A Homestead Revival Party will be held on Saturday, April 30th, 5 p.m., at the old Homestead Building. The festival will celebrate the grand opening of Pachamama Apothecary, the 20th anniversary of Vortex Juice Bar & Café and the introduction of Taproot, Lopez Kitchen Cooperative. There will be a fire pit with grilled local meats, salads and beverages. Potluck dishes are welcome; bring your own plates and utensils. Live music and square dancing will also be featured. This is a family friendly event, so come on down and see what’s new in our community!
Pachamama Apothecary features local, wild-crafted remedies, as well as a large bulk room with over 150 medicinal herbs, teas, mushrooms, clays, seaweed, as well as carrier oils, soaps, beeswax, cosmetic butters and more. Owner Callie North, a native Lopezian, has been living off the grid for years, foraging, wild-crafting and studying alternative medicine. “I am deeply drawn to the human-plant relationship,” says North. “Something wholly unique and sacred is happening there. The art of using plants as medicine dates back to the origins of humanity. “
North has long dreamed of owning a business and when the space came up for rent, “I just decided to say yes. It’s been a long and exciting journey—I’ve learned so much along the way.” Pachamama, the South American earth goddess, seemed like an appropriate name for an herbal apothecary. The shop also features altar items, charcoal and smudges, books, oracle cards and local crafts, with many more items to come. Workshops will be offered beginning late summer. Pachamama opens its doors Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with regular store hours Tues-Sat, 10-5.
Vortex Juice Bar and Café grew out of a fittingly organic process. In 1996, then Blossom Grocery owner, Deborah Bonneville, invited Jean Perry to open a juice bar in the Old Homestead Building. Featuring local, organic produce, the juice bar was an immediate hit but Perry soon realized she’d need to offer food items in order to create a viable year-round business. Burritos and salads were added, Blossom moved next door, and Vortex was soon a thriving local business. “My primary intention has always been to serve unpretentious, high quality food; organic, unprocessed, and thoughtfully prepared at the lowest possible price.”
Perry chose the name Vortex because it is both a gathering force and a balancing action. She is honored to have been part of the island community in such a tangible way for the past twenty years, which includes providing year round employment in a friendly, flexible and fair environment. Vortex highlights local, organic farmers’ produce and provides a model of how delicious simple, unprocessed foods can be. Perry is also founding president of Lopez Locavores.
Taproot will be a cooperatively operated, non-profit, commercially licensed food processing facility created to share the cost of providing professional facilities, equipment and training to produce value-added foods. Many potential local producers do not have access to a commercial kitchen to make their products. “I support Taproot because it provides the facilities that link food producers with food consumers,” says Randall Waugh, Chicaoji business owner. “This increases opportunities for nourishment and sustainable livelihoods in our community.”
According to Blossom Grocery owner, Brian Kvistad, “Taproot is an effort that gives Lopezians an advantage by supporting small-scale, high-quality, local food production. Anyone who eats good food on Lopez can soon consider him or herself a user of Taproot.” The Kitchen Cooperative will operate as a non-profit, and return any financial gains back into the community to improve nutrition, sustainability and livelihoods for local families. Taproot will be showing off its new facilities during the Homestead Revival Party. Check out the website: LopezTaproot.org
