I first heard about Common Security Clubs a few months ago and they seemed to be a natural fit with the idea of Transition. They also appealed to me because of the huge inherent collaborative opportunities with other organizations, faith-based groups, etc.
Read below for a general description and check out their website for more.
Would you be interested in getting something like this going in and for Cotati? Add a comment or question below!
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What is a Common Security Club?
A place to come together to increase our personal security in a rapidly changing world by:
- Courageously facing our economic and ecological challenges, learning together about root causes.
- Building relationships that strengthen our security and undertaking concrete steps for mutual aid and shared action.
- Rediscovering the abundance of what we have and recognizing the possibility of a better future.
- Seeing ourselves as part of a larger effort to create a fair and healthy economy that works for everyone.
In the process, a common security club allows neighbors (co-workers, etc) to get to know one another, find inspiration, have fun, and strengthen community.
24 jars down, and a lot more to go! 
Grew in the garden the usual tomatoes (very, very late ripening this year,
cool summer) BUT decided to add tomatillos this year, another member of the
tomato family... And they handled the cool weather just fine.
Why grow them? Because we like a lot of salsa verde (i.e. mexican
food). Turns out the main ingredient in Salsa Verde ($2.99 for 12 oz)is those
strange looking green things that kinda look like a ping-pong or golf ball
sized fruit, covered in a leathery green husk, found tucked away in the produce
department.
First off, how do you even know when they are "ready" or "ripe"? I asked a
friend who makes lots of mexican dishes. They are ALL ripe, just depends on
what size you want (and how do you KNOW what size you want, I'm saying to
myself?). 
Well, maybe they are ALL ripe in the grocery store, but how about in the
garden? They do this strange trick... never seen it before. You
have this pretty little husk ball hanging on the plant... and on trying to see
if it's ready to pick I found that the "ball" was empty. Well, almost empty.
The fruit inside grows and fills in the husky covering... neat little
trick. So as the season progresses, I end up going around "feeling up" my
tomatillos to see if they are filled in enough to justify picking! They don't
really get soft but have a firm green meaty insides.
After harvesting a bucket full, husking them (quite easy), cutting them
into quarters, and tossing them in a big pot to simmer in water, I threw in
some seasonings. Checking my purchased bottle of commercially produced
product I find that they have added onions, peppers, a bit of salt & some
sugar. Ditto... I do the same. Organic sugar, of course. Peppers, home grown.
(Putting to good use the hot peppers we have raised this year - another
outstanding crop even with the cool summer). And onions, OMG, we didn't come
close to growing enough onions for what we use! I have to race down to Oliver's
Groc to grab some more red onions to toss in.
(Interesting side note: the great big red onions standard grown are very
mild while the smaller organic red onions have a very healthy bite. And when
the smaller one's are sautéed, they are incredibly sweet!) But back to my big
pot of simmering salsa... cooked for an hour or two, just letting it thicken
(i.e. cooking off the moisture) and then it's time to throw it in the jars.
Picked up some pint and 1/2 pint jars figuring I could adjust the amount
needed for a meal without wasting any of my hard earned bounty!
Quick wash in hot, soapy water, rinse, and fill with the salsa. Hot
lids on, rings tightened a bit, and into a big pot of hot water to do a boiling
water bath for 15 min (depending on the size of the jar... I admit, several
sizes, I just went ahead and aimed for 20 min to be on the safe side).
(cont. after pic)
Sounds so quick and easy but actually it took a bit of time, not hard to do,
but just time. Needed to be around to prep, monitor, prep, fill, boil.
Putting the ingredients together was rather fun and creative... For the
"not so creative parts" I remind myself that it's important to "be in the
moment" and just enjoy the activity.
My husband, on the other hand, stands back in amazement as he looks at the jars
in the pantry. Quite pleased and proud that what he has crafted out of the
compost piles, the gardening, the daily watering, has now resulted in "food for
the table". His pleased expression is another unexpected bonus!
Past experience with other things harvested from the garden, we have been
amazed at the taste and the abundance the garden has provided us. Used to
commercial foods, we've forgotten what some term "real food", tastes like! Who
would have "thunk" it, that growing your own would actually make such a
difference.
So WHY would anyone go to all the hassle, when you can just plunk down your
shiny dollar and walk out the door with a jar of "________" (fill in the
blank)... with all that extra time, energy, and effort saved up for... for...
let me see, for.... (hmmm, watching commercials, on TV, between clips of
a show).
Instead I bought myself, involvement with my family, the soil, the garden,
interaction with the real world, a sense of fulfillment, and the awareness that
I have been able to produce quality healthy food that is actually good for
you!
Along the way we also increased the health of the soil & the nutrients
available for the plants.
I didn't even need any help from Monsanto to make it happen... what a trip....
independence as well as... self-sufficeny. Yep, I guess that's why someone
would.
AmyD
Five new additions to our small homestead farm here in Cotati; Berkshire hog
piglets! We had two beautiful registered berkshire sows but getting them
bred was more difficult than expected. First off, NO ONE had a purebred
boar.
While not listed on the endangered livestock list, they are no longer a
popular breed because they don't meet the industrial requirement of fast
growth. Slower growing but quality meat is their asset; that and being
good natured & wonderful moms.
Without a purebred boar we would be unable to meet our goal of maintaining
heritage genetic strains... so-o-o-o, we looked into A.I. (no, not artificial
intelligence but artificial insemination). We could just order up the product
we wanted (the boar, dead or alive!) and do the deed ourselves. We were
assured it was a piece of cake. It was... it's just figuring out when the
gilt (never bred female) is IN heat! Turns out THAT is the real challenge,
especially without a male around to trigger her.
After several VERY expensive tries (you have to order overnight and it's
shipped in special cold packing)... we decided that we had flunked Swine A.I.
and maybe, just maybe, we should search a little harder for a male companion
for our two females. What we had spent on the semen & shipping we could
have bought a boar.
After much searching we finally located a young man who fit the bill...
only problem, he was in Oregon. A marathon trip to Oregon to pick him up
ensued: 12 hrs up, 1 there to load up, and 12 hrs back... two drivers trading
off. Loading was a piece of cake; just enticed him with some fresh veggies and
he hopped right on board. Getting him unloaded was a bit more challenging....
going downhill off the truck was a little slippery, not to mention the unknown
landscape!
Off the truck, into the new quarters to meet the gals! Exciting day...
opps, he turned tail and ran, after the girls let him know who was boss! Well,
let's try a slower intro through a very solid fence where they can get to know
each other a bit more... and time to let the scrapes heal up... hope it doesn't
take to long for his ego to recover!
Suffice to say, everyone made up. Both gals were bred and here we
are, 4 months later. After a 1 1/2 yr saga in all, we actually missed the
BIRTHS! A previously scheduled course in Texas, offered only once a year,
was a conflict we couldn't get around. But, darn it, turns out those mom's
don't really need us there. Amazing... they can birth all on their own!!!
Our three Intern WWOOFers got a huge kick when they realized the first mom
was delivering... 1st clue, a piglet scampering around the farrowing pen. They
quickly gathered around and watched the other babes deliver. We ended up with 5
live births and one stillborn. Yep, they tried stimulating and resuscitation
the stillbirth but no go. It was a twin birth (literally two popped out at
once) and we think one twin cut of the cord circulation of the other one, while
in the birth canal.
But the five other piglets were up and running around literally within
minutes. Mom's teats were pouring milk the whole time she was delivering
and the babies scooted over and latched on right away. Vigorous little guys.
None of this trying to figure out how to stand up like calves or foals!or just
WHERE is that teat. This guys honed in without missing a beat.
And boy are they growing! A week old, we took three up to Thomas Page Elem
School, kindergarden class, for the kids to check out the piggies. They
snuggled and snorted their way around the grass and under the hay, to the
delight of the kids. But after an hour away from mom, they were quickly
whisked back to her where she gave each a very close inspection to make sure
they were OK.
We have one more lady in waiting... and looking like she is going to
deliver this week. Fingers crossed that it goes as well!
If you would like to come by and see the babes, just let me know.
But remember, it's a real farm, not a picture perfect clean farm. Wear
clothes/shoes that can get grubby!
Hello all -
I
hope you all have had a great summer. What a funny one, weather-wise, eh?
