coop J u l y 2004
connection
too hot to Cook.....
Deli-luscious
delights
free
Community Economics: Meeting Needs, Member to Member New Coop Program he Coop is embarking on a new program to improve our local economy and strengthen ties within our cooperative community. Actually, in a sense, we are reviving a program that we had nearly 20 years ago. In a marriage of traditional cooperative philosophy which seeks to meet as many of the needs of its community as it can with the “skills bank” concepts of 30 years ago, we believe that within our coop community there are people who provide goods and services that can fulfill many, if not all of one another’s needs.
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Back when the program was called the Participating Business Shoppers Guide, it listed a diversity of services and goods, all offered by La Montanita members to other members. Very often members would offer and receive discounts on specific goods and services. It passed out of use because it was hard to update due to printing and typesetting costs. Today with our new computer technology the difficulties are more easily overcome, and due to popular demand and greater awareness of the power of purchasing local to keep our dollars circulating here at home, it seems only fitting that we resurrect the concept. This time, we will regularly print updated listings of members names, goods and services and contact info in our newspaper, The Coop Connection. The Coop will also
create a special Member-to-Member page on our newly (and beautifully, I might add) re-designed web page (www.lamontanitacoop.com) and offer other reduced rates and free advertising in our newspaper. We ask that members give other members some special consideration related to the goods and services they offer, including discounts, special sales, trades etc. While the Coop in no way endorses any person, product or service, Member to Member can provide information about the services and goods that are available among people who share the common bonds of a belief in the cooperative philosophy, the importance of community and local ownership, and a love of good, local, organic, healthy food. SIGN UP NOW If you are interested in participating please mail your name, business title and contact information: address, phone, e-mail and special considerations, discounts or special offers for other members.
new CO-OP program
Contact us at the Membership Dept.: c/o The Coop, 3500 Central Ave. SE Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87106 Attention Robyn. Or e-mail: memb@lamontanita coop.com.
Co-op Community Service
5 Years of Support for Title I For the last five years, the Co-Op and its gracious members and vendors have been supporting the APS Title I Homeless Projects through gifts of volunteerism , fruit and dairy donations and canned good drives. Without the tireless efforts of those involved we never would have been able to provide the children that live in homelessness in our community with the quality progams we offer.
This year the Co-op would especially like to thank: Nob Hill Dairy Purchaser Dana Lusby, Scott Rasband (Rasband Milk) and Boulder Fruit for their help in supporting this year’s program.
We conduct an after school tutoring progam every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at Bandelier Elementary School during the school year which many Co-op members have been a part of for the last several years. The service provided by these volunteers has helped children academically in ways that can never be measured. We serve about 75 students a night in this program, and the volunteer help is essential. We have also been fortunate enough to receive donated goods from Rasband Dairies, Veritible Vegetables, and Boulder Fruits for our yearly summer program. This program serves 150 and 200 students a day during the month of June. We are committed to serving healthy nutritious breakfasts each day, and without your kind donations this would not be possible.
RUN FOR THE CO-OP’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thank you, La Montanita, for helping to make our programs a success. Sincerely, Robin LH Watkins, APS Title I Homeless Projects Volunteer Coordinator
DATES TO REMEMBER July 1, 2004: Deadline for Membership for Board Candidates
Welcome Back, Arts and Crafts Fairs!
Oct. 1, 2004: Nominations Close Oct. 17, 2004: Annual Membership Meeting Hear reports from our Board, General Manager and meet the candidates. At Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across Carlisle from the Nob Hill Co-op. Nov. 1-14, 2004: Voting Period Members: your ballot will be mailed to your home. Call 217-0107 for more information
Participate in your community! email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com
YOUR CO-OP NEEDS YOU!
The Valley Coop will host the 3rd Saturday, Monthly Fairs once again. The fair in July is on Saturday the 17th, call on or before July 10th to get on the Set-up List Vendor Friendly Guidelines • All Vendors must be current members of the Coop and meet arts and crafts guidelines below. • The first 7 people to call will be put on the list. The list will rotate so that everyone gets an opportunity. • All vendors please call to get on the set-up list no later than one week before the fair (i.e. call before Saturday of the second week of the month) • Set-up will be on the North-East side of the store. Check In with Tammy and she will show you where to set up • Set-up begins after 8AM, take-down at 3PM • Please unload, and find on-street parking. Do not park in the parking lot.
• These are non-partisan events. • All products shown at the Coop must be made by the individual vendor or family, no kits, no imports and no products that are sold in the store. Call Robin at 217-0107 to be approved to sell at the Valley Coop. Call Tammy at 242-8800, Tuesday thru Saturday 7:30AM-2PM to be placed on the monthly list. Please Note: Any vendor not cooperating with other vendors or staff will be asked to leave. We look forward to beautiful, cooperative and successful monthly artist gatherings.
better safe than sorry A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Nob Hill 3500 Central S.E. Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631
14 good reasons for precaution by Dr. Peter Montague, Environmental Research Foundation
Valley 2400 Rio Grande Blvd. Albuq., NM 87104 242.8800 Administrative Staff: General Manager: C.E. Pugh 265-4631 ce@lamontanitacoop.com 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 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
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robably the strongest argument for precaution is that the old risk-based approach has harmed large numbers of people and has badly damaged the environment. For example: Consider just toxic lead. As early as 1897, some paint companies knew enough about the dangers of lead to advertise that their paints were NOT made with toxic lead. Obviously, if one paint company knew it, all paint companies knew it – or should have. A least-harmful alternative
organics:
Membership Costs: $12 for 1 year $200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: Managing Editor: Robyn Seydel memb@lamontanitacoop.com Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Covers & Centerfold: Edite Cates Advertising: Robyn Seydel Printing: Vanguard Press
Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, memb@lamontanitacoop.com email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com website: www.lamontanitacoop.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 newletter or the Co-op.
CO-OP YOU OWN IT
FOURTEEN ARGUMENTS FOR PRECAUTION 1. Past practices have failed us: As noted above, many past practices have damaged the environment and public health. The old risk-assessment-based approach has been harmful, so we need a new way of making decisions. As a result of past practices, many kinds of chronic diseases are now increasing: childhood cancers, breast cancer, cancers of the testicles and prostate, nervous system disorders (Parkinson's Disease, Lou Gehrig's disease), immune system disorders (diabetes, asthma), birth defects, and chronic illness are all increasing. 2. The world is now full: On a global scale, there is abundant evidence that the world is no longer empty but is now full — of humans and their artifacts.
least harmful alternative
Store hours at both locations: Mon. thru Sat.: 7a.m. to 10p.m. Sunday: 8a.m. to 10p.m.
Membership information is available at the Co-op, 3500 Central S.E. (Nob Hill location), or 2400 Rio grande Blvd. N.W. (Valley location)
4. Involve affected parties in decisions (beginning at the earliest possible stages when questions are being asked and goals set). Provide them the wherewithal to participate in a sustained way and respect their values, knowledge, experience and preferences.
was clear in 1897. But from 1897 to 1976, risk assessment was used to justify the continued use of toxic lead in paint and many paint companies continued to use it. First the risk assessors said 60 micrograms in a tenth of a liter of blood was "safe" for children. Large numbers of children were severely poisoned by this assessment, and so a new "risk assessment" established that 40 micrograms was "safe." More children were badly poisoned by this "safe" amount, so a new risk assessment was undertaken: "Twenty micrograms is safe — and this time we've got it RIGHT," said the risk assessors — but more children were poisoned, their IQs diminished, their ability to concentrate ruined, their capacity to cope with stress destroyed — they became aggressive, even violent. Today risk assessors claim 10 micrograms of lead is "safe," but many scientists and doctors know this isn't true and wonder if even 2 micrograms of lead in a tenth of a liter of blood deserves to be called "safe." The old risk-based approach to decisions asked, "How much harm is acceptable?" or "How much harm can we get away with?" The newer precautionary approach asks, "How much harm can we avoid?" The difference is profound. If we have reasonable suspicion of harm even in the face of some scientific uncertainty we all have a duty to take action to avert harm. We can take four kinds of precautionary action: 1. Set and state our goals (including implicit ones, such as justice and democratic participation). Different parties may have different goals, and it's good to acknowledge this. 2.. Assess available alternatives for achieving the goals. 3. Gather and consider complete and accurate information – and the proponent bears the burden of providing it. This is what we mean by "shifting the burden of proof" onto the proponent of a new technology.
Consequences of a full world: Worldwide, topsoil is being depleted at least 10 times as fast as nature can create it. Species are being driven to extinction at rates somewhere between 100 and 1000 times as fast as historical rates of extinction. The earth's capacity to absorb or assimilate wastes has been exceeded — the evidence for this is unmistakable: global warming, depletion of the Earth's ozone shield, the presence of toxic chemicals in fish and industrial poisons in breast milk etc. There is no longer any place called “away” where it is safe to throw our discards. Living in a full world means that we have new responsibilities to be careful, to try hard to avoid causing further harm, and to give the benefit of the doubt to the environment and human health.
