(A few of my) Final Projects for my Internship with Katrina Blair at Turtle Lake Refuge
Basics in Growing Your Own Food
Why Grow Your Own Food:
· You become more connected to nature.
· You know where your food comes from.
· You recognize how much energy it takes a person (you) to help plants grow.
· You are more aware of how much energy it takes the plant to grow and nourish itself.
· You will be more thankful for the food you eat because you were the one who put the work into it.
· All food you grow yourself is good for you!
Why local:
Buying local food or growing your own food is good for us and the earth.
· Food that comes from other countries or from the other side of the United States takes a lot of energy.
· It takes the money away from the farmers who grow it.
· Farmers get very little money for all the work they do.
· By buying local foods, you are:
-Supporting local companies
-Supporting local farmers
-Supporting the local economy
How? The more money local people make, the more will be spent here in Durango, therefore benefitting other people who have businesses here. They in turn spend money here, and it keeps going in a big circle.
· Plants that grow in different regions are acclimated to wherever they grow.
· There is different:
-Light
-Soil
-Temperatures
-Moisture
· Wouldn’t those plants be better for us because they would be more geared towards people who live here?—like us!
Why Organic:
· What does organic mean?
-If a plant is organic, it means that it doesn’t have pesticides, herbicides, or any sort of substance that isn’t plant-based in it. These things cannot be sprayed on it, in its water, or in the soil with it to help it grow or keep the bugs off.
· Why is organic healthier for the earth?
- Pesticides and herbicides harm the plants and animals that are around it.
Examples:
- Pesticide is toxic to honey bees. It can poison many honey bee colonies, which can put a bee keeper out of business and give farmers less crops.
- Pesticides are harmful to birds, by making it difficult to have successful hatches, giving them deformities, and damaging their capability to migrate and avoid predators. This happens when a bird eats poisoned prey or when the chemicals are at a high level in the air.
· Why is organic better for you?
- Herbicides and pesticides are poisonous to people. They can cause autism, ADHD, cancer, stomach problems, and more. These happen when workers and farmers handle chemicals; when people are exposed to the chemicals.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Day 1 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
What a great way to start an internship! A nice, easy day of harvesting wheat sprouts, sunflower sprouts, pea sprouts, and turnip sprouts, and making cashew and sprout pesto in the afternoon! As the employees of Turtle Lake and I harvested, we discussed many things, such as how and why they decided to come and work at Turtle Lake, what their beliefs are with food, how Turtle Lake generally works, and what Turtle Lake is planning for its future. One thing for sure is in the future of Turtle Lake, and that is definately the children's book of how to grow your own sprouts! Here's what I've learned about this book and the project I will be doing to help create it: Turtle Lake is trying to find a way to publish the book-- yes, actually publish it! And I will be helping to create a few select chapters of the book, which will be presented at the LINK Exhibition. I will be working mostly with an employee at Turtle Lake, whose name is Rachel, to create the book. We will share our ideas and plan out a part of the book together.
That's all for now!
Sprouts are yummy,
The internee
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Day 2 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Today I dipped my toes (or rather my fingers) into the first stages of microgreens-- the sanitation of the trays inwhich the sprouts grow, the spreading of the dirt into the trays, the planting of the seeds, and the watering.
Here's what I learned: There are two ways Turtle Lake (TL) sanitizes their trays. The first way is to lay out each tray in the sun, and flip it over once one side has been sunned for a while. The sun kills some of the unwanted bacterias and molds and spores and such. Then, they all get dunked in a bucket that contains water and hydrogen peroxide to further sanitize the trays.
Then, you dig out soil using a shovel from the huge wooden bin that is about two feet wide and maybe four or five or six feet long. In essence, this thing stores a lot of dirt! As you are digging out a shovel-full of dirt, dump it into a wheelbarrow. Except, there is a big ole' screen across the wheelbarrow. So you dump the dirt on top of the screen on top of the wheelbarrow. The screen's holes are about as big as a penny or dime-- fairly large for a screen, fairly small if you're screening dirt. The object is to get all the rocks, chunks of wood, and clumps of clay out so that it is nice and fine and in the best condition for little sprouts to grow.
Once the soil is screened, lay out the trays. For some of them, they will need just a plain tray without any holes in the bottom for draining excess water. Sunflower sprouts, or sunnies, as we call them, take in a lot of water and don't need the excess to be drained. Other sprouts, I forgot which ones exactly, don't drink as much water, so they need a place for the excess to drain to. They get two trays-- one with holes in it, and a non-holey tray underneath to catch it all. Now, fill two scoops (which are two yogurt containers,) with dirt and spread it evenly on one tray. Do this for all the trays that fit on the table.
Then, depending on which seeds you are spreading, put 1 1/2 cups or 2 cups of seeds on the soil by sprinkling the seeds on top of the dirt. (Peas recquire 2 cups, sunnies need 1 1/2, and I think buckwheat needs 2 cups... I forget about radishes.) You go through the seeds and spread them all out, then go through the seeds and pick out any that look broken or gross or like they're not going to grow. Hint: If you see a little tip poking out, it's going to sprout!
Next, give all the trays and their baby seeds a drink and stack one on top of the other so there are groups of two trays, and put another empty tray on top of the top tray of seeds. This makes the sprouts feel like they are under dirt and need to push up, up, up! It makes them stronger. The bigger and stronger the sprouts get, the smaller the tray that is on top of them so it feels like they are getting near the top of the soil. And at last, they are in the open air!
The end for today!
Goody Soiled-Shoes
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Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Day 3 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Hello!
Hoy, (which is Espanol for today,) (no I didn't learn Spanish,) I helped make rosehip granola bars, and learned how to soak the seeds to get them ready to be planted, which I explained yesterday. Also, I helped can some sour kraut, in which I am developing an interesting taste for. I never thought I would, but I actually like it now. In small quantities.
I will not bore you with how to make rosehip granola bars. Not that it was boring, but 1) I don't actually know the recipe and 2) I wouldn't be giving you much new information. It would mostly be just, "well, I mixed these things together, and something else, I forget, and then I formed little balls," etc. You wouldn't be gaining anything from reading it. But, I will tell you one thing I learned that quite surprised me: If you soak flax overnight, the next day they will have a pudding-y consistancy. Like tapioca, or something. Cool, huh? Now let us begin with the seed soaking!
It's quite simple, but this is new information for you. So, you take a few scoops of dry seeds and place them into plastic bottles. Big ones. Then, you fill the jug with water until it covers the top of the seeds. Using a rubberband, secure a square of screen, regular hole size, over the mouth of the bottle. Gently shake the bottle a few times, and then place the bottle at an angle in the sink to drain. Once you've done this with a few more bottles, take off the screen and fill it with more water until it covers all the seeds. Some seeds will want to float, and you can try to push them down. It probably won't work. Then finish this with all the rest of the bottles you are doing. The seeds will soak until the next day. This just begins the germinating process. (Is germinating the right word?) Note: For best results, use warm water, on the cool side. DO NOT do this with HOT water! Better freezing cold than piping hot.
And lastly, the sour kraut. Most kinds, like the kinds you see in stores and at hot dog places, are a clearish-yellow, right? Not TL's! They use red cabbage, and so their kraut is this wonderful, deep purple color. Which makes it all the more fun to eat. (I'll admit it-- I actually didn't know that sour kraut was make from cabbages.) Rachel, whom I've been working with the most lately, informed me that when things ferment, they create a good type of bacteria that cleans your intestines. Or maybe not cleans them, but it helps your stomach and intestines and everything stay healthy. It's good for you, as long as you don't eat a whole jug full. Other fermented things we brainstormed are pickles, pickled pig's foot, beer... anything with "pickled" in the sentence. But, if you ferment plums... watch out! I was discussing this topic with... dadgumbit, I forget her name... but she said that she fermented plums, and drank the juice and whew! Don't try it until you're 21! Another example for why to not eat a large quantity of fermented products is that when I was little, I loved pickles. I ate a whole one once. And then threw it up. My tummy just couldn't handle it. So let it be a lesson to y'all. Don't eat a whole pickle if you're six. Maybe when you're older, but not if you're just six. Or if you're not used to it. You could pay the consequence.
