6 SEPTEMBER 1,2012
Smoke Signals
ComrLfDCj sftacrtts ODDinimg produce
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Connor McCallistar places a jar of pickled graan beans into a box at tha Elders'
Craft Housa on Friday, Aug. 1 7. Tha jars ware being divided between members
of tha group of people who canned tham, also known as tha Food Bank Canning
Group. Some other people involved in tha canning were Food Bank voluntaar
Audrey Snyder, right, and Tribal Elder Louisa Medeiros and har granddaughter
Dorothy Anderson, in the background on tha left and right respectively.
By Ron Karten
Smoke Sinnnln stuff writer
The Grand Kondc Community
Resource Center and Food Hank
sometimes finds itself with an
excess of produce, particularly at
harvest time.
"It is local produce," said Angela
Schultz-McCallister, Community
Resource Center manager. "It is
seasonal produce. Sometimes we get
an extra shipment because another
food bank doesn't want it, and we'll
take it rather than letting it rot. We
take it because we will use it and
make it useful for our people."
In August, Elders working at the
center came up with a new strategy
for using that extra produce. They
created a canning group. In its
first session on Aug. 12, the group
included Tribal and community
members of all ages.
"We had bananas coming out of
our ears," said Elder and volunteer
Louise Medeiros. "Literally. We
ended up taking eight boxes to the
Elders' lunch room they were so
thrilled and I took a box and went
to the different offices and gave them
bananas, and by the time it was over,
everybody was bananaed out."
When Medeiros first mentioned
the canning idea, it rekindled an
idea that had been swirling around
Schultz-McCallister's brain for
years.
"I'm really excited about it," said
Schultz-McCallister. "Years ago at
Chankal we saw all those fruit trees
and learned about Elders canning
this fruit, and ever since then it
piqued my interest to get back to
canning."
More recently, Schultz-McCallister
joined others from the Cultural
Resources Department in visiting
the federal archives in Seattle,
where she came across photos of
Moccasin Jam labels that Elders
used to package for sale. "I read the
stories our Elders told," she said.
"Both of those got my fire lit."
It was a natural idea for others
as well.
"I canned with my mom and my
grandmother," said Elder and food
bank volunteer Arlettia Krehbiel.
"We all chipped in and did every
thing." "I have been a canner for the last
50 years," said Medeiros. "(Produce)
comes into the food bank and it's
at its peak. You try and get rid of
it, but sometimes we had way too
much, so I would bring things home
and I would preserve them. Then
Angela, seeing what I was up to,
she got interested."
On Aug. 12, a group of seven
now called the Food Bank Can
ning Group included Schultz
McCallister and her son, Connor
McCallister; Elder Arlettia Kreh
biel, a food bank volunteer; Angelia
Swiderski; Elder Cheri Butler;
Mickel Rogers; and Medeiros and
her granddaughter, Dorothy An
derson. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the
canners went to work.
The food bank furnished lids and
basic staples, like sugar for simple
syrup.
"We've had beautiful cherries
and green beans," said Medeiros.
"We're looking forward to apples,
some pickled carrots. Whatever
comes in. We have plums and we
can make jam."
When there is extra, the group
aims "to get people to come and join
us," said Medeiros.
The group started canning on a
Sunday, but that day may shift,
said Schultz-McCallister.
"Part of the thing for the resource
center," she added, "is we're very big
in trying to get clients to self-sustain,
preserve foods, feed their families
and find ways to stretch their bud
gets. This is one way to do that."
Marion-Polk Food Share, Grants
and Communications Officer Eileen
DeCicco said, offers canning and
food preserving classes through
Oregon State University's Exten
sion Service. She said she had not
heard of any other local food banks
embarking on such a project.
"We encourage people to preserve
food so they have it available in
r r ."JO
lzM$&
The Food Bank Canning Group
canned mora than 50 jars of excess
green beans and Quean Anna
cherries from the Grand Ronda
Community Resource Center and
Food Bank on Friday, Aug. 1 7.
leaner times," DeCicco said.
There are other benefits to the
local group's work as well.
"It's so much healthier to eat
home-canned items than to buy
them in the store," said Schultz
McCallister. 'The oral stuff, the conversation
that you capture when you have
multiple generations together (is
another benefit). For the younger
kids to see and learn from us,
hopefully, they will carry on (the
practice)."
For the first effort, finished jars
of produce were split among all the
canners at the end of the day.
When apple season arrives, Me
deiros said, "We're going to do
apples, so if you want to make an
apple pie filling or juice, feel free to
bring the ingredients and that'll go
into your cans."
"Somebody asked, 'Why are we
doing it when it's so hot?' " Me
deiros related. "Angela said, 'That's
when it ripens up.' My mother and
grandmother were at this, too. They
didn't have air conditioning then.
They found a cool, dark place, and
when they were finished, it was the
food they ate. Our ancestors lived
to ripe old ages, and they did this.
It's not rocket science."
Today's group has it a little easi
er. Currently, the group is planning
on meeting at the white craft house
behind the clinic.
"We have air conditioning that
really works over there," said Me
deiros. The group invites anyone inter
ested in joining to call Medeiros at
503-879-4312. In addition, tips for
preserving foods and related issues
are available free at the Oregon
State University Extension Web
site at http:extension.oregonstate.
educommunitynutrition.
"Pickled zucchini, zucchini relish
they're wonderful," Medeiros
said. "When you've got a lot of
hands working, it really works
great." D
Tribal Encampment set for Sept. 7-8
There will be a Tribal Encampment at the Elks Picnic Grounds,
10539 Agate Road, in Eagle Point, Ore.
The site is reserved for Tribal members on Friday and Saturday,
Sept. 7-8. Tribal members are invited to bring your drums, songs,
Tribal craft projects and share your culture with fellow Tribal
members. There will be potluck dinners on both nights. Camping is
allowed at the site and there are tent sites and some RV sites, but
no waste water dump. There are portable toilets and no dogs are
allowed.
Tribal members are responsible for their travel arrangements and
expenses.
This is a drug- and alcohol-free event.
To RSVP, contact the Public Affairs Department at publicinfo
grandronde.org or call 503-879-1418. D
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Come learn the Columbia river art style. Cultural Resources will be having an M
oncolnc class pverv Wednesday at the carvine shoo down bv the food bank starting ,, . !
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on Oct. 3 we will only have room for 10 students. Please contact me at (503) 879-4639. , ) ' j
Or e-mail brian.krehbielgrandronde.org. please leave a detailed message. ' I ,
X I look forward to hearing from vou hayu masi ; ; I ' " jt r
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