Must say, though, I'm enjoying these lovely days of the Late Summer.
There's a lot to harvest from this time!
Look
what else sprouted up this summer -- our lovely new logo!! Notice
how the flower represents the central street layout of Cotati? Cathy
Tully Smith of Santa Rosa made it for us for the cost of 3 Time Dollars.
Another of the great and growing ways that the Sonoma County Time Bank is making a
positive difference. Look below to learn about an upcoming free workshop
on (y)our Time Bank and some other wonderful local goings-on:
Saturday, September 11 - THE
STORY ORCHESTRA comes to the Cotati Community
Garden!
“An Artful Celebration of Life in the Garden
with Stories and
Music”
6 pm
to 8 pm
East Cotati Ave across from
La Salle
Featuring: Coastal Winds, Larry Temple,
Mistaundahill, P. Joseph Potocky, and The Round (Brian Skinner, Kelly Ann
Walton,Tanya Boone-Alva, and Nick Alva)
The event is no-cost, but
limited to 30 people. No reservations. There is plenty of ground to sit upon,
but bring a chair or blanket if you like.
Hosted by The Cotati Community
Gardeners
Saturday, September 18 -
HOME GARDENING CLASS with Bob Cannard at Green String
Farm
10:15 am
to noon
3571 Old
Adobe Rd.
$5
If you've
never had the chance to listen to some of the inspiring wisdom of Bob Cannard,
now's your chance. And if you have heard him before.... well, you know
what I'm talking about. You will learn how to apply Green String Natural
Process Agriculture at home. Q&A with Bob is a wonderful thing -- and
your garden will thank you with nutritious, delicious food.
SIGN UP AT THE FARM
STORE Farm tour from 9 - 10 am with "Green String
Graduates" that same day, free with your enrollment in Bob's
class.
Monday, September 20 - Sixth Annual Smart Growth
Symposium
7:30 am to 12:30
pm
Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College
Ave., Santa Rosa
$45
Michael Shuman will provide the keynote address for this event put on by the
Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy. Michael is one of the
nation's leading experts on community economics and the advantages of
small-scale businesses in an era of globalization. There will also be
panel discussions on creating prosperous communities of a new, sustainable kind
in Sonoma County. To
register, go online to smartgrowth6.eventbrite.com
Wednesday, September 29 - MOVIE
NIGHT with Deborah Koons Garcia
7
pm
French Garden Restaurant
8050
Bodega Ave, Sebastopol
Transition Cotati has teamed up with Transition
Sebastopol and Bioneers to bring you Deborah Koons
Garcia (director of The Future of Food), presenting her short
film Soil in Good Heart. Join us to hear about local
actions to preserve and protect our precious soil. We encourage you to come and
have dinner beforehand!
http://www.frenchgardenrestaurant.com/
Saturday, October 16 - SAVE
THE DATE - Workshop on Time Banking at the Cotati-Rohnert Park
Library
Save
the date for this workshop on Time Banking. Learn about how TIme Banking
works, how to sign up, and the tremendous differences it is making already in
our county and elsewhere. Stay tuned for further details as the date
approaches.
ALSO
OF NOTE:
♦ "Navigating
the Coming Chaos": a Conference call with Carolyn Baker, Thursday Sept. 16, 6
pm. Carolyn is a psychotherapist who has been studying the
task of preparing ourselves to cope with a collapsing industrial
society. Free; pre-registration required.
We'd
love to hear what you're up to -- send along your ideas, questions, or
comments.
cheers,
Judith
for Transition Cotati
Hello everyone -
Hard to believe we're already headed into the final days of July!
Transition Cotati hasn't held many public events this summer, but we've
been busy planning and working on some good stuff. Read on...
GARDEN WHEEL,
etc.
The Rohnert Park - Cotati Garden Wheel is rolling along! This is
a group
of people who enjoy an on-going work party where friends and neighbors can swap
labor, expertise, ideas for gardens, seeds, produce, delicious food and
enthusiasm. All are welcome to join! We'll be meeting again on
August 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 pm for a potluck and seed & start exchange at
the FrogSong Cohousing Common House, 8290 Old Redwood Hwy.
