Local Honey, Honey!

The masterminds behind Iskashitaa's Food Preservation Workshops are happy to announce a new product, "Grapefruit and Honey Marinade".  We have taken local grapefruits, honey, and chiltipin chilies to create a marinade with a flavorful kick.

The use of local honey has numerous health benefits for connoisseurs. The non-processed form of this honey is loaded with pollen, enzymes and antioxidants. These work as digestive aids, as well as allergy protectants. By digesting the trace amounts of pollen in this honey, you are building a tolerance to the local pollens, and therefore reducing allergies. The enzymes found in the honey work with your own digestive enzymes to aid in the process.

So next time you are cooking chicken or fish, throw some honey-based Iskashitaa marinades on it, and work your way to a healthier you.
 
Would you like to learn more about this product or how to cook with local foods? Join us for one of our Food Preservation Workshops, which take place regularly every month on the second Monday from 12-5, and the fourth Saturday from 9-2*.

Email iskashitaafoodworkshops@gmail.com for other dates and more information.


*Due to a scheduling problem with the kitchen, there will be no workshop on the 4th Saturday in April.

Got Herbs and Veggies?

Do you have gardens veggies and greens bolting, flowering, or otherwise going to waste in your garden plot? They are screaming to be picked! So much produce goes to waste every year in Pima County. We will help solve this by redistributing excess produce to families through our volunteer network . All you need to do is call and arrange to drop off local food at 1406 E. Grant between Highland and Vine between 9-5pm. Or let us come and harvest your garden plot!

Who are we? We are the Iskashitaa Refugee Network, which is an organization that empowers refugees by
creating opportunities to use their knowledge and skills from Africa Asia and the Middle East to help their
families integrate with the larger Tucson community while gaining life skills that serve them in America.

Currently, less than one percent of the world’s refugees are resettled to a third country (5% are located right here in Arizona). United Nations Refugees are people without countries. Their loss is incalculable: loss of
home, livelihood, safety, belonging, and sometimes family. Our hope is that awareness will inform caring, and that caring will inspire action.

And in this economic recession we will need to band together and help one another. This means budgets are
tight and jobs are hard to find. For recent refugees who are coming to America, it means that life will be even
tougher. Your donations will help many refugee families as well as other families across the city.

We have been harvesting since 2003 and have collected over 1,000,000 pounds of fruit! Right now it is citrus season and we want kumquats, tangelos, tangerines, oranges, lemons, and apples!

We need harvesters to help capture these food resources. If you can harvest once a week or a couple times a month it is a wonderful way to Make A Difference! Contact us.

If you would like to donate or pick up fruit, or you would like to volunteer, feel free to contact us at
www.HarvestTucson.org or information@iskashitaa.org

Sincerely,

Barbara Eiswerth, Ph.D.
Director, Iskashitaa Refugee Network
Tel. (520) 440-0100
http://www.HarvestTucson.org

Motto: No Veggie Left Behind

DATE Syrup

Featured Food Product:
DATE Syrup

 

 

The long awaited moment... Tucson's first ever local desert date syrup under the tutelege of Faeza Hillian from Iraq.


Only $11.00
Call 520-440-0100 to place your order! 

“WWOOFing” at Iskashitaa

by Ryan Olesh

“Why would anyone give up their vacation time to, among other things, shovel compost for long periods of time?”  I am occasionally asked variations of this admittedly valid yet humorous question.  For most of the year, I work as a university instructor and take classes as well.   Though I enjoy this work and these classes, I look forward to my academic breaks for a respite from gazing into my computer monitor for long stretches of time and navigating between the different classroom styles of my own teachers.   Started in the 1970’s in Britain for people wanting to escape the cities on the weekend by assisting on local farms, the organization eventually known as Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) expanded internationally.  The organization provides an opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to travel and receive free accommodation while learning about sustainable agriculture, food ethics, and related issues. 

For the past two years, WWOOF has given me a chance to leave the small Midwestern city where I live:  After investigating “host” farms and organizations on the WWOOF website, I have the opportunity to experience life in a different environment.   On average 20-35 hours of work are typically required as part of a WWOOF work-exchange agreement, which is typically informal and dependent upon mutual trust between “WWOOFer” and host.  Even so, it is possible for some degree of friction to develop between these two parties: These two parties are often from different walks of life and are suddenly working close together.   

Nevertheless, it is perhaps this potential of the unexpected as well as the challenge of joining this working dynamic is what drives me to keep returning to WWOOF.  The opportunity to spend time with individuals committed to the cause they believe in is also a powerful draw.  This past December, the opportunity to volunteer at Iskashitaa exemplified these positive aspects of “the WWOOF experience” for me.  Dr. Barbara Eiswerth’s organization allowed me to not only interact with its dedicated staff but also with its diverse Tucson community who were kind enough to donate their citrus fruit harvests, their expertise and time as volunteers.  The program engages people of all ages who contribute to the success of the program.  It integrates refugees into the community through coordinating harvesting experiences and English language learning.  This experience was truly an inspiration to me.

I would encourage anyone interested in contributing to the further success of Iskashitaa to contact the office.  Working within a non-profit organization budget is always a challenge; nevertheless, the dedication and hard-work of Iskashitaa’s staff builds opportunities and the quality-of-life for refugees and increases awareness of refugee-related and sustainability issues.  Furthermore, Barbara Eiswerth’s programs serve as examples of how innovation, dedication and hard work can strengthen community ties in communities such as Tucson.