coop April 2004 / FREE
Nourishing New Mexico Since 1976
15th Annual
Celebrate The Earth Festival
Nob Hill / April 18 / 10 – 6pm
La Montanita Co-op Supermarket 3500 Central SE Albuquerque, NM 87106
Saturday
MAY 1st 5th Annual Garden Party❁
2004
Finest organic bedding plants, gardening education, food, music and more! Valley CO-OP
Rio Grande & Matthew 12
COME TO THE VA L L E Y G A R D E N PA R T Y !
Fresh, Organic, Local, Native Bedding Plants
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1. YOUR CHANCE TO SUPPORT A STORE that is committed to bringing you the highest quality organic produce, antibiotic and hormone free meats, rBGH-free dairy products, imported and domestic cheeses, healthiest grocery, bulk foods, fresh deli and juices, natural body care, cosmetics, vitamins, herbs and more! 2. MEMBER REFUND PROGRAM: At the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members, based on purchases. 3. PICK-UP OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER full of information on food, health, environment, and your Co-op. 4. WEEKLY MEMBER-ONLY COUPON SPECIALS as featured in our Sales Flyer. Pick up our in-store Weekly Sales Flyer. 5. EASY CHECK WRITING, AND CASH ($40) over purchase amount. We also accept ATM cards, VISA and MasterCard. 6. BANKING MEMBERSHIP at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union, with many Albuquerque branches to serve you. 7. INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL COUNSELING: Call Robin Chall, 505-884-0530, or 1-800-453-8862. 8. FREE DELIVERY for seniors, housebound and differently-abled people. 9. MEMBER ONLY DISCOUNT DAYS: Take advantage of our special discount events for members only — throughout the year! 10. SPECIAL ORDERS You can special order large quantities or hard-to-finditems, at a 10% discount for members. 11. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS, board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations; your participation is encouraged. 12. MEMBERSHIP PARTICIPATION PROGRAM: Members can earn discount credit through our community outreach committees or skilled member participation program. Please ask at the Info Desk for details. Now More than Ever: Support Community, Support Cooperation JOIN LA MONTANITA COOPERATIVE The Only Community-Owned Natural Foods Grocery in the Albuquerque Area MEMBERSHIP: ONLY $12 ANNUALLY, OR $200 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP 2 LOCATIONS! NOB HILL, CENTRAL & CARLISLE, 265-4631 VALLEY, RIO GRANDE & MATTHEW, 242-8800
Back to Back Spring
Festivals! 15th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival Sunday, April 18th 10:30am-6pm, Nob Hill store by Robyn Seydel can hardly believe the seasons have made a full circle since we last gathered to celebrate and re-dedicate ourselves to sustaining and protecting Mother Earth. What’s even more unbelievable is that this is the 15th year for our Celebrate the Earth Festival. Over the years this festival has grown with the Coop community, becoming the beloved community event it is today. It seems like only yesterday we had just moved into the Nob Hill Center and there were a couple of environmental booths outside the Coop’s front door. This year there will be nearly 100 environmental, social and economic justice, farming and gardening organizations, local food producers, performing and fine artists and crafts people gathering on Silver St. behind the Nob Hill Coop.
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Here at the Coop, we feel blessed by the community support this endeavor has generated over the years and want to thank everyone for making it the wonderful event it is. Even Mother Earth has seen fit to smile upon the event, blessing us with a perfectly beautiful spring day almost every year. Only once was it snowy and cold during set-up, but the farmers, salt of the earth that they are, shrugged it off, began setting up and by the end of the day it was beautiful. Another year the wind blew 80 miles an hour in other parts of the city but somehow, miraculously, our little neighborhood was spared. We can only pray that this year Mother Earth will once again provide a beautiful day on which to honor her. Each year it feels right to open our festival with the traditional Native American singing and drumming of Dancing Horse Drum Group. In commemoration of our 15th year, long-time environmental activist and Isleta Pueblo Elder, Pat Jojola, will share a special blessing with us. This year we are honored to have Don Imhoff, author of “Farming with with the Wild” and Joanne Baumgartner, Executive Director of The Wild Farm Alliance joining us for the Common Ground Summit. This summit will bring together environmentalists and farmers to reframe the dialogue on protecting and sustaining the land and culture of New Mexico. See page 2 for details. Just a sampling of the many organizations and farmers already signed up to participate in this year’s festivities include: Rio Grande Community Farms, Master Gardeners of New Mexico, erda Gardens, Amigos Bravos, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, HawkWatch, New Mexico Solar Energy Association, The Vegetarian Society, The Veggie Car—Bio-diesel for the Future, Arab-Jewish Peace
Alliance, The New Mexico Organic Livestock Cooperative, The Sierra Club, The Green Building Council, Walk ABQ- Bike ABQ, The Nob Hill Neighborhood Association, Master Gardeners of New Mexico, the New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission, Citizens for Alternatives To Radioactive Dumping, Sweatshop Free ABQ Coalition, Plants of the Southwest, Desert Woman Botanicals, the Albuquerque Growers Market Association, Bethany Farms, Los Poblanos CSA, Sparrow Hawk Farm, Seeds West and many, many more. Also look for some great local arts and crafts people. As always there will be great tasting, reasonably priced Coop food at the outdoor Deli grill with umbrella shaded tables to enjoy it at. You are also invited to come talk to our Board of Directors and hear what they are working on. Under the Big Tent The big tent in the middle of Silver Street will host some of the finest performing artists in the area. As always it will be a pleasure to see Eva Encinas-Sandoval and Alma Flamenca. This year for the first time we are pleased to welcome Pilar Leto and the Odara Dance Ensemble with SambaSoul, the steel drum music of Calypso y Sol, the acoustic blues of Chris Dracup, the country blues of Alpha Blue, the eclectic dance mix of Jasper (the great dance band Stove reincarnated) and Stu MacAskie and the Organ Trio who are putting together a special set of jazz/funk dance grooves sure to keep us all dancing in the streets all afternoon. Another Festival First This year it is with great pleasure that we welcome the participation of our neighbors and good friends at
9am-2pm
garden party!
10:30am: Dancing Horse Drum Group 11:30am: Calypso Y Sol, 12:30pm: Eva Encinas-Sandoval and Alma Flamenca 1:15pm: Chris Dracup 2pm: Pilar Leto and the Odara Dance Ensemble with SambaSoul 3pm: Stu MacAskie and the Organ Trio 4pm: Alpha Blue 5pm: Jasper
continued on page 3
Valley’s 5th Annual
Garden Party! When you think of the valley, cottonwood lined acequias and a tradition of farming and gardening stretching back to the earliest pueblo peoples comes to mind. Today in our Valley neighborhood, thank goodness, home gardening and small scale and sometimes not so small scale farming is alive and well. The valley can even boast of two vibrant community supported agriculture farms, Los Poblanos and erda Gardens, and Rio Grande Community Gardens, the public Open Space area that hosts the corn maze in the fall and community gardens all summer long. The Valley is also home to a great growers market up in Los Ranchos. All this happily reports that farming and gardening is still alive and well in its traditional region. To do our part to sustain those traditions and maintain farming and gardening in our North Valley neighborhood, the Coop is pleased to offer this 5th Annual Garden Party gathering of farmers, gardeners and educators.
saturday may 1st
Earth Festival Entertainment Schedule
There will be the finest bedding plants, veggie seedlings and native plants, some organic, all locally grown, perfect for your home gardens. On hand as well will be County Extension Master Gardeners to answer all your questions, Wendy and Luis from Plants of the Southwest for native plant landscaping, Rio Grand Community Farms if you’d like to sign up for your community garden
Garden Party Entertainment Schedule 10:30am: Terra Plena 12pm: The Gemma DeRagon Quartet.
plot, Monica Rude of Desert Woman Botanicals to answer medicinal herb questions, the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, our state certifying agency on organics as well as a host of other knowledgeable people from around the state. Each year the Coop rents a big Jolly Jumper and one of the important educational organizations serving our community’s children uses it as a base for a fundraising. In past years we have highlighted the Albuquerque Pre-School Coop and Art in the Schools. This year our partner school Cochiti Elementary will be handling the jumper and raising funds for projects for 5th graders. While you are at it don’t forget to stop by our outdoor deli grill for some delicious, reasonably priced food to enjoy at an umbrella shaded table. People raved about the sweet Latin jazz sounds of Terra Plena, with musicians Michael Anthony, Maude Beenhouwer and Rudolpho Gonzales, at the Savor the Flavor event last fall, so we have invited them back for this Garden Party. Or if the big band swing sound is more your taste, come for lunch and enjoy the Gemma DeRagon Quartet. If you are a local farmer and would like to have a free space contact Robyn at 217-0107. The Garden Party is one sweet time. You’ll find everything you need for your garden whether big or small, in the ground or in pots, and a chance to connect with friends and neighbors old and new at the Valley’s 5th Annual Garden Party.
