RAIN Journal of Appropriate Technology JUNE 1976 VOLUME II, NO. 9 INSIDE: SPECIAL NORTHWEST HABITAT ISSUE (see page 2) 75 CENTS
Page 2 RAIN June 1976 RAIN DROPS We raised our subscription prices as of our last issue. RAIN is now $10/year. We have a "living lightly" rate of $5/ year, and I guess we'd define "living lightly" as "having an income low enough that $10/year isn't affordable." Anyone who's sent $5 after May 1st without specifying "living lightly" will get a 6-month subscription. We now have about 1100 subscribers; the Berkeley Solar Group recently became the 1000th. This issue of RAIN will be going out as a sample copy to people on the mailing lists of People and Energy, The Elements, and some of Co-Evolution Quarterly's. We hope you who haven't seen RAIN before will be interested in subscribing. This deal also means that RAIN subscribers will be receiving sample copies of these publications. We've discussed each of these exchanges separately; they're carefully chosen. We'll lend our mailing list only to publications we value and use ourselves. If you don't want any, let us know on your subscription order and I'll code your mailing label to hide each time we make copies for exchange. Some housekeeping notes: If you write to us and don't want us to print your letter as-is, please say so. When you write to us and would like us to keep track of you at all, please write your address on the letter itself. We don't always remember to save envelopes till it's too late. And if you have For subscription prices, see subscription blank on next-to-last page. This blank can also be used to send us change of address messages. RAIN's office is at 2270 N.W. Irving, Portland, OR 97210. Phone 503227-5110. RAIN Staff Anne McLaughlin Lane deMoll Nancy Lee Mary Wells Steve Johnson Lee Johnson Rhoda Epstein Tom Bender Typesetting: Irish Setter Printing: Times Litho Cover Photo: Ancil Nance Thanks to: Kye Cochran Nick Licate Heidi Godding Brian Livingston Bill Jeske Ed Sheets Correction: Several issues ago we mentioned the A.I.D. appropriate technology appropriation but incorrectly said it was focused on export of appropriate machinery to developing countries. The intent of the program is actually to a detailed request or other message to send with your subscription, it's a good idea to use a separate sheet of paper to write it on. If it's all together, either the subscription or the message is liable to get lost. If you're moving soon, please read the "MOVING?" box on this page. If you live in the USA, the Postal Service won't deliver your RAIN if your mailing label isn't correct. That means that if I type, for example, 235 instead Moving Soon? If you soon will want RAIN sent to a different address, please let me know about a month ahead if you can. Otherwise, you'll probably lose at least one month's RAIN. Your copy will be used by the Postal Service as a messenger to us, saying you've moved. If we want to get that copy to you, we have to take a fresh copy, put extra postage on it, re-address it and mail it. Right now there are probably five subscribers a week who move without letting RAIN's subscription person know about it. This includes people who tell somebody else at RAIN, figuring that we all remember to pass on such info when appropriate. I'm Anne, the subscription person. Please tell me directly; it helps me smile more. THIS ISSUE Sometimes keeping in touch with what is under[oat gets out of hand. RAIN tries to be both national and regional. For this issue only we have focused on what is happening in this nel'k of the woods. In order to find out what was happening, we sent out 250 letters, made phone calls, acted as on-the-road reporters. We found more than we could use. A very important section on inventories of the land was cut, as were some other sections which we will try to get into the the next issue. Thank you all for responding. (SJ) directly fund a.t. development centers in developing countries. The help of ITDG and V.I.T.A. are being sought to identify people actually doing significant a.t. work in those countries and preliminary planning on centers in two -countries-Columbia and Honduras-is presently underway. of 234 as your address, they 'll probably return the copy of RAIN to me saying "unknown." It also means they return it if your zip isn't right. When they return it, it costs RAIN 1 O</, postage due and if we want to send it again, to the correct address, it costs us a new RAIN and 24</. non-bulk rate postage. Please, then, put your complete address on subscription orders. If you would like back issues (and the current issue is now a back issue), the subscription blank has a list of those available. They're $1 each. From now on I'd like to begin all subscriptions with future issues. Back issues can be ordered as back issues. If you'll send us $1, we'll send a sample of RAIN to each of five friends of yours. Please don't forget their zipcodes either. A subscriber worried recently that we'd charge him the $5 billing fee if he forgot when to renew his subscription. Don't worry, folks. We'll have some sort of renewal notice. The billing fee pays for the extra time it takes to deal with purchase orders, filing and unfiling that special category of "billed but unpaid" subscribers, etc. We charge it to people who ask to be billed. When you make new contacts via RAIN, we'd like to know. Also, when you write to them, think about whether they could use a stamped, self-addressed envelope to answer your questions in. (AM) G ,1!1)7~~~ ~' r~......c......c~~~ I 2nd Confer=~~n~:!ative State I and Local Public Policies I Institute for Policy Studies 1901 Que St., N.W. Washington, DC 20009 We reported on the 1st Conference in I Madison last fall-this one in Austin, Texas, June 10-13, sounds equally exI citing. A gathering of alternative mayors, legislators and other officials and staff people to discuss tax reform, insurance I legislation, you name it. Who's doing what where and how we all can help each other. There are more of us in positions of power than one might think! The National Conference Center pub1' hes a newsletter which is full of ideas experiences ($5/yr., 4 issues) and a ~~......c~~
