Canadian kefir-ers Yahoo group up and running - should I add scoby-wanters too?

March 14, 2011

Hello. Me again. It's been a while.

This message is for the Canadians in the group.

My KT is doing well, thanks, and I'll probably put on a new batch tonight. But

there's something I'm wondering about CANADIANS looking for KT cultures, and

your input would help.

I've always done a lot of kefir-ing, and I think many KT-makers do too. After

the trouble I had last time in finding new grains locally, I figured I'd start a

(small, nothing fancy) group for Canadians only. Surprisingly, there are quite a

few people who've had the same problem, and it's starting to be a nice little

list.

I was thinking it over and realized my scoby (replacing a sadly deceased lost

culture) had come from the USA. That's because I came here after giving up on

finding anything in the PROVINCE, never mind nearby towns.

Don't get me wrong: American (and overseas) brewers have always been generous

with sharing grains and scobys. In the past couple of decades I think I've found

perhaps 5 people who were unreasonable (I'm talking " I want $50 for shipping "

unreasonable). I think it's just part of the whole process: you're doing

something for yourself, your own health/self-sufficiency, and people like that

WANT to share.

What's unfortunate is the problems of cross-border shipping. The cost can be

ridiculous (depending on the size). Worse, the TIME involved can stretch into

months. I mean that literally: I've had a scoby in transit for just over 2

months. And kefir has the same problem...one woman told me about how her kefir

grains were confiscated as " suspected drugs. " Oh come ON now!

So:

Do you think it would be helpful to have a Canadian Scoby-seekers group too? Or

perhaps a " Kefir & KT " list?

Your thoughts, please?

Many thanks,

- Merri

PS: For the curious, the home page of the under-construction Canadian kefir

site is here:

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