Issuu

THE

CO-OP

Country Round Up A Paper for, and about, country people

News from the Museum

Crazy Chicken People

The Plant Sale is Happening

A new writer joins in

Victory Gardens

Growing a garden in a pandemic

Round Pens and Humans

Working your horse in the round pen

Local producer List

Find local foods and other items here

Spring Class Schedule

OUR COMMUNITY 7BTV is a proud supporter of the Panida Theater. We’re in this together, Sandpoint. The beautiful historic Panida Theater has served as an anchor of stability and a beacon of hope throughout Bonner County history, providing a gathering place that enriches the community - both culturally and economically.

While we are practicing social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of the virus, it’s important to remember the uphill battle for our nonprofit organizations.

Weed of the Month: Red Sorrel

As our community comes together, the Panida Theater also needs our help to keep the heart of our community beating and stable during this dark time.

Bonner County Gardeners

Please show your love and support for the Panida through gift certificates, financial contributions, and memberships. These are a few ways we can help.

Boundary Extension class list for spring

Spread and control

Plant sale information for this year’s event

Alcohol and Cancer

Dr. Duebendorfer helps us understand

Leo Hadley Range

Financial literacy

Real Estate and You

Judy Baird shares her thoughts

Jim Haynes real estate news

7BTV 208-263-7288 105 S. 3rd Ave., Sandpoint, ID 83864

ERCWSS Postal Customer

A short history of the building

Please visit www.panida.org/support for more information.

Presorted Std. U.S Postage PAID Spokane, WA Permit #7

May / June 2021 125 Tibbetts Lane Ponderay, ID 83852 coopgasandsupply.com

From the Editor

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Spring Season is Off to a Great Start

What a difference a year makes. It has been so nice to see people, neighbors, out and about so much already this year. My grand-daughter has one of those strider bikes so she is practicing her balance and her mom is taking her out just about every day. She is only three but is taking it very seriously. She would have worn her helmet, elbow, knee and hand guards to the table at lunch if Mom hadn’t intervened. I suppose the skateboard is next. Most of the trails are open for hiking now as the snow is rapidly receding. Syringa, and Pend Oreille Bay Trail have seen quite a lot of action these past few weeks as well as country roads. Some folks have been walking dogs and a few even riding horses! This is such a welcome sight. So it looks like spring is off to a great start. In this issue of the Round Up you will find a couple of plant sales coming up. One for the Museum and one for the Bonner County Gardeners. This is a great way to support the community on many levels. It is also great to get out there and mingle with like minded folks. At the CO-OP we plan to have hanging flower baskets for Mother’s Day, as usual. We may get in a few more bedding plants as well. This spring’s lineup of Extension classes on page 10 looks very, very interesting so be sure to check those classes out. This is an excellent, low cost ag education option offered up in Boundary County. Not only do you get a great class at a great price, but the drive north is spectacularly beautiful! You might consider taking a side excursion out west of the Boundary Community Hospital to see the incredible grain and oil seed fields. They are beautiful now but closer to harvest they are worth another look. When you have a chance to venture out into the great wide open and if you are new to the area, please respect all no trespassing signs. Most of the time these are up to protect a property from destructive events. But sometimes signage is there for the safety of everyone. Further, you could find yourself in a wildlife corridor, unprepared and in danger. Some private property owners are protecting wetlands, streams and creeks. There are lots of reasons to obey this signage. Safety is a big one! Spring is off to a great start! So get out there, put on your sunscreen, meet your neighbors, have a picnic, hike the trails and have a wonder next few weeks.

HISTORIC GARDENS

P lant Sale

Panhandle Piecemakers Quilt Guild proudly presents 2021’s

A Judged Quilt Show With Featured Quilter:

Linda Angel ‘Sing me a Song’ Challenge: Can you name that tune?

Marketplace, Demos & Bake Sale Saturday, August 14,2021 & Sunday, August 15,2021 9:30am to 6:00pm

9:30am to 4:00pm

Sandpoint Community Hall

204 First Avenue, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

Admission: $5.00 Children under 10 & husbands are free! For Additional Info Call: (208) 610-3073 Linda Angel, Quilt Show Chairwoman

also, don't miss the FREE HISTORIC RESTORATION WORKSHOP

to benefit the

BONNER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY &

MUSEUM MAY 22

8:30AM UNTIL 2:30PM 611 S. ELLA AVENUE, SANDPOINT

featuring Virginia Overland's Famous Tomatoes & other homegrown goodness

Have you ever wondered how log cabins were built back in the old days? After enjoying the Plant Sale, stop by the cabin in Lakeview Park at 1:00 on May 22nd to learn about traditional cedar shake splitting and chinking methods. Workshop led by Ken Thatcher and Jim Cornwall.

as well as garden tools & accessories

PLANT SALE DONATIONS

We are seeking donations of plants and garden accessories for our Historic Gardens Plant Sale on Saturday, May 22nd. All donations may be dropped off at the Museum May 18-21, 10:00-4:00. Thank you for thinking of us as your tidy up your sheds and start digging around in your garden beds!

CO-OP Gas & Supply Company has been your locally owned and operated propane company since 2000. Our outstanding customer service and attention to reasonable pricing has set us apart from all other propane companies in the area. If you are looking for a new propane company to supply all your propane needs at home, the office, or on the farm, now is the time to give us a call. CO-OP Gas & Supply Company provides propane service to all of Bonner and Boundary Counties. 125 Tibbetts Lane Ponderay, Idaho coopgasandsupply.com

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Budget Pay is only available to home-owners after one year of continuous service

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Program runs from May to May

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Program is recalculated in April

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The goal of this program is to have the full amount of the purchased propane paid by April 20th of the following year.

Bits and Pieces

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Crazy Chicken People

by Maddy Williamson Age 16

Chickens are a large part of my life. I diligently spend time every day caring for them and protecting them, talking to them and laughing with them, because they bring me so much joy. Besides the smell, chickens are the best. While there are pros and cons to them, it is worth it. Chickens are an investment. Luckily for you, I am the certified crazy chicken lady who will teach you. To keep your chickens happy and healthy, there are some absolute necessities. First is CLEAN WATER! This is extremely important! Without it you will no longer have any chickens. But also don’t get freaked out or offended if your chicken decides to drink from a dirty water puddle that they just pooped in. This is just their way of recognizing your hard work by spitting in your eye. They will often walk up to the clean, cold, fresh water that you just got for them, and turn around and drink from the green puddle that has less than three drops. Chickens understand you know what’s best for them. Because of this, they will do everything in their power to do something that’s not best for them, simply because they know Market Loss Protection you care. Next is feed. Most any kind of chicken food will do (read the labels). Don’t let the market leave you feeling uncertain. And remember the cheaper the food, the worse it is for your chickens. But that Take control over your retirement and gain confidence doesn’t mean they need organic food fit for a queen, they are chickens. Which with locked in gains. I can help. Contact me to discuss brings us to scraps. Do not give them citrus!! It is extremely harmful for them! our AccumuLock Indexed Annuity® today! Also, they hate potato peels and will refuse to eat them. They will eat most any kitchen scraps you give them. They especially like any type of bread. Mine, however, refuse to eat their vegetables and only the bread, no matter how much I nag Kendon Perry 302 Main St them. Chickens have a great way of cleaning themselves, called dusting. When a Sandpoint, ID chicken dusts, they sit in a hole that they made, fluffing their feathers in the dirt or 208.265.5895 dust which removes any bugs and other irritations. If you keep your chickens in a kendonperryid.fbfsagents.com concrete run, just put out a box full of diatomaceous earth (a specialized powder that’s really healthy for chickens that you can buy at your local feed store) and they’ll be fine. Finally, predators! Nothing ruins your day like heading to close the coop and finding a crime scene worthy of “Law and Order” all over the ground. The rule of the predators is this: everything loves chicken. EVERYTHING. But the thing is, there is not that much you can do to prevent predators. Keeping the chickens in an enclosed run is about the best you can do. It’s hard work keeping your chickens alive and well. A crazy chicken lady is a gal who has a reasonable love of chickens, and The guarantees expressed here are based on the claims-paying ability of Farm Bureau Life Insurance that the rest of the non-chicken loving world has deemed crazy. A crazy chicken Company. Not FDIC insured, not bank guaranteed, may lose value, not a deposit, not insured by any federal government agency. To be used with 434-810ID(08-17). Securities & services offered through lady is proud of her name and wears it well. I myself am one, and it basically orFBLstate Marketing Services, LLC, 5400 University Ave., West Des Moines, IA 50266, 877/860-2904, means that I understand my chickens in ways that nobody else does. Crazy Member SIPC. Advisory services offered through FBL Wealth Management, LLC. Farm Bureau Mutual Company of Idaho/Pocatello, ID. Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company */West Des Moines, IA. chicken fellas do exist, but they are endangered. While talking to your chickens is Insurance Affiliates. *Company provider of Farm Bureau Financial Services. PR-ANN-C (3-21) completely normal (no matter what anybody else told you), try to avoid telling them too many of your problems. You’ll find they give broody advice, but they tend to gossip about you behind your back. Humorously, they also love to criticize your singing and nag you about your love life. Or lack thereof. Chickens are addicting. In fact, the more you have the more you need. There is no prouder moment for a crazy chicken lady than when her little chick, whom she raised, lays her first egg. We also tend to do things like threaten our friends with our roosters, give eggs as gifts, and adore chicken memes. Crazy chicken ladies know our chickens to be our friends, each with a different personality that only we can see. The benefits and disadvantages of chickens are many. The most obvious benefit is eggs. The disadvantages to get these eggs is having to take care of a living being, who is dependent on you for survival. Silkys are in a beneficial category all on their own. Just “Google” Silky chicken breed and you will understand. On the opposite side of the spectrum, as hated as silkys are loved, there is the mean rooster. Anybody who has had roosters knows what I’m talking about. Having a mean rooster is the pits, and it’s definitely a point towards the disadvantages of chickens. While we are still talking about disadvantages , another would be the smell. “Extremely unpleasant” would be an understatement. You do get used to it over time. A long time. Cleaning the coop is about as fun as the smell. The best part about it is discovering it all mucked up again the next day after you cleaned it. A perk would be the naming of your chickens. You could do anything from giving themes to your naming, naming them after favorite characters, or simply giving them ones that suit their personality. It has been suggested that if you name something you become attached to it. It applies here as well. When your chicken dies, especially a beloved one, it is like the loss of a friend and will sadden you for awhile. But all in all it is quite worth it. The perks far outweigh the disadvantages. In conclusion, chickens are amazing. It takes a lot of work to keep them well fed and healthy. Difficult as it is to keep them alive, it is well worth it when you start getting your first eggs. They taste incredibly better than store bought ones. Sadly, most people don’t understand the amazingness of farm fresh eggs. So for those of you who have chickens, tell your friends. Teach them about the greatness of chickens! It isn’t just about the eggs. It’s also about the friends you make with your chickens. We need more crazy chicken people in this world! So if you like chickens, don’t be shy. Step up and claim your title. You’ve earned it. If your friend is one of these crazy chicken people who keeps talking about their chickens, just politely tell them to shut up about the chickens, they’ll understand. +

