), to increase soil health and to keep weeds down.

William Dam seeds: 547 Peas 4010 and Oats 50/50 Mix Organic ($3 for a half-pound bag; shipping and tax, plus 10% going to support Skookum,  included in price.)

Best green manure for spring seeding. Very effective Nitrogen and biomass builder. 4010 peas are the best leafy forage peas for plowdown, producing over 40″ of green mass in 10 weeks. Oats will utilize available nitrogen, building soil structure, suppress weeds and provide quick growth while the peas fix nitrogen for following crop. Well suited for late summer/ fall seedlings as well. It is best practice to allow three weeks before seeding following crops. Mow down and work into soil at flowering. Seeding Rate: 2-3lb per 1000 sq. ft, 80-100lbs/acre drilled, 100-120lbs/acre broadcast.

Aside from adding organic matter to the soil, cover crops have many other purposes:

          • They reduce soil loss from water erosion.
          • They maintain soil surface infiltration, so it does not compact.
          • Cover crops improve soil tilth (structure).
          • They scavenge nutrients that might otherwise leach from the field.
          • They feed and provide shelter for birds, wildlife, and beneficial insects.
          • They fix nitrogen in the soil.

To purchase ($3 for 1/2 lb bag), contact us here or email giovanni (at) rabideye (dot) com.