The promise is strange, but it is true; the promise is good — too good! — but it is real; the promise is there for the taking, there for the brave and the curious and the handy. For no cost at all, anyone that emails the right address and doesn’t ask for more than they deserve can get the gift of life. 

It’s an incredible thing to say, that any curious soul can, with a well-placed request, get the gift of life for free, but it’s not a huge exaggeration. What is probably the largest free seed distributor in the world is based out of Arcata. They offer 687 varieties of just about every vegetable, fruit, flower, and herb growable in North America. Some are common, some are harder to come across than gold in a river, and some — what the hell is a fenugreek?

The man behind FreeHeirloomSeeds.org, Michael Reeves, 48, is also the owner of the Arcata mineral store Stone Spirits (although he’s closing it to focus on the seeds). In 2011, he posted a sign on the outside of the storefront saying he’d give a free strawberry plant to anyone who came in and asked for one. He had 1,000 of them, purchased from a wholesale grower, and the masses swarmed in to take the plants and buy gems. Over the next six years, Reeves gave away an estimated 15,000 strawberry plants. 

It was an excellent way to get people in the store, but there’s more to it than that for Reeves. 

“After years and years of formulating all of these plans to help our society and help guide humanity to be more in harmony with our ecosystem,” Reeves said, “I just felt like I had to do something in some kind of material way that was measurable.”

Reeves wanted to expand the strawberry giveaways to more stores, but keeping the plants alive for longer than a couple weeks was difficult, and he also thought that putting the burden of taking care of thousands of strawberry plants in a store would be too hard. It wasn’t too big of a deal for him (he’s been gardening since he was a kid), but it’s simple for people without a green thumb to kill them. 

He landed on plant seeds as a solid alternative. In 2017, he spent $300 on 30 different types of plant seeds and found more out in the wild, all of them heirloom varieties, old strains of plants that aren’t usually grown as commercial crops. Reeves started giving them away at his store, and people started sending letters, and then he created a website. It snowballed. 

“As far as I know, we’re probably the world’s largest, most comprehensive free seed service,” Reeves said. “We’re definitely the most comprehensive. There might be somebody out there that’s giving away more in terms of volume than us…There’s a few groups that give away specific seeds for, like, the monarch butterfly or this or that, but there’s not really anybody doing what we’re doing.”

Reeves said he has given away more than 300,000 packs of seeds, all of them donated to him, grown by himself, found out in the wild, or purchased with donations. Reeves suggests that people who want seeds send $10 for every 15 packets of seeds they request. That’s roughly the amount he needs to break even. If someone requests a lot of seeds and doesn’t donate, they probably won’t get any seeds. Right now, about half of the people asking for seeds donates. Earlier in the season, when the serious gardeners are ordering dozens of packets of seeds to prepare for the upcoming growing season, the proportion is much higher. 

The donations also pay for a few full-time employees who help package and send out the seeds. They send out about 200 packages a day. Fortunately, the post office is just down the street. 

The Facebook group Reeves created in 2020 to share heirloom seeds is a few hundred people shy of 155,000 members. They post paeans to Earth’s glorious bounties and requests from other seed-sharers for varieties like “pink lemon blueberry” and “snowball improved cauliflower” and “iso pawpaws,” thousands of people trying and failing and succeeding at turning bare patches of soil and leftover scraps into something delicious and nourishing. 

It is not a cheap venture for Reeves, nor is it a lark. He moved to Arcata from the Midwest in 2008 to sell his gems, and he’s closing the store so he can focus on the seeds. He and his wife and two kids spent a couple years living in a retrofitted school bus before being forced to move off of the land they were parking on. They spent COVID in the bus out on the streets. Vandals broke into the store and destroyed windows and stole gems. Now he’s closing the store and mortgaging his house to fund the purchase of a farm in Ferndale so he can grow more of the seeds he’s going to give away, which is also time-consuming and laborious. 