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Then and Now

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Today’s Victory Garden

Marriage of Yesterday’s Victory Garden With a Modern Pandemic Back during both World Wars the entire nation was involved in the war effort. Here at the CO-OP we have numerous newsletters of the day encouraging folks in the community to participate in all the ‘drives’ such as newspaper and rubber. This community effort galvanized the people to basically work together on the same project. Some food items were already being rationed as more and more food was processed to send over seas to the troops. Stamps provided in ration books were used to purchase those items in short supply. Most of the foods rationed were the sort that could not be grown or processed from raw elements. Many of the agricultural food producers went to war. So when the rationing began and food sources became thin the government had an answer: The Victory Garden. The people of the nation were called upon to grow gardens wherever they could to supplement their food supply. Yards, gardens, and vacant lots were brought in to production and these spaces were called Victory Gardens because participation, it was felt, would support the war effort and lead the country to victory - everyone doing their part. The original victory gardens included beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, turnips, squash, and Swiss chard. The government also encouraged citizens to maximize their gardens’ productivity by succession planting— this is still a good idea today. While the primary gardening focus back during the wars was growing food high in nutrition, today it is mostly about sustainability. It is also about palatability: what will your family eat? What won’t they eat? There is no point growing cabbage if your family hates it no matter how good you may be at growing it. A wide variety of vegetables will help provide plenty of nutrients and may even help with a little creative (think ethnic) dinner ideas. Many gardeners today think beyond just the fruits and vegetables they grow for themselves and their families. For example, planting flowers among the vegetables and in orchards helps to attract pollinators. Hummingbirds, many species of bees, butterflies, and even the hummingbird moth are all pollinators and they are drawn to bright colors. Dahlias, lilies, sunflowers, geraniums, nasturtiums, hollyhock, and foxglove to name just a few are very useful for attracting bees and other pollinators to the garden. Many of the larger variety of sunflower, such as the Mammoth, produce enough seed for the gardener and some leftover for birds through the winter. Providing a safe water feature of some sort for the pollinators is always helpful! In 2020, when the COVID pandemic arrived, it didn’t really take very long for people to attend to shortages occurring in the local grocery food aisles. Since phone books are virtually nonexistent the run on toilet paper was a weighty concern. it seems everyone had a story on that count. Everything food related that disappeared over night were things like whole grain foods, cereals and breads; canned vegetables, fruit, meat and beans. Fruit juice was close behind. Beyond that, bleach, disinfectants and paper products. I found it amazing that the first foods to be cleaned out were relatively healthy foods. The sugar based cereals, desserts, chips and even soft drinks, those were easy to find! As soon as the good food became scarce there was a run on garden seeds, stock tanks and fencing panels as people began using these items to build and start their own gardens. What I find marvelous about this is that no one waited for the government to tell them to grow food. They knew to. Equally marvelous to me was when the big box stores were instructed to stop customers from buying tools, seeds, and other items necessary to establish gardens. This year, in 2021 people are moving to the area in greater numbers. They have already assembled their gardens and are now working on the adjacent environments, setting up water systems and planting trees to manage shade and moisture. So, no stamps but still rationing came and went. It was not a war, but a pandemic, that brought backthe noble ‘victory’ garden even if we never called it that.

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Equine Life

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021

The Round Pen- Refining the Human Interaction by Samantha Harvey

Volume 21 Issuue 4

As with everything, something such as the round pen, that can be a safe, confidence building, and supportive” tool” based on how it is presented by one person can also be a horrific experience for the horse if Every springtime I hear many stories of good-intentioned equine en- someone with ego, time limitations, and ulterior motives uses it... thusiasts who call for help after they attempt to resume working with their horses. Often a round pen is used as a way to “get their horse in shape.” Frequently these basic interactions “go wrong,” when the horse’s behavior becomes dramatic or dangerous. I find 95% of folks misuse a round pen, whether under the guise of “exercising” or when attempting to teach specific responses from the Offering Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey, for 17 years Sam has horse. How many people use pressure to communicate can create a been based from May through October at The Equestrian Center, LLC, located just limited “choice” for horses. A common example is what I call the “less- 12 miles north of Sandpoint, ID. For over 25 years she has offered lessons, trainer of two evils,” which is either the horse learns to turn and face the ing, guest lectured, demos and clinics nationally. She works with students and human to be caught, or he is “chased” around the pen when unwilling horse of all levels and disciplines. For more information please visit www.learnto turn and face the person. This is an all too common bullying tactic horses.com 208-265-2644 towards the horse. The problem with teaching conditioned responses and patterns to the horse is the day there is a change in the routine or expectation of the horse, he can quickly evolve from his “normal” docile self into a seemingly fire-breathing dragon. Instead of blaming the horse for his unwanted response, the question asked should be, “Was the horse ever okay with the previous routines, or did he learn to comply to simTRACTORS BRING OUT THE KID IN EVERYONE! Stop in any one of our four locations and take one for a test drive. ply make the human-created pressure dissipate?” $0 Down, 0% APR, 84 months + SAVE UP TO $1200! If horses experience constant and continuous spatial pressure and are simultaneously expected to learn a pattern, they are rarely offered time to think through what is being presented. This approach is reflected in their behaviors; as the pressure is increased to “make” them comply, they become reactionary and defensive. At some point in the animal’s attempts to “escape” the pressure, they may accidentally offer the “right” behavior. The human in turn incorrectly assumes that because the horse quickly and abruptly responds or even at times appears “helpful” by automatically doing something before he has been asked, that he understands what is being asked of him and that he is “okay.” More often than not, he is not. If horses are taught patterns and conditioned responses, they have limited ability to adapt in situations. Many unexpected things can happen while with the horse. So would we want a reasonable, thoughtful horse, available to our input or a reactive one who becomes defensive and unreasonable during the unfamiliar? The round pen can be presented as a safe place learning place for the horse and person to have two-way communication. If the horse is physically and mentally bothered, fearful, insecure, or shut down, it can be a place to address and help him let go of his concerns before riding. Fast, fleeing, or continuous movement is a reflection of his brain and emotions. When the horse is moving at a high rate of speed, the less able he is to think through scenarios or be available to accept my input. There is no need to “wait and see” what the ride will be like; if he is bothered now and is not addressed, his behaviors will only worsen when ridden. Most horses that arrive for an assessment or training that have “round pen issues” (which is a symptom, not the issue) and their physical behaviors are a reflection of the constant mental and emotional stress they have experienced while being worked in one. The horse’s mental and emotional state is rarely considered when the human has an agenda and is focused solely on the physical response of the animal. Horses are frequently physically contained and then bullied into doing things that bother and scare them, until “all of a sudden” they finally react with enough dramatic, resistant, or dangerous behavior that the human finally acknowledges there is a problem. Except that their unwanted behavior was not all of a sudden or random. The problem is that folks do not notice, value, understand, or address when the horse is still reasonable in his “asking” for help; so he continues to get pushed into scenarios with his initially mild resistance escalating until the person can no longer ignore it. Whether starting a colt, re-educating an older horse, or fine-tuning a finished one, the round pen can be a tool. Could the same Conversation with the horse occur while in the pasture, he is led or being tacked up? Yes. It is not about the location, the shape of the fenced area, or teaching a patterned response to the horse. It is about offering clear, specific, intentional communication, practicing the quality Conversations that will continue to be used throughout every single ride in the future. By prioritizing offering the horse a safe place to communicate and the time and supportive communication to help him sort through his emotions, his behaviors will become reasonable. If the only communication offered is critical or an attempt to physically exhaust him, with125 Tibbetts Lane Ponderay, Idaho 208.263.6820 out addressing the root cause of what is causing his mental worry, the rider is “training” the horse to be defensive and fearful towards human Coopgasandsupply.com interaction.

