2005-03-CCN

coop March 2005

connection

free

New Co-op Locations Open!

Shop your Co-op and Save ! March is Member Appreciation Volume Discount Month.

Growing the Cooperative Economy

New Coop Locations Open! a Membership Perspective

We are honored to be able to serve our two new communities as well as to continue our nearly 30 years of service in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill/ University neighborhood and our 6 years of service at the Valley location. Here at La Montanita serving the needs of the community means not only providing the finest in high quality foods, with as many locally produced choices as possible, but utilizing our pooled energy and resources to create volunteer projects, provide incentives to help already existing community programs (coop member volunteers get to shop at an 18% discount for one week, for every three hours they volunteer) and develop fun, educational events and activities that bring us all together for the common good.

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ebruary was one of the most exciting and busy months La Montanita has had in a very long time. The two new store projects we have been working on for months have finally come to fruition. The new Wild Sage Coop location opened in Gallup and the Marketplace Natural Foods Grocery in Santa Fe became a Coop within days of one another. And while we are all jumping for joy we realize that it is now the work of any cooperative really begins.

We recognize that each community has it’s own unique character and culture. Even our two stores in Albuquerque provide evidence that different neighborhoods have different needs. In order to do our best to serve each community we will depend on coop member input at each location. We are planning a series of community meetings and focus groups for interested members to help us shape our volunteer programs in each new community. We had our first meeting in Gallup in late February and with Gallup member support will develop our member participation/volunteer programs there. Our next community meeting in Gallup will be held on Wednesday March 23 at 5:30. We will meet at the Coop store.

The Coop’s community ownership structure provides an alternative, economic model that serves the needs of a community as it builds the local economy. As we come together to grow our New Mexican cooperative system, the integrity of our commitment to the economic democracy inherent in the coop principles remains strong. During the past 15 years we have returned nearly 2 million dollars to the community in the form of patronage refunds to Coop members. We have supported local farmers and producers from all over New Mexico by doing our best to provide a stable, welcoming market for their products, with fair prices and quick payment. Currently 20% of all our purchases are of locally produced items, a percentage we aim to increase each year. We have supplied food, made tens of thousands of dollars in donations and provided volunteers to worthy organizations and projects throughout our state. We have been able to do all this thanks to our members’ loyalty to and belief in the cooperative they own. It is in this sprit of sustaining a strong local economy and culture we have undertaken returning and maintaining access to the cooperative model in Santa Fe and Gallup.

for the times and dates of future gatherings. Our Board of Directors has already begun to schedule their Coffee with the Board events at all locations to dialogue with members and other Board initiated member linkage projects are in the making.

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s we hope you can tell, we, the staff of La Montanita are all tremendously excited and honored to be able to serve our two new Coop communities. Although we have much to learn, as we create a statewide cooperative system and will most likely make our share of mistakes, it is our intent to serve all our coop members and each community to the very best of our ability. Our door is always open and input is always welcome. We sincerely invite everyone to participate in what we believe is a solution-based, economic model that offers an alternative vision of local, organic food production and distribution and community ownership for a healthy sustainable future.

by Robyn Seydel

In Santa Fe we will have our first community meeting on Wednesday March 30 at 5:30 PM. All coop members are welcome at this first meeting and all future community gathering to help us craft the member participation/volunteer programs that best serve Santa Fe area membership. Watch upcoming issues of your Coop Connection News and postings at Coop locations

Santa Fe staff

From the Coop Board of Directors Wow, it’s great to offer a warm welcome to everyone in Gallup and Santa Fe. Your Coop’s Board of Directors couldn’t be more pleased to extend the spirit of cooperatives to your cities and we look forward to serving your communities in a way that meets your distinct needs and vision .

Ti m Hankins Gallup staff

When I say “your board of directors” it is said with more meaning than you might realize. The co-op board has two core missions; one, to safeguard all of our enterprises, and two, to represent you, the member. It is our job to learn about our members and to actively seek out your thoughts regarding the direction of the co-op. It is also our job to

New Beginings: at the MarketPlace

make it as easy as possible for you to access us and to encourage your involvement in our governance process. To that end I hope you’ll send us a note either by mail or email bod@lamontanitacoop.com.

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ur regular board meetings and committee meeting dates are published in the newsletter and are open to all. In recognition of the miles between our cities we are planning on establishing audio/visual conferencing to increase your ability to participate at these meetings. Keep a lookout in future newsletters for further information. Until then, happy eating!

Martha Whitman, Board President

G a l l u p : the Next Stage

The MarketPlace thrives on heart and spirit: of community, local suppliers, hard working staff, and our loyal customers. Being part of La Montanita Coop allows Jill’s vision for a community MarketPlace to live on. We celebrate our new beginning as a cooperative in Santa Fe. Come and continue to support your local natural food store!

Cindy Zivic, Marketplace Coop, Store manager

A Fond Farewell I want to say “thank you” to all of our friends and customers who have made The MarketPlace their store. I welcome La Montanita to our community making it part of a larger network of people all wanting to make a difference in the way of the world. The MarketPlace has been part of my heart and soul for over 22 years. My three children were raised with the store and all worked here as they were growing up. They are now grown and living their own lives and it is time for me to pursue other interests and adventures. I know that it will be a healthy transition and a positive addition to Santa Fe, broadening our connection with the rest of the state. Most of all I want to thank the incredible group of individuals that I have been blessed to work with and, of course, all the local vendors who have contributed to our uniqueness in today’s corporate environment. So viva The MarketPlace and La Montanita! I will see you all while doing my daily shopping.

Many Blessings, Jill Markstein

Finally, after five years of hard work and effort Wild Sage is getting a full time store!! One of the only Coop start-ups in nearly a decade, Wild Sage Coop survived thanks to the dedication of its member volunteers. I am so proud La Montanita is able to help fulfill their dream and even more excited I get to play a role in making it happen! I am sure there will be a few bumps in the road as we get things rolling over the next few months but the end result of taking the hard work of the Gallup community to the next stage, sustaining the co-op, with its community based philosophy and life style will be well worth the effort. I want to thank everyone in advance for their support, and look forward to working together and over the coming years, building the Co-op into an integral part of the larger Gallup community.

Tim Hankins, Gallup Coop, Store Manager

farming issue A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Nob Hill 3500 Central S.E. Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631 Valley 2400 Rio Grande Blvd.

Albuq., NM 87104 242-8800 Wild Sage 105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383 Santa Fe Marketplace 913 West Alameda Santa Fe, NM 87501 984-2852 Administrative Staff: General Manager: C.E. Pugh 265-4631 x323 ce@lamontanitacoop.com Store Team Leaders: Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631 John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 Cindy Zivic/Santa Fe 984-2852 Tim Hankins/Gallup 863-5383 Accounting/Toni Fragua 232-4026 Computers/Info Technology/ Ahmed Elmaghlawi 232-8202 Human Resources/Sharret Rose 265-4731 Marketing/Edite Cates 268-8357 Membership/Robyn Seydel 256-4594 Co-op fax line: 266-3703 or 265-6470 Co-op Board of Directors: President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Treasurer: Ken O’Brien Secretary: Julie Hicks Lonn Calanca Roger Eldridge John Kwait Tamara Saimons Andrew Stone Membership Costs: $15 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 information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 256-4594 email: memb@lamontanitacoop.com 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 © 2005 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission.

Organic Paradise

by Joanie Quinn, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission f you’re like me, your vision of paradise is a bit of garden with bees buzzing among the flowers and perhaps some sweet heirloom tomatoes ripening on the vine. NOT included in my paradise are cans of Bug Killum or spray bottles of Weed Death. Yet 80 million pounds of pesticides are applied to U.S. lawns and gardens every year. According to the EPA, Americans spent $1,984,000,000 in 1999 on home and garden pesticides. This chemical warfare has far-reaching effects. 40 years after Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, it’s estimated that 70 million birds are killed each year by pesticides. Where pesticides are regularly applied 60-90% of earthworms are killed. In fact, 99% of applied pesticides entirely miss their intended targets.

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The negatives of chemical-dependent agriculture are so overwhelming we usually (unthinkingly) build our definition of the alternative organic gardening/farming around a list of “No’s.” “No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. No genetically engineered organisms. No sewage sludge.”

It’s easy to forget the positives. But with planting time just around the corner (or even a little past depending on the crop) it’s nice remember the vision that underlies our current understanding of the word “organic.” The National Organic Standards Board, a national advisory panel created in 1990 to advise the USDA on matters organic, came up with a good working definition: “an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.”

Of course, “minimal” applies to offfarm inputs, not, as some people imagine, the work put into the system. Organic farming is not “do nothing” farming.

Good farming practices such as composting, crop rotation, mulching and use of green manure crops are as much a necessary part of organic practices as is the absence of chemicals The modern concept of organic farming was first articulated

by British agronomist Albert Howard who worked in India in the opening years of the 20th century. Howard blamed modern agriculture for the impoverishment of the soil that led to erosion and animal and plant diseases. To Howard, who absorbed many of the lessons of traditional agriculture while he was in India, the goal was a sustainable system and a sustainable system was one that returned the nutrients taken from farms in the form of agricultural products back to the farm through recycling of wastes, i.e., composting.

In a society where we approach resources more often as miners than stewards, creating a compost pile is a revolutionary act. If you are wondering what you can do to make a difference in this world you can start right here; feed and nurture the soil that you hope will feed and nurture you. Even if you don’t have a garden you can compost your waste veggies in your backyard (if you have one) or in a worm-bin under the sink if you don’t. Yes, it’s a small step, but it begins the process of returning us to our proper place within nature’s systems.

