Deborah Wiig

It’s time to gather around good food.

Each year as we enter the month of November, our minds shift to holiday gatherings and celebrations. This year, as our community re-builds and strengthens after the destructive fires in October, this tradition is not only valuable, but it is essential.

I would like to invite each of you to join us next Wednesday, November 15th at 7 pm for a cultured celebration: a Vital Alchemy Potluck.

Instead of bringing a few dollars for the donation jar, please bring a dish or a fermented food that you’d like to share. If you are not able to bring a homemade food, please consider bringing your favorite product from a local company.

In addition to enjoying each other’s company, we are going to discuss the future of this group. I have recently accepted a job out of state, and will be relocating in January. As I will not be in Sonoma County myself to organize the meeting topics, I want to offer others the opportunity to plan these fun gatherings. Jerry and I have discussed that perhaps the group could meet quarterly, and at the very least, we can maintain a mailing list or a Facebook group for recipe sharing, tips/tricks and new fermentation info.

It was a hard decision to make when I accepted the job offer, as I value my community here so very much. (read: all of YOU!) This is a temporary relocation for me and my family, and we will be returning to Sonoma County. I look forward to sharing more details with you all next week.

I look forward to seeing you next Wednesday, 11/15 at 7pm. Please do your best to bring your own plate, cup and silverware so that we can minimize our waste. Don’t hesitate to email me this week with any questions you might have or suggestions for the future of this group.

In gratitude and with love,
Jennifer

First of all, I just want to express my gratitude to the Grange for letting us use the kitchen to continue to support the community with medicinal herbal teas in the aftermath of the firestorms.

This tea is formulated to support the lungs and throat after being exposed to smoke and particulates, as well as liver and immune function to help our bodies process exposure to these particulates. It also contains herbs known as adaptogens, to help the body process the stress hormones produced in a state of crisis. Some of the herbs in this formula are categorized in more than one of these areas.

Here are the ingredients in this tea blend:

Marshmallow
Mullein
Reishi
Chaga
Astragalus
Wild cherry bark
Elecampane
Licorice
Cinnamon
Cardamom
And (sometimes) Osha

I look forward to going more in depth on Tuesday! I will be extending an invitation to some other people who have been key players in this project.

It has been an honor to be a part of the coming together of such an amazing and resilient community, particularly the bodyworkers, naturopaths, acupuncturists, herbalists, and wildcrafters, and of course, the farmers!

Sincerely,
Auna

Auna Lorin
Beijaflor Botanicals
www.beijaflorbotanicals.com

The Sebastopol Grange is hosting West County Crafters 16th annual Buy Local Holiday Fair, Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19, from 11 am to 4 pm. New this year is the addition of a second day, allowing over 50 North Bay crafters to offer their hand made goods.
A selection of gift baskets, full of the fair’s wares, will be raffled each day to benefit the renovations at the Village Park Mobile Home Community thru West County Community Services, the kitchen renovations at the Grange Hall, and the work of the Village Building Convergence team. Live music featured throughout each day and a food truck from El Coronel for a tasty lunch, make this one of the liveliest craft fairs in West County.
What began in homes and backyards by a group of friends after 9/11, grew and joined with the Grange in 2011 to create a local market for crafters and shoppers that has benefited numerous non-profits in Sonoma County including the Ceres Project, the Women’s Room Shelter, the Inter-Faith Food Pantry, the California HomeMakers Association and the Bike to School Coalition to name a few past recipients. A different selection of vendors each day will offer hand made foods, jewelry, soaps and lotions, wearable goods, and home crafted fun of all shapes and sizes. A unique way to shop very locally for the holidays.
The Sebastopol Grange is located at 6000 Sebastopol Ave, on Hwy 12. For more information please contact: grangeevents [at] gmail.com

Thank you to all who’ve stepped up to support our North Bay Fire Recovery efforts, supporting those who’ve lost so much during the past week of devastation throughout Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino Counties. Through our event on Thursday and our online fund, we’ve raised over $50K for victims and for community resilience initiatives to help us better prepare for future catastrophe. While the fires still burn and we have yet to count our losses, the outpouring of support from farmers and allies across California has been overwhelming.
We are currently working to connect deliveries of farm products and supplies to shelters and evacuees, facilitating connections that will help get folks back on their feet. Please get in touch if you need or can offer support of any kind. And for those watching from afar unsure how to help, please consider donating to our fund. It’ll be a long road to recovery, but together we will rebuild, replant and get back to feeding our communities: www.farmersguild.org/north-bay-fire-relief

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Reprinted from the Press Democrat – October 13, 2017

North Bay Love Fire Benefit at the Barlow

ESTEFANY GONZALEZ
The North Bay Love Fire Benefit at The Barlow in Sebastopol on Thursday, October 12 featured a number of local musicians, artist and creative spirits who came together to help those affected by the North Bay wildfires.

It was put together by a number of local organizations such as The Farmers Guild, the North Bay Organizing Project, Daily Acts, the School Box Project, the Arlene Francis Center, Sebastopol Grange, Community Alliance with Family Farmers and Conservation Action, to establish a Fire Recovery Fund.

The goal of the Fire Recovery Fund is to channel the organization’s collective resources to help families and individuals recover from damages they may have suffered by the North Bay wildfires not covered by insurance or traditional relief services.