Ag News

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Busting the Factory Farm Myth

Most Farms in the United States are Family Owned By Sean Ellis Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

POCATELLO – Recently released federal data lays waste to the myth that a large percentage of farms and ranches in the United States are “factory farms.” According to report released Jan. 22 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, 96 percent of the two million farms in the U.S. are family owned and operated. Ninety-six percent of the 25,000 farms in Idaho are also family owned. That data was gathered from the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The report shows what farmers and ranchers already know but much of the general populace does not, said Idaho Farm Bureau Federation President Bryan Searle, who farms in Shelley in southeast Idaho. “Family-owned farms account for the vast majority of agricultural production in this nation and in Idaho,” he said. “For consumers, that means most of the food products they buy were produced by families just like theirs.” According to the NASS report, family farms make up 96 percent of all U.S. farms and account for 87 percent of the land in farms and 82 percent of the value of all agricultural products sold. Kelley Call, who farms with her husband, Evan, and their family near American Falls, said a lot of people mistakenly think all farms are big corporate operations. “I wish they knew that it is really families behind these farms and they are family-run,” she said. “If they knew that, I believe they would be more willing to support us because it really is our family bringing food to their table.” The Calls, along with their children and grandchildren, farm in the Coldwater area west of American Falls along with two of Evan’s brothers and their families. It’s a true family affair. “We farm potatoes, sugar beets, wheat and children, but not in that order; the children come first,” Evan Call said. “It’s a very family-oriented operation. When it comes time for planting or harvesting, we’re all involved. We all climb in different trucks and tractors, all the wives and kids. We’re all involved in it.” Evan Call said there have been a couple of times over the years when the family didn’t know whether the farm would survive but they stuck with it and he wouldn’t trade his career for anything. “There is just something about going and working in the dirt with your son or your brother,” he said. “I get to be with my best friend – my wife – and with my sons while I work. I get to run my hands through the dirt and I get to share that with my family and grandchildren.” Kelley Call drives the oldest truck on the farm, despite being offered a newer one, because it’s the only one with a large sleeper bed that allows her to have all her grandchildren with her. “What other job could I go to and have all my grandchildren with me?” she said That family-oriented outlook on farming is not unique to the Calls. “All over the country, families work side by side every day to produce one of the most abundant, affordable and safe food supplies in history,” Searle said. “It’s hard work and oftentimes financially risky but the farmers and ranchers I know wouldn’t trade it for anything. What better job could you imagine having than being able to work together with your family, every day of the year?” “Genesee” Joe Anderson, who farms with his family in North Idaho, said most people in rural areas probably know that the vast majority of farms are family owned and operated, but he doubts many people in urban areas understand that. “In a small community like Genesee, I’m sure most people know that,” he said. “But once you get into an urban area, I think most people don’t know that. A lot of them think (big agribusinesses) own all the farms. They think corporate ag is taking over everything.” Former Idaho rancher Chris Dalley, who now owns a ranch in Arizona, said a lot of city folks see big farm equipment from the road and probably assume most farms are big corporate operations. “But they don’t see the 40-year-old tractor that is … still being used on a family farm and they don’t see the cowboy from the road,” he said. “They’re up in the brush gathering cattle.” Dalley said he and his wife, Kimmel, who raised their children on a ranch in Idaho, had opportunities in the past to get “real” jobs with health and insurance benefits. The family operation at times has struggled financially, he said, but looking back, it was worth it to be able to raise their children on a farm and teach them the value of hard work. “Now that we look back, it was worth it to us … because we see how good our kids turned out,” Dalley said. “They are polite and they understand the value of work and they understand that you have to wake up at 3 in the morning sometimes to take care of things. That makes it worth it to us.”

Besides understanding that most farms in the United States are family owned and operated, Evan Call said he would also like consumers to know that most farmers, like his family, eat the crops they produce. In the case of the Calls, they eat their own potatoes, grind their wheat themselves and turn it into bread and use the sugar that is produced from their beets. “The farm food that we produce is safe,” he said. “There is a mindset among some people who are afraid of what’s being raised on the farms. Man, we deliver a good, clean, safe product … that our own families eat.” Other highlights from the NASS report: • Small family farms – those with gross cash farm income (GCFI) of less than $350,000 per year – account for 45 percent of all direct sales to consumers, compared to 17 percent for mid-size family farms (GCFI between $350,000 and $999,999) and 23 percent for largescale family farms (GCFI of $1 million or more). • Small family farms account for 88 percent of all farms in the U.S. • The majority of small family farms specialize in cattle (34 percent) or “other crops” such as hay and forage production (23 percent). More than half (53 percent) of mid-size farms specialize in grains and oilseeds. Large-scale family farms vary more in product specialization, although they are more likely than other family farms to specialize in dairy production or specialty crops, which include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops.

Pack River Cemetary Association

The Pack River Cemetery Association annual meeting and clean-up day will be Sunday May 23. The clean-up will start about 1:00 p.m. with the annual meeting to follow at approximately 2:00 p.m. One board member will be elected at the annual meeting. We ask that objects (solar lights, planters, vases, etc.) you want to keep on the graves of loved ones be picked up by May 1. This allows the cleanup people and the mower to do the necessary job around the graves headstones and markers. They may be replaced after the clean-up day. Flags will be placed on veterans graves before Memorial Day. All are welcome to participate in both the cleanup and meeting. Thank you. Eva Whitehead, secretary for Pack River Cemetery 208-263-4401

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Local Foods, Producers, and Services and Where To Find Them The following farms can all be found in your neighborhood. If you find  something that really interests you or you want to sign up for a CSA (Community Support Agriculture) call the farmer or visit your local Farmers Market and start eating local. Also, visit www.localharvest.org and post your  farm for others to see what you produce. 