If you’re lucky enough to have some space to create a small (or large) paradise here are some other good organic practices to consider. Remember that the first decision to make is to grow plants that are adapted to your microclimate. Underlying all organic practices is the idea that you are trying to work with nature, not outwit her. Trying to grow something that really does not want to grow where you are will ultimately force you to either guiltily abandon it or (just as guiltily) adopt a number of practices that could hardly be considered sustainable.

• Don’t grow the same annuals in the same place every year.

Rotation is important for pest (both animal and vegetable) management and long- and short-term soil fertility. Put in some legumes—they fix nitrogen in the soil. Crops with different root lengths bring up different nutrients from the soil.

• Grow a green manure crop—a crop that is grown for the soil.

Digging the crop in feeds the soil microorganisms and improves soil texture allowing roots to get the air they need; loosens clay soils; and adds structure and water-holding capacity to sandy soils.

certified organic • Related to green manure crops are cover crops—crops grown to conserve soil and nutrients. Don’t ever leave your soil bare! Cover crops are usually grown in the “off season” to protect the soil and suppress weeds, but can be used to nourish perennials and beneficial insects—such as growing clover in orchards.

• Manuring and composting. Nutrients withdrawn from the system as crops need to be replaced. If you use manure, be sure to compost it or apply it 120 days before harvest of crops that touch the soil or 90 days before the harvest of crops that don’t have contact with the soil.

• Companion Planting—improves biodiversity and habitat for beneficial insects. The traditional interplanting of the three sisters: corn, squash and beans provides nitrogen (beans), physical support (the corn stalks provide poles for the beans to climb), and weed suppression (squash).

• Mulching—in our arid climate this is vital both for weed suppression and water retention. A good dose of mulch keeps soil temperatures even—important for the microorganisms.

Mulch is also a long-term nutrient source for the soil organisms. (Cover crops can sometimes act as living mulches).

Details on these and other good organic practices can be found at: www.attra@ncat.org.

Happy gardening!

The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, food, nutrition, and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the newletters or the Co-op.

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT

Find out about Organic Certification If you would like to sell your produce, livestock or dairy as “organic” you must either register (if your gross organic sales are less than $5,000/year) or certify your farm as organic. The process involves understanding and agreeing to follow a set of organic production standards, filling out an application that details your practices and (for certification) having an annual inspection. For more information on organic certification or registration in New Mexico please call the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission at (505) 841-9067.

Joan Quinn will be available to answer all questions organic at both the Valley Coop’s Garden Party on Saturday March 19th, and at the Nob Hill 16th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival Sunday April 17th.

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march 2005

gardening issue 6th annual Valley Coop

Garden Party march 19 IT’S SPRING!

Come Rejoice the Earth’s annual rebirth and renewal at the Valley Coop. This year, after conferring with our farming and gardening friends and neighbors we have moved the date from early May to mid March, the better to facilitate your planting needs.

But as always there will be a wide variety of organic seeds, veggie, flower and herb seedlings, native plants, compost, and all the other things you need for a great year in the garden. Some of our regions most dedicated farmers have already confirmed including: certified organic Bethany Farms, Charybda Farm of Taos, Becky Thorpe native plants and medicinal herbs, Rio Grande Community Farms, Seeds West, Erda Gardens, Desert Woman Botanicals and others.

In addition to supplies there will be some of our communities most knowledgeable people on hand to answer your how-to questions.

Again this year, we are honored to have Joan Quinn, education coordinator for the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, our state’s organic certification agency. A walking, talking natural resource, she can tell you everything you need to know on how to grow it organically, how to get certified organic or how organic farming and gardening supports long term personal and environmental health.

Also on hand will be the Bernalillo County Extension Service, Master Gardeners Program for answers to your toughest gardening problems or pick up information on their classes and become a master gardener yourself. Need composting information or some of that rich “black gold” itself? New Mexico Compost Products/ Soilutions folk will be happy to oblige. Pick up a sack of their compost to use until your home brew is ready.

As this is the third Saturday of the month, on hand will be local New Mexican artists and crafts persons to share another kind of beauty that feeds our souls. And speaking of nourishment for the soul, enjoy the folk and children’s music of Sean Ettington, the sweet sounds of Debo and Alpha Blue, and the folk jazz sounds of the Jenny Gamble Trio.

And of course there will be great Coop food. Sit surrounded by it all at an outdoor table while you enjoy some delicious food, hot off the special outdoor Coop Deli grill. La Montanita’s support of local producers is legendary, with 20% of all our purchases local products. Want to sample some you haven’t tried yet? Local farmers,

manufacturers and vendors will be on set up throughout the Coop so you’ll have the opportunity to do just that. And for the children as always there will be a jolly jumper benefiting the Albuquerque Pre School Coop as well as other children’s activities from this other wonderful north valley Coop.

Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate and bless us with a beautiful spring day, but as March can be unpredictable even by New Mexican standards the

10-3pm Valley Garden Party Music Schedule 11:15 Am Sean Etigson 12:30 PM Debo and Alpha Blue 2PM Jenny Gamble Trio

weather date is Sunday March 20. Farmers, gardeners, and related educational organizations, space is limited so reserve yours today.

Call Robyn at 256-4594.

COOP to COOP Support albuquerque preschool coop

by Delcie Dobrovolny When I asked my son, in his third year at the Albuquerque Preschool Co-op, why he likes to go to school, he replied, “Oh, because I have my friends.” And when I think about why I love to take him to school in the morning and pick him up after lunch, my answer would be the same. Even my youngest, not yet quite old enough to attend preschool there, can’t wait to go and visit.

The Preschool Coop was founded in 1964 by a group of parents who wanted to create a preschool experience with all the loving and nurturing of home combined with the creative and stimulating environment of a preschool. The co-op’s philosophy is based on the belief that children thrive in an unhurried, non-stressful environment where they are encouraged to explore life and the world around them through play. The dedicated staff guide children in exploring various cultures and traditions and encourage in each child the development of a positive self-concept.

The Albuquerque Preschool Co-op is based on a true cooperative philosophy. Parents (or another adult family member) work as Classroom Aides one day each month and serve on the volunteer Board of Directors or join a committee to raise money for scholarships, provide education opportunities for fellow parents, market the school, and maintain the school building and grounds. By working in the classroom, parents are given the opportunity of observing their child learning and growing and they often learn valuable parenting skills from both the teachers and parent volunteers. By working to maintain the school, parents model for their children the importance of giving back to our community.

As I have watched my son grow over the last five years, I realize that so much of who he has become is a result of the people he spends time with. I am thankful that we found a wonderful school that we can both be a part of where we have made friends we will keep for the rest of our lives.

The Albuquerque Preschool Cooperative is located at 606 Candelaria NW. For more information call 344-0389. Meet them at the Garden Party!

Master Gardener’s: Hotline Help

by Joran Viers By the time you read this both the gardeners and the weeds will be in full stride. Peas, lettuce, kale… peach blossoms… pruning… feeding… oh, my, so much to do!

So, what if you don’t know what to do? What to plant now? What to prune now? Or, maybe you’re the kind of gardener who knows those answers. In either case, you’re a perfect candidate for the Albuquerque Area

Extension Master Gardeners (AAEMG). This organization is made up of individuals who have special horticultural training and a mission to provide sound gardening advice to the community. They have a hotline (292-7144) that is available daily, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., February through October They can give you unbiased information on a whole range of topics. The Albuquerque Area Extension Master Gardeners has numerous other programs, designed to reach different segments of the community.

PAPER OR PLASTIC? Join Dan Imhoff, author and activist, for an insightful and humorous exploration of this everyday question! at Santa Fe’s new Marketplace Coop: 913 West Alameda, 984-2852 or 256-4594

March is Member Appreciation

VOLUME DISCOUNT SHOPPING MONTH! Watch your mailbox for your Member Appreciation Volume Discount Coupon.

Bring it in any day during the month of March for a one-time Volume Discount Shopping Trip! The more you spend the more you save!

READING & BOOKSIGNING

Join us at Santa Fe’s Marketplace Coop! march 2005

The training is provided once a year, starting in early January and running for 13 weeks, once a week on Tuesday mornings (three classes each Tuesday), and is coordinated through the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Office. Students take basic science-as-related-to-gardening classes, like Climates and Microclimates, Soils, Botany, Plant Pathology, and Entomology. These are followed by targeted classes on many topics, from Weeds, Turf, Trees and Shrubs, Pruning, through Fruits and Vegetables, into Xeriscape, Ornamental Grasses, and Flowers… too many to list them all! Currently, the fee for the training is only $60.

So, the classes sound good, but you don’t have the time to volunteer? We do accept non-volunteer students, at a higher cost and subject to space availability. We even take people on a daily basis, $10 per day. The class schedule is available on the website: abqmastergardeners.org or call 243-1386.

Wed. March 15, 4:30-6pm

Dan Imhoff is an award-winning independent publisher and author of Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches, Building with Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood, and The Guide to Tree-free, Recycled, and Certified Papers. Dan will speak on the issue and read from his new book Paper or Plastic: Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World.

Booksigning and refreshments afterwards.

Sponsored by Santa Fe’s new Marketplace Co-op and Watershed Media.

As a volunteer organization, AAEMG is always happy to expand their ranks and take in additional knowledge and energy. To be a member, one only has to take the training, pay a minimal dues fee, and help create a better community by helping people grow plants.

Member Appreciation Volume Discount Shopping!

Spend $0-$29.99: get 5% off • Spend $30-$79.99: get 10% off Spend $80 or more: get 15% off!

Good at all 4 coop locations: Nob Hill, Valley, Gallup and Santa Fe. New and renewing members get your volume disount coupon with your new coop member cards.

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gardening issue

a Seed is Sown

by Leslie Campbell he wonderful cycle, for all of us who garden, is about to be set into motion by the simple act of planting a seed. Every year at this time I ponder upon and marvel at the magical process that produces so much abundance from what seems so humble a beginning, a single and often minuscule seed.