festival special A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Nob Hill 3500 Central S.E. Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631 Valley 2400 Rio Grande Blvd. Albuq., NM 87104 242.8800 Administrative Staff: General Manager: C.E. Pugh ce@lamontanita.com/265-4631 Store Team Leaders: Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631 John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 Accounting/Toni Fragua 217-0108 Computers/Info Technology/ Ahmed Elmaghlawi 232-8202 Human Resources/Sharrett Rose 217-0105 Marketing/Edite Cates 217-0106 Membership/Robyn Seydel 217-0107 Co-op fax line: 217-0104 or 265-6470
Common Ground by Robyn Seydel For 15 years a multitude of environmental groups, farmers and ranchers from around New Mexico have stood elbow-to-elbow at our Celebrate the Earth Festival, filling the block of Silver Street behind La Montanita Co-op. Crowded though it may be, cooperation and camaraderie fill the air and side-by-side, these groups come together to make the festival the vibrant gathering it is. Clearly love of Mother Earth is the shared common bond. Sadly beneath this façade there lie deep divisions. In what some have likened to a “range war”, conflicts between the communities rage over water, wildlife preservation and land use. Savvy politicians and developers have helped fan the flames of divisiveness scooping up water rights and prime landscape while we, future generations, our enchanting homeland and cultural traditions suffer the consequences. When I first saw Dan Imhoff’s book “Farming with the Wild” (a Watershed Media book, published by Sierra Club)
ested in participating in a roundtable. Though I thought I’d have a “hard row to hoe,” the overwhelmingly positive response has been a tremendous joy. Facilitated by Dan, the Celebrate the Earth summit participants include New Mexico Wilderness Alliance’s Nathan Newcomer, Sierra Club’s Richard Johnson, Amigos Bravos’ Cynthia Gomez, Northern New Mexican farmer and organizer Don Bustos, Forest Guardians’ John Horning, Bernalillo County Extension Horticulture Agent Joran Viers, New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission’s Brett Bakker and Erika Peters, Native Plants Society of New Mexico’s Jim Nelesson, ABQ Growers Markets Association’s Eric Garrettson, Rio Grande Restoration’s Deb Hibbard, Silver City Growers Market Manager Sharlene Gruenwald, New Mexico Organic Livestock Coop’s Molly and Antonio Manzanares, Quivira Ranchers Coalition, The IndioHispano Agriculture Academy’s Felix Mauro Torres,
Co-op Board of Directors: President: Pat Janney Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Treasurer: Ken O’Brien Secretary: Julie Hicks Lon Calanca Eric Chrisp John Kwait Trout Rogers Martha Whitman Store Hours: Nob HIll Mon. thru Sat.: 7a.m. to 10p.m. Sunday: 8a.m. to 10p.m. Valley Mon. thru Sat.: 7a.m. to 10p.m. Sunday: 8a.m. to 10p.m. Membership Costs: $12 for 1 year $200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: Managing Editor: Robyn Seydel Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Advertising: Robyn Seydel Printing: Vanguard Press Membership information is available at the Co-op, 3500 Central S.E. (Nob Hill location), or 2400 Rio grande Blvd. N.W. (Valley location) Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, memb@lamontanita.com email: bod@lamontanita.com website: www.lamontanita.org Copyright © 2004 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable. The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, food, nutrition, and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the newletters or the Co-op.
CO-OP YOU OWN IT
Earth Fest Hosts Summit! and heard about wild farming concepts that as he says foster “agricultural systems that are truly compatible with the full range of wild Nature” it affirmed personal experience. On my little piece of heaven in the South Valley, once a parched and barren landscape, the native plants, kitchen crops and medicinal herbs I’ve planted and the gardens I tend have recreated habitat and are now home to an amazing diversity of birds both song and predatory, a herd of toads, bats, snakes, beneficial insects including an amazing diversity of spiders, butterflies and other beauties, and despite my dogs. even passing skunks and other four-legged critters. Certainly many farmers and permaculture advocates with skill levels far beyond my rudimentary set are doing amazing things already. Could integration of agriculture, recreation of habitat and wilderness restoration change what often seems to be the pre-ordained fate of farming and wildlands here in New Mexico? Earth Day for me has always meant taking action to sustain and restore our little planet. After hearing him speak as part of the Eros Health Lecture series, in the hopes that “wild farming” concepts could be a stepping-off place to bring farmers and environmentalists together, I was inspired to invite Dan to come to our Festival. After all, what better place to begin to reframe the dialogue, recognize our common ground and begin to move forward together to save what we all love than at a community gathering that for many years has provided a safe and welcoming space for both camps. When Dan confirmed, I began calling, dedicated activists on all sides of the issue to see if they were inter-
Southwestern Indian Polytechnical Institute’s Joe Jaramillo and others not yet confirmed at press time. The willingness of these courageous people to sit down together, begin a dialogue of change and rebuild relationships is inspiring and hopeful. There will be many challenges to overcome, perhaps the greatest of which here in the Southwest is water. In “Farming With the Wild” Dan writes “It comes as no surprise then that clashes over water rights between farmers, environmentalists, Indian tribes, and urban dwellers have already hit the boiling point.” But he also points out that “Models and examples of landowners, land trust organizations, government cost share and incentive programs, third party eco labels, wildlife monitoring groups, non-profits and others working to achieve a compatible balance between farming and ranching and the protection of natural world have emerged throughout the country in the past few decades.” Here at La Montanita we pray that the spirit of cooperation in which this summit is undertaken will prevail. We no longer have time to fight among ourselves. Each day that we do the losses we sustain, both on a personal and planetary level, increase exponentially. Daily we see or hear about the wounds this “war” inflicts on Mother Earth and can’t help but recognize all that we have to lose. It is our hope that these “peace talks” give an opportunity for changed relationships in which together we find common ground to stand upon and a shared strength to face the challenges that threaten the lives and lands we all love.
enviros & farmers
Come Together
Join us on Sunday April 18th at the 15th Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest for a “Farming with the Wild” talk by Dan Imhoff at 11AM and the Common Ground Summit between 1-3PM. For more information contact Robyn at 265-4631.
cover photos by Edite Cates
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april 2004
festival special
New Connections for a Divided World by Daniel Imhoff hen it comes to food and farming, we are a nation divided. On the one hand, there is corporate agribusiness, growing bigger and becoming more consolidated all the time, getting fat off of the subsidies that keep monocrop commodity crops at post-World War II prices. This is the same global corporate agriculture that recently incited the ire and dissent of developing countries at the World Trade Organization in Cancun last September by refusing to acknowledge that our enormous Farm Bill subsidies present extremely unfair trading conditions for so many of the world’s small farmers—including our own. According to Fred Kirschenmann, organic farmer and director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable
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were mostly rugged and remote to begin with. Grazing, farming, development, dams and reservoirs, road building, mining, logging and other activities that take place within and around wilderness areas make it more and more difficult for many wide-ranging, sensitive, or shy species to sustain healthy populations. We are not talking only about bears, wolves, or bison. Migratory species from salmon and native trout to waterfowl and songbirds find it increasingly difficult to complete their annual cross country pilgrimages. Also threatened are many resident and migratory
Without a concerted national effort and cohesive vision, the beauty and uniqueness of this country will be forever diminished. Agriculture, this is the corporate agriculture that has predicted the state of Iowa could one day in the future become fourteen separate 200,000-acre farms. It is also the corporate agribusiness that is increasingly responsible for the broad scale contamination of the country’s seed supply with pollen from genetically engineered crops. A recent article in the Washington Post reported that two-thirds of the random samples of soybeans, corn, and canola seeds tested by the Union of Concerned Scientists contained traces of DNA from genetically modified crops. The Biotechnology Industry Association responded to these startling findings by admonishing countries around the world to quickly adopt uniform standards for acceptable levels of such contamination.
species that directly benefit agriculture—for example, the native pollinators (including some bats), that help make up an estimated $40 billion in orchard, row and pasture crop businesses possible or owls and other raptors that devour significant quantities of rodents on a daily basis.
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When it comes to farming and the wild, we are also a nation very much divided. It may come as a surprise to many that there is a profound correlation between our grocery lists and the Endangered Species List. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s own 1996 statistics, farming and ranching operations were contributing factors in the listing of 42 percent and 26 percent of species respectively. Considering that roughly two-thirds of the Lower 48 states’ land base are used for some form of farming, ranching, or grazing, it becomes clearer why agriculture ranks above commercial development, water development, grazing, road and infrastructure development, mining and gas extraction, logging, industrial pollution and other activities in habitat destruction, the leading cause of species endangerment.
ifty years ago, post-World War II farmers and ranchers mobilized to “feed the world.” In our march to maximize plantable acreage, wetlands were drained, forests cleared, grasslands plowed or overgrazed, rivers dammed and run dry and aquifers tapped into. Diversified farms were converted to specialized monocrop operations and three million farmers moved off the land as agriculture became a chemical, capital, machinery, and long distance transport-intensive industry, (though still supported by a massive migratory labor force). In many regions of the country, fields, orchards, and pastures once separated by hedgerows, shelterbelts, and habitat-lined waterways gave way to “clean farming,” where not just weeds but all native vegetation was treated as an impediment to efficiency. As evidenced by the statistics above, this continual separation of our lands into enclaves of wildness on the one hand and factory-farming zones—or what Dana and Laura Jackson have termed “ecological sacrifice zones”—on the other has taken a dangerous toll. Conservation and species protection cannot just take place on public lands. Without a concerted national effort and cohesive vision, the beauty and uniqueness of this country will be forever diminished.
