4-H Big Quil Enterprises

Power of Hope

2011-11-21T23:50:00.000-08:00

All School Retreat
Power of Hope talks about crabs and elephants

In September 2004 all Quilcene High School junior and senior students were asked to participate in a two day all-school leadership retreat facilitated by POWER OF HOPE. Power of Hope is a youth empowerment group that works throughout the Pacific Northwest and combines challenge, music and arts activities to encourage candid discussions of school and family performance expectations, challenges, and setting high goals for youth.

Educational Exploration

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Exploring Video Production

Exploring Web Design

Exploring Team Building

Exploring Shellfish Management

Product Design and Marketing

2011-11-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Product Design and Marketing Skills

Bringing ideas to reality through teamwork

Product design and marketing have been explored with Quilcene youth involved in the Big Quil Enterprises oyster business through creation of an oyster gift box and hunting decoy. See the photos and summaries below for details.

Product Design

Product Design is an engineering club led by Gary McCluen, 4-H leader. In the past his teams have designed sophisticated projects, including a Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) for the Battelle Institute and a mechanical duck decoy for hunters. Gary usually works with high school seniors only and can be reached at 379-3695.

Oyster gift box designed in collaboration with Taylor United Shellfish Company and Big Quil Enterprises.

Taylor United Shellfish helped Big Quil Enterprises develop and market an oyster gift box for the holidays that could be shipped throughout the world. This experience has shown youth the power of value-added products in today's marketplace and the importance of marketing in economic development.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

2011-11-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

Mapping new jobs in the future

High tech mapping and information management is a career of the future. The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe approached the Connecting Schools and Communities and Frank Needham, Economic Development Director, saw an opportunity in the Quilcene youth. Seeing that some of the youth really wanted to stay in the region, work in natural resources, and raise their families here, Needham suggested that there might be room for a consulting firm that would train and employ local youth to do GIS mapping for local fire districts, salmon restoration and landowners.

In January 2006 there was a two day professional ESRI GIS training that taught youth, community members, and teachers how to use this sophisticated hardware for school and community based mapping projects.

Within a month the youthhad a contract for 500 hours to map the small woodland lot forestry ownerships in the region for the new North Olympic Peninsula Cooperative. Other projects such as mapping local farm lands and high risk fire areas were also quickly identified.

These skills will help support the success of the Big Quil Enterprises, youth-involved oyster business.

Water Quality Testing

2011-11-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

For ten years the Quilcene High School science class with Charlie Baker has been testing and monitoring local water quality samples in the Quilcene Watershed. Now this data is getting even more critical with the local Hood Canal waters experiencing high temperatures and dissolved oxygen problems.

Quilcene youth combined with high school-aged youth throughout Hood Canal to host the First annual Hood Canal Youth Summit. The youth reported their data, compared it to that gathered by others along the waterway and developed a report card for local county action. They also made a list of suggestions for landowners in the Canal to protect its local water quality. This type of science training is crucial for the success of Big Quil Enterprises' youth involved oyster business.

Quilcene Storms Chicago!

2011-11-21T22:29:00.000-08:00

Visiting our oysters in the windy city

Quilcene youth Liz Hodgson, Brendon Foley and Connectings Schools and Communities coordinators Joy Baisch and Katherine Baril stormed Chicago when the Quilcene youth were invited to present at an international training on community service learning.

We learned to ride the big city taxis and where to eat the best Chicago pizzas. But probably the best part of the four day trip was standing at the top of the Sears Tower building and having Brendon call his community mentor, Tom Bettinger from Taylor United Seafood.

Based on Toms’ recommendation we hoofed it over to a five star restaurant where we were greeted like dignitaries and invited back by the chef for a private tour of the kitchen and oyster shucking. It was great to have our picture taken under a wooden plaque over the front door: Oysters from France, Narragasett Bay and Quilcene. The city knew we had arrived!!!

How did Big Quil Enterprises begin?

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A collaboration between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Quilcene School District, WSU Jefferson County Extension and 4-H

What was the Gates Grant?

The purpose of the Gates funding in Quilcene High school was to promote a small, personalized, technology-enriched high school that offers students an opportunity for in-depth, real world learning through community partnerships.