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ABC Farmers Market (Athol, ID): Fridays 2pm-6pm Opening May, ending sometime in Oct. Located at the Athol City Park. Follow them on Face book @ABCFarmersMerket Angela and Millie (Sandpoint, ID): Goat milk and Cheese 208-263-3343 or 208-610-0694

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Annie’s Orchard (Clark Fork, ID): Landscaping/ Nursery Products- Terry and Carol Chowning 208-266-1245 anniesorchard.com

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Black Ridge Trading Post & Gardens (Priest River, ID): Hatching eggs ,Free Range eggs, All Natural goat milk soaps & lotions, Organic  soups & spices, and over 3000 varieties of Iris’s and Daylilies– Barry and Lana Peterson 208-265-0585

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Bella’s Barn (Bonners Ferry, ID): Creamery, Raw Jersey Milk, Yogurt, Raw Butter, Butter Milk– Bob Peterson 208-263-8208 Karyn Sullivan 208-304-  7201 peterson71@yahoo.com

Greentree Naturals (Sandpoint, ID): CSA, Farm Stand, Certified Organic Farm, Fresh Produce, Flowers, Garlic, Herbs, Hops, Organic Gardening Workshops - Diane Green 208-263-8957 www.greentreenaturals.com Hoot Owl Farm (Libby, MT): Locally grown Vegetables and Herbs. Libby and Troy Farmers Markets & CSA. Rudy and Bonnie Geber, 406-3185339, info@hootowlfarm.net, hootowlfarm.net McKerracher Family Farms (Careywood, ID): Pastured Poultry, Market Garden, and Bedding Plants – Julie McKerracher 208-818-0208 also find them at the ABC Farmers Market Mountain Glen Farm, LLC (Sagle, ID): All things poultry from duck & chicken eggs to hatchling & pullet services. Bee Hive construction & maintenance, honey extracting and seasonal honey sales- Susan & Bob Lesniewski 208-255-7818, www.mtglenfarm.com Moose Meadow Farm (Clark Fork, ID): Certified Organic Fresh Produce, CSA Subscription 2018 spots available. Free choice & Weekly deliveries. — Katherine Creswell & Spencer Nietmann 208-304-6492 moosemeadoworganic@gmail.com moosemeadoworganic.com Naturally Good Things (Libby, MT): Health Food, Bulk Foods, Supplements, Spices, and Local Raw Honey– Georgina Powers 406-293-6771

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Bill’s Berries (Laclede, ID): U-Pick and Pre-picked Blueberries—208-263-  8982

Pack River Yaks (Sandpoint, ID): Yak Meat & Fiber—Christine Stoneham 208-263-4785

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Bonners Ferry Farmers Market (Bonners Ferry, ID): 8am-1pm Saturday at the City Parking Lot

Queen Bee Honey (Clark Fork, ID): Raw Honey– Andrea & Kelly Cope 208-597-5433



Bristow Country Gardens (Sagle, ID): Fresh Produce & Flowers (while in  season)- Garry and Susan Bristow 208-290-8642 & 208-263-4224



Byrum Family Farms (Hayden, ID): Pasture Chickens, Heritage Turkeys, Eggs– Paris & Jonathan Byrum 208-664-9793



Cascade Creek Farm (Bonners Ferry, ID): Grass fed Beef, Pasture Poultry – Rob & Mimi Fueling www.cascadecreekfarm.com  Celestial Natural Farms (Careywood, ID): Eggs, Rabbits, Heritage Turkeys, Goats, Fresh Goats Milk, Goat Milk Products, Beauty Products made with organic &natural ingredients– Celeste Ricci 208-610-9289 Feeds locally grown & non gmo feeds, also become a friend of the farm on Facebook (Celestial Natural Farms) and by email Celstialnaturalfarms@yahoo.com



Clear Skies Sheep Company (Bonners Ferry, ID): Lamb, Pigs, Beef, Eggs–  Lou & Marva Maring 208-267-6107 find them on Facebook and www.clearskiessheepcompany.com Deerfield Farms (Sagle, ID): Over 20 varieties of certified organic tomatoes, including 16 heirloom varieties– Jerry and Susan Petrina 208-9466113



T&T Farm (Priest River, ID): Fresh Produce, Pepper Plant Starts, Raspberries, Goat Milk Caramel Sauce, Goat Milk Soap and Cheese– Vickie and Darwin Tenney 208-448-2414 and also find them at the Sandpoint Farmers Market



Four Peas Family Farm (Priest River, ID): Herbal Tonics, Tinctures, Raw Milk Goat Cheese, Raw Wool & Yarn, Handmade Crafts & Toys– Jim and Kim DesJarlais 208-597-0644 fourpeasfamilyfarm@gmail.com 



 Good Shepard Lamb Co. (Bonners Ferry, ID): Fresh naturally grown lamb, no hormones or antibiotics– Gordon and Marlene Stanley 208-267 -5882 can also find them at the Sandpoint Farmers Market 

Granite Lakes Goats (Libby, MT): Goat meat, Highland Cows & Beef, Chicken, Eggs– Amy Hughes 406-293-8957

Sacred Earth Farm (Sandpoint, ID): Vegetables, and Bedding Plants– Martinson & Higgens 208-263-7647

Sandpoint Farmers Market: 9am-1pm Saturdays and 3pm-5:30 Wednesdays, May - October. Located at Farmin Park on 3rd and Main. www.sandpointfarmersmarket.com

Farm to Market Store & Bakery/Deli (Libby, MT): Produce & Meat (Seasonal) - Leona Mast 406-293-9775 hours Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

God’s Little Acre (Careywood, ID): All Natural Grass Fed Beef, Berkshire Pigs, Free Range Chickens, Heritage Turkeys & Fresh Eggs– Susan Bourguigon 208-683-2907 or 208-659-6270 Must place order a head of time for Chickens and Turkeys

Riley Creek Farms (Laclede, ID): Blueberries, Jam, Vinegars, Vegetables, Raspberries, and Strawberries– Stan Urmann 208-263-4114 stanurmann@yahoo.com



Red Wheelbarrow Produce (Sandpoint, ID): Naturally Grown Produce in Selle Valley, and Plant Starts– Emily Levine 208-265-2689 Can be found at the Sandpoint Farmers Market and Winter Ridge www.redwheelbarrow.com

Shingle Mill Blueberry Farm (Sandpoint, ID) 488 Shingle Mill Road Blueberry Products: Fresh Berries, we-pick/you-pick; Jams & jellies 208-946-3295 Fred and Patty Omodt.

Double Shoe Ranch (Dover, ID): Katahdin Lambs pasture raised– Randy and Gail Curless 208-263-4633

Four Seasons Farm (Priest River, ID): CSA, Produce, Pasture Pork, Fresh Eggs, Chicken, Goat, and Turkey– Ron and Toni Carey 208-255-9193

Raven Rock Ranch (Libby, MT): Grass Fed Beef, and Farm Fresh Eggs– Georgine Powers 406-293-6771 also sold at Naturally Good Things



Rams Head Orchards (Evans, WA): Lamb sold by full or half (Must order ahead of time call for more info), Premium Lamb Burger $9.50/lb (While Supplies Lasts) – Lisa and Mike Whytock 208-818-7825 or 509-684-5425

White Dove Ent. (Athol, ID): Poultry Processing—18 years experience (By appointment only, call for more info.) Non-GMO Grass Fed Beef, Non-GMO Chickens & Turkeys for your freezer (Must order ahead of time, call for more info.) Round Bales of Grass hay, Oat hay, and Straw– Mike & Misty Heuett 208-660-5375 mmheuett Woods Meats (Sandpoint, ID): Inspected locally grown natural beef – 208-263-3077 The Plant Sale (Priest River, ID): Old Fashioned Perennials, House Plants Pots, Hanging Baskets & Vegetables. 208-448-2464 (ask for Donna) Cloud Eleven Mountain Farm LLC (Moyie Springs, ID) Local Produce; Jams & jellies, garlic, flowers & plant starts · USDA Certified Organic & Certified Naturally Grown Ed & Julie Newcomb 208-267-4743 Instagram@cloudelevenmountainfarm.

Country Life

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Spring 2021 Extension Classes

All classes will be held at the Boundary County Extension Office, unless otherwise noted.Pre-registration required. Contact the Boundary County Extension Office to register: 208-267-3235

Freeze Drying Class, $10 Thursday, May 13, 3pm-4:30pm

Want to learn about freeze dryers designed for home use? This is the class for you! During this class you will learn about the various freeze dryer models, purchasing and maintenance costs, how to operate a freeze dryer, and proper storage of freeze-dried goods. You will be given the opportunity to see how to prep food and begin the freeze drying process. We will also be sampling a variety of freezedried foods.

Making Jerky, FREE Friday, May 14, 11am-noon Via Zoom

Air Frying Fun!, FREE Monday, July 19, 11am-noon Via Zoom

Join us to learn how simple and fun it can be to use an air fryer to prepare a quick meal for you and others! This program will teach participants the basics of air fryers including settings, ease of use and considerations. This class is great for anyone looking to purchase an air fryer or wondering how to put one they own to better use! Register @ http://bit.ly/AirFry21.

Getting Started with Quickbooks for Farmers Zoom option: No Charge In-person with handouts: $10 Tuesday, June 29, 1-3pm

Sidnee Hill teaches producers to use Quickbooks as well as other software packages for their operations as part of a multi-year USDA grant program. In this class, she explains how to set up your accounts and get started in this powerful accounting program. Taught via Zoom but our classroom will be used for teaching the course and a detailed manual is provided for in-person attendees.

