La Montanita Coop Connection January, 2006

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New Co-op Volunteer Program:

Building Community Capacity In Santa Fe

Habitat for Humanity

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Hope HOWSE International Habitat for Humanity Re-store Santa Fe Raptor Center Santa Fe Watershed Association — once a month River clean up crews • Kitchen Angles • Fine Arts for Children and Teens • Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety • St Elizabeth’s Homeless Shelter — in need of building maintenance support

Off-Center Puppets

re-store pic

To participate please call Ivy at 217-2031 or Robin at 217-2027 or toll free: 877-775-COOP (2667). We’ll get you volunteering at the organization of your choice, schedules permitting. Also, organizations that wish to participate please contact Robin at the above numbers. * = Must complete training/screening

Get Involved! Get a Co-op Discount by Robyn Seydel

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he Co-op is pleased to announce a new volunteer program that hopes to use more of the people interested in volunteering at the Co-op to build the capacity of worthy organizations in our communities. Co-op Members may work at any of the organizations listed here and get an 18% discount credit to be used as much as they like during one week for every three-hour shift they work. For a more extensive discussion of the Co-op’s volunteer program please pick up the Participating Member Info Card at any Co-op location. To participate in the Co-op Community Capacity Building Program, volunteers must be Co-op members and be willing to help to build capacity at organizations at which they, their families or other household residents are not already involved, either as staff or as volunteers. Member Volunteers can pick up their Community Capacity Building Work Sheet, which will track and verify their volunteer hours, at any Co-op information desk. It is the responsibility of the Volunteers to have their supervisor at the organization for whom they volunteer sign to verify their hours. Volunteers may work a maximum of 12 hours per month. This allows volunteers to get a discount every week during any given month. Volunteers may also “bank” their discount shopping credit and take it when needed for up to one year from the date worked. This allows for vacations and busy schedules.

get healthy,

get moving

Participating Organizations In Albuquerque • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice New Mexico Aids Services Habitat for Humanity — Re-Store Talking Talons Thrift store and Rescue Center — East Mountain area opportunity BRICS — Building a sustainable local economy through collaborative programs Hawkwatch — During migration season on the mountain, Feb-May Albuquerque Opportunity Center Off-Center Community Art Space Rape Crisis Center* Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping— Educational Projects Casa Esperanza — Home away from home for families fighting cancer Channel 27 — Community access TV Pearls of the Antilles — Youth and Community Arts Center Wise Men and Women/Mentoring Children of Promise* Los Alamos Study Group P,B&J Family Services*

community and operates under the philosophy that no individual should be denied access to the art of dance due to financial, situational and/or physical barriers. Keshet, which is Hebrew for “rainbow,” works with members from all sectors of the community, ranging from at-risk youth who take classes on a scholarship basis to the physically disabled who dance from their wheelchairs, to dancers who participate in their pre-professional and professional programs. The current schedule includes classes specifically geared to youth with mixed physical abilities as well as classes at all levels for adults and children in Creative Movement, Modern Dance Technique, Ballet Technique, Stretch and Strength, Hip-Hop/Jazz and Performance Skills. More information about Keshet Dance Company’s classes and programs can be found at www.keshetdance.org.

In Santa Fe: BODY GET HEALTHY, GET MOVING! All new and renewing Co-op members get free movement classes and more at Keshet Dance Studio and Company in Albuquerque and Body in Santa Fe. Renew your membership or join for the first time and pick up your Member Appreciation GET HEALTHY GET MOVING special coupons and flyers at any Co-op information desk.

In Albuquerque: Keshet Dance Company and School Keshet Dance Company is a nonprofit organization that unites professional dancers with the

Member

SAVE THE DATE! SUNDAY APRIL 23

BODY offers a wide variety of services and products including over 40 yoga, Nia, and movement classes a week that allow you to work (and play) at your own level of comfort and expertise, access to over 40 therapists who offer modalities that range from Swedish massage to acupuncture, energy work, and facials, the Whole BODYCafé and BODYBoutique. Also the LittleBODY program of childcare and children’s movement classes provides ways to reach that spirit early! Locally and woman-owned, BODY is a community center for well-being that provides a warm inviting environment for a cup of chai, a yoga class, a movement class or some nurturing body work.

Appreciation

La Montanita Co-op’s

17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival

celebrate the earth festival

New CO-OP Toll Free

Phone Number 877-775-COOP (2667) In last June’s Member Survey members in Santa Fe, Gallup and outlying areas around all our locations wanted a way to contact their Co-op that did not involve a toll call.

specials

The Co-op now has a new TOLL FREE NUMBER. Members now have full, free access to the Co-op’s Membership Department, Leadership Team, and Board of Directors. Calls to the toll free number will be answered by the membership department. Calls not related to membership will be forwarded to the appropriate person or department.