June 1976 RAIN Page 3 RURAL·ROOTS We try to watch for patterns; what is presented in this section seems to illustrate one: New forms (or old forms in new clothes) of : of communication in small towns, villages and rural routes. The contacts between rural communities, and between city and country, seem to be increasing; problems traditionally thought ofas one or the other's are being grappled with as shared plights. Deadwood• Blachiy • Five Rivers •Greenleaf• ' Creswell • Camas Swale • Tidewater • Mapleton About 40 miles west of Eugene in the Oregon Coast Range,· there has been, as in many other rural areas, an influx of newcomers, in some ways like the old timers and hillbillies. But then 'again, not the same. There was a large wave of p~ople who moved out of the . cities in the late sixties and 'early seven6es: ·then they were often greenhorns who lasted·only part of a winter, and surely by the time they saw the second winter come on, moved back to the city or·warmer climates. There were others who stayed and now regard themselves , as old timers, sometimes aghast at how rough shod and speedy new people appear. It is often a unique and unstable marriage of cultures. In Deadwood, a recent meeting of people working at the food cooperative discussed the negative feelings some peopi.e had about the way the food co~op was run. The mimges reflect the ·cultures and tension: "About 45 families have c_ontributed membership dues to the co-op; the 'total population served by the Deadwood Post Office consists of 40 star route boxes and another 70 post office boxes.. "Geography and age were identified as two distinguishing divisions: Co-op members tend to be younger and live up the creek, while non-members tend to·be middk-aged or older and live along the highway. That is only a generalization, however, since some middle-aged or 6lder folks living on the highway participate and some younger fo1ks_living up the creek do nm. • "Suggestions for possible causes of resentment included: • • Dislike for some mannerisms, style of dress, or general lifestyle on the part of ,some younger neighbors. . • Unhappiness _with the fact that a VISTA volunteer was helping the co-op and was receiving some tax,money. • Dislike of any neighborhood organizations. •'The idea that the bulk-buying food section of the co-op • The idea that many of the people who have moved here over the past few y.ears are transient and may not stay in the neighborhood for a long time. .. "Some members at the meeting thought that it is important to recognize the strong tradition of individual independence and self-reliance here. Historically, neighbors have h'elpe'd each other 0ut in time of need, but basically hav~ livec;i very private live·s and prided themseives on taking care of their own needs. "It was suggfsted that newcomers to the neighborhood should be very s~nsitive to this individua:lism and respect it, even while co-op members continue to form associations of mutual benefit." (Deadwood Ditto, March ·22, 1976, p. 1) The De_adwood Cooperative has also recently been the recipient of a $25,000 grant to develop wood products on a · small craft/cottage industry level. . Some residents in this coastal area have also recently grouped together over what they feel is a crisis- the use of toxic sprays in reforestation. Residents of Deadwood, Five Rivers and Greenleaf, three small valley communities in tqe Coastal Mountains of Or~gon, have formed an organization called Citizens Against Toxic Sprays (CATS). We are threatened by herbicide sprays whiC;h include contiiminants shown to cause cancer and birth defects. These poisons are used for elimina.ting unwanted vegetation because they are cheap~cheap in dollars but not in lives·. Evidence indicating that the herbicides being used are a serious health hazard is so strong that we believe they should be banned nationwide. On a more immediate level, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Lane.County, and private logging companies all spray the land around us; and hom~steads.and _watersheds in our communities recently have been sprayed with herbicides in apparent violation of EPA guidelines not to use them near water or in areas where you would expect to find pregnant women. CATS has negotiated with .Lane County and the U.S. Forest Seryice, attempting to have our Watersheds declared test areas in which manual control of vegetation would replace herbicide use. This would have the added advantage pf creating jobs in any area of high unemployment. Lane ~ounty officials met with us and, in apparent violation of our verbal agreement, followed up our meeting by spraying along Deadwood is competing with the Deadwood Store. . . , MIIIIIMMIIIIIMNIIIIIIHMIIIIIM,.._C) 0 .NIIIIIIHMIIIIIMMIIIIIM~MIIIIIMNIIIIIIH~NIIIIIIHNIIIIIIH~NIIIIIIH~~, , Continued on page 4 EVENTS variety of interesting publications on such things as "lifeline" utility rates, a model community health service bill and the Louisiana Health Insurance Act. Write f,or the list. (LdeM) "D,ecision-Making in Solar Technology" Conference, June 24-25, 1976, U. Mass, Amherst, Massachusetts, $75 ($50 New England Solar Energy Assoc. member~)._ and ' EVENTS EVENTS I research and developments in solar, Toward Tomorrow Fair I wind, water, wood, energy design, legis- 200 Hills North lation, economics, construction, storage Univ. of Massachusetts . -and recovery. 70 expert speakers includ- Amherst, MA 01002 .1· ing Dr. William Heronemus (wind), 413/545-0474 . Bruce Anderson or TEA, Jjm Bensen of ERDA's Solar Division. Working solar I technologies will be demonstrated. The ·Fair follows the conference and includes Compkx, May 28-31, 1976 I speakers (Ralph Nader, Herman Kahn, The 4th Regional.Com'munications .Robert Theobald, Hel'en & Scott Near- Conference will be held May 28-31. The i·ng, Jeremy Rifkin, Stewar~ Brand, Mur- first 3 days will be located at Fairhaven ., •ray Bookchin, Gil Fri'end, Hazel Hen- College in Bellingham, Washington. For "Toward Tomo.rrpw Pair," June 26-27, derson) outdoor exhibitions, workshops, the fourth day of activities, the confer- I 1976 (same location), $3 adults, $2 films and entertainment. ence as a whole will move to Vancouver, students. For information on both the NESEA RC. For more information, write to: The first annual conference of NESEA Solar conferenc_e and the "Toward . - Cascadian Regional Library, Box 125 5, i will feature presentations.on on-going Tomorrow Fair," write or call: . Eugene, OR 97401 ,...J MIIIIIMNIIIIIIH~~~MIIIIIMNIIIIIIH~NIIIIIIH~NIIIIIH,NIIIIIIHHIIIIIHNIIIIIIHMIIIIIM~