The high school received a HiGH TECH HIGH grant to fund computers, teacher training and enrichment programs. There was also a community grant – the Connecting Schools and Community grant administered by the WSU Center to Bridge the Digital Divide which funded more teacher training, youth entrepreneurship, community coordinators and a variety of special projects including Geographic Information Systems, video, more computers for community work, and a number of field trips and visits to college and university campuses.

Schools are funded and supported by Gates Foundation resources to help demonstrate that it is possible to help all students achieve by improving teaching and learning and enhancing access to technology.

What was the School District Doing?

Since 2002 the Quilcene School District has had a HIGH TECH HIGH grant from the Gates Foundation. The community Connecting Schools and Community grant was funded 2003-2006 to support and assist the schools’ success with their program.

Background:

The Gates Foundation wanted to invest in small schools because their research and funding of other projects demonstrated that essential to a successful High School is the opportunity for meaningful student projects that apply academic skills within the context of “real world” projects.

Through effective integration of in-school education and the community’s Connecting Schools and Communities program we set out to cooperate to address some of the most critical challenges facing youth and communities today.

Outcomes of successful projects were to be:

• Involve and empower youth, encourage youth run community projects—support youth involvement in the community in which they live.
• Reduce youth arrests, vandalism and absenteeism and demonstrate a positive increase in youth career dreams as a result of the real world community experiences.
• Promote great community school engagement and partnership, expand adult volunteerism and community service learning, increase the number of adults viewing youth positively.
• Strengthen community networks, increase adult volunteering. Expand voter support of school initiatives and funding of school projects.
• Expand community support to continue integrations of school and community learning experiences.
• Increase student achievement measured by the percentage of youth graduating from high school and attending college.

What Were the Students Doing?

Students were working directly with teachers to improve education.

Students from Quilcene High School were invited to sit down directly with teachers and participate in defining what excellence in education would look like for their programs. Students helped identify gaps, challenges, and worked directly with professional mentors and trainers to describe how the high school program could work better. Among their recommendations was more challenging coursework, more variety in programs, strong partnerships with the community, and higher expectations of their performance.

“You have to understand, we’ve been in school with each other every day since the first grade. There is very little chance for us to try out new behaviors, take risks. But we have to learn to do it”.

Northwest Area Foundation Award

2011-11-21T22:24:00.000-08:00

South County youth were one in four communities in the nation that were singled out for national recognition and a cash award of $100,000 from the Northwest Area Foundation. The award recognizes the youth leadership and entrepreneurship in addressing the poverty and economic transition in Quilcene and Brinnon.

“Its really the youth that are our key asset and strength and its the youth that will build a better future, said J Baisch. This started with the Gates Foundation grant and we appreciate how Gates helped us realize that instead of telling the same old story we needed to look at the assets in our community and build on what works and in our community its our caring and honoring of our youth and the natural resources that bless this area”.

The Northwest Area Foundation selected Brinnon/Quilcene for its 2007 “Great Strides Award.” A team of consultants from the Foundation visited the community in early January to meet with youth and community leaders. The cash award is given nationally to up to four communities each year in recognition of the innovative strides they take to reduce poverty in their communities.

Brinnon/Quilcene won the 2007 Award in recognition of how the community came together to connect the passions and skills of local youth with community mentors and developed a wide variety of community service learning experiences—including a shellfish youth involved business- in ways that can result in future employment and careers for local youth. By capitalizing on the assets of local youth the community and young people developed a new 4-H shellfish business, Big Quil Enterprises, that works to reverse economic and wage decline in the south county area.

Brinnon and Quilcene have struggled with economic transition from a forest based economy. They have a poverty rate of 11-percent and many residents are concerned that their children will not be able to stay in the community . This award of $100,000 is not a grant but an award for past efforts and an investment from the NW Area Foundation to continue the work with a youth-involved business and the shellfish industry such as Coast Oyster and Taylor United Seafood.

The South County project started in the late 1980s with John Pitts working with Charlie Baker at Quilcene High School to teach science by engaging students in local water quality monitoring and shellfish enhancement. The program continued for a couple of years but the school district was unable to continue the program and the shellfish lease became inactive.