While we have managed to protect nearly five percent of our land as wilderness, conservation biologists tell us that those lands are becoming increasingly isolated. Though seemingly large, these areas
The good news is that life down on some farms and ranches is getting wilder. Around the country, farmers, ranchers, land trusts, government agen-
On the other hand, we have what is left of our vanishing agrarian culture, which loses an average of over 200 family farms per day. Many are the farmers of what is increasingly identified as “the agriculture of the middle,” not big enough to compete on the commodity markets, nearing retirement age, and too old to start over. Some are small community farmers and stewards that produce the milk, meats, grains, fruits, vegetables and other foods and fibers that sustain us.
celebrate the earth
a t your co-op! april 2004
cies and consumers are finding that local agricultural operations can not only provide essential sources of nutritious food, but also critical habitat. Native plant aficionados are seeking out remnants of prairies and woodlands and are using local seeds and plants to bring farm edges, riparian areas, and marginally productive fields back to life. In the Sky Islands region of the Southwest, community organizers, conservationists, ranchers and farmers have been working for over a decade to build the public will and develop strategic plans to connect protected wilderness through corridors that provide stepping stones for pollinators, allow lightning-ignited wildfire to travel through selected grasslands and offer “safe passage” for large carnivores such as jaguars and Mexican wolves. Grass farming is becoming a preferred rainfallsupported method of raising dairy and meat cattle, an alternative to massive Confinement Animal Feedlot Operations that house tens or even hundreds of thousands of animals on a single “farm.” Cropping systems are being tailored toward specific climate characteristics or the needs of threatened species. “Predator- friendly” ranchers are learning to coexist with large carnivores by emphasizing careful breed selection, improved fencing, guard animals, and more hands-on management techniques. Under the recently passed Farm Bill, billions of federal tax dollars have been pledged to restore previously plowed marginal lands to various forms of native habitat. Rather than paying farmers to maximize production regardless of supply or demand, many USDA programs provide economic incentives and technical support to landowners who maintain on-farm habitat, thereby producing clean water and air and stabile soils. Whether these programs are ultimately appropriated and small farmers actually benefit remains in question. “Farming with the wild” is a phrase that I have chosen to capture this emerging and exciting conservation-based approach to agriculture. The vision of a more integrated landscape of wildlands and agricultural producers offers a large tent under which many constituencies can come together in search of positive solutions. However, there will be no easy answers. Yet, in addition to making a healthier future for farming and wildlife, measuring our success by our ability to coexist with all species could offer some important and valuable lessons in this age of insecurity.
About the Author Daniel Imhoff directs Watershed Media, a nonprofit publishing house based in Healdsburg, California. He is a co-founder of the Wild Farm Alliance, and the author of numerous essays and books, including “Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches” (Watershed Media/Sierra Club Books 2003), “Building with Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood” (Watershed Media 2001), and the forthcoming “Paper or Plastic? Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World ” (Watershed Media/Sierra Club Books 2004).
15th Annual Earth Fest continued from page 1 Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Located just across Carlisle from the Coop, for years they have allowed us to use their meeting space for our Board meetings and annual membership gatherings and been wonderful supportive neighbors in every way. Now we are pleased to be able to partner with them and expand our festival across the street to include this important neighborhood organization. We are pleased to announce that in conjunction with the Celebrate the Earth Fest, the Church will be offering a free classical concert by the Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque, and a variety of children’s activities in front of the main Carlisle Street entrance. For the past 15 years, in keeping with the cooperative philosophy of continuous education, we have been pleased to offer this free community street festival. With your support we hope we will
be able to sustain this festival and the cooperative spirit it represents for another 15 years. It’s a great opportunity for us to educate one another on a variety of important issues and support each other’s work, as together we cooperate to manifest a shared vision of a sustainable world and a strong local community. Mark your calendar so you’re sure not to miss this beloved community event, La Montanita Coop’s 15th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival Sunday April 18th. And remember parking is tight so please bike or hike to the site. See you there!
If you are a non-profit environmental, social or economic justice organization, New Mexican farmer, gardener or agricultural organization and want to reserve your free space please contact Robyn at 217-0107.
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fueling the future Stick a Corncob in Your Engine!
Nature’s Way to Better Health Mary Alice Cooper, M.D. classical homeopathy craniosacral therapy visceral therapy St. Raphael Medical Center 204 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 (505) 266-6522
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by Eric Chrisp Heard this one lately? "The world is running out of cheap oil" and natural gas, and eventually it will run out of uranium and coal too. Well, so what do we do about it? Really good ideas are to simply drive less, buy less packaging, etc. But we still need to get to work (providing our jobs can survive an economy without cheap oil), heat our homes and provide for our families. Sure, we might be running on hydrogen fuel cells someday, but the best estimates we have say that'll take decades to implement (and we still have to get the hydrogen from somewhere). So we need something to get us by in the meantime.
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My family and I see tough times on the horizon and are looking to nature to get us through. We’re looking to vegetable oil and bio-diesel. We’ve been researching and experimenting for close to a year now and I'd like to share what we've learned. Currently there are millions of gallons of perfectly good vegetable oils and animal fats going to waste in this country. Some of it gets made into livestock feed, cosmetics or pet food, but market pressures are pushing more and more of that energy rich slop into landfills. We can help stop the waste. But to make this work you need to get a vehicle with a diesel engine. We estimate that there is enough waste-vegetable oil created in Albuquerque, to keep 500 vehicles running normal routines. We also estimate that there are less than ten on the road running on 100% biodiesel (not mixed with petrol diesel) or straight vegetable oil (SVO). There's a lot of room for improvement. If vegi-oil is going to get us through to the postpetroleum economy, we'll need a little more than what we can find in fast food dumpsters. Eventually we'll have to start making more oil. This sounds bad if you think the only way to get veggie-oil is from a factory-farm, growing GMO
soy and corn in Iowa. The answer is algae. Yes, I mean the blue-green kind that likes saltwater and a lot of heat. Where do we have that? How about White Sands Missile Range! That salt water aquifer that Alamogordo wants to pump and desalinate is just the ticket for growing all the bio-diesel we need in the hot, barren desert. Once you have your diesel vehicle you have to make a choice. Do you want to convert your vehicle to run on SVO or do you want to convert the SVO to run in your vehicle. Any diesel engine can run on biodiesel without major modifications, but to run grease in your car you need to heat the stuff until it's as thin as diesel. This takes a little engineering but it can be done and is being done all over the world. We do both. We have been converting a Dodge truck to run on straight vegi-oil. The engine seems to burn whatever we throw at it, but we won’t call it good until we’ve driven 1,000 vegi miles. In the meantime, we are learning to make biodiesel while buying biodiesel from our local supplier, Ever-Ready Oil. Come to the Celebrate the Earth Fest to see the truck we've been working on. We call it the Rapeseed Rebel! Or leave a message for Eric Chrisp, Board Member, at the info desk of either La Montanita store. In last year's Membership Survey, La Montanita management asked the odd question of whether folks thought they could use a biofuels station for their cars. A surprising 10% said yes! I don't think 10% of our members even own diesel vehicles, but maybe they'd be willing to buy one if they knew they could get environmentally neutral fuel from the Coop. Want the Coop to carry biodiesel? Ask 'em! They just might. They could stock 5 gallon buckets of the stuff, or better yet, they could open a "grass" station where they sell biodiesel, ethanol, SVO, the works!
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GREY WATER
RECYLING WORKSHOP Come learn to install a self-maintaining household grey water system on your home in this fun and informative workshop. This hands-on class will include:: The politics of grey water • Designing a system for your personal residence • Plumbing basics for beginners • Installing a constucted wetlands • Bioremediation (using plants, bacteria, and fungi to clean water) • Growing food and medicine safely with recycled water. SATURDAY APRIL 17, 9:30 AM TO 4:30 PM SLIDING SCALE COST: $20 TO $100 Lunch included, Childcare available, Wheelchair accessible Limited work trade available. Call 344-1939 to register
april 2004
wild lands protection Otero Mesa Public Forum: We can win this one! by Nathan Newcomer, NM Wilderness Alliance he Otero Mesa Public Forum this winter at the Kimo Theater was truly a moment in history where the people of New Mexico, alongside their State government sent a message to Washington D.C. that policies dictating shortsighted agendas for our wildest public lands will not be accepted or tolerated.
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The people of New Mexico who support protection of Otero Mesa are to be applauded for their continued commitment to making a difference on this issue. Without the strong support and resilience of our members, volunteers and countless others from across the state and beyond, the efforts and goals of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and the fate of Otero Mesa and other wilderness areas would be far more bleak. The day of the forum, buses started showing up at 1:00 and people from Las Cruces, El Paso, Truth or Consequences, Hillsboro, Silver City and Deming began filing out onto the sidewalks of Central and Fifth St in downtown Albuquerque. A local photographer began taking photos of the diverse group of people, some holding signs like “Republican for Saving Otero Mesa,” as they marched out of greyhound-like buses. The street in front began bustling with conversation and excitement as more and more people crowded around the historic KIMO Theater. Inside the KIMO, volunteers and staff of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance were finalizing last minute setups. The air was filled with enthusiasm and anticipation as the doors of the KIMO finally opened and the first of over 600 New Mexicans entered. Within a half hour the entire bottom section of the KIMO was full and thirty minutes later the entire mezzanine section filled up. New Mexicans were ready to have their voices heard. The first speaker to come on stage and show his support for protecting Otero Mesa was poet Jimmy Santiago Baca. From his opening comments about the Bush administration to his famous poetry, his words resonated throughout the theater reminding us all of our deep connection to New Mexico, nature and how a healthy and protected environment is critical to our quality of life.