Page 4 RAIN June 1976 RURAL ROOTS continued from p~ge 3 Creek Road. The U.S. Forest Service also met with us and has rejected . our proposal for manual control of vegetation. We are initiating litigation in federal court against them. We have complained to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Quality and The Tool Shed in turn is supported by the Church of the Creative, a small, rural, intentional community here since 1970. The Church in turn is involved in a number of areas." (Hexam Creek Notes, Spring 1976, p. 1) • The·coming together, gather.ing, building bridges seems to be happening, sometimes through spontaneous awareness among many people of: I have roots. I'm staying here. And sometimes through crisis (as in the case of Citizens Against are having our water quality monitored by the Oregon State Department of Agricult_ure. Action against the private company that sprayed a homestead water system with 2,4-0 and 2,4,5-T is pending. • Membership in CATS is only $5, but we are asking for larger donations to help pay for ever-growing legal fees and expenses. We have lots .Toxic Sprays-or in California, the case of owner-builders of references on he_rbicides and would like to get more. Let us know ·. ... being tagged for housing code violations). • . •RAIN welcomes other ins~ances of ·community building. (SJ) what is happening ip your area and we'll let you know about ours. CATS, Route 1, Box 14, Deadwood, Oregon 97-430; or Route 2, Box 242, Tidewater, Oregon 97390. Over in Camas Swale (or as it's known through its post office, Creswell) Oregon, there's the Hexam Creek Notes, Church of the Creative, and the Tool Shed. • .Johan Mathieson, one of the primary persons involved in the activities, talks about the possibility of rural access to urban information flows, to the world ·out there in general through the use of telecopiers/telefacsimile. Ht;xam Creek Notes is Johan's perso~al newsletter, in a sense (with access for all), stamped graphically with his handwritten copy, bits and pieces of the world at afar and notice~ of local happenings. "How It Works," the Notes explain: "Hexam Creek Notes , are published by the Tool Shed and are financially supported by a loose group of friends concerned with life in the Camas Swale Valley. It goes out to all my near neighbors plus a number of other peopl.e around the Northwest. The Tool Shed, ,for its part, is a rural acces.s center that finances a library and general information depot concerned with the ,Valley and rural life. It maintains contact with the 'infor- , mation nets and does a lot of reaping. Cerro. Gordo Cottage Grove, OR 97424 •. ~~'''. ,;.. .. . ··:: ·~· - -I first heard about ~nis planned community talking with some people with the . Oregon EnvironmentarCouncil who' were feeling the need to say something. I mean, it's the idea of more people. They were planning a town of 2,500 people-mostly newcomers to the state. They might use, or contaminate, for example, over 3;2_ million gallons of water in a year flushing toilets. • But Cerro Gordo has·since gotten informal endorsement from the OEC. They are doing carrying capacity studies of the 1200 acres they are building ori, developing small scale industries and from rumors off and on 'getting involved in many lc;>cal comm,unity projects·. Chuck Missar writes from Cerrn • Gordo: How's Cerro Gordo coming? We cut a road in for the w~ll drilling rig this week, and next week we hope to have our fir'st well dug and producing. Now if the water will only be pure and no,J: loaded with arse.nic, as is often found in these here parts. We're doing some site clearing this we~k for the first home sites. Lord willing and the bankers· come through, we'll be starting construction on our first homes in about a month: We keep chipping away at the government bureaucracies (or is it the other way around?) and maybe someday we'll have what we're looking for. What Cottage Grove feels.like? Real good. Most of the time. Sometimes'! get very down from feeli"ng that this town is going the way of San Jose, but then I realize it really isn't' quite that bad. I just finished my first year on the Cottage Grove Planning Commission. The emotional, intellectual and philosophical push and shove from this involvement is heavy. Land use planning is where the action's· at in most cities, I feel, and a lot more people .should get vocal in what's happening in their ~own,.' Most people aren't heard from until their ox is getting gored. Get involved afthe local level, especially in small towns. A little ·indignation goes a long way. we· love to walk through the quiet streets, • past the small older houses, and meet the retired farmers, etc., who come to the city to settle. Our neighbors are priceless sources of information and inspiration. We thought Cottage Grove was a small town when we left the S.F. Bay area. Now we're ready for'a rea~ly small towri. What's new? We acquired the neighbor's _cat, Jasper, before they moved; the Energy Primer is in its fifth printing, 75,000-plus . copies to date; my little business consulting trip, Briarpatch Services, struggles along;'the 80-year-old carpenter gothic house we bought and ·redid extensively still is in desperate need · of finishing; we just got a pickup load of fresh horse shit delivered for the garden; my darkroom is working out just fine, thank you; we've got a cord of maple out in the side yard that needs splitting still; just got our income tax refund check; with 10 other families we just bought three head of cattle and are awaiting the frozen results;'pears and apple trees are in.beautiful seasonal sartorial splendor; Dian cleaned up the s~udy; my attempts to take creative pictures of neighborhood cats was'a bomb. • A "Californian's" impression of the Northwest? Wet. My fingers are developing a touch of arthritis. Poor. Every once in a while EP business : takes me back to Portola Institute. The fancy cars, fur coats, expensive restaurants lined up like fence posts, etc., boggle the mind when I get to a large urban area. The dichotomy of wealth between an urban an·d rural area is amazing. Beautiful. Wet; Multi-talented people. Odd things spotted? Me; in the.mirror this morning. Animals figuring out how to live with us or vice versa? Jasper, the aforementioned cat, trying to figure out where Dian and I are at. The whole process of us each trying to understand the other's biological clock is a real kick. Peace, sunshine, and a good apple crop ... (Chuck Missar) ' • ,For more information about commu- , nity land news and developments of other communities, subscribe·to The Town Forum. They also sponsor town forums. Write for details. '(SJ)
