2005-08-CCN

coop A u g u s t 2005

B a c k

connection

t o

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I s s u e

The Harvest Begins:

Savor the Local Flavor!

Great Food that Nourishes the Local Economy

a midsummer

balsamic vinegar. But hark he spieth a beautiful cucumber to add to his first course. The plate is complete, so he moves onward to the next delicacy.

this hour for such pleasure! Pears sliced thin dressed with pecans, a royal combination. A faint scent of melon crosses his path. No rogues are these melons. He tries a delicate raspberry. Eyes close, thoughts dissolve and there is only the moment of tangy, sweet juice.

The heat of the morning reminds him of his grill. Roasted garlic would be nice. Eggplant with a smattering of sesame oil and red chili powder sizzling along side some delectable sweet corn. O the splendid flavors. He envisions several varieties of peppers, perhaps stuffed with cheese and local mushrooms. He muses about meat, lamb, beef, chicken and wild boar. Alas there is a dearth of wild boar. A tricky business, meat, but he knows the ranchers, knows where the meat was raised and how it was raised. Meat will be on the menu for his carnivorous friends. His mind wanders towards the final course.

Back on the stage his eyes catch sunlight reflecting on jars of golden honey. Honey smothered on thick pieces of just baked bread. Bouquets of freshly cut herbs and flowers will complete his gathering. Flowers for Prince Henry, savory herbs to liven the sauces. The music continues in the background. Ah, “if music be the food of love play on.”

F o o d ’s D r e a m

by Eric Garrettson, Manager Albuquerque’s Downtown Growers Market ow playing at a Growers’ Market Theatre near you—a grand play, a love story with characters merging together for a feast. Enter Falstaff a bit weary from last evenings merriment but ready to purchase the evening repast. Only one thought has him up at this early hour: the best possible food imaginable.

Growers’ Markets are in full swing and his mouth salivates at the possibilities. He realizes he must get there early to get the best selection and he has his favorite vendors. He just hopes they will be there after last night’s shared revelry.

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The market is crowded with fellow lovers of food. He must focus as he stumbles towards Bardolph’s booth. A booth with a marvelous display of vegetables. Tomatoes abound, and he is thinking of the sliced fruit topped with basil, goat cheese, lightly sprinkled with olive oil and a smattering of

Lo, he beholds a plethora of fruit. Plump succulent peaches, baskets of colorful apples, grapes burst in his mouth, O what gluttony! A plague on all sluggards who refuse to rise at

He is almost beside himself with glee, such joy at the thoughts of the evening meal. And he will not be alone.

This glorious food, this wonderous occasion deserves to be celebrated with family and friends. Thy love of food is not just a passing fancy. Why dost one think of just a single meal when every day the body, the mind and soul need nourishment. He realizes the fragile balance can be broken without these farmers. He lauds the growers of these tasty treats. No farmers, no food, no merriment, no anticipation of one’s next meal. Zounds, it would resemble a diet of old, canned or boxed food. Food from the dreaded grocery store, carted an average of 1500 miles just to rot on the shelf. Perish the thought. Perhaps thou should add some green beans, onions and carrots to the sacks of food. Why not! Life is short and food is life. To eat well is to live well. Bon appetite!

The Coop is pleased to support our local farming community. Come to the Coop for hundreds of New Mexican products. Savor the Local Flavor at your Coop!

New Mexico Far mers’ Marketing Association

by Esther Kovari, NM Farmers’ Marketing Association armers’ markets are one of the success stories of the “buy local” movement, growing by leaps and bounds each year. New Mexico now has 45 markets, up from 20 only twelve years ago, with gross sales of over $3 million a year.

Nationally there are now over 4,000 farmers’ markets!

Albuquerque Area Markets:

What accounts for this huge growth? Number one, people are looking for food that is really fresh and that tastes great. At farmers’ markets, they can be sure that they are buying direct from a local producer, someone who has grown, gathered or raised the food that s/he is selling. Consumers are looking for a more human shopping experience, a chance to touch something real, something from the earth. People also love the sense of excitement at markets, and the feeling of community – markets are public places where you can encounter your friends and neighbors, listen to local musicians, drink a cup of coffee, and just hang out in the open air.

Albuquerque Downtown Market: Sat-, 7-11am 8th & Central at Robinson Park 480-6943

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Best of all perhaps, the money spent at farmers’ markets supports the region’s farmers, and goes right back into the local economy. A lively farming economy keeps New Mexico farming traditions alive, and keeps our river valleys verdant and lush.

Farmers’ markets are in full swing right now across New Mexico, with peak of the season crops like vineripe tomatoes, sweet corn and melons. See the list below to find the market nearest you, or, for a complete state directory, check the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association’s web site at www.farmersmarketsnm.org, or call toll-free, 1-888-983-4400.

Albuquerque Growers' Market: Sat & Tues, 7am-12pm Caravan E. parking lot, 7605 Central NE 869-5203 Corrales Growers' Market: Sun & Wed, Sun 9am-noon; Wed 4-7pm, Corrales Recreation Center, 500 Jones Rd 899-5266

Bernalillo Farmers' Market: Fri, 4-7pm 282 Camino del Pueblo in Bernalillo 550-0234 Cedar Crest Farmers’ Market: Wed, 3-7pm Cedar Crest Ctr, 12127 N Hwy 14 281-2036 South Valley Growers' Assoc: Sat, 7:30-11:30am Cristo Del Valle Presb Church, 3907 Isleta SW 877-4044

Village of Los Ranchos Growers' Market Sat, 7-11am (May-Sep); 8-11am (Oct) City Hall, 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW 890-2799 Gallup Area: Gallup Farmers’ Market: Sat, 9am-12pm Downtown walkway off Coal Ave, 863-5329 Ramah Farmers’ Market: Sat, 10am-1pm Ramah Café Parking Area on Hwy 53 783-4704 Santa Fe Area: Santa Fe Farmers' Market: Sat& Tues 7am-noon; Thurs 3pm-dusk, Sat & Tues - in the Railyard off Guadalupe; Thurs at Rodeo Grounds 983-4098 Pojoaque Valley Farmers’ Market: Wed 4-7:30pm Off Hwy 285 next to the Poeh Pueblo Cultural Center.

501-4504

SPECIAL EVENTS at the FARMERS’ MARKETS DON’T MISS THEM! August 13 Los Ranchos Growers’ Market Cooking in the Village with Guest Chef, Jennifer James, of Graze August 14 Corrales Growers’ Market – Tractor Show and Tour of Corrales Farms August 27 Silver City Farmers’ Market – Best Tasting Salsa Contest September 10 Los Ranchos Growers’ Market Beans, Chile & Corn – guest chef September 24, 25 Corrales Growers’ Market Harvest Festival September 24 Silver City Farmers’ Market Best Tasting Apple Pie Contest

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GROWERS!

harvest time is here 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: 505-217-2001 General Manager: C.E. Pugh x113 ce@lamontanitacoop.com Accounting/Toni Fragua x102 Business Development/Steve Watts x114 Computers/Info Technology/ Interim: Mark Bieri x108 Human Resources/Sharret Rose x107 Marketing/Edite Cates x104 Membership/Robyn Seydel x105 Store Team Leaders: Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631 John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 William Prokopiack/Santa Fe 984-2852 Tim Hankins/Gallup 863-5383 Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Treasurer: Ken O’Brien Secretary: Julie Hicks Roger Eldridge John Kwait Tamara Saimons Andrew Stone Tom Hammer 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 website: www.lamontanitacoop.org Copyright © 2005 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission.

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

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

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT

2

The Farm to School Program of

Far m to Table

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oor eating, sedentary lifestyles, overweight these are all part of the newest big concern of health providers, the media, and just plain folks from around the nation. And especially as these risk behaviors are affecting children. Approximately 28% of children in the country and in New Mexico are overweight or obese or at risk for overweight. This has now been declared as the first generation that will live fewer years than their parents. Eating in an unhealthy way affects discipline and the ability to learn in schools. Nutrition-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease are being seen in a younger and younger population. New Mexico’s existing Farm to School Programs are attempting to alter this trend by providing local nutritious foods at schools and an educational background that encourages children to eat these healthy foods.

Project Overview - Project Goals The Farm to School Program of Farm to Table has been operational since 2001. It formerly focused only on educational activities in classrooms, the farmers’ market and on field trips. In recent years further work has be done to directly link farmers, their fresh foods and the meals in school cafeterias. Federal leg-

his family. The child who helps bag potatoes at the food bank can develop a greater understanding of those who do not have enough to eat. Similarly, handson learning has been shown to increase retention many times over. We have picked apples and made cider, visited a goat milk dairy and made soap, helped to make compost out of chicken manure and straw, and planted potatoes. The children who have had these experiences know now that a farmer is not a faraway construct but a real person living nearby and that the food they grow is good to eat. All programs are provided at no cost to the schools.

Specific goal - Within the next year, the Program would like to introduce at least 250 schoolchildren to the world of farming and healthy eating through classroom education and field trips.

Developing action to encourage healthy eating in schools We have found that the most effective way to engage children in eating healthy fresh foods is through education combined with the foods that are served in their cafeterias. This is accomplished in several ways. Over the last 3 years we have partnered with NM Department of Agriculture, the Santa Fe School District, and other organizations to develop a program in which local farmers sell fresh fruits and vegetables for school meal programs. Since then, we have been connecting New Mexico farmers with other school districts like Albuquerque. Over 100,000 children now have access to healthy NM produce.

getting local food into schools islation has been passed to assist communities throughout the nation to develop Farm to School Programs, with, as of yet, no appropriated funding. Even so, there are about 400 programs in 25 states at this time, working mostly on a shoestring.

Programs and organizations (such as Farm to Table) in New Mexico have been recognized nationally as leaders in this work.

Direct Education for Schoolchildren We bring farmers, ranchers, nutritionists and other community teachers into the classroom. The goal is to create awareness of the story of food. Where does it come from? Who grows it? What does it take to grow a plant? Why should we care what we eat? What are healthy foods? Many times these classroom sessions are the beginnings of awareness of this most important of biological processes while teaching healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

We teach subjects that are within the educational standards that are required: science, math, history and literacy, all around the subject of food, farming, and healthy eating practices. The beekeeper teaches about the science of insects and how honey is made, the farmer teaches about the water cycle and provides variety tastings of fresh produce, the rancher teaches about the land’s carrying capacity and New Mexico history, the nutritionist teaches about healthy eating and appreciation of fresh foods. These people and more bring this basic necessity to life so children can really understand why it is important and enjoyable to eat healthfully.

