KAXE and the NFCB Vote to Support International Journalism

This afternoon KAXE was part of a unanimous vote by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters passing the resolution below. The vote was requested by AMARC (the World Association of Community Radio Stations--of which KAXE is a member). It supports the international work of community broadcasters and journalists. The resolution will be sent to the US State Department and the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon:

WHEREAS, with 35 journalists killed in Mexico since [the year] 2000, ten in 2006 alone, most of them while covering cases of organized crime and corruption, Mexico has been considered the most dangerous country in the continent for journalists;

WHEREAS, Mexican community radio stations, including community-based station Radio Bemba in Hermosillo, have denounced systematic practices of harassment and intimidation from police authorities against their news gathering work;

WHEREAS, there is a long history of rampant impunity in cases involving crimes against journalists perpetrated bu public officials;

RESOLUTION,

The members of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, representing 190 member radio stations in the United States, express our deepest concern for this atmosphere of violence and impunity against Mexican journalists and community radio practitioners and urge President Felipe Calderon to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation in all pending cases of attacks against journalists, ensure those responsible are brought to justice, ensure protection of the work of journalists and community media practitioners, and ensure compliance with the constitutional laws that protect the right to free speech.

Atlanta, Georgia, USA
March 29, 2008

Greatest Moments in the life of Cake

Hi, my name is Patty-Kake and this is my brother Johnny-Kake. We're cake.

You know, we've seen a lot of parties, because we're cakes. But tonight was different. This was by far, forks down, the greatest moment of our 7-layered lives. There was joy, laughter, whipped cream, music and camaraderie. Johnny-Kake and I really felt appreciated.

Maybe this is half baked, but it wasn't like we were "just" cakes. The fork-holders really included us in their celebration. It is so sweet when people come together to communicate, to laugh, to listen and of course, to eat.

KAXE is not that different from a big ol' slab of cake - it can bring people together in a really good way and lead to lots of Great Moments.

The Greatest Moments fundraiser on 91.7 KAXE starts Monday morning. The first pledge will be a really great moment, so don't be shy, fork it over!

KAXErs Searching for the Lost City of Atlanta

We thought that the lost city of Atlanta disappeared thousands of years ago under the ocean. Turns out it's actually in Georgia. And you can fly there! So we did!

We're joining hundreds of other staff and board members from community radio stations all over the United States to celebrate the rediscovery of Atlanta. (Georgia!)

Here's a photo from our first night at the National Federation of Community Broadcasters conference in Atlanta.

Video from Elaine MacRostie Member

KAXE member & Elaine MacRostie sent us this video she took at the DFL Convention in Nashwauk...

Ojibwemowin: Onaabani-giizis

"Ani-ziigwan!" It's getting to be Spring.
"Ningizo wa-aw goon." The snow is melting.

There are many names for snow and ways to describe it:
"Zhakaagonaga": mushy snow or slush.
"Onaabanad". the snow has a crust on it.
That's why the month of March is named "Onaabani-giizis"

Maggie's Local Food Update 3-12-08

There is lots of local food news around KAXE this week!

Scott Hall and I talked with Kent Lorentzen of Jacobson this morning. Kent is a local farmer and manager of the Grand Rapids Farmers’ Market. The Grand Rapids market is open Wednesdays and Fridays through the summer. This year, they’re moving to a new location, across the road from the Central Square Mall (on Highway 2). They’re also opening earlier this year (the first Saturday in May) to sell bedding plants and other items like jams and maple syrup. Kent specializes in beets, potatoes and onions. His garden is about 100’ x 120’, and he has a potato patch that is between half an acre and an acre in size. Kent said several members of the market specialize in certain foods that they can grow best on their land. Market members pay annual dues and a daily fee. For more information, and pictures of last year’s market, visit their website: http://www.grfarmersmarket.org/.

About ten people attended KAXE’s book club meeting last night, to discuss Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Vegetable, Miracle. It was a lively discussion that encompassed recipes, apple tree pruning, and raising calves. It was also a yummy discussion. Participants brought a variety of local food—beets, potato salad, cheese, venison sausage, salsa, blueberry muffins, and black current wine.

Jane Grimsbo Jewett, volunteer producer for many of KAXE’s local food segments and staff member for MISA (the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture) has offered 5 hogs for sale (they are sold by the half). The cost is approximately $234 for a half hog (that’s about 80# of meat net), including slaughtering and butchering by Beier’s Country Meats. The hogs will be butchered in late March or early April. Those ordering hogs would be paying the grower (Jane) $1.60/# for the animal. Beier’s charges $45 to slaughter and $.50/# to cut and wrap the meat to your specifications. The staff at KAXE has purchased two halves. That leaves 8 remaining. If you eat meat and are interested in some sustainably raised pork—email srose@kaxe.org (Stephanie Rose). You can sign up for an entire half or, if other people go in with you, you can split up a half.

Finally, KAXE staffer Linda Johnson is organizing a seed exchange, for those who save seeds or wish to procure some. If you’re interested in participating, email her: ljohnson@kaxe.org. She’d like to set up a day for the exchange!

If you are a local food producer, or if you know someone we should interview about local food, please let us know. Also, we’re interested in your local food recipes. We made local crepes in the KAXE kitchen this morning (with a dash of non-local Cognac in the batter, courtesy of KAXE historian and gourmet club member Don Boese). Do you have a favorite local food breakfast?