Anyways, to make sour kraut, all you have to do is mince it and let it sit in water (or is it just its own juices?) for around 14 days. BUT, you've got to make sure that the liquid is covering the top of the minced cabbage, or else it will ferment too quickly and it will rot and maybe even grow mold. Also, put a cabbage leaf or two over the top, inside the bottle you have it all it. I think it keeps the air out, I forget exactly. And maybe, depending on how full your jug is, put a plate underneath to catch all the overflowing juices. I don't know how it happens, but there always seems to be juice oozing from somewhere. Must be a part of the fermentation process.
Ta-ta for now, amigos,
Little Daisy Grow-A-Lot
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Thursday, March 15, 2012
Day 4 at Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Hello! As has it has been every day here at Turtle Lake Refuge, on 848 E. 3rd Avenue, I have learned so much today! I interviewed my mentor, Katrina Blair; I learned how to water the seeds and sprouts; and I removed the yummy-delicious ginger-apricot cookies from the dehydrator. I'll explain.
In the interview of Katrina, I asked her questions such as: What is your philosophy of life? What do you do every day to keep you doing what you are doing? How did your experiences at Colorado College and your own personal experiences inspire you to start Turtle Lake? What did you struggle with when you started up Turtle Lake? What is your ultimate goal for Turtle Lake and has it been accomplished? If not, how can it be? I shall type up her responses and post them at a later date!
Okay, here's what's up for watering the sprouts and seeds: Each seed needs a different amount. Buckwheat needs a quick-ish scribble of water, as does the peas and wheat grass. Sunnies, on the other hand, really soak it up, so they get a little more. Also, I reported to Rachel that there was some mold growing in the sunflower containers amonst the newly-sprouted seeds. She told me that those white, fuzzy, tendril-like things weren't mold, but roots. They just look fuzzy. Boy was I fooled! Later she pointed out some actual mold-- and it looked exactly the same, except in a little circle except for finger-like.
Last of all, I took out the ginger-apricot cookies from the dehydrator and put them 3 ounces to a bag. It sounds really simple, and it is. But it's just something I've never done before.
Also, I got to taste a bunch of things today: Dandelion-lemon sorbet (tastes like lemonade, yum!) "Phat Nettle" bars, and the ginger-apricot cookies that I accidentally broke. I also tried my first green olive that I didn't make a face and spit it out when I ate it. Amazing!
The interesting thing that I've noticed during these four days here is that my mind has been expanded. It's opening up to all these new ideas and tastes and flavors. Like the idea that people can communicate with trees. (More on this another time.) Or energy-healing, which is what Chesaray, who works at Turtle Lake, does as a profession. She feels the energy. And the new food that I'm eating-- my tastebuds are developing, and I feel like, had I been offered any of these other foods, or given any of these other ideas in a different setting, I would have DE-NIED it all. Like sour kraut? Gross. I think. But after I taste it... not bad! (However, I'm still getting used to the beet juice. I did drink half the mug, but I couldn't down anymore.) Still, these 4 days have proved to be an amazing learning curve. (Would you call it that?) I guess more of an experiencing curve. Or something. But I am really excited to see where this takes me. (Who doesn't want to communicate with trees?)
Phat is cool,
The Cookie Breaker and Sneaker
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Friday, March 16, 2012
Day 5 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Today, Jessica and Rachel came to visit me! We sat and talked and ate lunch together with Katrina, the founder of Turtle Lake. We had such a delicious lunch of beet-apple tea, felefal (I didn't spell that correctly, but it's the Indian dish that has the little phalafel? cakes that you dip in yogurt sauce... yum!), a microgreens salad with beet dressing, carrot curry coconut soup, and chia seed pudding with coconut, orange peel, and cocoa nibs.
Today while we were eating, a bee zoomed around and landed in Katrina's drained tea cup. It looked like it was nibbling on the sweet remnants of the beet- apple tea. I usually duck and run if a bee comes near, but Katrina was so calm with the bee. She even placed her hand at the opening of her cup to see if the bee would crawl onto her hand. This makes sense for Katrina, though. So as the bee lifted off and continued to zigzag around us for a few minutes more, I made myself sit still and be calm about the bee. I realize that they would have no reason to sting me if I wasn't a threat. Usually, at least. It was calming, though, to see the peaceful and harmonic interaction between Katrina and the bee. Many a time, when we see a bee, we go straight for the fly swatter. But bees are living creatures, too, and we must respect them as an important part of Earth. God did not make bees to sting people. He made them to make honey, to pollinate our food, and to give us the beauty of flowers. Bees are a special gift we often forget. It's time to remember them.
Save the honeybee!
The Limping Seed-Planter
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Monday, March 19, 2012
Day 6 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Let me ask you a question in which you probably can guess the answer to, because why else would I be asking it?: Do you think it is possible to make RAW CHOCOLATE?! If you guessed "yes," you are correct! You win... the satisfaction of guessing correctly when the answer was already obvious? Yay, you? Are my question marks making you even more confused? ??????? How about this?????????
Must. Stop. Playing with ?'s!
So. Yes, I made chocolate today. RAW chocolate. With cocoa powder, carob powder, vanilla, coconut oil, and some other stuff, you, too, can make it in your very own kitchen. (You thought I was going to give you the whole dang recipe, didn't you?) Frankly, this whole Turtle Lake experience is surprising me around every turn about what you can make that is still raw. How about this: Pasta, pizza, ravioli, (but don't get it into your head that this will be the kind made with wheat dough,) cheese, (forget the cows, think nuts!) pie, lemon bars, pudding... the list goes on. It's quite amazing what's out there, though.
Just TRY it, it's GOOD for you,
Sunnie Muncher
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Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Day 7 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
For those of you who did not know, today is the Equinox, therefore the first day of spring! After today, we will be getting more and more sunlight in the day. Yay for the sun! I helped Anita to make a raw pie crust today for her plum pie. We used raisins, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and oats. I left in the middle to help Rachel with watering, but when I came back, there it was, freshly pressed into the pie plate. I could smell cinnamon for sure, perhaps some other spices. It's sweet and sticky, and you could just as easily roll a clump into a log and call it the most delicious granola bar you've ever tasted. We planted peas, buckwheat, wheat berries, sunnies, and radishes in their little trays. And I tasted my first wheat grass juice. It took a little getting used to, but not too bad... my taste buds still have to get used to all these different tastes! Also today was a passionate pink chunky beet-carrot soup with a light sprinkling of rosemary on top; curry flax crackers with a spoonful of microgreens that have been through the food processor; and a kale and microgreen salad with garlic dressing.
Also, I've started working on my project, in which I shall be taking on several chapters of the 'How to Grow Microgreens' book for elementary and middle school kids. I've narrowed down what I think the chapters will be about and now I'm going to decide which specific chapters I would like to write and contribute to. I also may do some artwork for this book, and I need to decide which pages and what topics I would like to surround my artwork with. So I'm getting somewhere!