...policies dictating short-sighted agendas for our wildest public lands will not be accepted or tolerated
Republican rancher Tweeti Blancett of Aztec, NM gave her story of how her family’s ranch has been destroyed by oil & gas drilling. She told the crowd that over 35,000 wells exist in San Juan County alone. “Every well has a road and every well has a pipeline. The surface disturbance in San Juan County is tremendous.” She showed slides of road damage, open waste pits, leaking pipelines, spills on the ground, dead livestock and poor reclamation, all associated with oil & gas drilling in northwestern New Mexico. “So, where are we now?” Blancett asked of the crowd. “We form alliances,” she said with a smile on her face. “And we form alliances with people that don’t always think like we do, because we can make a difference when we are working together.” Blancett’s words rang true and people nodded in recognition of the diversity they represented. The
New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, is an alliance of people who don’t always think alike, but all agree on one thing: Otero Mesa needs to be protected from oil & gas development. Governor Bill Richardson spoke next. “The test of a governor when he or she declare themselves as conservationists is what are you going to do with the land and the legacy of the people. Is it going to be just speeches, or is it going to be concrete action. So I wanted to be with you here today and I wanted to pledge to you an all out effort from your state (government) against drilling in Otero Mesa. Today I am taking significant action to protect Otero Mesa in language that the Department of the Interior and the Bush Administration cannot confuse or misunderstand.” As he signed an Executive Order making continued on page 14
Bear Creek Nature Preserve Non-profit Preserves Riparian Habitat by Dennis Wilson In the mountains of Southwest New Mexico, along Bear Creek, a dedicated nature preserve is being created by nonprofit landowners. This land, listed in the Registry of Natural Places of the New Mexico Nature Conservancy, includes a beautiful riparian area, home to numerous bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile and insect species. Bear Creek is a tributary of the Gila River, which flows into the Colorado river further west. The Bear Creek Nature Preserve is part of the few short miles where the creek flows on the surface year round, defining an intact ecosystem with a rich biodiversity of plant and animal life. In 1995, a nonprofit corporation was formed to buy and save this stretch of Bear Creek and adjacent land. Individuals, families and groups concerned with protecting this crucial riparian habitat have already endowed over 100 acres of the new Bear Creek Nature Preserve. Dennis Wilson, spokesperson for the group, invites you on a "virtual hike" through this place of diverse habitat and species to illustrate how important this land is and to show what has been accomplished so far. As described by Wilson: "Along the creek, we see sixty-foot-tall sycamores and cottonwood trees shelter new growth. Looking up, we see the cliffs and high grassland mesas that frame the creek. The mesas and meadows are dotted with pinon, juniper and oak. Yucca
and agave plants harvest sunlight on the southern exposures. A variety of birdcalls are heard. Native grasses are returning." Wilson points out, "Significant results can be seen from the addition of new fencing built to limit trespass grazing by cattle. Springs are gurgling forth amidst revived vegetation. Young alder, willow and ash shoots now have ample opportunity to grow and become trees. Areas previously heavily trampled are no longer compacted. Grass roots penetrate the soil to create new passageways." Wilson adds, "Hiking along the creek, one can expect to see evidence of the many animals that live along and depend upon Bear Creek: tracks of javelina, coatimundi, cougar, and deer; scat from bobcat and bear. A common black hawk glides silently along a sheer cliff." Wilson sums up this project by saying "The supporters of this conservation effort all share a powerful love for the land and life here. The mountains, mesas, valleys, and streams provide homes for the birds, animals and plants that makes the Southwest such a beautiful and enchanting place." If you would like more information about the Bear Creek Nature Preserve, you can contact them at their website: www.zianet.com/rabiya/bcnp.html or call Wilson at 505-538-1798. Fundraising continues with the goal of protecting 200 acres minimum. All contributions are tax deductible. Meet Bear Creek activists at the Celebrate the Earth Fest on April 18th at the Nob Hill Co-op.
Action-Oriented Conference A Better New Mexico is Possible! Countering Globalization and Building our Local Economy. Friday eve., April 30, Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2. The Forum, College of Santa Fe. Come hear leading international voices like Onesimo Hidalgo, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Kevin Danaher, and Michael Shuman, as well as a wide array of New Mexico's leading community organizers. Organized by the Institute for Nonviolent Economics. To register, go to www.nonviolenteconomics.org, or call 995-9793.
april 2004
5
co-op news
april 2004 6
LOCAL SALE ITEMS Local Product Spotlight: Dairy SHOP LOCAL & SAVE
505 SOUTHWESTERN Albuquerque, NM. Certified Organic Green Chile Sauces and Salsas are made with flame-roasted Green Chile grown in the Hatch Valley in the Southern area of New Mexico. Mild, Medium & Hot Organic Green Chile Sauces, 16oz, $2.99 • Organic Green Chile Salsas 16oz, $2.99 each
MAIN STREET BAKERY Taos, NM. Main Street Bakery breads and scones are baked fresh with all natural ingredients. Whole Wheat Bread 24oz, 2/$5.00 • Carrot Poppy Bread Sourdough White Bread 24oz, $2.69
Beneficial Farms
Beneficial Farm lies on a magnificent parcel of land on Glorieta Mesa, just southeast of Santa Fe. The farm practices the sustainable techniques of biodynamic farming (developed in the 1920s by Dr. Rudolph Steiner) to enrich the soil while producing an abundance of wholesome food. In place of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, they use only natural means to build the soil and create a balance between all the elements of the farm: land, water, people, livestock, wildlife and plants.
24oz, $2.99
SWEETWOOD’S DAIRY Peña Blanca, NM. Sweetwoods Dairy supplies La Montanita with their delicious, fresh goat cheeses. All varieties, Goat’s Milk Cheese 5oz, $4.29
CLEAR LIGHT Placitas, NM has a variety of products all made with cedar from the forests of NM. Buy any 8oz Clear Light product and receive a FREE 2oz sample of Clear Light moisture lotion or body wash.
BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME SPECIALS GOOD DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL
Lauri Norton Licensed Massage Therapist # 4199
Since 1994, owner Steve Warshawer and his partner Barbara Booth have managed the farm together as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Beneficial Farm now grows vegetables for over 100 families, who support the yearly operating budget through their annual payments. The farm uses a variety of approaches to reach its goal of sustainable rural living. Surface water runoff is captured in ponds for irrigation, and roads are designed to direct runoff into the ponds. Intensively planted gardens use the principles of biodynamics and permaculture, including contours and swales to prevent erosion and conserve water. Electricity for irrigation pumps and household use is supplied by photovoltaics. The farm house gets its water from a catchment system for roof runoff, and a passive solar system provides space and water heating. Gray water from the house is recycled for landscape irrigation and compost making. There is also a composting toilet. Since 1994, Beneficial Farm has been working to produce the highest quality, best tasting eggs, using organic grain from our Southern Rocky
Mountain bioregion as the primary and essential food for the flock of laying hens. Their eggs are the product of years of on-farm research to reestablish small flock egg production as a feature of farms and ranches of the Southern Rockies. As Steve and Barbara say “Our chickens live the lives of birds! They have their beaks intact. They have full access to the outdoors, sunlight, fresh air and water. Regionally grown grains and seeds comprise nearly their entire diet. We hatch and raise our heritage breeds of chickens on our own farm. Our flocks are becoming native to our landscape.” In recent years, they have focused on-farm research efforts on ways to use wheat from the Northern New Mexico Organic Wheat Project. The experiment has been so successful that now over 75% of the chickens diet consists of New Mexico Organic Wheat, wheat field screenings and millings biproducts. The Beneficial Farm wheat-fed flock is important for Northern New Mexico wheat growers. The production of baking quality wheat creates plenty of seconds, screening, and milling biproducts. By feeding these to the hens, waste is reduced and additional cash flow is created for the growers of the wheat project. Besides healthy and humanely raised food products, healthy on-farm manure is created. The composting of manure from our own livestock is a valuable source of fertility for our soils. Eggs from small flocks, fed the purest feed, are the tastiest and freshest eggs you can buy. Your purchase of Beneficial Eggs is an investment in healthy communities. Look for Beneficial Farm eggs at the Nob Hill store. Coming soon to the Valley store!
Nationally Certified Cranio Sacral, Polarity, Swedish, Reflexology (505) 243-1701 cell 410-3741
An Acoustic Music Listening Room Sloan Wainwright duo Wed. April 28 7:30pm “forthright, husky-self-assertion... smoky tantalizing aromas emanating from a soul kitchen” - Dirty Liner
HIGH QUALITY G R E AT TA S T I N G E G G S
Contact Jeff at abqmusic@att.net or 842-5073
Wondering what to do with the kids this summer.? How about a 3 month membership to the YMCA to help keep them entertained in a positive way! Win a 3 month trial membership to the “Y” at either of the Coop’s annual spring events. Join the Coop for the first time or renew your current membership at either the 15th Annual Earth Fest, April 18 or the Garden Party, May 1 Write your phone number on the back of the cash register receipt showing your new or renewed membership and drop it in the jar at the Board of Directors table at either event. We will randomly pick the names of members who will be awarded a FREE 3 Month Family Membership to the “Y”.
csa
coop and the “y”
team up
5th Annual Valley Garden Party sat. may 1st
at your friendly North Valley
Co-op
co-op news
april 2004 7
General Manager’s Column Our purchases of locally produced products increased to 18% of our total purchases during 2003, up from 16% in 2002. This equates to nearly 1.25 million dollars in purchases from over 300 local producers. Local bakeries, dairies and farmers represent the largest dollar amount of these purchases, but the largest increase over 2002 came from our purchases of fresh organic chicken from Pollo Real in Socorro. We greatly reduced our fresh chicken purchases from California and you, our members and shoppers, “stepped up to the plate” to buy a fine local product. We appreciate your support of our locally produced items and we hope to exceed 20% in local product purchases in 2004.
support of local products as we all work to build a more sustainable community economy. We continue to receive value from our association with 27 other Western Co-ops as part of the CapWest program. These co-ops will host and fund a Health and Beauty Care department workshop this month in Sacramento. Our two department team leaders Jeanne Wilson and Susan Stanton will join their peers in the West for two days of education and interaction. You should by now have received the Spring Cap-West coupon book, but if not, we have extra available at both stores. I hope you will join us at the Nob Hill location on Sunday, April 18th for our 15th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival. We are honored that environmentalists and farmers will be participating in a “Summit” to move forward in a cooperative way to protect our wild lands, wildlife and the production of the local foods we love. We hope you will join us on May 1st at the Valley location for the Annual Garden Party as well.