In l998 the local WSU Extension office received funding for a new after school program and was asked by the County Law and Justice committee to focus on the youth in Quilcene and Brinnon. After one year of county funding the program has continued with U.S. Forest Service Secure Rural Schools Funding . The WSU 4-H Afterschool Forestry Program now works with approximately 200 first through twelfth graders in Quilcene and Brinnon. The after school program focuses on forestry and natural resource education and gets students involved in a broad variety of educational programs that encourage forestry and natural resource careers. In 2006 the 4-H youth tracked the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from being cut in the Quilcene Forest, dedicated by the Governor, and traveling all the way to its site at the White House grounds.

In l998 the Quilcene School District was awarded a Gates Foundation Small Schools Grant to encourage flexible course scheduling and community service learning. In l999, Lorna Ward and the Quilcene School Board asked WSU to assist the district again and to take the lead on the development and administration of a new Connecting Schools and Communities grant funded again through the Gates Foundation. This program has worked with youth, funded and provided teacher training programs, and provided technology and equipment to school programs for the past three years. The grant has funded three years of community service learning and educational programming in Quilcene and Brinnon. In addition it always ensured youth were in leadership roles in the project including having youths interview and recommend selection of Joe and Joy Baisch to coordinate the local program. Over 70% of the youth in Quilcene and Brinnon are enrolled and engaged in WSU 4-H programs. Connecting Schools and Communities operates out of an office provided in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and works throughout the community wherever youth want to work and learn.

In 2006 Quilcene and Brinnon hosted the first annual economic summit in Brinnon. Guests included Luther Snow from the Asset Based Community Development program at Northwestern University and Maury Forman from the Washington Community Trade and Development Office. Over sixty community members prioritized working with youth and developing local natural resource programs as top priorities. A real asset of the community was the number of highly skilled retired residents who are willing to share their expertise and skills with young entrepreneurs in the area.

Today, Brinnon and Quilcene have their hard work rewarded as they join other 2007 Great Strides winners Independence, Oregon; White Earth Reservation, Minnesota; and the city of Westhope, North Dakota.

“In our work, we’ve observed that many communities have a hard time acknowledging the poverty suffered by its own citizens,” said Karl Stauber, president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation. “But our work has also shown us that there are communities that can, and are, working to reduce poverty long term, and that they have powerful lessons to share. The Great Strides awards are meant to applaud the bold and innovative steps these communities are taking to reduce poverty and to invest in those efforts to continue and share their success with other communities while making lasting change that will lead to opportunities for everyone in the community.”

Members of this community have successfully demonstrated that they are not willing to cede opportunity of future prosperity. Development of a new business, the aquaculture industry, has provided over 400 jobs paying up to $25/hour, which has contributed to a wage growth of 16-percent over the past ten years. Taylor Shellfish is the primary aquaculture business in what has grown to be a $73 million-per-year industry for the state of Washington. Taylor Shellfish has taken an innovative step and is providing corporate mentorship for the youth-involved 4-H Big Quil Enterprises aquaculture business. Big Quil is an example of a school/community partnership that is preparing young people for living wage jobs that will enable them the opportunity to remain in their communities, earn a living wage, and contribute to future success.

“We are so thankful for being recognized by the Northwest Area Foundation with the Great Strides Award. There are many in the community who contributed to this success. The award money will allow us to continue our work building a youth-involved economic engine in South Jefferson County, Washington,” said Joe Baisch, co-community coordinator, Brinnon/Quilcene, Washington.

Northwest Area Foundation created the Great Strides Awards to reward communities for the significant progress they have made to reduce poverty long term. The four winning communities each receive $100,000, which will go to community organizations which will decide how the funds will be used for community benefit. Northwest Area Foundation has asked each winner to work with the Foundation to share key lessons about their efforts and programs so that other communities can learn from their experiences and possibly replicate the success.

Great Strides Award recipients were selected using the following criteria:

· Inclusiveness: involvement of community members from diverse sectors and groups.

· Regional Impact: interaction with, and awareness of, other communities facing similar issues in their geographic area.

· Assets-Based Perspective: recognition of the community’s existing strengths.

· Economic Engines: involvement with businesses and other organizations that fuel the local economy.

· Leadership: efforts to nurture leaders from different public and private sectors, ages and genders.

The Northwest Area Foundation, headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., is committed to helping communities reduce poverty in its eight-state region of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served this region from 1889-1970. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the foundation in 1934. Today, the Foundation brings technical assistance and financial resources that help identify, share and advocate community-focused strategies for long-term impact.