Ciao microbabies,
Grassy Grazer
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Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Day 8 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Rachel, who usually mans the watering for the sprouts, was gone today, so Chesaray and I took it up. We were a little unsure of what we were doing, and the plants may have gotten a bit over-watered, but we tried our best, adding an unsure squirt of water here and there extra. Anita gave us all a baggie of extra sprouts, which I took home and shared with my family. My mom loves them. They are salty, which you might not think is possible (depending on how well you know your greens,) but these babies definitely have a saltiness to them. Mom can't taste it. Today was a delicious day of making chocolate balls to be dipped in coconut and chopped nuts for a party (not ours); making bread sticks by squeezing out the 'dough' from a baggie like you do when icing a cake; putting dates, raisins, and a variety of nuts through the food processor to make a delicious crumble crust; and cutting, spicing, processing, and mashing beet-red cabbage to make sour kraut (which turned my fingers and hands purple in the process.) Actually, if I get this and my Spanish homework done quickly, I will try to make the chocolate balls myself. We'll see how they turn out. The bread sticks smelled garlicky and delicious. I hope I'll be able to try one once they're through the dehydrator. From making the crumble crust today, I learned that if you pair dates or raisins with any kind of nut, and put it through the food processor, it will make a delicious anything-- granola bar, crumble, pie crust.... yum. And lastly, for the sour kraut, after it was cut into tiny pieces by the machine, I stuffed it into a glass jar and, with a wooden pole, proceeded to mash, churn, and squeeze the cabbage so it would release its juices which would cover it and therefore stop it from molding. It produced foam and the whole jar turned a lovely dark plum color. As I carried it into the large closet in which we let it sit for I-forget-how-long (2 weeks?) I imagined myself dropping the whole thing, and all of the lovely purple splashing everywhere. Luckily I managed to keep a hold of it.
When I cook, I mean to eat,
Purple Fingers
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Katrina Blair Interview
March, 2012
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March 22, 2012
Day 9 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Hola! Aloha! Buenas dias! Hi! Yo! 'Sup! What's goin' on? Hello!
I noticed that I have gotten more responsibility as of late. Today I was given the jobs of soaking the seeds and watering the sprouts upstairs. To tell you the truth, I messed up on the seed soaking. I put in twice the amount of buckwheat, peas, and wheat berries. And I forgot to add the kelp to give the seeds a little somethin' to munch on as they begin their first stages of life. But it's okay, because we just dumped some of the seeds out and then I put a pinch of kelp in each of the jars and swirled it around with my hand. Also, while I was watering, I saw a spider who was eating a fly. At first I thought I saw the fly trying to get away, (or I could have been imagining that the wings were moving,) and I watched in mild disgust and horror as the spider ate the fly. Actually, I don't know what it was doing. Maybe biting it to paralyze it, or wrapping it with layer after layer of invisible spider silk? Or sucking it's blood? Do spiders even actually eat the insects they trap in their webs? Or do they just suck their blood? I don't know, but I feel like I should. Anyways, the spiders was crawlin' around the fly and holding onto it and going up its spider silk string. Retreating to the underside of a big house plant leaf to finish its morbid business in private. That's when Rachel and another woman, also called Rachel, came up the stairs and there I was with the hose with both hands around my neck. I shuddered several times and pointed it out to Rachel, who went and investigated. She thought the spider was huge. And she said "wow" a lot. After that, I didn't go near that plant. It's not like the spider could jump on me and take me down, but spiders are known to jump. And that was a fairly big spider. For the rest of the time watering, I was looking for spiders. Under the micro green trays, in the thick forest of radish sprouts, on the underside of houseplant leaves. Okay, looking is the wrong word. I was on the lookout.
At lunch, Rachel and I talked more about the project. I've decide that I will be taking on the 'basics' chapter, which will be one of the first chapters in the micro greens booklet that will be the final product by Turtle Lake, to be published in a year or two. I'd also like to perhaps write a poem and make some drawings to go in the book. Oh, what fun it is to... think... about the microgree-een book! (Say that to yourself to the tune of "Jingle Bells.")
Mom and I are trying out a chocolate recipe that we used for the chocolate balls yesterday. It's not coming out as well, but it's still fun to try!
Today I also got to help make the Acorn Norri crackers, these delicious crackers made from acorns and soy sauce and ginger with Norri seaweed on one side. Yum!
Oh, one last thing-- I have just realized that this whole time, I've been spelling Sauerkraut as "Sour Kraut." I knew it looked wrong, but I knew it wasn't Saur Kraut. Oh, well.
Maybe I'll come back as a spider,
The Water Girl
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Friday, March 23, 2012
Day 10 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
This afternoon, I got in Ben's old van with Ben, Rachel, and Rachel and we drove up to Turtle Lake Refuge. The actual farm! It was so cool to actually be there. I got to see Katrina's house, which has 8 sides. I read about how she and a number of people helped build that house. The article also said that there was a big tree at the center. I think that's so cool. Across the street at Turtle Lake Refuge, there is a small orchard and two greenhouses, which were unbelievably warm inside.
I got to see an actual rosemary bush/tree. The rosemary leaves that we get in the spice aisle is actually the needle on the tree, like on a pine tree. It wasn't very tall, maybe shoulder-tall or so. But there were long arms that stuck up from the ground-- it reminded me of a yucca or an organ pipe cactus in that aspect. I looked it up, and they can also look like trees. Like a little Christmas tree. Imagine! You have a little tree in your house, and instead of saying, "Oh, shoot, we're out of rosemary, better put it on the shopping list," you can say, "Benny, nip over to the rosemary tree and get me some rosemary, would you? I need about a teaspoon." (In an English accent, of course. Who says 'nip' in America?)
I asked if you would stay warm if you lived in one of those during the winter, and Rachel's answer was that it would probably get cold at night, but you could. Now I'm wondering, why don't we? Oh. Because it would be dreadfully hot during the day when the high-altitude sun is beating down, that's why. But still, it's a nice thought...
Also at Turtle Lake, there's this potty that was built last summer, Rachel told me, out of cinder blocks with mud mixed with straw on the outside and a few glass bottles in the side for a pretty look. It's shaped in a spiral, with the toilet in the middle. For privacy. It looked pretty cool.
Anyways, got to go play with my little doggy who is making puppy-dog eyes at me!
Enjoy the beautiful blue-bird day!
Rosemary
(is one of my favorite herbs) (especially in bread!) (Oh. My. Gosh. YUM!) (Okay for reals this time.) Bye!
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Monday, March 27, 2012
Day 11 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
I'm working on my project now. (I know, it seems like I'm getting a late start!) But I am confident in my ability to pull everything together. I've finished my rough draft for the chapter of the micro greens book that will be my project, as well as a poem that hopefully will make it into the book. (I say hopefully, because this books will be a collaborative effort between me, Rachel (who is in charge of micro greens at Turtle Lake,) Katrina, several students from Fort Lewis, and others. Here is my plan for the project: I will have the final draft of the chapter (Basics in Growing Your Own Food,) my notebook (to show the process,) and a tray of micro greens (sunflower sprouts,) to share. And perhaps a rough draft or two of the chapter and of the drawings I will make for the book to show the process I went through. But that's my idea. (It was Gregor's idea to have the sprouts there. Thanks, Gregor!)
I have also noticed that now I can be trusted with more things. For example, Rachel has asked me to water upstairs, to soak the seeds, to rinse the seeds, to clean out the seed container, to get started on planting, etc. and seems to trust that I can do it. It seems to me that I should have a few more weeks here so I can actually be helpful, rather than following them around and asking questions as I have been doing these past few weeks. It's not bad that I have been doing this... beneficial, actually. But it seems a shame that all this effort that has gone into teaching me these things will now be down the drain because I shall be leaving in *gasp* two days. *GASP!* Two days? I just calculated that. Just now. I didn't actually think it would be that short of time! All I can say is, time can sure slip away from you... like when you're walking a dog who is very determined to go forwards and you stop to tie your shoe or you get a rock in your sock or something of the sort, and she doesn't stop, and you fall over. Or the leash just slips out of your hand, and you have to go chasing after her. But with time, you never actually reach the leash, stomp your foot down, and bring the doggy to a halt that knocks the wind out of them. (Sorry, pooch.)
Today I stood for two hours or a little less slowly pouring peas, wheat berries, buckwheat seeds, and sunflower seeds into their appropriate bins. I was looking for damaged seeds that would cause rotting in the trays. You might not think it takes that long, but it does. The seeds were 1.5 to 2 pounds in each container, with 8 containers in all. But no matter. I am not complaining. I hope there will be a difference in the number of rotting peas in these next trays. I'm sure there will be, and it will benefit Turtle Lake, which is the reason for my carefulness. Afterwards, I took a load off for a few minutes and ate a snack.
