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Shelton-Mason County Journal
By NATALIE JOHNSON 12 years, and started donating blood that restrict how often she can go to
regularly about 43 years ago. At that the blood bank. A person can't give
Marilyn Olson just turned 75, but time, individuals who donated blood blood ff they have any illness or have
that number isn't the one on her mind. before a relative went through surgery a low iron count. Additionally, indi-
Olson's favorite numbers this week could get free transfusions in the hos- viduals can only give 5 pints of blood
are 208 and 26. About two weeks ago, pital. When the mother of Olson's sis- a year.
she donated her 208th pint of blood, ter-in-law needed surgery, Olson gave "I've been bleseedwith good health,"
equaling 26 total gallons of blood do- blood and has been doing it ever since, she said.
nated in her lifetime. "I think people need to do things Olson said her most memorable• do-
"It's a small thing, it's something for other people - practice the golden nation experience was giving blood for
anyone who's healthy can do, but only rule," she said. "I started giving when- her own infant granddaughter during
5 percent of people do it," she said. ever I thought about it."
Olson has lived in Shelton for about Olson said there are some things See Blood on page B2
Journal photo by
Natalie Johnson
Marilyn
Olson re-
cently
donated her
208th gallon
of blood.
COOKIN'
B~, NATALIE JOHNSON
In the modern age we live
in, when food is genetically
poked and prodded, flash fro-
zen and artificially ripened and,
in short, grown and harvested
more by machines than human
hands, small farms are disap-
pearing so rapidly the census
no longer includes "farmer' as a
major occupation.
However, a small but dedi-
cated following of foodies and
farmers across the country,
sometimes called "locovores,"
are leading efforts to bring back
small farms and loc~ produce.
here in Mason County, such as
Nick Browne and Kelsey Mar-
tin-Keating, who own and op-
crate Highwater Farms in the
Skokomish Valley.
Martin-Keating calls Browne
the "plant whisperer," for his
skill and dedication to nuturing
unusual types of produce, such
as fava beans or dark red De-
troit beets.
"(Browne) has the magic
touch," she said. "He says nice
things to his plants ... he really
grows amazing vegetables?
Browne responded, "You just
spend time with them.., see
how they're doing."
Browne has been build-
ing Highwater Farms in the
,/
/,
/"
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
Nick Browne works in the hot house, or =hoop
house, at Highwater Farms.
Skokomish Valley for nine biochemistry, he was faced with
years. After growing up in De- either working in a lab or tak-
treit and graduating from col- ing a leap of faith with the farm,
lege with a bachelor's degree in he said.
"It was what I needed," he
said, "So i decided to stay here
and utilize the opportunities I
had."
Beginning each year in April,
Browne cleans up after winter
flooding and plants the farm's
small fields with fresh crops.
The farm generates between
500 and 600 pounds of greens
alone every summer. Its crops
range from green and fava
bage, lettuce, onions, garlic,
peppers, tomatoes and more,
most of which are endangered
or heirloom varieties. There is
also a century old fruit orchard
with apples, pears and cherries,
and a hot house for plantS need-
ing a warmer environment.
Highwater Farms is also
hoqle to chickens, ducks, occa-
sional pigs, two resident sheep
and two goats, a hive of report-
edly friendly honey bees to pol-
linate crops, a malamute dog
named Montana and a Siamese
cat named Norman.
said the Skokomish Valley is~
simply the best place in Mason
County to have a small farm,
most of all because of fertfte soft
that is nine and a half feet deep.
"It's best-suited for just about
anything. We have really good
weather. We have full sun from
sun up to sun down everyday,
we basically dry farm, I have no
sprinklers," Browne said.
However, persistent flooding
in the fall and winter months
ends most farm operations by
late October.
Most years, the farm floods
up to two and a half or three
feet of water, Browne said. In
2007, water flooded their house
and caused extensive damage.
"The last five years have
been the top five floods," Mar-
tin-Keating said. "It's a trade
off -- we have this amazingly
fertile soft."