A few months ago, some TikToker mentioned FreeHeirloomSeeds in a video and they were totally inundated with requests. None of the other people packaging the seeds showed up, but Reeves decided to stick it out and worked a series of 20-hour days to deliver thousands of orders. He’s shut the operation down before, but decided not to that time. 

“When I was very young, I thought, ‘Oh, look at my nieces and nephews there. What kind of world are they gonna have?’” Reeves asked. “And now, I look at my kids, I think the same thing. And it’s not only just the struggle to survive, but I believe the world could be so much more beautiful and so much more fun, so much more loving, and we could all be a lot happier if we just did some things that benefited one another instead of just constantly living for ourselves.”

The store today is about equally divided between space for seeds and space for gems and space for two wild-haired kids to run around, grow their own plants and try making teas out of cilantro and snacks out of raw mustard shoots, but Reeves has dreams beyond even this and the farm. FreeHeirloomSeeds is also a mission of conservation. Rare breeds of fruits and vegetables frequently go extinct, and sharing their seeds is an easy way to ensure that happens less and less. Reeves wants to start a local seed bank to preserve more of those, and make it even easier for people to grow their own plants. Reeves believes that a focus shift from buying produce produced by a globalized economy to a more local one would be better for everyone. 

“You go into the grocery store and you look and see carrots from Colorado,” Reeves said. “This stuff is from all over the place. Go buy a jar of artichokes; they’re probably from Argentina or something, but they grow great around here.”

Despite the huge diversity of seeds on the website, there are a few heavy-hitters that people tend to order over and over again, like butter crunch lettuce or Cherokee purple tomatoes.

He hopes that in Ferndale they’ll be able to produce seeds that are normally fairly expensive only because no one is growing them, like a multi-colored Echinacea that can retail for a dollar a seed but are super easy to grow. Many of these varieties offer less commercial value or aren’t suited to a modern palette, but are valuable parts of history in their own right. 

“These are seeds that can be produced like no problem,” Reeves said. “If you just grow the crop, it only takes a minute.”

“I can say that [getting thousands of orders] is surprising or whatever, but it’s actually not that surprising, because we recognized the need from the beginning. … Anyone can help save a species. Anybody can do something good for their community. We’ve been struggling against homelessness the whole time while we did this — it’s not necessarily been easy — but it’s very gratifying. Basically, what I’m trying to say is: If you try to make a difference, you’d be surprised at the results.”

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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In 2022, California made sweeping changes to its Medi-Cal program that reimagined what health care could look like for some of the state’s poorest and sickest residents by covering services from housing to healthy food. But the future of that program, known as CalAIM, could be at risk under the Trump administration.

In recent weeks, federal officials have signaled that support for creative uses of Medi-Cal funding is waning, particularly uses that California has invested in such as rent assistance and medically tailored meals. Medi-Cal is California’s name for Medicaid.

The moves align with a narrower vision of Medicaid espoused by newly confirmed Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services head Dr. Mehmet Oz, who said during his swearing-in ceremony that Medicaid spending was crowding out spending on education and other services in states with the federal government “paying most of the bill.”

“This one really bothers me. There are states who are using Medicaid — Medicaid dollars for people who are vulnerable — for services that are not medical,” Oz said.

It also fits with broader GOP calls to slim down the federal government. Medicaid is under scrutiny as part of a GOP-led budget process in the House of Representatives that calls for $880 billion in cuts over 10 years to programs including Medicaid.

“The messaging that we want to go back to the basics of Medicaid puts all of these waiver programs in jeopardy,” said John Baackes, former chief executive of L.A. Care, the state’s largest Medi-Cal health insurer.

CalAIM is authorized under a federal waiver that allows states to experiment with their Medicaid programs to try to save money and improve health outcomes. Under the waiver, California added extra benefits for high-cost users to help with food insecurity, housing instability, substance use and behavioral health challenges.

Roughly half of all Medi-Cal spending can be attributed to 5% of high-cost users, according to state documents.

