Month: October 2019

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Sitka’s Alaska Way of Life 4-H Club to host Fall Foraging Fun event on Nov. 1

The Alaska Way of Life 4-H Club in Sitka will host a Hudson Bay tea collecting event from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. This event is for kids in grades K-5 and takes place at the Southeast Alaska Career Center, 205 Baranof Street, between Pacific High School and Baranof Elementary School.

This event is free, but there is limited space and pre-registration is required. This event is open to students registered in 4-H (contact Sitka Conservation Society, 747-7509, or the UAF Cooperative Extension Service Sitka office at UAS Sitka Campus, 747-9440, to learn how to register for 4-H), the Sitka Native Education Program or the Sitka Tribe of Alaska.

For more information, contact Emily Pound at Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 or emily@sitkawild.org.

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Sitka Kitch offers Rainforest Recipes with Kate DesRosiers class: Samoa coconut carob cookies on Nov. 16

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and Kate DesRosiers, who has Type 1 diabetes and operates Rainforest Rose Creations at the Sitka Farmers Market, will teach two diabetes-friendly dessert classes this month at the Sitka Kitch.

Kate will teach students how to make delicious Samoa coconut carob cookies in her second class, from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen (located at the Sitka Lutheran Church kitchen, 224 Lincoln Street, enter back door through alley off of Harbor Drive). Her other class is Nov. 2.

Over the past 29 years of living with Type 1 diabetes, Kate has experimented with and tested out hundreds of lower carbohydrate food and recipes. She focuses on gut balance and foods that work best for her body for optimal health and feeling good in her own experiences with autoimmune chronic illness. In addition to operating Rainforest Rose Creations, Kate also instructs weekly Zumba classes and is a skin care consultant with Rodan + Fields.

In this class, we will learn step-by-step how to make two types of easy to digest cookies, including delicious Samoa coconut carob cookies. Whether you are focusing on healthier recipes or just looking to expand your social network of those geared toward health and wellness, this class might just be for you.

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. We need at least eight students to register and pre-pay to make this class happen. The class costs $40, which is part of our new all-inclusive fee system (you no longer have to pay a class fee to register, then a separate food/supply fee). You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on our EventSmart page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com(click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Clarice Johnson at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We do offer one potential scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, so long as we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler at SCS for more details about the scholarship. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch.

Students should enter the Sitka Lutheran Church through the back entrance (through the alley off Harbor Drive by the old Bev’s Flowers and Gifts location). The door on the right should be open for students to enter. Please do not park in the church’s back parking lot. Please use the public parking lots off Harbor Drive.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $35). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch offers Rainforest Recipes with Kate DesRosiers class: Date caramel carob “AIP Twix” bars on Nov. 2

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and Kate DesRosiers, who has Type 1 diabetes and operates Rainforest Rose Creations at the Sitka Farmers Market, will teach two diabetes-friendly dessert classes this month at the Sitka Kitch.

Kate will teach students how to make a date caramel carob “AIP Twix” bar n her first class, from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen (located at the Sitka Lutheran Church kitchen, 224 Lincoln Street, enter back door through alley off of Harbor Drive). Her other class is Nov. 16.

Over the past 29 years of living with Type 1 diabetes, Kate has experimented with and tested out hundreds of lower carbohydrate food and recipes. She focuses on gut balance and foods that work best for her body for optimal health and feeling good in her own experiences with autoimmune chronic illness. In addition to operating Rainforest Rose Creations, Kate also instructs weekly Zumba classes and is a skin care consultant with Rodan + Fields.

In this class, Kate will teach a recipe for those who are addicted to candy bars but need to cut down on sugar? Looking for healthy yet delicious snacks? Whether you are focusing on learning healthier recipes, or just looking to expand your social network of those geared towards health and wellness, this class might just be the one for you. In this class we will learn how to make Kate’s famous date caramel carob “AIP Twix” bar.

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. We need at least eight students to register and pre-pay to make this class happen. The class costs $40, which is part of our new all-inclusive fee system (you no longer have to pay a class fee to register, then a separate food/supply fee). You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on our EventSmart page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com(click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Clarice Johnson at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We do offer one potential scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, so long as we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler at SCS for more details about the scholarship. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch.

Students should enter the Sitka Lutheran Church through the back entrance (through the alley off Harbor Drive by the old Bev’s Flowers and Gifts location). The door on the right should be open for students to enter. Please do not park in the church’s back parking lot. Please use the public parking lots off Harbor Drive.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $35). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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UAF Cooperative Extension Service offers Certified Food Protection Manager class by videoconference Oct. 29 in Sitka

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will teach a certified food protection manager workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 29. This is an all-day statewide class that will be offered by videoconferencing to Fairbanks, Palmer, Juneau, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Valdez, and Sitka, plus other locations that may arrange for the class.