Browne has a particular phi-
losophy on food that centers
around farming organically, but
also being efficient - wasting as
little as possible and recycling
constantly.
"So much food is being wast-
ed - it's more important to use
local than waste food," he said.
Browne feeds his chickens,
See Farming on page B-2
Membership
dues play
vital role in
commun,ty
I think we are all hoping for a long
extended summer, but just in case
that doesn't happen, it would be nice
to have October and November high-
lighted with those leaves.
At last week's Community Club
meeting there was a vote on what pic-
tures should be included in the 2012
Harstine Island calendar. There were
numerous entries
and the top 12 were
selected. The picture
chosen for October
shows a stand of
maple trees in full
fall color. It would be
nice if we had more
of these varied and
MIKE rainbow-like trees on
CALLAGHAN the island. With only
one way on and off
the island, it would
be easy to plant just a few maples and
dogwoods within the first 100 feet or so
of the bridge and it would brighten up
arrival on the island after those gray
clouds begin to dominate the day.
CERT will meet tonight (Thurs-
day) at 6:30 p.m. at the fire station
next to the community hall.
The second senior lunch for August
will be served Wednesday, Aug. 24. It
will be for those of you who live on
the' island and are 50 and older. The
doors open at noon at the community
hall. They will have baked chicken,
dressing with gravy, green salad, fruit
cobbler and crisp. They ask for a $3
donation. The chance to meet friends
and new friends are great, but get
there a little early because it's reported
that more than a 100 people have been
showing up to take advantage of this
great deal.
The island is a wonderful place
and one of the things that really makes
it great is the community hall. I bring
this up because one of the ways island-
ers raise money to keep the hall in
See Harstine on page B-2
By JOURNAL STAFF
Six students and two advisers at-
tended two national conferences this
summer. The first conference was held
on June 26 thru 29 in Chicago. Over 500
students and adults from across the na-
tion attended this national SADD (Stu-
dents Against Destructive Decisions)
conference. The participants attended
five general sessions and many work-
shops. Workshop topics included bully-
ing, underage drinking, traffic safety,
suicide prevention, fundraising and
distracted driving. The general session
speakers included Craig Tornquist, Ed-
die Slowikowski and Kevin Brooks.
The students got the opportunity to
see the San Francisco Giants and the
Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley Field,
go to the Navy Pier, go to the Taste of
Chicago and take a beat cruise on Lake
Michigan.
The Shelten High School SADD re-
ceived a national award for their project
• on ~exting and driving." They received
a grant from State Farm Insurance and
the National Youth Leadership Council.
The second conference was held July
14 thru 19 in Honolulu, Hawaii. This
conference was called NSSP (National
Student Safety program). This confer-
ence dealt more with traffic safety topics
such as distracted driving. Our SADD
club put on a workshop on ~ and
driving." Also, the Shelton High School
SADD received national recognition in
three categories: second place for their
top community service project, second
place for =Top Safety Club" and Stepha-
nie Howard was named the "Student of
the Year." Stephanie will be the presi-
dent of our SADD club for the 2011 to
2012 school year. Last year she served
as the vice-president. She will be a se-
nior and is an outstanding student and
leader.
The Shelton High School SADD club
raised overt $15,000 to attend these two
national conferences and did approxi-
mately 25 projects throughout the year
to help their school district and the com-
munity.
Their project of the year was the
producing of a nine-minute DVD on
~exting and dr/v/ng." This DVD will be
shown at the fall traffic safety educa-
tion conference that will be sponsored
by WTSEA (Washington Traffic Safety
Education Association) and the Depart-
ment of Licensing. This conference will
See Conference on page B-2
Thursday,
Courtesy photo
Shelton High School's Students Against Destruc-
tive Decisions Club made a pair of out-of-state
trips over the summer, including one to Hawaii.
Seen here, from left, are Helen Johnston, Ger-
ald Apple, Tiffany Ferguson, Stephanie How-
ard, Alyssa Mawais, Crystal Webster, Bryanna
McLean and Jenny Monnier.
August 18, 2011 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page B-1