We have developed several fresh snack programs.

Last fall, we provided two schools in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, 300 and 500 school population respectively, with midmorning snacks, tasty fruits from local farms. A similar project is starting this fall at Valle Vista Elementary School in the Atrisco neighborhood of Albuquerque. This is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 1000 Friends of New Mexico, APS School Food Service, the school, the parents, the Vecinos del Bosque Neighborhood Association and Farm to Table. We will provide farmfresh snacks for 500 students as well as a weekly education and activity sheet (in Spanish and English) for classroom use and for the students to share with their families. We also partner with agencies to provide technical assistance to farmers, specifically in the development of season extension structures so that they can grow foods and provide them during the school season.

Specific goals - We have been working with the Santa Fe and Albuquerque school districts. We would like to help establish farm to school programs in at least two rural communities in the next year. We want to see 5 more farms begin selling to school districts.

Target Population choolchildren: The majority of people affected by our programs are children at the K through 6th level. We also take part in career days and specific classroom teaching for older students. A change in a district’s school food policies affects all grade levels. We will continue to work in the Santa Fe (30,000 children) and Albuquerque (87,000 children) school districts.

Two additional communities which are rural in nature are targeted in next year’s planning. There are some communities that have shown interest, but they are not firmed up at this time.

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School Food Service Personnel: School food service will have the opportunity to become more educated on the production of fresh produce, who can provide it, and perhaps different ways of preparing more nutritious meals for the children in their charge.

Farmers from rural areas throughout the state will have access to new markets for their produce. In these days of loss of farms and farmland and a shrinking percentage of food costs that go to farmers, having the consistent market of their local school districts is a great opportunity. Working with season extension will increase their profits while allowing them to contribute positively to their communities.

by Le Adams, Farm to School Program Director Farm to Table, ladams@cybermesa.com

Our experience shows that field trips to farms and other foodrelated locations are very instructional. The child who picks the broccoli will definitely eat it. And even better, share it with

Calling all Santa Feans....

WANT to REDUCE YOUR FOOD COSTS? Volunteer for your Coop and Receive 18% off on your groceries!

We need help with newsletter distribution around town. Go to your favorite haunts, drop off the Free Coop Connection News around town and get to shop at the Coop in Santa Fe at an 18% discount. If you are a Health Care Provider: Participate in our Staff Wellness program. For every treatment you give to one of our staff members you can shop at the Coop for one week, as many times as you like at an 18% discount. There are other opportunities as well. For info contact Robyn at memb@lamontanitacoop.com.

august 2005

harvest time is here

Or ganic Milk Enforce Organic Regulations!

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ore and more consumers every day are willing to pay a premium for organic milk, in many cases twice the price of conventional, because they believe in the ethics of the hard-working folks that produce it.

sustaining the

organic ethic

“They think they are investing their family’s food budget in a different kind of environmental/farming ethic, a different kind of animal husbandry ethic, and a different kind of social-justice ethic,” said Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst at The Cornucopia Institute. Many organic milk customers have been outraged when they find that some brands of organic milk come from “factory farms” with as many as 5000 cows in confinement conditions. They’re upset because this is not the vision of environmental farming they associate with organics. “High production, abbreviated life spans, and confinement are not what they want to financially support. And they want profits to go back to family-scale farm families—not rich corporate investors, Kastel added.

And, in addition to the large factory farms that are operating in Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, and California, reports are coming in about new conversions in Texas, Indiana, and possibly the East. One picture is worth a thousand words—to view a photo gallery of the two largest “organic” factory farms in the country visit Cornucopia's Web site: www.cornucopia.org.

Organic family farmers fear that unless the USDA starts enforcing the organic regulations, including the requirement for pasturing dairy cows, it is just a matter of time before large corporate-dominated confinement operations flood the market with enough milk to drive prices down—and drive families off the land. This happened in conventional dairies, and history looks likely to repeat itself.

The USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is now considering cracking down on the handful of large farms abusing the trust of the consumer and putting family dairy producers at a competitive disadvantage. During the first half of this year support for the new rules has been overwhelming: This spring, at the last meeting of the NOSB, more organic farmers than ever before came to Washington, from all over the country, to make their voices heard in support of pasture enforcement. The NOSB passed a “draft” guidance document, with real teeth, and put it out for comment from the public. At this meeting the NOSB also received thousands of letters and petition signatures in support of the farmer’s position from consumers across the country.

This May, The Cornucopia Institute conducted a survey of organic dairy farmers from coast to coast to gauge their support for the stricter rule guidance. Farmers voiced their support of the new strong enforcement tool by a whopping 93%!

Also in May the NOSB collected public comments regarding the draft document by mail and e-mail. Farmers from around the country chimed in 10 to 1 in support of the guidance draft. And once again, comments from consumers were 100% in support of grazing. No doubt, farmers and consumers have made their feelings on this issue perfectly clear.

Consumers know that there is an extra margin of safety associated with organic dairy products since they are produced without genetically engineered hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs. And the feed consumed by the cows is produced without highly toxic synthetic chemicals. But more and more astute consumers are also aware of the fact that organic milk contains elevated levels of beneficial antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and CLA—and that’s in organic milk produced on farms that pasture their animals. If farmers want to retain the respect and patronage of the organic consumer, they must deliver the quality products buyers expect—and produced in the ecologically sustainable manner that they assume is inherent in organic production.

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he large corporate players in organic dairy are digging in their heels.

“Promoting the development of organic dairy across the United States—this must be paramount in any guidance statement,” Clark Driftmier of Aurora Organic Dairy wrote to the NOSB. Like other mega-dairies in the arid West who sell some or all of their milk to the Horizon brand, they have continued to claim that it would be “unfair” to crack down on organic dairies that have been developed where pasturing animals is not economically practicable.

In fact, large corporations are continuing to look to add additional factory farms as an acute shortage of organic milk persists.

Together, farmers and consumers have built the organic industry into a $15 billion marketplace. “Some large corporations are now looking to cash in on the good name that organic food has earned in the eyes of the consumer. Our challenge is to make sure that if they play in this arena, that they play by the same rules as everyone else,” Kastel stated.

One of the farmers from Pennsylvania who answered the Cornucopia survey said: “I highly encourage you to treat the big dairies the same as the small. If I would put my cows on a dry lot you would shut me down. Please treat us all equally!”

All eyes in the organic dairy industry will be on Washington, D.C., at the next meeting of the NOSB in August, looking to see if the tough proposed language cracking down on pasture abuse is adopted. Cornucopia's Kastel stated, "Although we will continue to work with the USDA to make sure that they do the ‘right thing,’ there is a higher authority on this controversy—the organic consumers. They have the power and the last word on this matter.”

by Will Fantle, Research Director for Wisconsin’s Cornucopia Institute

In Praise of Resilience

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he richly-hued organic fruits and vegetables we see at market, full of vitality, tell us nary a tale about the rest of the farmer’s story. Nor does the price charged for organic produce speak to us of just what happened for the farmer that year in growing food. To know more of the details inspires respect for organic growers as among the most resilient of species.

Stories from several local organic farmers at the Downtown Growers’ Market about this year’s growing conditions described ever new possibilities in the variations of growth patterns. Weather and climactic conditions were less than salutary in several respects. The unusual rainfall during the winter gave many insects an auspicious kick off: flea beetles took off, leaving at times entire crops of arugula, bok choy, turnip greens, etc. chewed out like discarded old lace. The overgrown mustard weed attracted legions of cinch bugs, which chew at the roots and trunks of plants. If you noticed a lot of moths this year – those moths were once caterpillars, churning their way through their favorite meals. Leaf hoppers, which spread the curly top virus to beets, chard, tomatoes, etc., and cucumber beetles, also thrived.

A winter hail storm destroyed the ‘starts’ (baby plants) just set outdoors by several farmers. Another farmer lost 3000 starts when they were not watered for 4 days at the greenhouse where they were incubating. Chickens found the winter dampness inhospitable and growth came to a standstill. The winter rain also melted and packed the soil into adobe-like compactness, making it a struggle for young plants and seeds to sprout and root. Late frosts decimated many of the peach, apricot, and plum blossoms. Unusual cool weather in May and June made for generally slower growth of produce.

Socio-economic factors such as those that might affect businesses in general impacted the farmer’s life in ever new ways. The marked increase in the price of

august 2005

gas not only made transporting food more expensive, but also made operating farm machinery considerably more costly. One farmer lost several of his help at the same time, necessitating his working long hours to keep up.

Another farmer lost 150 chickens to neighborhood dogs.

In some areas irrigation systems were run with ditch water, which sits longer and becomes more alkaline, instead of river water; the resultant salts in the water hindered plant growth (at times some of the larger decisions which impact farming may be out of the farmers’ hands).

So why do farmers do it and how do they do it?

Clearly, high on the list is attitude. As to the conditions this year, one farmer said, “Every year is difficult; it’s a matter of working with it.” That may be key: working with. Just as the essence of organic is life, working ‘with’ espouses the philosophy of being ‘for’ rather than ‘against’: the sense that all life is part of life, that all players are part of the picture; and that the whole picture may be larger than our immediate thinking minds can grasp. In meeting Nature where she’s at, it’s “Learn as you grow,” as one farmer put it so aptly. “You don’t ‘get somewhere’ with the learning; it’s a lifelong thing, to keep on learning.” Another farmer who was especially hard hit by the bugs turned around what could have been only losses mourned to appreciation for how much he had learned from that. Variation is part and parcel of life’s striving to be ever more adaptive; and so

the need to be ever flexible, accepting and willing to move with the current and to let go of what didn’t work out, freeing up energy for the living.

And so the tomato starts were restarted, the turnips were turned under and replanted. A way was found to lift entire colonies of chickens off the ground until the damp ground could dry. Squash bugs were watched vigilantly. Plantings were timed to avoid the peak of their predators’ life cycles. Covers were used to keep away many predatory insects that fly in. Fields of chili that wouldn’t make it were plowed under. When a majority of the year’s crop was lost with the neglected starts, other skills for saleable wares (jewelry, batik, etc.) were engaged. One farm had guinea fowl on their land, which need no feeding due to their opportunely selective appetite for tics, grasshoppers, moths, and all manner of insects that devour garden plants (but not for the plants themselves).

The love of the earth, respect and appreciation of Nature’s ways, the pleasure of vitality in food, bring the farmer back each year to experience the discoveries of a new life cycle. The stimulation of learning, the delight of watching things grow, an optimistic approach, and a loving and supportive family life carry farmers through the times of difficulty. Those who take up the creative challenge of growing fine food for us give us much to thank them for.

by Mary Grube

3

back to

school

Schools, Soda and O b e s i t y

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ccording to the USDA, the per capita soft-drink consumption has increased almost 500% over the past 50 years. Soft drinks include soda, fruit-flavored and part-juice drinks and sports drinks. Half of all Americans consume soft drinks daily—most of which are sugar- or corn syrup sweetened. Soda is the soft drink most frequently consumed. Enough regular soda is produced to supply EVERY American with over 14 ounces of soda every day and the availability of soda in the U.S. now exceeds that of milk.

Health Concerns Mount This is a growing concern for children and adolescents with ever increasing numbers of young people suffering from obesity. Children start drinking soda at a remarkably young age and consumption increases through young adulthood. Fifty-six percent of 8-year-olds consume soft drinks daily and a third of teenage boys drink at least three cans of soda a day. On average, adolescents get 11% of their calories from soft drinks.

ry that alleged that Cokes caffeine content was dangerous to children, Coca-Cola has maintained a policy of avoiding using children younger than the age of 12 in any of its advertising. However, in recent times, this has not stopped the company from targeting young consumers. Exclusive deals with school districts is one way in which soft drink companies have marketed to our children. To under-funded public schools, the promise of hundreds of thousands of dollars looks like a sweet deal. But the cost to our children’s health is causing parents, teachers and public officials to call for school soda bans.

Although the contracts differ from district to district the overall theme remains the same. Benjamin Wikler and Rebecca Dilley wrote in an article published in the The

The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.

One reason for the increasing consumption of soft drinks is that the industry has steadily increased container sizes. In the 1950s, a 6 1/2-ounce bottle was the standard serving. That grew into the 12-ounce can that contained from 913 teaspoons of sugar, those are now being replaced by 20-ounce bottles.

Today teenagers are drinking twice as much soda as milk.

The Health Effects of Soft Drink Consumption According to the 2001 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Obesity, today there are nearly twice as many overweight children and almost three times as many overweight adolescents as there were in1980.

When children and adolescents replace milk with soft drinks, they lose out on valuable nutrients needed for normal growth and development. Only 36% of boys and 14% of girls are getting enough calcium. High soft-drink consumption is also correlated with low intakes of magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C and riboflavin, as well as high intakes of calories, fat and carbohydrates.

Low calcium intake contributes to osteoporosis, a disease leading to fragile and broken bones. The risk of osteoporosis depends in part on how much bone mass is built in early life. For girls, 92% of their bone mass is built by age 18 and if they are not consuming enough calcium during their teenage years, they cannot catch up later. (Portions of this section were excerpted from the North Carolina School Nutrition Action Committee Report.)

Yellow Press, August 1997 (Vol. II, No. 1) on the contract with the Madison, Wisconsin school district, “The CocaCola Corporation is not a charity. Besides giving Coca-Cola access to a captive audience of kids and teachers (none of whom had any say in the deal), the three-year contract opened the door to future corporate influence in our public schools.”

“The deal works like this: the School Board gets $100,000 up front ( in Madison; hundreds of thousands more in other school districts) for monopoly privileges — that’s the only money that really comes from Coca-Cola. The next $515,000 is an advance on money that has come, in effect, from our pockets, in the form of soda sales. To make the hoped-for $1.4 million, high school and middle students around Madison would have to buy $3.5 million worth of soda — the school district only keeps 40% of it. That amounts to every one of the approximately 13,000 high school and middle school students in the Madison school

district buying a 50-cent can of soda in school every single day for the next three years. That’s $270 per kid.”

Although schools account for less than 1 percent of Coke sales in North America, the critical aspect for the soft drink corporations is to keep a foothold in schools, one of their best marketing venues for the next generation of carbonated-drink consumers. Also, beverage companies fear school bans will send the message that sodas are bad for kids, which could affect sales more broadly.

Reversing the Trend Well-nourished children have higher test scores, better school attendance and fewer behavioral problems. The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) recommends that elementary school students not have access to food or beverages in vending machines. The recommendation for middle and high schools provides two options: 1) no access during school hours or 2) no access until 30 minutes after the last lunch period. Many middle/junior and high schools have employed strategies for limiting the sale of foods and beverages from vending machines. These include: Keep all vending machines turned off during regular school hours. • Keep the machines off until the end of the last lunch period. • Prohibit the sale of “foods of minimal nutritional value” until 30 minutes after the last lunch period. • Prohibit the sale of soft drinks until the end of the school day. • Place vending machines in outof-the-way places to discourage their frequent use.

The Madison, Wisconsin School Board decided not to renew an exclusive vending contract with the Coca Cola company. The board voted to continue selling soda in schools but with multiple vendors. It also pledged to add healthier beverages. A milk vending machine was installed at each of the four main high schools. Four flavors of milk are available: chocolate, chocolate malt, reduced-fat white and reduced-fat strawberry. The milk and juice machines stay on all day, while most of the soda machines are disabled during school hours. While there were many skeptics, the schools now struggle to keep the milk vending machines stocked.

Soda and Schools Across the nation schools and legislatures are struggling with soda sales to our children. Due to the increasing evidence that links soda to obesity in youth, battles are raging in state capitols and legislatures, including Louisiana, Oregon, Connecticut, New Jersey and North Carolina just to name a few. Bills on school nutrition have been proposed in 38 states this year, New Mexico among them, and 14 have passed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association estimates that 98% of all U.S. high schools have soft drink vending machines.

For soft drink giants, much is at stake beyond the quarters kids drop into school vending machines. After a lawsuit during the early part of the 20th centu-

healthy

drinks

In Miami-Dade County in Florida, a pilot program of the dairy industry , school vending machines dispense colorful and re-sealable bottles of chocolate, strawberry and unflavored regular and low-fat milk for $1.00. The initial response exceeded expectations. Machines run out of milk almost daily. The machines are placed next to or near soda and snack vending machines. For information contact: The School Nutrition Action Committee at: SNAC@ncmail.net.

by Robyn Seydel

between the words: in search of a visual lyricism

August 5–30 Reception: Friday, August 19 5 – 8:30 PM HARWOOD

ART

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

CENTER

KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME 4

august 2005

back to

school during the brain’s sensitive development time in childhood, may harm this system.

The Damaging Effects

of Child Abuse

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here's no doubt that child abuse has serious consequences.

The effects, however, may be even worse than you think. An increasing amount of research indicates that severe maltreatment at an early age can create an enduring negative influence on a child's developing brain. The findings highlight the seriousness of childhood abuse and may lead to increased prevention efforts as well as new approaches for treatment.

A twisted arm. No food. Rape. It’s heartbreaking to think about.

Almost 900,000 children faced some form of abuse or neglect in 2000, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Clearly these actions have serious consequences, but the extent and nature of the effects were unclear. Now, an increasing amount of research indicates that while physical wounds often heal over time, severe maltreatment at an early age can create an enduring, harmful influence on a child’s developing brain.

Abuse and Brain Development As children sprout in stature over the years, so do their brains.

The cells and circuits build and refine. Researchers recently began to suspect that maltreatment might throw a stick in the gear of this sensitive time of growth and cause problems.

Although still in an early stage, when looked at altogether, several lines of study support this theory.

Evidence indicates that many maltreated children end up with mental ailments. They appear more likely than healthy individuals to experience learning problems, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition marked by intense anxiety that sometimes erupts after a horrific experience, according to some studies.

Some research shows that maltreatment may affect brain anatomy. For example, in one study researchers examined the brains of maltreated children and adolescents with PTSD. Compared with healthy individuals who never experienced abuse, those who were maltreated have smaller brain areas. Included is the cerebral cortex and prefrontal cortex, which help carry out complex actions; the corpus callosum, which helps the two sides of the brain communicate; as well as the temporal lobes and the amygdala, areas thought to be involved with emotion and memory. Research also finds that a memory area, the hippocampus, is smaller in adult survivors of abuse with PTSD. Although still under investigation, it's possible that experiencing maltreatment during youth harms overall brain development and helps spur the ailments that seem to be common in these individuals. It’s possible that maltreated children are born with the smaller structures, but many scientists suspect that the finding signals that abuse harms brain development. And these developmental issues may help spur the disorders common in abused and neglected children.

The Stress of Maltreatment At the root of these problems may be the stress associated with maltreatment. When we experience a stressful situation, our brain’s stress system activates a slew of biological actions. This helpful response prepares our body to fight or flee.

However, perpetual or intense stress, especially

In fact, research that measures various stress molecules finds that sometimes they are out of whack in maltreated children and adult survivors. In one example, young rodents separated from their moms for a few hours each day, a source of significant stress, show signs that as adults their stress system does not work properly. The altered stress system may trigger other problems.

Extremely stressful situations appear to cause brain cell death in rodents and may do so in humans as well. In addition, infant monkeys raised individually have a smaller corpus callosum. This collection of fibers that connects the two halves of the brain also was found to be smaller in some maltreated children.

O

n the positive side, researchers also are examining maltreated children who do not seem to suffer from mental ailments and function fine in life. They want to know if a person’s genetic makeup, a teacher’s support or other factors could play a role. Of course, researchers say that the best solution is to prevent maltreatment from occurring in the first place.

For more information please contact Leah Ariniello, Science Writer, Society for Neuroscience, 11 Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 500, Washington DC, 20036.

REPORTING CHILD ABUSE IN NM: In New Mexico everyone is mandated by law to report child abuse,neglect or exploitation. To report call 1-800-797-3260 or in the Albuquerque Area call 841-6100

Arts Organizations that Support Children!

Santa Fe’s

Fine Arts for K i d s & Te e n s Fine Arts for Children & Teens (FACT) is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit organization committed to introducing young people to the power of art making and wonder of the creative process. Most programs focus on bringing arts learning opportunities to underserved, at-risk youth. “We know from 15 years of experience that art making is an engaging, integrative process that teaches positive communication, problem-solving, literacy, awareness, and lifelong learning skills,” states FACT executive director, Julia Bergen.

FACT provides innovative visual-arts classes to young people ages four to 21 in and around Northern New Mexico regardless of financial circumstance. Public school programs in Santa Fe and Española bring rigorous arts learning to elementary school age children that blend the arts with academic subjects to make learning more engaging and fun while helping children succeed in school. Community outreach partnerships with Outside In serving incarcerated youth and with Juntos los Jueves serving homeless youth have enabled the organization to reach audiences and populations that do not have access to art programs. FACT’s ARTbarn community studio classes open to the public serve children and youth throughout the year (see fall schedule below).