OYSTERFEST 2010 ROSIE V.P. FINANCE

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OYSTERFEST 2010 AMY CUSTOMER RELATIONS

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OYSTERFEST 2010 FAUSTINO CHIEF CHEF

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OYSTERFEST 2010 EDDIE THE OYSTER MAN!

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OYSTERFEST 2010 BIG QUIL TEAM READY!

2010-10-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

SHRIMPFEST 2010 BQE PARKING CREW

2010-06-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

SHRIMPFEST 2010....THE BQE COOKING CREW

2010-06-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Dillon Learns the "Prep" Table

2009-11-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Anne Stays On Top Of Cash Flow at Oysterfest

2009-11-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Marissa At Oysterfest

2009-11-22T15:20:00.000-08:00

The Master finishing "The Best" Pan Fried Oysters

2009-11-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

Eric Removes Danger Tree On Big Quil Trail

2009-09-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Dillon, Jade and Dylan Take Dow Danger Tree

2009-08-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

Kolby, Dillon Abby & Sam prepare Steps

2009-08-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Abby, Dillon and Dylan Clear Danger Tree

2009-08-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Tylar Driving Stake on Turn Pike on Big Quil Trail /Gavin Calualtes Age of Log

2009-07-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Kolby and Dillon Install Turn Pike on big Quil Trail

2009-07-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

Leadership Comes Forward On Ropes Course

2009-07-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Emily On Top of Mt. Twonsend

2009-07-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Daryl, Kennedy, Eric, Brandon and Anna Drive Stake On Water Bar on Mt. Zion Trail

2009-07-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

ANNA & KENNEDY PREPARE WATER BAR

2009-07-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

DILLON, DANIEL (PNWTA) EMILY& DYLAN INSTALL TURN PIKE ON BIG QUIL TRAIL TYLAR AND SAM PREPARE SKAKE

2009-07-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

GAVIN, ERIC AND ANNA CALCULATE AGE OF OLD GROWTH BLOWDOWN ON THE BIG QUIL TRAIL

2009-07-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY/THURSDAY CREW JOHN/LEADER, ADAM, KOLBY,TYLAR,DYLAN,JADE,SAM,EMILY

2009-07-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

MONDAY/WEDNESDAY CREW JOHN/LEADER,DARREL,ERIC BRANDON,COLE,KENNEDY,SAM,ANNA,ABBY

2009-07-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

QUILCENE RANGER CORP 2009

2009-07-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

President of Big Quil - Liz Hodgson interview

2008-07-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Big Quil Enterprises earns $100,000 award as entrepreneurial 4-H club growing aquaculture business

2008-07-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Big Quil Enterprises members include (from left) Charlie Baker, Quilcene High School science teacher; Joy Baisch, Big Quil Enterprises co-coordinator; students Brandan Schleich, Josh Irwin, Chelsea Wong, James Roden and Marissa Suarez; and Joe Baisch, big Quil Enterprises co-coordinator.

Representing one of the biggest student-business success stories ever to come out of Jefferson County, the education and business partnership that sponsors Big Quil Enterprises has won a $100,000 award.

The Northwest Area Foundation announced Feb. 2 that the Jefferson County towns of Brinnon and Quilcene won its "Great Strides Award" and the $100,000 grant intended to help the student-based Big Quil Enterprises prepare young people for living-wage jobs and community success.

The award officially goes to the Quilcene/Brinnon Connecting Schools and Communities program, and many people share the credit. Details are yet to be worked out, but the money is intended to support Big Quil Enterprises, an official 4-H club that is part of a partnership project among Washington State University Cooperative Extension, the Quilcene School District, and Taylor Shellfish Farms.

"The sustainability of this project is really important as a model of youth entrepreneurship," said Pam Roberts, 4-H coordinator for Jefferson County. "Big Quil Enterprises has got to become a profit-making venture at some point. They're not there yet, but I think the Northwest Area Foundation sees the potential for it to get there, and that's why they are investing the funds."

"We are so thankful for being recognized by the Northwest Area Foundation with the Great Strides Award," said Joe Baisch, co- coordinator of Quilcene/Brinnon Connecting Schools and Communities. "There are many in the community who contributed to this success. The award money will allow us to continue our work building a youth-directed economic engine in South Jefferson County." (Read More)

Winona Prill writes Quilcene heritage history book

2007-05-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

By Mari McGrady, Leader Contributing Writer

How does one single-handedly compile a regional nonfiction book of 374 pages? Winona Prill, in her straight-ahead way, has a straightforward answer.

