Flora School Days teaches pioneer ways

Published 5:00 pm Monday, June 17, 2024

FLORA — A spot of bad weather wouldn’t have deterred Oregon’s pioneers.

And so it was fitting that a late-spring shower didn’t seem to keep anyone away from the Flora School Days event, held Saturday, June 15 at the Flora School Education Center.

The event, which ran from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a multitude of demonstrations of skills pioneers needed to survive, such as forging, Dutch oven cooking, rope-making and horseshoeing — fitting for an event that bills itself as a celebration of lost pioneer arts and skills and a celebration of the past.

Michelle Thomas, a first-time volunteer for Flora School Days, was volunteering as a store clerk in the Country Store. She said she didn’t know what to expect, but “(I) love seeing the community involvement.”

Rene Crawford said she noticed “more engagement” at this year’s school days event. She said things had slowed down a bit during the COVID pandemic.

The event, a fundraiser for the Flora School, also included an auction and a pie social. Auction items included homemade pies, a quilt, blacksmith gate hinges and a Dutch oven lunch for four. The demonstrations and live music took place on the lawn at the center, which was open; a book sale was being held in the library. The center’s Country Store space was open, selling sourdough bread, homemade aprons, books by local writers and other items from the past.

One of the concoctions for sale was “fire cider.” Fire cider, which is labeled as “pretty peppery” by its maker, Maleah Bacon, is intended to “help with digestion, colds or the flu,” she said. It is made with ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, jalapeños, horseradish, garlic, onions, thyme, rosemary and cayenne pepper. After the mixture is allowed to infuse for a period of time, it is strained and honey is added. Bacon said she doesn’t waste anything in making the concoction; she uses the leftover solids from straining the mixture to dehydrate and grind into a spice mixture for marinades or to add to soups.

One of the blacksmiths demonstrating forging, and one of five blacksmiths there, was Justin Riley, who is also on the board of the Flora School Education Center. He said he has been forging for about five years. He does it because “it keeps me sane from reality and (helps me) deal with the frustrations and anxiety (of my job).” He is a corrections officer for the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

Many of the demonstrations included hands-on techniques, allowing participants to take something home such as a piece of rope or an iron hook.

Rope-making was one of the demonstrations that enabled people to take home a piece of rope. The pieces of rope were made with three different colors of yarn or twine of the person’s choosing. Nancy Ruark, the rope-making demonstrator, was using an antique piece of rope-making machinery. She was asked how old the machinery was.

“Very,” she replied.

And she noted that “old-timers” like cowboys sometimes made their lariats “using baling twine, if there was nothing else available.”

Lunch was available for purchase and included chili, chicken, a cabbage salad, pie, and spoon bread with hand-churned, fresh butter. Lunch preparation also included demonstrations of grain grinding, spoon bread making in a wood stove and butter churning from cream.

The Flora School Days event has been held for more than 20 years. The event raises money for the Flora School Education Center; the mission of the center is to “function as a nonprofit training center where people of all ages will engage in and be inspired as they learn practical agricultural historic practices and household craftsmanship, which has since evolved into modern folk art. Through the examination of the history of life necessities, each participant will be given a chance to discover the skills and craftsmanship which sustained the early pioneers.”

Next year’s Flora School Days is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, 2025. Activities will begin at 7 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. The Flora Education Center is located at 80974 College Lane in Flora. For more information, call the center at 541-828-7010 or visit its website at www.floraschool.org.