In this class we will be sampling jerky and learning how to safely make your own jerky using an electric food dehydrator. This handson class will cover how to make jerky from a variety of meats including beef and wild game. You will also learn some techniques for drying other foods at home such as fruits and vegetables. To register, UI Extension Sheep and Goat Weekly Webinar: email amrobertson@uidaho.edu to receive the registration link. UI Extension offers weekly webinars on sheep and goat topics on Food Handlers Course, FREE Mondays, May 17 & 24, 9am- Thursdays at 11:30pm. Follow them on Facebook @UISheepandGoats for the current schedule of topics. 2pm UI Extension Beef Cattle Webinar: Do you work in the food industry or have a job that involves cooking for others? Take our class and receive your Idaho Food Handlers Every other Wednesday at 11am PST / 12pm MST Card. This 2-day class will be held at the Boundary County ExtenUI Extension offers webinars on Beef Cattle topics every other sion Office on Mondays, May 17th & 24th from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Wednesday at 11:00am. Follow them on Facebook.com/UIBeef for This class is offered free of charge and pre-registration is mandatory. the current schedule of topics. Snacks and beverages will be provided but participants are asked to bring a sack lunch. Contact the Bonner County Extension Office to Check our website for current classes and our newsletter: register; 208-263-8511 https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/county/boundary For all things ag, check our blog: BoundaryAgBlog.wordpress. Successful Tomato Production in Boundary County, $10 com Tuesday, May 18, 1pm-3pm Tomatoes like it hot, which can be a challenge in our county with its cool growing season temperatures. In this class, you will get to Shawnee choose six tomato plants that do well in this climate, including Early Girl, Bush Beefsteak and Sun Gold cherry and more. You will also learn production techniques including pruning, disease management, Like a tiny woodland flower, staking, ripening, and storing. Sign up early for best tomato selecBorn out of time and place, tion! Class size is limited. She came into our lives one day, With hungry, pleading face. Regenerative Ranching in the Idaho Panhandle:

Intensive Management of Dryland Pastures, $100 June 4 & 5, 8am-8pm University of Idaho Post Falls Research Park & Lazy JM Ranch, Hauser, ID

This two-day workshop includes classroom instruction in the morning followed by field portions with hands-on activities in the afternoon and evenings. You will learn management-intensive grazing techniques that will improve soil health, forage and livestock productivity, and profitability. Topics include pasture evaluation and renovation, power fencing options, grazing cell design, grass finishing techniques, economics, and direct to consumer marketing. Course fee includes all meals and resource materials. To register, go to http://bit. ly/regenerativeranching or call 208-267-3235. Limited to 30 participants.

2021 Crop Tour Field Day, FREE Thursday, June 24, 10am-3pm Houck Farm, 5285 Farm to Market Road

Topics will include yield performance by variety for barley, wheat, and canola cultivars; updates on herbicide and pesticide management strategies; management strategies for reducing herbicide resistance; economic tradeoffs for canola management choices, and the role of soil arthropods on soil health. Lunch is provided. Pesticide credits will be offered.

Waterbath Canning, $10 Tuesday, June 8, 1-4pm Bonner County Extension Office, 4205 N. Boyer Avenue

Learn how to safely make and preserve your own high-acid foods including jams, jellies, tomato products, pickled vegetables, and fruits. This hands-on class will also teach participants about canning basics as well as proper storage and handling of home canned foods. Each participant will make their own jar of Blueberry-Lemon Jam which they can pick up the day after the class.

Mental Health First Aid, FREE Thursday, June 17 & Friday, June 18, 9am-2pm

Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. The training helps you identify, understand and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses. To join the in-person training please register by emailing amrobertson@uidaho.edu or calling the Boundary County Extension Office at 208-267-3235.

Abandoned by her mama, This little spotted deer, Had no one else to turn to, She begged for refuge here. Before too long she stole our hearts, Of this, there was no doubt. How could we know so soon they’d break? A pain we could do without. God lent her to us for a while, To brighten up our days. She never failed to bring a smile, As we watched her run and play. Like a tiny woodland flower, Her bloom soon faded out. How could we know she’d break our hearts? A pain we could do without. by Joseph Smith

Our Environment

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Weed of the Month: Red Sorrel By Chase Youngdahl, Bonner County Weeds Manager

The transition from mud season to lilac season is nearly complete, which means we will be full steam ahead with farming, gardening, landscaping and evenings on the patio (my favorite). These activities come with some level of weed control maintenance—although I wouldn’t recommend doing weed control chores while trying to enjoy time on the patio! I can assist with recommendations and techniques to maximize control in each scenario, and provide options. Keep an eye out for small infestation noxious weed species and please report a suspected infestation. This list, (Early Detection, Rapid Response) along with color photos of each offender, is posted on our website. And the deadline (May 31) is looming for our Neighborhood Cooperative Cost Share Program. The program description and rules are also posted on our website, along with the sign-up packet. Weed of the month is Red Sorrel (Rumex acetosella), or Sheep Sorrel. It’s a perennial in the Buckwheat family, infesting most of the United States and occurs nearly worldwide. This is one that I received numerous calls on last year, as there were bumper crops of it all over Bonner County. It grows 6” – 18” tall and is most easily identified by the arrowhead shaped leaves and reddish flowering stems. Red Sorrel is dioecious, meaning male and female reproductive parts occur in separate plants. The flowers on the males range from greenish-yellow to orange, where the female flowers exhibit varying shades of red. The flowering period seems to be from late May through June in our area. The seeds are effortlessly spread by wild game, livestock, birds, footwear, tires and equipment. Root fragments also regenerate new colonies. Red Sorrel infestations make for low quality hay and can be toxic to livestock, although poisonings are not common. It contains oxalates, which horses can be sensitive to. The oxalate levels are variable in Red Sorrel, so either a large amount or an extra-large amount needs to be consumed in a short period of time to cause issues. The foliage has a very sour flavor, so most animals avoid grazing it. This particular specimen does not care for disturbance, where many other invasives thrive on disturbance. With that, it can be exhausted by mechanical control in a shorter period of time than a long roster of other perennial weeds. You can’t disk a field once or twice and expect it to disappear, but if you work the ground over the course of a growing season and promote rapid expansion of pasture grasses with nitrogen the following spring, the Red Sorrel could be outcompeted. Mowing is not an effective method of control; the roots will continue to propagate infestations and the seed heads can adapt by developing below the mower blade mark. Being in the Buckwheat family, it can be thoroughly controlled long term using an aminopyralid based herbicide (Milestone® or Opensight®) at any point during the growing season. It’s still ideal to apply to actively growing plants, but if applied at, near or after time of seed dispersal, the aminopyralid covered seeds will die upon trying to sprout the next year (assuming the application area remains relatively undisturbed). Curtail®/Cody® or Weedmaster®/

TripletSF® can also be used to achieve some control—the earlier in the plants’ development that an application happens, the better the results with these chemistries. If an infestation is in a sensitive setting, such as landscapes or gardens, you can apply a glyphosate product with a wick wiper to avoid damaging nearby desirables with overspray that could occur from a traditional, foliar herbicide application. Hand pulling is also a viable option for small, isolated patches.Meet you on the patio!

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The Gardener’s Corner

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

BCGA Resumes Events

By Ann Warwick

The Bonner County Gardeners Association is emerging from the dormancy demanded by COVID19. The popular SPRING PLANT SALE will take place on Friday and Saturday May 7, 9am to 5pm, and May 8 from 9am to 2pm. Members will donate favorite perennials from their gardens, with vegetable starts, berry plants and houseplants. Come celebrate spring with BCGA members, ask garden questions, and take home some special plants to brighten your home garden or eventually yield tasty produce. You’ll find us at 401 Bonner Mall Way, in the Ponderay Event Center parking lot. And, more good news! BCGA anticipates a festive and inspiring GARDEN TOUR. With so many people spending more time at home in the last year, nurseries sold out and folks threw themselves into improving outdoor spaces. Gardens thrived and landscapes became more lovely and inviting. This year, the date for the tour is on Saturday July 3, from 10 am to 4pm. Find some friends and join us for an exciting and fun event. The gardeners with the host gardens are eager to share their creative ideas and techniques. Inspiration is the mother of invention; these outstanding gardens will inspire us all to try new ideas. Learn more about BCGA events on our website, bcgardeners.org.