"The [Quilcene Historical] museum has had interest from visitors looking for information on their ancestors and also any books we might have on the history of Quilcene," said Prill. In 2002, she explained, George Green, the grandson of Walter Green who owned Green's Shingle Mill, and some of his family came to the museum "all the way from Maryland looking for information on the mill, and we really didn't have much to show them. It seemed like it was time to do some research. More

4-H Big Quil Enterprises a Hit at Shrimpfest!

2007-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

5/30/2007 7:25:00 AM
Dale Lane of Port Angeles relishes his plateful of shrimp, coleslaw and garlic toast. Photo by Allison Arthur

Whale of a ShrimpFest

ShrimpFest organizer Karen Sickel literally sold the pearl-shrimp necklace off her neck Saturday. The popular plastic necklaces and the oh-so-very-popular raw shrimp were flying out of the Brinnon ShrimpFest.

"It was like nothing we've ever seen," said Sickel on Monday, admitting she was tired but happy it was a busy, sold-out weekend. "We're all just delighted."

Even before ShrimpFest opened on Saturday, there were 47 people lined up to buy some of the tasty local morsels, she said. Presumably they all had coolers. More

WSU at Pike Place Market

2007-02-13T09:32:00.001-08:00

This video features Washington State University researchers and their community partners at the Pike Place Market for a special evening of food and conversation, exploring innovative food products, organic farming practices, environmentally friendly pest control and more.

Featured are WSU researchers and WSU Extension staff, including Rich Hines (WSU Extension Development Specialist), Linda Fox (WSU Extension Director), John Winder (WSU Extension Associate Director ), Kim Patton (cranberry research), Dave Muehleisen (Small Farm Team), David Ganatstein (WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources), Jay Bruner (Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center), Carey Roos (4-H Military Kids Program), Megan Reibe (Washington State 4-H Foundation), Richard Daugherty (WSU Food Safety Specialist), Rob McDaniel (WSU Learning Centers), Andrea Meyer (WSU King County Extension), Mercy Olmstead (WSU Viticulture Specialist), Chris Feise (Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources), Bob Simmons (WSU Mason County Extension), Mike Hackett (WSU Snohomish County Extension), and Daniel Bernardo (CAHNRS).

Community partners include Glen and Sharon Thompson (cranberry growers), Mike Brownfield (apple grower), Joe and Joy Baisch (Big Quil Enterprises youth-run oyster business), Chad Sheldon (Army Reserve Child and Youth Services), Maria Brenneman (berry farmer), Drew Zimmerman (NW Cider Society), Leslie Zenns (formerly Dept. of Agriculture), and Zachary Lyons (WA State Farmers Market Association).

4-H Shellfish Club Wins $100, 000 Award

2007-02-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

By Evan Cael
Reporter/Photographer
Peninsula Daily News

QUILCENE - A $100,000 grant has been awarded to the communities of Quilcene and Brinnon to help stimulate the economy and invest in the youth.

The Northwest Area Foundation, based in St. Paul, Minn., announced this week that the economically struggling communities had won the organization's Great Strides Award in recognition of an innovative approach in attempting to reduce poverty in the area.

The grant money will go to the Quilcene School student-owned shellfish business Big Quil Enterprises, said Jim Hodgson, a board member of the business and teacher in Qulcene School District.

"We are so thankful for being recognized by the Northwest Area Foundation with the Great Strides Award," said Joe Baisch co-community coordinator and business manager of the enterprise.

"There are many in the community who contributed to this success. The award money will allow us to continue our work building a youth-oriented economic engine in South Jefferson County."

The business got off the ground about three years ago with a Bill and Melinda Gates grant, but those funds will expire this year, which makes the grant so important, said Hodgson.

The eventual goal is to make the business self-sustaining, which it currently is not.

"The grant will give the corporation the money for operating capital for two years," Hodgson said.

The money the students make through the business "provides funds for students in terms of the activities they want to do at the school," he said.

He suggested school-related travel, school expenses while attending Quilcene School or tuition for college as possibilities for how the business will help the students financially.

Not only that, Hodson said, but the Big Quil Enterprises is teaching the 50 students involved valuable skills in the profitable shellfish industry of which Quilcene in international known for.

