Series 1- Feeding Ourselves

In this era of raging oil prices and rising food costs, Vashon College is here to help with the Sustainability Series, a lecture series that focuses on The Care and Feeding of Vashon. This summer’s offering is Sustainability Series 1- Feeding Ourselves. This series of six lectures, beginning on July 16, 2008, features presentations by local food producers and other specialists on the history and traditions of their endeavors, the tools and techniques that they use, the costs involved and resources to help Islanders grow their own food or connect with Island resources who can do this for them.

The lecture series begins on Wednesday, July 16, at 6:30 with naturalist and ethnobotanist Erin Kenny who will discuss Wild Edibles- foraging, identification, seasonality and safety. The lecture will be held at Camp Terra site. On June 23, attendees will be transported to Plum Forest Farm where Rob Peterson and Joanne Jewell will present The Seasonal Garden, demonstrating that food gardening is not just a summer event.

For those who have always wanted to raise chickens, ducks and other small livestock, the August 6 visit and lecture at K-Jo Farm with presenter Karen Biondo discussing Raising Small Livestock is a must. And on August 20 at the Presbyterian Church, our local whiz kid of cheese, Kelsey Kozak, will present a lecture and demonstration (line up for that mozzarella!)  on Cheesemaking  before she leaves for New York.

September is the perfect time to think about what to do with all your garden bounty and to plan ahead for the next year. On September 3, Master Preservist Jessica Dally will visit the Island and discuss Preserving the Harvest. This lecture will be two hours, include demonstrations, and be held at the Presbyterian Church. The final lecture in the series is on September 17 at Courthouse Square with entomologist Dr. Elizabeth Vogt, who is an expert on Bee Keeping.

For October, the College is planning a bonus lecture by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, the authors of Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet. The book is the featured offering for the Vashon College program, Vashon Reads 2008. This lecture is a bonus with the date, time and location to be announced.

All transportation to the farm sites is designed to lower both traffic at the sites and our carbon footprint. Attendees for these lectures will meet and park at Courthouse Square and a bus will transport everyone to the site. The cost of the bus is included in the ticket price.

Tickets are available by subscription for the entire series or by single event. Subscription tickets for the series are available at The Vashon Bookshop and are $45.00 for Early Bird Adults before July 6 and $55.00 after July 6, and $40.00 for Senior and Students. Subscription tickets are transferable! Single tickets are $10.00 per lecture for adults and $7 for Seniors and Students. For further information, contact Vashon College at 206/408-8022.

Future Sustainability Series lectures now under discussion include housing, transportation and water. If you are interested and/or have expertise in these areas, or have ideas for additional topic areas that would provide education and service to Islanders, please contact Christine Beck at 206/660-4635 or 206/408-8022.