Living in a full world means that we have new responsibilities to be careful, to try hard to avoid causing further harm. . . 3. Early warnings: When traveling in the dark, we naturally move cautiously and keep all our senses attuned for signs of danger. Precaution tells us to look for, pay close attention to, and ACT upon, early warnings. 4. Benefit of the doubt: When we're not sure what the effects of our actions will be (uncertainty), we should give the benefit of the doubt to public health and the environment. 5. Natural rights: We all have a right to a clean, healthful environment. To avoid breaching this right, we all have a responsibility to anticipate harm and take steps to avert it. 6. Responsibility for our behavior: We are all responsible for the consequences of our behavior, and we all have a responsibility to prevent impending harm. 7. Our role as trustees: We are all trustees of the world that we inherited. We have a responsibility to preserve it, and pass it along to the next generation undamaged. This is both a traditional and "conservative" view, as espoused by, for example, Edmund Burke (1727-1797). 8. Local Precedents: In most locales, we already have precautionary language and behavior in some of our laws and practices. At the federal level, we have precaution built into the premarket testing of pharmaceutical products, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) monitoring procontinued on page 3
cover photos by Edite Cates
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better safe than sorry
good reasons for precaution gram that aims to identify unexpected reactions to pharmaceutical products. The European Union is trying to establish pre-market testing as the norm for all industrial chemicals — a proposal known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals). The Europeans have a slogan that captures the essence of REACH: No data, no market. In other words, if a chemical has not been thoroughly tested for effects on human health and the environment, it cannot be marketed. Needless to say, REACH is being opposed bitterly and vociferously by the Bush Administration and the chemical industry world-wide. Surely it's only a matter of time before pre-market testing becomes standard procedure and "No data, no market" is widely applied to products far beyond mere chemicals. 9. Public decision-making process: Precaution establishes a decision-making process where perhaps there was none before. Precaution offers a systematic way to make decisions, and thus rationalizes governmental decision-making. 10. Redefining the Role of Governmental Decision-makers: The precautionary approach redefines several key questions for governmental decision-makers. It is no longer sufficient to ask, "Is it legal?" and "Is it safe?" Government must now also ask, "Is it necessary?" The precautionary approach also gives governmental decision-makers permission (and an obligation) to consider the full range of costs including costs beyond the original price. 11. Religious: The Earth belongs to God and we have a duty to protect it from harm. In trying to protect God's creation, we have a duty to try to foresee and forestall harm because if we wait for proof of harm before acting, harm will occur and we will have failed in our duty. If harm becomes evident, we have a duty to stop the harmful activity and to take restorative action.
Past practices have failed us. The old risk-assessment-based approach has been harmful, so we need a new way of making decisions. 12. Economic arguments: A) Publicly-traded corporations under law, have a fiduciary duty to return a modest, more-or-less steady profit to investors, and any goal that conflicts with that duty is, as a matter of law, of secondary importance. This gives corporations a powerful incentive to externalize their costs — dumping wastes into the environment, harming and disrespecting their workers, avoiding and evading their fair share of taxes, and so on. It's not that corporations are run by bad people — it's that the law that creates every corporation requires good people to do bad things. B) We should note that precaution is fundamental to the insurance industry — anticipating harm and taking steps to mitigate its effects, so precaution is built-in to some businesses. C) Precaution stimulates innovation, creating satisfying and long-term (sustainable) jobs. D) Waste is evidence of design failure. We pay to
Better Safe than Sorry Precautionary Principle Symposium What is the Precautionary Principle and what will it do for New Mexico? Learn more about the growing precautionary principle movement and how we here in NM can apply it. Join the growing ranks of New Mexicans who are just saying NO to pollution in a wideranging Symposium that will investigate strategies for integrating the Precautionary Principle into our daily lives. The New Mexico Environmental Health Coalition in conjunction with Ecoversity are offering a series of important discussions for implementing the precautionary principle in New Mexico. To register please call 505-424- 9797 x10 or go to www.ecoversity.com. Saturday, July 24th Introduction to the Precautionary Principle by Dave Abram: 9-10am Building Multi-Cultural Relationships with Hilario Romero and Guest: 10-4pm How we can build good working relationships across cultural divides in an unequal society. We will develop skills for collaborative problem-solving through the sharing of culturally different perspectives and values. Sunday, July 25th Promoting a Safe and Sustainable Agricultural System in New Mexico: 10-12:30pm A healthy, accessible, and sustainable food system is a critical factor in environmental health. Hear from some of the local leaders in this effort, share your ideas, and join in an open discussion of sustainable agriculture in New Mexico and how it relates to the Precautionary Principle. The Precautionary Principle and The Laws That Should Protect Us: 1-3:30pm Join Dr. Ann McCampbell, Paul Robinson, Ruben Nunez and members of health-impacted communities in New Mexico about how a paradigm shift called the Precautionary Principle can make laws and regulations in New Mexico better protect us and our environment. Saturday, July 31st Green and Clean: Giving the World Healthy Buildings: 10-12:30pm Join Helmut Ziehe and Paula Baker-LaPorte to learn about the expanding interest in and market for healthy public and private buildings. Sustainable Small Business Practices and the Precautionary Principle: 1-3:30pm This hands-on workshop with Lynda Taylor & Betty Leggiero will demonstrate how small businesses can successfully join profitability with the intent of causing the least harm possible to public health and the environment.
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Saturday, August 7th IMPLEMENTING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE IN NEW MEXICO A Call to Action and Celebration: 9-11am KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Carolyn Raffensperger, MA, JD: Join America’s ‘Guru of the Precautionary Principle’ Carolyn Raffensperger as she brings this paradigm shift to life with stories from the front lines of social change! We will hear success stories and accounts of high-powered opposition as activists work to move government and corporations away from the standard of “How much harm is acceptable?” when introducing a product or permitting an industry to pollute, instead to “How little harm is possible?” In this introduction to the Precautionary Principle, Carolyn will help you build your ‘Precautionary Principle Tool Kit’ by discussing underlying concepts of scientific uncertainty, harm, alternatives assessment, and democratic participation. Participants will engage in a dialogue on action, ethics, legal issues, legislation, enforcement, and critiques of the Precautionary Principle. Bringing it Home: 11am-12:30pm Participants from the five Precautionary Principle workshops held July 17th thru July 24th will bring ideas and recommendations developed in those workshops to this session. An open and creative dialogue will identify opportunities for action in New Mexico.
produce, process, and dispose of something that we don't even want. Avoiding waste is precautionary and makes economic sense. 13. Medical: Medical practitioners take precautionary action all the time. They rarely have full information, but they take action to avert harm, giving the benefit of the doubt to the well-being of their patient. Public health practitioners have taken "primary prevention" as the starting point of public health policy since about 1850.
14. Media: Reporters could take a precautionary approach by asking what alternatives were considered in any unfolding story that has ramifications for public health or the environment. They could also ask the three basic precautionary questions: 1. Has anyone found less harmful alternatives? (Has anyone looked?) 2. How much harm is preventable? 3. Do we know enough to act to prevent harm?
Reprinted from RACHEL'S ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH NEWS. For the full article and endnotes go to: www.rachel.org.
Raffensperger is co-editor of "Protecting Public Health and the Environment: Implementing the Precautionary Principle" (1999), the most comprehensive exploration to date of the history, theory, and implementation of the Precautionary Principle. The New Mexico Environment & Health Coalition and EcoVersity are co-sponsoring this upcoming Symposium. EcoVersity's hallmark is hands-on experiential learning leading to real world problem solving. The 13-acre EcoVersity campus is on Agua Fria.
To register for the Precautionary Principle Symposium or other Ecoversity classes go to www.ecoversity.com or call 505.424.9797 ext.10.
a New Mexico symposium
A Precautionary Principle Action Plan for New Mexico: 1:30-4pm A brainstorming and strategy session cofacilitated by Carolyn Raffensperger to set an agenda for implementing the precautionary principle in New Mexico. Carolyn Raffensperger, MA, JD: An environmental attorney and executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network (SEHN) founded in 1994, a consortium of environmental organizations concerned with the wise application of science to the protection of the environment and public health. Ms.
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great grilling Mesquite Organic Foods by Robyn Seydel When the sun sinks low in the sky, the grills get fired up and you can smell what may be one of the most telltale smells of summer wafting lazily through just about every neighborhood. Earth Island Institute’s Journal and other news outlets report that “Mad Cow is worse that you think” and we know conventional beef is loaded with genetically engineered growth hormones, antibiotics and other residues. The Coop is honored to carry, Mesquite Organic Beef, the finest certified organic, fully grass-fed beef to give peace of mind during BBQ season, and year round. GRASS-FED HEALTH Mesquite Organic Foods beef comes from cattle that are raised in open pastures and are never fattened in feedlots, completely by-passing the concern of rendered animal proteins and the rogue prions that are known to cause Mad Cow. Fed 100% on grass grown right on their farm, the cattle are never exposed to hormones, antibiotics, pesticides or chemicals of any kind. Also the cattle are slaughtered in the most humane way, by hand right on their farm. Texas-based, this organic beef doesn’t have far to travel, insuring greater freshness. We at the Coop are pleased to be able to carry this fine regional product.
Look for Mesquite Certified Organic Foods meats — perfect for grilling season and all year round at both Coop locations. And if you need a special cut we’ll be glad to oblige. Just ask for Frank or Steven in the Meat department or call them at 265-4631 at Nob Hill or 242-8800 in the Valley.
try it!