To be next to a rotting pea is to be a rotting pea,
The Diver
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Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Day 12 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Rachel and I attended a luncheon about the science curriculum for students in Durango. We were 2 out of 13 or so. Other people from organizations who came to present were Frosted Pines, Durango Nature Studies, Durango Discovery Museum, and more. Rachel and I spent all morning until it was time to leave for the meeting at 11 working. I thought there was going to be every science teacher in Durango there. I wasn't sure how, but that's what I thought. And I was nervous. I just had jeans and a T-shirt and my Keens on. With socks. Because it was cold this morning as I rode to Turtle Lake Refuge.
And then I got to have lunch with my Mommy and Gregor and Clara and Gregor's mom, Judy! How nice of them it was to come! (Gregor didn't eat his beet salad OR his lime sorbet. Picky, picky!)
My Dad's work is only a few blocks from Turtle Lake, so every morning when I go in and every day when I go to track after I'm done at TL, I stop by and tap on the window and he comes out and I give him a hug. I like that.
I could be hugged a thousand times in one day,
Teddy Bear
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Day 13 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
I spent much of the morning working on my project, specifically, creating drawings that could go into the micro green book. I made two, and am still in the process of one. The first was a dandelion faeri, (isn't that a cool spelling of 'fairy'? I thought so.) The second drawing was of another faeri giving thanks for her water. The last picture that I am still working on is of a honey bee faeri riding on a honey bee. Except I need to look up how to draw a bee, because I don't want to mess it up. (I hope I didn't already.)
Rachel put me in charge of watering everything. I was pleased to do it, don't get me wrong, and pleased that she and everyone else at Turtle Lake, for that matter, would trust me to do it. It's a big job, but rather fun, because I get to water the plants in different ways. (Okay, maybe not the 'fun' that you're thinking about, such as jumping up and down and squealing with glee and maybe drooling on yourself a little, but the 'fun' that is gratifying.)
After a quick trip over to D.E.L.C. to see Ashley, (hi, Ashley!) and lunch, we (that is, Jen, Chesaray, and I,) realized there was a huge bin of beets in the back that were getting ready to go over the edge (freshness-wise.) A ton. So, we decided to be resourceful, and make beet sugar! (It takes the largest number of beets.) We first put them in tubs of water to get some of the dirt off, then we scrubbed them free of dirt using those little kitchen brushes. Chesaray got a really old one, and it started to fall apart on her. The bristles were falling out into the pot of muddy water. By the time she was done, there was a big chunk missing out of the middle where it had scrubbed the most. We laughed about it quite a bit. After that, we cut of the ends, chopped them up, gave 'em a whir in the Cuisinart, spooned it onto the dehydrator sheets, and popped 'em in. Tomorrow, using the remaining 1,000,000 beets, I want to make some beet chips! (My Dad's favorite.)
My heart goes BEET,
Ze Schneeky Beet Scrupper
(The Sneaky Beet Scrubber)
P.S. Don't ask me why I put 'Sneaky' in that sentence. All I'm saying it, it sounds really cool in a Russian accent. Yes, that was Russian. Couldn't you tell?
"20 Amazing Bee Facts!." Benefits of Honey. N.p., 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-bee-facts.html>.
"Honey Bees." Greenshare Fact Sheets: University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2012.
(Adapted from Ralph T. Vale, RI Beekeepers Association; Steven R. Alm, URI Entomologist; and the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, 1999.)
Jackson-Michel, Shavon. "The Effects of Herbicides and Pesticides on Humans." Livestrong.com. N.p., 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/246750-the-effects-of-herbicides-pesticides-on-humans/>.
"Pesticides and Birds." American Bird Conservancy. N.p., 2010. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/toxins/pesticides.html>.
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Advice from a Sprout
Reach towards the sunlight
Let others help you
Don’t give up, but keep on pressing forward
Drink lots of water
We’re all in this together
Stay grounded
Dig your roots into the earth
Keep sturdy and strong
Grow to your full potential
Everyone has different tastes
No two sprouts are exactly the same
The best things come in small packages
Try not to be picky
More is not always best
Enjoy the sunshine!
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Our Gift
What are we
without this connection to
our earth?
For we were born of the earth
Made first from clay
Shaped by our Creator
We grew and grew,
our feet planted on the ground,
Among the trees and plants and animals
Why are we breaking our connection?
We spend our days chopping down our forests,
Producing foods from chemicals,
and importing our clothes from
far-away places made by people
who work for next to nothing.
We now have our heads in the
clouds,
with one foot up and one left
on the ground,
our sole connection to the earth.
When will humanity re-plant our feet
solidly, on this earth,
Bring our heads down from
the clouds,
bend down and look at
all that we have that
this earth sustains us with.
Do we not see our gift?
Our gift of our connection
to earth and all living things?
What are we without our earth?
We cannot live without her.
The earth is the home of
the blue jay
the saguaro cactus
the red fox
the walrus
the tarantula
the salmon
the dandelion
as much as it is ours...
our home.
Our earth.
What a gift she is.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Day 1 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
What a great way to start an internship! A nice, easy day of harvesting wheat sprouts, sunflower sprouts, pea sprouts, and turnip sprouts, and making cashew and sprout pesto in the afternoon! As the employees of Turtle Lake and I harvested, we discussed many things, such as how and why they decided to come and work at Turtle Lake, what their beliefs are with food, how Turtle Lake generally works, and what Turtle Lake is planning for its future. One thing for sure is in the future of Turtle Lake, and that is definately the children's book of how to grow your own sprouts! Here's what I've learned about this book and the project I will be doing to help create it: Turtle Lake is trying to find a way to publish the book-- yes, actually publish it! And I will be helping to create a few select chapters of the book, which will be presented at the LINK Exhibition. I will be working mostly with an employee at Turtle Lake, whose name is Rachel, to create the book. We will share our ideas and plan out a part of the book together.
That's all for now!
Sprouts are yummy,
The internee
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Day 2 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Today I dipped my toes (or rather my fingers) into the first stages of microgreens-- the sanitation of the trays inwhich the sprouts grow, the spreading of the dirt into the trays, the planting of the seeds, and the watering.
Here's what I learned: There are two ways Turtle Lake (TL) sanitizes their trays. The first way is to lay out each tray in the sun, and flip it over once one side has been sunned for a while. The sun kills some of the unwanted bacterias and molds and spores and such. Then, they all get dunked in a bucket that contains water and hydrogen peroxide to further sanitize the trays.
Then, you dig out soil using a shovel from the huge wooden bin that is about two feet wide and maybe four or five or six feet long. In essence, this thing stores a lot of dirt! As you are digging out a shovel-full of dirt, dump it into a wheelbarrow. Except, there is a big ole' screen across the wheelbarrow. So you dump the dirt on top of the screen on top of the wheelbarrow. The screen's holes are about as big as a penny or dime-- fairly large for a screen, fairly small if you're screening dirt. The object is to get all the rocks, chunks of wood, and clumps of clay out so that it is nice and fine and in the best condition for little sprouts to grow.
Once the soil is screened, lay out the trays. For some of them, they will need just a plain tray without any holes in the bottom for draining excess water. Sunflower sprouts, or sunnies, as we call them, take in a lot of water and don't need the excess to be drained. Other sprouts, I forgot which ones exactly, don't drink as much water, so they need a place for the excess to drain to. They get two trays-- one with holes in it, and a non-holey tray underneath to catch it all. Now, fill two scoops (which are two yogurt containers,) with dirt and spread it evenly on one tray. Do this for all the trays that fit on the table.
Then, depending on which seeds you are spreading, put 1 1/2 cups or 2 cups of seeds on the soil by sprinkling the seeds on top of the dirt. (Peas recquire 2 cups, sunnies need 1 1/2, and I think buckwheat needs 2 cups... I forget about radishes.) You go through the seeds and spread them all out, then go through the seeds and pick out any that look broken or gross or like they're not going to grow. Hint: If you see a little tip poking out, it's going to sprout!
