HEALTH Projects, Organizations
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Existing Projects/Organizations List
(Jenny Burnstad)
Dear Friends for Community Health,
I’ll bet you all have been thinking a lot about our gathering last Wednesday just as I have. Before I start with the minutes I would like to tell you all about my little brainstorm for a name. Since the WELL has hit such a harmonious chord with the addition of the final L to its name, the acronym now means; Willits Economic Localization Links, I have been realizing how important a name is to a group.
I would like to suggest that for our community wide health endeavor that we use the word initiative rather than institute. After using the word institute for our non-profit, Cloud Forest Institute, I realize how daunting it is to try and institute programs and ideas. After almost 9 years of existence we are just beginning to feel like an institution. Psychologically it seems less imposing and more natural and organic to me to initiate an idea. I am hoping that our health initiative will spark many people around the county to become involved until critical mass is reached and the initiative becomes an institution through it own momentum. To go along with this idea I have a suggestion for a name that has an acronym: RICH…Research Initiative for Community Health..because Health is our greatest Wealth. It also implies that we are striving to take care of our communities as well as our own individual bodies. What do you all think?
Minutes:
The meeting was held on Wednesday, February 23. Auspiciously, it was the full moon and the first meeting to be held in the new Mendo Environmental Action Cooperative building, 106 W. Standley St. in Ukiah. Those attending were: Charles Martin, Jacqueline B. Morninglight, Julie Schleuder, Shelley McCoy, Emily Lefebvre, Diane Smalley, Alida, Jenny and Sumo Burnstad, Marvin Lehrman, Adam Gaska and Indigo Donaldson. We had representatives from Ukiah, Willits areas, Redwood Valley and Potter Valley. Coast folks are in touch with us but were not able to attend. We were also pleased to note there was a balance of ages and genders present.
Sumo facilitated the meeting. It is his new interest in medicinal mushrooms and his interaction with the Health and Medicines Work group of WELL that has spawned the initiative. Originally we were calling ourselves the Natural Medicines Research Institute. Charles suggested using the word Health rather than medicine just to keep ourselves legally unapproachable. The group could see the good sense in that. Charles at one time had incorporated a Health Institute as a 501 c private membership foundation. He suggested that we all bring a list of the Natural Health Care providers that we know of to the next meeting. We will be posting this inventory onto the CFI website and cross referencing it to any similar research that has been completed by the WELL Health and Medicine work group.
It is a main focus of this group to start community herb gardens that are plentiful enough that an individual can find one within walking distance. We want to begin planting gardens while simultaneously giving workshops. We talked about the history of the Victory Gardens in the 2nd world war and we would like to revive that spirit. So we are referring to this as our county wide Victory Herb Garden movement.
We are also taking measures to establish an apothecary with the aim of producing enough to provide not only for ourselves in the country but to be suppliers to people in the cities. Charles will investigate the possibility of a establishing a home base for this aspect of our endeavors at the Ridgewood Ranch.
We also discussed setting up a Library at the Golden Rule. Charles said that he thought there was a ranch house on the property that we might be able to lease. The building would need some serious repair so we are putting out the call for people who would be willing to help with that project.
Sumo would like to see the development of a sophisticated analytical lab. Charles suggested this could begin with low cost Chromatography equipment. We talked about patenting herbal blends but then making them open source and in the public domain.
The topic of certifying medicinal marijuana through the MON (Mendocino Organic Network) Mendocino Renegade label was discussed. A Supreme Court decision in June will determine how we will proceed with respect to this topic. With an analytical lab it would be possible to test organically grown medicinal marijuana to determine cannabinoid affects and document strains in a scientific manner.
Other topics that we are interested in: • Sustainable Wild crafting • Engaging professional landscapers in planting medicinal herbs • Learning what Chinese herbs grow well in our areas • Metaphysical and spiritual qualities of plants • A springtime (soon) medicinal plant and seed exchange
Please bring a list of the medicinal herbs you are currently growing to the next meeting which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9 at 6pm, same place. Email jenny@cloudforest.org with questions or to be added to the mailing list.
