CONTENTS 4/18/2020
Shared Immunity Donors Sought
Sudden Loss Of Smell Or Taste
Host A CSA Pick Up Location
Annual Plant Sale Changes
Shopping Help Wanted
Shared Immunity Donors Sought
BloodWorks Northwest, previously known as Puget Sound Blood Center, our local blood transfusion products supplier, is seeking volunteers who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma. Plasma is the proteinaceous part of blood with the cells removed. Some of that protein are antibodies. The volunteer must have tested positive for the coronavirus and have recovered for 28 days. The procedure to donate is called plasmapheresis whereby the red blood cells, white cells, and platelets are returned to the donor and the donor does not become mildly/temporarily anemic. For more information go to BloodWorks Northwest website. https://www.bloodworksnw.org/covid19study
SUDDEN LOSS OF SMELL OR TASTE
This can be an early sign of Covid. Please treat yourself as contagious if you notice this. Losing your sense of smell or taste appears to be a stronger predictor of coronavirus infection than fever.
https://covid.joinzoe.com/us-post/loss-of-smell-or-taste-is-a-key-symptom-of-covid-19
HOST A CSA PICK UP LOCATION
Farms offering local food boxes (CSA boxes), as well as grab and go pre-packaged items, are looking to the community for places to drop off products for pickup and/or set up shop for a few hours so customers can choose from pre-packaged products. Do you have a covered outdoor space? Or even a lawn or driveway? If you do and you’re looking to help support local farmers and feed your neighbors, contact one of the farmers listed below. You can also contact Alex from Sustainable Connections, who is helping to coordinate this effort. ~ Jill MacIntyre Witt, Walnut St.
Samish Bay Cheese, Roger Wechsler, (360) 766-6707, cheese@samishbay.com
Silver Creek Farm, Haley Davis, (360) 201-6878, thesilvercreekfarm@gmail.com
Seasoned Harvest, Serena Auriemma, (360) 853-3258, seasonedharvest@gmail.com
Boldly Grown Farm, Amy Frye, (206) 795-5715, boldlygrownfarm@gmail.com
Bow Hill Blueberries, Lalia Bonnell, (360) 399-1006, lalia@bowhillblueberries.com
Les Gourmands Farm, Pauline Chiquet, lesgourmandsfarm@gmail.com
Flynn Farms, Savannah Flynn, (775) 544-8925, flynnfarmsorganic@gmail.com
Sustainable Connections, Alex Smith, (206)890-4063, alex@sustainableconnections.org
ANNUAL PLANT SALE CHANGES
Whatcom County Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale Changes
This year’s Whatcom County Master Gardener plant sale has been cancelled due to COVID-19, but they have 1000’s of tomato and other starts ready to go. So they have put together a different kind of plant sale, as follows.
Announcing the 2020 WSU Whatcom Master Gardener Foundation Victory Garden Tomato Sale plus veggies, herbs and dahlia tubers! This will be a pre-order only sale from April 23-30. Pre-orders will be picked up on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 by drive-by at Hovander Homestead Park, 5299 Nielsen Ave, Ferndale. Go to extension.wsu.edu/Whatcom for details on how to preorder. And look for updates on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/whatcomMG/
~ Kathy Sparks, Utter Street
SHOPPING HELP WANTED
If someone is looking to make some money, I’d love to hire a shopper. I don’t want anyone going to a store unless they absolutely have to go. So, if someone is already going to a grocery store and would like to earn some money picking up a few extra groceries, then please contact me. ~ Claire Evans, Tulip Street, evans4kids@comcast.net