But in March, the federal government rescinded guidelines supporting Medi-Cal spending for social services. It also sent states a letter in April indicating that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would no longer approve a funding mechanism that helps support CalAIM, although that money will continue until 2026.

Together, these moves should worry states that operate programs like CalAIM, said Kathy Hempstead, senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“Under the Biden administration states were encouraged to experiment with things like that: To prescribe people prescriptions to get healthy food, to refer people to community-based services,” Hempstead said. “This administration is not receptive at all to … that vision of the Medicaid program.”

In a press release, CMS said it is putting an end to spending that isn’t “directly tied to health care services.”

“Mounting expenditures, such as covering housekeeping for individuals who are not eligible for Medicaid or high-speed internet for rural healthcare providers, distracts from the core mission of Medicaid, and in some instances, serves as an overly-creative financing mechanism to skirt state budget responsibilities,” the press release states.

These signals from the federal government apply to future applications for Medicaid changes, and do not change California’s current programs or funding. The state’s CalAIM waiver expires at the end of 2026, and another similar waiver that supports California’s efforts to improve behavioral health care expires in 2029.

According to a statement from the Department of Health Care Services, the agency that oversees Medi-Cal, all programs “remain federally approved and operational.”

“We appreciate our Medi-Cal providers and community partners, and together we will push full steam ahead to transform our health system and improve health outcomes,” the department said.

Paul Shafer, co-director of the Boston University Medicaid Policy Lab, said decades of public health research show that people have worse health outcomes that require more expensive treatment when their social needs aren’t met.

“We’ve spent the last few decades in public health and health policy, arguing that so much of health and medical costs is driven by environmental factors — people’s living conditions, income, etc.” Shafer said.

But, Shafer said, programs like CalAIM are relatively recent and the research hasn’t had enough time to show whether paying for non-traditional services saves money.

For example, California’s street medicine doctors who take care of people who are homeless say that their patients often cycle in and out of the emergency room — the most expensive point of service in the health care system. They have no place to recover from medical procedures, no address to deliver medications, and the constant exposure to the elements takes years off of their lives, doctors say.

CalAIM gives them options to help their clients find housing.

The federal government’s decision not to fund programs like this in the future is a “step backward,” Shafer said.

“I think we can all read the tea leaves and say that that means they’re sort of unlikely to be renewed,” he said.

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dennis Duane Bermers at the age of 72.

Dennis was born in Eureka on January 21, 1953 to Otis and Verna Bermers. He passed away in San Francisco at UCSF on April 20, 2025.

Dennis graduated Eureka High School in 1971. In 1974 he married the love of his life, Marcia. They celebrated 50 years of marriage this past September.

Out of high school Dennis was employed by Mack Truck and then went on to work for Redwood Reliance Peterbilt Trucking as a salesman. When the company was purchased by Coast County Peterbilt, he became the general manager. He retired from Peterbilt after 41 years in 2019.

Dennis provided a wonderful life for his family. Dennis and Marcia raised three beautiful children, Troy, Blaine and Kyla.

Dennis had such a special bond with each of his children. He would do and fix just about anything for them. They knew exactly who to call when advice was needed or something was broke and needed fixing.

Over the years Dennis and Marcia loved to travel. Their adventures took them to Tahiti, Mexico, Maui, Kauai, an Alaskan cruise and a Canadian cruise ending in New York City. Iceland, Ireland and Scotland were also among their travels.

They enjoyed many Redwood Region Logging conferences as a family. Dennis had the honor of serving as President of RRLC in 1993. Many social outings with friends over the years will always be cherished.

He loved to meet and visit with his cronies for lunch.

As his boys grew up, they shared a hobby of hunting in Blocksburg with Pop Pop Otis. Dennis loved to cook, entertain friends, and most of all he loved being at his happy place, Ruth Lake. He was often called the “Mayor of Ruth Lake.” Dennis knew exactly what tools or parts neighbors needed to repair things and he usually had it on hand.

