Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah to all.   
Thursday will be the first time since 1888 that the two holidays have coincided with the first day of Hanukkah on the same day as Thanksgiving.  Wishing you all very good days all week, and beyond.

November 21 Meeting Summary:
Several people in PPC Skagit have been asking for more information regarding the transport of oil by train since these trains come through on the way to the March Point refinery and oil train accidents in Canada and Alabama have been in the news.
In response, the recent meeting was loaded with information on pending increases in oil trains throughout Washington, as well as the need to remain vigilant on the coal export proposals.  
Thank you, Terry Weschler, for sharing your in-depth understanding of all these complex issues.   Terry is the co-founder of Protect Whatcom.   Take a look at the Infographic and the Table of oil terminal proposals that can be found on this excellent website:
http://protectwhatcom.org/fossil-fuel-transport/
One thing we can do before December 5........ 
TAKE ACTION:
1) Washington State Dept. of Transportation State Rail Plan 
Post comments on or before December 5:  http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Rail/Input.htm
Comment for stronger safety rules specifically for the transport of oil and other flammable liquids by trains.   Click on the internet address and in your own words explain that you support tougher safety rules for the transport of oil by rail.   
For more information:  http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059990536
Thank you all and have a very good holiday season.   See you in the new year!  (No December meeting.)
~Carolyn Gastellum

Skagit Valley Herald Article - Power Alternative: Dairy farms' traditional oder offers cleaner energy source

The Maas brothers, their staff and investors, like Eric Shen of Transition Fidalgo and Friends, are putting their imagination and investments towards a more resilient future. Read More.

Neat idea sent on from Ellen Bynum of Friends of Skagit.  It is called the Principled Societies Project http://www.principledsocietiesproject.org/overview/. 

Our Bow Little Market and the Skagit Valley Farmers Market Coalition could be the beginnings of such a venture.  The Bow Little Market is what they are calling a "Principled Business Concept".  I call it a social enterprise. 
BLM is lending influence to the other markets through the Skagit Valley Farmers Market Coalition (SVFMC) in hopes of laying down foundations for alternative economy.  To address climate change (and most other global ailments) we must not only seek independence from fossil fuels, but also our limitless growth economic model as well.

The SVFMC is continuing to build a fund for an incentive program to bring more lower income EBT card users to the markets.  We will be creating a sponsorship program here in the next couple of months that I hope creates a local, small business/ organization network.  I would like it if the network had sponsors from community health, conservation, finance, local business and agriculture.  The social equity created by such a network would benefit the program beyond funds by also creating a social net that would help educate and promote the program in the Valley.  The incentive program is called "Double Your Bucks".  Keri and Mouse got a grant for $18,500 and a 4% Friday Co-op grant.  We are now trying to add to this existing fund.  An EBT user can spend lets say $15 (we have not yet determined the weekly cap per customer) and will then receive $15 in county wide special market currency to spend at any of the participating Coalition markets.  We hope this brings in lower income people for free educational opportunities as well - like cooking and reskilling classes.  Many don't know that EBT can also be used to buy edible plant starts, trees and shrubs. 

If you have any suggestions for organizations/businesses to approach please pass them my way!  We will be bringing lists of suggestions to our meeting Dec. 17th.

Thanks,
Sarai Stevens
Bow Little Market Lady
saraipos

Mariah Brown-Pounds of Namaste Gardens in Alger is looking for volunteers for a program she is helping to run!

Skagit Circles is Seeking Volunteer Allies
Time commitment: 4 hours/month for 18 months

It will take our entire community working in collaboration to eradicate poverty in Skagit County! Form an intentional friendship with someone who is struggling with poverty and help them to work toward their dreams!

Circles is an open and welcoming community of people from diverse backgrounds who’s intention is to support families who are experiencing poverty as they work toward stability and well-being in their lives. We provide a free weekly meal and childcare. We offer a class that facilitates a conversation about poverty, financial literacy, and goal setting. Community volunteers take on the important role of helping participants stay accountable to their goals. Ideally volunteers will use what they learn to advocate for change in the community.

For more information contact Mariah Brown-Pounds: 360-708-7963 ext1155; MariahBP@communityactionskagit.org

TED talk:  How to reduce poverty?  Fix homes. 
A great idea for increasing resiliency, solving local problems, and creating self perpetuating systems of improvement.
Mike Stevens

Coppicing trees for firewood is an easy way to sustainably maintain woodlots.  All you need to do is cut hardwood trees like Alder, Birch, or Maple during the winter months.  The next spring the stump will sprout new growth that will eventually regrow to the same diameter that the tree had been when originally cut.
Coppicing is an important part of traditional English woodland management.  Some coppiced trees found in England are thought to be centuries old. 
On my own property, I cut mostly Alder and Birch in late winter when sap is mostly in the roots.  This enables trees to dry out faster.  I am a teacher, and when school gets out in June and the ground has begun to firm up and dry, I drag logs out of the woods to cut and finish drying over the summer.  By September, my firewood is stacked neatly under cover with plentiful air flow to help continue the curing process.  Alder and Birch can be cut and harvested on 3 to 4 year cycle. 
There is something so deeply satisfying to sit by a blazing fire with a beverage of choice, enjoying the dark, cold outside and the warm, peace inside.
Mike Stevens
Gathering Force Farm

The book, A Woodland Year by Ben Law, is an excellent resource and inspiration for tapping into forest economy and sustainable woodland management; the cycles of nature, the seasonal tasks, wild food gathering, wine making, useful recipes, coppice crafts, round pole timber frame eco-building, nature conservation, species diversity, tree profiles and using horses for woodland work.  This is a profound book, enjoyed by the whole family, lovingly describes a way of life that is both economically and ecologically viable and sets a new standard for managing our woods in a low impact, sustainable way.  Within its pages are some of the fundamental keys to how we can achieve a lower carbon society.  To learn more about Ben Law and his other books and projects you can go to his website.

Bow Little Market woodworkers, Laura Matthews and John Braun are part of a group of around 15 craftsmen that gather twice monthly through out the winter months to make toys for kids in need.  This group coordinates with the Skagit Valley Herald Christmas Fund for the last four and a half years and donates their handicrafts to Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve.  This year they donated around 175 toys to kids of parents who can not afford to buy gifts for the holidays.

Throughout the winter, the group meets at the Laura and Val Matthews shop off of Ershig Road in Bow.  They drink coffee, chit-chat, and build beautiful, heirloom quality toys like boats, barges, educational toys, xylophones, and pendulum cradles that the women’s quilting guild made bedding for.  Washington Alder LLC on Farm to Market and Targo Hardwoods on C Street in Bellingham donate most of the wood that is used. John Braun plans on creating a second group at his shop off of Lilly Lake Road so even more toys are donated next year.  If interested contact him at lesjbraun@gmail.com.

Both Laura and John, certainly community minded folk, volunteer their time and resource to the Bow Little Market as well.  Support these woodworkers, and keep your dollars at home this holiday season by shopping with them at the Bow Little Holiday Festival.