Next, give all the trays and their baby seeds a drink and stack one on top of the other so there are groups of two trays, and put another empty tray on top of the top tray of seeds. This makes the sprouts feel like they are under dirt and need to push up, up, up! It makes them stronger. The bigger and stronger the sprouts get, the smaller the tray that is on top of them so it feels like they are getting near the top of the soil. And at last, they are in the open air!
The end for today!
Goody Soiled-Shoes
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Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Day 3 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Hello!
Hoy, (which is Espanol for today,) (no I didn't learn Spanish,) I helped make rosehip granola bars, and learned how to soak the seeds to get them ready to be planted, which I explained yesterday. Also, I helped can some sour kraut, in which I am developing an interesting taste for. I never thought I would, but I actually like it now. In small quantities.
I will not bore you with how to make rosehip granola bars. Not that it was boring, but 1) I don't actually know the recipe and 2) I wouldn't be giving you much new information. It would mostly be just, "well, I mixed these things together, and something else, I forget, and then I formed little balls," etc. You wouldn't be gaining anything from reading it. But, I will tell you one thing I learned that quite surprised me: If you soak flax overnight, the next day they will have a pudding-y consistancy. Like tapioca, or something. Cool, huh? Now let us begin with the seed soaking!
It's quite simple, but this is new information for you. So, you take a few scoops of dry seeds and place them into plastic bottles. Big ones. Then, you fill the jug with water until it covers the top of the seeds. Using a rubberband, secure a square of screen, regular hole size, over the mouth of the bottle. Gently shake the bottle a few times, and then place the bottle at an angle in the sink to drain. Once you've done this with a few more bottles, take off the screen and fill it with more water until it covers all the seeds. Some seeds will want to float, and you can try to push them down. It probably won't work. Then finish this with all the rest of the bottles you are doing. The seeds will soak until the next day. This just begins the germinating process. (Is germinating the right word?) Note: For best results, use warm water, on the cool side. DO NOT do this with HOT water! Better freezing cold than piping hot.
And lastly, the sour kraut. Most kinds, like the kinds you see in stores and at hot dog places, are a clearish-yellow, right? Not TL's! They use red cabbage, and so their kraut is this wonderful, deep purple color. Which makes it all the more fun to eat. (I'll admit it-- I actually didn't know that sour kraut was make from cabbages.) Rachel, whom I've been working with the most lately, informed me that when things ferment, they create a good type of bacteria that cleans your intestines. Or maybe not cleans them, but it helps your stomach and intestines and everything stay healthy. It's good for you, as long as you don't eat a whole jug full. Other fermented things we brainstormed are pickles, pickled pig's foot, beer... anything with "pickled" in the sentence. But, if you ferment plums... watch out! I was discussing this topic with... dadgumbit, I forget her name... but she said that she fermented plums, and drank the juice and whew! Don't try it until you're 21! Another example for why to not eat a large quantity of fermented products is that when I was little, I loved pickles. I ate a whole one once. And then threw it up. My tummy just couldn't handle it. So let it be a lesson to y'all. Don't eat a whole pickle if you're six. Maybe when you're older, but not if you're just six. Or if you're not used to it. You could pay the consequence.
Anyways, to make sour kraut, all you have to do is mince it and let it sit in water (or is it just its own juices?) for around 14 days. BUT, you've got to make sure that the liquid is covering the top of the minced cabbage, or else it will ferment too quickly and it will rot and maybe even grow mold. Also, put a cabbage leaf or two over the top, inside the bottle you have it all it. I think it keeps the air out, I forget exactly. And maybe, depending on how full your jug is, put a plate underneath to catch all the overflowing juices. I don't know how it happens, but there always seems to be juice oozing from somewhere. Must be a part of the fermentation process.
Ta-ta for now, amigos,
Little Daisy Grow-A-Lot
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Thursday, March 15, 2012
Day 4 at Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Hello! As has it has been every day here at Turtle Lake Refuge, on 848 E. 3rd Avenue, I have learned so much today! I interviewed my mentor, Katrina Blair; I learned how to water the seeds and sprouts; and I removed the yummy-delicious ginger-apricot cookies from the dehydrator. I'll explain.
In the interview of Katrina, I asked her questions such as: What is your philosophy of life? What do you do every day to keep you doing what you are doing? How did your experiences at Colorado College and your own personal experiences inspire you to start Turtle Lake? What did you struggle with when you started up Turtle Lake? What is your ultimate goal for Turtle Lake and has it been accomplished? If not, how can it be? I shall type up her responses and post them at a later date!
Okay, here's what's up for watering the sprouts and seeds: Each seed needs a different amount. Buckwheat needs a quick-ish scribble of water, as does the peas and wheat grass. Sunnies, on the other hand, really soak it up, so they get a little more. Also, I reported to Rachel that there was some mold growing in the sunflower containers amonst the newly-sprouted seeds. She told me that those white, fuzzy, tendril-like things weren't mold, but roots. They just look fuzzy. Boy was I fooled! Later she pointed out some actual mold-- and it looked exactly the same, except in a little circle except for finger-like.
Last of all, I took out the ginger-apricot cookies from the dehydrator and put them 3 ounces to a bag. It sounds really simple, and it is. But it's just something I've never done before.
Also, I got to taste a bunch of things today: Dandelion-lemon sorbet (tastes like lemonade, yum!) "Phat Nettle" bars, and the ginger-apricot cookies that I accidentally broke. I also tried my first green olive that I didn't make a face and spit it out when I ate it. Amazing!
The interesting thing that I've noticed during these four days here is that my mind has been expanded. It's opening up to all these new ideas and tastes and flavors. Like the idea that people can communicate with trees. (More on this another time.) Or energy-healing, which is what Chesaray, who works at Turtle Lake, does as a profession. She feels the energy. And the new food that I'm eating-- my tastebuds are developing, and I feel like, had I been offered any of these other foods, or given any of these other ideas in a different setting, I would have DE-NIED it all. Like sour kraut? Gross. I think. But after I taste it... not bad! (However, I'm still getting used to the beet juice. I did drink half the mug, but I couldn't down anymore.) Still, these 4 days have proved to be an amazing learning curve. (Would you call it that?) I guess more of an experiencing curve. Or something. But I am really excited to see where this takes me. (Who doesn't want to communicate with trees?)
Phat is cool,
The Cookie Breaker and Sneaker
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Friday, March 16, 2012
Day 5 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Today, Jessica and Rachel came to visit me! We sat and talked and ate lunch together with Katrina, the founder of Turtle Lake. We had such a delicious lunch of beet-apple tea, felefal (I didn't spell that correctly, but it's the Indian dish that has the little phalafel? cakes that you dip in yogurt sauce... yum!), a microgreens salad with beet dressing, carrot curry coconut soup, and chia seed pudding with coconut, orange peel, and cocoa nibs.
Today while we were eating, a bee zoomed around and landed in Katrina's drained tea cup. It looked like it was nibbling on the sweet remnants of the beet- apple tea. I usually duck and run if a bee comes near, but Katrina was so calm with the bee. She even placed her hand at the opening of her cup to see if the bee would crawl onto her hand. This makes sense for Katrina, though. So as the bee lifted off and continued to zigzag around us for a few minutes more, I made myself sit still and be calm about the bee. I realize that they would have no reason to sting me if I wasn't a threat. Usually, at least. It was calming, though, to see the peaceful and harmonic interaction between Katrina and the bee. Many a time, when we see a bee, we go straight for the fly swatter. But bees are living creatures, too, and we must respect them as an important part of Earth. God did not make bees to sting people. He made them to make honey, to pollinate our food, and to give us the beauty of flowers. Bees are a special gift we often forget. It's time to remember them.
Save the honeybee!