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A Bit of Botany A seed results from pollination, which occurs in five essential natural ways: wind pollination (anemophily), pollination by insects (entomophily) and birds (ornithophily), or even bats (chiropterophily) and pollination by water (hydrophily). We really should add pollination by mammals, like mice and small rodents, and of course, humans.

Pollination is the fertilization that occurs between the male and female parts of a flower. Plants can have both male and female flow-

wasps, flies, beetles, gnats and ants, as well as moths and butterflies. The flowers that depend on birds for pollination are mostly red and very bright. They don't have a strong fragrance, but they do have plenty of nectar. And though we always think of hummingbirds, more than a thousand different species of birds depend on flowers for most of their food.

Seed dispersal is as necessary and ingeniously achieved as pollination, enlisting the same forces and coercing even the unknowing among us to aid in the widest and most farreaching distribution of a species. Wind, water, insects and the mechanical design of

The basic conditions for the successful germination of all seeds are the same: adequate moisture, evenly warm temperature, and a well-aerated medium in which to grow. ers on the same plant, called monoecious, meaning "'One House," or have male and female flowers on separate plants, called dioecious, meaning "Two Houses." A single flower, too, can have both male and female parts and is called a “perfect” flower, whereas other plants, notably squash, have separate male and female flowers,“imperfect” flowers on the same plant. A perfect flower is selfpollinating, having both the male organ (the stamen) with its pollencarrying anthers and the female organ (the pistil) with its stigma to receive the pollen.

Those plants with separate male and female flowers must depend on insects. Other plants, among them many grains and grasses, depend on wind to carry the male pollen, sometimes miles, to a receptive waiting female. Corn is one such plant, with the male tassels above, that when shaken by the wind, release pollen to the female silks below.

Ingenious Nature Most pollen producing plants are wind pollinated and produce prodigious amounts of fine, easily airborne pollen. Because they don't need to attract a pollinator, their flowers are not brightly colored, have no nectar, and little or no fragrance, which are the main attributes of those flowers pollinated by insects like honeybees, bumblebees,

seed capsules facilitate seed distribution and of course, humans and other mammals, often unwittingly, play a significant role. Many seed capsules contain thousands, even up to a million tiny seeds that can be carried an enormous distance on the wind. Many seedpods are designed to curl, shrink, and in other ways use natural stresses to cause them to violently crack open and expel their contents with some force, sometimes up to 10 feet away from the parent plant.

Water, like air, is a medium for carrying those seeds well-adapted to floating, often for great distances. Animals are one of the most important vehicles of transport. Seeds have many ingenious adhering methods, from barbed awns and hooked bristles to velcro-like hairy exteriors and gluey, mucilaginous surfaces that stick to fur, hair and clothing until removed and deposited far from their origin.

Seeds are spread by birds and animals by ingestion; some, even require the digestive process before germination can occur. Finally of course humans, both knowingly and inadvertently, have been perhaps the greatest force in broadcasting seeds far and wide and introducing species to entirely new habitats and in so doing, forever altering those habitats for better or worse.

Germination Sucess Germination takes place when ideal conditions are met and equally important to the chances of survival are natural inhibitors to prevent germination when they are not. A fascinating aspect of seeds is that they seem to exist in suspended animation until such time their "potential" for growth is activated.

Some seeds have been reported to be still viable after as long as 10,000 yrs.

Most seeds depend on the natural cycles of nature to prepare them for germination, to break dormancy. Thick, hard seed coats need scarification, which is accomplished with hard fast spring rains, the abrasive force of small sand and pebbles against the

dandelion seeds

are dispersed by the wind

seed, the digestive process of birds and animals or the natural processes of soil fungi and bacteria to break down the hard shell.

Other seeds need to be cold stratified, going through a period of cold before they will break dormancy. In areas with cold winters, obviously this is to prevent their germinating prematurely in the fall. We can easily imitate this by providing a moist cool condition in our fridge for a month or two. Conversely, some desert plants need weeks of extremely hot temperatures before they will break dormancy, in anticipation of fall rains and winter moisture.

The most unique requirement for some seeds to germinate might be scorching, which in nature is perfectly reasonable for those 'chaparral' plants that invite and depend on the cycles of fire to regenerate vegetation and growth. Finally, some plants are what we call allelopathic, "mutually suffering" and produce allelopathic chemicals that actually inhibit the growth of competitors within their staked-out domain, including their own progeny.

The basic conditions for the successful germination of all seeds are the same: adequate moisture, evenly warm temperature, and a well-aerated medium in which to grow. Many seeds require light as well, so planting depth is even more critical to these species. The general rule is that a seed should be planted no deeper than its length, or widest dimension.

Germination begins with the seed's absorption of water. When it has swollen to twice its size, the seed coat cracks, allowing oxygen to penetrate and in its presence, the energy from stored foods fuels the initial growth spurt of the embryo. For most garden seeds, the minimum o ideal temperature is 75 F. Heat loving plants like eggplant and peppers, though, require at least 80o F. Leslie Campbell is Co-owner with Ron Jacob of SEEDS WEST GARDEN SEEDS, which for 15 years has been providing Heirloom, Open-pollinated and Organic vegetable, flower and herb seeds to growers of the Southwest. Come visit with Leslie and Ron at the Valley Garden Party Saturday March 19 and at Nob Hill Celebrate the Earth Fest Sunday April 17.

Los Poblanos Organics www.LosPoblanosOrganics.com

681-4060

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march 2005

farming issue Agriculture from Farm to Table Southwest Marketing Network

by Le Adams, Farm to Table, Farm to School The Southwest Marketing Network was organized to help assist farmers and ranchers in the Four Corners states as they bring their product to market. Selling through farmers’ markets, going organic, alternative and niche markets, sales to schools, CSAs, agricultural policy, heirloom varieties, and conservation values are all subjects that will be covered in the 3rd Annual Southwest Marketing Network conference program, held at the Sheraton Old Town Hotel in Albuquerque, March 12-15th.

Farmers, ranchers, community food activists, and agency and extension personnel are all welcome. “The enthusiasm that participants bring to our conferences is heartening and provides fertile ground for the learning, sharing, and collaboration that is needed to rebuild local food systems in the Southwest”, said Jim Dyer, Project Director of the Southwest Marketing Network. Jim is based in the Durango, Colorado area and raises sheep with his family.

This year the conference includes tracks on: • Alternative marketing opportunities, boosting production and processing, marketing approaches, business tools, and policy • Special workshops on marketing coops, grass-fed livestock, food and agricultural policy • Local farm and related small business tours • Sessions on business management, farm to cafeteria, farmers’ market rapid assessment, specialty crops, organics, buy local, business planning, food systems, nutrition issues, scaling up, e-commerce, traditional native foods, growing new farmers, working with policy makers, product development, CSAs, labeling and more!

Additionally this year’s conference has several special events including a “Southwest Reception” at which participants can meet the farmers, ranchers, and chefs as they show off a diverse array of food from the fields of New Mexico. Another special session hosted by First Nations Development Institute entitled “Food Sovereignty for Native Communities” will provide an introduction to the broader food security movement as well as an examination of food security in Indian Country. Participants will learn to use the “Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool” in their community, how to build support for food systems and agricultural enterprises and hear stories about community efforts undertaking food sovereignty assessments.

And finally on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 there will be a tour from 1:45 pm to 5:30 pm in the Albuquerque area, highlighting local farms and farm businesses.

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One of the goals of RGCF is to utilize its 138 acres to enhance the habitat of urban wildlife. Preserving, creating and enhancing the habitat of wildlife species and promoting stewardship of the land are at the core of RGCF's mission. Having a working organic farm easily accessible to all the citizens of Albuquerque helps to demonstrate the sustainable connections between farmland, wildlife and people.

The management contract between the City and RGCF stipulates that in exchange for farming the land, 25% of the irrigated acreage must be planted in wildlife crops such as corn, oats and sorghum. The farm is on the migration routes of hundreds of sandhill cranes, Canada geese and various species of duck. There are also resident species of ring-neck pheasants, songbirds and hawks. All of the creatures are drawn to the abundance of grain, prey and the protection of the hedgerows.

Educational outreach to the community is one of the Farm's top priorities. The interconnectedness of the land, animals and people can be appreciated here through the varied, farm-based family-oriented educational programs open to adults and young people grades K-12. One popular cultural event is the annual Maize Maze. This falls’ design will be a roadrunner in the corn. RGCF also offers the Adopt-A-Crop Volunteer program, Food Security Crops and the ever-popular Community Garden where you can have your very own personal garden plot to tend for a reasonable fee.

Get Your Garden Plot If you would like a garden plot, the plots are 3' x 85' and cost $75.00 for the season. Additional plots of the same size are $50.00. There are tools, some seeds and lots of support available to community gardeners. The garden is now going wholly organic. The plots are irrigated once a week as

Some scholarships are available. You can find the complete conference brochure on their website www.swmarketing.ncat.org or contact ladams @cybermesa.com or 505-473-1004 (in Santa Fe) for more information on the conference.

The Southwest Marketing Network, host of the conference, is a collaboration of The National Center for Appropriate Technology, Farm to Table, The Farm Connection, Traditional Native American Farmers Association, Navajo Nation, Department of Agriculture Colorado State

Rio Grande Community Farms: Get Your Organic Garden Plot!

New Greenhouse, New Growing Season t has been a long time in coming, but Rio Grande Community Farms, (RGCF), will soon begin using our newly built greenhouse! It will further help us to serve our community gardeners! If you are unacquainted with RGCF, It is a non-profit organization that collaborates with the City of Albuquerque's Open Space Division. The Farm is located at the historic Los Poblanos Fields in the North Valley. It was acquired in 1997 with taxpayer funds. Although the Farm is owned by all of us taxpayers public funds are not used to support this area of open space, the daily operations of the farm or to pay for the varied programs we provide.

University, University of Arizona, Henry A. Wallace Center for Agricultural and Environmental Policy, and Western Rural Development Center. Major funders of this project are the WK Kellogg Foundation and USDA Risk Management Agency Outreach.

long as there is water in the ditch. Even with our recent rains, we are not yet free of the drought, so we honor the water as a precious resource. For more information about joining us in the garden, please contact our Garden Coordinator, Beverly Rowe, at rbeverly8@MSN.com.

conference march 12-15 lars are tax-deductible and support our nonincome generating projects such as wildlife crops, food bank donations, educational programs, service learning and matching funds for grants.

The past eight years has seen the successful partnership of the Open Space division and Rio Grande Community Farms acting together to help make the dream of preserving a working urban organic farm a reality. The varied wildlife and the Albuquerque community benefit from this collab-

The interconnectedness of the land, animals and people can be appreciated through the varied, farm-based, family-oriented educational programs Even if you don’t have a plot, this is still your Community Farm and you can become a volunteer. Perks include enjoying the wildlife without driving many miles, walking the peaceful trails, or helping out in the Community Garden. You can bring your kids, dogs, or even your horse! Other than volunteering, RGCF gratefully accepts your support through financial or in-kind contributions. With the new greenhouse almost ready to go, you could "adopt a potting bench". Your dol-

oration and hope to continue to do so for many years. All are welcome. It's all still happening on your Farm.

by Lisa Stubblefield Rio Grande Community Farm: 6804 Fourth Street NW, #114 Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM 87107 (505) 345-4580. email: riograndecommunityfarm@earthlink.net web: www.riograndefarm.org

Body-Centered Counseling

Integrated Counseling, Therapeutic Bodywork and Movement

Penny Holland M.A., L.P.C.C, L.M.T.

505-265-2256 LPCC Lic. 0494, LMT Lic. 1074

march 2005

5

co-op news LOCAL SALE ITEMS SHOP LOCAL & SAVE Bite Size Bakery

Santa Fe, New Mexico Bite Sized Cookies, 6.5 oz Assorted flavors, Sale 2/$6

Hatch

Deming, New Mexico Green & Red Enchilada Sauces, 15 oz, Sale $2.29

Herbs, Etc. Santa Fe, New Mexico Menopautonic, 60 ct, Sale $13.49, Allertonic 60 ct, Sale $13.49

SPECIALS GOOD FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH

FAIR TRADE COFFEE

AT YOUR COOP

march 2005 6

Local Product Spotlight: Heidi’s Jam

cient use of our precious water. Doug also provides hives in the field for the honeybees to pollinate the delicate raspberry blossoms. A flock of native Rio Heidi’s Raspberry Jam is a family venture in both farm- Grande turkeys control the insect population ing and product creation. Brother and sister Heidi and amongst the hedge rows.

Doug work together to create a truly quality local product. It starts with hand selected raspberries organical- The jam is made in small batches, by hand with lovly grown in Corrales, New Mexico. ing care. Heidi slowly cooks the raspberries to a brief and delicate boiling phase. This method Heidi’s Jam uses a blend of four varieties of rasp- ensures that the precious vitamins and beautiful berries. Each one selected for the unique flavor, color of the natural fruit are preserved for an exquisweetness, texture and color, grown by her brother site raspberry experience. This delicious low-sugar Doug. Doug is an organic producer certified by the recipe was developed in Heidi’s home kitchen for New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission friends who wanted a healthier jam. Heidi’s under the auspices of the Federal Organic Program. Raspberry Jam is inspected and approved by the This means he uses no artificial fertilizers and no State of New Mexico Environmental Department. pesticides or herbicides. He is committed to sustaining the land in healthy condition for future genera- Corrales is a unique agricultural village farmed by tions. Previously, he flood irrigated his raspberries small families who have lived here for generations. from the Rio Grande using the acequia system. Located on the western bank of the Rio Grande, Now due to the ongoing drought he has converted Corrales has been farmed since 500 A.D. Back to a drip irrigation system that makes the most effi- then the ancestors of the present day Pueblo Indians tilled the fertile valley. Subsequent populations of Spanish, French and Italian families settled here to raise grapes, apples, livestock and RASPBERRIES! Heidi says “having grown up in this special place has made my brother and I sensitive to the environmental needs of the world community and dedicated stewards of the land. Selling our raspberry jam, fresh raspberries and cut flowers at the local farmers markets in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Corrales and Albuquerque brings us in personal contact with our wonderful customers and has allowed us to make so many friends.”

delicious jam

Look for Heidi’s Raspberry Jam at both Coop locations. This exquisite jam, perfect for nut butter and jam sandwiches will make any early spring hike that much more beautiful. Eat and enjoy.

Edited by Robyn Seydel

Board of Directors Membership Linkage Committee

W

hat makes a Coop a Coop? It's members - we own it! If you want to get more involved, consider joining us at our monthly Membership Linkage Committee meetings. We meet the second Wednesday of the month - and the next meeting is on Wednesday March 9th at 5:30 PM at the Coop's Valley Store, 2400 Rio Grande NW. We hope to have meetings in Santa Fe and Gallup as the year progresses.

Tam, Roger and Andrew would like to thank Coop members for voting for us in the last election. We're very honored to be able to serve, and promise to listen to your ideas about the future direction of the Coop. You can reach us at BOD@lamontanita.com or by dropping off messages at the front desks at any of the stores.

Our meeting on February 2nd was very fruitful. Trout Rodgers and Eric Chrisp, both former board members, brought us up to date on the committee's activities - look for the new "Board Boards" in each store where a poster will keep you informed about meeting dates and board activities.

We brainstormed ideas on increasing member participation in many of the community efforts that the COOP is involved

with. A discussion of our own community currency, codenamed COOP CASH, would allow members to barter and trade services in a cashless yet equitable way. Communities like Ithaca and Olympia have had great success with alternative currencies - and we thought it would great to have a contest to design the best-looking “Greenback”. We also like the idea of creating a community room where members could socialize, share ideas, and expertise with each other, maybe even have a lecture series!

Coffee with the Board These ideas are tiny seedlings now, but with your help, we can create a sustainable world we're proud of. The Board of Directors, in a continuing effort to reach out to our members, is starting a monthly "Coffee with the Board." These get-togethers are an open format opportunity to have a conversation about our shared vision.

The first one is planned for Sunday March 13th from 10 AM to Noon in front of the Nob Hill Store. Future “Coffee with the Board” get-togethers are in the planning stages for the Valley, Gallup and Santa Fe locations. Come and join in the fun!

March is Member Appreciation

VOLUME DISCOUNT SHOPPING MONTH! Watch your mailbox for your Member Appreciation Volume Discount Coupon. Bring it in any day during the month of March for a one-time Volume Discount Shopping Trip! The more you spend the more you save!

Member Appreciation Volume Discount Shopping!

Spend $0-$29.99: get 5% off • Spend $30-$79.99: get 10% off Spend $80 or more: get 15% off!

Good at all 4 coop locations: Nob Hill, Valley, Gallup and Santa Fe. New and renewing members get your volume disount coupon with your new coop member cards.

co-op news

march 2005 7

Local Product Spotlight: Desert Woman Botanicals

M

onica Rude left the cold, gray winter of Upstate New York in 1988 and moved to the desert. She writes “I was amazed by the sunshine. Within a few months, spring arrived in a glorious profusion of wildflowers like I had never experienced. I was in love! The light, the rocks, the clouds, the dirt, the plants, the energy... were transforming. I was here to stay. That's when I became... a desert woman.”

All Desert Woman products are made using fresh herbs grown in her certified organic gardens in Gila, New Mexico. They never contain any chemical preservatives, petroleum products or synthetic fragrances. Instead of chemicals she uses vitamins, grapefruit seed extract, & benzoin which are considered natural preservatives without side effects. Other ingredients include olive oil, beeswax and essential oils that have anti-oxidant activity and contribute to the natural preservative effects.

After studying with the well-known southwestern herbalist Michael Moore, Monica left behind a twenty year nursing career to be outside with the plants. She says “gardens became my habitat. Plants became my teachers. I especially love weeds - they have a lot to offer.” She started her own nursery business, becoming a certified organic grower and created the Desert Woman Botanicals herbal product line. During the early years many Coop members bought Monica’s herb plants at La Montanita's Earth Day and Garden party celebration, fresh harvested herbs at the Coop’s harvest festivals and attended her classes on herb cultivation.

Monica says “I believe in good old fashioned customer service and make quality products with no junk in them.

Opening any of my jars is like stepping into my gardens.”

Desert Woman Botanicals’ best known products are the Desert Woman’s exclusive product “Fire Cider” and a series of cremes and lotions including “Rehab” and “Fab Foot.” Fire Cider is a hot, sweet, sour, experience that is a general health tonic. Made from her home grown powerful cayenne it's easy heat fades into a slow burn that can be used as a mood lifter, mover of chi, digestive aid, decongestant, anti-microbial, tonic for heart and circulation, immune system and liver. In an apple cider vinegar base, it contains no alcohol.

Re-hab Crème is used for sore muscles and joints and inflammation after physical work out, surgery, or injury by runners, bikers, athletes, and anyone subject to physical exertion. “Fab Foot” crème soothes and heals dry cracked, hard-working feet and hands.

try the Lavender Lotion!

of which are considered endagered), Anchovies, Mackerel and Sardines.

Nordic Naturals is greatly concerned about overfishing. The company has aligned itself with a leading marine researcher at the University of Tromso in Arctic Norway, and receives updated information about fish stock estimates in Norway and neighboring waters every week. Consequently Nordic Naturals only harvests fish that are in plentiful supply and that are in no way the subject of overfishing.