In addition to providing hands-on art classes, FACT offers students the opportunity to exhibit their work in public exhibitions throughout the year. Exhibits further strengthen student self-confidence and remind the community about the important value the arts have for children’s learning and for a community’s health.

FACT’s Summer 2005 student exhibit will be held on Friday, September 9 from 5-7pm at the ARTbarn, 1516 Pacheco Street.

Please join us in celebrating artists’ work from classes held at FACT’s ARTbarn, the Genoveva Chavez Community Center Summer Camp, Outside In Youth with Promise Program at the Santa Fe County Youth Development Program (Detention Center), and the

Albuquerque’s Pearls of Antilles Community Program Offers Youth Classes “The youth, the youth” the community cries out. “They’re confused, restless, and sort-of lost out here. What are the values that we want for them and what are the values that society is putting in front of them?”

These questions have been asked for ages, yet our younger generation is a phenomenal generation all their own. They’re exquisite, full of heart and despite an increasingly decadent society, ever so pure. Where and how are these extraordinary children learning to relate to life in today’s world? Needed are avenues of safe selfexpression, avenues to experience that it is ok to be who

august 2005

they are, avenues to feel that self-respect and respect of others is one of the highest universal spiritual values.

They need avenues to experience that it’s ok to love and be loved. They need opportunity for positive actions and interactions with people, friends and society to empower their ability to choose a genuinely wholesome and uplifting life. They need more ways to experience the preciousness of life.

To provide the opportunity to learn positive ways to understand and deal with the challenges and hurts of life is one of the greatest gifts we can give our future generations.

Santa Fe Public School Homeless Program, Juntos los Jueves.

Refreshments, music and other artistic surprises!

Fall classes at the ARTbarn at 1516 Pacheco Street teach visual art skills such as painting, drawing and sculpting through a different age-appropriate project each day. For example, young artists might learn about realistic drawing and color-mixing by observing, drawing and then painting a fun fruit still-life with acrylic paint on canvas. Or teen artists might learn about figure drawing by directly observing a model and rendering the figure on paper with charcoal. Each 6-week session costs $150 and includes a nutritious snack and all materials. Need-based scholarships are available. Call (505) 992-2787 or e-mail info@factsantafe.org to register or request a scholarship.

Ages 6-8: Wednesday 3:30-5:30pm Session I Sept. 21-Oct. 26 • Session II Nov. 2-Dec. 14 Ages 9-12: Thursday 3:30-5:30pm Session I Sept. 22-Oct. 27 • Session II Nov. 3-Dec. 15 Ages 13-18, Tuesday 4:00-6:00pm Session I Sept. 27-Nov. 1 • Session II Nov. 8-Dec. 13

For these reasons, The Pearls of the Antilles Community Courses (PACC) offers classes in drawing, painting, Caribbean dance, drumming, photography, Capoeria, pottery, Spanish, sign language, jewelry/craft and poetic performance. These courses provide an outlet for youth to experience multicultural, ethnic, social and spiritual expression through the avenues of visual and creative arts. One of the main goals at The Pearls of Antilles is to provide creative tools and programs to enhance community cooperation, promote artistic expression, cultural appreciation and the opportunity to learn positive ways to understand and deal with the challenges of life in a context of higher universal values.

For more information about The Pearls of Antilles PACC program, call: Emmanuelle at 505-315-5341. email: truth sainte@yahoo.com or Ken @ 505- 907-6927.Or come and visit us: 3716 Central Ave. SE (2 blocks east of Carlisle).

5

co-op news LOCAL SALE ITEMS SHOP LOCAL & SAVE Seeds of Change Santa Fe, NM Organic Frozen Entrées, 11 oz, Sale $3.99, Organic Dressing, 13 oz, Sale $2.69, Organic Salsa, 16 oz, Sale $3.99, Organic Pilaf Mixes, 5.6 oz, Sale 2/$5

Tijeras Organic Alchemy Albuquerque, NM Clary Sage & Cucumber Shampoo or Conditioner, 4 oz, Sale $5.99, 12 oz, Sale $7.99

505 Organics Albuquerque, NM Organic Green Chile Enchilada Sauce or Salsa 16oz, Assorted varieties, Sale 2/$7

Fano Bread Company Albuquerque, NM Green Chile Cheese Rolls, 24 oz, Sale $4.99 VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 8/3-8/30, 2005: Not all

items available at all stores.

COOP SPECIALS BUY LOCAL SAVE $$$$

New Member Appreciation Special!

Beginning Aug. 15th all new and renew members (Lifetime members too!) get three $5 gift certificates to enjoy lunch or dinner at Scalo’s. One set of coupons per household membership, and one coupon per outing to Scalos please. Check out their seasonally changing menus with lots of local, organic produce at www.scalonobhill.com.

RUN FOR THE CO-OP’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS DATES TO REMEMBER Nominations: August 15-October 1, 2005 Oct. 23, 2005: Annual Membership Meeting Hear reports from our Board, General Manager and meet the candidates. At Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across Carlisle from the Nob Hill Co-op.

Nov. 1-14, 2005: Voting Period Members: your ballot will be mailed to your home.

Call 217-2001 ext. 105 for more information

Participate in your community! email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com

YOUR COOP NEEDS YOU!

august 2005 6

Local Product Spotlight:

Or ganic Wheat!

Grown and Soon Milled in New Mexico

W

hen you think about buying “local” your thoughts probably turn to produce, and this time of year it’s a great thing not only to think about but to indulge in. But don’t stop there.

We’re extremely lucky here in New Mexico that we also have access to something not often associated with local: fresh, organic whole wheat flour. The wheat to produce that flour is right now flourishing under the bright northern New Mexico sun.

Last month, school lunch food and corporate buyers, state agencies and non-profits serving agriculture, county extension agents and local farmers got to see this wheat as part of a tour hosted by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. At a farm between Costilla and Questa, and literally in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, we stopped to talk to farmers from the Sangre de Cristo Agricultural Producers Cooperative. This co-op has been producing organic wheat (certified by the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission) for ten years now, and if you buy bulk organic flour at La Montanita co-op, chances are you’ve had a taste of this wonderful local flour.

This year the wheat co-op hopes to produce more than 400,000 pounds of organic wheat, a big increase over the 60,000 pounds produced the first year. But the growth hasn’t always been easy. As we walked through the grain we were told that over the past few years drought has been a big hurdle for the wheat farmers.

Just getting enough precipitation to germinate the crop was a problem. This year however, nature supplied generous amounts of snow and rain and the crop was knee-high and the field lush.

The wheat project has made a big difference in the lives of the farmers who live in rural Taos County where nearly 21 percent of the people live below the poverty line.

Each of the participants has added about $12,000/year to their family income from the co-op and the project has revitalized agriculture in the Costilla Valley. This fall the co-op is going to take another big step toward self-sufficiency; they are going to begin milling their own wheat into flour. In the past the flour has been shipped to an

organic mill in Dawn, Texas. This spring a mill was purchased with the help of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. There are still some problems to solve: a location for the mill and a source of power for it. But the co-op is confident the mill is going to be up and running this fall, just in time for this year’s harvest.

The mill will give the farmers more control over their product, an opportunity to develop new products, and will keep money now spent on shipping and milling in the Costilla Valley where it will create new jobs. And of course, it will mean that you and I will have the freshest possible organic flour for our holiday baking.

So, as you’re shopping for local organic products, don’t forget the flour! You’ll find it in the bulk bins under the Sangre de Cristo label.

by Joanie Quinn, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, joan.quinn@ state. nm.us

Photo by Brett Bakker: In the early years of the wheat coop the grain was irrigated off the local acequia. This year most of the wheat is under a center pivot like the one shown here irrigating alfalfa on Sangre de Cristo member Victor Mascarenas’s farm.

locally g ro w n !

Local Pr oduct Spotlight Sunrise Juice: Made for New Mexicans by New Mexicans t Sunrise Juice they pride themselves in being the ONLY orange juice in New Mexico that can call itself 100% fresh squeezed. They have been squeezing juice for Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Taos for the past 8 years.

A

straight 100% fresh squeezed OJ. No additives, no preservatives, no processing, no cooking, no freezing, no pasteurization, no artificial anything.

Buy it fresh daily and drink it fresh to get the full benefit of its fresh squeezed flavor and nutrients.

When you put a "big name" orange juice in your shopping cart, you can bet it has been processed, diluted with water, filled with additives, and processed again, not to mention frozen or reconstituted. Today most of the "natural" big name brands are now owned by multinational corporations. Sunrise Juice is owned and operated by New Mexicans for New Mexicans.

Each day they send their fruit buyers into the fields of California to select the best grove oranges. They load them into refrigerated trucks and bring them directly to Santa Fe. Sunrise Juice's manufacturing plant is located off Siler Road in Santa Fe. Within hours the oranges are squeezed into fresh orange juice, hand bottled, and brought to our Coop stores. If you haven't had fresh juice in a while you'll notice the difference in taste and texture.

FDA rules allow you to say "fresh" only if you DO NOT process. With Sunrise Juice you get

locally

produced

While it is more expensive than the other corporate brands, about a dime more a glass, we think you will appreciate the quality of it. And you will also have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting our local economy by purchasing a product made in New Mexico.

Enzymes are essential to the human body for fuel, processing and injury repair. Our bodies manufacture some living enzymes but not all that are needed and not in the required quantities. Fresh, raw foods provide the missing enzymes we need.

Drinking fresh juice is the perfect way to get some of your enzymatic needs met.

Choose Sunrise Juice at both Coop locations and support a locally owned and operated business.

Sunrise Juice is real food! It is healthy, delicious, wholesome, nutritious and produced locally!

co-op news

august 2005 7

the inside scoop

by C.E. PUGH

General Manager’s Column The August Board of Director’s meeting will be held in Santa Fe on Tuesday, August 16th at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Cloud Cliff Bakery located at 1805 Second Street. We hope our Santa Fe members will join us and take this opportunity to participate in the governance of La Montanita.

We have completed an external, third party staff survey and the results indicate significant improvement in staff satisfaction since our last external survey two years ago. Changes noted by the survey consultant from two years ago include: • Improved pay rates and appreciation for the living wage.

• Improved process for determining pay increases.

• More timely evaluations.

• Improved opportunities for staff input.

• Increased understanding of cooperatives.

• Everyone working towards the same organizational goals.

• Improved opportunities for advancement.

• Continued pride in departments with good co-worker relations.