A certified food protection manager (CFPM) is responsible for monitoring and managing all food establishment operations to ensure that the facility is operating in compliance with food establishment regulations.

A CFPM is knowledgeable about food safety practices and uses this knowledge to provide consumers with safe food, protect public health and prevent food-borne illnesses. Alaska regulations require food establishments to have at least one CFPM on staff.

This course takes place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with a half-hour lunch), and participants will take a computer-based exam at the end of the class. The reason the deadline is two weeks before the class is to guarantee course materials reach all the students in time for the class. The cost is $200, and the course will be taught by Julie Cascio of Palmer. Students can register here, and the registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 15.

The Sitka videoconference for the class will take place in a room TBA at the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus. To learn more, contact Jasmine Shaw at the Sitka District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service at 747-9440, or contact Julie Cascio at (907) 745-3677 (Palmer number) or jmcascio@alaska.edu. Note, this class is taught in English but textbooks are available in Korean, Chinese and Spanish, just contact Julie at least three weeks before the class.

Also, the ServSafe book ($70) and certification exam ($75) now are available online, if people want to order the book and study independently without taking the class. Just go to this website and purchase the book and exam items.

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Check out the October 2019 edition of the Sitka Local Foods Network newsletter

 

The Sitka Local Foods Network just sent out the October 2019 edition of its monthly newsletter. Feel free to click this link to get a copy.

This month’s newsletter includes short stories wrapping up the 2019 Sitka Farmers Market season and Running of the Boots, an article about the Sitka Farmers Market earning top honors for Alaska in the American Farmland Trust’s Farmers Market Celebration contest, and an invitation to join the Sitka Local Foods Network’s board of directors. Each story has links to our website for more information.

You can sign up for future editions of our newsletter by clicking on the newsletter image in the right column of our website and filling in the information. If you received a copy but didn’t want one, there is a link at the bottom of the newsletter so you can unsubscribe. Our intention is to get the word out about upcoming events and not to spam people. We will protect your privacy by not sharing our email list with others. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, like our Sitka Farmers Market page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@SitkaLocalFoods).

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Alaska Way of Life 4-H Club to host five-week Wild Edibles Series for youth

Want to learn more about the food growing around you? The Alaska Way of Life 4-H Club will host a five-week Wild Edibles Series for youth ages 5-18 from 3:30-5 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, from Oct. 14 through Nov. 13, at a variety of locations around Sitka.

Participants will interact with wild edibles in a variety of ways, including identification, harvest, local importance, and preparation. Topics this year include berries, mushrooms, salmon and seaweed, with the emphasis on harvesting and eating. The series will build up to cooking and preparing food for the annual Sitka Conservation Society Wild Foods Potluck from 5-8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, at Harrigan Centennial Hall.

Spots are limited, and the cost of the series is $15 per person. All participants must be registered with 4-H, which is $25 for the full year. Scholarships are available.

To learn more, contact Jill Hayden with Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 or jill@sitkawild.org.

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Scenes from the 25th annual Running of the Boots costumed fun run fundraiser

It was sunny and warm in Sitka on Saturday, Sept. 28, making it a perfect day for the 25th annual Running of the Boots costumed fun run fundraiser for the Sitka Local Foods Network and Youth Advocates of Sitka.

Runners and others met under a large tent in Totem Square park, where we also had a small farm stand with fresh, local veggies from St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm, music from the Sitka Blues Band, a table with door prizes galore, info about Youth Advocates of Sitka, and more.

In recent years, the Running of the Boots has been an annual fundraising event for the Sitka Local Foods Network, whose mission is to increase the amount of locally produced and harvested food in the diets of Southeast Alaskans. The Sitka Local Foods Network operates the St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm communal garden, the Sitka Farmers Market, and hosts an education program that includes the family garden mentoring project.

For the second straight year, Youth Advocates of Sitka helped co-host the Running of the Boots. Youth Advocates of Sitka is an organization that provides mental and behavioral health services for youth, and it also runs a youth-run food-based business (the Smoothie Truck) during the summer.

The Running of the Boots is part of the Season’s-End Celebration festivities hosted downtown by the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce and the Alaska Cruise Line Association, where Sitka residents were served hamburgers and hot dogs to celebrate the end of the summer.

A slideshow of scenes from the 25th annual Running of the Boots is posted below.

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