Regional Product Spotlight:
Grass-fed beef is healthier as it contains less than 10% saturated fat, has higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids than conventional beef, is a natural source of conjugated linoleic acid that may help reduce the risks of cancer, obesity, diabetes and several other immune disorders, and is an abundant source for L-arginine that helps reduce LDL cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular problems.
Meat Madness: Don’t Want to Give Up the Grill?
safe?
Since the first admission in the midst of December 2003’s busy holiday season that the U.S. had found an incidence of Mad Cow in a Washington State herd, despite the best efforts of the USDA and the beef industry, the controversy just won’t go away. About two months later the USDA quietly admitted that as many as 80 animals from the same herd that made their way into the food chain may also have been affected. USDA head Ann Veneman has called for a ban on the slaughter and sale of “downer cows” (cows that are unable to walk, a warning sign of Mad Cow). The long overdue ban is seen as an effort to blunt criticism on the fact that she has helped delay mandatory Country of Origin Labeling passed by Congress as part of the 2002 Farm Bill and refuses to institute a wide-spread testing program for U.S. cattle. While Japan and other nations test every cow that is slaughtered, the USDA upped the number to
60,000 and then finally to several hundred thousand. While that seems like a lot of testing, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the thirty five million cattle slaughtered for consumption every year. Though scientific controvery continues over the exact mechanism by which the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) cause nervous system damage, it is clear that eating the “rogue proteins” or prions can cause the disease in both cows and humans. Some scientists postulate that the human version of mad cow might have already killed thousands of Americans, misdiagnosed as early onset Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis. While the 1997 ban on feeding animal protein to cows is a good start, it is still legal to feed cow by-products to pigs, which can then be slaughtered at 30 months well before TSE symptoms show up and are also used as dairy by-pass protein, to wean calves off their mothers’ milk. Since many dairy cows end up as beef on our tables, this loophole allows the prions a ride through the food system to our dinner tables. Food safety advocates, small scale ranchers, the National Farmers Union and even Tom Daschle are all calling for: • A complete ban on all feeding of aminal byproducts to animals intended for human consumption. • The testing of all cattle at slaughter. • Enactment of a temporary ban on human consumption of brain and nerve tissue especially until any animal that might have eaten animal by-products is moved through the system to protect from “stealth” prions in younger asymptomatic cattle. • Enact Country of Origin Labeling for meat Please contact the USDA Secretary Ann Veneman at 4700 River Road, Unit 118 Riverdale MD 20737 about your concerns.
MAD COW TESTING SAVE A LIFE AT A NICKLE A POUND Although the U.S. banned beef imports and frowned upon the UK when Mad Cow Disease related CJD began to take the lives of British citizens, recently revealed documents show little has been done to protect U.S. consumers from similar outbreaks within our own borders. Specifically, the USDA refused precautionary measures that would mitigate the possible outbreak of Mad Cow Disease, stating that "the cost to the livestock and rendering industries would be substantial." This assessment may be true, depending on what price you place on human life. The cost of testing all cattle for this fatal disease would add 3 to 5 pennies per pound to the price of beef. (http://prwatch.org/books/madcow.html)
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consumer news
Diatomaceous Earth: Non-toxic Relief by Robyn Seydel ne of the most troubling aspects of the late spring and summer season if you live in the valley or for that matter just about anywhere, are the ticks. While here in New Mexico they don’t carry Lyme’s Disease as does a related species, they are a problem for many in our region. For years I struggled with the tick problem in my yard, using a variety of natural products, finally succumbing to the chemicals our vet recommends.
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This winter, at the Annual Organic Farming and Gardening Expo, I learned about Diatomaceous Earth (DE), and was given a small bag of the stuff to try. Not registered with the FDA as an insecticide, because its action is mechanical not chemical, it is allowed for use on certified organic farms. Due to its ability to absorb its own weight in liquid and still exhibit the properties of dry powder, it is currently used widely in grain storage elevators. In late March, I spread it around the base of my dogs’ favorite tree and lightly dusted their coats with food grade Perma Guard Fossil Shell Flour (a.k.a. Diatomaceous Earth, DE) and waited for the six-legged onslaught. By late April I saw one tick on one of the dogs and one tick crawling across the kitchen floor. So I dusted both the base of the tree and the dogs (very lightly) again and then the tree again in mid May. Just as I was about to think it was an especially light tick year, several friends informed me that they were going crazy with tick infestations on their animals and in their homes. And I was thrilled to think that this was my first nearly tick-less year. DIATOMS TO THE RESCUE Diatoms are a basic part of the sea environment; a one-celled plant that is the starting place for the oceanic cycle of life, feeding smaller animals which in turn feed higher forms of life. DE is the fossilized remains of trillions of these minute algae-like plants that lived in both fresh and marine seas 300 million years ago. As living plants they build small shells around themselves out of silica extracted from the water. When the diatom dies its microscopic shell is deposited on the ocean
floor, collected into deposits from shifting seas, and compressed by pressure. As ancient seas retreated they left behind rich deposits. When looked at under a microscope specific diatoms each have their own shape — a razor, a spear, broken
inert material, it contains important minerals including magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium, boron, copper and others. There are a few caveats on the use of DE. Like any other resource it must be used with sensitivity to its finite nature. Also DE is indiscriminate, that means it can harm beneficial insects as well, so use with careful targeting of the infestation. Also do not breath large quantities of the dust over an extended period of time. Vibrant, 85 year-old Albuquerque resident Wally Tharp, is one of the foremost experts on DE and an important figure in the resurrection of the use and understanding of DE. As a backyard gardener, he made a firm commitment in 1954 to never again use a toxic insecticide or chemical fertilizer. In 1981 Tharp organized the PERMAGUARD COMPANY to give people a choice in what they used to kill insects. The company motto is “Use no insecticide, but if you must, use that which is least harmful to the environment!” Tharp uses only fresh water diatomaceous deposits for his Perma Guard products and their exceptional purity meets the requirements for a Food Grade label from the FDA
TAKE CARE OF THOSE
CREEPYCRAWLIES! glass or cylindrical; which can poke or wear holes in insects’ waxy shells, causing them to dehydrate and eventually die. Minute particles are also ingested internally by certain insects and interfere with their breathing, digestion and reproduction. The DE is dug out of the earth, ground and screened to various grades for a variety of uses. Using the talc-like DE powder mirrors the dust baths that birds have been taking to rid themselves of external parasites for time immemorial. DE as an insecticide is nothing new, with references to its use over 4,000 years ago in China. Today DE is used in everything from toothpaste to cigars, and in plastics, paprika, as filter media in swimming pools, home fish tanks and as pest control in animals and grains. The farming and gardening journal Acres USA touts it as effective against gypsy moths, coddling moth, pink boll weevil, lygus bug, twig borer, thrip, mites, fleas, earwigs, cockroaches, slugs and mosquitoes, and says “Diatomaceous earth works about as well as the farmer works. Early and conscientious applications will control a wide variety of destructive insects.” Other sources add red spider mites, corn worms, house and fruit flies, ants, aphids, leaf hoppers, Japanese beetles and termites to the list. It has been recommended for use in cows, chickens, hogs, horses and sheep to control parasites and worms, and its use in animal feed means that if your cat or dog licks a bit off their coat it will not harm them. Both here and in Canada the standard is 2% or less of the total daily feed ration can be DE to rid an animal of any parasites and to maintain good health. A non- toxic,
Look for Perma Guard Fossil Shell Flour products at either Coop locations and see if you too can go tick-less this summer.
An Open Letter
on Diatomaceous Earth by Wally Tharp Anyone buying DE needs to be aware of a number of things. People tend to think that all DE is the same and this can cause some terrible mistakes. In western United States there are over 600 deposits of DE, but only four of these qualify to be labeled FOOD GRADE. Besides the purity of Perma Guard’s deposits, which have allowed the Food Grade label, it is very important to know the percentage of Crystalline Silica that any DE contains. The World Health Organization standards consider anything containing 3% or more Crystalline Silica hazardous. Filtering Grade DE contains over 60%, while our Perma Guard deposit has less than one half of one percent. Any DE deposit with a very heavy overlay of dirt or rock that exerts strong pressure causes the tiny shells to become crystallized. These crystals are so tiny they float in the air and can be breathed into the lungs, causing silicosis or lung cancer. If the crystals are ingested, they tend to cause organ cancer. There are no symptoms and by the time a person finds they have a problem it is too late. Precise mineral analysis and a picture on an electron microscope is the only way to determine the grade and shape of the DE shell. There are over
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25,000 different species of diatoms, each with its own unique shell. Some shells have spears and sharp edges. I would not want to feed these to animals and certainly not humans. An electron microscope picture of the Perma Guard diatom shell shows it to be a tiny cylinder full of holes. This tiny shell is very hard. A diamond, the hardest thing in the world, is rated number nine on the hardness scale. Our DE is rated number seven and the shell of an insect is number 3. Tiny particles of our product get into the working parts of the insect, where legs, head and wings join its body. With movement the DE wears a hole in the insect’s shell, allowing vital fluids to escape. The insect dies from dehydration, not poison. If a bird eats a bug killed by DE, not only is it not harmed, it actually gets 14 trace minerals from our product. Perma Guard DE is harmless to all higher forms of life. Application directly on the body will do no harm, though excessive use will tend to dry the skin. We all treasure our lady lugs, our lace wing flies and our praying mantises. If any insecticide is used they are going to be affected, but DE does no damage to other living things and no harm to the environment. The use of any insecticide does at least some damage. However, Perma Guard does the least, and used wisely is something that is not going to do a great deal of harm.