• Continued efficient and safe operations.

• Our workplace remains free of discrimination and harassment.

Some recommendations for us from our survey consultant included: • Fully integrate the Santa Fe staff more into the Co-op.

• Keep sending the message on our pay increase process.

• Continue to stress the importance of local production.

•Continue the living wage and re-calculate and adjust annually.

• Continue training in handling staff performance problems.

• Review allocation of labor in several departments.

Staff member written comments included: • I feel more pride in the co-op now.

• Systems have become more efficient and we are a more professional organization.

• Management is giving us more feedback and information.

• People are more positive about working here.

• My job at La Montanita is a rewarding and positive experience.

Staff member written comments indicating areas of opportunity: • The annual goals need to be made clearer to everyone.

• I feel I have to defend La Montanita against having a pretentious attitude.

• The publications focus too much on the Nob Hill store.

• Certain employees are “bad seed” yet they never get fired.

• We could do more to involve staff in decisions.

• Some communication happens after the fact.

• The wage gap between longer term and shorter term staff members is shrinking.

• In new hire orientations, the videos are generic and cheesy.

• Make the stores feel more connected.

Calendar of Events 8/1 8/10 8/14 8/15 8/16 TBA

Social Responsibility Research Committee, 5:30pm Nob Hill Annex Member Linkage, 5:30pm Valley Coop Coffee with the Board, 10am-12pm Nob Hill location Board Candidate nominations open Board of Directors Meeting, 6:30pm Cloud Cliff Bakery, Santa Fe Finance Committee Meeting, 5pm Coop Annex

CO-OP BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL BE MEETING IN SANTA FE ON TUES., AUG. 16TH AT 6:30PM at the Cloud Cliff Bakery: 1805 2nd St. All Coop members interested in Coop Governance are encouraged to attend.

While we are grateful for the improvement in this year’s survey, we continue to have many opportunities for improvement in our leadership of La Montanita. I hope you will join me in taking every opportunity to express appreciation for the fabulous work our staff does and their sincere engagement.

Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we are doing. La Montanita is your Co-op and we greatly appreciate your input and feedback. We are grateful for your support and hope to see you soon.

C.E. Pugh

Upcoming

Letter to the Editor The other disturbing corporations on the list are those invested in by weapons producers and big oil. Why am I shopping at the Coop and not Wild Oats, I ask myself. It’s because I want to support Coop values, human values. I want to trust that the decisions being made by our buyers are consistent with those values.

Corrine Dow spent most of her life teaching school in a rural area outside of Albuquerque.

After her husband, Julian, passed away in 1996, she was diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer’s.

She was only 65 at the time. Joseph moved back into the family home to care for her shortly after his father’s death. He has been with her through the angry phase, the shopping phase, the donut

Sat. - Sept. 17th 10 AM-12 Noon $25 INTRODUCTION TO TONGUE DIAGNOSIS Presenters: Dr. Deborahlise Mota, DOM, Herbalist For more information and entire summer/fall 2005 schedule, visit our website: www.herbnerds.com

Sincerely, Judith Kidd, member since 1982

phase; has made sure she eats, bathes, and dresses; was there when she stopped walking, stopped talking, stopped lifting her arms out to him. He has been there for her every day since her diagnosis, without a day off, completely dedicated to the job of care giving. It has been especially strenuous since she became immobile five years ago. She requires round the clock care, including movement and repositioning during the day and at intervals at night, to keep her circulation good.

How is it possible to maintain this kind of regimen and to continue giving over so many years? I have asked Joseph this question many times.

A couple of the things he cites as helping him are mediation and long bike rides, which have helped him to cultivate an attitude of respect and gratitude towards his mother. He is able to see her as his teacher and bodhisatva, providing him with the opportunity to give fully of himself.

Another thing he cites as being helpful to him is having La Montanita Co-op so nearby. He says that since the Co-op opened the Valley store, he has shopped there for the majority of his groceries.

Since his bike is his only transportation, he can only carry so much at a time, but the Co-op is so close to his house, he goes there almost every day, picks up what he needs for the short term, and also gets some much needed social interaction.

Registration & Information Lomas NW

Rancho Seco St.

N

. ve lA

Corrine’s son and full-time care-giver, Joseph Dow, had invited me over for dinner. I had seen Joseph many times around the neighborhood, pushing his mother in her wheelchair or just getting back from a bike ride, and we had finally struck up a conversation at the Co-op. He talked a lot about riding his bike, his only means of transportation, and his philosophy, derived from reading and rereading Susuki’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind and spending long hours standing watch while in the Navy. He also told me about his mother.

Sat. - Aug. 27th 10 AM-12 Noon $25 NERVINES: HERBS FOR STRESS, ANXIETY & INSOMNIA Presenters: Dr. Deborahlise Mota, DOM, Herbalist & Buffy Siebel, Herbalist

ra nt Ce

I

CLASSES

I suggest a discussion of this by the board and membership. I will be happy to contribute time to it.

Valley Coop View remember the first time I stepped into the Dow house. It felt like entering into a piece of Albuquerque’s past, brick floors, white plastered walls covered with Catholic iconography, heavy vigas supporting the wood ceiling, the cool and dimly lit rooms arranged along a southern exposure. Under a large hand-carved crucifix, Corrine Dow sat in her wheelchair, her face stern and framed by the silver waves of her hair.

HERB & MEDICINE

our Coop? Do we want to drink the water that others are being deprived of?

19th St.

Dear CO-OP Connection, I am concerned after reading the letter and response about the Coop selling products owned by Coca Cola in the June issue. Although our Coop may sell products owned by some corporations and allow customers to choose, isn’t there a place to draw the line?

Vandana Shiva’s words in the May CO-OP Connection stressed the need for awareness about supporting the web of life. Coca Cola does the opposite. It has taken control of water rights in a part of India and is systematically depriving people’s needs there as it creates bottled water for the market of the privileged. There are other sources of bottled water. Why are we allowing a Darth Vader corporation to be enriched through

247-4372

FORMULATIONS Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic

1816-B Lomas NW

Albuquerque, NM 87104

As the sole care giver, he is responsible for all the household errands, which he squeezes in every day either in the morning before his mother wakes or during her afternoon nap, so there generally isn’t a lot of time for socializing. He says he is very grateful to the Co-op staff for cultivating a friendly environment so that a trip to the Coop isn’t just part of the list of errands and groceries to buy; it’s people smiling, joking, cashiers remembering your name and even your membership number.

J

oseph says he also believes that the availability of so much local and organic food has made a big difference in his mother’s health. Being able to give her good food is one of the things that keeps her appetite strong, making the work of feeding her a little easier. Her skin glows, her hair is full, and her eyes bright, signs of her good health. Of course, the availability of good food improves Joseph’s health as well, enabling him to feel strong and to continue to provide the best long-term care for Corrine.

Something as simple as having a cooperatively-owned grocery store, providing high quality food and a friendly shopping environment, located a short bike ride from most of the northwest Albuquerque neighborhoods, can affect the lives of people in the community, like Joseph and Corrine, in both fundamental and profound ways.

“What got me into shopping at the Co-op on a consistent basis was concern over my mom’s health,” Joseph says, “but now, I can’t imagine life without it.”

by Ivy Edmondson

your 2005

Co-op board answers You too can run for one of the three Board seats up for election each November. If you are interested please contact Marshall Kovitz at: bod@lamontanitacoop.com.

1. b,m 2. a,r 3. d,j 4. f,k 5. h,p 6. c,o 7. e,i 8. i,l 9. g,q

Co-op Board Co-op board your voice

elected by you

“a culture of collaboration; a shared vision of a vibrant local economy “

- Marshall Kovitz, speaking about the current board members

Board Quiz

Member Occupation

match picture of Board Member with name and factoid

term expires

a b

c

d

Tom Hammer La Monta単ita, Bulk, Nob Hill Roger Eldrige Accountant , University of New Mexico

Julie Hicks Website Managing Editor, City of Albuquerque.

Marshall Kovitz Mediator

who

j

started a local bike co-op, is the keeper of co-op history and stays focused on the purpose of co-ops.

who

k

12/05

is an avid bird watcher, a man of numbers and the family chef.

who

L

former Co-op GM who in 1987 facilitated the first Co-op expansion from a Girard storefront to the current Nob Hill location.

12/07

who

m

who has never left school and is known for his accuracy and newsletter editing skills.

12/05

who

n

is a former KUNM board member who has a soft ware biz and collects hats.

12/06

LA MONTANITA cO-OP 2005

Board OF

dIRECTORS e

f

g

h

i

John Kwait Fire Management Officer, U.S. Dept. of 12/05 Interior, BLM Ken O'Brien Controller, N M Educators Federal Credit Union 12/05 Tamara Saimons Nurse Andrew Stone Software Developer Martha Whitman Owner, Local AM Radio Station

o

p

12/07 q

12/07 r

12/06

who has a talent for playing devils advocate and is a policy governance pro?

who is a living wage activist and married to a city council member

who is in love with dark chocolate and whose partner heads up a local non profit.

who is dedicated to member voice in co-op governance, active in a number of social organizations and works with Nob Hill Co-op staff.

garden

fresh

FRESH FABULOUS ORGANIC SHOP YOUR CO-OP

august 2005 10

totally

1 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. black pepper

delicious

12 oz tempeh, cut into 2 inch cubes 3c. tomatoes, chopped 3 garlic cloves (minced) 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 tbsp. honey 1 tsp. mustard seeds 1/2c. balsamic vinegar 1/4c. rosemary, finely chopped Marinate tempeh for at least an hour.

Nothing tastes better than food fresh out of the garden. Not a gardener? Another option is the fresh local produce at your Coop’s produce department or farmers’ market. But what ever you do, don’t miss out on the delicious flavors of summer. Here are some recipes for inspiration.

Recipes adapted and reprinted from: www.caryn.com www.yankeegardener.com www.magezines.com www.ivillage.com www.foodreference.com www.gourmetgarden.com www.allrecipes.com Edible Flower Muffins

Los Poblanos Organics www.LosPoblanosOrganics.com

681-4060

Corn Muffins: 1/2c. organic yellow cornmeal 1 c. organic whole wheat pastry flour 1/2c.organic cane sweetener 2 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 c. tofu (soft) 1/2c. soy milk 1 Large egg, beaten 2 Tbsps butter or ghee, melted 2 cups edible flower petals 1/2 cup calendula butter Calendula Butter: 8 Tbsps (1 stick) butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup calendula petals Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease a set of muffin tins (12) or an 8 inch square baking dish.