With the down-turn of the timber industry in the area in past years, a new developing business, aquaculture, began to find prominence and provides more than 400 jobs that pay up to $25 an hour, said Hodgson.

Taylor Shellfish Co. has is the primary aquaculture business in what has grown to be a $73 million-per-year industry in the state.

Big Quil Enterprises works in partnership with Taylor Shelfish Co.

The student-owned business leases a beach on Quilcene Bay and harvests oysters there. It them sells them to Taylor Shellfish for processing.

Three other communities received the grant.

They were Independence, Ore., White Earth Indian Reservation, Minn., and Westhope, North Dakota.

The winners were chosen because of steps they've taken to date to reduce poverty over the long term.

Representatives from the Northwest Area Foundation visited Quilcene in December to interview those involved in the aquaculture projects.

Each of the winning communities were were evaluated against five criteria.

Those included inclusiveness, regional impact, asset-based perspective, economic engines and leadership.

Hodgon said the he hopes the grant and Big Quil Enterprises will make the students want to go to college and then "come back and be contributing members of our community."

February 5, 2007 - Joy Baisch, Big Quil Enterprises 4-H Leader Jefferson County WA, shows an Oyster cluster on the Quilcene marina beach.

Brinnon/Quilcene 4-H Club Wins $100,000 “Great Strides Award” from The Northwest Area Foundation

2007-02-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

Big Quil Enterprises, a Jefferson County 4-H club, has landed a $100,000 award from the NW Area Foundation to support its work establishing a youth-run oyster business in Quilcene on Hood Canal. Big Quil gives students the opportunity to apply their skills in ecology, business, and entrepreneurship in a real world setting.

In the video above you can hear Liz Hodgson, president of Big Quil Enterprises, as she shares her experiences helping lead this unique 4-H initiative. Click Here to learn more about this exciting entrepreneurship program.

Read Northwest Area Foundation Press Release.

Gates grant makes a difference in South County

2006-12-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Connie Gallant
Port Townsend Leader

Joe and Joy Baisch are making a difference in South County through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For the past several years, the Baisch's, who are residents of Brinnon, have been involved in a project to improve the chances of success for our young students. Through an innovative and entrepreneurial process, they have helped students in forming Big Quil Enterprises (BQE), a business run by the students with mentoring from community leaders and educators.

On Friday, Dec. 8, the Baisch's, along with Pam Roberts representing WSU Extension, shared a power-point presentation showing the many successful projects that our young students have undertaken. Hosting the event at the Brinnon School, the community was well-represented by a cross-section of business people, teachers, and grant foundation evaluators. Among those attending included Commissioner Pat Rodgers, Tom and Sue Bettinger, Brady Blake, Jim Watson, Ken Dressler, J.D. Gallant, Bud Schindler, Denise Williamson, Jim Hodgson, Charlie Baker, Karla Miller, product development manager for the Northwest Area Foundation, and Diane Morehouse, President of QED. Students Jake Murray, Nathan Hood, and Sam and Pete Dressler represented Big Quil Enterprises. (Read More)

School of hard knocks involves shellfish for Quilcene students

2006-12-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

by EVAN CAEL

QUILCENE -- It's a Tuesday afternoon in a Quilcene High School classroom, and students sit circled around their entrepreneurial mentors, Joe and Joy Baisch.

The students, most of them freshmen and sophomores, are hearing a lesson plan that most 15 and 16 year olds won't hear for several years, if ever.

``We didn't do too bad money-wise,'' said Joy Baisch of a recent shellfish dinner hosted by the Quilcene School student-run shellfish company, Big Quil Enterprises.

``We were down $300 from last year. But $300 is $300.''

The atmosphere in the room is like that of a board meeting led by a chief executive officer except that people are wearing frayed jeans and T-shirts rather than business suits.

For the past three years, with help from a $220,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Baisches have been shepherding Quilcene School District students through the dollars and cents of operating a shellfish company, coined Big Quil Enterprises.

The two act as business managers, working from their life experience.

In 1967, Joy Baisch was an original stockholder and general manager of Red Robin Restaurant, which now has locations up and down the West Coast.

The Baisches started a document shredding company in Seattle in 1981 called America Data Guard and sold it in 1992 when they moved to Brinnon.

They now own and manage a bed and breakfast in Brinnon.