The Limping Seed-Planter
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Monday, March 19, 2012
Day 6 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Let me ask you a question in which you probably can guess the answer to, because why else would I be asking it?: Do you think it is possible to make RAW CHOCOLATE?! If you guessed "yes," you are correct! You win... the satisfaction of guessing correctly when the answer was already obvious? Yay, you? Are my question marks making you even more confused? ??????? How about this?????????
Must. Stop. Playing with ?'s!
So. Yes, I made chocolate today. RAW chocolate. With cocoa powder, carob powder, vanilla, coconut oil, and some other stuff, you, too, can make it in your very own kitchen. (You thought I was going to give you the whole dang recipe, didn't you?) Frankly, this whole Turtle Lake experience is surprising me around every turn about what you can make that is still raw. How about this: Pasta, pizza, ravioli, (but don't get it into your head that this will be the kind made with wheat dough,) cheese, (forget the cows, think nuts!) pie, lemon bars, pudding... the list goes on. It's quite amazing what's out there, though.
Just TRY it, it's GOOD for you,
Sunnie Muncher
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Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Day 7 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
For those of you who did not know, today is the Equinox, therefore the first day of spring! After today, we will be getting more and more sunlight in the day. Yay for the sun! I helped Anita to make a raw pie crust today for her plum pie. We used raisins, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and oats. I left in the middle to help Rachel with watering, but when I came back, there it was, freshly pressed into the pie plate. I could smell cinnamon for sure, perhaps some other spices. It's sweet and sticky, and you could just as easily roll a clump into a log and call it the most delicious granola bar you've ever tasted. We planted peas, buckwheat, wheat berries, sunnies, and radishes in their little trays. And I tasted my first wheat grass juice. It took a little getting used to, but not too bad... my taste buds still have to get used to all these different tastes! Also today was a passionate pink chunky beet-carrot soup with a light sprinkling of rosemary on top; curry flax crackers with a spoonful of microgreens that have been through the food processor; and a kale and microgreen salad with garlic dressing.
Also, I've started working on my project, in which I shall be taking on several chapters of the 'How to Grow Microgreens' book for elementary and middle school kids. I've narrowed down what I think the chapters will be about and now I'm going to decide which specific chapters I would like to write and contribute to. I also may do some artwork for this book, and I need to decide which pages and what topics I would like to surround my artwork with. So I'm getting somewhere!
Ciao microbabies,
Grassy Grazer
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Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Day 8 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Rachel, who usually mans the watering for the sprouts, was gone today, so Chesaray and I took it up. We were a little unsure of what we were doing, and the plants may have gotten a bit over-watered, but we tried our best, adding an unsure squirt of water here and there extra. Anita gave us all a baggie of extra sprouts, which I took home and shared with my family. My mom loves them. They are salty, which you might not think is possible (depending on how well you know your greens,) but these babies definitely have a saltiness to them. Mom can't taste it. Today was a delicious day of making chocolate balls to be dipped in coconut and chopped nuts for a party (not ours); making bread sticks by squeezing out the 'dough' from a baggie like you do when icing a cake; putting dates, raisins, and a variety of nuts through the food processor to make a delicious crumble crust; and cutting, spicing, processing, and mashing beet-red cabbage to make sour kraut (which turned my fingers and hands purple in the process.) Actually, if I get this and my Spanish homework done quickly, I will try to make the chocolate balls myself. We'll see how they turn out. The bread sticks smelled garlicky and delicious. I hope I'll be able to try one once they're through the dehydrator. From making the crumble crust today, I learned that if you pair dates or raisins with any kind of nut, and put it through the food processor, it will make a delicious anything-- granola bar, crumble, pie crust.... yum. And lastly, for the sour kraut, after it was cut into tiny pieces by the machine, I stuffed it into a glass jar and, with a wooden pole, proceeded to mash, churn, and squeeze the cabbage so it would release its juices which would cover it and therefore stop it from molding. It produced foam and the whole jar turned a lovely dark plum color. As I carried it into the large closet in which we let it sit for I-forget-how-long (2 weeks?) I imagined myself dropping the whole thing, and all of the lovely purple splashing everywhere. Luckily I managed to keep a hold of it.
When I cook, I mean to eat,
Purple Fingers
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Katrina Blair Interview
March, 2012
I read your bio on your website, and how did that summer when you camped alone change your life and how did it make you want to pursue and education in plants?
When you’re in the woods, by yourself, it is very easy to be centered. I was back by Junction Creek, all by myself, in a very secluded, private area that I’d found. I also worked at Parks and Rec's Gametime Program in Durango, so every day I would ride my bike down there and then at the end of the day, I would ride back to my campsite. I made up my mind to only eat the wild foods that were there, except for a cereal of flax seeds, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds that I would soak overnight and eat for breakfast. But sometimes, I would eat scraps of kids’ lunches. I made up my mind to only eat wild foods that were offered that I could find.
How did you know that what you were eating was safe?
I brought lots of books on plants with me, so I could look them up. Sometimes I would go home on the weekends and visit my parents. My mom and I would do muscle tests to see if it was safe to eat.
What’s a muscle test?
You hold the food in one hand, and then you hold your other arm out, and if the food is good for you, your arm will not be able to be pushed down. But if it’s bad for you, you can’t hold it up. It will just flop down. That’s how you can tell.
How long were you in the forest?
I spent the whole summer up in the woods but one time stayed out at my camp for two weeks straight. I bathed in the creek, ate the local plants… going back to your original question, how did it make me want to pursue that… that experience made me want to go deeper into what I had already experienced.
Why did you decide to go to Colorado College and what was that experience like for you? (I am thinking about going there myself.)
I had a really great time there. I liked how close it was to home, so I could still visit my family. The block plan was what really drew me in. I was able to do independent research on my own for a month. Just go camping out there for a month to gather information for my senior project, in which I wrote, “The Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants of the San Juan Mountains.” And the teachers, most of them are really passionate about what they are teaching. They’re there because they want to be. Some subjects, like chemistry, were very difficult, because you have class, then a lab, then homework every day for a month, and that can be tough. But you get through it. I liked the block plan for Spanish immersion because you dive right in, and for six weeks you’re speaking Spanish, so you learn a lot.
From your own studies and experiences on your own, at CC, and at John F Kennedy University, how did that shape and inspire how and why you started Turtle Lake Refuge?
My mom’s business, Rocky Mountain Retreat, was here first, and is still located here at this location on 3rd Avenue here in Durango Turtle
Lake Refuge is a sprout from that because I saw a need in the community. Rocky Mountain Retreat was for people who would come here for 11 days and detoxify their bodies, do yoga, renew their spirits… but then those people just left. They didn’t have that support when they left. There was a need I saw to show how to eat simply, to protect the land, and to stay local, so that when you learn about these things, you can support your community and be supported because it’s staying here in Durango. For four years, I worked with Outdoor Pursuits at Fort Lewis College, and that was great because I got to go outside with a group of people and teach them about the forest… but after a few years, we kept having to get new equipment and it got to be too much…
Lake Refuge is a sprout from that because I saw a need in the community. Rocky Mountain Retreat was for people who would come here for 11 days and detoxify their bodies, do yoga, renew their spirits… but then those people just left. They didn’t have that support when they left. There was a need I saw to show how to eat simply, to protect the land, and to stay local, so that when you learn about these things, you can support your community and be supported because it’s staying here in Durango. For four years, I worked with Outdoor Pursuits at Fort Lewis College, and that was great because I got to go outside with a group of people and teach them about the forest… but after a few years, we kept having to get new equipment and it got to be too much…
Stuff?
Yeah, too much stuff! I just wanted to be out there without it all. I wanted it to be simple.
What was most difficult or unexpected about starting Turtle Lake and why?
The beginning was the most difficult because I was thinking, “Is anyone going to take it seriously?” One day it’s not there, the next, there’s this organization. I think the most difficult thing was not knowing about what was going to happen, or how things were going to work out, but just diving in. By starting it and sticking with it, things happen. It’s hard to make the commitment, but it’s very important too. You’ve got to stick with what you’re saying you’re going to do.