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LLC 5
co-op news LOCAL SALE ITEMS SHOP LOCAL & SAVE SANTE FE OLE Santa Fe, New Mexico, Green Chile Sauce, 16 oz. 2 for $6! Red Chile Sauce, 16 oz. sale 2 for $5
SANDIA SOAP COMPANY Albuquerque, New Mexico. All Sandia Soap Bars regularly $4.19 each, on sale 2 for $7!
SADIE’S Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hot and Not So Hot Salsa, 16 oz. on sale for $3.29!
SABROSO Albuquerque, New Mexico. All natural, no preservatives, 8“ Flour Tortillas, 12 count on sale for $1.29!
TLC BAKERY Albuquerque, New Mexico. Multi Grain Whole Wheat Loaf $3.99! Green Chile Cheese Rolls $2.79! French Loaf Sliced White Bread $1.89
BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME
SPECIALS GOOD DURING THE MONTH OF JULY
july 2004 6
BOARD CANDIDATES:
Serve Coop & Community
N
ominations and election of new board members are several months away but it's not too soon to start thinking about running for the Board of La Montanita. The Coop is continuously seeking qualified candidates to run and we are always happy to meet with prospective candidates to answer questions and provide more detailed information about Board duties. Board members are the elected representatives of the member/owners. The Board hires, supervises and if necessary, fires the General Manager. The Board's duty is to understand the interests and needs of the membership and to establish policies and goals for the GM which guide him/her toward meeting those needs. Another important task for the Board is to receive input from the membership and the management and then to create a vision (we call it 'Ends Policy') for the long term success of the Coop. Board members serve for three-year terms. The Board's work is both demanding and rewarding. At its monthly meeting, the Board reviews management's work by examining performance reports and comparing them to the policy standards the board has established. Board meetings are also used to debate and vote upon committee proposals dealing with new policies and other aspects of Board operations. At each meeting, time is set aside to receive input from members. We also try to be present for all major Coop events like Earth Day and the Garden Party where we staff a table and talk about Board and Coop activities with the members. The full Board meets once or twice a year for day-long visioning sessions and several times a year
for half-day trainings. Overall, Board members are expected to spend three hours per week on Board duties. In exchange for this work, the household of each Board member receives an 18% discount on purchases at the Coop. We seek potential Board members with a variety of skills and backgrounds. A business and financial background is obviously a plus but we also need people with experience in grassroots community involvement, natural foods, group process and other areas of concern to our membership. Since our decision-making process is a democratic one, it's important to have individuals who can collaborate and work with other Board members as a team. We want to assure prospective candidates that we do not even attempt to manage the GM on a day-to-day basis and we avoid involvement in operational details. Instead, we rely on a system called Policy Governance by which the Board establishes broad policies and limitations and then monitors the GM's success in working within those policies while avoiding any actions the Board considers unacceptable. We urge all interested persons to contact us. You may email us at bod@lamontanita.com. You may also send us mail or leave a written note for the Board at the information desk of either store; if you do this, send it to the attention of Marshall Kovitz. Finally, you are always welcome to attend a Board meeting; they're held on the third Tuesday of every month at 5:30 P.M. at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across the street from the Nob Hill store. We look forward to hearing from you!
More on Coop Governance by Marshall Kovitz, Board of Directors his is the second in a series of articles about the La Montanita's governance. Last time, we discussed the state law and the Coop's Articles of Incorporation; in the next three, we'll look at our bylaws.
T
Article I of our bylaws deals with eligibility and requirements for membership. The State law gives cooperatives broad discretion regarding these issues, stating that, "Any natural person, association, incorporated or unincorporated group organized on a cooperative basis, or any nonprofit group shall be eligible for membership in an association if it has met any qualifications for eligibility stated in the articles or bylaws...". La Montanita's founders, who wrote our bylaws, chose the household as the unit of membership; Section 1.1 of our bylaws says simply, "Any household shall be eligible for membership". Consistent with the principle of one member, one vote, the bylaws also explain that each household shall have a "primary member," the person whose name appears on the membership certificate, and that only the primary member has the right to cast a ballot. Another requirement for membership — $12 annual or $200 lifetime fee — is familiar to everyone. Article I lists the other rights and responsibilities of membership, among them, supporting the Coop economically, electing and removing the Board of Directors and receiving other member benefits such as worker discounts. Several months ago in the newsletter, we talked about how decision making has shifted over the years from direct member involvement to oversight primarily from the Board of Directors. Most of the current bylaws are the product of earlier days; thus Section 1.5 lists these functions for the membership: 1. Develop in concert with the Directors, long range goals and objectives; 2. Hear and act on reports from management and the Board. Since the same section also allows the membership to delegate these duties to the Board
and management, the transition to more centralized decision making has occurred smoothly, and apparently, to the satisfaction of the membership. Just because members appear relatively satisfied now does not mean they will always feel that way. Both the State law and our bylaws provide members with the means to have decisive input regarding the Coop's operations and governance. Consistent with the law, our bylaws require at least one membership meeting a year and allows for the membership to call for additional meetings as members may demand. The State law allows a cooperative to set its own figure for a quorum; ours is 40 households to have an official meeting. As we discussed in earlier articles about governance, attendance of meetings has declined substantially and so to ensure maximum participation regarding important decisions, and in accordance with State law, our bylaws allows for La Montanita to institute a mail-in ballot.
M
embers may not want to wait until our Annual Meeting to bring up an urgent issue, and both the State law and our bylaws provide for a mechanism to call special meetings. Both documents require that the membership presents to the Coop a petition containing specific issues to be voted on, along with valid signatures of 1/10 the total membership. Since our membership usually hovers around 7,000 households, this means collecting about 700 valid signatures. Once the Coop has been served with such a petition, it must call a special meeting within 30 days or in the case of a proposed bylaw amendment, within 45 days. When a mail-in ballot is used in conjunction, its wording must be the same as any proposal voted on at the meeting.
Next time, we'll look at the bylaws and the Board of Directors. You can get a copy of the complete bylaws from the Information Desks at both store locations.
co-op news
july 2004 7
General Manager’s Column Thank you for completing our June Member Survey. We should have the results compiled by the end of July and I will be sharing your feedback in this column over the next several months. We greatly appreciate your input and find it very helpful as we continue our work to increase our value and service to you.
6. Servant Leadership. 7. Stewardship. 8. Entrepreneurial Approach. 9. Bottom Line Change Method. 10. The business perspective of our vision moving us to results, and our principles, systems, and culture being in sync with our vision. As we will always have some level of disconnect between our principles and systems, our systems and culture and our culture and principles; our task is to reduce this disconnect.
Many changes in national distribution of the products we carry have made it very difficult for TCW (Tucson Cooperative Warehouse) to continue as our primary supplier. After careful consideration, both La Montanita and TCW believe that ending This workshop provided us many tools to use our primary relationship is in the best interest of immediately in our leadership work and these tools and ideas are now a both our memberships. We standing agenda item on believe that La Montanita’s our monthly Department members are best served by Team Leader meetings. The joining in the National immediate change from this Cooperative Grocers’ Assowork has been a greater ciation’s national purchasing confidence among the leadprogram with United Natural ership team in their leaderFoods. It is just not possible ship ability and a better for TCW to compete on understanding of their roles price with a national billion as leaders rather than mandollar organization and we agers. You can find more look forward to continuing information on Zing Train our relationship with TCW the inside scoop at www.zingtrain.com. as a strong secondary supplier. We do anticipate some out-of-stock problems during this transition as our We have also recently completed a staff evaluation buyers work to set up their purchasing systems of the leadership team and each staff member with our new distributor, but we are all working anonymously completed an evaluation form for to minimize this and I believe we should have any their team leader, their store leader, and the generproblems worked out by the end of August. This al manager. While the results were overwhelmingchange affects about half of our purchases making ly positive, we have identified many areas of opportunity for improvement and are now develthis a very large project for us. oping a process to insure that we take advantage The entire leadership team recently spent two days of these opportunities and continually monitor working with Stas’ Kazmierski and Maggie our progress. Bayless of Zing Train, the leadership-training arm The new roof project at Nob Hill is now underof Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor. This workshop was a comprehensive leadership development program way and we will begin work on repairing our intethat included the following areas of development, rior ceiling in August. We will also complete a small remodel of our information desk and Health discussion, and practice: and Beauty Care department at the front of the Nob Hill store. This project will take several 1. The four levels of learning. 2. The difference as leaders in working “in” the busi- weeks and we will do our best to minimize the mess and inconvenience that will result. ness and “on” the business. 3. The four stages of learning a skill. 4. The importance of documenting the steps to train We appreciate your support of La Montanita and and the awareness that training is a separate skill hope to see you soon, C.E. Pugh from doing. (505) 265-4631, ce@lamontanitacoop.com 5. Managing yourself.