Washington County Community Action Organization 546 S.E.,Baseline Hillsboro, OR 97123 503/648-6646 We are a non-profit.group organized to serve the needs of low-income and minority p<lrsons. We provide the following ongoing services: • Consumer advocacy for Welfare, Food Stamp, Soeial Security and other problems. • Discrimination Services • Emergency Shelter House - • Gleaning Project-last year over $57,000 worth of food was harvested from local fields and distributed to over 1,000 low-income, elderly and d-isabled persons; the food was the windfall crop which would have otherwise gone to waste; farmers donate this food and get a tax break. • • Rural Awareness Project • Home Maintenance & Winterization •Juvenile Rights • Translator's Bureau • Head Start • Rural Tribune-an 8-page, monthly bilingual (Spanish-English) newsletter, distributed free • Update and workshops for.Washington County's Directory of Human Services·(Medical and Social) Currently operating programs: • Women's Self-Help Divorce Project • Natural Food Preservation Project (food dryers, juicers, pressure cookers). • Community Gar,dens • Seni·or Food Stamp Outreach • Tax Assistance Clinic • Bicultural Bilingual Comm~nity Education • Emergency Food and Nutrition June 1976 RAIN Page 5 • Information and Referral • Tualatin-Sherwood-Tigard Youth Group Cooperative efforts: • RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program/ ACTION) • Citizens for Progress through Law • Emergency Services Coordination Ideas with energy (expect to b~ going next year): • mechanics co-op • solar energy units • alternative school • women's crisis shelter • migrant day care • • video access equipment • credit union • home resource center (tools) • housekeeping assistants for seniors • comprehensive child care (Jim Long) video equipment to continue t~e process. From the Ground Up And now they are in the final stages of preparing a twovolume, 600-page work on homesteading which they started last winter.· Glen and Kathleen Simmons · Dear Haven Farm Star Route, Box 1370 Glenwood, OR 97120✓ Glen and Kathleen challenge the definition of an institution. They live at about the 1200' level on a 30-acre-farm 35 miles west of Portland. In the past several years, mostly through the courses they teach-at Portland Community College on homesteading and innumerable other workshops, all in on.e fashion or another on homesteading, they have entertained several thousand people at their place. {Last Christmas 90 students showed up for supper). It is part of the Simmons' philosophy that in order to teach one must also show: one 98 percent self-sufficient homestead is worth 10-20 lectures (or more). , While maintaining the farm and earning about $250 a month teac~ing, they have managed to videotape a half-dozen shows on homesteading and are now in the process of buying "' We have only seen glimpses of "From the Ground Up," but realize it will be one of the more complete books on the subject and surely shquld be of interest to many people. The volumes contain informatio~ oh: soil, growing, buildings, harvest, storage, food drying, making soap, lotions, sprouts, cheese, livestock, grains and cereals .•.. We hope to excerpt from it i,n future RAINs. Orders for "From the Ground Up" are now being received. 2 vols. $9.00, from above address. A couple of drying hints from the Simmons: • Instead of slicing vegetables, like cabbage, carrots, beets, celery and green peppers, shred them. These dry readily, are easily reconstituted and' can be ground into vegetable flours for baking. Mrs. Simmons says the sliced vegetables'just won't go through the grinder properly after they are dried. • Whole fruits, such as prunes,. cherries and grapes, should be dipped· in blanch water for about eight seconds, drained, dipped in cold water a,nd drained before drying. This causes the fruit to dry quicker because the skin breaks. • Fruit leathers are highly concentrated, chewy, nutritious snacks. They are made by putting fresh or canned fruit or any combination of fruits in a blender and liquefying (add small amount of water'or canned fruit juice if fruit is too dry). Add sugar or honey to taste and pour the mixture about 1/4" thick on plastic wrap molded inside a 'cookie sheet. • Put this in the dryer until the upper side is no longer soft. Turn it out onto a cloth, peel off the plastic and let the other side dry in the dryer until no moisture is apparent. It should be dry enough to roll up, but not brittle.' Roll it .between sheets of plastic wrap and seal in jars. To eat, just . tear a piece off. Mrs. Simmons recommends using pectin for berries to help them set up. Their fruit leathers include grape, strawberry, apricot, apple, cherry and cinnamon-apple. Most other foods can be blanched with steam for two or three . minutes before dipping in cold water and draining. This method preserves more of the.natural vitamins and usually helps food hold its color. • Baking temperatures should be·lowered when using recipes with . dried foods. For instance, dried corn can be ground into corn meal to make corn bread or muffins. Use less sugar when making the bread and bake 11t a lower temperature so it won't burn. • Mrs. Simmons puts most food on dish cloths or nylon netting before placing it on the dryer shelves. Things like corn that could lose moisture on a cloth or glazed fruits that would stick are dried ~n plastic wrap.