The Magic of Germination

Seeds are an amazing creation of nature. They appear inert and dead, yet within the protective shell are all the elements needed for a new plant to emerge and grow. A seed contains a tiny root and starter leaves as well as nutrients to give initial energy for emergence. Some seeds can last many years, awaiting conditions to stimulate new life. Seeds range in size from tiny poppy seeds to something the size of an avocado seed, or larger. They come in many shapes and colors. They don’t take up a lot of space—one can fit the seeds for an entire garden in one small box. Seeds spread in many ways in nature. Dandelions have little parasols to float them to new territory. Lupines shoot the seeds out of drying pods. California poppies similarly shoot seeds. Some plants simply bow down at the end of the season and deposit the seeds nearby. Others attract birds and land where the bird eliminates them. Still others cling to surfaces, such as animal fur or clothing, to find new homes. What makes seeds sprout? Most seeds need moisture, a growing medium, and the right temperature. Some seeds require darkness to sprout, others need light. Some need more assistance, such as soaking or scarifying, which is scratching the seed coat. How can we have the best success in planting our gardens directly from seed? By knowing what conditions are needed for each type of plant. Garden soil should be moist but not soggy, easily worked and crumbly in texture. It is good to have nutrient rich soil to give the plants a happy environment for growth. An application of compost is always a useful addition. Planting depth generally is about three times the diameter of the seed. The most important determinant of germination, though, is soil temperature. If it is too cold, the seeds can either rot or weaken. This is the number one reason for germination failure locally. We often misinterpret the temperature of the soil by simply checking air temperature. We must remember that warm days often precede cold nights, and cold rainy spells can persist until late spring. It takes time for seasonal warmth to penetrate winter cold soil. A soil thermometer is a useful tool to determine the right time to plant. To measure soil temperature, insert the thermometer several inches in the soil. It is not necessary to measure more deeply. Taking the soil temperature early in the morning will give one an idea of the lowest range. The soil warms considerably on a sunny day, resulting in warmer afternoon temperatures. I try for a happy medium and hope for a few stable days. Here are a few examples of germination times with various soil temperatures: Beans: need 60 degrees to germinate; they are almost the last veggie planted. Beets: at 41 degrees, germination takes 42 days; at 68 degrees, only 6 days. Broccoli and cabbage: at 50 degrees, 15 to 20 days; at 68 degrees, 6 days Carrots: They are slow to germinate under any conditions, so plant them late for best results. Lettuce: germinates in cold soil, but takes 49 days at 35 degrees and only 3 to 5 days at 60. Peas: 41 degrees, 36 days; at 68 degrees, 3 to 5 days. Squash and cucumbers: need at least 60 degrees to even think germination.

Generally, our soil temperatures don’t reach 60 degrees until the end of May or first of June. Therefore, I usually start many seeds indoors before transplanting to the garden. These include lettuce, broccoli and cabbage, and squash and cucumbers. They sprout in just a few days inside. I introduce them soon to the outside temperatures, and transplant them within a couple of weeks, which gives them a bit of a head start. Exercising a bit of patience in the spring can bring rewarding results in the garden.

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Your Health

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Alcohol and Cancer by Gabrielle Duebendorfer, ND

pacted by alcohol. It is estimated that alcohol increases the chance of CRC by 60%. (10). Alcohol, a major risk factor for colorectal cancer, causes direct damage to cells in the gastro-intestinal lining all the way from the mouth to the rectum. Increased production of free radicals and lower production of anti-oxidants promote inflammation, resulting in local tissue destruction, malnutrition, and increase absorption of toxins in the gut. (8) Like I reported previously, the evidence for social isolation and mortality due to BC is very high. In fact, it is an independent risk factor for mortality. According to one study of almost 10,000 women, those with smaller social networks had a 43% higher risk recurrence and 64% increased risk of BC-specific mortality and 69% increased risk of total mortality!! (9). Social isolation has a huge impact on well-being and cancer risk. Alcoholics tend to self-isolate whether due to pure lack of energy or an immense sense of guilt and shame. This in all likelihood not only increases their risk of cancer but also the chance of recovery. Having a solid social network of positive, supportive family members, friends, and addiction specialists is crucial to breaking that vicious PAWS cycle. Trying to recover without help is a set-up for failure. I had to explain both to my friend and my family member, who refused following needed recommendations to break the cycle, that I cannot support the disease of addiction in order to take care of myself. My friend had alienated his whole family and it was only during the last few weeks of his life that a small group of friends and neighbors took care for him, which enabled him to die at home. Besides holding the bottom line of not enabling the addiction, it is essential to approach an alcoholic with love and diffuse the shame of relapse by saying you understand that it is a symptom of addiction and a sign that more support in the smaller social networks had a 43% higher risk recurrence and 64% increased risk of BC-specific mortality and 69% increased risk of total mortality!! (9). Social isolation has a huge impact on well-being and cancer risk. Alcoholics tend to self-isolate whether due to pure lack of energy or an immense sense of guilt and shame. This in all likelihood not only increases their risk of cancer but also the chance of recovery. Having a solid social network of positive, supportive family members, friends, and addiction specialists is crucial to breaking that vicious PAWS cycle. Trying to recover without help is a set-up for failure. I had to explain both to my friend and my family member, who refused following needed recommendations to break the cycle, that I cannot support the disease of addiction in order to take care of myself. My friend had alienated his whole family and it was only during the last few weeks of his life that a small group of friends and neighbors took care for him, which enabled him to die at home. Besides holding the bottom line of not enabling the addiction, it is essential to approach an alcoholic with love and diffuse the shame of relapse by saying you understand that it is a symptom of addiction and a sign that more support in the recovery program is needed. Sometimes repeated relapse is needed for final acceptance of the powerlessness over alcohol – or not.

Last week a friend of mine died of alcoholism and cancer. A family member seems to be succumbing to alcoholism. And over the past few years I have had several patients who were exhibiting signs of long-term alcoholism. I know how to recognize the signs now, which are very familiar and simply devastating to the person and the family/ friends involved. Alcohol not only has a profound effect on the body and brain and overall well-being, it is also a major contributor to cancer. Long-term alcoholics present with drastic weight loss, nausea and vomiting, claims of being really sick, no appetite, no energy, stomach pains, indigestion, and frequent falls. Curiously, there is a common claim of drinking only one glass of wine and denial that alcohol is a problem. If one approaches the topic it gets vehemently denied and there is a strong insistence that there is another problem. The pattern from the outside presents with encouraging calls of being on the road of getting better with improved diet and exercise etc. Then one either hears nothing for days or weeks or gets calls that have obviously been made under the influence or that are jumbled and full of complaints of feeling really sick. Unless there is habitually consistent high use of alcohol, these cycles tend to repeat every 4-8 weeks due to Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS), which occurs as the brain tries to recalibrate normal neuro transmitter balance after a binge. This recalibration takes 6 to 12 months. The resulting symptoms of foggy thinking, urges and cravings, irritability and hostility, sleep disturbances and fatigue, fine motor coordination, anxiety, depression, and mood swings, peak about 4-8 weeks after withdrawal and can become major drivers in relapse even for people who are fully committed to staying clean and sober. (8) However, way before this dismal scenario, alcohol has a more insidious way of doing damage by causing oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, mitochondrial and cell membrane perturbations, increased tissue breakdown, and decreased barrier function. This has a profound impact on many systems, such as the neuroendocrine system, gut liver axis, cardio-pulmonary system, musculoskeletal system, and brain. (8) Here I am focusing on alcohol’s impact on cancer. According to Cancer Research UK (1), alcohol causes cancer by directly damaging the mucus membranes in the digestive tract, which makes them more susceptible to other toxins or carcinogens, i.e. cigarettes, and reduces nutrient absorption. Alcohol damages DNA in cells all over the body, but particularly in the liver, via its break down product acetaldehyde. Estrogen and insulin production increases, which causes cells to divide more frequently, predisposing them more to cancer. It doesn’t come as a surprise then that excessive alcohol use increases the risk of breast and colon/rectal cancer, mouth and throat cancer (especially in conjunction with smoking), as well as liver cancer. (2) Breast tissue in particular seems to be more susceptible to alcohol’s carcinogenic effects compared to other organs. In fact, al- 1) https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/ cohol is classified as a breast carcinogen by the international Agency alcohol-and-cancer/does-alcohol-cause-cancer#alcoholrefs0 2) Bagnardi, V. et al. Alcohol consumption and site-specific cancer risk: for research on cancer, conferring a 10% relative increase in breast a comprehensive dose-response meta-analysis. Br. J. Cancer 112, 580–593 cancer with 1-2 drinks/day compared to less than 1 drink/day. And (2015). Chen WY, Rosner B, Hankinson SE, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Moderate no, it does not make a difference what kind of drink it is – like red 3) Continued on page 18 wine – it is the actual amount of alcohol that counts. (3, 9). 4-10% of breast cancer in the USA is attributed to alcohol. (4) On the other hand, effect of alcohol on breast cancer recurrence Medical - Dental - Pediatrics seems slight, unless one is obese. (5). Having said that, we can make healthy Behavioral Health - VA choices. More than 3 drinks/day increased the risk of breast cancer simi267-1718 Bonners Ferry larly to smoking 1 pack of cigarettes or 265-6252 Ponderay using hormone replacement therapy. 265-2242 Sandpoint Pediatrics Reducing insulin resistance and eating a natural foods diet has a major impact 448-2321 Priest River on risk reduction. (9) Regular exercise 263-0450 VA has been shown to reduce risks of recurrence and mortality in breast cancer kaniksuhealthservices.org patients. (6) Breast cancer risk also is reduced by 11% with 5.5 servings of fruit We accept Medicaid, Medicare & most and vegetables (particularly cabbage insurances. No insurance? No problem. family) compared to 2.5 or less serv- A low-cost sliding-scale fee structure is ings. So, keep moving and eat those available. No one is excluded due to veggies while enjoying an occasional inability to pay. Accepting new patients. glass of alcohol. Besides female cancers, the cancer I Same day appointments. see most of is colon and rectal cancer. It is the third most common cancer in the world and second in line as being im-