Board Briefs:
Summary of Board Minutes: April, 2004 Julie Hicks, Board Secretary La Montanita Coop has developed a reputation as a leader for coops in the region. As a result, the cooperative Mountain View in Las Cruces has asked for assistance from our general manager, CE Pugh. Mountain View seeks guidance and assistance due to the recent loss of their general manager. The Board voted to establish a contract to allow CE, on a part time basis, to consult with Mountain View and share his experience and knowledge to help their coop survive and thrive.
• The Board discussed the advantages and disadvantages of annual disclosure of salary tables for all Coop employees including management. The Board requested that the General Manager present a report to the Board in June with his recommendations on this matter.
• The General Manager presented the Board with material on a “livable wage” for La Montanita employees. The Coop will begin implementing a livable wage in January, 2005 for employees working a year or more. The Board and General Manager hope to make the La Montanita Coop a community leader in providing a livable wage. A question will be included in the June member survey to weigh member support regarding a possible membership fee increase to support this effort.
• The treasurer reported that the Coop was in good financial condition with sales continuing to grow.
• The Board viewed a drawing of a newly proposed informational bulletin board intended to increase communication between directors and members and will be available at both Coop locations.
• Finally, the Coop staff was acknowledged for a fun and successful Earth Day celebration. Members are welcome to attend monthly Board meetings. They are held the 3rd Tues. of the month at 5:30 pm at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Carlisle & Silver.
www.lamontanitacoop.com
check it out
re-designed co-op website! look for:
weekly/monthly sales • job postings • newsletter & ad rates • contact info for departments of both stores • Board of Directors info and much more!
Calendar of Events 7/5 7/16
Social Responsibility Research Committee 5:30pm 122 Tulane SE Finance Committee Meeting, 5pm Co-op Annex
7/20
Board of Directors Meeting 5:30pm Immanuel Presbyterian Church
TBA
Member Linkage Committee Meeting 5:30pm Annex
RUN FOR THE CO-OP’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS YOUR CO-OP NEEDS Lauri Norton Licensed Massage Therapist # 4199 Nationally Certified Cranio Sacral, Polarity, Swedish, Reflexology (505) 243-1701 cell 410-3741
Stone River Massage Linda Sue Strange, RN, LMT #4645
Located at 227 High Street Albuquerque, NM
Call 269 0194
Hot Stone Massage, Swedish Myo-fascial release, and Healing Touch
ith ne w ge! o t S a Hot y Mass Ever
FRESH DELICIOUS & ORGANIC SHOP YOUR CO-OP
Local Businesses Our Local Economic Autonomy Tincture makers + chile paste manufacture’s + natural foods broker Mitch Coven
Manuel and Kinna Perez
Founder - Vitality Works
Owner -Kinna’s Laos Chile Paste
A wellness clinic and herbal extract lab .Co-op Member since1982
Can’t Do Without Organic Chicken- tastes so great with the chile paste
Can’t Do Without Co-op's Tamari Roasted Organic Almonds. Great travel munchies!
anuel and Kinna bring the traditional taste of Southeast Asia to our city,
Mitch has been f o r m u l a t i n g l i q u i d herbal tinctures since 1982. His
bringing the most delicious Laotian chile paste to our tables.
formulations are the result of his many clinical successes with
Here in
the southwest we like it hot and Manuel and Kinna bring it on, using
patients. The Co-op was his first retail account, today his formulas
only the finest Oriental chile peppers, ginger and garlic. It’s one taste
are in many brands across the USA, hosp i t a l s and in many Pacific
sensation that really lights a fire. Made from an old family recipe that
Rim countires. Mitch has formulated focus the new Co-op private
has been handed down in Kinna's family, mother to daughter for gener-
label liquid tinctures that will replace the Vitality Works brand.
ations, it's a fabulous taste treat.
Watch for them at both Co-op locations .
Cathi Lombardo
Burt Norgarden
Owner - Naturally! TLC,Inc
Owner - Plant Works Manufacturer of Herbal Liquid Tinctures
A Natural Foods Manufacture Representative s i n c e 1 9 8 2
Co-op Member -1 6 y e a r s Can’t Do Without Organic Red Cabbage from Co-op Mainstay of his diet. Inexpensive and available year round
. Can’t Do Without Trinity Water, Natural & Organic Deli food Trinity Water -keeps in car when on the road.
Plant Works and the fresh Bulk Tinctures it supplies to the Coop is a labor of
Cathi has seen many changes in the Natural Foods Industry over
love for Burt. From making the freshest most potent tinctures to the care with
the years. Some good ,some bad. The good.....baby boomers are taking
which he picks and harvests his herbs. Burt is the quintessential herbal
more responsibility for themselves resulting in good food with higher quali-
alchemist. Bringing a deep spirituality to his wild-crafting he regularly treats the
ty ingredients for everyone. The unique thing about this industry for Cathi is
plants to his fine flute playing before harvest, looks for abundance and like a
that natural foods were the alternative to the conventional food industry, as
gardener carefully thins plants for ecological health and balance. An almost daily
natural foods become more mass market this industry will create another
Coop shopper, he says, " I respect the Coops integrity, researching the best pos-
alternative. The bad.....corporate buy-outs and consolidations, newest one;
sible products, products that are what they say they are'
Hains Foods acquisition of Jason’s skin care products.
Melinda Rand-Kenefic
Emma Ross Del Frate
Owner- Celebro Natural Fiber Clothing
Owner- Elsa Ross Woman’s Better Contemporary Clothing & Accessories
Natural Fiber, Sweat Shop Free , Scent Free clothing for men and woman small to 3XL
Co-op member - 8 years
Co-op member - 22 years
Can’t Do Without
Can’t Do Without
Daughter Eva - Horizon Strawberry Milk,
High -quality low -carb foods-organic
Emma -Wild Salmon and mother/partner
ketchup, sodas that are not artifical
Elsa- Bok Choy and Transformation Tuna Melinda,a resident of Nob Hill for 20 years and president of the Nob Hill Business Association loves her neighborhood, “ It’s a walking neighborhood like the one I grew up in”. While shopping at the Co-op
Elsa, Emma and Eva, three generations of Co-op shoppers each with t h e i r p e r sonal favorites. Emma feels lucky to have her own Elsa Ross fami-
she runs into her friends and neighbors and especially likes that shop- ly of co-workers who have been with them for up to 13 years. Emma likes ping at the Co-op “keeps our money working for us here in the hood” . being part of the Nob Hill neighborhood.
co-op Staff
participate in
m u d Volleyball Tournament
After
before
A Carrie Tingley Children’s Hospital Benefit
Safe Fun in the Sun our picks for safe, effective sun skin care
There are almost as many many sunscreen choices as there are chile pepper varieties. Sunscreens work in different ways. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation before it hits the skin. They feel light, provide excellent protection from the sun, and leave no film on the skin. But they may cause irritation, including allergic reactions, and recent research suggests that they may damage DNA. Physical sunscreens; sit on the skin and deflect the sun’s rays. These active ingredients - titanium di oxide and zinc oxide- are not absorbed by the skin, so they don’t have the same risks as chemical screens, but beware of conventional sunscreens with titanium di oxide as it many be genetically altered at the “nano level.” Because we absorb suncreen chemicals through the skin, they affect organs throughout our bodies. Here are the Co-op’s picks for the best in natural suncare and outdoor protection products . Happy and Safe Sunning !
Dr Hauschka
Dr Hauschka
Aubrey Organics
Aubrey Organics
Alba Botanica
Alba Botanica
Sunscreen Cream SPF: 20 Price: Expensive
Sunscreen Cream SPF: 20 for children Price: Expensive
Sun Shade Ultra SPF: 15 Price: Moderate
Titanium Sunblock SPF: 25 Price: Moderate
facial sunscreen SPF: 20 Price: Moderate
sport sunscreen SPF: 30 Price: Moderate
The finest ingredients.
Like it’s cohort but it’s
UVA/UVB Full spectrum
Full protection,with
Full spectrum UVA& UVB
Very water-resistant.
Valuable certified
water resistant.Gentle,
Active ingredients:
Jojoba Oil, Organic
Hypo-alleregenic sun pro-
Full spectrum UVA & UVB
organic plant oils and
non- irritating formula
Titanium Dioxide, Paba
Shea Butter ( which
tection for sensative skin.
shield. Active ingredient
herbal extracts nurture
contains titanium diox-
Ester in a base of coconut
studies show is able to
Designed for daily wear
-Benzophenone-3 a
skin while mineral pig-
ide. No chemical
fatty acid. Ingredient list
block ultraviolet radia-
under makeup. Non -
chemical also used in
ments provide high lev-
perservative, almost
is clean easy, to under-
tion all by itself) . White
greasy, fragrance -free.
plastics; toxic in large
els of protection.
good enough to eat,
stand. No worries about
Camellia Oil, Willow
Active ingredience derived amounts. Swiss findings
Free of synthetic
far cleaner than a fast-
absorbing any chemi-
Bark Oil. Effective pro-
from peru balsam,cocoa
indicate that UV
chemicals and perserv-
food burger.
cals through the skin.
tection. If you don’t want
and cinnamon leaves. No
screens should be test-
atives, synthetic filters,
Preservatives - Vit C,
to paint yourself white,
long term studies conduct- ed for endocrine activity,
colors or scents
Citrus Seed Extract.