the inside scoop
Our Co-op’s “Local Product” sign program has helped to increase visibility of local products and sales of these items. We are continuing our work to improve our merchandising and display of local items this year. We will also begin to feature several locally produced items in our newsletter each month to increase awareness of these great products and the people who produce them. In addition to great quality, our purchase of local products adds tremendous value to our local communities by keeping more of our dollars here at home. (For more information on local products and how they benefit our community see this month’s centerfold spread.) We are very grateful for your
We appreciate your continuing support of our cooperative, C.E. Pugh (505) 265-4631 ce@lamontanita.com
Local Product Spotlight: Produce
Tres Rios Agricultural Co-op Tres Rios Agricultural Cooperative was formed in 2001 in an effort to encourage direct distribution of agricultural products in the Rocky Mountain region. The Co-op, based in Denver Colorado, consists of ten farms located in the Rio Grande, Colorado, and Arkansas River watersheds of Colorado and New Mexico. The farms vary in size and production, growing items such as vegetables, fruits, grains, meats and honey, are all family owned and carefully tended. All ten growers adhere to strict sustainable growing standards in which no chemicals or pesticides are used on the land or on crops. The result is beautiful food with incredible taste! The Cooperative’s motto “Local food for local people” is the guiding force in their effort to restore the land, the viability of family-scale farming and human health within the Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico region. The goal is to bring the highest quality food, even beyond “organic,” to people in the region, while supporting the farms and farmers that produce those items. It is with great pleasure that La Montanita Coop joins Tres Rios Co-op in their efforts. The food is fresh and incredibly delicious. This is the kind of coop-to-coop support we are tremendously pleased to be part of.
Co-op. The newest member of this agricultural cooperative is Beneficial Farms. Steve and Barbara have been farming up near Santa Fe for years and have used their farm to teach permaculture, biodynamic and organic techniques. We are pleased to be carrying their eggs. Look for Beneficial Farms eggs in the dairy cooler this month. Also new in the produce case are Big B’s cider and apple juice. Big B’s cider is certified organic and comes from a family farm in the North Fork Valley of Colorado that has been pressing apple and other juices for over 20 years.
LOOK FOR BIG B’S JUICES IN THE PRODUCE CASE
Tres Rios Product at La Montanita This spring our Co-op is buying arugala, radish, beets, carrots, fennel and salad mix from their
CONSUMERS FILE FORMAL COMPLAINT ON
FRAUDULENT ORGANIC LABELS In mid-February The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), on behalf of its national network of 500,000 consumers and 350 natural food stores, coops and organic businesses, submitted a formal “Complaint” to the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) against the California-based company, Bayliss Ranch, and the organic certifier, Quality Assurance International (QAI), for illegally counting ordinary water in Bayliss Ranch's water extracts as "organic." This scheme enables Bayliss Ranch's customers—manufacturers of food and body care pro ucts for Avalon, Nature's Gate, and Jason's—to make fraudulent claims that their body care products are "70% organic.” This practice threatens to undermine consumer confidence in the USDA organic label, which assures consumers that products claiming organic status are truly at least 70% organic WITHOUT counting water as "organic. Sign the petition to the USDA: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/links2.cfm.
Calendar of Events 4/5 4/6 4/13
Finance Committee Meeting, 5pm Co-op Annex Social Responsibility Research Committee 5:30pm Annex Board of Directors Meeting 5:30pm Immanuel Presbyterian Church
4/14
Member Linkage Committee Meeting 5:30pm Annex
5/1
5th Annual Valley Garden Party, 9:30am-2pm, Valley Co-op
COMMON GROUND SUMMIT Re-framing the Dialogue For Love of Place 11am: Daniel Imhoff and JoAnn Baumgartner of Wild Farm Alliance will speak on wild farming concepts 1-3pm: Common Ground Summit Building Relationships See pages 2 and 3 for more info on the Summit Sponsored by La Montanita Co-op
Durango, CO Taos Angel Fire
Santa Fe Pena Blanca
Albuquerque Los Lunas Bosque
Mountainair Gilbert, AZ
Alamogordo Hatch
WE LIKE IT LOCAL! Locally Grown + Locally Produced + Locally Sold = Strong Local Economy
Consume where you live! Local merchants generate a substancially greater economic impact on New Mexico communities than chain retailers and spend a much larger portion of total revenue on local labor and local services. Local merchants keep their modest profits in the local economy, providing strong support for local culture and creating further economic benefits.Consume where you live!
Local Buying Grows! Last year the Co-op was pleased to have purchased over a million dollars from local producers. This year, thanks to your support, we have increased those purchases by 25%.
Grand Junction, CO Taos
From eggs, bread and milk to fruit and vegetables, from meat and poultry to value added products, the Co-op purchased one and a quarter million dollars of New Mexican and southwest regional products from producers in our community.
Tesuque Santa Fe
That's $1.25 million in local product purchases this year alone. Albuquerque This exciting success has in large part been due to you! We posted a "LOCAL PRODUCT" sign on every item purchased from a local producer, and you responded. We are looking to increase this kind of local economic development even more in the coming years. With your help we can do just that! Look for the “Local Product” sign. You'll see it on shelves throughout our Co-op stores, and buy local whenever possible.
Mountainair
! T O H T I E K I WE L
If you know of any local products you think we should consider carrying let us know. Please call C.E. at 2654631 or e-mail him at ce@lamontanita.com
Artesia Deming
Food For Thought! A few tasty tidbits as reported by a variety of organizations: •
60 cents of every dollar spent at a locally owned and operated business is put directly back into the community.
•
Only 20 cents of every dollar spent at a chain store (including natural foods chain stores) stays in the community.
•
Only 6 cents of every dollar spent at a national or international "super" discount store stays in the community.
•
Money spent in the local economy may change hands up to eight times before it "leaks" away.
•
Spending one dollar at a local co-op or business, farm stand or local professional may be worth as much as $6.00 in the local economy before it "leaks" away.
•
•
Durango, CO Tierra Amarilla
Santa Fe
Albuquerque Estancia
Out of state, national or transnational corporations are extractive by nature. They come to a community to mine resources, be they environmental, economic or human. Short term benefit, like cheap food from corporate welfare, price-supported, agribusiness and overseas sweatshop produced clothing or other products, may seem cheap now but in the long run could cost us our jobs, our community, our democracy, our planet. Think before you buy.
Fort Sumner Socorro
! H S E R F T I E K I L E W Hatch
More information can be found at: www.ces.ncsu.edu New Economics Foundation, www.newint.org The International Society for Ecology and Culture Global Eco-Village Network
Texas
aparagus divinely
delicious
There is something about asparagus that just sends me. It’s one of the flavors of the spring season I wait for and love dearly. Each year it seems I find some new combination that includes asparagus that is divinely delicious. Hope the below recipes help you do the same. Adapted and reprinted from: www.recipesource.com www.whatscookingamerica.net www.care2.com www.vegweb.com www.recipezaar.com www.cookinglight.com Asparagus, Lemon Grass & Shallot Vinaigrette 1 1/2 lb Asparagus stalks 1/3 c Olive oil 1/4 c Vegetable oil 3 1/2 tb Red wine vinegar Salt Pepper 1 tb Mustard, Dijon 2 tb Shallots; minced 1 tb Lemon grass; minced Peel the asparagus if necessary and cook the stalks in lightly salted water for 4 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness, or until fork tender but still firm. Drain under cold water and set the stalks aside in serving dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and whisk them vigorously. Taste for seasoning and add more vinegar or salt
april 2004 10
and pepper if needed. Pour the dressing over the asparagus and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature. Asparagus with Toasted Pine Nuts & Lemon Vinaigrette 1 lb Asparagus, fresh spears 1/2 ts Salt 3 tb Pine nuts 1/2 ts Basil, dried whole 1/4 c Olive oil 1/2 ts Oregano, dried whole 1 tb Lemon juice, fresh 1 x Pepper, freshly ground 1 ea Clove garlic, crushed Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Remove scales from stalks with knife or vegetable peeler, if desired. Place spears in a steaming rack over boiling water; cover and steam 4-5 minutes or until spears are crisp-tender. Transfer to a serving platter. Sautee pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat 2-3 minutes, until browned. Set aside. Combine olive oil and remaining ingredients in a saucepan; stir with a wire whisk to blend. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Pour over asparagus. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Let stand to room temperature before serving. Fresh Asparagus Frittata 1 Lb. asparagus 1 Large carrot 2 Tbsp. salad oil 6 eggs 1/4 Lb. Mozzarella cheese – shredded (1 c.) 1/4 Tsp. dried thyme leaves
Discard tough ends and trim scales from asparagus; reserve a few whole asparagus for garnish. Cut remaining asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Cut carrots diagonally into thin slices. In 10-inch skillet over medium heat in hot salad oil, cook asparagus and carrots until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, with fork or wire whisk, beat eggs, cheese and thyme. Stir egg mixture into skillet with vegetables, tilting to coat bottom of skillet evenly with egg mixture and blend with vegetables. Arrange whole asparagus on top of egg mixture to form a pretty design. Over medium heat, cook 5 to 7 minutes until eggs are set, occasionally tilting skillet and lifting edge of cooked egg mixture to let uncooked portion run into skillet. To serve, cut frittata into wedges. Serve immediately. Makes 4 main dish servings. Grilled Asparagus & GingerLemon Vinagrette 1 lb Young Tender Asparagus 1 TB Fresh Ginger, very finely minced p/3 c Fresh Lemon Juice 1/2 c Light Vegetable Oil 1 1/2 TB Toasted Sesame Oil 1 ts Sugar Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper To Taste Garnish 1 TB Lightly Toasted Sesame Seeds Lightly oil asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Grill over hot coals until crisp-tender and serve warm or at room temperature with Ginger Lemon Dressing drizzled over. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Asparagus & Avocado Wraps 24 spears asparagus 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups cooked cold long-grain white rice 3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt 3 whole wheat tortillas, 10 inches in diameter 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves 2 tablespoons chopped red onion In a medium-sized saucepan over high heat, bring 2 inches water to a boil. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket, cover, and steam until just tender, approximately 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus and immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly. In a small bowl, mash the avocado, lime juice, and garlic into a coase puree. In another small bowl, stir together the rice and yogurt to mix well. Heat a large dry frying pan (not one with a nonstick surface) over medium heat. One at a time, heat the tortillas in the hot pan until softened, approximately 20 seconds per side. Lay the tortillas flat on a clean work surface. Spread the avocado mixture equally among the tortillas. Top each with an equal amount of the rice mixture, asparagus, cilantro, and onion. Fold in both sides and the bottom of each tortilla up over the filling; then roll to close. If made in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Return to room temperature
aparagus before serving. To serve, cut each wrap in half crosswise. Wilted Balsamic Spinach Salad with Asparagus 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried, and chilled 1 pound asparagus stalks, washed and trimmed 3 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced red onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped Remove stems and veins from spinach and tear into bite-sized pieces; place spinach on individual serving plates. Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted boiling water for approximately 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; do not overcook. Remove from heat and refresh under cold water; drain and dry well; set aside. In a large frying pan over medium heat, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, red onion, garlic, and pepper; heat balsamic mixture until hot, stirring occasionally. Add cooked asparagus spears to dressing mixture, tossing to coat and reheat. Remove from heat. Place asparagus spears over the top of the spinach. Pour warm dressing over asparagus and spinach. Sprinkle with chopped eggs and serve immediately. Roasted Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Bacon 2 pounds asparagus stalks, washed and trimmed 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil Coarse kosher salt Coarsely ground black pepper 1 (3 1/2- to 4-ounce) log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon; set aside. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. Arrange asparagus on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and turn asparagus to coat well. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast asparagus until crisp-tender when pierced with knife, about 7 minutes.