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Our Community

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Hunter Safety in Their Sights By Hannah Combs

Stopping in town for a quick cup of coffee after checking in on the stacks, Henry glanced at the morning’s paper. “We are publishing a list of the materials we are going to need to complete the building. If anyone has any of it that he would either donate or give us a good price on please contact…” He asked for the phone and dialed in the five-digit number for Don Samuelson. Samuelson, owner of the Pend Oreille Sports Shop (and later governor of Idaho), and Lester Gissel inaugurated the first youth hunter safety course in Bonner County, which was held in the basement of Farmin School over the winter of 1947-48. Nine years later, Samuelson was chairman of the recreation board and lobbying for a dedicated shooting range. With approval from the city to build a facility in Pine Street Park, but without extensive funds, he started publishing ads in the Sandpoint News Bulletin for materials and volunteer labor. The summer before, in 1956, Henry Hagman, a contractor from Spokane, began demolishing the second wooden Long Wagon Bridge. Each red fir and tamarack beam from the bridge was stacked and stored on a site near the fish hatchery on Lakeshore Drive, until the following summer when Hagman sold the lot to recreation board for $600. “Dub” Lewis, then city policeman and later proprietor of the famous “Dub’s Drive In,” set the footings and foundations of the building in August 1957. For the next three months, “a crew of volunteer carpenters with big hammers and some chaps with chain saws” spent their Sunday afternoons lifting the 500-pound Long Bridge beams into place to form the four walls of the new shooting range. Each thick wall was 16 inches of solid wood. By January, with a makeshift roof in place, the building was ostensibly finished. Samuelson and fellow enthusiasts Harold and Martha Miller (she would go on to become a ten-time Idaho Women’s Rifle Champion) opened up the new range to hunter safety students and the Junior and Senior National Rifle Clubs. The building was also made available to the city police and sheriff’s officers, Boy Scouts, and other interested groups. By 1988, according to Bonner County Sportsmen’s Association representative Tom Johnson, the building had fallen into disrepair and was auctioned. BCSA bid $1.00 and won. With funds from the NaText changes for the September issue tional Rifle Association and Idaho Fish and Game, they were able to completely renovate Pumpthe runsold all building. the time? A concrete floor replaced the dirt floor, a heating system replaced the wood burning stove, and a pitched roof replaced the original flat roof, which Tom said “leaked so Low pressure? bad it was dryer outside than inside when it rained.” The interior and walls were covered with new materials Thinkexterior leak or bad pump. during the renovation, but the bones remain the same: humble, reliable old beams that carried thousands Giveonce us a call. We can help. of people across the Long Bridge year after year.

Photo caption: Early supporters of the indoor range: front row Harold Miller, Bob Bottcher, Matt Schmidt; back row Jim Wickam, Neil Kenny, Martha Miller. The range was named the Leo Hadley Range in the 1990s in honor of a longtime leader of the Hunter Education Program. Photo by Jean Martin, donated to BCHS by James

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Note that these figures represent prices paid by competitive domestic facilities in the Inland Northwest, and are based on average-sized logs and standard log lengths—usually 16’6” and 33’. MBF = Thousand Board Feet. Please note that the higher prices may reflect prices only paid in select locations within the Inland Northwest. *Pole value varies widely depending upon length. Market information as of April 15, 2021 There seems to be no ceiling as lumber prices continue to skyrocket upward. High lumber prices are being fueled by pent-up demand, and the sawmills are struggling to keep pace. Frustratingly for timber owners, log prices have not tracked with these crazy lumber prices. Again, supply and demand play a key role. In many areas of the country, including the Inland Northwest, there are more logs available than sawmills can process, so there’s little incentive to raise log prices since that action would just increase log deliveries and further flood already overflowing log yards. Over the last few months log prices have moved upward at a modest pace in our area. It is expected this trend will continue, or the market will at least hold steady, as we move into the logging season. - Mike Wolcott, ACF, Certified Forester This information is provided by Inland Forest Management, Inc., a forestry consulting company. For additional information, they can be contacted at 208-263-9420, IFM@inlandforest.com or www.inlandforest.com.

Cell (406) 529-7664 Office (406) 847-2316 mtspecialty@gmail.com

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Home and Hearth

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Recipes.....

Ode To A Country Morning Vivian E. Bogardus

This is a favorite in our house and so easy to make because we have all of these ingredients around the house all the time. You can use vermicelli, as the recipe calls for it. But don’t be afraid to tty other pasta shapes. It will be just as delicious! Vermicelli & Herbs Frittata

2 oz. dried vermicelli broken into 2 inch lengths 6 medium eggs 4 Tbs. heavy cream 1 handful fresh basil, chopped 1 handful fresh flat parsley, chopped 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (not the canned kind!) 1 Tbs. butter 2 Tbs. olive oil (extra virgin) 1 medium yellow onion , diced 4 large pieces of bottled, roasted red bell pepper OR red bell pepper sauteed in olive oil 1 large clove garlic, crushed Instructions: Cook the vermicelli in boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to let cool. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, cream, herbs, and 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooled vermicelli and stir well. Melt the butter in the oil in a heavy non- stick frying pan. (I prefer cast iron.) Add the onion and cook slowly stirring often. Add the pepper and garlic. Add the egg & pasta mixture to the skillet and stir well. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Walking through clover at daybreak, with the sun ablaze in the sky.. I hear a meadow lark singing, and bless country life with a sigh.

A doe with fawn break the clearing, they see me and flee out of sight. Daylight is burning now brightly, and just everything is alright. My horses whinny a greeting, as I ramble down to their stalls.. they know that they’re getting breakfast, by the sound of their horsey calls. The hay in the loft is heady, aroma filled nostrils inhale. A sweet singing wren is perched there, upon an alfalfa bale. Thank God for a country morning, and after my chores are all done.. I will relax in my lawn chair, and smile at the red setting sun. Copyright 2021 Vivian E. Bogardus

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the frittata over low heat just until it is set. Place the frittata in the oven to bake for 5 minutes to continue setting. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

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Dog & Cat Trivia:

Cats’ bodies are extremely flexible; the cat skeleton contains more than 230 bones (a human has about 206), and the pelvis and shoulders loosely attach to the spine. This adds to their flexibility and allows them to fit through very small spaces Most domestic dogs are capable of reaching speeds up to about nineteen miles per hour when running at full speed. Using their swiveling ears like radar dishes, experiments have shown that dogs can locate the source of a sound in 6/100ths of a second. Bowwow.com

Economics

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

Why Financial Literacy is So Important By Judy Baird, VP Branch Manager, Mountain West Bank