Apply sparingly.
ed on Octinaxate &
in view of possible long-
Can be used daily as
Benzophenonea chemi-
term effects in humans
moisturzer.
cals with a similar structure
and wildlife.
to PABA,a known allergen
ALL TERRAIN Performance Sunblock SPF: 15 Price: Moderate Water/sweat resistant Active ingredient Z-cote a transparent zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Will not clog pours alowing skin to breath. Contains no unneccessary ingredients. No fillers but uses a chemical base with natural perservatives.
Quantum
ALL TERRAIN
dark tanning SPF: 4 Price: Pricy
Insect Repellent SPF: 0 Price: Moderate
Herbal Armor SPF: 0 Price: Moderate
A dark tanning dry oil
Buzz Away is formulated
Time Released, Water
spray. Goes on soft and
with Citronella,
and Sweatt Resistant
lavender and cooling men- silky,not greasy.
Cedarwood, Eucalyptus,
.Active ingredients; Oil
thol to ease the discomfort Blended with nourishing
Lemongrass and
of Citronella,
carrot oil. Apply before
Peppermint - pure, natu-
Peppermint, Cedar,
sun exposure or any
ral plant extracts which
Lemongrass, Geranium
tanning salon treatment
repel bugs. Registered
Other ingredinets:
and after swimming.
by the Environmental
Soybean oil, Beeswax,
Has chemical preserva-
Protection Agency
Bentonite Clay. Natural,
tive known to imitate the
(EPA), Buzz Away spray
safe and effective.
effects of the female
is now rated one of the
DEET-free
rAloe Life Skin Gel SPF: 0 Price: Moderate
aloe vera cooling gel SPF: 0 Price: Pricy
Ultimate skin treatment
Cooling aloe gel blended
with 100% certified organic aloe. made from the entire plant using fresh juice and the yellow sap. Ultimate soothing relief for sun burns, non- poisinous insect bites. 99% aloe, with seaweed as thickening agent, Vit A, C and E as
Alba Botanica
with theraputic organic
associated with dry skin, minor sunburn, insect bites. Small amount of aloe and coal tar (phenoxyethanol) as disinfectant anesthetic makes it convenient, but not as
preservatives. As good as it
good as plain old
gets
aloe vera.
Alba Botanica
hormone estrogen.
most effective DEET-free insect repellents available. Stay West Nile Free!
keep cool
july 2004 10
great
grilling Don’t want to heat up your kitchen but want something great and satisfying? The smell of food grilling is the unmistakeable aroma of summer. Coming off grills in every neighborhood it gets you great food without heating up the kitchen or house. So to keep cool and eat well you can get a meal to go at the Coop’s Deli at either location or pick up some fine organic beef, locally produced lamb or fresh frozen wild fish and cook out tonight.
MILLIONS AGAINST MONSANTO The Organic Consumers Association announces the launch of its new "Millions Against Monsanto" campaign. Join OCA's campaign to mobilize one million consumers to end Monsanto's global corporate bullying. Send an instant fax to Monsanto, demanding the corporation: Stop intimidating small family farmers • Stop force-feeding untested and unlabeled genetically engineered foods on consumers • Stop using billions of dollars of U.S. taypayers' money to subsidize genetically engineered crops. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html
Recipes adapted form the following sources: www.nancyskitchen.com www.3men.com www.recipegoldmine.com www.recipeamerica.com www.bbq.about.com www.recipezaar.com
Curried Lamb Kebobs 3 pound leg of lamb 2 pounds pork shoulder 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 medium onions 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 small chopped chilies bay leaves 2 bruised lemon leaves 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon whole crushed coriander tablespoons smooth apricot jam 1/4 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup water 8 ounces dried apricot halves (about 1 cup) 2 teaspoons cornstarch Slice two of the onions. Heat the oil and fry the sliced onions. Add curry powder, turmer-
ic, chilies, bay leaves, lemon leaves, ginger and coriander and fry gently for a few minutes. Add apricot jam, sugar, vinegar and water and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cut the remaining onion into wedges by cutting down the stem of the onion and then separating the segments. Add the onion segments and apricots to the marinade and let stand until cooled. Cut the meat into 1" cubes and place into a marinating dish. Pour the cooled marinade over the meat cubes. Allow meat to marinade at least overnight. Tandoori Chicken Marinade 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 small finely chopped onion 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger 4 cloves finely minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon curry powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Mix all ingredients together and marinade chicken overnight. Baked Onions with Sherry 4 medium Vidalia onions 2 Beef stock cubes 4 tablespoons Sherry 4 teaspoons Butter Salt and pepper Mixed herbs Peel onions and hollow out a cavity at one end of each onion. Season the outside of each onion with salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Put half a
AFTER THE BBQ, HOW ABOUT WATERMELON? GET IT, AT YOUR
CO-OP
eat well beef stock cube, 1 tablespoon sherry and 1 teaspoon butter into the cavity of each onion. Wrap each onion individually in tin foil and place in the coals of a barbecue for about 45 minutes. Vegetable Kabobs with Cumin Butter
In a small bowl combine herbs and garlic; press onto both sides of chops. Grill over medium hot coals for about 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting often with orange juice concentrate.
FRESH DELICIOUS ORGANIC
Garnish with chopped fresh herbs, if desired. Serve over couscous or rice.
SHOP YOUR CO-OP
Mediterranean Rub 1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares 2 small ears fresh corn, husked and cut into 1-inch thick rounds Cumin Butter 6 tablespoons butter 3/8 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro Prepare barbecue grill (medium heat). Alternate vegetables on 4 skewers. Cumin Butter: Melt butter with cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro. Arrange skewers on grill. Brush with some of the butter. Grill until vegetables are just crisp-tender and beginning to char, turning and basting occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from grill. Brush with butter. Classic Shish Kebab 3 pounds boneless leg of lamb or 3 pounds top sirloin of beef 2 teaspoons allspice 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 cup finely minced onion 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Zest of 2 lemons 1/3 cup thinly sliced garlic cloves 1/3 cup fresh rosemary leaves 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves 1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper 2 tablespoons salt Combine ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until garlic, herbs and lemon zest are chopped finely and ingredients are thoroughly combined. Store tightly covered Grilled Chicken and Braeburn Kebobs 1/4 cup honey 4 tsp lemon juice 4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard 1 tsp vegetable oil salt and pepper to taste 2 Braeburn apples 1 red onion 1 green bell pepper 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
When ready to grill, skewer meat. Grill over hot coals 10 to 20 minutes until cooked to desired stage.
In a small bowl, mix together honey, lemon juice, thyme, mustard, and vegetable oil until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Core apples and cut into 12 wedges each. Cut onion into wedges about 1/2 inch thick. Cut bell pepper into 1 inch squares. Cut chicken breast into chunks. Skewer chicken, apple wedges, pepper, and onion wedges onto metal skewers, alternating ingredients evenly. (If using bamboo skewers, soak skewers in water for 2-3 hours to prevent burning.) Place skewers on well-oiled grill over medium hot coals. Cook, turning once, until chicken appears translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Brush skewers generously with honey glaze, cooking and turning until chicken is cooked through and apples are golden, 1-2 minutes longer.
Orange Herb Lamb Chops
Red Wine Chicken Marinade
8 lamb loin or rib chops Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon thyme 1 tablespoon rosemary + additional for garnish (optional) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup undiluted orange juice concentrate
2 cups dry red wine 1 bunch scallions, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup soy or teriyaki sauce 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Rinse chops and pat dry; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Mix together, Use as is for marinade or boil for 10 minutes and use as a basting sauce.
Cut meat into 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Turn meat to coat. Refrigerate several hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
isis
food features
july 2004 12
Local Product Spotlight
Kinna’s Laos Chile Paste with a variety of foods and brings the traditional taste of South East Asia to our chile-loving New Mexican tables.
M
anuel and Kinna have lived the old fashioned American dream. Manuel immigrated here from Mexico as a young boy in 1976. Kinna came from Laos with her family. They met when they both worked in a jewelry factory here in Albuquerque, fell in love and married 5 years ago. Manuel loved the hot chile paste he was always served at his mother-in–law’s house. The recipe has been part of Kinna’s family tradition and served on the family table for four generations since the early 1900’s.
With the same attention to detail that generations of mothers in Kinna’s family have given this sublime South Asian delicacy, Manuel and Kinna produce this chile paste at the commercial kitchen at Northern New Mexico Community College. Try it with any kind of rice, beans, meats and vegetables, but be careful, even those of us who love our green chile hot, may be surprised at the fire it brings to any dish. Kinna’s Chile Paste gives an added zing when mixed with fresh lemon juice and water as a marinade for chicken, beef , pork or fish before grilling, or a little daub will do you on any vegetable and rice dish. For a sweet fire that’s a special treat, mix with a little fresh squeezed orange juice, mangoes, pineapples or peaches , toasted sesame oil, or toasted sesame seeds and water for an unbeatable salad dressing, marinade or glaze.