Over the past 15 years, Dennis has had the joy of seeing all his eight grandchildren grow into young individuals. He was the best Papa in the world. From snuggling them as little infants, playing, tickling, and wrestling with them on the ground, telling them raccoon, fox stories, and about “the bear that went up in the woods.” Dennis enjoyed watching his grandchildren at all their sporting events as they grew. He was always the kid’s biggest supporter, with grandma Marcia by his side.

He was not only known as Papa D by his own grandkids, but was called that by the many others that he loved so much.

Dennis was one of a kind with the biggest heart and lived life to the fullest.

Dennis is proceeded in death by his parents Otis and Verna Bermers and infant brother Otis David.

He will forever be remembered by his loving wife, Marcia; their first-born son, Troy (Catie) their children Brayden and Blayke Bermers; middle son, Blaine (Jamie) their children Ridge, Ryker, and Rhett Bermers; Dennis’s “baby girl” Kyla (Erik) and their children Eva Mae, Ana, and Carter Bess; his favorite sister, Lana (Dave) Ferreira; brother Ron (Diane) Bermers; sister-in-law Gina Baum and Ken Freeman; brother-in-law Garnet Spaulding (Lori); and sister-in-law Rhonda Readen. Several cousins whom he adored and were more like sisters to him, numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews whom always referred to him as Uncle D.

Dennis was always surrounded by love. We thank the endless number of amazing friends and family who supported and loved this extraordinary man. He will truly be missed.

His family is especially grateful for the exceptional care and kindness provided by the caregivers and heart team from UCSF.

Please join us for a Celebration of Life at The Elks Lodge in Eureka on May 31 at 12 o’clock.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Dennis Bermers’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Marilyn Ann Hagar passed away on April 19 at the age of 84. She has been doctoring for her heart most all of her life. Marilyn was born in Eureka, to Walter and Elna Irene Hagar. Both of her parents were natives, having also been born in Eureka.

She had a happy childhood and spent a lot of time at her grandparents’ chicken farm on Hubbard Lane and camping at Riverside Park with the Swede-Finn kids from the Order of Runeberg Lodge. When fifteen years old her parents bought a summer cabin on the Van Duzen River.

Marilyn graduated from Eureka High School in 1958 and attended Humboldt State College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in education in 1962. After teaching at the old Franklin School for two years, she then attended the University of Wisconsin for a masters degree in psychology.

She taught primary children in the Palo Alto Unified School District for thirty-four years, retiring in 2000. Her years in Silicon Valley followed the development of computers as a classroom tool. She was an excellent, caring and much sought-after teacher.

After the passing of her father in 1969, Marilyn lived in two places — working in Palo Alto, visiting in Eureka with her mother. The two of them traveled to Hawaii, Mexico and Michigan. On one very special summer long journey to all of Scandinavia, they met never seen relatives. All of the Swedish speaking grandparents were born in Finland with six or seven siblings each. My what relatives did she find!

After retiring and after her mother’s death, she moved home to Eureka. Nothing delighted her more than traveling the world. She visited sixty-five countries on all continents. Most friends would usually ask, “Where are you going next?” Covid-19 put a halt to her travels.

Between traveling she was active in many organizations such as the Redwood Empire Quilt Guild, the American Association of University Women and the local California Retired Teachers Association to name a few.

Special thanks go out to Timber Ridge Eureka and her next-door neighbor. The Marilyns looked out for each other for twenty-five years.

A graveside memorial service will be held at Sunset Memorial Park at a later date followed by a get together at Marilyn’s house.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice of Humboldt are appreciated.

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A preliminary hearing for Daryl Jones, the Louisiana Oklahoma man charged with making a series of terrorist threats to local schools, was delayed today after Judge Kelly Neel declared doubt about his competency to stand trial.

Jones | Booking photo courtesy Comanche County, Okla.

Jones was extradited to Humboldt County from Lawton, La., Okla., last month after being identified as the suspect in a string of threats to local schools and businesses, resulting in multiple lockdowns. The District Attorney’s Office has charged him with 19 felonies.

