Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current, November 01, 2011, Image 1

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    Applegate
Applegate Valley
Valley Community
Community Newspaper,
Newspaper, Inc.
Inc.
7386
7386 Highway
Highway 238,
238, PMB
PMB 308
308
7386
Highway
238,
PMB
308
Jacksonville,
Jacksonville, OR
OR 97530
97530
Jacksonville,
OR
97530
Applegater
Winter 2011 1
Log on
to our web site
www.Applegater.org
Photo by Barbara Holiday
Applegate Valley Community Newspaper
WINTER 2011
Volume 4, No. 1
Postal Patron
Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 9,000
Growing grains on small farms
BY SHELLEY ELKOVICH
Amber waves of grain are rippling
across a handful of small farms in South-
ern Oregon in what could be a resurgence
in regional production. Last January, a
group of bakers, brewers, chefs, millers and
farmers met at OSU Extension in Central
Point to collaborate on ways to meet con-
sumer demand for locally-produced grain
products.
Eighty years ago, 41 varieties of
wheat were grown on a million acres in
Oregon. Small farms grew wheat. Today,
there is much less wheat, and what is grown
is mostly produced on the large commod-
ity scale, such as the bigger farms in the
Klamath basin. Wheat is still Oregon’s
fi fth largest commodity crop, but 85%
of it is exported, mostly to Pacifi c Rim
countries.
Since Southwestern Oregon no
longer produces much locally consumed
grain, almost a generation of knowledge
and infrastructure has been lost. Most
farms in the region are small holdings,
and part of looking toward a future that
includes grain in the local economy in-
volves looking back at cultivation methods
of the past, when equipment and practices
were scaled for smaller farms. In order to
teach producers about grains, Small Farms
staff Maud Powell and Shelley Elkovich
planned a series of seven classes entitled,
“Growing Grains on a Small Farm.” Th e
series, funded by a USDA Sustainable Ag-
riculture Research and Education (SARE)
grant, covers all aspects of grain production
throughout the growing season. Each class
See GRAINS, page 3
See GRAINS, page 3
Waldorf School forming
in Williams Area
BY SHAUNA KENEALEY
Firefi ghters gain control of a house fi re near Williams in 2008.
BY SANDY SHAFFER
Have you ever called 9-1-1? No?
Lucky you! Because, whether it’s a personal
injury, kitchen fi re, heart attack, automobile
accident, baby coming prematurely or a
lightning strike out here in rural Oregon,
calling 9-1-1 is how we get the quickest
emergency help. You might be surprised at
who shows up to respond to your emergen-
cy situation and, where they respond from.
Our Applegate Valley Rural Fire
District (AVFD) covers most residents on
the Jackson County side of our Applegate
watershed and a bit of the Josephine County
side, almost to Murphy. Located in Ruch,
District Headquarters (or HQ) is where
the staff and shift supervisors respond from
(all paid employees); a team is on call 24-7.
However, like most rural fi re districts, the
majority of our District’s fi refi ghters are
volunteers. So many times your fi refi ghter
or EMT (emergency medical technician)
will be a neighbor, friend or co-worker.
Th e District has seven diff erent fi re stations
spread across the 181 square miles of their
jurisdiction (including HQ), and volunteer
fi refi ghters are vital in responding to calls
from each one of these stations. For most
alarms the District sends a response from
the HQ station and one or more outlying
See CRITICAL, page 10
On a brisk fall morning, children
rush into school enthusiastic to begin the
day. At the door the teacher is there to
welcome the children with a handshake
and a smile. Th e smell of baking bread
drifts from the Kindergarten as parents
greet each other in the hall. Th is is the
typical morning scene at a Waldorf-
methods school.
Waldorf education is the fastest
growing independent educational move-
ment in the world, with over a thousand
schools worldwide and an increasing num-
ber of charter schools in the United States.
Right here in the Applegate Valley, com-
munity members, parents and educators
are working to develop a Waldorf-methods
public charter school in the Th ree Riv-
ers School District and plan to open the
Woodland Charter School in September
of 2011.
What is Waldorf? Waldorf educa-
tion is grounded in a deep understanding
of child development and works to recog-
nize and value each child as an individual
with unique talents and needs. Social
and emotional intelligence are developed
along with a growing cognitive ability to
best prepare them for the challenges and
opportunities of life. Traditional academ-
ics are infused with artistic and practical
Cont ribut ion M a iling SN AFU
We understand that the Post Offi ce may have returned your
contribution envelope as undeliverable. If that is the case, please remail the
contribution–the issue is resolved. Thank you, The Applegater
activities. Foreign language, handwork,
gardening, cooking, woodworking, music,
games, and movement enrich the academic
main lessons.
The environment of a Waldorf-
methods school is fi lled with elements that
are both functional and beautiful, found
in nature and created by human crafts-
manship. Healthy senses are stimulated
See SCHOOL, page 17
Photo by Teena Jo.—www.teenajo.com
Com m unit y Fire Pla n U pdat e —see page 12
We got your goat !—see page 16
Apple gat e Da m H ydroe le c t ric Proje c t U pdat e —
see page 20
Sisk iyou Cre st M onum e nt Opnions—see pages 16-17