Both locations of La Montanita carry a selection of Nordic Natural products in their HBA Departments.

GE Food Labeling Bill in State Enforcement of the labeling will be done by the New Legislature Mexico Department of Environment. The bill would State Senator John Grubesic (D), Santa Fe, has introduced Senate Bill 906. The title of the bill is the “Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Act”.

The purpose of the Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Act is to create and enforce the fundamental right of the people of New Mexico to know if they are buying or eating genetically engineered food and to have choice in buying or eating food that has been altered through genetic engineering.

The labeling bill would apply to food derived from genetically engineered components and dairy and meat products that have been fed genetically engineered feed. The labeling would also indicate if animal genes have been transferred into plants, allowing vegetarians to observe their dietary guidelines.

Social Responsibility Research Committee 5:30pm 122 Tulane Member Linkage 5:30pm Valley Coop Coffee with the Board 10am-12pm Nob Hill Coop Paper or Plastic Booksigning 4:30-6pm Marketplace Coop Valley Garden Party 10am-3pm Valley Coop Gallup Community Meeting/Volunteer Program Development 5:30pm Wild Sage Coop

3/30

Santa Fe Community Meeting 5:30pm Marketplace Coop

Desert Woman Botanicals specializes in capturing the healing energies of the Southwest Desert and bottling it up for our benefit. Look for Desert Woman Botanical products in the HBA department at the Valley location or come meet Monica in person at both the Valley Coop’s Garden Party and the 16th Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest in Nob Hill.

HBA Nordic Naturals

Nordic Naturals uses four fish species of which none are considered overfished or endangered they are: Arctic Cod (no Atlantic cod or Rock cod both

3/8 3/9 3/13 3/16 3/19 3/23

This year Desert Woman Botanicals is unveiling two new products: Lavender Light Lotion and Creme of Lemon Supreme. They are both luscious, buttery, smell heavenly and are great for your skin! A luxurious blend of lavender flowers for the entire body, Lavender Light Lotion softens, soothes and moisturizes skin. A delight for all your senses, smooth on right after a bath, at bedtime to promote restful sleep. Or try the invigorating, refreshing essence of lemon with the triple treat of Meyer lemons, lemon grass and lemon verbena in the Lemon Supreme Body Lotion.

Product Spotlight:

With all the education on over-fishing and concerns about the sustainability of the seas, your choice of fish oil supplements is just as important as when you go to the meat and fish counter. Nordic Naturals has been monitoring the hot spots for overfishing for the last nine years. Their policy has always been to utilize fish species that are not endangered, and to harvest them from waters not exposed to overfishing. Nordic Naturals also ensures that the fish harvested are utilized 100% for human or animal consumption.

Calendar of Events

become effective on January 1, 2006.

Polls show that over 90% of Americans want GE food labeling. This bill provides New Mexico consumers the information they need to make informed decisions about their diet. Please contact your State Senator and ask them to support this important Bill. For further information contact: Jim Hannan, Chair GE Food Committee, Sierra Club 988-5760.

action alert!

Member of International Society of Arboriculture and Society of Commercial Arboriculture ISA Certified, Licensed & Insured

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The Faces of Santa Fe’s New Co-op at the MarketPlace Grocery.

Staff and Shoppers below are all smiles as they look forward to building upon the strong community base already established there.

Join us for our 1st events: March 16th at 4:30pm for a talk and booksigning with “Paper or Plastic” author Dan Imhoff and March 30th at 5;30pm for a Community Volunteer Program Meeting.

Gallup’s Wild Sage: the Next Stage From moving the sign to setting up shelves Co-op Community Members from Gallup and Albuquerque Cooperated to take Wild Sage to the next stage, with a paid staff, regular hours and coming soon, a community volunteer program!

N e x t C o m m u n i t y Vo l u n t e e r M e e t i n g M a r c h 2 3 r d a t 5 : 3 0 . S e e y o u t h e r e .

16th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival Sunday April 17, 10:30AM-6PM

It's that time again! People all over Albuquerque and throughout the state are getting ready for the 16th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival. You can expect the same wonderfully inspiring day filled with information and education booths from dozens of environmental, social and economic justice organizations, local farmers, seedlings, drought resistant plants, beautiful art from fine local artists and crafts people, inspiring music and dancing by some of our favorite local performing artists and of course great Coop food.

We are looking forward to having groups as diverse as Hawkwatch, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, Citizen Action, Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, Hunger Grow Away, Albuquerque Active Living Alliance, the Rio Grande Chapter of Slow Food, City of Albuquerque Human Rights Office, water education from City Public Works, The Rio Grande Community Farms, Bernalillo Country Extension and the Master Gardeners, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, Seeds West, Desert Woman Botanicals, Peacecraft and much, much more.

As always you can count on hearing some of your favorite musicians and thrilling to performances from our gifted local performers. Some festival favorites are coming back, and we are once again honored to have them grace the little stage under the big tent, in the middle of Silver Street.

There are some performing groups that make Earth Day the wonderful event it is. Two that come immediately to mind are Dancing Horse Drum group, whose traditional Native American singing and drumming always help get the whole festival off to a good start. Also Eva Encinas' Alma Flamenca brings the art and passion of flamenco to succeeding generations and to our Celebrate the Earth Festival year after year. Another inspiring group of dancers coming back this year for an encore are Pilar Leto and the Odara Dance Ensemble with their high energy drummers Samba Soul. Once Pilar and friends get you moving you can keep the dance in the street groove going with three of our community dance favorites already confirmed. Check out the dance-funk groove of Mucho Buddah,

world beat favorite Wagogo and the rocking country blues of the Chris Dracup Band. Watch the April Coop Connection for more information and schedules.

Our little street fills up quickly so please reserve you booth space early. We do give first priority to environmental, social and economic justice non-profit organizations and farmers and farming organizations.

We're praying for a beautiful day, and with Mother Earth's blessing we will once again take time to celebrate "Her" and reaffirm our commitment to restoring and sustaining our blue/green planetary gem.

Join your friends and neighbors as we educate and inform ourselves to that end and joyously dance in the streets at Albuquerque's favorite spring gathering.

Mark your calendar; this is one event you don't want to miss.

Sunday, April 17th10:30 am to 6pm.

For more information or to reserve your free booth space please contact

Robyn at 256-4594.

gorgeous

greens

march 2005 10

gorgeous

greens Greens are up and are they beautiful. From fiddle heads to dandelions, arugula to kale, green is popping out all over. Clear your blood, cleanse your palette and strengthen your kidneys as you get ready for summer.

Adapted and reprinted form the following sources: www.epicurious.com www.globalgourmet.com www.wold-harvest.com www.care2.com www.vegweb.com Mediterranean Arugula Salad

SHOPC O - O P SHOPC O - O P SHOP C O - O P SHOPC O - O P SHOP

B U Y L O C A L S AV E

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 8-ounce container small mozzarella balls, drained, halved 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained 1 cup thinly sliced red onion 4 cups arugula Serve with: Wedges of lightly toasted rosemary focaccia. Whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil.

Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Combine fennel, tomatoes, mozzarella, chickpeas, red onion, and arugula in large bowl.

Add dressing; toss to coat and serve.

Frisee Salad with Cucumber and Radishes 1/2 seedless cucumber (usually plasticwrapped), peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced diagonally (2 cups) 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (not seasoned) 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 oz frisĂŠe, trimmed(3 cups loosely packed) 1 bunch watercress, trimmed and tough stems discarded (3 cups loosely packed) 2 oz baby spinach (2 cups loosely packed) 6 radishes, sliced, then cut into matchsticks Toss cucumber with vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

Add frisĂŠe, watercress, spinach, and radishes and toss well.

Chopped Arabic Salad 1 lemon 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 (1/2-lb) cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 1/3 cups) 1 lb tomatoes (3 medium), cut into 1/3-inch dice (2 1/2 cups) 1 cup finely chopped red onion or 1 cup chopped scallions (about 5) 1 cup coarsely chopped purslane (optional) 1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint (from 1 bunch) Cut peel, including all white pith, from lemon with a sharp paring knife. Working over a bowl, cut segments from half of lemon free from membranes and transfer segments to a cutting board, then squeeze juice from membranes and remaining 1/2 lemon into bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons juice to a large bowl, then finely chop segments and add to measured juice. Add salt, pepper, and oil, whisking to combine, then stir in remaining ingredients.

Peppered Salmon with Snow Peas and Ginger 1 lb. snow peas or sugar snap peas, ends trimmed 1 tablespoon finely ground Sichuan peppercorns, optional 6 salmon fillets, each 5-6 oz, skinned 2 teaspoons corn oil 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil salt freshly ground black pepper, if not using Sichuan peppercorns 6 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger 1/3 cup dry sherry 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and simmer until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain and set aside. If using the ground Sichuan pepper, sprinkle it on both sides of each salmon fillet, distributing it evenly.

In a wide, frying pan large enough to hold the salmon in a single layer without crowding, warm the corn oil and sesame oil over mediumhigh heat. Add the salmon fillets and cook until lightly golden on one side, about 4 minutes.

Turn, season with salt and, if the Sichuan pepper has been omitted, with black pepper as well.

Continue to cook until lightly golden on the second side and opaque throughout when pierced with a knife, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the salmon to a warmed platter or individual plates and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.

gorgeous greens Place the same pan over medium-high heat.

When it is hot, add the peas, green onions and ginger and toss and stir constantly until the green onions soften, about 1 minute. Add the sherry, soy sauce and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid reduces by onefourth, 20-30 seconds.

Remove from the heat and pour the vegetables and sauce over and around the salmon.

Serve immediately.

Quick Marinated Fiddleheads 5 lbs fresh fiddleheads 1 lb fresh wild leeks, ramps or shallots Fresh peppers - hot or mild to taste Fresh herbs (cut fine)- basil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary and chives.