april 2004 11
In a small bowl, whisk together orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon orange dressing over top or asparagus and sprinkle with nuts. Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta 16 oz. prepared pasta (bow ties) 1 bunch of asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces 1/2 cup olive oil 2-3 cloves minced garlic 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes 1 pinch red pepper flakes While pasta is cooking, steam asparagus until barely tender. In a large skillet, cook garlic in olive oil, and add asparagus, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. When heated, combine with cooked pasta, sprinkle with black pepper, and enjoy. Asparagus and Shitake Risotto 2 cups arborio rice 3-5 cups broth (or water with bullion cube added) 2 splashes red wine or sherry (about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons) salt and pepper to taste 8 sun dried tomatoes, not packed in oil 1/2 pound asparagus 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (or your favorite dried variety) 1 cup hot water 1 onion 2-4 cloves garlic, minced Directions: Soak mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes (cover and force mushrooms to be submerged). Squeeze out excess water and coarsely chop. Chop asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Chop onion. In a large pot saute onion in water for a minute or two. Add garlic and diced sun-dried tomatoes and wine (or use 1/4 cup water). Cook for 5 minutes, until onion is soft. Add rice, stirring, for about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup broth. When water boils, bring to medium and stir constantly. When water is absorbed, add an additional 1/2 cup water. Keep adding water in 1/2 cup increments and stirring constantly. After 5 to 10 minutes of this, add asparagus and mushrooms. Continue until rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Remove from heat and arrange asparagus in single layer on platter. Sprinkle with goat cheese, then bacon. Drizzle with lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle grated lemon peel over. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature.) Asparagus with Orange Dressing and Toasted Hazelnuts 2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts 1 1/2 to 2 pounds asparagus stalks, washed and trimmed 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Coarse kosher salt Coarsely ground black pepper Preheat oven to 375째F. Toast hazelnuts in a small shallow baking pan until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Cook asparagus in a large frying pan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, and drain well in a colander. Transfer hot asparagus to serving platter or individual serving plates.
fresh & organic... at your CO-OP
farming & gardening
april 2004 12
Yes, Virginia, you DO Own the Farm! by Lisa Stubblefield In 1997, the City of Albuquerque used taxpayer funds to acquire a treasure, the Rio Grande Community Farms (RGCF), located at historic Los Poblanos Fields in Albuquerque’s North Valley. RGCF is a non-profit organization that collaborates with the City’s Open Space Division to manage the site at Los Poblanos. Rio Grande Community Farms is a valuable resource for Albuquerque and one of its goals is to enhance the habitat of urban wildlife on its 138 acres. Although owned by the taxpayer, the City of Albuquerque is able to preserve this area of open space without having to use taxpayer dollars to fund the daily operations of the farm or to pay for the many and varied programs offered. Stewardship of the land, as well as preserving, creating and enhancing the habitat of endangered and other species are at the core of RGCF’s mission. Having a readily accessible working organic farm helps to demonstrate the sustainable connections between farmland, wildlife and people. The management contract between the City and RGCF for the property stipulates that in exchange for farming the land, 25% of the irrigated acreage must be planted in wildlife crops such as corn, oats and sorghum. The farm is on the migration routes of hundreds of Sandhill cranes, Canada geese, various species of duck and there are also resident songbirds, ring-neck pheasants and hawks that are attracted by the abundance of prey. When the Open Space Division and Rio Grande Community Farms came together a unique opportunity for learning was created. The interconnectedness of the land, animals and people can be appreciated here. There are many diverse farm-based, family-oriented educational programs for adults and young people grade K-12, and annual cultural events including the famous Maize Maze. There is also the Adopt-A-Crop Volunteer Program, Food Security Crops and the very popular Community Garden where you can really get your hands in the soil of your very own personal garden plot for a reasonable annual fee. Should you decide to become a Community Gardener, the plots are 5’ x 85’ and cost $75.00. Additional plots are the same size and $50.00. Once a week the plots are irrigated as long as there is water in the ditch. In this time of drought we especially honor the water as a precious resource. If you would like to join us in the garden, contact the Garden Coordinator, Beverly Rowe, at rbeverly8@MSN.com. It is your Community Farm, and volunteers are crucial to its mission. A wonderful volunteer perk is enjoying the wildlife, the views
and walking the peaceful trails. You can even bring your horse. Other than volunteering, you can support RGCF with a financial or in-kind contribution. Your dollars are tax-deductible and support our non-income generating projects such as wildlife crops, food bank donations, educational programs, service learning and matching funds for grants. Over the past seven years the successful partnering of the Open Space Division and Rio Grande Community Farms has helped make the dream of preserving a working urban organic farm a reality. The many and varied wildlife and the Albuquerque community benefit from this collaboration and hope to continue to do so in future. All are welcome. This is where it’s happening. Right here on your Farm. Rio Grande Community Farms, 3800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW PMB 562 Albuquerque, NM 87104 (505) 345-4580 www.communityfarm.com
Rio Grande Community Farms Connecting people, food and public land by: • • • •
demonstrating sustainable urban agriculture and community security creating education and training opportunities celebrating the traditions and culture of agriculture and providing urban wildlife habitat
Community Garden plots 5 ft. by 80 ft. are available for an annual rental fee of $75. Call 345-4580. Water, some seeds and educational support provided.
itchy green thumb by Brett Bakker As I write, it’s mid-March in the Northeast Kingdom, that is: northern Vermont where I’m visiting family. Outside the days are warming but not too warm, and the nights freeze although no longer below zero. Perfect weather for sugarin’! The Powers family next door have just begun the annual tapping of 3500 maple trees to collect the sap that runs under these weather conditions, just as have the past four generations of their family. The ratio of watery sap boiled down to sweet n’ sticky maple syrup is something like fifty to one. They no longer use the twenty-five cords of wood it takes to condense the sap to syrup, instead use about $1000 of propane. But they still collect sap in individual buckets rather than the new-fangled miles of plastic tubing that other “sugarbush” proprietors use to send it directly to the sugarin’ house. Although there’s competition from neighboring New Hampshire about ten minutes east and Canada about an hour north, “Vermont Maple” remains the standard nationwide. I’ve already got
two gallons to satisfy friends & relations who be clamoring for their share when I get back to the desert. We do tend to forget that Albuquerque is desert. Compare: what would be called a creek in these north woods parts is likely to run wider and deeper than the Rio Grande as it winds through the Barelas neighborhood in the South Valley. Vermont too—just like New Mexico—is changing, from the old families to the new influx of “flatlanders,” but here also are those who know the old ways and keep them, like the Powers folks. And those who can take the best of the old and make it new like Tod Murphy, owner of the Farmers Diner in Barre, Vermont, an hour south-a-ways from here. Written up in the New York Times and Gourmet magazine, the Diner is built on a simple concept: continued on page 15
Body-Centered Counseling
Free Workshops! Saturdays at Noon April 3 Cacti in the Landscape April 10 Soil Building April 17 Tree Planting April 24 Bugs for Kids Mon-Sat 8am-5:30pm Sun 10am-5pm 6680 4th St. NW 344-8830 www.plantsofthesouthwest.com
Integrated Counseling, Therapeutic Bodywork and Movement
Penny Holland M.A., L.P.C.C, L.M.T.