Combine cornmeal, pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Mix well. In another bowl, mix together the tofu, soymilk, egg, and margarine.

Mix with cornmeal mixture to form a wet batter. Mix in flower petals and let the batter sit for ten minutes. Spoon batter into muffin tins, or pour into baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the muffins turn golden around the edges and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

To make the butter: Blend ingredients together in a small bowl. Use right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Roasted Tempeh with Tomato Rosemary Chutney (Vegan) Marinade: 1/4c. red wine 1/4c. tamari/soy sauce

In a 2 qt. saucepan, combine tomatoes, onion, vinegar, honey, garlic & mustard seeds. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for one hour. Stir in rosemary and set aside. Keep warm if desired.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake tempeh on non-stick baking sheet, loosely covered with foil, for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve tempeh topped with chutney. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

Classic Fresh Tomato Sauce 3 cups chopped tomatoes 1 Tbsp garlic powder 1 Tbsp onion powder 2 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried basil) 2 stems fresh oregano, chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried oregano) 2 stems fresh parsley, chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried parsley) 1/2 tsp fennel seed 1/8 tsp black pepper In a saucepan combine all sauce ingredients.

Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes or until tomatoes are soft. Serve over cooked pasta.

Serves 4.

VARIATIONS USING SAUCE: To make a hearty minestrone: Add 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of cooked macaroni, 1 cup of any vegetable or left-over vegetables such as cooked and diced carrots, green beans, celery and turn your sauce into a meal. Serve with a slice of crusty bread and cheese.

To make Chili: Add 1/2 pound cooked lean ground meat, 1 cup pinto beans, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin and one dash of Tabasco sauce. Serve in a soup bowl, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add corn chips.

Thai Vegetable Salad 4 green onions 1 Mediterranean cucumber 1 carrot 2 large red radishes 4 butter lettuce leaf cups 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped Lime and Chilli Dressing 1/3 cup peanut oil

garden

fresh

august 2005 11

4 small green zucchini squash, sliced 1/2 inch thick Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar 1 Gourmet Garden Flavours of Thailand (use 1 tablespoon of coriander (cilantro), garlic and hot chilli (hot pepper)) Juice of 1 lime

Sauce: In a bowl combine vinegar, lemon juice and shallots. Gradually add oil, whisking until thoroughly blended. Add capers, tomatoes, corn, arugula, basil and olives, tossing gently to combine. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

For dressing, combine oil, vinegar, coriander (cilantro), garlic and hot chilli (hot pepper) with lime juice in a bowl and stir to combine.

Adjust flavors. Season with black pepper.

Trim and thinly slice onion, cucumber, carrot and radish into 7cm (3inch) long matchsticks.

Place lettuce cups on a serving platter. Fill with vegetable sticks. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Spoon dressing over salads. Serves 4.

Steam squash until just tender (don't overcook!). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange on a shallow platter or bowl. Spoon sauce over top. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Spicy Eggplant

Green Bean and Potato Salad

2 large eggplants or 3 medium sized 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 lb. fresh red tomatoes, chopped 1 inch fresh ginger, grated 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 cup water Salt and pepper to taste Deep frying pan 2 - 4 hot peppers, sliced thin (Spicy Option)

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 small red onion, chopped salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1 dash Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Place the potatoes in a large pot, and fill with about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Throw in the green beans to steam after the first 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and cut potatoes into quarters. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with fresh basil, red onion, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Wash the eggplant, remove the stalks and cut into bite-sized pieces. Fry pieces in oil for approximately five minutes or until brown.

Drain on paper towels.

Fry cumin and fennel seeds for roughly 2 minutes, stirring all the time, until they turn a shade darker. Mix in the chopped tomatoes, grated ginger, crushed garlic, coriander, and water. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the mixture is a thick sauce.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. Pour over the salad, and stir to coat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Return the fried eggplant pieces into the pan and heat through. Garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley. Serves 4.

Summer Squash with a Chunky Tomato/Caper Sauce Chunky Sauce 1 1/2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice 3 shallots, minced 6 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons drained capers 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped, drained (4 cups) 1 cup corn kernels (about 1 large ear) 1 cup coarsely chopped arugula (leaves only) 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 12 to 14 Kalamata or Greek black olives, pitted, left in small chunks Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 4 small yellow zucchini or summer squash, sliced 1/2 inch thick

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keeping kids

healthy

Children’s Health: Vaccinations, Autism and Homeopathy disorders that go under labels like autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

by Ethan Allen hildren make the best homeopathy patients! Children appreciate the painless administration of this gentle therapy and its sweet-tasting remedies. Also, they respond remarkably well to homeopathy in typical complaints of childhood. Children possess enormous vitality, and correctly chosen homeopathic remedy harnesses this abundant life energy to efficiently restore health.

This is in contrast to drug-based therapies which use chemicals to suppress the body’s natural responses to health challenges. With a small remedy kit and a homeopathic guidebook the layperson can prescribe at home for a wide variety of minor complaints such as bruises, bee stings, colds, coughs, fevers, teething pain, as well as minor emotional upsets, anxieties, and so forth.

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Traditionally, the concerns of children’s health have had to do primarily with acute conditions including injury, infectious diseases, and high fevers, while chronic illness was considered to belong more to old age. In recent decades the health profile of developed societies has shifted to the point where many of the feared infectious diseases of the past are now relatively controlled. At the same time “epidemics” of chronic disease are taking their place. Chronic diseases now appear at a greater rate and at earlier ages among children. Among the most disturbing of these is the growing incidence of developmental and neurological

Official medicine has been more than willing to acknowledge that the widespread use of modern medical technologies such as vaccination and antibiotics have had something to do with the decline of infectious diseases. But the proposition that these same measures may have contributed to the simultaneous increase of chronic illness has met with stiff resistance. Vaccination in particular has come under suspicion of having some role in etiology of neurological disorders such as autism.

During the 1990’s, the FDA established safety guidelines for mercury exposure around the same time that the CDC was increasing the number of recommended vaccines for infants. It was soon realized that the recommended vaccines alone contained enough mercury (in the form of the preservative Thimersol) to exceed the FDA guidelines.

This juxtaposition was part of a confluence of events, which brought the issue of mercury toxicity into the public eye and drew political pressure onto the CDC and vaccine manufacturers to address the question of vaccine safety.

Several recent articles by Robert Kennedy Jr. allege that he has obtained documents through freedom of information act requests, which show that as of

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Homeopathy has been aware of the reality of vaccine trauma for over a century, starting with those individuals who became chronically ill after being immunized for smallpox. Part of the homeopathic insight into vaccine damage comes from the fact that it is possible to treat vaccine trauma with the homeopathic preparation of the vaccine itself. This means that, when vaccine damage is suspected based on the history of an illness, that individual can be treated with a remedy which is a non-toxic, high-dilution, “potentized” version of the same vaccine. If the individual responds favorably to this remedy with significant improvement in health, it is strong confirmation that the vaccine did indeed cause the problem. (See the vaccination information on www.tinussmits.com.)

This long homeopathic experience with vaccination also shows that vaccine damage is not simply a matter of the mercury content (Thimerosol). Vaccines represent a much broader assault on the immune system. They are a “toxic cocktail” that bypass all the body’s frontline defenses and enter directly into the bloodstream of a recipient who is often an infant with an undeveloped immune system. While the removal of Thimerosol from vaccines is a step in the right direction, from another standpoint it is an enormous red herring which will lay the foundation for the inevitable claim by vaccine makers that their product is now “safer than ever.” Watch for the next installment of this series in children’s health in next month’s Coop Connection. For more information contact Ethan Miller, DHHP, HD, DMH, at Albuquerque Homeopathy Center, 884-3997.

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year 2000 the CDC, FDA, and drug manufacturers were well aware of a link between vaccination and autism. (See “Deadly Immunity” at www.rollingstone.com/politics). The article goes on to state that the CDC “paid the Institute of Medicine to conduct a new study to whitewash the risks of thimerosal” and that manufacturers continued to sell Thimersol-containing vaccines until their stocks were exhausted. It provides a frightening glimpse into the world of the “medical-industrial complex” which controls health policy in this country based on the political and economic interests of the powerful. And it also shows why it has been so difficult to get clear answers to the urgent questions which have dogged vaccination policy for decades.

LLC

by Radman Shafie, MD olds are the leading cause of doctor visits by children. The average preschooler has eight to ten colds a year, and school-age children have about five colds a year. Symptoms may last up to seven days in toddlers and 10 days in infants. Antibiotics are of no benefit in treating the common cold, and only add to the already prevalent pool of resistent bacteria. They may be needed if your child develops one of the complications of the common cold, such as an ear infection and sinusitis. Signs of a complication (and a reason to visit the doctor) include: a fever of 104 F or higher, a sore throat or sore neck glands, earache (which in the younger child may manifest as tugging on the ear or increased irritability at night), a stiff neck or sore back, trouble breathing, symptoms longer than seven to ten days, and the child being too sick to drink. Decreased appetite by itself, as long as the child is drinking, is not necessarily a bad sign.

C

eral doses throughout the day is helpful. Have them rest as much as they need, give them a nice massage using a menthol-containing oil, and most importantly, give them lots of love.

Dr Shafie is the founder of Common Sense Medicine®, An Integrative Approach to Primary and Urgent Care. He could be reached at 243-8666.

Some good and easy measures to take are cleaning the nostrils with a bulb syringe. If secretions are thick, you may need to moisten them for a minute with a couple drops of saline in each nostril. You can make your own saline by adding a half-teaspoon of salt to a cup of tepid water. Give your child plenty of fluids, and add some garlic and onion to your child's diet. Spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom may help your child feel less congested. A hot bath with the essential oil of eucalyptus is soothing. A gram of Vit C, divided into sev-

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

august 2005

thinking long term Valle Vidal: Protecting a New Mexican Jewel Public Comments on Development Needed NOW

by Jim O’donnell he Valle Vidal is a 100,000-acre gem smack in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains northwest of Cimarron, New Mexico.

It has been called a ‘reservoir of wildlife’ and justly so. The Valle hosts the largest elk herd in the state, sixty other species of mammals including black bear, turkey, bobcat and bison, nearly 200 species of birds and 33 kinds of reptiles and amphibians. Its verdant valleys are ringed by one of the largest stands of Bristlecone Pine in the nation. Pure strains of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout can be found in many of the waterways.

