Askwali – Thank You To All Who Made the Hopi Farmers Market a Success!

By Susan Secakuku

We had a very successful Hopi farmers market on Sunday. Thank you to all who made it happen.  Success of this kind depends on so many people. 

Special thanks to the 15+ little Hopi Rattlers Tball team for giving back! They and their coaches Daylen, Cheryl, Jory and Renee volunteered on our morning run, kids corner and managed the parking. They were at 6 am, ready to go and stayed until the end. We could not have done it without you!

A grand shout out, to our face-painters, artists JC, Jason, and Tiffany who offered both Hopi art and contemporary work. You are guys are so talented and made the kids so happy!

Thank you to the vendors and organizations, who came out to share all their work. We had people selling baby clothes; fresh flowers, baked goods; fresh eggs, ceramic bowls; vegetable transplants; fresh dill and mint; grape vines; lotions; essential oils; compost and more! Others shared program information on other great community events such as Miss Hopi and Hopi heirloom seeds.

Our Co-op members are simply awesome. We all spent hours and energy to plan, execute and show up to make it happen. About 30 of us were there, talking up food, positive lifestyle changes, and better wellness through local foods. We were overtly seeking new converts!

Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture, Natwani Coalition and Kykotsmovi Water either made a donation, sought funding, or redirected some of their program dollars to support this event. They along with our funders are greatly appreciated.

Lastly, success doesn’t happen unless the rest of the community shows up! There was a steady stream of community who came over the course of 4 hours. They purchased, ate, learned, visited, shared---in essence, they gave back too. 

This market was so successful in many ways.  It is small start to keeping some of the food economy, local here at Hopi. It is a small start for our community to reconnect beyond their families, to freshly grown or freshly made food. It was a small effort that created a social venue to visit with your neighbor. It is a small start for those who have a passion about something, be it baking, sewing, or growing food, to share with enthusiasm, their work with their neighbor. It is beautiful to be a small part of such a successful community!  Thank you all for making it happen!

What Does the Hopi Farmers Market and Michael Pollan's Food Rule Have In Common?
by Susan Secakuku

Michael Pollan has written many great food related books, but the one titled, "Food Rules: An Eaters Manual" is indeed an manual, and a quick read. He writes, "most of us have come to rely on experts on one kind or another to tell us how to eat---doctors, diet books, media, government advisories and food pyramids. How odd it is that everybody now has at least a passing acquaintance with words like 'antioxidant, saturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, gluten, carbohydrates, etc.' when it comes to food. I know you probably agree with me, that this can all be so confusing!

We here on Hopiland, have often heard, that we need to start just eating our own food again. Meaning using ingredients we have grown on our own soil and food made from recipes that that are now labeled as "traditional," but we know are low in fat and salt and most important, that have sustained us for thousands of years.

So although I agree that we should go back to growing and eating our foods too, today we have become so acculturated that our daily lifestyle and diet, highly reflects the average American one, to the point that, I think we do need help in simplifying our American food choices and food knowledge.  So with that, let me introduce you to one of Pollan's 64 Food Rule's:

Food Rule #36: Eat Only Foods That Eventually Rot!!

        "Real food is alive---and therefore should eventually die (or at least go bad). Food processing  
        began as a way to to extend the shelf life of food, often by removing nutrients that will
        eventually make it turn rancid! The more processed a food is, the longer the shelf life, and the
        less nutritious it typically is."

The Hopi Food Co-op is here to celebrate our community farmers/gardeners/orchardists who continue live life by the Hopi value of "itam nav yani"----doing it ourselves. Let's take our own health and wellness back into our hands by growing and eating as much of our own food as possible.  Our co-op encourages those with extra to share their wealth!  And for those who will buy such food anyway, to have them consider getting such items from a local farmer/gardener instead!

So I challenge you to Food Rule #36 - Eat only foods that eventually rot. You can find this in plenty this Sunday, July 20 at this years first Hopi Farmers Market.  To be held at the corner of 264 & 87 in Second Mesa, from 8 am - 12 pm.  Local gardeners will sell or trade their extra vegetables, fruit, eggs, transplants, etc. Also invited are those artistic folks who make beautiful hand-made crafts and our great cooks, both who are invited to sell their wares or food.

This Market is organized by the Hopi Food Co-op, The Natwani Coalition and Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture. For more information contact hopifoodcoop@gmail.com.

Share Your Wealth - One Plant/Animal/Tree At A Time

by Susan Secakuku

It has been one hot summer here at Hopi, once summer finally got here. It has also been one dry summer, with very little rain.  The Katsinam have been doing their part to bring us rain, with many visits to us the Hopi people with their beautiful songs and dancing. But just yesterday, it looks like the Katsinam have decided to revisit us as clouds!  Our sky’s are beautiful, full of big, puffy, cumulus clouds, offering us relief with their shade. But most importantly, they give us hope that the rains are not far behind! And they did not disappoint. As I write this, the first drops of summer rain are falling outside!

Despite the recent hot, dry weather, we continuously work daily to care for trees, animals and plants that will feed us. We do this, not only because we are supposed to, but because we love to.

Today we are reaping the investment of our work---we are harvesting food!! 

Co-op member Tiffany (pictured below left) and her family have agreed to share their harvest of apricots with whomever wanted some. She and her family are gracefully fighting the birds to gather many apricots from this “tried and true tree that was planted before (she) was born.”  Another co-op member Lillian (pictured below in center) announced that she has an “abundance of swiss chard” straight from her own garden to sell. She even shared the nutritional qualities and basic ways to cook swiss chard for those who don’t know what an awesome food swiss chard is. I myself continuously sell my local eggs to those who know that fresh eggs are the best. In fact I trading some eggs for a beautiful bouquet of swiss chard and purchased some apricots, which I plan to make into jam!

What I think most of us like best---is the sharing of our food wealth with our friends and neighbors. And these particular friends and neighbors want to shake the hands of those that (partly) feed them and their families! What better way to support community, with one plant/tree/animal at a time, then sharing the wealth!