What did Turtle Lake look like when you were first starting out?
I had a bicycle, and I would bike around town to different friends’ gardens, collect the food, make a lunch, and then, using my granddad’s really nice dishes that have been in the family, put it onto the three-wheeled bike, with the shelves on it, go to the Smiley building, where we had a stash of chairs and tables, and we would set up a little café twice a week. We started that in 1998, which was our first lunch. In 2000, we opened for lunches at our current location.
Were microgreens apart of Turtle Lake the whole time?
Yes, microcreens were the essence of it. The Rocky Mountain Retreat used them to detoxify and all that, and so I continue to use them in the lunches and provide them to restaraunts, stores, and schools.
How does the present Turtle Lake differ from the Turtle Lake you envisioned when you first started it?
It was a collective vision, not just me. There were many people supporting the idea, supporting the creation of Turtle Lake. We wanted to support people and the health of the earth. We didn’t really have a complete vision of the whole picture. We just took little steps. It was very collaborative. The first thing—actual product that we sold—was the raw food granola bar. And then, we started taking microgreens to the schools to be incorporated in the school lunches.
What is your ultimate goal for Turtle Lake, and why? Have you achieved this goal, and if not, how are you working toward that goal?
Our mission at Turtle Lake is to promote personal health and the health of the wild land. Not just Turtle Lake, but all land. A goal of ours is to have all chemical free parks in Durango, because the pesticides that are used for the parks are terrible for your health. They hurt us, our pets, the plants, the bees… Another goal is to change the weed mandate in Colorado. There are some plants that are illegal to have on your land, if you can believe it. There is the A list, B list, and C list plants. The A list plants are illegal to have, as are B list plants, and if you don’t get rid of them, the government will come onto your land and use herbicides to kill them. C list is just ‘recommended’ that you get rid of those plants. I think that all are welcome. All plants are my friends, especially these ones, because they have such great medicinal properties. They are pulling up minerals from the ground to the top soil to make it better for plants who come after them. They are really beneficial. Turtle Lake’s goal is to have all plants and people work with abundance together. And for our place here in town on 3rd Avenue, I think it would be great to have some fruit trees, grapevines, solar power… have it be a sustainable place to grow more abundant food.
What inspires you every day to do what you’re doing?
Sharing love. I’m recharged by communicating with creatures, trees, God. And I like to share these things in inspirational ways.
For my POL, I told my class that my goal for this year was to ‘spread love.’ I wonder sometimes if they took me seriously. It’s so… truthful and straightforward. You don’t hear people say, “I’m trying to spread love,” very often, straight out.
It’s nice to have someone else that has that point of view.
How has your childhood helped to develop your love of plants, the outdoors, and nature?
My mother got really bad arthritis when she was 17. It was very painful for her. She went from horseback riding and doing all sorts of things to having to sit down. Then after years of surgeries and ingesting thousands of pills, she tried out a detoxifying juice diet, and within a few days, almost all of her pain had gone away. I actually remember this day. I was two, and walking home from a friend’s house with a purple popsicle, and my mother told me, “Put that down, it’s not real food!” So from them on, we made lots of raw food to eat, including green juice shots twice a day. It totally revolutionized how we looked at food and what we were eating. And my dad was an outdoors adventure leader, my mom was totally into nature, so I put them together, and I do things outdoors in the forests!
How does it feel to communicate with trees? Why do you think not many people do it? (I read a story in the newspaper about when you were building your house, and you asked trees if they would be a part of your house, and most said “no” but one said “yes.” What was that like for you?
So, I went from tree to tree and asked them, “Do you want to be a part of my house?” and, you’re right, all but one said “no.” And it’s difficult to say how to know if they’re saying “yes” or “no”, because it’s more like a feeling. You know the feeling you get when you make a decision? If you make a decision you regret, it’s just kind of ‘fwump,’ and you have to live with it. It’s a negative feeling. But when you make a decision you’re glad you made, there’s that light, happy, uplifting feeling to it. That’s how a “yes” and “no” feels. And I think that not many people do it because they don’t know about it. They don’t know it can be done. You really have to attune yourself.
How can people become closer to nature and closer to our earth?
One way is by eating what’s growing around us. If you only get your food from the supermarket, there’s not really a connection that this came from the earth. Also, by taking the time to get out into it. Go on walks, just take time out in the woods.
What are some ways you keep yourself attached to nature and the earth?
I go on walkabouts, which are long hikes, once a year or so, to lots of different places locally like Telluride or Silverton. It takes me a week or two to get there. And when I’m out there, there’s this energy that comes and I feel it and that energy sustains me, so I don’t need to eat as much. It’s amazing! And then every day, I practice what I wrote in The 13 Commitments for Living the Good Life. It’s a book I wrote when I pulled out each of the 13 roots of the Osha plant, and for each root, I made a commitment as a thank you to the plant. One was, for every day, to eat something right from the ground that I pick up myself.
Why was it important to you to keep Turtle Lake local, in one place? Why not spread it out and help more people?
I would prefer to teach someone the basics of what we do at Turtle Lake Refuge, then they can go and create a similar service in a new place and that will be a benefit for others. Maintaining a local connction is the root of what we do. It means more when it’s closer to home.
What philosophy do you live by?
I’m very connected to the spiritual practice of honoring God in everything. Nature is my greatest teacher. I try to listen and learn. I have some daily intentions, which are to be of service through unconditional love, gratitude, and personal wellbeing.
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March 22, 2012
Day 9 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Hola! Aloha! Buenas dias! Hi! Yo! 'Sup! What's goin' on? Hello!
I noticed that I have gotten more responsibility as of late. Today I was given the jobs of soaking the seeds and watering the sprouts upstairs. To tell you the truth, I messed up on the seed soaking. I put in twice the amount of buckwheat, peas, and wheat berries. And I forgot to add the kelp to give the seeds a little somethin' to munch on as they begin their first stages of life. But it's okay, because we just dumped some of the seeds out and then I put a pinch of kelp in each of the jars and swirled it around with my hand. Also, while I was watering, I saw a spider who was eating a fly. At first I thought I saw the fly trying to get away, (or I could have been imagining that the wings were moving,) and I watched in mild disgust and horror as the spider ate the fly. Actually, I don't know what it was doing. Maybe biting it to paralyze it, or wrapping it with layer after layer of invisible spider silk? Or sucking it's blood? Do spiders even actually eat the insects they trap in their webs? Or do they just suck their blood? I don't know, but I feel like I should. Anyways, the spiders was crawlin' around the fly and holding onto it and going up its spider silk string. Retreating to the underside of a big house plant leaf to finish its morbid business in private. That's when Rachel and another woman, also called Rachel, came up the stairs and there I was with the hose with both hands around my neck. I shuddered several times and pointed it out to Rachel, who went and investigated. She thought the spider was huge. And she said "wow" a lot. After that, I didn't go near that plant. It's not like the spider could jump on me and take me down, but spiders are known to jump. And that was a fairly big spider. For the rest of the time watering, I was looking for spiders. Under the micro green trays, in the thick forest of radish sprouts, on the underside of houseplant leaves. Okay, looking is the wrong word. I was on the lookout.
At lunch, Rachel and I talked more about the project. I've decide that I will be taking on the 'basics' chapter, which will be one of the first chapters in the micro greens booklet that will be the final product by Turtle Lake, to be published in a year or two. I'd also like to perhaps write a poem and make some drawings to go in the book. Oh, what fun it is to... think... about the microgree-een book! (Say that to yourself to the tune of "Jingle Bells.")
Mom and I are trying out a chocolate recipe that we used for the chocolate balls yesterday. It's not coming out as well, but it's still fun to try!
Today I also got to help make the Acorn Norri crackers, these delicious crackers made from acorns and soy sauce and ginger with Norri seaweed on one side. Yum!