Manuel believed it was so good they should make up batches of the chile paste and sell it. To prove to Kinna that he was serious about the endeavor one day he made up a batch of the paste following Kinna and her mother’s directions. Laughing at the mess he had made in the kitchen they did say “it was good.” Since 2000 Kinna and Manuel have been working to bring this chile paste to perfection, and finally exactly one year ago this month Laos Chile Paste made its debut in the Albuquerque market. The ingredients used in this chile paste are the same ones used in the traditional family recipe. All natural, they include: Oriental Chile Peppers, Shallots, Garlic and Ginger. Each ingredient is processed separately, in the time-honored way, then cooked together into a thick paste. The end product is a fiery brick red paste that is delicious
USDA SAYS GMO’s SPREAD LIKE WEEDS A new study, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, confirms that genetically modified organisms pose a dramatic risk to the environment, given the fact that they simply cannot be contained, once released into the wild. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/gmopollution012104.cfm.
We are honored to have it on our shelves at both Coop locations. Add the sublime traditional flavor of South East Asia to your table and celebrate the first anniversary of delicious locally-made, Kinna’s Laos Chile Paste. Look for it in the Asian section at both Coop locations. (See Manuela and Kinna Perez on page 8) by Robyn Seydel
Too Hot to Cook? Coop Deli to the Rescue Its summer and some times its just to hot to cook. But with all that outdoor activity you’re hungry. Well you can make a stop in the produce aisle and pick-up fresh fruit and make a smoothie, or some beautiful mixed greens and some delicious dressing and get away without cooking. But sometimes you just need something more. Let the Coop Deli come to your rescue. At the Coop Deli you can find delicious fresh made salads, from pasta to
potato, from rice to tempeh, great green or Mediterannean, Asian style to home style. Just add a container of any salad to a whole, half or quarter roasted local organic chicken and you’ve got a meal that packs a punch of nutrition and can satisfy the most discerning (or finicky) palate. And what about dessert? How about a creamy tofu, coconut cream pie, Amazon vegan chocolate cake, a slice of berry pie, or one of our famous cookies, muffins or scones?
get your treats at
the COOP Deli! Cut the vegetables into a consistent thickness and no more than about 3/4 to 1 inch thick so they will grill easily and quickly. Soak vegetables in cold water for about 30 minutes before you grill them to keep them from drying out. Pat dry, then brush lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Or soak veggies in your favorite marinade overnight. For long-cooking vegetables like potatoes or beets, blanch first to prevent drying out on the grill. Do not over cook and you'll have vegetables better than you thought possible. If you like grilling vegetables and want to try smaller things use a grilling basket to keep them out of the fire.
For parties, camping or picnicking we have the perfect platter for any occasion. Choose from meat, cheese, a mini sandwich platter, with either meat or veggie sandwiches, organic fruit with nuts, dried fruit and a ginger pistachio dip, or veggie crudités with organic sour cream dip and whole wheat crackers. For a really special treat try a seafood platter with shrimp, wild salmon lox, rye crackers, cocktail sauce and lemons. Please call the deli 48 hours in advance for any special order, or call from work and let us pack up dinner for you to pick up on your way home. Keep cool with great food from your Coop Deli. In the Valley call 2428800. For the Nob Hill location call 265-4631.
easy veggie grilling
farming & gardening
july 2004 13
Only You... Can Prevent Forest Fallacies Once again, fire season is upon us. Due to the drought/bark beetle cycle, thousands of standing dead pinon trees in New Mexico could explode into fireballs within seconds. Many trees still hold dry needles and those that don't have a tinder-ready carpet of dead needles at their feet. Also, pinons have large amounts of highly flammable pine pitch that concentrates even more as the trees dry out. If you believe that all those dead trees ought to be removed, providing firewood and income for northern New Mexico families (as pinon cordwood has for many, many years), quite a few dead stands are in roadless or wilderness areas. How do you get to these places without cutting more roads by killing more trees? Our forests are in their current state partly because many were fully or nearly clear-cut, resulting in stands of trees all the same age and size, which are quite vulnerable to fire. The more diversi-
more pressure we'll see on unburned areas from hikers, hunters, fisherman, off-roaders, etc. What both sides tend to forget is that many of their arguments are based on history: historical usage of the forests. Keep in mind that the word comes from the Greek historia which has its roots in the meaning 'learning from inquiry'. If we actually learned from inquiry rather than habit, we'd find a clearer picture. The argument for thinning the forest comes from humans' very, very short experience as forest managers. Much of the Old World (Europe, China, the Middle East) is treeless and lacking in much if any wild area remaining. Not a good track record.
itchy green
We'll need constructive level-headed input from everyone including farmers, developers, environmentalists, city planners and, if they could speak, the silvery minnow. ty in age, the better chance that old trees will survive because undergrowth burns out faster before damage is done to the larger forest canopy. Cutting new roads to clear dead trees further impacts the area in a few ways: there are then still fewer trees to replace the dead and more roads equals more run-off erosion which also lessens habitat for new trees. Of course these new roads will be used long after cutting is over, presenting more opportunities for man-made fires. If, however, you believe it’s all part of nature's cycle and the dead trees should remain, we're in for some huge fast moving fires that promise to take out quite a bit of habitat, homes and recreation areas. I bring up recreation areas because most folks who believe in allowing forest fires tend to be enviro-types who spend a lot of time outdoors. Keep in mind that the more forest that burns, the
Having lived for a time in northern New Mexico, I love and support the traditional Hispano culture there. People have survived by farming, wood cutting, ranching — doing a little bit of whatever it takes to get by. But let’s not forget that it’s been barely four-hundred years since the earliest pobladores settled in New Mexico and some villages have hardly reached seventy-five. No offense to anyone but a few hundred years isn't much time to speak of as forest managers. Further, who knows what direction Native American communities would've taken had they not been "discovered" by Europeans? In their traditions, native peoples have cautionary stories of their own people in the past losing touch with the Creator's plan, becoming just as misguided as anyone else. On the other side, environmentalists point to "how things used to be," and what the forests used to look like. Excuse me, but how do they know? All
Monsanto Bullies Farmer Seventy-three-year-old Percy Schmeiser, a family farmer on the brink of bankruptcy, is currently being attacked in Canada's Supreme Court by one of the world's most controversial and powerful corporations, Monsanto. Schmeiser's canola fields were contaminated with Monsanto's genetically engineered Round-Up Ready canola by pollution from nearby farms. Monsanto says it doesn't matter how the contamination took place, and is
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suing Schmeiser for millions of dollars, for unlicensed use of its patented GE seeds. A thousand organic farmers in Canada have decided to turn the tables, and have sued Monsanto for polluting their farms with Frankengenes. Stand up with Percy Schmeiser and family farmers and get involved with OCA's Millions Against Monsanto campaign. www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html.
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we have to go on are more of the selfsame histories. All history is written by people with agendas, whether they be ruling class or the downtrodden. I personally and truly believe that nature can take care of itself but in the fragile western environment, it’s gonna take more than a few generations of a "hands-off" policy to let nature correct our overcutting and overgrazing mistakes. In the meantime, people will still use lumber, woodpulp and firewood as well as grazing and recreational land. Who's going to be the first to lessen their use? You? Or me? BOSQUE BLUES: On a final note, let’s not forget the bosque equation. Our riverside environment throughout NM is more out of whack than our mountain forests. Controlling and damming the Rio Grande has made farm irrigation possible at the expense of a living, ever-shifting, self-fertilizing bosque bottomland. The bosque's natural flood cycle used to move leaf and woody debris around, helping it break down into fertilizer. Now it just piles higher and deeper, receiving little or no moisture to hasten decomposition: ideal bosque fire conditions. Any talk of letting the bosque naturally take care of itself is impossithumb bly out of the question because it’s no longer anything akin to its natural state nor will it ever be in our increasing thirst for metro-water. The bosque's natural state covers quite a bit more ground; according to that loaded term "history," in the near South Valley for example, it once spread as far as the Cinco Puntos (Five Points ) neighborhood through downtown to about Second Street. Like it or not, we'll need constructive level-headed input from everyone including farmers, developers, environmentalists, city planners and, if they could speak, the silvery minnow. I'm not certain on this but I'd put my money on the fish to be the most level-headed of us all… by Brett Bakker
consumer news
july 2004 14
On the Significance of
fresh food by Mary Grube
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entient beings require that life, in the form of organic matter, be ingested in order to grow, maintain function, and perpetuate existence. The physical nutrients of foodstuffs nourish the physical tissues, and the subtle life energy nourishes our energy. Of course, the giant-corporate sleuths would give their eyeteeth to discover a formula with which to create “food” out of nonorganic, more easily controllable, cheaper substances (and they seem to be coming close, viz. vinyl cheese, packing-granule slurpees, styrofoam chips, etc.). But so far, it takes that energy of life to keep our life alive. Life in an earthly form progresses through a timecycle of birth, growth, development, peaking, maturing, and aging/decay. Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other health-enhancing substances develop in a plant as it grows and ripens, reaching
food imported from faraway places/other climates tends to connect us with the energy of its environment of origin, in the process preparing us for that climate; c.f. eating pineapples from southern climes in the winter in Maine prepares one for tropical heat--not the effect needed to enhance balance and health in Maine winter. The further food is processed, the less nutrition remains. Processing subjects the food to a variety of insults to nutritional well-being, including high temperatures, additives, drying, chemicals, and fragmentation. Fragmentation disrupts the natural balance and harmony of the whole food form—the integrity of the scheme of interacting elements of the whole form which have worked together so well. Drying via mechanical processes has an effect akin to drying clothes in a dryer vs. out in the sun, again affecting the energy level of the food. High temperatures (canned foods are heated to at least
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their peak at the peak of ripeness. Life-forms harvested before their peak contain lesser nutrient value; those harvested at their peak contain optimal nutrient value. After harvest, a plant is cut off from its own supply of life-giving energies and jettisoned toward the cycle of decomposition. The subsiding of the life energy is accompanied by physical changes in composition and structure. Corn, for example, ripe and freshly picked, contains its highest proportion of viable nutrients and simple sugars in a state easily assimilable by bodies such as ours. After 12 hours these sugars begin to change to more fibrous starches, a lesser form of nutrition which is harder for the body to assimilate.