After being brought into the courtroom in a standard-issue inmate jumpsuit, Jones was asked by Judge Neel whether he understood the nature of today’s proceedings.

“Not really, no,” he replied.

Neel then explained the basics and asked his assigned attorney, Meagan O’Connell with Humboldt County Conflict Counsel, for her take on his level of comprehension.

“I think he understands to a certain extent but not fully … ,” O’Connell replied. “My major concern is whether or not he can assist in his own defense.” She asked to have Jones evaluated by a mental health professional.

Judge Neel then declared doubt as to Jones’s competency, suspended the criminal proceedings and ordered an examination by local clinical psychologist Dr. Mark Lamers.

A return date was scheduled for May 15 at 8:30 a.m.

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• Multiple Humboldt County Schools Placed on Lockdown Due to Threats
• LOCKDOWNS UPDATE: Out-of-State Man Identified as Suspect Believed to Have Made Threatening Calls to Multiple Humboldt Schools and Businesses
• Extradition Arrest Warrant Issued for Out-of-State Asshole Who Keeps Threatening Local Schools
• 31-Year-Old Oklahoma Resident Arrested on Multiple Felony Counts for Making ‘Terrorist Threats’ to Local Schools

Above: Today the Sequoia Park Zoo released some cute video of Ishŭng that didn’t have any audio. So we added some. 

Y’all have been very patient. Now it is time. 

Earlier today the Sequoia Park Zoo announced that Ishŭng — their new, photogenic black bear — has completed her quarantine and is ready for her closeup. Today she is exploring her new digs and negotiating cohabitating terms with new roomie Tule. There’s still lots of adjusting to do so, if you visit Ishŭng, the zoo requests that you not make a ruckus. Reasonable.

Read the full report on Ishŭng’s debut from the Sequoia Park Zoo below:

Ishŭng the black bear has ventured into the front yard of the bear habitat!

Day one. What have we learned so far? She’s excellent at soccer. She is a fan of wrestling with the massive weeble toy. Grass munching appears to be a new hobby. And though the durations are short, she took advantage of the big, open space for multiple bouts of the zoomies.

Ishŭng is still getting to know her new home. When visiting, please use quiet voices and calm movements around her space. She has options for being outside or inside and may not always be visible. So far, she has been spending time playing and exploring outside and then resting inside.

She completed her quarantine period and has started the “introduction” process of getting to know Tule. For now, they will not be occupying the same physical space. There is no specific date that they will be physically together, as animal care staff will pace the process based entirely on the bears’ behaviors and comfort level. However, over the next few days, Ishŭng will have access to the front yard, and Tule will have access to the back yard. They can see and smell each other, and they are paying close attention to what the other bear is doing. Tule has been spying on Ishŭng from up in the trees, whereas Ishŭng needs to continue developing her climbing muscles. Staff have already seen an increase in her skills thanks to her physical bear-apy program behind the scenes. Now, with all of these new opportunities, she can further develop her skills!

Both Ishŭng and Tule are nonreleaseable black bears that were placed at the Sequoia Park Zoo by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Sequoia Park Zoo is honored to provide homes for bears that cannot be returned to the wild. The Bear and Coyote habitat at Sequoia Park Zoo opened in 2023 with generous funding from the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria.

PREVIOUS ISHŪNG: 

• POLL! What Vibe is Ishūng Serving in This Photo?
• Ishūng Likes Lettuce, Citrus and Beef
• NEW BEAR ALERT! Sequoia Park Zoo Has a New Fuzzy Wuzzy for You to Go Gaga For

Ronald Lloyd Middleton
November 6, 1951-April 9, 2025

Ronald ‘Ron’ Lloyd Middleton passed away after a short battle with cancer, on April 9, 2025 at the age of 73. Ronald was a long time resident of Willow Creek.