Page 6 RAIN June 1 1976 Earth Cyders Rt. 1 Edwall, WA 99008 A building bee,is an .old idea in these parts, although it is a rare thing nowadays. We had about 25 people this week who helped us get a good start on a solar heated methane garage. I think everybody had a good time digging, mixing cement, preparing and eating food, making music and visiting. A major objec.tive of our building bee was to let all the people who have applied for apprenticeship to try it out, but actually the people who came were from other collectives (the Wallowa Tribe and Tolstoy Farm) who came to help, visit .and learn about alternative .energy ideas. It looks like the energy project will be worked on all summer, so people who want to know about solar, wind and methane for small farms will be encouraged to come and work on it. We are also heavily into farming work, right now preparing the fields and garden for seeding. We are trying to develop better ways of producing more protein and oil on margina1 land without being dependent on petroleum. This summer, in addition to the renewable energy project, whi'ch is designed to provide water for irrigation, as well as us and the livestock, electricity for the house and laundry house power arid hot water for washing machine and perhaps a flour mill, we are testing various methods of growiryg wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, peas, native black beans, fava beans, rape (for oil), sunflowers, .Indian corn, melons,· pumpkins, squash, potatoes and raspberries. We raise cows and are experimenting with training and using oxen and with •crossbreeding w1th buffalo and other breeds, using artificial insemination. Tom Begnal, our newest member, is caring for the goats, learning to spin, weave, knot, dye, etc. and plans to start a sheep flock this summer. Doni is compiling and testing information on using wheatwith a-n emphasis o·n sprouting, malting and combining to increase foo,d value, for a booklet to be published soon. We are looking·for, and keeping a file of, people and groups interested in sharing as an economic system. •Jaybird's card deck has been very useful for storing and finding information for seed and food sources. The Hunger Action grant has been very helpful in funding the renewable energy project and the apprentice pro-· gram even though the paperwork and correspondence is an energy drain. We hope to be mostly self-supporting from now on. We expect the money we need for land and machinery payments, farm expenses an.d living expenses to come fro111 selling the cattle increase-organic beef, mutton, wool, oxen. The wheat and other crops are for sharing, bartering ansf home consumption. Thes~ practices have already significantly reduced our monetary needs. We plan to start building a solar , HOMESTEADING CLASSES Glen Simmons Portland Community College A grand old man who knows just about e.verything you'll ever need to know about homesteading. You cou1dn't do better'. (See page 4) Cold Spring . c/o· Hank Patton Sacajawea Elementary School 4800 N.E. 47th , Portland, OR There's much to be le'arned at Cold Spring-bees, -gardening, greenhouses , and building in this newly-established experimental farm/community. Greenpeace Experimental Farm R.R.1 1 Denman Island, BC They have a summer work-study program- free as long as you provide your own necessities (foo,d, transport,, tent). Also seminars and workshops on small scale a.t., realities of alternate life styles, basic applied ecology, and more. One day $40, weekend $100. All kinds of options available for individual needs, so write for details. Outback Program Fairhave·n College Western Washington State College Bellinghai;n, WA 98225 206/676-4860, -3600, -3680 -Tom Thornton, Jim Hildt Energy, food and shelter self-reliance education, conferences are conducted in this special program. Windmills, Pelton wheels, pigs, chickens, the car- 'pentry of recycling old barns, extensive practical experience in gardening. powered airship next year fot the Sharing Network. We plan to develop an extended family farm here that will be a nice place to live·for countless generations as well as producing a surplus of good food to share with ~imilar and different tribes all over the planet. We have been eating lots of sprouts and whole grain breads and cereals _ lately. • • Looking for techniques and tools to make our own cement, housepaint, and a_solar powered tractor. We have a big sky here and se.e much beauty _in it day and night. Saw intersecting giant rainbow rings in the ciouds the other day with our friends from Wallowa County. • I hope this is of some u~e to you and I hope you will be able to come by _ sometime, work, eh and play with us to really ,find out what we are up to. . (Piper) Red Barn Program Eastern Washington State College Cheney, WA 99004 H. R. Simms, Program Coordinator 359-2867 They're offering a nice-sounding collection of courses in edible wild plants, fibers, alternative energy, welding, organic gardening, history of American wilderness, and--11utrition for personal use. They're presently building a new wind-powered electric generator so they'll be able to have D.C. lighting 1n part of the barn. Also planning to install a root cellar, ice h·ouse and sunken solar • greenhouse. Rural Skills Workshops P.O. Box 6093 Seattle, WN 98188 , Short workshop program in shelter, energy systems, spring planting, etc. Contact: Bill O'Neill. School of Country Living c/o Carla Emry • Kendrick, ID 83537 This summer courses in tanning; weaving, beekeeping, h,:imessing and working with horses. Carla is the one who put together a rather incredible and highly successful Old Fashionrd Recipe Book (much more·than just cooking) which h-as just been ·sold to a publisher for a fabulous sum. (LdeM)
June 1976 RAIN Page 7 ln·formation Springs Rural Printed Vehicles Odd that it is often easier to find out what is happening in Washington, DC, or East Asia than what's happening down the street-or, in the case of people that relate to valleys, mountains, creekswhat's happrJning down the road or creek a piece. Without any overall federal program, or an underground conspirqcy, in the last few years many- I suspect it is_hundreds- of small ne·wsletters, newspapers, , have sprung·up. The newsletters, sometimes mimeographed a'nd hand delivered, represent a curious reaction to the commu_nications era. Often started by people who dropped out of cities, they seem to be representative of a stage of dev.elopment in rural community building: a so/( outreaching,' sharing hand or ditto, and simple print, wanting to share problems and delights, and define what it is to live some parti-, cular place by increasing the range of communicators and take a stand: our roots are here- what a'nd who is her_e? (SJ) ..,.•~12 .. " · ·. ~~" .. ~~l~ ~.If:. ,t.. ~ ,, ·[ Borrowed Times Bo,x 1311 Missoula, MT 59801 $4/yr., bi-monthly Co-op Contacts Box 19142 Portland, OR 97219 Country Women Box 51 - Albina, CA 95410 Deadwood Ditto Box_.-32 Deadwood, OR_97430 'f!" .. .. ~ r.;~~~~~ --~· Hexam Creek Notes 82234 Weiss Rd. Creswell, OR 97426 $6/yr. Landwfi.rd Ho! Rt. 1 Scio, OR .97374 The Mendocino Grapevine 1484 S. Main St. Willits, CA 95490 $7/52 weekly issues North Country Constitution Box 4177 Arcata, CA 95521 • North Country Star Box 24081 Oakland, CA 94618 $10/10 monthly issues· North Okanogan Aid . 