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The Valle Vidal is also culturally treasured lifeblood for local recreationbased economies. Each year it hosts 50,000 people who come for the horseback riding, world class flyfishing, backpacking, mountain biking and some of the top elk hunting in the nation. More than 3,000 Boy Scouts come to the Valla Vidal each year for wilderness training. In total, the Valle Vidal contributes $3-5 million/year to local economies supporting dozens of jobs and local industries.

Coalbed Methane Industrialization But the Valle Vidal is in danger of industrialization. In 2002, El Paso Corporation petitioned the Forest Service to lease the eastern 40,000 acres

of the Valle for coalbed methane (CBM) development. This last summer (2004), the Forest Service released its Reasonable Foreseeable Development Scenario (RFDS).

The scenario predicted only enough natural gas to supply the nation with about 11 hours of gas.

Coalbed methane development would be catastrophic for the Valle Vidal. At a minumum, hundreds of wells and a spiderweb of roads and pipelines would carve up the natural jewel as if it were a subdivision. New Mexico would see the calving grounds of the state’s largest herd of elk disrupted, other wildlife populations displaced, habitat fragmented, waterways poisoned and the loss of a vital portion of the economies of north central New Mexico. Few, if any, jobs would be created by this development and income to local communities would be less than that already had through sustainable recreational use.

The Forest Service is in the process of preparing an amendment to its Forest Plan for the Carson National Forest to include the Valle Vidal. This amendment will pave the way for drilling to commence if New Mexicans don’t make their voices heard. The Forest Service projects completing the plan by September 2006 at which point the leasing process may begin.

The Power of Diversity Surrounding communities are outraged. The Coalition for the Valle Vidal is a broad-based, non-partisan gathering of over 200 Northern New Mexico local governments, businesses, organizations and individuals that have come together to ensure permanent protection for the Valle Vidal.

The full diversity of New Mexicans are coming together and standing up for the Valle Vidal. But we face a difficult challenge. Special interests want to sacrifice our values and our economic prosperity for their profit. The Texas corporations interested in Valle Vidal development wield massive behind-the-scenes power.

reservoir of

wildlife

Tell the Forest Service to Protect New Mexico’s Valle Vidal The Carson National Forest is accepting public comments

on this Forest Plan Amendment now through September 14, 2005. Speak up today to ensure that the Valle Vidal is not slated for energy development!

What to Do: Send your comments to the Forest Service by September 14, 2005, urging the agency to protect the Valle Vidal by closing the entire area to energy leasing and development.

Please be sure to include your name and address so that your comments will be counted both in regular post and email comments.

The Valle Vidal Coalition believes that: The Forest Service should permanently close the entire Valle Vidal to energy leasing and development. The Valle Vidal should be protected for the benefit of sportsmen, ranchers, outfitters and guides, local business, outdoor enthusiasts, wildlife enthusiasts, youth programs, future generations, and the public at large.

The Forest Service should put the entire Valle Vidal off limits to oil and gas leasing NOW. They should NOT defer this decision to a future analysis of leasing.

Please send your comments to: Mr. Martin D. Chavez Jr., Forest Supervisor Carson National Forest, Attn: Valle Vidal Forest Plan Amendment 208 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, NM 87571 Email to: comments-southwestern-carson@fs.fed.us “Valle Vidal Forest Plan Amendment” must be in the subject line. Congress has the power to protect the Valle Vidal!

Send copies of your comments to state and national congressional representatives and senators with a short note asking them to permanently protect the Valle Vidal.

For more information or to download Forest Service documents at: www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/plans/index.shtml or contact Jim O'Donnell, Outreach Coordinator, Coalition for the Valle Vidal www.vallevidal.org , PO Box 238 , Taos, NM 87571 505-758-3874

The Cost of Toxic Exposures As reported in Seattle’s Post-Intelligencer, Kate Davies, a researcher in environment and community at Antioch University Seattle's Center for Creative Change has a new report that should make legislators sit up and take notice. In an exclusive interview with the P-I and the Living Well column, Davies released her findings from a new study that links big money — billions — in health-care costs to environmental toxins. The Antioch study shows environmental contaminants cause $1.6 to $2.2 billion in direct and indirect costs in Washington State for childhood conditions such as asthma, cancer, lead exposure, birth defects and neurobehavioral disorders. Adult conditions (asthma, heart disease, cancer and more) run up $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion.

Cost-benefit analysis has been part of environmental policy making for years, yet in most cases only the costs of managing toxic chemicals is included in any analysis. Davies said the environmental health costs associated with children's conditions is roughly .7 percent of Washington State’s gross national product,

while environmental health costs for adults equates to 1 percent of the local annual GNP..

Some of the individual costs attached to conditions are worth noting. For instance, a large part of the ecohealth costs can be traced to lead exposure. There is no "safe" threshold for lead exposure in young children, especially age 5 and younger. Childhood asthma is another instructive case. Dr. Philip Landrigan at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York conducted a landmark study that estimates 10 to 35 percent of kids' asthma is linked to outdoor non-biologic pollutants (translation: toxic man-made chemicals).

Davies' study also connects a portion of the huge costs of cardiovascular disease to toxic chemicals used by industry. Her analysis shows $564 million was spent in 2004 on heart patients adversely affected by pollutants.

For the complete story go to http://seattlepi.nw source.com/health/231858_condor11.html

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13

community

forum

august 2005 14

Santa Fe and North

The Seventh Annual Peace Day, Santa Fe August 5th and 6th: Commemorating 60 years since Hiroshima The Japanese declared the first Peace Day on this date to create a survivable world for future generations. Peace Day inspires us to move into love – to provide salve to our wounded souls in these perilous times by focusing totally on the positive – calling on the artists to illuminate the way to the creation of a culture of peace.

On Friday August 5, which is August 6 in Hiroshima, at 5:15 p.m.

KSFR (90.7 FM) will broadcast the “Peace Bell” rung annually in Hiroshima at the moment of the detonation of the bomb — 8:15 in the morning there. A great and fervent prayer for the realization of everlasting world peace resounds. This will correspond to the opening of Arts in the Park installations by 9 local artists in the Rail Yard Park.

SITE Santa Fe will amplify the bell with loudspeakers on the building as part of the opening to share with the Japanese prayer for world peace. At 6PM, SITE Santa Fe presents a concert with worldrenowned composer Pauline Oliveros with many of Santa Fe’s world-class musicians.

CO-OP BOARD OF DIRECTORS will be meeting in Santa Fe on Tues., Aug. 16th at 6:30pm Cloud Cliff Bakery 1805 2nd St. All Coop members interested in Coop Governance are encouraged to attend.

At 9:30 AM, August 6, commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Children’s Peace Statue at Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe, Old Taos Highway, followed by a Samba through the streets peace parade with floats and members of Bicycles for Peace. Parents are encouraged to bring children to help lead the procession to the Rail Yard Park to “Plant a Tree of Peace.”

On the Solar powered stage provided by the Coalition for Clean, Affordable Energy, other participants in the festival include: Swami

Beyondananda inspiring spirit-politic-humor, the Ande Marimba Band, Theater Grotesco, singer Madi Sato, the Smoken’ Banchi Taiko Drummers, Nambe Rez Crew, Matthew Andre and the Creativity for Peace Camp and much, much, more.

There will be interactive booths including one to create peace arts for children of all ages.

All are invited to join in this community creation of a powerful visual stream of sorrow, awakening, transformation and celebration of our potential to create a peaceful world. For information, call 505-989-4482, networks@networkearth.org, www. LosAlamosPeace Project.us.

Los Alamos Study Group: Aug. 6th Day of Remembrance and Action

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ponsored by the Los Alamos Study Group and over 130 endorsing organizations. On August 6th, 1945, 140,000 people were killed by a single bomb at Hiroshima. Another 70,000 were killed three days later in Nagasaki. About 90,000 others died later in both cities. The bombs used then were built at Los Alamos.

This year, sixty years later, we will gather in Los Alamos at the Ashley Pond Park on August 6th to say "Never again!"

This will be a historic event. Many of the more than 130 endorsing organizations and more than 20 speakers, presenters and performers are participating. The public purposes of this event as well as the organizing effort involved in it are intimately tied to The Call for Nuclear Disarmament.

In "The Call" we ask for new security priorities: affordable health care for everyone, better education, renewable energy, and economic opportunity for those who have none. We call for investment in people and families, in our economy and environment, and the creation of a political culture based on the dignity of the human person rather than the violent politics of fear, hate, greed, and war. To sign “The Call” go to www.lasg.org.

The day's tone will be nonviolent in word and deed. Events include : Traditional sackcloth-and-ashes witness organized

by Pax Christi New Mexico. music, poetry, keynote speakers, including former U.S. Attorney Ramsey Clark, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation President David Krieger, Father John Dear, and others, the Pageant of Sunflowers, the international emblem of nuclear disarmament, workshops in nearby buildings on nuclear history and a post-nuclear economy for New Mexico, thousands of floating candle lanterns, one for each hundred victims at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, information tables and networking.

Invite your friends to fill your car, arrive early and park legally. Bring water, hats and sunscreen. A full schedule of events during New Mexico’s 2005 Disarmament Summer is available at www.lasg.org.

WHY NOW? It is important to speak out now because this year is a pivotal, make-or-break year for controlling

nuclear nonproliferation. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) is under tremendous pressure from several fronts, as the recent review conference has shown, with U.S. intransigence undercutting most fruitful dialogue. U.S. noncompliance is deeper and more systemic than can be pinned to any single administration or party and LANL is its most physically symbolic manifestation. The plan to produce “small builds” of new weapons at Los Alamos and elsewhere is incompatible with the global nonproliferation regime. Unfortunately, this proposal could sail through Congress. Resistance in New Mexico is crucial.

WHY LOS ALAMOS? Almost one-half of U.S. nuclear weapons spending occurs in NM; NM’s two nuclear labs (Los Alamos and Sandia) are the largest in the world in dollar terms. NM also stores more nuclear weapons than anywhere else in the world and LANL housed the largest active nuclear disposal site in N.M. For all these reasons, NM is without question the world capital for nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons institutions heavily influence NM’s politics, where support for nuclear weapons makes certain the failure of NM’s political leadership to address issues of development, poverty, justice, and the environment.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the only place in the U.S. capable of manufacturing plutonium bomb cores (“pits”), and is now being charged by Congress to do so on an ever-larger scale, even as LANL’s management is being changed to a corporate defense-contractorled model involving either Lockheed or Bechtel.