Ron was survived by his wife, Karen Middleton; daughters, Stacy Middleton, Shelly Barella, her husband, Anthony Barella, as well as his son, Joel Hollenback of Portland, Oregon; his brother Elmer (Sue) Middleton of Selma, Oregon, brother in-law Chester Carter of Oregon, and sister in-law Kim Downing, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Wilmer and Mattie Middleton; siblings, Laverne Carter, James (Guila), Delmar (Marge), Doyle, and Janice Riness (Tim).

Ron was born in Scotia on November 6, 1951. He attended Toddy Thomas Elementary and went on to graduate from Fortuna High School in 1970. He enjoyed playing basketball, hunting, playing softball for the church league, riding horses and playing pool.

After high school Ron moved to Willow Creek with his lifelong best friend Ed Parker. He began working for Utility Tree Company, clearing the power lines for PG&E. It was there where he discovered his love for climbing trees. He was well-known throughout the Klamath-Trinity community for his ability to climb. Even in his late 60s Ron could still be found swinging from trees. Whether it was helping his daughter in her yard or doing side jobs helping good friends Louis Walton and Mary Roberts, Ron never shied away from taking his love of tree climbing to new heights. His employment in the tree service industry lasted his entire life — from Utility Tree in 1970 to Davey Tree then eventually ending his career as a lineman for Western Environmental Consultants. Ron also spent a short period working for the Hoopa Valley Tribe where he mentored numerous locals on tree climbing techniques. Ron was extremely hard-working and his work ethic showed no matter how big or small the job was.

It was while in Willow Creek, Ron met the love of his life, Karen Middleton. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Stacy Marie, in 1980 and their youngest daughter, Shelly Annette, was born in 1982. The couple truly embraced living in the beautiful mountainous community, always taking trips to the local creeks and rivers: camping, fishing, and enjoying long motorcycle rides as far away as British Columbia. The couple began raising their family on the Downing Mountain homestead, where they built a strong foundation of love and laughter for their children. Ron loved the outdoors and living and raising his daughters in Willow Creek was nothing short of a dream for him, something that continued on when Ron became a grandpa.

In his later years, Ron become known as Papa. He was the proud grandpa to eight grandchildren: Malachi, Ava and Caleb Hammond, Rusty and Darlene Middleton, Alanis and Brendan Baldy and Cataleya Barella. Ron loved nothing more than being around his grandkids. He was truly in his element when he was playing with the grandkids. When they were babies, Papa would be on his hands and knees exerting all his energy to get them to crack a smile or a giggle. Although Ron loved all of his grandkids, he and Rusty became the best of buddies. Where Ron was, Rusty was; either roaming the hills or camping at their favorite spots. They were quite the pair, always telling each other jokes, and giving each other a hard time. Rusty knew where every logging road was and every creek in a 100-mile radius thanks to his Papa. He taught him how to run a chainsaw, swing an axe, and run a green machine.

Ron was a true mountain man. He was born to be outdoors. Any chance he got he was out exploring. His favorite spots were Horse Linto Creek Campground and Fish Lake, both of which he would take all of his grandkids. There were countless memories made of which his family hold close to their hearts.

If Ron wasn’t out exploring, he could be found at the local casinos, specifically the Lucky Bear. He enjoyed getting out and playing his favorite games and the occasional jackpot.

Although Ron was not a big man in size, his honesty, dependability and devotion to his family demonstrated huge character. He lived a meager lifestyle, with no regard to materialistic property. Ron was modest and prided himself on who you are as a person, not what you own. He was kind and generous, never backing down when someone was in need. Anyone who needed anything whether it be to dig his granddaughter out of the snow or help a stranger change a tire, he wouldn’t blink an eye.

There was never a dull moment when Ron was in your presence. He was always joking; even if it meant hearing the same joke or story one hundred times, he made sure to try and get you to crack a smile. He would follow every joke with “I’m just kiddin’ ya,” making sure we all knew he was just trying to bring joy to your day.

Just as in life, Ron wanted to keep it simple and did not care to do a big memorial service. The family will gather for a private memorial at a later date.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ron Middleton’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.