2906 32nd Vernon, BC, Canada Pot Walloper 18130 Hwy. 36 Blachly, OR 97412 Rural Tribune Washington County Community Action Organization 546 E. Baseline Hillsboro, OR 97123 Free monthly Scatt;red Showers/Partial Clearings Box 568. Hoquiam, WA 98550 The Shasta Union Box 537 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 $4/12 monthly issues Smallholder General Delivery Angente, BC, Canada Sonoma County Stump 8468 Trenton Rd. Foresville, CA 95436 $7 /yr., bi-weekly Wayside Journal Box 163 Centralia, WA 98531 Western· Slopes. Connection 408 Broad St. Nevada City, CA 95959 $3.50/26 issues White Mountain Mirror 1030 N.W. Roanoke Bend, OR 97701 Rural Resources & Information Rt. 2, Box 142B · , Colville, WA 99114 1 An informal rural network. Sometimes publish Rural Resour_ces & Information, working on rural apprenticeship program, and help sponsor annual harvest and barter festival. Communities/Seriatim Box li7 McMinnville, OR 97128 Communities, for several years a link between communes in the United States, is making a transidon to a more general journal dealing with the utopia science fiction ideas presented in Ernest Callenbach 's Ecotopia. They are also sponsoring, along with the Alpha farm and Ananda, a rural communities coQference. (Alpha Farm, Box 465, Mapleton, OR 97455.) , • Oregon-Washington 'Farmers Union Willamette Building, Suite 35 215 Front St., N.E. Salem, OR $1/yr. A good newspaper for small farmers. These are the same people who are supporting the Oregon Corporate .Farming Restriction Referendum:. Tilth/Alternative Market ,Newsletter Box 2382 Olympia, WA 98507 The single best source of information on news and developments and tools and ideas about small scale .agriculture, cooperative ventures in the Northwest. Serves a vital link. All for just $5/yr. . Continued on page 8
Page 8 RAIN June 1976 INFORMATION SPRINGS continued from page 7 BOOKS/LIBRARIES Oregon State Library Salem, OR 97310 • You shbuld he able to lay your hands on many' books and state documents via inter-library loan. They also have access to the N.W. Bibliographic Center, which means, with some patience, you can have access to materials in any library in this region. Earth Books Lending Library Sweet, ID 83670, Lewis and Sharon Watson cr_eated this unique le~ding library in response to holes in state library systems and agricultural extension information. They now own several hundred titles; loani~g - them out for 50¢ a month, which can go towards purchase of the book. For $5 you join and get catalog and access to their Country Contacts Directory. Rural Library Toppeµish, WA , Bart Alexander has operated an.informal library for several years, similar to the Tool Shed in Creswell, Oregon, with his focus being on collecting rare 19th centuw, pre-industrial era farm ·books. ENVIRONMENT Earthwatch Oregon Environmental 'Council 2637 S.W. Water Portland, OR 97201 $10 membership. Is the best v~hicle for Oregon statewide-and then some-, news about environmental protectio_n. FILM SERIES There .are many local filmmakers, as well as ways to procu_re good films - cheap. Both are good ways to draw together a wide range of-persons. Northwest Media Project .Box 4093 Portland, OR 97208 503/223-0626 They offer packages of loca:l films and filmmakers, loaning around 10 films and/or v~deotapes for about $100. Write for free brochure. Division of Continuing Education Film Library • 1633 S.W. Park Ave. Box 1491 Portland, OR 97207 , 503/229-4842 Distributes films to anyone in the 13 western states. A very large selection. Write for catalog, and to be placed on mailing list. They also arrange series for rural and urban· location throughout Oregon. • -·i, •~j ,:~ -~. ~ ,:' ~ - GATHERINGS Never underestimate the power of just getting together: without a goal (other than exchanging information and glan- , ces) is sometimes best. Since the Alternative Agriculture Conference in November 1974, there have been about a dozen such local and/or reg1onal meetings. The results are-not always immediately visible. But give it time and the words often bear fruit. (Simple Rule: always put together a ditectory of participants and get that distributed.) ,Also often as a tangible result of such gatherings-especially if for a small enough local..:_one can put together an informal learning and skill exchange. HOSPITALITY It may be a chicken and egg thing, but the flow of ideas that journies by p~rformers of one kind or another up and down the west coast often skips from one urban area to another. In part, this is because the smaller towns lack both the space and·communications network that can gather interested people, and therefore support the visiting troubadours and minstrels. It used to be that the main suppor·ters of such flow of ideas were colleges and universities (and, before that, kings and queens); that may be changing and could be enhanced by handmade support centers, a meeting hall and willingness of local people to pool their resources (food, telephones, housing, equipment, etc.). MAIL ROUTE The Alpha Community near Mapleton, O!egon, bid for, and won, the local rural mail delivery route. Nice way to·get in touch with people. SHARING GOVERNMENT Grays Harbor County: Five towns,· Montesrno. Elma, Westpont, McCleary, and Oakville, ranging in size from 500 to 2700, have joined together to hire a single city manager .. . and are n~w talking about hiring a .common city attorney and engineer. Sinall Towns Institute Box 517 Ellens-burg, WA 98926 The small towns people keep in touch with nationwide developments in the preservation and enhancement of small . town growth; on limits to growth- depending, successful small scale rural development progi;am, available grant, good studies ·and reports. Publishes ' Small Town. TELEVISION Cable TV Service in Oregon, 1975-76 Extension Service, Ad S 422 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR A description of 70 cable systems in the state of Oregon and public accessibility. May b·e in some areas this is t'he best communication. '7s' Sense, TV Town Hall from: Coos County TV Box. 641 Bandon, OR 97411 The Educational Coordinating Council and Southwestern Oregon Community College helped support this successful town hall meeting via television. Write for final report. (SJ)