Yet NM is a small state, and each person’s voice speaks loudly here, if we speak up! NM citizens have defeated proposed pit production (twice) and proposed nuclear dumps (also twice) at LANL. IT STARTED HERE, LET’S STOP IT HERE! To find out more about these events, help with organizing, to sign the call for nuclear disarmament, to volunteer, or to help support this work, call 505-265-1200, email us at clong@lasg.org, or use the secure credit card portal at www.lasg.org.

Citizen Group Sues State on Nuke Waste In late June, Citizen Action, a public interest group, filed a lawsuit against the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to appeal a recent decision made by NMED Secretary Ron Curry that will leave two distinct types of radioactive waste illegally buried under a few feet of dirt at the Mixed Waste Landfill. The landfill is located at the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), on the East Mesa over Albuquerque’s water supply and in one of the city’s fastest growing areas.

The first type of waste is known as transuranic or TRU waste. According to SNL there is an estimated 73 cubic yards or roughly 200-250, 55-gallon drums-worth of TRU waste buried in the dump. Federal law requires specific treatment of TRU waste. Because of its long half life TRU waste is dangerous for thousands of generations, so it must remain isolated to prevent any risks to human health and the environment. Under federal regulations TRU waste must be stored in a deep geologic repository, such as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), to prevent the escape of radionuclides from TRU waste for 10,000 years.

A second type of radioactive waste buried at the dump known as “greater than Class C waste,” also prohibited by federal law to remain in shallow burial, will be

abandoned at the dump. Additionally, the lawsuit challenges the Secretary’s decision to place a layer of dirt over the dump as the group believes that “dirt” will do nothing to prevent hazardous chemicals from being released into Albuquerque’s air, soil or water.

Secretary Curry’s “Final Order” to leave the waste covered with a few feet of dirt, in shallow burial, does not address the TRU waste or the ‘greater than Class C waste’ buried in the dump. Sue Dayton, Director for Citizen Action states “The Mixed Waste Landfill is a dangerous dump where both radioactive and other hazardous wastes were haphazardly disposed of for a period of almost 30-years. It is not a properly engineered landfill nor was it built to accept such wastes.

The plan approved by the NMED will attempt to prevent exposures to the public for a period of only 100 years.”

Dayton added that Secretary Curry’s decision does not reflect his commitment to clean up waste sites at Department of Energy facilities nor does it reflect his often publicly stated- position that he does not support the U.S. Department of Energy’s so-called “Accelerated Clean Up Program.” For more information contact Citizen Action New Mexico: (505) 262-1862 or visit the Citizen Action website at www.radfreenm.org.

community

forum

august 2005 15

Central New Mexico

Beaming Bioneers

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ustain Taos and the University of New Mexico-Taos have been selected to host this New Mexico’s first Bioneers Conference on October 14-16, 2005. This conference features a live satellite downlink from the Bioneers conference in San Rafael, CA. (Visit the Bioneers website at www.bioneers.org for information about the Bioneers Conference.)

Bioneers is an inspiring collection of problemsolvers, with practical and visionary solutions for our environmental and social challenges that are informed by nature's essential principles of interdependence, cooperation and community. The annual Bioneers Conference galvanizes and equips participants with models, resources, tools and networks.

This first New Mexico satellite conference will involve 4 hours of live TV proceedings each day, along with local programming of particular interest in New Mexico. The opening day, Fri., Oct.14, will be at the Taos Convention Center. Events on Oct. 15 and 16 will be at the UNM Main Campus, Student Union Building in Albuquerque.

To make this conference a success, Bioneers planners want to work with non-profit organizations across the state to involve as many groups as possible in developing meaningful and relevant programs for New Mexico. Each conference day provides a 3-hour block of time for local programming, with the possibility of several concurrent sessions each day. The following list includes

suggested programming topics from the Bioneers as well as topics identified from preliminary conversations with New Mexican groups. This list is intended to inspire thinking, not limit it.

Ecological Design, Women’s Leadership, Wildlands Protection, Urban Restoration, Independent Media, Social Justice, Organic Food and Farming, Civil Discourse, Social Entrepreneurship, Water and Land Use Issues, Ecoliteracy, Youth Activism, Environmental Education, Multicultural Cooperation, Integral Ecology, Ecological Medicine, Eco-Spirituality.

Bioneers organizers are particularly interested in having youth and youth groups participate in the planning process to ensure that the programming has relevance for them, and so the conference supports, educates and encourages youth and educators. Anyone interested in a healthy and just planet is invited to participate in the planning meetings that are listed below. Please come to the meeting date and location most convenient for you.

• August 11 from 4:30pm on, in Santa Fe – Location to be determined • August 10 from 4:30pm on, in Albuquerque – Harwood Art Center at 1114 7th St. NW at Mountain (from I-25: take Lomas exit, go West on Lomas, turn Right on 7th St. • August 9 from 4:30pm on, in Taos in the El Alcalde room in Coronado Hall on Civic Plaza Dr. Please RSVP (751-3424 or info@sustaintaos.org) or contact Amy Pilling at 988-7018.

We AR T the People Community Folk Art Fest OFFCenter’s third annual folk art festival will be celebrating the history of Robinson Park this year with a wonderful people’s parade organized by VSA Fourth Street Studio. Robinson Park, the oldest park in Albuquerque and the site of the “We Art the People Folk Art Festival” held this year on August 13 from 11-4PM has a deep and wonderful story in Albuquerque. This triangular tract of land occurred because the original Railroad Avenue had to bend between Eight and Tenth Streets to reach the New Town railroad depot at First and Central. The result was several triangular blocks thought unsuitable for developing housing and commercial spaces. It was here that Albuquerque’s first recreational park later known as the “people’s park”was created.

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Beautification of the park was a very special event beginning on Arbor Day, 1885. A large crowd assembled at the Armijo House in Old Town and formed a procession headed by an African American band and Henry Jaffa, voted Albuquerque’s first Mayor, July 4, 1885. In the continued spirit of working together to make something wonderful the Festival is supported by a variety of City agencies and local businesses and other non profits through out the city.

This year in addition to several art making tents for artists of all ages, there will be three stages of performers including Hawaiian Dancing, samba drummers and dancers, puppet theater, big band music, Balkan singing, and the first ever one of a kind OFFCenter Fashion show. A special feature will be welcoming the national Poetry Slam poets to perform before their competitions on Saturday.

One hundred folk artists will demonstrate, and sell their art.

Through out the day the park will become our community’s “educational canvas,” with a paint-bynumber mural, and a never-seenbefore interactive plastic fantastic civic sculpture honoring the parks unique shape and geography. Call 247-1172 for more information.

Stewards of Creation: Entering the Ecozoic Age?

by Stephen Miller “The Great Work now as we move into a new millennium is to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would be present on the planet in a mutually beneficial manner” (Thomas Berry - The Great Work).

Our planet and humanity are undergoing big changes.

Contrary to what some in the religious right are saying, many people of faith today believe we are part of the history of the universe that goes back 15 billion years. We understand that humans have only been part of that history for a short time, perhaps standing upright for the first time about four million years ago. Our time may be bringing changes as radical as standing upright, developing agriculture, inventing an alphabet, or any other.

In 2001 Stewards of Creation began to form small groups to explore the emerging cosmologies described by physicists and theologians in ways that have practical expressions in our biosphere. A small group is now forming that will spend nine weekends together over nine months beginning in September. The Stewards of Creation program is a multi-faith environmental spirituality initiative that has graduated two classes of adults trained to engage their faith and knowledge for action on behalf of the Earth community.

For more information about this unique New Mexico program (cost and commitment), contact Sr. Joan Brown (266-6966 or joankansas@juno.com) or Stephen Miller (341-0554 or StepJMil@aol.com). They can provide specific information and lists of graduates of the program who can tell you of their experiences.

Women in New Mexico’s Film Industry The Albuquerque Professional Chapter of The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) will kick off its 2005-2006 program year with an informational luncheon and afternoon seminar on New Mexico’s growing film industry and how the public can become involved on Wednesday, August 10, 2005, from 11:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Tanoan Country Club, 10801 Academy Road, NE. Ann Lerner, Film Liaison in the City of Albuquerque’s Office of Economic Development, and Janet Davidson, TV/film director and president of New Mexico Women in Film, will speak at the luncheon on the topic, “Hollywood Southwest: New Mexico’s Burgeoning Film Industry.”

People interested in attending one or both of the events may make reservations by calling or emailing Phyllis Wolf, 323-5858, powcoach@comcast.net, or they may reserve with a credit card online at eventsNmore.com by Friday, August 5, 5:00 p.m.

Co-op Board meets in Santa Fe

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Tuesday

August 16th at

Cloud Cliff Bakery 6:30 pm all welcome 12 GREAT REASONS TO BE A CO-OP MEMBER: 1. YOUR CHANCE TO SUPPORT A STORE that is committed to bringing you the highest quality organic produce, antibiotic and hormone -free meats, rBGH- free dairy products, imported and domestic chesses, healthiest grocery, bulk foods, fresh deli and juices, natural body care cosmetics, vitamins, herbs and more!

2. Member Refund Program: At the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchases.

3. Pick-Up Our Monthly Newsletter full of information on food, health, environment and your Co-op.

4. Weekly Member-Only Coupon Specials as featured in our Weekly Sales Flyer. Pick it up every week at either location to save more than your annual membership fee each week.

5. Easy Check Writing AND CASH ($40) over purchase amount. We also accept ATM cards, VISA and MasterCard.

6. Banking Membership at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union, with many Albuquerque branches to serve you.

For Great Summer Eats

7. Insurance and Financial Counseling: Call Robin Chall 823-9537 8. Free delivery for seniors, housebound and differently-abled people.

9. MEMBER- ONLY DISCOUNT DAYS: Take advantage of our special discount events for members only â&#x20AC;&#x201D; throughout the year!

10. Special Orders: You can special order large quantities or hard-to-find items, at a 10% discount for members.

11. General Membership Meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations; your participation is encouraged.

12. Membership Participation Program: Members can earn discount credit through our community outreach committees or skilled member participation program. Please ask at the Info Desk for details.

Now More than Ever: Support Community, Support Cooperation

JOIN LA MONTANITA COOPERATIVE The Only Community- Owned Natural Foods Grocery in the Albuquerque Area MEMBERSHIP:

ONLY $15 ANNUALLY,

OR

$200 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

Nob Hill: Central & Carlisle, 505-265-4631

Scalos Teams with Co-op for Membership Specials Details page 6

Valley: Rio Grande & Matthew, 505-242-8800 Wild Sage: Gallup, 505-863-5383 Market Place: Santa Fe, 505-984-2852