Farmers and Gatherers Onsite Activities
Farmers & Gatherers are responsible for providing much of the food and medicine for their entire class at Metini / Fort Ross. Your projects will help you learn Russian and European farming practices, and learn about some Kashia Pomo and Alaska Native gathering practices. You will grow and collect food and medicinal plants as well as warn other groups about dangerous plants to avoid.
In addition to doing the farmers planting project (in the ELP garden), Farmers & Gatherers should bring and keep a nature journal, and choose one of the other main projects - acorn processing, species ID hike, or basket weaving.
Farmers and Gatherers Planting - Plant according to the season – Here’s a guide for which crops to plant depending on when you will be at Metini / Fort Ross. These are good staples to choose from.
Nature Journal - Whether or not your group has chosen the Species ID Hike, make sure to bring your Nature Journal so you can add notes about any observations from your other projects and hikes in and around the fort.
Farmers & Gatherers Species ID Hike & Journaling - Farmers & Gatherers will have several opportunities to “fox walk” through Metini / Fort Ross. Make sure to use this time to record observations in your journals - drawings, notes - of where to find important plants and animals that you might have gathered historically (state parks have strict rules on what one can pick or collect - Leads must be aware of this). Weather and tides permitting, you can gather seaweed (choose only fresh, living, healthy-looking plants) from the tidal area and any vegetables, fruits or herbs ready to be harvested from the garden.
Make sure you only take plants that you know to be safe with 100% certainty, and from an area where you know you are allowed to harvest. Please refrain from foraging on State Park or Federal lands, unless you have obtained all necessary permits to do so — not an easy process! Not only do you risk incurring a hefty fine, but you are depleting a legacy being protected for all to enjoy — consider the impact on the land and its resources if everyone who visits were to take ‘just a little something’ away. Seaweed gathered in Metini / Fort Ross Cove is an exception, and you are allowed to harvest a little to sample.
If you are going to the Fort Ross Cove tidal area for species Identification and/or to gather seaweed, make sure to read Going Easy in the Intertidal page. Before heading to the oceanside, meet with your ELP Instructor to go over safety instructions. Do not go in the water!
Acorn Processing - Day Programs will not have time for this labor intensive project on site but it is a great option for overnight groups and was an essential task at Settlement Ross. If a group doing a day program is very interested, then they can do this as a classroom project, or do part of it on site and part in the classroom.
Basket Weaving - This is an important Kashia tradition and a great option for overnight or day programs. If the weather is decent, we encourage groups to do this out in natural surroundings by the creek, instead of inside the fort.