' June 1976 RAIN Page 9 COMMUNITY BUILDING Many of the same forms, problems and solutions exist fqr all: city, small town, rural routes, neighborhoods or estuaries. , The complexity, cement, numbers, noise and multiplicity of visions·and action in urban areas create unique problems. Sometimes the problems of urban areas can be greatly lightened by individuals and groups that attempt to sift through the multiplicity of visions, serv-ices and alternatives in ord'er to present descriptions of the p.ossibilities. Sometimes groups form that attempt to offer singular, clear options. Like Washington County Community Action Association and the S.E. Portland Neighs borhood Facility. In order to grasp entire pictures, and bec·ause imaginative solutions depend on cross-fertilization of visions, goals, mental and emQtional styles, we should learn how to meet and work with_people who look at the world through different colored glasses. (SJ) Office of Neighborhood Associations 1220 S.W. 5th Portland, OR 97204 There are many exciting developments throughout the country on the neighborhood level. For a general rundownof activities in Portland, write to Mary Pederson, requesting the annual repo;t. Apple 817 N.W. 23rd Portland, OR 97210 A people-to-people living exchange. We are working with t~e NW Neighborhood and North Portland Citizens Committee on the development of a skills bank. The money for the project comes from the national Self Help Resource Center. Plans call for development of the "system" by August for implementation this fall. W_e would like to hear from others with experiences with similar projects. In Eugene contact: Neighborhood Assn. Coordinator City Hall 777 Pearl, Room ,112 Eugene, OR 97401 In Seattle: Central Co~munity Council Fed. 2410 E. Cherry • Seattle_, WA 98122 Home Resource Center S.E. Neighborhood Facility 35_34 S.E. Main Portland, OR 97214 The facility 'has been slowly evolving into a model access center, whose services include: • A tool lending lihrary-200 tools, including a recently-purcha'sed rototiller. •-A low cost health plan insurance • A service and skills exchange • Wood co-op • Job referral, counseling •Daycare • Community meeting space For more information, write to Claire • Green. Center for Urban Education 0245 S.W. Bancroft St. Portland, OR 97201 Recently working on development of ethnic history in Portland (summary of research to date available). This summer • sponsoring an.urban information workshop. • Eugene Sustaining Fund and Community Meeting. Box 340 Eugene, OR 97401· In 197 3 some Eug~ne organizations got together in a series of general meetings to discuss possible avenues of supporting one another. Out of these meetings came the sustaining fund idea. Now over. 50 groups ranging from the home fried truck stop to our federal credit union participate by a volunteer tax system. The money accumulated is dispersed by the members to n_ot-forprofit, democratically-run organizations. Write for.details (send self-addressed, stamped envelope). Metro-Center 909 4th Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 206/447-4551 Heidi Godding, Maggi Sutloff, Ron L(;mg, Jarlath Hume A_multi-program center and information node working on food co-ops, updating the Seattle People's Yellow Pages, working in the human growth movement, runs a Men's Resource Center and a Divorce Co-op. Envi'ronment3,l Works 402-lSth Ave. E. Seattle, WA 98112 206/329-8300 Stevan Johnson, Bob Fish A combination environmental info center (with pamphlets on gardening, energy conservation) and community design center which plans neighborhood playgrounds and community centers. Now they have a mobile tool truck called "The Works/Shop" for use by community groups working on-site. They work out of a converted neighborhood firehouse. Saturday Markets _ Every Saturday, ra'in or shine, between May and Christmas in ·both Portland and Eugene, 200-plus vendors display their homem_ade or home-grown products. The markets have becom<t much more than just exciting places to shop; they have become gathering/meeting places for people. .And the craftspeople themselves meet each other and begin a process of ml!ltual aid. For a good booklet on how to put one together, send $2.00 to Saturday Market P.O. Box 427 Eugene, OR 97402 Foxfire Project Fort Worden State Park Port Townsend, WA 98368 206/385-3102 A statewide project involving 12 high schools collecting material using the· techniques developed in many parts of the country, originating from the Raban Gap Foxfire Project. A listing of some of the materials being gathered by the students gives us an idea of what their cooperative journal crosscut will be like: wheat farming, old vs. new methods; desert living in the old days; Klu Klux Klan; old industries; home remedies; Quilcene oysters; something about cranberries; Pike Place Market; superstitions; prohibition; local legends.
Page 10 RAIN June 1976 Cataloging OuJ Me8tings Who started this stuff I'm no longer sure, but the idea has spread in leaps · and bounds that, instead of trading business cards, or just wandering away, gatherings for the last couple of years have produced on-the-spot (or soon after) personalized/annotated a~dress books. • While going through stuff for this RAIN I piled up the conference directories, which I list as evidence of this pattern I describe. Alternative Media Conference, i975 ' Community Gardens Meetings, 19751976' Community Strength- Portland, 1976 (to be published) Bend in the River, 1974 Biodynamics Conference, 1975 Leap Year Conference, 1976 (to be published) • Montana Agriculture Conference, 1976 Synergy Conference, 1973 Per[arming Arts Marathon, 197 5 Spring Gathering of Healers, 197 5 Quick City, 1972 It looks like some good things are happening at Habitat. Here's our schedule: • Media·conference in Bellingham, Washington, and Vancouver, May 28 to June 1, Steve & Rhoda. • Appropriate Technology Gathering, , June 2, 3. Bill Ellis (Habitat a.t. coordinator), Bruce Mc~allum (Environment Canada) and John Ussery (National Council for the Public Assessment of • Technology).are three we know of who will be th<:;re. And George McRobie (President of Intermediate Techn6logic Development Group) will be speaking. Tom and Lane are planning to be there then. Here are some places for further information: Habitat Information Centre 131 Water St. Vancouver, BC 604/666-8641 Central sourc;e for literature on Habitat (UN Conference) and Habitat Forum (non-governmental organizations). Leap Yea~ Conference Box 10091 Eugene, OR 97401 Proceedings and directory of participants of this meeting held in February 1976 available some time this spring. Northwest Alterna'tive Communications Directory • 454 Willamette St. Eugene, OR 97401 $1. Lists over 250 individuals and groups working in communications and media in the Northwest. (The Directory 'will be updated and reissued after the 4th Annual Communications Conference to be held in Bellingham, Washington, over Memorial Day Weekend.) HabitatMontana Alternative Agriculture. Conference c/o Jim Baerg 6ox 1311 Missoula, MT'59801 c·onference catalogs take .another step forward. This one includes bibliographies, resource lists and other useful tidbits, turning the people to people concept into a handbook. • Perfarming Arts Inde,x 1532 S.W. Morrison Portland, OR 97205 First there was the Performing Arts Marathon, where people fr?m around this area were drawn together, stretching the definition of "performance," and they da,nced, sang, talked, puppeted, laughed-and then they put together a directory of those performers and many more, along with loads of information useful for per;forming, for getting the WOfd out, where to perform, legal and funding assistance-and then they put it all together. Has anyone hear,d of other such directories? $2 (SJ) . Habitat Forum. Mail to: P.O. Box 48360 Bentall Centre Vancouver, BC lo,cated at: -4397 W. 2nd Ave. Vancouver, BC 604/228-9011 Hours: 9-5 David Satterthwaite is coordinating the scheduling for Habitat Forum and is particularly involved'with the appropriate technology displays. Brian Burke • Hope Village • c/o Habitat Forum Box 48360, Bentall Centre Vancouver, BC 604/7 36-8971 , Brian is trying to put together a spiritual gathering at Habi.tat Forum. They have _acquired several domed structures to accommodate meditations and small group meetings. They are in contact •With spiritual leaders from around the world.
