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).

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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.

It’s a Skookum Summer

We’ll let the pictures speak for themselves! Many thanks to Skookum members Lyn and Kathie for inviting us to their amazing home, and to Jacqueline for the equally stellar barbecued local fish, chicken and burgers. It was a great time and we look forward to more events such as this year-round. If you want to host a Skookum get-together, just let us know (skookum@skookumfood.ca).

Images by rabideye.com

Skookum Summer Sunday Social: BBQ Potluck on June 30 starting at 12 noon

800px-Thomas_Cole's_-The_Picnic-,_Brooklyn_Museum_IMG_3787
Thomas Cole’s “The Picnic”, 1846.

It’s official! The next Skookum social is an outdoor picnic at member Lyn Adamson’s “Salty Dog” property just north of town (on the way to Lund) on Sunday June 30 starting at 12 noon!

Lyn suggests a BBQ potluck on the beach, a swim or a kayak paddle if anybody wants to.

This is a members-only event (but members’ families are more than welcome) and we ask you to kindly RSVP to event organizer Jacqueline Huddleston via email at  jaxhuddleston@icloud.com as it will make planning a bit easier. Bring something to nibble on/BBQ and to share if you can, plus a lawn chair and a beach chair, a towel and bathing suit if you want to take a dip or kayak out.

Plus you can shop for cover crop seeds and Tattler Canning Lids.

It is all set to be a beach BBQ, here is some inspiration: Jacqueline is planning on making grilled local lamb with chimichurri or perhaps maple glazed salmon (if she can’t find local meat) or both!

Due to the public nature of this blog, the full address and directions to the north of town location will be sent via email to members, plus we will add our own markers to make this more obvious.

Hope to see you there (and remember to RSVP Jacqueline, please). This could be a great time to connect with fellow cooperative members and to enjoy a picnic in a waterfront park setting, and this will run rain or shine! It’s going to be a “zero waste event” .
So besides the towel and beach chair please bring your own dishes, cutlery and glassware (there’s a sink to wash up so you won’t have to take them home dirty).
Hope to see you there, it’s going to be fun and delicious!

Let us know (email giovanni@rabideye.com) if you would like to purchase any cover crop seeds or Tattler lids, as these can be made available to you at this event or by special appointment.
Find out what we have on offer for pick-up at the event
547 Peas 4010 and Oats 50/50 Mix Organic ($3 for a half-pound bag; very few available)

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.

We also are  selling Tattler lids at even lower prices! They’re about half the price you’d pay via Amazon.ca (and 15% of the cost goes to support Skookum). We ask members to limit purchases to 100 lids ea. at this point, to allow more members to take advantage. We offer the lids on a per-order basis, until they run out; there is no planned bulk purchase in 2013/14.

We have:

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

Survey Results

surveyTop 5 Interests indicated by our members from our Skookum Members’ Skills Survey held in late 2012/early 2013

5. (TIE!) Seed-Saving and Cider/Wine-Making
4. (TIE!) Bulk Food Buying and Public Outreach + Facilitation
3. Food Preparation (cooking/baking)
2. Food Preserving (canning, smoking, dehydrating, pickling, lacto-fermentation, cheese-making, salting/ packing in sugar)
1. Gardening!

32 members responded to our recent survey (feel free to respond anytime as well), and we already have some positive action from several members, including:

  • A generous offer to fix and maintain our cider press, along with a backup option
  • An offer to host a summertime Skookum picnic on a member’s seaside property (more on this soon!)
  • And several members said they would keep an eye out for the materials we need to complete the Skookum Cider Press kit (see here for what we need; you can also donate money to the project via PayPal (accepting credit and debit card donations as well, and cheques too– click the PayPal link for more info).

Remember that a big ongoing Skookum project, The Abundant Pantry Bulk Food Buying Club (TAP), is taking orders until Sunday, May 12 at 11 pm. Make sure you get your orders in before this. The next order after this will be in July. For more information, contact the coordinator Wendy Pelton at bulkbuying@skokoumfood.ca.

2013 AGM Wrap-Up

Laura Berezan reviews her Treasurer's Report with a focus on Powell River Dollars and the Cooperative.
Laura Berezan reviews her Treasurer’s Report with a focus on Powell River Dollars and the Cooperative.

It was Skookum’s fourth Annual General Meeting last night at The United Church’s Trinity Hall; thank you to those 30 members attending. The evening featured wonderful edibles by outgoing director Jacqueline Huddleston, sales of Cafe Justicia Coffee, Tattler canning lids, and William Dam cover crop sampler packs for members to purchase (many more lids and seeds are left over so contact Giovanni for info on how to get ’em). This was followed by the formal meeting itself that began at 7:15 PM, with Chairperson Pete Tebbutt reviewing last year’s AGM minutes, which were then accepted, and passing the baton to Treasurer Laura Berezan who presented her Treasurer’s Report.

After that report, Laura explained how Powell River Dollars have contributed to Skookum’s coffers over the past year and how important it is for our members to exchange Canadian dollars for PR$ (at CMG Printing on Marine Ave and at Skookum gatherings) as it directly impacts local organizations of your choice and helps local businesses, too. Laura explained how it all works, and how Skookum is being creative in finding out how to spend PR$ that have been donated (e.g., offering scholarships via the local Permaculture Design course, paying workshop or bulk buying coordinators, etc.)

Then Pete gave the directors’ report describing the many activities we’re been engaged in this past year, including The Abundant Pantry (next order closes May 12, so get on that, click here), two orders of nuts and dried fruits from Rancho Vignola, Cafe Justicia-related presentation and sales of their coffee, four public gatherings, Tattler lid and cover crop bulk orders, and a successful dehydrator order, and more. Pete thanked our project coordinators and Melissa Leigh who has generously volunteered her bookkeeping skills.

tableThe Abundant Pantry (TAP) coordinator Wendy Pelton and her husband Barry Bookout were also given a round of applause for their work on TAP since the beginning (almost 2 years ago now!). Wendy was in attendance and asked for feedback on how to make the project work better. You can send your ideas to her at bulkbuying@skookumfood.ca. Wendy even sang us a little ditty as a teaser for her planned ‘stocking-up road show’ she is planning for the Fall. She welcomes help on this as well (contact her at the same email address above).

Four directors’ terms were up (David Parkinson, Giovanni Spezzacatena, and Pete Tebbutt) and all decided to stand for re-election to a new two-year term, with Jacqueline Huddleston completing her term. All the standing directors were elected by acclamation with the addition of one new director Julia Downs who indicated via email that she would accept nomination to the board, and was therefore elected as well.

The Executive Board members remain largely the same, with Pete Tebbutt as President, Rosemary Bjorknas as Vice President, Laura Berezan as Treasurer, but with David Parkinson replacing Jan Burnikell as Secretary (Jan must stand down because of our term limits, which ensure that board members don’t get fixed in one role forever). Jan and Giovanni remain on along with Julia Downs, in portfolios that will be determined shortly.

Thank you to all who came out!