505-265-2256 LPCC Lic. 0494, LMT Lic. 1074
farming & gardening Indo-Hispano Academy...
Traditional Land Based Culture Isleta Pueblo homes, farmlands and related Bosque habitat have, for generations, been nourished by the waters of the Río Grande. At its northern edge, ancient jetting lava cliffs known as the “Mal Pais” (or “bad lands”) connect Isleta Pueblo to a cluster of communities that run north along the river. The connecting communities were originally deeded as land grants and include Los Padillas, Pajarito, Artisco and Arenal. A 200-year history between land-grant communities and the Pueblo of Isleta evolved as extended farming families and diverse cultures of Pueblo, and Mexicano/Indio/Hispano (and later immigrant Italian and German) farmers and herders collectively built upon common landbased value systems. Harsh winters and dry summers required a sharing of skill, knowledge, resources, labor and the trust necessary to survive. Cooperation was grounded in necessity and held together by the traditions of sharing river water through acequia systems, religious and community celebrations, yearly blessing of the water, and a fundamental respect and commitment of caring for the river and the creatures that lived as a part of a collective system. Bartering systems enforced a natural interdependence within and across these communities. Their insulation from fluctuating economic markets allowed these rural communities to remain relatively stable and strong during wartime and through economic depression. It was because of their cooperative lifestyle that these communities were self-sustaining when necessary and sustainable over time. However, over the past 40 years many of these activities have eroded with increased dependency on a money based economy, increased poverty and isolation, the shift of local water management to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, the weakening of traditional acequia systems, ongoing adjudication of water, an increase in subdivision developments, and an increase in water and air pollution permits, among other factors.
Today, within reach of the Río Grande, a grassroots organization called the “Indio-Hispano Academy of Agricultural Arts and Sciences” operates on private and communal lands in the South Valley of Albuquerque and Isleta Pueblo. Expert farmers and growers from both Isleta and the South Valley, many of whom are also Master Gardeners and educators, make up the Indio-Hispano Academy Board of Directors. The organization has several goals: engaging Indian, Hispano, and other resident youth through sustainable agricultural practices that include the protection and restoration of natural habitats, preservation of culture, water, land, and history and inspire pride in the community. Generating profitable crops from semi-retired land, instilling traditional values and practical skills while stimulating a source of income for youth working the land are just a few of the benefits realized from the project.
Stone River Massage
Linda Sue Strange, RN
Located at Uptown Acupuncture 7111 Prospect Pl. NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 Call 269 0194 for an appointment
Hot Stone Massage, Swedish Myo, fascial release and Healing Touch
Increasing concern over water quality and quantity, the ongoing threat of fire in the Bosque, threats to the environment and to species, have prompted the “Academy” leadership to expand its resource base and expertise. At the recent invitation of the IndioHispano Academy and Catholic Charities, Amigos Bravos helped initiate a collaborative partnership that includes the Río Grande Community Development Center, the UNM Department of Community Planning, the Middle Rio Grande Bosque Initiative/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Voces, and Río Grande Restoration. With the support of this partnership, the Indio-Hispano Academy plans to expand learning opportunities in the rural South Valley through science, technology and skills training to protect and promote the care of the Río Grande and the Bosque. The Indio-Hispano Academy is designing a Physical Sciences Technician program for Isleta and South Valley youth. This model program will initially focus on a five-mile stretch of the Río Grande, Bosque floodplains and wetlands and acequia habitat. A Restoration Management track will include damage assessment, comprehensive environmental response and compensation and liability. Combining current science, technology, and environmental legislation with the wisdom of traditional practices can help shift a new generation toward protecting the health and viability of our rivers and strengthen our river communities for the benefit of us all. For more information contact Cynthia Gomez of Amigos Bravos 255-0790 or Felix Mauro Torres of the Academy 247-0862.
...rural land-based values as the foundation to a science and technology relevant to land based communities and modern urban societies. New Mexico Roots Down Earthwise Landscaping Solutions
228-7652 Native Planting Drought Tolerant Design • Sustainable Planting Healing and Edible Gardens • Personal Permaculture
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THIRSTY EAR AMERICAN ICONS SERIES
by Cynthia Gomez Recent research suggests that young and old alike identify less with the river than they did a generation ago. This is true not only regarding rivers, but our relationship with all natural systems. Visionaries are seeding fertile young minds with the values of land-based experiences as the foundation for science and technology relevant to both older and younger generations, traditional land-based communities and our modern urban societies.
april 2004 13
THIRSTY EAR & AMP CONCERTS ARE PROUD TO PRESENT
TAJ MAHAL
& THE HULA BLUES BAND May 5 — 7:30 pm El Rey Theater, Albuquerque 622 Central, SW $27 advance/$30 door. Age 21 and over only.
May 6 — 7:30 pm Lensic Theater, Santa Fe 211 W. San Francisco $25, $29, $33, $37 reserved
“A well-seasoned gumbo, spiced with influences that originate in the Caribbean, West Africa, the southern states, and the inner cities of America.” –Rolling Stone
CHARGE BY PHONE: 505-988-1234 Get tickets for Santa Fe shows at Lensic box office, CD Cafe, and Gordon’s CDs in Los Alamos. Tickets for Albuquerque shows at Bound to Be Read, The Book Stop and tickets.com outlets, including Raley's supermarkets.
ONLINE AT: ThirstyEarFestival.com
earth day special
april 2004 14
Farming and Water Flow in the Ecosystem by Mary Grube In these times, the preciousness of water is more and more readily evident. Inextricably linked with the issue of water is the question of how we will eat, with water increasingly diverted to cities, and less and less allocated for growing food. We have read much that examines various aspects of water use for agriculture, but not until we can see and understand all elements involved in water flow in the ecosystem—the earth, the atmosphere, seeds, light, heat, movement, mankind’s competition for resources, the forces of our times, etc.—in terms of their interrelationships amid the greater whole, will we be able to best utilize what we do have.
Office Space Available Approximately 1400 sq ft On Carlisle near Comanche Lots of windows, shaded by mature trees Ideal for those working in complementary healing and community service professions
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Cross-Pollination Becky Holtzman and Jennifer Frank
A p r i l 2–26 Reception: April 16, Friday, 5 PM to 8:30 PM
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CENTER
Science will continue to examine pieces of the picture individually, and this has its place in elucidating some aspects, but must be integrated into an understanding of the interworkings of the larger whole. Sam Fernand described a research project underway at the Alcalde Sustainable Agricultural Science Center, in which water that seeps into the ground along acequias is under study. In this project, scientists are gathering data about water flow, water quality, etc. related to seepage. It might seem that seepage is wasted water, but their data points to a number of long-term benefits of seepage. Water that seeps from acequias (as well as excess from irrigated fields) tends to flow underground toward the river, and thus becomes part of a cycle of replenishing the river. In the process, the quality of groundwater is improved (via improved balance of minerals); and this shallow water table interacts with and directly affects the quality of the deeper water table (just one example of what goes into maintaining the health of the aquifer). The seepage also supports riparian vegetation. Joel Glanzberg further explored effects of acequias in terms of flows within the larger picture of the watershed. “When you try to think about biological things in engineering terms, everything is seen in terms of quantity, but quantity cannot determine the health of a system.” For example, in nature, one factor affecting the health of a system is how fast water, nutrients, etc., flow through a system. Riparian vegetation slows down the flow of water and nutrients, thereby causing more to be distributed through a wider flood plain, via a slower dripping through the system. Riparian vegetation shades waterways so there is less evaporation and more transpiration. Transpiration is what happens when plants take up water through their roots and stems to the leaves, some of which is used in the process of photosynthesis, and some of which is given off to the atmosphere. With transpiration and shading from riparian vegetation, there is less evaporation, and more of the dissolved solutes in
water that inhibit plant growth stay deeper in the soil. The air around plants is cooler, facilitating growth, and the organic dust around them provides particles that water can condense on creating rain. Clustering plants together and using mulches has a similar effect of cooling and conserving water. With evaporation, the salts in deeper levels get pulled up by capillary action to the surface (leaving the white crusting sometimes seen on fields, producing inorganic dust, and creating unfavorable conditions for plant growth). It behooves us to attend to the true determinants of water presence and water quality in our environment, and to long term effects of forces on the environment. Instead of concentrating on “exotic water” (i.e. rivers that flow in from better watered/forested regions) in arid conditions, we should attempt to increase the input of water into the aquifers, soils, and streams; and to re-humidify the dry air by planting trees and protecting existing vegetation. “In the open [desert environments], survival demands sensitive reaction to environmental imperatives,” as Bill Mollison in his Permaculture ? Manual states. For example, 88% of rainwater that reaches the ground evaporates or rushes unused across the land. Left to its own course, as little as 0.8% of total rainfall infiltrates to recharge desert aquifers. That largely untapped resource could be captured and stored below ground to aid plant growth and eventually rehumidify the air via transpiration from plants and shrubs. A system of cisterns, tanks, and swales (low ditches filled with round river rock, etc.) can create a reserve of soil and roof water for dryer times. In addition, all persistent herbicides and pesticides should be banned from drylands. Herbicides used on lawns and parks will seep slowly to sandy watercourses and down them for miles, killing thousands of plants over time. Water movement in soils is slow, and deep sands do little to offset poisons. Weeds are not entirely reprehensible--as with everything in nature, they have their purpose; Joel Glanzberg calls them “the guardians of the soil”, as they break up hard pan soils, allowing water to infiltrate the earth; and protect the earth from erosion. Clearly, addressing the problem of rapidly decreasing water resources based solely on examination of surface appearances can never hope to address the problem at its source. The hydrological cycle in nature is part of a larger web network of interacting factors, and to the extent that we are willing to understand and work with these will we foster and provide for water for ourselves and future generations to eat and drink.