Wondering what you can grow this time of
year? This Sonoma
County garden guide says August is a good time for planting beets,
carrots, peas, cilantro, spinach, lettuce, the brassicas, kale, fennel,
radicchio and leeks!
And if you've got produce you want to share
(zucchinis, anyone?) or want to find out about someone else's bounty, check out
the Sonoma County
Harvest Share site for opportunities.
TIME
BANKING The Sonoma County Time Bank is going great!
I personally have done exchanges as a giver and a receiver and it's
wonderful. We even have someone finalizing a beautiful, first-ever logo
for Transition Cotati for Time Dollars. If you have questions or want to
sign up, go to the website.
And if you've already joined -- thank you!
DISASTER READINESS Several of us attended a disaster
readiness program in Sebastopol called Mapping Your Neighborhood. It's a
great program to bring neighbors together to gain education and assess the
infrastructure, assets and vulnerabilities in their own neighborhood. We
have materials, including a DVD and handouts, to help other neighborhoods get
going on this. Shoot me an email if you're interested and I can set up a
meeting with you.
Transition Cotati had a busy weekend. On Saturday we
hosted an Herb Walk with herbalist Larkin Child. Within a few steps of starting
off, she showed us interesting and valuable "weeds" growing along the path. I
find it enjoyable and quite fascinating to hear the stories of these plants.
Their potential uses are amazing, surprising and give me hope for the future.
Here's a picture of the group waist high in wild oats:
On Sunday, we undertook to "green" the Cotati Historical Society Annual Barbeque. We had proposed this last year but too late in the game. For me, the event was an environmental travesty with foam plates, plastic utensils, bottled water... This year, they were open to collaboration so, with the help and support of the fabulous Green Mary, we brought in real silverware, plastic cups, coffee mugs and water crocks. For their part, the Cotati Historical Society (CHS) paid the premium for Chinet plates which are not coated and are therefore compostable. The CHS was very supportive and helpful during set up and clean up and also very appreciative of our contribution. The public had only positive things to say - especially about having real silverware. I mean let's face it: nobody really likes using plastic utensils - particularly to cut up a piece of chicken.
It was a fair amount of work on our
part as we had to pick up and return all Green Mary's items; set up and break
down at the event; sort through the compost to remove trash; clean 200 forks,
knives and cups (whew). But it was so gratifying to see the big can fill up
with compostable stuff and almost nothing going to the landfill. I think it was
worth it and I'm putting it in print so I'll remember I said it next year.
Special thanks to Transition Cotati helpers Ben, Elaine, Judy; Terry Dutra and
Suzanne Whipple of the Cotati Historical Society.
It seems things have settled down in our little chicken land. No eggs have been
pecked since the initial report. And no chicken has flown the coop since Judy
and I clipped one girl's wings. In another era I'm not sure I would have
clipped wings at all. A trip to the library or a farm would have been in order.
But, in this era, with the ability to watch multiple YouTube videos, was there
any reason not to just do it? Judy and I, both complete novices, had no
trouble; the chicken didn't even flinch, and now she's confined to the coop
which is not such a bad place to be.
Today I went on a field trip with my daughter's class which means witnessing first hand the incredible amount of waste - food and otherwise - after lunch. Many another person would have just left it all but I scrounged through the top layer and grabbed a few barely eaten ham sandwiches and half dozen apples, some untouched (while "everyone" thinks it is great to give kids fresh fruit, it doesn't matter much if they don't/won't eat it). If I'd had more time and fewer people around I would have scrounged for more - ahhh well. Many people think chickens are vegetarians but they're not. I guess they're opportunists and they love ham. I mean love. We got quite a kick out of watching them chase after whoever got a bit of ham. Sometimes it is challenging to be a chicken. Let's say you're the lucky one who quickly pecks and gets that piece of ham. Now you're excited about your prize. But it's too big to swallow so you need to put it down and bite off pieces. But, you're being followed by 3 other chickens that want the ham so you can't put it down. You run here and there but they follow. You can't eat, you can't put it down - poor chicken. Eventually I think most or all got some but there was a lot of running and clucking for a while.
