Skookum’s first event of 2011: Growing a Co-op

Hello and welcome to 2011!

Skookum Food Provisioners’ Cooperative is proud to present our first event of the new year: we’re bringing in Carol Murray, Director of Co-op Development for the BC Co-operative Association.

Gorgeous poster by our very own Giovanni Spezzacatena (AKA rabideye).

There is a lot of interest around the region in forming cooperatives for various purposes: food co-ops, land co-ops, farming co-ops, housing co-ops, and more. I know, because people often ask me about how we formed Skookum, and also people are often discussing the sorts of challenges and projects that seem suited to a cooperative solution.

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about how co-ops work, how to get one started, what they are good for, and learn about some interesting existing models of co-ops that we might want to adapt in this region, please come on out. There will be a brief presentation on Skookum to let you know what we’ve been working on and where we’re heading in 2011 and beyond. We hope to sign up some new members and start talking about what we want to work on together in 2011. We’ll have plenty of time for questions and answers with Carol, who is very knowledgeable about all kinds of cooperatives. We’ll even have door prizes!

Admission is free and is open to all.

Please note that this special meeting will take place in Trinity Hall at the United Church in Powell River (6932 Crofton St., at the corner of Duncan & Michigan) at the normal time of the Kale Force meeting. With generous assistance from First Credit Union and the Powell River Food Security Project, we will be providing food at 6:00 PM. Carol’s presentation will begin at 7:00 PM.

If you are considering forming a cooperative, or if you simply have some detailed questions about cooperatives, we are setting aside time for people to meet with Carol during the day on Wednesday. If you’re interested in setting up an appointment with Carol, please contact us at skookum@skookumfood.ca

Pressing Matters! Skookum Celebrates Co-op Week 2010

The Community Presses On!
The Community Presses On!

It was a beautiful, sunny October morning, crisp as the apples we were pressing into delicious cider during Skookum’s Co-op week celebratory Community “Press-Off”, outside the Community Resource Centre, as part of the weekly Saturday Winter Market. The concept was that both members and non-members could drop by, wash and press their apples into incredibly delicious cider, and pay by donation. Many people brought their own bottles and jars, but we had some sterlized bottles on hand if needed. The Skookum Cider Press is normally only available to members, and for a daily fee for use.

Skookum board members and other volunteers helped to make this event a fun time, and it even raised some $70 toward the Cider Press fund. But most importantly, we helped community members produce a great, locally processed food, from local produce. Of course, the event also showed off our cider press and increased our visibility in the community. Six quarts of juice also returned to the CRC, from apples picked through Skookum Gleaners!

It’s hard to say how many apples we collectively pressed, but I figure that at least 40 quarts of juice and a whole lot of pomace resulted from the 3-hour pressing. We plan to turn most of our own apple juice to apple cider vinegar, but some people were planning on freezing their bottled juice (making sure they were 25% empty and with a loosened lid), and others planned on adding champagne yeast to make hard cider. Apple juice will keep about a week in the refrigerator, but those who attended enjoyed immediately sipping the free samples as they watched cider being pressed on this gorgeous day.

The first pressing’s the sweetest!

We even got some help with the cider press clean-up from some energetic nearby youth engaged in a car wash fundraising event for the new Youth Resource Centre; it is set to open in a month or so, right next door to the CRC.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped out in various ways!

Haiku Winners Announced!

Haiku winner gift basket
The Skookum basket! Thanks to the cooperative members who donated parts of this amazing prize!

Another Fall Fair and 50-Mile eat Local Challenge period has gone by, already. Add to that, the end of another gardening season, as the tomatoes and whatnots waved ‘ciao-ciao’ this past weekend, as the weather turned blustery.

This year, Skookum’s contribution to the 50-Mile Challenge was the ’50-Mile Haiku’ contest. The two winners were announced on Sunday, September 26 at the Powell River Fall Fair.

Skookum’s own jury selected the five best entries plus one Jury Prize winner from the dozens of excellent and inspired haiku. Then, Skookum members and the public at large were asked to vote on the best of the five superb poems, using an online survey tool. The results showed that Tania Jalbert won the coveted People’s Choice Skookum Gift Basket (pictured above) full of goodies ranging from a bottle of local Plum wine, to local dried fruit, a gift certificate, locally-made soap, several food-related books, a hand-knitted scarf, teas, natural cosmetics, and a piece of art, mostly donated by Skookum Cooperative members (thank you!).

Here is Tania Jalbert’s great Haiku:

Purple stained faces

razor vines give forth sweet gifts

juicy berry bliss

-Tania Jalbert

Tania is currently in Barcelona, Spain but writes:

Tania Jalbert

“Wow. I sign on to my hotmail today and I am so pleased and tickled to see that I have won first prize in the 50 mile diet haiku contest. Thank you so much Powell River. I do miss you, as I am in Barcelona for an undetermined amount of time. Love from Spain. “-Tania Jalbert

The Grand Prix Spécial du Jury goes to Roberta Meehan for her fantastic Haiku. Roberta wins  a gift certificate from Kingfisher Used Books! Thanks to all participants whether you entered a Haiku, or donated a prize, or voted on the winner!

Deer eating apples

Stand erect on hindquarters

Cervidae evolves

-Roberta Meehan