About 50 students

Big Quil Enterprises, comprised of about 50 students, operates in partnership with the Quilcene School District and the 4-H Club, which is an extension of the Washington State University Learning Center.

The business leases a beach on Quilcene Bay where the students harvest oysters and clams.

The harvested shellfish, of which Quilcene is nationally and internationally famous for producing, are processed by Shelton-based Taylor Shellfish Co.

The students prepare and sell the shellfish at various festivals throughout the region, such as the Brinnon Shrimp Fest and the Quilcene Fair.

Pamela Roberts, 4-H coordinator and former principal of Quilcene School District, works closely with the business.

``We're hoping that through this initiative, that these kids who live in a remote location realize they can be players on an international scale,'' said Roberts.

Because of the partnership with Taylor Shellfish Co., many of the shellfish make it to the far reaches of the globe.

``It's been pretty cool because our oysters that we harvest get shipped around the world and to Europe and stuff,'' said Big Quil Enterprises worker Shelbi Thompson, 15.

Like at any business, the students are paid for the time they put into harvesting and working on the operation.

The Baisches wouldn't say how much Big Quil Enterprises makes in a year, but they said the goal is to make the business self-sustaining and profitable. (Read More)

Jefferson oyster harvesters hurt by state ban

2006-08-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

by JEFF CHEW
Peninsula Daily News

QUILCENE -- A state-imposed commercial harvest ban on Hood Canal, Dabob, Quilcene and Thordyke bays means thousands of dollars lost to longtime small-scale oyster harvesters such as Rick Olsen and Joth Davis.

Normally, they cater to the thriving Seattle-Tacoma restaurant market for raw oysters on the half-shell.

Not since Wednesday's closure.

With the outbreak of shellfish poisoning from raw oyster consumption reaching a record high, the state has closed down all of Hood Canal to oyster harvesting.

State officials also added four new areas in the Puget Sound region to the list of closed harvesting sites.

The number of people sickened from eating raw Washington oysters this year now stands at 86, up from 70 cases confirmed just days ago.

State Department of Health officials renewed their warning to people that oysters should only be eaten after cooking to a temperature of 145 degrees.

The villain is vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally recurring pathogenic marine bacteria found in uncooked oysters.

It surfaces when shallow water temperatures rise to 59 degrees -- and it can make raw-oyster eaters deathly ill.

Wednesday's complete shutdown of Hood Canal and Jefferson County commercial oyster harvests comes nine years after the last such action.

Employee layoffs

The situation means about $2,000 a week in losses for Olsen and Davis.

In Olsen's case, employees had to be laid off.

``Last week we had seven people working. This week we have none,'' Olsen lamented Thursday.

``It basically has us out of business until the weather cools or water cools in September. That's at the peak of our harvest.''

Liz Hodgson Explains How To Shuck An Oyster

2006-06-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hear Liz Hodgson, president of Big Quil Enterprises, as she shares her experiences helping lead the youth-run oyster business located in Quilcene, WA.

Taylor Shellfish Farms: Oyster Shucking Operations

2006-06-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

See the intense oyster shucking operations at Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton, WA. Taylor United is involved in a partnership with 4-H, WSU, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Quilcene School. From this collaboration, a youth-run oyster business has begun called Quil Enterprises.

Liz Hodgen President Big Quil Enterprises

2006-04-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Liz Hodgen, President Big Quil Enterprises, talks about the Quilcene High School, 4-H Club that is funded by the Gates Foundation.

Queen Liz Hodgson President Big Quil Enterprises

2006-04-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Liz Hodgson, President Big Quil Enterprises, explains Big Quil Enterprises, a 4H Club funded by the Gates Foundation, and how the Quilcene High School business makes money.

Tawian visitors focus on rural development

2006-04-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Four business and government dignitaries from Taiwan visited Washington State University's Jefferson County office and its local programs in Quilcene and Brinnon last month.

They joined local business leaders in discussing the need in both countries for business and government to “bridge the digital divide.”

According to the participants, their shared challenge is to ensure that isolated rural communities have the opportunity to participate in technology innovation and access the global economy.

The delegation ate lunch at Brinnon Comm. Center, where Joy Baisch of the WSU Connecting Schools and Communities Program prepared a seafood soup. Students from Quilcene are growing and harvesting oysters as part of their 4H youth entrepreneur shellfish club. (Read More)

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