On The Farm:
We harvested a large aloe plant this week, and there’s quite a lot of it.
Fresh aloe leaves will be available in the yellow farm stand at 210 Ehler Rd all weekend.
They are free.
Washed aloe leaves, now available in the Ehler Rd farm stand. Aloe can be consumed or used to make skin care products; it can be frozen and/or dried.
For info on how to process and preserve aloe, check out this article.
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Artists in Residence
In 2026 we will offer 4 week long opportunities for artists who explore the themes of Human Rights and Permaculture in their work. Artists will stay in our 1950s Picker’s Cabin–a living monument to the laborers who power the economic engine of our valley. The cabin is filled with resources on permaculture and human rights. Workshop attached. Selected artists may choose the week of their stay and work on their own projects. Meals provided. Artists are invited to leave their own artistic mark on the farm.
Interested? To apply, send an email that contains a sample of your work and a paragraph or two about how your work relates to human rights and permaculture.
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Herbalism Internships
We’ll also be offering 4 week long on-site internships for aspiring herbalists. Participants will stay in our 1950s picker’s cabin and assist with growing, harvesting, processing plants and crafting herbal medicines. This is a great way to immerse yourself in learning, perfect for those with beginner or intermediate level skills. Meals provided. 6 nights, 4 hours of structured study/work per day. Herbalism library on site. Adjacent to Cowiche Canyon. If you’re local and you prefer to stay at home and commute, that’s fine too. Interested?
Let us know!
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Rod’s House
This week our menu included spaghetti, Nona’s French bread, butter, strawberry chamomile jam, and treats donated by the good folks at Johnson Orchards and Little Bake Shop.
Nona is now known as “The Bread Lady.” Her weekly loaves are full of loves, and it shows.
French loaves from Nona Schulz accompanied this week’s Rod’s House Meal.LOCAL
Aztec Cleansing Ceremony with Angie Leyva
Just 6 spots left, reserve yours soon!
Immerse yourself in a transformative experience designed to deepen your connection with your ancestors, the elements of Mother Earth and your own spiritual essence through:
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Meditation through songs and prayers with a journey to your deepest roots, guided by the drum and purifying sent of sage.
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Release and renewal while releasing ties and making space for new beginnings.
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Guidance and blessings with moments to seek answers, let go of burdens or ask for blessings for loved ones.
Angie will share her traditional knowledge of her childhood in Tlaxcala and Puebla where she grew up surrounded by the spiritual legacy of her grandmothers and aunts. This is a sacred ceremony of sharing of traditions and spiritual heritage.
(Source: Mojo Studio)
_____Dental Clinic in Terrace Heights is More Than Just a New Building
“This project in Terrace Heights does more than add a building. It grows the economy, strengthens our health care workforce, expands access to care, and reinforces Yakima Valley as a place where people can live, work, and build their futures.”
(Source: Yakima Herald Republic, Jan 24)
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Watch: Yakama Nation Works To Protect Sacred Huckleberries
“A sacred resource for the Yakama Nation is under threat from two fronts: an invasive pest spreading through native lands and commercial overharvesting.”
(Source: King 5 Seattle, Jan 23)
WA STATE
League of Women Voter of WA State Election Credibility Video Contest
“The League of Women Voters of Washington invites Washington state high school students to create and submit original videos on the topic of voting rights and election credibility to our annual video contest. If after reviewing the content on their site you still have questions about how to compete in the contest, email [email protected]. Deadline, May 1.“
(Source: League of Women Voters of WA)
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WA Residents’ Constitutional Rights Explained Amid ICE Enforcement and Protests
“States are trying to protect their citizens and protect all citizens of the civil rights against the federal government and intrusion, and I think the easiest way to do that is to hold the federal government accountable to its own laws and Constitution”–UW Law Professor Jeremiah Chin
(Source: FOX 13 SEATTLE, Jan 27)
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Protecting Washington from ICE
“These bills would bring additional transparency, accountability, and protection from the terror ICE is inflicting on our communities. But true accountability and oversight of ICE rests with Congress, so I hope you will continue to contact Washington state’s federal leaders and make your voice heard.