Oh, one last thing-- I have just realized that this whole time, I've been spelling Sauerkraut as "Sour Kraut." I knew it looked wrong, but I knew it wasn't Saur Kraut. Oh, well.
Maybe I'll come back as a spider,
The Water Girl
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Friday, March 23, 2012
Day 10 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
This afternoon, I got in Ben's old van with Ben, Rachel, and Rachel and we drove up to Turtle Lake Refuge. The actual farm! It was so cool to actually be there. I got to see Katrina's house, which has 8 sides. I read about how she and a number of people helped build that house. The article also said that there was a big tree at the center. I think that's so cool. Across the street at Turtle Lake Refuge, there is a small orchard and two greenhouses, which were unbelievably warm inside.
I got to see an actual rosemary bush/tree. The rosemary leaves that we get in the spice aisle is actually the needle on the tree, like on a pine tree. It wasn't very tall, maybe shoulder-tall or so. But there were long arms that stuck up from the ground-- it reminded me of a yucca or an organ pipe cactus in that aspect. I looked it up, and they can also look like trees. Like a little Christmas tree. Imagine! You have a little tree in your house, and instead of saying, "Oh, shoot, we're out of rosemary, better put it on the shopping list," you can say, "Benny, nip over to the rosemary tree and get me some rosemary, would you? I need about a teaspoon." (In an English accent, of course. Who says 'nip' in America?)
I asked if you would stay warm if you lived in one of those during the winter, and Rachel's answer was that it would probably get cold at night, but you could. Now I'm wondering, why don't we? Oh. Because it would be dreadfully hot during the day when the high-altitude sun is beating down, that's why. But still, it's a nice thought...
Also at Turtle Lake, there's this potty that was built last summer, Rachel told me, out of cinder blocks with mud mixed with straw on the outside and a few glass bottles in the side for a pretty look. It's shaped in a spiral, with the toilet in the middle. For privacy. It looked pretty cool.
Anyways, got to go play with my little doggy who is making puppy-dog eyes at me!
Enjoy the beautiful blue-bird day!
Rosemary
(is one of my favorite herbs) (especially in bread!) (Oh. My. Gosh. YUM!) (Okay for reals this time.) Bye!
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Monday, March 27, 2012
Day 11 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
I'm working on my project now. (I know, it seems like I'm getting a late start!) But I am confident in my ability to pull everything together. I've finished my rough draft for the chapter of the micro greens book that will be my project, as well as a poem that hopefully will make it into the book. (I say hopefully, because this books will be a collaborative effort between me, Rachel (who is in charge of micro greens at Turtle Lake,) Katrina, several students from Fort Lewis, and others. Here is my plan for the project: I will have the final draft of the chapter (Basics in Growing Your Own Food,) my notebook (to show the process,) and a tray of micro greens (sunflower sprouts,) to share. And perhaps a rough draft or two of the chapter and of the drawings I will make for the book to show the process I went through. But that's my idea. (It was Gregor's idea to have the sprouts there. Thanks, Gregor!)
I have also noticed that now I can be trusted with more things. For example, Rachel has asked me to water upstairs, to soak the seeds, to rinse the seeds, to clean out the seed container, to get started on planting, etc. and seems to trust that I can do it. It seems to me that I should have a few more weeks here so I can actually be helpful, rather than following them around and asking questions as I have been doing these past few weeks. It's not bad that I have been doing this... beneficial, actually. But it seems a shame that all this effort that has gone into teaching me these things will now be down the drain because I shall be leaving in *gasp* two days. *GASP!* Two days? I just calculated that. Just now. I didn't actually think it would be that short of time! All I can say is, time can sure slip away from you... like when you're walking a dog who is very determined to go forwards and you stop to tie your shoe or you get a rock in your sock or something of the sort, and she doesn't stop, and you fall over. Or the leash just slips out of your hand, and you have to go chasing after her. But with time, you never actually reach the leash, stomp your foot down, and bring the doggy to a halt that knocks the wind out of them. (Sorry, pooch.)
Today I stood for two hours or a little less slowly pouring peas, wheat berries, buckwheat seeds, and sunflower seeds into their appropriate bins. I was looking for damaged seeds that would cause rotting in the trays. You might not think it takes that long, but it does. The seeds were 1.5 to 2 pounds in each container, with 8 containers in all. But no matter. I am not complaining. I hope there will be a difference in the number of rotting peas in these next trays. I'm sure there will be, and it will benefit Turtle Lake, which is the reason for my carefulness. Afterwards, I took a load off for a few minutes and ate a snack.
To be next to a rotting pea is to be a rotting pea,
The Diver
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Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Day 12 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
Rachel and I attended a luncheon about the science curriculum for students in Durango. We were 2 out of 13 or so. Other people from organizations who came to present were Frosted Pines, Durango Nature Studies, Durango Discovery Museum, and more. Rachel and I spent all morning until it was time to leave for the meeting at 11 working. I thought there was going to be every science teacher in Durango there. I wasn't sure how, but that's what I thought. And I was nervous. I just had jeans and a T-shirt and my Keens on. With socks. Because it was cold this morning as I rode to Turtle Lake Refuge.
And then I got to have lunch with my Mommy and Gregor and Clara and Gregor's mom, Judy! How nice of them it was to come! (Gregor didn't eat his beet salad OR his lime sorbet. Picky, picky!)
My Dad's work is only a few blocks from Turtle Lake, so every morning when I go in and every day when I go to track after I'm done at TL, I stop by and tap on the window and he comes out and I give him a hug. I like that.
I could be hugged a thousand times in one day,
Teddy Bear
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Day 13 of Internship at Turtle Lake Refuge
I spent much of the morning working on my project, specifically, creating drawings that could go into the micro green book. I made two, and am still in the process of one. The first was a dandelion faeri, (isn't that a cool spelling of 'fairy'? I thought so.) The second drawing was of another faeri giving thanks for her water. The last picture that I am still working on is of a honey bee faeri riding on a honey bee. Except I need to look up how to draw a bee, because I don't want to mess it up. (I hope I didn't already.)
Rachel put me in charge of watering everything. I was pleased to do it, don't get me wrong, and pleased that she and everyone else at Turtle Lake, for that matter, would trust me to do it. It's a big job, but rather fun, because I get to water the plants in different ways. (Okay, maybe not the 'fun' that you're thinking about, such as jumping up and down and squealing with glee and maybe drooling on yourself a little, but the 'fun' that is gratifying.)
After a quick trip over to D.E.L.C. to see Ashley, (hi, Ashley!) and lunch, we (that is, Jen, Chesaray, and I,) realized there was a huge bin of beets in the back that were getting ready to go over the edge (freshness-wise.) A ton. So, we decided to be resourceful, and make beet sugar! (It takes the largest number of beets.) We first put them in tubs of water to get some of the dirt off, then we scrubbed them free of dirt using those little kitchen brushes. Chesaray got a really old one, and it started to fall apart on her. The bristles were falling out into the pot of muddy water. By the time she was done, there was a big chunk missing out of the middle where it had scrubbed the most. We laughed about it quite a bit. After that, we cut of the ends, chopped them up, gave 'em a whir in the Cuisinart, spooned it onto the dehydrator sheets, and popped 'em in. Tomorrow, using the remaining 1,000,000 beets, I want to make some beet chips! (My Dad's favorite.)
My heart goes BEET,
Ze Schneeky Beet Scrupper
(The Sneaky Beet Scrubber)
P.S. Don't ask me why I put 'Sneaky' in that sentence. All I'm saying it, it sounds really cool in a Russian accent. Yes, that was Russian. Couldn't you tell?
· The honey bee has been around for millions of years.
· Their wings can beat at 200 beats per second.
· A honey bee can fly 15 miles per hour. (Faster than you can sprint!)
· During one pollination trip, a honey bee will visit between 50 and 100 flowers.
· Honey bees communicate with each other by “dancing,” or shaking themselves while going a specific direction.