5 cups apple cider or wine vinegar 5 cups extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp sugar salt to taste Clean and rinse fiddleheads. Blanch fiddleheads in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from heat, drain and rinse in cold water to cool them. Clean and cut up peppers, wild leeks and fresh herbs.

Pour vinegar over cooled fiddleheads in a non-reactive container. Add cut up peppers, wild leeks, herbs, sugar and salt. Stir to wet all ingredients. Add olive oil and stir again.

Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Cooling Couscous with Peas, Mint and Lettuce 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 to 8 scallions, white and some green parts, sliced thinly 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 cups frozen tender baby green peas, thawed and drained 2 cups shredded butter lettuce Salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 1/3 cups instant couscous 2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh mint Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add scallions and cook, stirring continuously, for about 1 minute. Add broth and lemon juice.

Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then uncover and add peas, lettuce, salt, and pepper. Return mixture to a boil and stir in couscous. Return once again to a boil, then immediately cover, remove from the heat, and allow to stand for 5 - 7 minutes, until all the broth is absorbed. Fluff with fork. If you are making this dish in advance, it may be stored at this point for 24 hours, covered, in the fridge.

Before serving, return to room temperature and toss with mint.

march 2005 11

Spanish-Style Chard with Raisins & Hazelnuts 3 tablespoons raisins 1 pound Swiss chard, washed well 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste Place the raisins in a small pan with water to cover. When the water begins to boil, take the pan off the heat, and let the raisins sit for at least 5 minutes. While the raisins are soaking, cut each Swiss chard leaf away from the stem and central rib. Cut the leaves into 1/4-inch crosswise slices. Dice the stems and the central ribs.

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In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the Swiss chard and the garlic, and saute, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the chard is tender. Drain the raisins, and toss them and the hazelnuts into the Swiss chard. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Italian Greens and Beans 1/2 small onion diced 6-8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 6-8 ounces small mushrooms, sliced 1 Tb. olive oil 1/3 c. dry white wine 1 big bunch spinach, cleaned and stemmed 1 big bunch kale, cleaned and stemmed 1 can cannellini beans (white beans) salt and pepper Saute the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent. Turn the heat down to medium low and add garlic and mushrooms.

When the mushrooms begin to let off their juices and/or when garlic starts to brown, add the wine and reduce.

Cut out the really tough stems from the kale and spinach. When you wash your greens, a little of that moisture will help them steam. Coarsely chop the greens. Add the kale first and steam with the lid on for a few minutes. Add your spinach and cannellini beans, stir, and put the lid back on.

When your greens are wilted but still nice and green and the white beans are heated through, season with salt and pepper to taste.

fiddle

heads

Winds of change.

IRAs for smooth sailing.

YouBelong.

889-7755 • www.nmefcu.org • Member NCUA

FRESH DELICIOUS & ORGANIC SHOP YOUR CO-OP

farming issue

Organic vs Organic vs Organic vs...

A

fter decades of stereotypes (dingy little health food storefronts or hippies of questionable hygiene filling the bulgur or oat bins the word "organic" is if not well understood at least a term that the average consumer has heard and now more than ever equates with something good for you. But there are many definitions of organic, depending on who you're talking to.

which would effectively disallow organic livestock in much of the southwest. I 'd argue that rather than wastefully importing it from elsewhere (and contributing to that locale's enviro-degradation) its better to have some local eco-friendly guidelines.

one should think like me" syndrome which leads nowhere except frustration and self-alienation. I mean, personally I think the world would be a better place if everyone listened to, say, the Ramones or Johnny Thunders at least once a week but that ain't happenin'.

There's also pro's and con's for organic food processing and handling. Regardless of whether giant organic processing facilities ought to exist, many wouldn't without allowances for nasty pest control materials and in certain cases some synthetic processing aids. Stuffing edibles into cans, boxes, bags and bottles takes a lot of monkeying with the food.

How could it not? If you buy organic versions of junk food, its your demand that's driving their development and the methods that may qualify to the letter of the law as organic but aren't always true to the spirit of organic as intended.

Which brings us to the Federal definition of organic. When the federales get involved at any level, things go haywire and the USDA/National Organic Program (NOF) is no exception. As a State of New Mexico organic inspector for over a dozen years now, believe me, I know.

The word organic as defined by chemists has zero to do with organic farming so let's just drop it right off the bat, ok? To all of you with chem degrees, I apologize that us tree-huggers have co-opted the word that you've used for longer than we have. But them's the breaks; no hard feelings.

thumb

Then there's the general perception itchy green of organic which the less-informed casual natural food shopper has: 100% clean pure natural picturesque farms with fresh-faced kids in coveralls romping with the chickens and goats in the barnyard before picking bushel baskets of hand-hoed carrots. Sorry, folks, there's only a few of those farms anywhere and chances are their crops are eaten long before they have any chance to get anywhere near a natural-food grocery chain shelf.

There's the farm/garden that supplies crops for their family first then local farmer's markets and then maybe some surplus to their neighborhood co-op but who bristle at the Federal definition and control of "organic". There's lots of contention here and although I'm a person who actively participates (i.e. works) in that Fed fiasco, I still believe its helpful for the average illinformed American who only wants to see "organic" on a box or bag or produce sign and not worry about it any further. Yes, of course, it would be better (its argued) if more folks actually wanted to know more but that easily becomes part of the "every-

www.ovationseries.com

Here's the short version: the NOP makes the rules but leaves it to states

There's one plain and simple sure-fire definition of organic: buy as much as you can from local farms.

What you can’t get local, buy in bulk.

I've run out of room this month and I've barely scratched the surface: there's also the European Union definition of organic with each country further tweaking on what they'll allow or not, there's Japan's which many of us organic certifiers won't touch because of the immensity of their regulatory system but to me there's one plain and simple surefire definition of organic: buy as much as you can from local farms. What you can't get local, buy in bulk. What you can make yourself, do. What you can't make, re-evaluate whether you really need it or not. Easier said than done of course but that doesn’t mean we ought to stop trying.

by Brett Bakker

and/or privately-owned agencies (which the NOP accredits) to certify, regulate and many times enforce their rules. This is done through on-site inspections and the equivalent amount of trees you could actually grow on any given farm to manufacture all the paper it takes to document that entire process.

The NOP rules are at times necessarily vague since it’s a one-size-fits-all approach (actually its more like one-size-fits-none but nevermind). For example what passes for livestock pasture here in the southwest makes certifiers and inspectors in Minnesota cringe and gnash their teeth. I've had some of these folks argue that organic certification of pasture other than lush green rolling hills shouldn't be allowed,

LIFT YOUR SPIRITS. BE INSPIRED. SEE A SHOW!

Albuquerque on the Grow

MOMIX presents

Baseball

Saturday MARCH 12 • 8pm Sunday MARCH 13 • 2pm Known internationally for work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, Momix is celebrated for an extraordinary ability to conjure up a world of surrealistic images using props, lights, shadow, humor and the human body. Momix will perform Baseball, a freewheeling multimedia tribute to America’s national pastime with music by James Brown, Queen, Loreena McKennitt, Ali Farka Toure and others.

Nylon and Steel:

Al Di Meola & Manuel Barrueco Tuesday APRIL 5 • 7:30pm Al Di Meola holds the most prestigious guitar awards from the highest rated guitar poll in the world, Guitar Player magazine. He has been known throughout the world for the past 25 years as one of the most prominent virtuosos in the contemporary instrumental jazz field. A native Cuban, Manuel Barrueco has gained international recognition as a leading figure in the guitar world. A superb instrumentalist and an elegant musician, his recent recording, Cuba, was called "an extraordinary musical achievement" by the San Francisco Chronicle. Together, the classical guitar of Barrueco and the jazz and rock sounds of Di Meola make for an unforgettable night of music.

Season Sponsors

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: UNM Ticket Offices, unmtickets.com and tickets.com outlets or call 925-5858 or (800) 905-3315 / Groups of 20+: 344-1779

by Eric Garretson The slogan on the new rapid ride buses reads “Albuquerque on the Go.” Since I am in the business of farming and foodscapes, (edible landscaping) and manage one of our local growers markets, I read “Albuquerque on the Grow.” Grow fruits and vegetables in your backyard, shop at your local Growers ‘Market or Coop. In this remarkable climate not only do we grow wonderful summer and fall produce but with a few simple measures we can grow all year.

To grow vegetables in the off-season (fall, winter, spring) begin with a little planning; this is the way all good gardens start. One must have some available bed space saved for the winter garden. Set aside some beds and grow a summer cover crop like buckwheat which can be turned under in late August in time for your fall planting.

If not yank out those squash bug infested zuchinni plants and replant with your winter veggies.

All good gardens start with good soil, nice comfortable mulch such as leaves or straw, and drip irrigation, quite appropriate in this arid climate. For winter gardens it is necessary to have a row cover, (remay) or a small hoophouse. A row cover is a breathable mesh cover that allows light and water to come through and gives your crops some good frost protection. A hoop-house is a very simple, inexpensive greenhouse that gives your vegetables even more frost protection.

a tad bit easier in the cooler seasons. For one thing there are fewer bugs and weeds, and less water is needed.

After eating the best possible produce during the summer months your healthy diet can continue all year.

Good food, local food, brings people together. It encourages family, friends, neighbors to celebrate food, in essence to celebrate life. Growing and eating your own food is a profoundly rewarding experience. That miniscule broccoli seed has the promise of generations of growing. Broccoli knows just when the conditions of the cool soil are perfect for germination. Farmers and gardeners know that a little nurturing can lead to a harmonious relationship between plant and human. Vegetables give us taste sensations; in return we give them another season of life by saving some seed. In this region it’s never too late to sow some seeds and find yourself eating your own salad on St Patrick’s Day. For more information on year round growing contact Eric Garretson at 480-6943. Come to a gardening workshop on April 2nd, sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, and the Albuquerque Area Growers’Markets Contact the Cooperative Extension Service for time and location.

243-1386.

.

Many vegetables that do well in cool weather can be planted in February or March but also in late August, September and even through October. Some of those vegetables that do well in the cooler seasons are: broccoli, collards, cress, lettuces, kales, leeks, spinach, corn salad, parsley, miners lettuce, turnips, mustards, radishes, carrots, swiss chards, beets, sorrel, chicories, arugula, radicchio, escarole, cabbage, bok choy, onions, scallions and mizuna. I imagine the wonderful meals you can create from this list.

But why bother extending your garden into the cool months of the year? The word, “easy,” does not usually go with the word, “garden,” but I do believe gardening is

asparagus...

a taste sensation

KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME 12

march 2005

gardening issue identify the particulars of your orchard site.” We are very lucky to live in a bioregion that honors and supports this magnificent tree.

a Rose is a Rose... is an Apple

by Corva Rose his Earth is a watery, blue-green planet. She is clothed in garments of varied vegetation. And because of the plants, other forms of life are able to breathe oxygen, eat food, have shade and protection, and inhabit a beautiful place.

T

This basic, yet very profound, observation can give rise to much gratitude for being born here. We know this. And then we say, “What do you mean, ‘inhabit a beautiful place?!’ I mean, this planet is quickly becoming a trash heap, after all!”

Yes. And no. Standing on the cool morning ground under a large apple tree, you are looking up at the brilliant blue sky. And you are looking at this sky through the shiny, silvery, sometimes-rough branches of this lovely tree. Peering closely at the branches, you can see thousands of knobby-looking buds, called spurs, which are getting ready to flower. This tree, if it gets pollinated and receives enough water, will bear fruit.

“So,” we may ask, “Why bother learning anything about apple trees, let alone sing their praises? And what do you mean by ‘botanical?’”

Basically, botany is a useful and rewarding scientific study and classification of plants. Unfortunately, it scares off many folks with its use of technical jargon that constitutes the “language” of the science. It doesn’t have to be so frightening. For example, take the apple tree you’re standing under: Did you know it’s in the rose family, called “Rosaceae?” Yes, it’s related to the rose! As in all plants of the rose family (pear, cherry, hawthorn, plum, wild rose, et al), the flowers are five-fold, meaning they have five petals. The stems of both roses and apples end in a receptacle, the ovary, which is expanded and hollowed out, like a cup or urn. The ovary contains ovules, immature

seeds, which are fertilized when pollen lands on the stigmas of the flower and travels down the style tubes to the awaiting ovules. Researchers have determined that it takes sixty-eight bee visits per flower to produce a fruit with a high number of seeds. After fertilization, it is the perianth (petals and sepals surrounding and attached to the ovary) which swells and becomes the delicious apple fruit.

The apple tree is the oldest cultivated tree in Europe: Archeological finds of apples in human settlements date from the Neolithic. The fruit strengthens the whole metabolism, balances the digestion, stimulates blood production as well as the metabolism of fats, and cleanses the system.

Apple skin tea stimulates the bladder and kidneys, relaxes the nervous system, and reduces fever.

Apple wood is one of the hottest burning woods in the northern hemisphere. It pumps out 23,877,000 BTU’s per chord when burned, which ranks it among Hickory, Ironwood, Locust, and Oak. Locally, the Rio Grande Valley has a rich tradition of growing apples. Tucked away in fertile backyards and old orchards, thousands of apple trees are being restored and enjoyed. Many are close to 100 years old. Often, their genetic potential and ancestry are unnamed, but the fruit is tasty. In New Mexico, the heritage surrounding growing, pruning, thinning, and harvesting is experiencing resurgence. New research is being conducted on rootstocks, insects, diseases, soil health, and irrigation.

The fruit orchard is a complex place. As Michael Phillips states in The Apple Grower, “Your stewardship path will become clearly defined as you

When we stand or sit under an apple tree, we are calmed and nourished. Looking closely at the branches, we can see the thousands of five-fold flowers sitting pinkly upon their buds, awaiting pollination. It is spring in the Rio Grande Valley, and all around us apple trees remind us of the regenerating power of nature.

Corva Rose is the owner of divine earth: aesthetic pruning and restoration, a local pruning company.

She can be reached at 203-8968 Local Free Classes: 1. Saturday, March 19th, 9:30 – noon: topic: fruit tree pruning and restoration. place: local north valley residence. Class size limited; pre-registration required: 203-8968 2. Saturday, March 26th, noon-1: topic: fruit tree pruning. Place: Plants of the Southwest Nursery: 344-8830 3. Saturday, April 2nd, 10-noon: topic: fruit tree pruning. Place: Erda Gardens CSA: 255-7959

apples:

members of the rose family (rosaceae)

Gardening with Kids!

by Oanh Nguyen As I watch my daughter gleefully digging in the sandbox I think to myself: I really have to plant a garden for her this year. Kids love to get dirty and watch things grow, so gardening is a natural activity for them. It teaches them about the wonder of nature, the caring of living things, and the effects we have on our environment. But how can we keep gardening fun for children (and ourselves) beyond just picking out the seeds from all those great catalogs!

Give your child some space — literally! Dedicate a small plot of the garden just for them. Put a fancy border around it, perhaps purchase one of the stepping stonemaking kits found at crafts stores in which they can mold their name and make their handprint. If you have older children, say 8 or 9 or older, give them a group of flowers and vegetables from which to choose, and then let them draw out their garden. Kids have great ideas when it comes to gardening and come up with things you never thought of doing. Allow them to plant what they want there, but also require them to do the watering and weeding. By giving them control of their little garden area it will teach them about responsibility and cause and effect.

Take a field trip to the nursery together. Let your kids know you value their opinion. Ask them which kinds of plants, flowers, and vegetables they would like to plant.

Explain what will work well in your garden and what won’t.

Give them (limited) choices. While you’re at the nursery, ask them if they’d like pansies or petunias, marigolds or zinnias. This will give them the feeling of power without letting it get out of control. An important lesson in gardening for everyone is money doesn’t grow on trees. With older children discuss the budget. Let them help select seeds and blossoming plants at the nursery — and turn it into a math lesson. Let your child do the money calculations — they can tell you when the money runs out!

Keep the garden kid-friendly. Don't plant anything that could be poisonous particularly if your little gardeners still tend to taste test everything. Plants such as castor beans (it only takes a few to poison an adult) could easily be mistaken for a treat. Better yet- plant edible flowers like-daylilies, hollyhock, marigolds, nasturtiums. Make wide paths for them to walk easily in the garden without falling on the plants (they still will, but if the paths are obvious, there's a better chance they'll keep to them).

Don't forget to fence off stuff you REALLY don't want to get stepped on. And don't forget to pick up things they could get hurt on- tools, discarded fencing, etc.

march 2005

Let your child do what he will (especially if you have a preschooler). Let him dig, explore, play with bugs. When my friend's son was little, he'd sit out in the garden with me for hours, as long as he had a place to dig with his little bulldozers and dump trucks. Nothing ever grew there, but he was so happy in his corner of the garden! You may be tempted to steer your child in another direction (like actually watering or weeding his garden), but this is a great way for your child to explore this exciting new universe.

Most importantly, make it fun! Build a teepee out of sticks and plant red runner beans to grow around the teepee. This makes a great kid hidout in the summer (don't plant anything in the teepee- it will get squashed beneath the kids!) Kids also love planting sunflowers, and you can make a "sunflower house" by planting the sun flowers with some space in the middle (a circle or square pattern) and then adding a roof of sticks once the sunflowers are big. Corn mazes are fun if you have the room. Cut a maze into the maize (ha ha) while the corn is young. By the time it grows big, you've got a really cool pattern. For the little ones- give them large seeds to plant- squash, morning glories, beans and corn are all easy for little fingers to handle.

But the real reason the young (and the young at heart) get involved in gardening is because it's fun! Who doesn't want to play in the garden on a beautiful day and get their hands dirty?

www.beanplanter.com

create a kid friendly

GARDEN! Tax Preparation & Planning

Not just counting the beans sowing seeds for the future.

Donal S. Kinney, CPA, MBA, MAcc. Santa Fe (505) 474-6733 13

healing

health &

march 2005 14

Homeopathic Help for Hayfever “April is the cruelest month” - T. S. Eliot

by Ethan Miller DHHP, HD (RHom.), DMH For those who dread the approach of spring and the annual return of hayfever symptoms – homeopathy is here to help! For over 200 years homeopathy has been successfully treating a wide variety of illnesses with its gentle non-toxic remedies and holistic approach to healing. For the allergy sufferer, homeopathy offers a spectrum of treatments that attack the problem at progressively deeper levels.

This offers not only temporary, symptomatic relief but also deeper curative treatment that uproots the sources of chronic allergies. Let’s take a look at some of these treatment approaches: Symptomatic treatment: In this approach, a remedy is selected on the basis of the symptom profile of the individual patient. Some fairly precise distinctions need to be made regarding the exact nature of the symptoms. Here are a couple of common hayfever remedies and the symptom profile that marks each one:

Anna Westfall

March 2–25

Blueprints Self and Systems

The remedy Allium cepa is indicated by the experience of a clear, burning nasal discharge which is irritating to the nostrils and upper lip.

It is worse in a warm room and better in the open air. They have a profuse, non-burning tearing from reddened eyes. They experience a raw feeling in the nose with a tingling sensation and violent sneezing. A frontal congestive headache may accompany their allergy symptoms. These symptoms may be exacerbated by damp winds.

