Sustainable Bellingham

Tuesday Roving Garden Party – May 1st, 6pm – Cornwall Park Neighborhood
Whether you are a gardener, want to learn, or just want to meet some interesting people in the community, come join us.
** Where: 2710 1/2 Grove St.  MAP: http://g.co/maps/78nku. Grove St. is off of Broadway and my house is not visible from the street. You will see 2710 Grove which is a yellow house. Take the alleyway just to the right of this house. My house is green just behind. You can park in the grass near the garden.
** When: Tuesday, May 1st, 6:00-7:30pm work, 7:30 meal.
** Tasks: Cultivating soil and turning in compost.
** Requested Items to Bring: Please bring broad pitch forks and cultivators.  If we have time we will add compost and turn it into the soil, so shovels, gloves, and wheel barrows would be handy.
** Food: A Vegetable Thai soup will be served over rice (contains fish paste, not sure about gluten). There will be herbal teas and juice to drink. Anything else you may need you should bring.
** Host: Danielle AhMaiua, 360-220-5280.  We’ll be working in my too-large house garden.  I sincerely appreciate all this help!
** Questions: email Jean at artiseverywhere [at] yahoo [dot] com, or volunteer@sustainablebellingham.org.

Decadent Raw Food Desserts with Bruce Horowitz
Monday, April 30th, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Cordata Food Co-op, 315 Westerly Road
Learn to create delicious raw vegan treats guaranteed to satisfy even the pickiest sweet tooth. We’ll make carob fudge hemp truffles, chocolate chip macaroons, chia parfait, and raspberry cashew cheesecake. All recipes are free from refined sugar, dairy, wheat, gluten, and soy – yet full of life-force and vitality! Plentiful samples included. The cost is $39 for members and non-members alike. Call the WCC at 360-383-3200 for registration. Call the WCC at 360-383-3200 for registration.

Slow Food and Nourishing Traditions with Gigi Berardi, Ph.D.
Tuesday, May 1th, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Downtown Food Co-op, 1220 North Forest Street
The Slow Food movement links the pleasure of preparing and eating food to environmental sustainability and food community resilience. Enjoy a workshop featuring slides of Slow Food centers in northern and central Italy, narration by Gigi Berardi, Huxley professor and coordinator of the Resilient Farm Project. Learn about opportunities for Slow Food study in Europe and in Bellingham. Light refreshments to be provided by Charles Claassen of the Book Fare Café.
The cost is $6 for students, $8 for members, and $10 for non-members. Call the WCC at 360-383-3200 for registration.

Super Ramen with Robert Fong
Wednesday, May 2nd, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Downtown Food Co-op, 1220 North Forest Street
Robert demonstrates how to make fresh ramen by hand. He’ll feature two traditional Japanese char siu ramen–braised and roasted. Gain creative tips on how to put together a truly great bowl of fresh noodles using delicate broths, seasoned pork, and spicy vegetables. Optional $8 wine fee is payable at class. The cost is $39 for members and non-members alike. Call the WCC at 360-383-3200 for registration.

Mexican Kitchen: Cinco de Mayo! with Ana Jackson
 Thuesday, May 3rd, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,  Cordata Food Co-op, 315 Westerly Road
Join Ana Dominguez Jackson for a festive, hands-on class highlighting the versatility of masa.
Ana will make gorditas blancas–delicate masa puffs stuffed with potatoes; gorditas negras–using black beans; and her own special Pacific Northwest tamales–using kale and cheese. We’ll also prepare three different salsa accompaniments. The cost is $39 for members and non-members alike. Call the WCC at 360-383-3200 for registration.

Movie Showing: Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?
Thursday, May 3rd, 8:00 pm, Outback Amphitheater, southeast end of the Outback Farm (If it gets rainy, the film will be shown in Room AW 204, Academic Instructional Center West), WWU Campus Queen of the Sun offers a profound look at the importance of honey bees and the global bee crisis.  Just in time for new hives at the Outback!

“Our Goal! No Coal!” Walk
Saturday, May 5th, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, Starts from City Hall, 210 Lottie Street and ends at the Maritime Heritage Park, 1600 C. Street

This is a walk for EVERYONE in Bellingham who would like to raise their voices in opposing the proposed coal export terminal. Bring your friends, family and posters! We end at Maritime Heritage Park where we will have some information tables. We’ll have some speakers including  the culminating speech from Mayor Kelli Linville at 1:00 pm. For more information, call Jill at 360-201-3093.

Cutting Edge Scythe Workshop with Scythe Master Alexander Vido
Monday, May 14th, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm (Exact time is subject to slight adjustment; we’ll keep you posted.), Inspiration Farm, 619 East Laurel Road, Bellingham
For beginners and experienced: scythers. We are very excited to be hosting a special guest and Scythe expert Alexander Vido, at Inspiration Farm. Learn what makes a good scythe, how to properly maintain and use it. If you already use a scythe, bring it and get expert coaching to increase your skills at sharpening or to refine your scything technique. The Workshop will be geared towards what the participants are interested in learning about scythes and for experienced scythers who want to increase their skills. To register, call Angela MacLeod at 733-3541.

Giving Up One Car Trip A Week Makes Big Change
Many people say that they would like to drive less, but what comes to mind are all the trips where they really need their car. It’s true, some trips would be quite difficult to make without a car. But what about the other trips? The majority (59 percent) of our car trips are of three miles or less. Could you eliminate one of those car trips per week? If that seems too overwhelming, how about one per month or one every two weeks? If everyone in Bellingham eliminated one driving trip per week, there would be a 16 percent reduction of traffic.

Preparing the Soil in Spring
How soon is TOO soon for working in the dirt??

Plants Repel Bacteria’s Assaults by Spying on Their Chatter
Researchers discover an impressive ability never seen in plants before.

New Book: Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre
By Brett L. Markham, Skyhorse Publishing 240pgs, Publication Date: May 2012
Mini farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family ‘s food on just a quarter acre and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require. Now expanding exponentially on his bestselling Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on Acre, Brett Markham gives you tips, tricks, and planning advice on how to make the most of your mini farm.

Biodegradable Fast Food Containers Made from Waste Straw
Not only are polystyrene fast food containers usually not recyclable, but they also take eons to break down in a landfill, can emit harmful compounds, and require petroleum to create. Using paper is one alternative, but Hong Kong-based company Innovasians is now offering another – 100% biodegradable containers made from waste straw left over after wheat harvesting.

Birchwood Garden Club’s May Meeting
Wednesday, May 2^nd, 7pm, Whatcom Museum Rotunda Room, 121 Prospect Street
Topic:  Cleo Pirtle, manager of Bakerview Nursery, will lecture on, “The Art of Buying at a Nursery.”  Cleo is going to raise the plant purchase event to an art form.  Come see the props and techniques demonstrated with style.  Please join us!!