They also love our compost pile and spend quite a bit of time scratching around in there. Here's a picture of a group on the pile just after I dumped a "fresh" load of rotting stuff:
Today I went on a field trip with my daughter's class which means witnessing first hand the incredible amount of waste - food and otherwise - after lunch. Many another person would have just left it all but I scrounged through the top layer and grabbed a few barely eaten ham sandwiches and half dozen apples, some untouched (while "everyone" thinks it is great to give kids fresh fruit, it doesn't matter much if they don't/won't eat it). If I'd had more time and fewer people around I would have scrounged for more - ahhh well. Many people think chickens are vegetarians but they're not. I guess they're opportunists and they love ham. I mean love. We got quite a kick out of watching them chase after whoever got a bit of ham. Sometimes it is challenging to be a chicken. Let's say you're the lucky one who quickly pecks and gets that piece of ham. Now you're excited about your prize. But it's too big to swallow so you need to put it down and bite off pieces. But, you're being followed by 3 other chickens that want the ham so you can't put it down. You run here and there but they follow. You can't eat, you can't put it down - poor chicken. Eventually I think most or all got some but there was a lot of running and clucking for a while.
They also love our compost pile and spend quite a bit of time scratching around in there. Here's a picture of a group on the pile just after I dumped a "fresh" load of rotting stuff:
The girls are laying pretty good now - 13 eggs today, 12 yesterday. The eggs
are still pretty small size - cute you might say. They'll get bigger, though.
There have been some issues in chickendom. The coop we're using came with 2
nest boxes and I was hoping that might be enough but every morning, there's a
waiting line for the nest boxes and often two birds trying to settle into one
box. Gets kind of noisy as they tell each other to "hurry up" or "just wait
your turn". The internet wisdom is that you need one nest box per five hens so
we were one shy. But now there's a new nest box and at least a few of the
chickens will use it. But, there still seems to be a back up in the mornings.
Here's a picture of 2 hens in the new next box and 2 girls looking in (on
Easter)
Then there was a report of one of the chickens pecking the eggs. So, we're collecting the eggs more frequently in the morning, giving them oyster shell for additional calcium and Suzi, my chicken mentor, gave me some milk from her new cow. She suggested soaking grain in the milk for some extra protein. Whether it's necessary or not, the chickens like the treat of extra grain! I haven't seen any pecked eggs so one or all of these measures seems to be working.
And one of the Barred Rocks likes to fly out and lay her eggs in a spot of her choosing. First we made the fence higher but that didn't seem to make any difference to her. Then pokey sticks were added but she was able to fly out in a different spot. I've decided I'm going to clip her wings so she can't fly out. Luckily none of the other chickens seems interested in following her so, hopefully, if she can be broken of this habit, they'll all stay in.
Then there was a report of one of the chickens pecking the eggs. So, we're collecting the eggs more frequently in the morning, giving them oyster shell for additional calcium and Suzi, my chicken mentor, gave me some milk from her new cow. She suggested soaking grain in the milk for some extra protein. Whether it's necessary or not, the chickens like the treat of extra grain! I haven't seen any pecked eggs so one or all of these measures seems to be working.
And one of the Barred Rocks likes to fly out and lay her eggs in a spot of her choosing. First we made the fence higher but that didn't seem to make any difference to her. Then pokey sticks were added but she was able to fly out in a different spot. I've decided I'm going to clip her wings so she can't fly out. Luckily none of the other chickens seems interested in following her so, hopefully, if she can be broken of this habit, they'll all stay in.
School Street Farm announces the arrival of a very
tiny newborn heifer, a full-blood lowline angus.
Welcome to come by and take a peak @ 875 W School St, Cotati. Just email me or give a call before coming by (707 494 7104 Amy's cell). Now that the weather has turned nice, the fields/pastures are drying and we can actually move around a bit without drowning in mud!
Mom is quite busy drying her baby off, while babe gets her first bit of
colostrum, the first milk that has lots of good stuff for the new calf. She
must nurse within the first 2 hours to help colonize her "gut" with "good"
bacteria to help digest the milk she will get through nursing.
Just remember, it is a real farm... & most stock is free-range (including chickens) so any pets must be on a leash in case your out "walking the dog" and drop by for a bit.
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