Nearly time to tap

Hey all, I'm trying out a new way of sending out updates for Montague Commoners, so we'll see how this goes. Let me know if this is something you'd like to see more of.

Sugarbush updates

If the weather forecast holds, we will probably be tapping on Saturday, Feb 22nd. The four days after that are all predicted to have daytime highs above freezing, and that's the main signal I look for when I'm deciding when to tap. We're going to be trying to tap 32 trees, so we'll probably be there most of the day. If we have extra time, we'll also be trying to build a snow cave to keep the sap cool between boils. We should have some extra spiles (the bits that you stick in the tree) available for folks interested in tapping their maple trees at home.

This past weekend, we were able to move about a cord of firewood from my house to the sugar camp. From there we can split it into the kindling that we use for the biochar boiler. Thanks to everyone who helped! Many hands really do make light work, and we got the whole thing done in about an hour.

Other news of the Commons

We signed a lease for one of the Artisan Market cabins at the Farmer's Market this summer! We'll be there every Saturday from May 10th to October 15th, selling baskets, stickers, tshirts, and other handmade goods. We hope to also have a project each week that people can participate in. The main bulk of the planning for that is going to have to wait until after the sugarbush, but it's something to look forward to. If you're an artist or crafter and you'd be interested in joining this chapter of our weird shenanigans, email crafters@montaguecommoners.org.

Those of you on city mail routes in Montague and Whitehall will also notice that we got our second paper edition of The Montague Commoner into the mail last week. Those of you on rural mail routes can pick up a copy at Montague Foods.

Out in the broader movement

The #50501 movement called for a day of protest on President's Day to demonstrate opposition to DOGE and the takeover of the government by tech billionaires. About 40 of us gathered at the Weathervane here in town, mostly elders and other folks who didn't want to make the drive into Muskegon in the snow. It was bitterly cold, but we wrapped up well, and danced to keep off the chill. (The Muskegon protest had about 200 people at it, and in Lansing they had several hundred even though the official organizers there cancelled due to weather.)

We're going to be doing weekly "Dance For Democracy" protests at the Weathervane for the foreseeable future. Dancing is a great way to get stress out of your body, and it's been an important tool for many justice and liberation movements in the past. Fascists rely on fear and intimidation for their tactics to succeed, and dancing is a great way to show them that we are still free. If you want to join in, meet at the Weathervane on Fridays at Noon. Bring a protest sign or a fun costume. We'll bring the Dance For Democracy banner and the boombox. We'll dance for half an hour, and then go across the street to North Grove to write postcards to our elected representatives.

Solidarity Corner

This is a good week to check in with your friends who rely on psych meds. Trump just issued an executive order encouraging the health department to evaluate the "threat" posed by SSRIs, mood stabilizers, and other common psych meds. This is understandably scary to folks who rely on psych meds to live a normal life. The odds of them suddenly yoinking everyone's psych meds are pretty low, but it's entirely possible that they're going to create new hoops to jump through that will make everyone's lives harder. If psych meds are important in your life, it's a good idea to talk to your prescriber about a prescription for an emergency supply. If you aren't affected by this, but someone in your life is, offer to do their dishes or let them vent a bit. If you want to support an organization doing good work in this area, Project LETS (https://projectlets.org/) is a great place to start.

Recommendations Corner

Several folks at the protest asked for a link to my "Dance For Democracy" playlist, so here it is: