EBCL hosting 'Natural Connections' classes

SANDPOINT — Have you always wanted to can (or dehydrate) your own food but weren't sure where to start?

The East Bonner County Library District's Natural Connections program can help. The latest event in the library's monthly program is being held today at the Sandpoint Library.

Among the classes offered are food preservation, a "brooms and brown bag" lunch hour with an hour-long demonstration of tying a whisk broom, a program on tapping (an emotional freedom self-healing technique), and a bandages for books workshop.

The program will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude by 4 p.m. at the Sandpoint Library, 1407 Cedar.

Suzy Miller, a master food safety advisor with the University of Idaho Extension, will kick the program off at 10 a.m.

This class will cover common food preservation techniques, including dehydrating, boiling water canning, pressure canning, freezing, and freeze-drying. In addition, Miller will demonstrate making freezer jam, with each participant receiving a small container of jam to take home.

At noon, participants will enjoy an hour-long demonstration of hand-tying a whisk broom by Bed Huhta. 

Huhta, who operates a hobby farm in the Sandpoint area, learned how to make brooms at the John C. Campbell folk school in Brasstown, N.C. While he has sold a few brooms, Huhta said he mostly uses them as gifts and to clean around his farm. 

"Many natural materials have been used for making brooms, but the most common in the U.S. is broom corn, a variety of sorghum," Huhta said. "Benjamin Franklin is credited with first bringing broom corn from Europe to the U.S."

While European brooms were rounded, the Shakers changed the design to flatten out the sweeping end of what is now recognized as a broom.

"Today most broom corn is grown in Mexico and imported, just as most brooms are machine-made," he said. "Hand-tying a broom remains an artistic craft that creates a practical tool that can be used for decoration or cleaning."

Also planned is a one-hour interactive workshop on tapping, which is an emotional freedom technique. Beryl Ryan, a registered nurse for 35 years, will be leading the workshop.

At the workshop, participants will learn, practice, and explore how the self-healing tool can be utilized in a variety of situations. Ryan, who works as a hospice nurse, said tapping involves a sequence of light physical tappings on external acupressure points.

At 2 p.m., participants will learn basic book-mending techniques from a library specialist. The workshop will cover basic book anatomy, recommended repair materials, and various repairs, including corners, hinge tightening, and page tears.

All supplies will be provided, including books to practice on.

Information: bit.ly/3tbJvZj