Otero Mesa Public Forum continued from page 5 it State policy to protect Otero Mesa, there was an audible gasp from the crowd.
isis sophia
After some great music from fine local musicians the floor was opened for public comments in which a multitude of speakers took the podium. Everyone was ecstatic to be part of such a moment in history, for it truly was a unique time when communities from all corners of the state came together to express one single message, that of protection for Otero Mesa and our wilderness lands. New Mexico writer Bill DeBuys took center stage speaking of our responsibility to conserve the land, and of the strong leadership that it takes in order to save our last wild public lands. He said: “Thank you for being here, thank you for your caring, thank you for your passions, thank you for your ideals. Don’t let up, don’t give an inch, we can win this one.” It seemed as though ages had passed since anyone had been a part of such an event. An event that brought New Mexicans together from all walks of
life and demonstrated that unlikely alliances can be formed and can, when working together, achieve a common goal. This public forum replaced pessimistic attitudes with hope and passion, and showed that New Mexicans are not afraid of the Bush administration and their wealthy industry friends. In the coming months, Governor Richardson will be issuing his final protest against the BLM’s proposed Final Environmental Impact Statement, followed by a record of decision. It remains critical that we continue to pressure Senator Domenici with phone calls, faxes and letters to his local offices and national office. We need to write letters to the editor of our newspapers and educate more people about the importance of Otero Mesa.
Don’t give up, don’t give an inch! We can win this one! Look for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, at the 15th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival, Sunday April 18th at the Nob Hill Co-op.
community forum La Raza Unida: May Day: Concert for Social & Economic Justice by Carlos M. Flores May Day (May 1st), or the International Worker’s Day, honors an important period of dissent. In 1886, workers in this country organized a strike on May 1st to reduce the workday to eight hours. The primary effort was organized in Chicago. On May 3rd striking workers were attacked by police. Four were killed and many wounded. In response, the workers planned a mass meeting at Haymarket Square the next day. It began with speakers addressing the brutality of the day before. While the Haymarket Square “Riot” is noted in mainstream history, the complete understanding of the struggle for workers rights has been hidden. Other examples exist in this nation’s history of repression of workers and the poor who have dissented and protested seeking their rights. Suppression of dissent occurred during the Reconstruction years (1870’s), during the Great Depression (1940’s), and during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s and continues today. This history is relevant in the current struggles of workers with rising costs, low wages, increasing unemployment, a decrease in the national median income, all underscored by tax breaks for the rich. With more than 12% of the nation in poverty, it is important to remember the profound changes that have come about with action.
With this in mind, La Raza Unida has organized a May Day Concert for Social Justice. This celebration is a call to participate with music and poetry in honor of workers here and around the globe. La Raza Unida is focused on developing consciousness and awareness of the many ways that Chicanos, indigenous people, the poor and workers are negatively affected by the economic policies and practices of this country. La Raza Unida was created during the Chicano movement of the sixties and developed as a national organization from 1970 until 1980. The May Day event is a benefit to support La Raza’s ongoing work in the community. Voter registration will be available at the event.
april 2004 15
FAST FOOD NATION BEST-SELLING AUTHOR ERIC SCHLOSSER Kick-off talk & autograph party event: New York Times best selling author Eric Schlosser kicks off his seven city tour for his new paperback book Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, & Cheap Labor in the American Black Market on Wednesday April 14th, 2004 at 8pm at the EL REY Theater 7th & Central ABQ, NM 242-2353.
The May Day Concert for Social Justice will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2004, and will feature an evening of poetry and music including members of La Raza Unida youth, the Mezcla Experience, Los Jaraneros (performing traditional "huapangos" and other styles of Mexican music), Mezcla Latina (performing traditional and contemporary Mexican and Latin-American music) and Wagogo. The event will run from 5:30 PM until 9:30 PM at the historic Lobo Theatre. Refreshments and snacks will be sold in the lobby. A Silent Auction will take place at the event. To purchase advance tickets or for more information, please contact Carlos at 344-1797 or Enrique or Karen at 255-9312.
FILM & LECTURE SERIES
PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT! Albq. Peace & Justice Center, 202 Harvard SE, 268-9557, Thursdays, 7:00PM Thursday, April 1: COLOMBIA What is Plan Colombia? And why are Colombians so upset about it? Join the Albq. Chapter of the COLOMBIA SOLIDARITY NETWORK for this evening's special presentation by guest speaker LUIS ALBERTO GALVEZ from the international human rights organization GLOBAL EXCHANGE. Find out about the impact of US policy on the people and the environment in Colombia, and what you can do to help. Also, films this evening include a short from Amazon Watch, called "Kajka Ika: Defending the Heart of the World", about the indigenous U'wa
tribes of Colombia and "Plan Colombia" that sheds lilght on the complex issues of drug-trafficking and civil struggle, the roles that the IMF and the SOA play. Thursday, April 15: HAITI What is behind the current crisis in Haiti? After the film speaker is Albuquerque's own Beverly Bell from the CENTER for ECONOMIC JUSTICE has been living and working in Haiti and on Haitian issues since 1976. She has helped found 6 national Haiti support groups, was the head of Aristide's International Liason Office during the 1st coup and is the author of a book entitled Walking on Fire, focusing on the struggles of Haitian women.
Itchy Green Thumb continued from page 12 good, local, fresh ingredients. At one time, this was the only way there was but now it has become the only choice the planet can afford, especially as “organic” becomes more mainstream but less cutting-edge than ever. What’s brilliant about Murphy’s business is that it is a diner: no hippy-dippy stuff on the walls, no crystal-wearin’ or tree-huggin’ but a place that the ordinary citizen can feel comfortable with surroundings and the menu choices (which feature quotes from Wendell Berry). The Farmers Diner serves eggs, bacon, potatoes, meat loaf, burgers, fries, shakes and so on, with around 70% of ingredients supplied by 35 farms, meat-processors, creameries and bakeries within a couple hours drive at most. The warm familiarity of simple American-style food is what draws people in; but it’s the fresh flavors and textures that convince those who never before gave it a thought. Plus you feel good knowing that most of your dollar stays within the local economy. Me, I like to patronize New Mexico merchants but I full well know that the couple bucks I give to the local burrito joint just about every morning mostly ends up in food conglomerate hands, out of state. Murphy has worked hard to find local suppliers, even harder to convince some to step up produc-
tion for his needs and, taking it a notch further, investing in building a meat processing plant where none was available before. Inevitably, outside investor-types have been sniffing around, talking of a chain of Farmers Diners but even they know that if other Diners sprout, that a local supply network must be found or created there, a new concept to venture capitalists. Its hard to say whether the success can be recreated elsewhere. In the hippie co-ops and punk collectives I’ve been involved with over the past three decades, there’s usually one or two dynamic individuals who keep the whole thing going until they burn out or move on. Murphy’s gonna give it a shot with four Diners in the Boston area where there are indeed plenty of local food resources to draw on. But rather than franchises, it would nice instead to see the business model itself used nationwide wherever practical. Wouldn’t you like to have more of your breakfast burrito local than only the green chile? I would. But with our water resources at critical levels and the powers-that-be believing that water is too important to be used for agriculture, there may be a time soon when even our red & green comes from elsewhere. That would be like importing Canadian syrup into Vermont. Blasphemy surely, as disastrous to the palate and environment as to heart and soul.
AT HOME FOLK HOUSE CONCERTS Enjoy some of our country’s finest singer/songwriters in an at home environment. Call (505)842-5073 or e-mail abqmusic@att.net for reservations and directions. June 24: A Thirsty Ear preview featuring The Red Stick Ramblers (6-
SEEKING A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER Citizen Action New Mexico is seeking a 3-month part-time (April-June) community organizer to assist in developing a public awareness campaign prior to the public hearing on the Mixed Waste Landfill, a radioactive and hazardous waste dump located at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Responsibilities would include some research on nuclear waste issues; developing fact sheets for educational materials; establishing relationships with community groups, neighborhood associations and other organizations; scheduling discussion groups and other activities as needed. Good people-skills a plus and a passion for environmental justice! Students encouraged to apply. For more information contact Sue Dayton at (505) 280-1844 or visit the Citizen Action website at: www.radfreenm.org.
OUTPOST Performance Space 210 Yale SE
for more info call 268-0044 APRIL 3 5 9 10 12
Chris Smither (sponsored by OGB Architectural Millwork)
Ron Miles Quartet Roust the JAZZ House Josh Ritter Band Bobby Bradford Quartet TWO NIGHTS:
17 18
Bill Evans Jazz Tap Jam Bill Evans Jazz Tap Jam TWO NIGHTS: (sponsored by Outpost, Lensic & PADMINI)
18 22 24
Amjad Ali Khan—Lensic (SF) Amjad Ali Khan—Outpost Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart (sponsored by ALIBI)
26
Brassum plus Dottie Grossman & Michael Vlatkovich
AMJAD ALI KHAN Sarod Maestro accompanied by his son AYAAN ALI BANGASH - Sarod & ABHIMAN KAUSHAL - Tabla
Sunday, 7pm April 18 Santa Fe at Lensic
Thursday, 7pm April 22 Albuquerque at Outpost
visit our website—www.outpostspace.org