Prez Donna opened our meeting with the Pledge.

Thought of the Day: Shirley Chisholm “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.:

Guests: Chris Thomas, and Matt Drewno.

 

Today’s Program:

Donna introduced Matt Drewno, who will soon join our club as a member. He is certified in permaculture and has a degree in architecture, and lots of experience with biointensive agriculture.

Matt works with Ecology Action, run by John Jeavens, and has friends in Willits Rotary. He’s looking forward to joining our club, because he comes across Rotarians all over the world teaching their methods. He has a biointensive garden at the Stanford Inn.

How to Grow More Vegetables is a book by John Jeavons and Ecology Action, now in its 9th edition and sold around the world. Matt shared information about The Victory Gardens for Peace Initiative, which is intended to prevent war by stabilizing local food systems and empowering families and communities to be self-sufficient.

The biointensive movement is growing most quickly in Nicaragua and Kenya. Ecology Action is fundraising to bring a young farmer named Omar here from Nicaragua for additional training.

Matt shared projections done in 1972 by the UN, showing a tipping point in population (leading to decline) in 2030, due to increasing pollution, decreased water supplies, limited fossil fuels, soil depletion, etc. Matt is hopeful that biointensive agriculture, implemented on a micro-scale, can actually stop and reverse climate change.

May 27, 10am-4pm, is a garden tour at the Stanford Inn Victory Garden for Peace. They’ll be sharing the whole technique, which comprises 8 principles/practices. The method is designed to work in depleted, challenged soils.

 

Announcements:

A new Paul Harris Fellow was awarded to Brandt Stickels. Congratulations Brandt!

Happy Dollars:

– Gary’s happy Pete is coming back!

– Brandt is happy to thank our club members are going to Vanuatu for our international service project.

– Harold is happy that we are up to date with our club’s tax filings.

– Dean is happy for our international project, too.

– Joe is happy. Period. And he had a nice visit from a grandson.

– Ray is happy to have a woodsplitter loaned to him!

– Guenter is happy to be back from a wonderful trip to visit his homeland and go to a high school reunion, and a trip to London and Oxford.

– Heather is happy to be busy with work, and traveling lots.

– John C is happy that decisions were made on Community Service grants. (Grantees could come on June 14 to receive their awards!)

More Announcements:

Interact Club is coming next week! Please sponsor a student’s lunch next week!

August 18 is our Golf Tournament. We have a few prizes gathered, and we’ll need more, and need hole sponsors too. Jody is chairing the event.

July 4 will be an event in our Rotary Park – bring your ideas forward!

Community Service Committee awarded grants to

– Pt Cabrillo Lightstation for new signs

– Mendocino Coast Childrens fund for summer camp

– KZYX to underwrite 50 ad spots

– Rainbow School for an outdoor interactive magnet wall

– Kelley House Museum for entrance signs

– CA Poets in the Schools to sponsor a teacher for 6 weeks

– Mendocino College Foundation to sponsor a 5th grader

– Mendocino Circus Arts for summer activities and insurance

– Humane Society for vaccines

 

Today’s Raffle Winner: Ray! Congrats.