June 1976 RAIN Page 11 --------------------------------••• • ~.La The Vancouver Book Chuck Davis, Ed. 109-525 Seymour St. Vancouver, BC, Canada Chuck Davis wrote saying the Book would be out in about 3 weeks (from April 23). It is a uniquely designed venture involving the work of around 200 Vancouver writers. Covers a gamut of information about Vancouver, and by all indications should be a model for other cities. Supported by the City of Vancouver, the catalog includes history, government and administration, climate, soil, birds, architecture, map sources, history of corporations, crafts directory, legal, health, energy resources-even "comic books in Vancouver." It may also be the first "Peoples Yellow Pages" type catalog supported by a city government. Chuck reports there are already plans for a Toronto Book. 500-plus pages. $10.95 (SJ) B.C. Alternative Alternative Community Group 1520 West 6th Ave. Vancouver, BC, Canada This, along with the Vancouver Book (odd they are both from B.C. area), are examples of what is a natural evolutionary trend, the consolidation of phone book type directory with magazine and/ or whole earth catalog supplements (or now: Co-Evolution Quarterly). Very fine job. Access to British Columbia. $2. (SJ) North Idaho Access Box 8367 Moscow, ID 83843 An excellent informative access patalog to Idaho. $1.94. (SJ) Peoples Yellow Pages, Seattle Community Information Center Box 12002 Seattle, WA 98112 Probably the best overall guide to Seattle. $1.89 (SJ) Spokane Resource Handbook, prepared by: University Year in Action Eastern Washington State College Cheney, WA 99004 A 71-page directory to social services in the Spokane area. (SJ) Bureau of Governmental Research & Service University of Oregon Box 3177 Eugene, OR 97403 They publish comprehensive bibliographies, related to community/city management and design, mostly keyed to Oregon, but some general, and with an emphasis on cataloging of state reports and papers. (SJ) 1nnn11 COMMUNITY INVENTORIES Tnnnn ,~mmJJ ~''m~m .m.,1, , ::~,m nRhpm ,~rn~~,, °\'.;,111~m ,,, ,,, Eugene Contact: A Directory of Community Information Resources Special Libraries Association University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97324 A very good guide, though especially designed to help librarians, with a focus on information. This directory sure serves as an important foot in the door of information exchange in Eugene. 1974 (SJ) Directory of Human Services, Washington County, Oregon Washington County Community Action Organization 546 S.E. Baseline Hillsboro, OR 9712 3 An exhaustive, county-wide inventory of services, groups, and organizations. Unlike your basic urban area social service directory because 1) it's about an area both urban and rural, 2) it includes most everything under the sun, 3) has a unique indexing system (developed by the University of Southern California), and 4) Jim Long, chief cataloger, offers workshops-even in grade schools-on how to use the catalog and how to access community information in general. The Directory also graphically illustrates the need and uses of computersif it takes 300 pages to cover a modest (but lovely) county in Oregon, what's the state or ultimate cosmic catalog look like? $4.95, includes quarterly updates. (SJ) Multnomah County Programs & Services Office of County Management 426 S.W. Stark St. Portland, OR 97204 The catalog is an attempt at cataloging the services provided by Multnomah County government, with a focus on accountability. Each description contains problem statement, objectives, productivity indicators and program costs, which may sound rather dry, but I feel it is a tool for the public by which they can better understand the structure of county government and relationships between costs and benefits. Write to Don Eichman for more information. (SJ) 1 CITY/COUNTY AND STATE AGENCY DIRECTORIES It is not a widely-known fact that there are such things because they were designed for use by the governments. But when our only access to the elaborate bureaucracies is what appears in the form of phone books, these directories become a vital tool for locating individual departments, and, equally important, they give you a more complete picture of government. Perhaps if we put enough demand for better access someone will come up with directories designed for public access. In fact, there have been attempts. The City of Portland published a problem-oriented directory to services-which until you see it you don't realize what a difference it makes, e.g. rather than dept. of this or that, you find: acupuncture, assumed business names, cable TV, copyright, etc. Also, the Dept. of Commerce (State of Oregon, Salem 97310) published a problem area indexed directory. (SJ) Federal Government Information I've found the most difficult to access. In my seeking out what's an interesting or essential service, I've sometimes turned to the U.S. Organization Manual ( Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, $5.75). But as often I've called Federal Information. In Portland, Coral Buechler and assistants have become legendary. Several times her name comes up as an exclamation: when we can't figure out where to turn, we call the Federal Information Center. The Portland office (3 people) answers 600-650 calls a day. The Information Center answer's questions outside of official government information because, as Coral Buechler explains, "People don't know where to look for information." Seattle: 206/442-0570 Tacoma: 206/383-5230 Portland: 503/221-2222 (SJ)
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