Maggie Montgomery's Local Food Update 3/5/08

I’m looking forward to next week’s KAXE book club discussion of Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal Vegetable Miracle. I read the book last summer and passed it around to several friends and family. The book was both serious and humorous, and contains some good recipes and lots of great stories. KAXE’s book club meets next Tuesday March 11th at 4 p.m. at KAXE’s studios, 260 NE 2nd St, Grand Rapids MN. The meetings are open to everyone!

Today on KAXE’s Morning Show, Scott Hall and I talked to Merle Roberts, owner (with his wife Roxie) of Merle’s Farm Fresh Meats. Merle and Roxie and their family have supplied many people in our area with locally grown pork and beef for the last 10 years. Their truck has been a fixture at area farmers’ markets, and many people say that Merle and Roxie’s meats are some of the best available in these parts.

Merle told us he is strongly considering quitting business this year. He said that two years ago corn cost $1.80/bushel. Now it’s $6/bushel. Soybean meal was $180/ton. Now it’s $400/ton. He said he uses 20,000 bushels of corn each year to feed his 100 sows, 60 head of cows, and 4,000 chickens. “I’m looking at working 16-hour days and losing $75,000-$100,000 this year,” he said. Merle blamed ethanol plants and the world market for the high cost of grain.

He said he and Roxie might move to Wyoming to find work this summer. Merle will re-evaluate the decision next fall. “I don’t want to raise prices that much, or just a few people will be able to afford the meat…People are going to get their eyes opened at the prices in the grocery store this year!”

Meanwhile, on the home front, Dennis inventoried the freezer last weekend. Here’s his comprehensive food report:

Contents of the freezer 3/1/08
Strawberries 18 qt
Raspberries 9 qt
Rhubarb sauce 1 qt
Plums 1 qt
Grape juice 1 qt
Apple cider 1 gal
Tomato sauce 7 pts
Corn 6 qt and 4 ears
Chopped green peppers 1 qt
Green beans 7 qt
Snow peas 3 qt
Peas 2 qt
Broccoli 9 qt
Cauliflower 5 qt
Beet greens 3 pt
Mustard greens 1 pt
Bok Choy 1 qt
Kale 6 qt
Some pesto and basil/olive oil from 2006
Basil butter (2007) 1½ qt
Bread (sourdough) 4 loaves
Eggs (frozen) 3 dozen approx.
Goat 3 roasts (from Fultz family farm)
Chicken 2 whole (Bemidji farmers’ market)
Fish fillets 2 pts (caught locally)
Beef 1 roast (from Paul Meyer)
Venison steaks and ground (from Cori Kindamo)
Lamb 1½ lambs approx. (from Erling Lofthus)
Really old stuff (frozen)
Edamame 1 bag
Organic soybeans 1 bag
Boca brats 3 brats
Spring roll wrappers 2 pkgs
1 pkg. frozen macaroni and cheese (left by visitors)
1 box of chicken tenders (left by visitors)

Canned (he didn’t count this): green beans, sauerkraut, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, applesauce, and some canned hot peppers from Karen Ryan.
Stored in the cellar: carrots and cabbages from Joel Rosen, parsnips, beets, apples, potatoes
Stored upstairs: some pitiful-looking acorn squash, shallots, onions, garlic
Growing: 3 basil plants and 2 pots of cilantro
Based on the inventory, here are some of our plans: There is pretty much fruit left (27 quarts of strawberries and raspberries), in spite of the fact that Dennis started 11 gallons of wine in the last week or so (chokecherry, raspberry/rhubarb, and honey grape). He may start some strawberry/rhubarb wine in the spring when the new rhubarb comes up, if we have enough strawberries left.

There are 42 quarts of various frozen vegetables, not including the tomato sauce. We’re saving the frozen and canned veggies somewhat, and concentrating more on eating the stored veggies first, before they decay—carrots, cabbage, potatoes, squash, beets, apples.

The squash and apples are going downhill fast.

We’ve started making plain yogurt by the quart, and making fruit smoothies.
Blackstar Dairy has stopped making yogurt! That’s why we started doing it ourselves. It isn’t too hard, although I broke a quart jar of milk when I immersed it in boiling water this weekend. Note to self: Start with cool water for each quart.

We’re looking forward to spring! By late May we should be getting some fresh asparagus, and wild greens like lamb’s quarters and nettles—plus some morels if we’re lucky and some lettuce or other cultivated greens if we’re on the ball! Looks like we won’t run out of food!

Last weekend:
Dennis started 1 gallon of honey grape wine
He also started 5 gallons raspberry/rhubarb wine
I baked 8 loaves bread (this is a lot—4 are to give away)
Made 1 pt sour cream
Made 2 qt yogurt
2 pumpkin (squash) pies
Weekend dinners were: potato wild rice soup with pickled beets and sourdough bread on Saturday and pot roast (goat and venison), mashed potatoes and cabbage Sunday.

Young Reporters at KAXE

Have you heard our 11 year old community journalist Maggie Anderson yet? Among other things, Maggie has done two interviews for the KAXE Morning Show. Tomorrow morning (3/3/08) Maggie will be talking with retired DNR wildlife biologist Bill Berg about antler sheds.

If you missed her interview with her friend Rebecca - they talked with DNR grouse specialist about a psycho grouse that had been attacking people around Rebecca's house in Hibbing.

KAXE is voice to many people throughout the community of Northern Minnesota. If 11 year old Maggie can do it, so can you! If you've got a subject you'd like to do a report on - whether it's for the radio or for the web - we'll help! Check out the new KAXE community web project!