Many folks have little understanding of finances, how credit works, and the potential hit to financial well-being that poor financial decisions can create for many years. Every few years, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issues a five-question test as part of its National Financial Capability Study, which measures consumers’ knowledge about interest, compounding, inflation, diversification, and bond prices. On its most recent test, only 34% of those who took the test got four out of five questions correct, which suggests that the basic economic and financial principles that underpin these problems are widespread. Some changes in consumer habits and financial products have made it harder for Americans to manage their finances. In the past, most people used cash for daily purchases. Today, credit cards are more frequently used. In 2019 credit use accounted for 23% of payments, up from 21% in 2017. The way we shop has also changed. Online shopping is now the top choice for many, which can make it easy to use and overextend credit, an all-too-convenient way to accumulate debt quickly. Meanwhile, credit card companies, banks, and other financial institutions are inundating consumers with credit opportunities—the ability to apply for credit cards or pay off one card with another. Without the proper knowledge, it is easy to get into financial trouble. Financial literacy is the mix of financial, credit, and debt management knowledge that is necessary to make financially responsible decisions—choices that are integral to our everyday lives. Financial literacy includes understanding how a checking account works, what using a credit card really means, and how to avoid debt. In sum, financial literacy has a material impact on families as they try to balance their budget, buy a home, fund their children’s education, and ensure an income at retirement. Financial planning is long term, and people cannot depend on one-time windfalls such as the recent $1,400 stimulus checks. Instead, individuals need to shore up their financial knowledge to manage their day-to-day financial lives while also taking a longer view for the future. Understanding basic financial information has become increasingly important in today’s environment since more and more individuals are shouldering more financial decisions on their own. Retirement planning is an example of the increasing responsibility Americans must take for their own financial security. Past generations depended on company pension plans to fund the bulk of their retirement. These pension funds, managed by professionals, placed the financial burden on the companies or governments that sponsored them. Individuals typically were not involved with the decision-making, often did not even contribute to their own funds, and were rarely made aware of the funding status or investments held by the pension. Today, pensions are more a rarity than the norm, especially for new workers. Instead, employees are being offered the ability to participate in 401(k) plans or 403(b) plans, in which they need to decide how much to contribute and how to invest the money. We are also being asked to choose among various investment and savings products. These products are more sophisticated than in the past, requiring selection from different options that offer varying interest rates and maturities, decisions they are not adequately educated to make. The choices made from among complex financial instruments with a large range of options can impact a consumer’s ability to buy a home, finance an education, or save for retirement, adding to the decision-making pressure. Then, too, the number of institutions offering products and services can be daunting. Banks, credit unions, insurance firms, credit card companies, brokerage firms, mortgage companies, financial planners, and other financial service companies are all vying for assets, creating confusion for the consumer. According to recent research, low financial literacy has left millennials—the largest share of the American workforce—unprepared for a severe financial crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic. Even among those who report having high knowledge about personal finance, only 19% answered questions about fundamental financial concepts correctly. Forty-three percent report using expensive alternative financial services, such as payday loans and pawnshops. More than half lack an emergency fund to cover three months’ expenses, and 37% are financially fragile (defined as unable or unlikely to be able to come up with $2,000 within a month in the event of an emergency). Millennials also carry large amounts of student loan and mortgage debt—in fact, 44% say they have too much debt.

The CO-OP Country Round Up A paper for, and about, country people.

Owned by the CO-OP Gas & Supply Co., Inc. 125 Tibbetts Lane Ponderay, Idaho 83852 208-263-6820

The Round Up is published bimonthly by Round Up Publishing and printed by TPC Printing, Lewiston, Idaho. Our distribution is 40,000 in North Idaho and West Sanders county in Montana. The next issue of the Round Up will be out on March 5, 2021 Contributors : Jim Haynes, Ann Warwick, Judy Baird, Dr. Gabrielle Duebendorfer, Chase Youngdahl, Hannah Combs, Sean Ellis, Joseph Smith and Vivian Bogardus For advertising rates, information and questions please call 208.265.7703 or email kathy@coopgasandsupply.com You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and on our website coopgasandsupply.com

Manage Your Forest

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Mike Wolcott Lee Andrews Steve Bloedel John Ailport

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Continued Alcohol and Cancer Pg. 14 alcohol consumption during adult life, drinking patterns, and breast cancer risk. JAMA 306(17), 1884–1890 (2011). 4) Smith-Warner SA, Spiegelman D, Yaun SS et al. Alcohol and breast cancer in women: a pooled analysis of cohort studies. JAMA 279(7), 535–540 (1998). 5) Kwan ML, Chen WY, Flatt SW, Weltzien EK, Nechuta SJ, Poole EM, Holmes MD, Patterson RE, Shu XO, Pierce JP, Caan BJ. Postdiagnosis alcohol consumption and breast cancer prognosis in the after breast cancer pooling project. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013;22(1):32-41. 6) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32239145/ 7) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijc.31653 8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4046814/ 9) Lis Alschuler, Breast Cancer Review, ONCANP 2019 10) Slattery M.L., Potter J., Caan B., Edwards S., Coates A., Ma K.N., Berry T.D. Energy balance and colon cancer—Beyond physical activity. Cancer Res. 1997;57:75–80.

Dr Gabrielle Duebendorfer has practiced naturopathic medicine for more than 25 years combining natural medicine with mindfulness tools. She is a certified iRest instructor and focuses on cancer care and post traumatic growth. She offers tele and in person consults and classes. 208-920-0583.

While these may seem like individual problems, recent trends are making it all the more imperative that we understand basic finances. Becoming financially literate is not easy, but once mastered, it can ease life’s burdens tremendously. For those of you raising children, it is never too early to start exposing them to basic financial information. We can’t rely upon our schools to start preparing our children to be good financial managers. The same holds true for adults. It’s never too late to seek out advice, much of which is available at no cost through a number of resources such as through your financial institution.

Real Estate and You

The CO-OP Country Round Up May / June 2021 Volume 21 Issue 4

National/Regional Recent Real Estate Trends and a Look at Covid-19 Impacts on our Regional Housing Market Jim Haynes, Associate Broker, Realm Partners

The US housing market showed strong results for December 2020 through February 2021 (March data had not been released at the time of this writing). The number of existing home sales sold for this period versus the same period last year were up 16.9% and the median1 home sales price was up 14.3%. Tight inventories and low interest rates were cited as contributing factors for the increase in prices. Market inventory nationally was 2.8 months at the end of February down from February of 2020 when the inventory was 3.5 months. Six months is considered a balanced market. Smaller inventories work to the advantage of the seller. Thirty-year fixed interest rate mortgages were at 3.08% at the end of March down from 3.45% for March of 2020. Lower interest rates mean more buying power for the buyer meaning they can spend more on a house with a lower interest rate. The three northern counties of Idaho as a whole (see Real Estate Statistics this page) experienced a 15.5% increase in number of homes sold in the first quarter of 2021 as compared the first quarter of 2020 (1088 in 2021 versus 942 in 2020). The median home sales priced jumped a whopping 36.7% from $332,750 in the first quarter of 2020 to $455,000 in the first quarter of 2021. Market inventory was just under one month. Again, the tight inventory makes for a seller’s market. Idaho was already one of the fastest growing states in the nation before the pandemic hit. The Covid-19 virus started impacting the real estate market towards the end of March of 2020. A year later the impact on our local market is shown in the data below for the three northern counties of Idaho for April 14, 2020 to April 14, 2021. Home Sales April 14, 2020 to April 14, 2021

Boundary County Bonner County Kootenai County

Homes Sold 256 1,040 4,983

Change from Previous Year 17.4% 15.9% 12.2%

Median Sales Price $320,000 $410,000 $400,000

Change from Previous Year 34.2% 18.8% 22.1%

Source: Coeur d'Alene MLS and Selkirk MLS, information deemed reliable but not guaranteed

Note the considerable jump in the number of sales and sales prices in the last year for all three northern Idaho counties. As noted previously the increases in the number of sales and sales prices are even greater for the first quarter of this year as compared to the first quarter of last year. Increasing sales and sales prices, multiple competing offers driving prices higher, low inventory, hard to find rentals and higher rents, more traffic, waiting lists for storage facilities, farmland being plowed under for housing tracts, etc. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out but right now as people continue to angle to move to this area the sellers have the upper hand. 1 The median home price is that price at which half of the homes sold for more than that amount, and half sold for less than that amount. The median price is used to remove bias from home prices introduced by high end properties.

Information compiled by Jim Haynes, Associate Broker, Realm Partners, 208-290-7249, jim.haynes@frontier.com Single Family Home Sales (number of units sold)

United States * Kootenai County ** Bonner County ** Boundary County **

2015 5,250,000 3,759 779 188

2016 5,450,000 4,133 840 174

2017 5,510,000 4,304 881 157

2018 5,340,000 4,512 1,000 217

2019 5,340,000 4,406 908 221

2020 5,640,000 4,877 1,018 230

1st Quarter % Change from 2021 1st Qtr 2020 N/A N/A 878 12.6% 153 18.6% 57 72.7%

2020 $296,700 $375,000 $390,000 $305,000

1st Quarter % Change from 2021 1st Qtr 2020 N/A N/A $458,345 37.2% $490,000 44.2% $330,000 38.1%

Single Family Median Home Sales Price

United States * Kootenai County ** Bonner County ** Boundary County **

2015 $222,400 $214,000 $235,000 $172,450

2016 $233,800 $230,330 $257,500 $175,000

2017 $247,200 $257,583 $280,990 $199,900

2018 $259,300 $292,000 $305,000 $194,000

2019 $271,800 $320,009 $334,000 $234,000

* Existing single family home sales ** Homes, condominiums and townhomes (existing and new) Source: National Association of Realtors, Coeur d'Alene MLS and Selkirk MLS (1-1-2015 to 3-31-2021, information deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

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