Read the article

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A diverse coalition of community-based organizations have come together to establish the North Bay Fire Recovery Fund. These funds will be provided to fire victims, especially those suffering losses that may not be covered by insurance or traditional relief services, and to support local organizations that help us build more healthy, just and resilient communities that can better prepare us for future catastrophe.

Grassroots community-based organizations are essential to ensuring that recovery efforts reflect the diverse needs of our community now and in the future. As a coalition representing small farmers, latinos and sustainability leaders, we have strong partnerships with local non-profits, government agencies, faith institutions, family businesses and schools.

Learn more.

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Save the date: Jan. 21, 2018, 1-4pm
Build a Solar Powered Emergency Charging Kit Workshop

At this workshop participants will build their own solar powered emergency charging kit that will be able to charge a cell phone and a PowerBank battery as well as power LED lights for emergencies or camping. In addition, three kits will be built and stored at our Grange for emergency use.
The Solar Notebook+E123 Charger that we’ll build combines several small photovoltaic modules together with USB car charger, a 2600 mAh PowerBank, USB LED Light Bulb & Light Stick, mounted on repurposed campaign signs (coroplast).

The workshop will be led by Tor Allen and Solar Schoolhouse. Registration and prepayment for materials will be required prior to the workshop at SolarSchoolhouse.org. 

The cost of the materials for the charger is $80, there is no charge for the workshop. Contact President Jeana if financial assistance is needed.

 

Sign up a loved one as a holiday gift!

The Sebastopol Grange, 350 Sonoma, and Zero Waste Sonoma County are hosting a fun and informative evening to learn the why’s and how’s of Zero Waste at home, work, school, businesses and events.

Find out why the Bay Area is considered a hub of the global Zero Waste Movement.

Discover what local advocates, our communities and state are doing to curb climate change, increase recycling, redistribute food, create jobs and help move us toward a green economy.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 6:30-8:30pm
at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave, Hwy 12, Sebastopol

Free/donation appreciated

All ages welcome!

   

Photo by Sonoma Magazine

We’re so grateful to Granger Jennifer Harris and the Fermentation Festival for raising $2,870 for our kitchen, bringing our total in the kitchen fund to $10,450!

The Fermentation Festival, an annual celebration of all things fermented, was held on September 2 at the Petaluma Fairgrounds. Jennifer’s fermentation group, Vital Alchemy, meets on Wednesdays at the Sebastopol Grange. Everyone is invited to attend.

Thanks, Jennifer!

It’s that time of year again! Our West County Craft Faire at the Grange is such a fun event, and we are excited to see what you all have been working on.

This year’s Craft Faire will be on Saturday & Sunday,
November 18th & 19th, 11am-4pm.

Due to the number of applicants over the last few years, we are going to try a two-day Craft Fair in hopes of having more vendors able to showcase their local, handmade crafts. This will also give us an opportunity to raise more funds for a good cause through our exciting raffle. Please read the following information before completing the application.

Applications are due by Monday, Sept. 18th by noon.

A booth at this year’s Craft Faire will cost $30 for a Grange Member, and $45 for a non-Grange member. This amount is due upon arrival to the Craft Faire before you set up your booth. (We encourage our kid crafters to share a table with another young crafter making the cost lower and the experience even more fun)

Each vendor at the Craft Faire will donate items that you will be selling at your booth to our Basket raffle.

These baskets are a weaving of everyone’s crafts and creations, raising funds for a wonderful local program. Each vendor must contribute a minimum of a $30 value of your booth’s crafts towards the basket raffle, but know that the greater value you give, the more money we can raise to benefit this program. We look forward to celebrating the local, handmade creations with you all.

We will send out notice of acceptance and waiting lists by Wednesday, September 27th.

Click for the application to download, complete and save,
then email it to grangeevent [at] gmail.com

With thanks,
Jeanna Collet and the Sebastopol Grange Craft Committee

California State Grange Convention:
June 22 -25 at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds

At the annual California State Grange session, we have a unique opportunity to meet Grangers from all over the state and experience our 150-year-old heritage.

It would be an honor to attend this convention with as many of you that can, showing up with our Sebastopol hearts, engaging in this long term democratic practice and participating within it to make our voices heard.

Our Grange is pleased to have the convention here in Sonoma County and we want to support your attending by paying your registration fee whether for one day or the whole convention.

You can view the convention schedule here along with the menu options here. You will need to pay for your meals though.

Dear Fellow Grangers,
I’m writing to encourage more of you to come to our state Grange Convention, which will be next Thursday June 22nd through Sunday the 25th at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Or even come for part of it. You’ll get good food and a chance to really see another side to the Grange and to meet brothers and sisters from all over California.

Sebastopol Grange is ready to help you do this by helping fund your registration. Please contact Gary Abreim at gabreim@earthlink.net or 321-4250. Let’s show a strong presence from Sebastopol at the convention and share the good work we are doing!

Friday night is the talent show and Jeanna is performing.

Saturday night is an opportunity to take your 5th and 6th degree and experience the richness of the Grange heritage. The cost is quite minimal.

Fraternally,
Jerry Allen

 

Many hands make light work. What a blast we had transforming the landscape of our Grange Hall into an abundance of native plants, flowers and pollinators. Thanks to our passionate community for coming out, rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty. And to Daily Acts, Sebastopol Village Building Convergence and everyone who made it possible!