As session continues to progress, I hope to hear from you about your ideas and concerns. My email inbox is always open, and my phone is always on. You can contact me via email at [email protected] or phone at 360-786-7641.” –Senator Lisa Wellman
(Source: Senate Democrats, Jan 26)
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LISTEN: Turmeric for Inflammation, Sickle Cell, and More with Mylinda Ogundipe
“In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of my students, Mylinda Ogundipe, to talk about a plant that has quietly become a lifelong ally for her family: turmeric.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is one of the most widely used herbs in the world—and that familiarity can make it easy to overlook just how powerful this plant really is. In this heartfelt and practical conversation, Mylinda shares how turmeric moved from being a favorite culinary spice to a foundational part of her family’s daily care, particularly in supporting her daughter, who lives with sickle cell disease.”
(Source: Herbs With Rosalee, Jan 28)
NATIONAL & BEYOND
How to Exit the Empire (Without Burning Out or Going Offgrid) Pt. 2 – Resources
“They didn’t teach us these things in school on purpose, but the resources to learn how to build these things are available online for free.”
(Source: Terrenity, Jan 22)
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Intertribal Timber Council Leaders Travel to Brussels to Educate EU Officials on Indigenous Forest Management and the EUDR
“We share the EU’s commitment to healthy forests, having stewarded these lands since time immemorial,” said Desautel. “We are ready to work with the EU to find a path forward, but it must be built on reciprocal respect. By engaging in formal nation-to-nation consultation, we can develop a solution that satisfies global environmental goals without asking Indigenous nations to compromise their sovereignty.”
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“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.
All proceeds from the sale of this pattern go to the immigrant aid agencies who will distribute the funds to those impacted by the actions of ICE.”
(Source: Ravelry)
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LISTEN: | Speak Out For Change – US Senator Adam Schiff
“For the first time in 30 years America’s top Agriculture state, California, finally has a member on the Agriculture Committee of the US Senate, Senator Adam Schiff. Speaking to over a thousand farmers at Eco Farm, Senator Schiff called on farmers and consumers to engage and to make their voices heard. Senator Schiff spoke with Farm To Table Talk and addressed over 1,000 farmers at Eco Farm.”
(Source: Farm To Table Talk, Jan 29)
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LISTEN: | Growing Crops in Living Mulches with Lincoln Fishman
“Today we are chatting with Lincoln Fishman of Momentum Ag all about living mulches. We discuss his own evolutions to planting directly into living covers. We discuss his aha moment using them. Some of the challenges, ideas, and gaps in knowledge on the subject. And the many ways to look at this idea of planting directly into or with perennial crops.”
(Source: Growers Daily, Jan 29)
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LISTEN: How AI Can Reshape Access to Justice
“We look at how AI is reshaping access to justice in today’s court ecosystem. We speak to three experts on the front lines to talk candidly about where AI tools are actually helping individuals, where they introduce new risks and biases, and what responsible use looks like when people’s freedom, housing, and livelihoods are on the line.”
(Source: Clarity, Jan 28)
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That’s all for this week, friends.
Except a final book recommendation;
one I discovered in my time studying Post Soviet women’s literature.
It’s a gem, and certainly relevant to our times.
Hope Against Hope: A Memoir
“Hope Against Hope was first published in English in 1970. It is Nadezhda Mandelstam’s memoir of her life with Osip, who was first arrested in 1934 and died in Stalin’s Great Purge of 1937-38. Hope Against Hope is a vital eyewitness account of Stalin’s Soviet Union and one of the greatest testaments to the value of literature and imaginative freedom ever written. But it is also a profound inspiration–a love story that relates the daily struggle to keep both love and art alive in the most desperate circumstances.”
It’s under $10 on ebay.
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In solidarity,
Maria