240 degrees) lower nutrient value considerably and kill enzymes. Canned peas lose about 70% of their original B vitamins. Not only does the hot food react chemically with the material of the can wall, but the hermetic sealing of the can, which creates an absence of oxygen in order to keep bacteria from multiplying and spoiling the food, vastly reduces the food’s energy level (oxygen being the carrier of life). When food is frozen, what happens to the water in its cells? We can only assume that the cells will burst (cell destruction). This is why frozen (untreated) vegetables tend to be mushy and limp when thawed. Try being a vegetarian entirely on frozen vegetables.
Thus much of the nutrients and health producing compounds in natural food lose their potency and concentration over time after harvest. Water content also is lost, causing deterioration of texture and shape. As plants lose their vibrancy and stamina, conditions become favorable for mold to do its job in enhancing the plant’s decay and rendering it into humus, food for another plant-life-cycle (but not for us now).
hus the benefits of fresh food in its original form are unmistakable. Locally grown organic food is clearly the freshest food to be found. Organic food from large California farms cannot provide what fresher food grown nearer can. Not only is the locally grown food likely to be generally higher in nutrient value due to being fresher, but food grown on a smaller scale tends to be grown with love, care, and the joy of growing living things (without which the farmer would not likely put up with the hard work), and this is very possibly transmitted via the food energy to the consumer. (a personal opinion is that this is so influential an effect that it may transcend to some extent the impact of pesticides some small farmers use.) The more fresh food is consumed, the more will a person become attuned to the life force in food and the relative low level of life energy in food at commercial groceries.
Commercial food production attempts to navigate around the life cycle in order to extend the time food can be in transit (long distances) and on the shelf — i.e., saleable. What that means is that food is harvested in an immature state [last winter a clerk at a vegetable store mentioned that avocados of questionable texture (which were not being purchased) had been picked in Chile two months prior, according to the shipping box]. Commercially produced food has also been subjected to a barrage of herbicides, pesticides (which stress the plant they came from), post-harvest methods of preservation such as gassing and irradiation, and varying temperatures; in the process acquiring a toxic load. The less fresh the food, the more likely it is low in nutrient value and higher in toxic content. Moreover,
T
As we enter the season of life’s bountifulness on earth, ‘tis the season for us to stoke up on the highvalue fresh food available at the Co-op, the Farmers’ Markets, local CSA’s, and home gardens. It is quite possible that the energy reservoir this contributes to is part of what carries us through the darker, colder days of winter to come.
www.lamontanitacoop.com check out our newly re-designed website!
community forum
Pulling Weeds with Buddha
by Deborahlise Mota DOM, AHG Have you ever felt the urge to call up someone who you admire, such as an author, musician, or activist? Well, I finally acted upon that urge a few months ago. For those of you who are not familiar with David Crow and his book “In Search of the Medicine Buddha,” it is an incredibly inspirational and poetic journal of his travels in Asia and the wisdom he gained from studying with Masters of Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine. I decided to interview David so as to share his message and announce his workshops. What inspired you to write In Search of the Medicine Buddha? My original inspiration was to share the teachings that had been given to me by my mentors. I felt that I had a responsibility to share their wisdom and knowledge with the world, just as they had shared it with me. As the book progressed, I began to realize that I was not only speaking for my teachers, but for the traditional medical systems in general, and especially for the plant kingdom, which is the basis of these traditions. Since writing the book how has your work in Oriental Medicine transformed? Clinically, I have integrated Chinese and Ayurvedic therapeutics into more comprehensive and extensive treatments, which is more effective than just acupuncture and herbs alone. However, my main focus now is addressing the root causes of diseases in our society, rather than treating the symptoms. I am now working more as an herbal activist, encouraging people to plant their own medicines and take a higher level of responsibility for the health of the environment around them.
What do you plan to present at your workshop in Albuquerque? The event on Saturday the 10th is titled “Herbal Renaissance, Ecological Restoration, and the Flowering of Spiritual Civilization.” This program is about various plant-based solutions to the sickness, social disintegration, and environmental degradation that are occurring in the world; it is based on the hope that increased global health consciousness might lead to ecological restoration as a unifying spiritual force in the future. The event that evening is “The People’s Pharmacy,” which is about creating grassroots healthcare systems using community herb gardens. The event on Sunday the 11th is “The Pharmacy of Flowers,” which is a multimedia feast of exotic floral essences from around the world.” Could you tell us about your experience with community garden projects? What is “The Learning Garden”? The Learning Garden is an acre of land at Venice High School in Los Angeles, which we transformed from a barren trash-filled lot to one of the country’s most successful school gardens. It is an excellent example of the many kinds of healing that can take place when people get together to care for their environment: beautification of neighborhoods, reduction of crime, strengthening of community, higher quality nutrition in the public schools. It is also the site of the first “People’s Pharmacy,” which is a community herb garden dedicated to promoting the cultivation and use of medicinal plants in the local neighborhood. What is your vision of a sustainable plant-based healthcare system? Transforming our cities into gardens and living pharmacies, filled with free food and herbal medicines for everyone. David Crow is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist with 20 years experience. His workshops will be held at the Peace and Justice Center on the weekend of July 10th and 11th. For more information or to register please call Formulations at 247-HERB (4372). David’s book is available at Bookworks, with a scheduled book signing on Thursday, July 8th at 7pm.
Nuclear Waste Dump in OUR Backyard Citizen Action urges all COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE MIXED WASTE LANDFILL LOCATED AT SANDIA LABS! Based on comments received from members of the public at the hearing the State will issue a final decision on the landfill: To cover it over with dirt and keep an eye on it (Sandia/DOE's proposed solution) or make DOE establish a financial guarantee for monitoring and eventual clean up (Citizen Action’s proposed solution).
Please attend the public hearing later this summer to voice your opinions and concerns. If your group, organization, neighborhood association, church, club or business would like a FREE PRESENTATION prior to the public hearing on the Mixed Waste Landfill — hear what independent scientists say, how it can affect YOU, and what may be in store for future generations if the Mixed Waste Landfill is left in place — please contact Carol Boss, Citizen Action Community Outreach Coordinator, at 2960949. For more info call (505) 280-1844 or www.radfreenm.org.
Quiet Revolution: Freedom Fridays
by Nadia Jensen When Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940, Norwegian women began to knit RED caps for children as a way of letting everyone know that they did not like what was happening in their country. Similarly, in Denmark, women knit red-whiteand blue caps (colors of the Allies) for the very same reason. My grandmother was one of the women who knitted red caps for her children and people throughout the community. The result was that whenever Norwegians and Danes left their homes
— to go to the store, to work, etc, they could see that THE MAJORITY opposed what was going on in their country. If you are concerned about the actions of our government both with regard to individual freedoms here in the U.S. and our policies abroad just wear red every Friday between now and election day. Wear a little or a lot — so that everyone who sees you will see that you are wearing red because you believe in freedom and you don't agree with our current administration's policies at home and abroad.
july 2004 15
EPA Busted for Backroom Industry Deals A lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for secretly allowing chemical companies exclusive power over weakening environmental regulations. In 2000, under the new Bush Administration, the EPA established the new "Endangered Species Task Force." It has now been discovered that this powerful task force is comprised of only 14 members, and they are all agro-chem companies. Thanks to the private "consultation" meetings from these industry groups, the EPA has announced new pesticide regulations that eliminate certain endangered species protections.
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
An Acoustic Music Listening Room The Wailin’ Jennies Sat. July 30, 7:30pm 3-part harmonies imported from Canada All female trio performs originals, covers, Celtic and more.
CONTACT Jeff at abqmusic@att.net or 842-5073
La Montanita Co-op Food Market 3500 Central SE Albuquerque, NM 87106
WATERMELON DAIKON
JUST ONE OF THE MANY ORGANIC GARDEN FRESH GOODIES
HEALTHY
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12 GREAT REASONS TO BE A CO-OP MEMBER: 1. YOUR CHANCE TO SUPPORT A STORE that is committed to bringing you the high est quality organic produce, antibiotic and, hormone free meats, rBGH- free dairy products, imported and domestic chesses, 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 Weekly Sales Flyer. Pick it up every week at either location to save more than your annual membership fee each week. 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- 298-3468 ext. 105, 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.
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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.
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