People who need the remedy Euphrasia have the opposite symptoms: they have profuse burning tears from the eyes and a bland nasal discharge.

The eyes and cheeks are red from the burning tears. The eye symptoms are worse in the open air. The nasal discharge is worse at night, while lying down, and in windy weather.

These are only two of the many homeopathic remedies available; for more information, talk to a homeopathic practitioner. Or, those who wish to treat their minor allergy symptoms themselves can consult a homeopathic guidebook such as Ullman’s “Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines.” Many of these common remedies are available at health food stores.

HARWOOD

ART

1114 7th Street NW at Mountain Road. For more information, call 505-242-6367

CENTER

O U T P O S T Performance Space 210 Yale SE

for more info call 268-0044

MARCH

5

Reception: XX Women Artists Kids Variety Show: Dance Around the World • 1pm Tom McDermottEvan Christopher Duo • 8pm Arnaldo Acosta & Nutrition Casey Neill Publicity Workshop

10 11 12 17 Vinicius Cantuaria Quartet

Teen Performance Night NEA JAZZ MASTERS ON TOUR

CECIL TAYLOR RESIDENCY APRIL 2-6

Causal treatment: The previous approaches have offered symptomatic relief and supported the body in its efforts to deal with allergies. However, they have not provided a cure, in that the underlying predisposition toward allergy is not removed. This can only be accomplished by addressing the causes of the deeper energetic imbalances. These causes include such things as unresolved trauma, inherited predispositions, emotional factors, and toxicity, among others. Homeopathy has an almost unique ability to systematically find and treat these causal factors at the deepest level. Needless to say perhaps, this treatment approach is much more involved than the others and should only be undertaken in consultation with a qualified practitioner.

However, for many people this option may offer the best hope for a long-term solution to the problem of recurrent allergies.

More information call (505) 884-3997 or email: ethan.miller@cheerful.com.

Community Class: Vaccination and homeopathic alternatives: March 30, 6:30-8pm at the Herb Store, 107 Carlisle SE, in the Nob Hill Shopping Center.

Healthy Food Advocates This organization was formed for the purpose of helping people understand the cause of most ailments. how they can avoid them and attain higher levels of health with good nutrition and healthy food.

MEETINGS ARE HELD ONCE A MONTH AND THE NEXT IS: Time: Thursday, March 3 at 7pm Place: First Congregational United Church.

Address: 2801 Lomas Boulevard N.E., northwest corner of Girard and Lomas N.E. Please use the Girard Street entrance.

Chinese Medicine Classes A 5 week lecture series presented by Dr. Dairne McLoughlin, will explore organ systems and how our eating, thinking and the way we feel affects the functions of these organs and the balance in our lives.

(sponsored by Garcia Saab)

24 Tomasz Stanko 25 Roust the House

Constitutional treatment: This is treatment of the “whole person” according to the individuality, or more properly, the individual typology. This level of treatment supports the individual systemically, regardless of the condition or symptom from which they suffer.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Lloyd Gambling cancer survivor will tell how he cured himself with diet. Saska Cipoletti B.S. N.D., on remineralization of the human body.There will also be a food demonstration featuring vegetarian curry. Everyone is welcome. For more information, phone Bernie Smith @792-8300 or Wally Tharp @ 243-1460

4 ARTSCRAWL • Inpost Artspace 5

Desensitization: This approach consists of treating with a homeopathic preparation of the allergen itself. So, if you are allergic to a specific pollen, you will be treated with a homeopathic remedy made from that same pollen. This is very similar to the desensitization techniques of conventional medicine. But treating with the homeopathic preparation is far gentler than introducing the offending substance directly into the body through injection, and the likelihood of an uncomfortable reaction is greatly reduced. A number of published studies have confirmed the effectiveness of this approach to the homeopathic treatment of allergies. A report on these studies from the BBC concludes that “The results with homeopathy are roughly similar to those a doctor might expect to achieve with a steroid nasal spray. However, homeopathy appears to have no side-effects whatsoever.”

Cecil Taylor Trio National Hispanic Cultural Center Saturday, 7:30pm APRIL 2

visit our website: www.outpostspace.org

Class Class Class Class Class

1 2 3 4 5

March 10th, Spring, Liver and Gallbladder, Anger Management 101 March 17th, Summer, Heart and Small Intestines Feel your joy and live it March 24th, Late Summer, Spleen and Stomach Stop worrying March 31st, Autumn, Lung and Large Intestine, What’s the sadness about?

April 7th, Winter, Kidneys and Urinary Bladder, Who’s afraid of the dark?

All Classes Thursday nights from 6:30 pm till 8:30pm. At the Herb Store 107 Carlisle SE. For more information and fees call Dr Mcloughlin 242-1067.

community forum Health Security Act Now in NM Legislature

by Jane Blume State Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela (D-Santa Fe) and State Sen. Carlos Cisneros (D-Taos) have introduced the Health Security Act, HB 746 and SB 546, in this session of the legislature. If passed and signed by the Governor, we will set up our very own statewide health plan that covers about 1.5 million New Mexicans no matter what their health, economic or employment status, guarantees choice of doctor (even across state lines), provides a generous benefit package and controls costs.

which truly meets New Mexico’s needs and is not an imitation of any model.

This bill is strongly supported by the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign, a statewide coalition of 95 (and growing) organizations representing a broad cross-section of the population.

• Creating an independent and publicly accountable citizens’ commission to run the health plan that is geographically representative of the state.

As we know, we are in a real health care crisis in this country. The number of uninsured has risen steadily from 33 million in 1993 to 43 million today. There are 400,000 uninsured people in New Mexico alone; about 75% hold jobs, but they and their employers cannot afford health insurance.

The Act calls for: • Covering most New Mexicans except for federal retirees and active-duty and retired military, who will remain with their current plans. The tribes and large employers that self-insure may elect to join.

march 2005 15

Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy

MARY ALICE COOPER, MD St. Raphael Medical Center 204 Carlisle NE Albuquerque, NM 87106

505-266-6522

• Providing a generous benefit package that is no less than what is currently offered state employees.

• Financing the health plan through a combination of public dollars spent on health care (Medicaid, for example) and individual/family premiums based on income and employer contributions (with caps).

• A go-slow approach. The health plan will take three years to implement.

Employers who do offer health insurance have seen double-digit increases in their premiums annually for the past few years, and are either dropping coverage, decreasing the benefits of their plans and/or increasing the share of the premiums that their employees pay. This means that the voluntary private insurance system we have relied on for over 50 years unfortunately has failed.

This go-slow approach enables New Mexico to establish a carefully crafted system of universal coverage, retain the private delivery system, allow the insurance industry to participate in a supplemental insurance market (as it does with Medicare) and more efficiently use our limited and precious health care dollars.

“Patchwork” solutions like managed care have not worked; therefore, continuing to try to fix this broken system is like investing in the horse and buggy when better alternatives are possible – and available. The Health Security Act is a homespun, homegrown proposal, developed over the past 12 years with input from people around the state,

A 1994 study financed by our legislature and Health Policy Commission concluded that had a “single-payer” plan been implemented in 1997, health care expenditures would have been reduced by $4.6 billion by 2004. To learn more about the Health Security Act, call us at 897-1803, or visit our website, www.nmhealthsecurity.org .

New Charter School Forming We are looking for volunteers to help launch and students interested in attending a new elementary charter school. Charter schools are free public schools and this school will use a 4-day per week program featuring multi-age classrooms, personalized education, hands-on learning and incorporating the latest brain research. Volunteers are needed in all areas, including people interested in gardening and yogastyle movement and we especially need volunteers

with business and finance skills. There will be an information meeting on Sunday, April 17 at 3:30 PM at the Cherry Hills Library.

Please contact Bonnie at 822-5545 or abqbon@yahoo.com if you are interested in volunteering or if you have a child who would benefit from such a program.

Salt of the Earth Rejubilation It's time for the first ever Salt of the Earth Rejubilation, a seasonal gathering to promote holistic-personal and social evolution in harmony with higher spiritual and ecological consciousness. If you are someone who enjoys or is interested in the celebration, ceremony, and love of natural life, then come join us on March 12 from noon until midnight in the Harwood Art Center at 1114 7th Street NW, Albuquerque: Live Local Musicians, Tai Chi, Massage Therapists, Yoga, Psychics, Audio-Video and Visual Artists, Classes on topics from Bio-Diesel to Spell Casting,

Dj's, Natural Foods, Drummers, Dancers, and Many Other Surprises.

Tickets available at Birdland, Abitha's Herbery, and other TBA locations. All activities are included in the ticket price, however there will also be crafts and other merchandise that local artisans will have for sale. Please visit our website for updates or more detailed information at www.saltoftheearthnm.com More info call (505) 980-4853 ask for Michael

Film and Lecture Series

people before profit

Albq. Peace & Justice Center, 202 Harvard SE, 268-9557 Every Mother’s Son: Thursday, March 3, 2005, 7pm In the early 1990s, police forces throughout the U.S. began employing more aggressive and militarized tactics. Every Mother's Son recounts three cases of unjustified or questionable police killings in New York — and tells of the victims' three mothers who came together to demand justice and accountability. Speaker from Albuquerque Copwatch The Peace Movement: Thursday, March 17, 2005, 7pm From September 2002 through February 2003, millions of Americans rose up in resistance to a US invasion of Iraq. The Peace Movement chronicles ordinary Americans engaged in extraordinary activism. Iraqi-American guest speaker and a representative from the League of Democratic Action.

Monthly Roundtables: Delivering Gardens to Mexico: March 11: 6:30pm with Chuck OHerron-Alex. The pacifist, communitarian, service-oriented Catholic Worker Movement in New Mexico is offering monthly roundtables. Roundtable location: Casa De Las Communidades: 444 Chama SE. For more info call Marcus at 870-2275.