CALL YOUR CO-OP TOLL FREE!


economic democracy A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Albuquerque/Nob Hill 3500 Central S.E. Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631 Albuquerque/Valley 2400 Rio Grande Blvd. Albuq., NM 87104 242-8800 Gallup 105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383 Santa Fe 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 tonif@lamontanitacoop.com • Business Development/Steve Watts x114 • Computers/Info Technology/Mark Bieri x108 computers@lamontanitacoop.com • Human Resources/Sharret Rose x107 hr@lamontanitacoop.com • Marketing/Edite Cates x104 editec@lamontanitacoop.com • Membership/Robyn Seydel x105 memb@lamontanitacoop.com

How and Why to Shop Co-op

Getting the Best Value for Your

Food Dollars! M by Robin Seydel y Mother always said you get what you pay for! But passing decades have

lot, hormone-laden beef. These are the basic building blocks of all that “cheap” food we buy because we think we’re getting a bargain. But are we really?

seen an erosion of that understanding and a fascination with all things “cheap.” Not only “cheap” food but cheap oil, cheap clothes, cheap everything. The resulting economic (rural decline and outsourcing of jobs), environmental ( pollution from particulate to pesticidal) and public health problems (cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease) are making the true cost of “cheap” ever so clear. Despite societal attitudes and slick corporate marketing that in

You can fill your belly on “cheap,” fast, highly processed food, but you can’t fool your body. Full of binders, fillers, corn syrup, fats, processed, genetically engineered soy, preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, aromas, etc, you might feel immediately gratified, but because that food is devoid of most of the nutrition you need, the empty, sugar-laden calories you have ingested will soon have you wanting to eat again, and that again will be sooner rather than later. Embedded in this syndrome is the link to our pandemic obesity, diabetes, and some of our other public health concerns as well as their inherent economic burdens. The true costs of these and other health and environmental issues, both to individuals and the larger society, far outweigh the costs of eating good, whole food.

CHANGING OUR THINKING Especially with local products, but with a good deal of the food you find at the Co-op, you are paying the true cost of producing that food. It’s not subsidized with corporate welfare, it doesn’t put more GMOs, pesticides, and herbicides into the environment, and it doesn’t travel the average of 1,500 to 3,000 food miles (helping reduce fossil fuel use) to name but a few of the things it doesn’t do. What it does do is provide good, fresh food, support local and rural economies, keep family farmers farming, bring a level of integrity to food production that goes beyond bottom line economics, provide stewardship of lands and resources, and maintain a green belt in and near our urban centers, among other positive results.

Store Team Leaders: • Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631 mf@lamontanitacoop.com • John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 jm@lamontanitacoop.com • William Prokopiack/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanitacoop.com • Tim Hankins/Gallup 863-5383 th@lamontanitacoop.com Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Treasurer: Ken O’Brien Secretary: Roger Eldridge Susan Cizek Tom Hammer Tamara Saimons Jonathan Siegel Andrew Stone Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year $200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: Managing Editor: Robyn Seydel memb@lamontanitacoop.com Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Covers and Centerfold: Edite Cates Advertising: Robyn Seydel Printing: Vanguard Press Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 217-2027 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 © 2006 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT

And what’s more (herein lies another important consideration) — if you shop the Co-op wisely you can feed yourself and your family fresh, local, in many cases organically grown, food at about the same price as that “cheap” stuff. The only major difference is that you’ll have to take the time to cook it at home (Although I must admit you can take home a bagful of high priced, junk food/processed food — albiet health food/junk food — just as easy at the Coop as you can anywhere).

If you shop the Co-op wisely, you can feed yourself and your family fresh, local, in many cases, organically grown, food at about the same price as that “cheap” stuff. many cases would have us believe the opposite, it’s clear that Mom was and is still right.

Here are several ways to get the most value for your food dollars as you shop your Co-op!

PAYING TRUE COSTS

• Buy in season • Buy in Bulk • Buy case lots when on sale — for members special orders get another 10% discount • Buy from the promotional items on the monthly Co-op Advantage Flyer • Use the coupons in the quarterly Co-op Advantage Coupon Book • Watch for the Co-op Values products (yellow shelf signs) • Purchase larger quantities of everyday items when on sale • Become a Co-op member and then buy items on the orange weekly “Members Only” flyers • Stock up during Member Appreciation Discount events.

There are a couple of basic concepts here that need our careful consideration. The first is paying the true cost of an item. That so called “cheap” food, over the last decade, actually costs us all $134 billion (yes that’s billion with a “B”) in taxpayer handouts and in what many call “corporate welfare” because most of it goes to subsidize the largest of the nation’s industrial agriculture factory farms. And basically all we get for that huge amount of money is corn, soy, sugar and maybe a little feed-

Cooperative Economics Ecological Sustainability: Questioning by Donal Kinney n our country, the word capitalism is held sacred. Speaking out against it ranks up there with insulting mothers, baseball, or apple pie. It is considered downright un-American. If we are interested in the ecological sustainability of our culture, however, and maintaining quality of life for future generations, we must be willing to examine all aspects of society, even the sacred cows.

Capitalism

To begin with, the definition of the word capitalism is not at all clear. The word has taken on connotations that mask its underlying meaning. In common usage, capitalism generally implies a handful of concepts that are separable and distinct. These include free markets and freedom of commerce, private property and property rights, rule of law, entrepreneurship, and free flow of capital. I believe that many people even include constitutional rights, like freedom of speech and democracy, in their definition of capitalism.

I have shared this critique with a variety of people. Having done so, I have experienced a frequent response. The response usually sounds something like, “What? So you are a communist?” This response illustrates the polarization that developed historically between capitalism and communism, and illustrates the confusion with the word capitalism. From the mid nineteenth century, when a communist movement emerged in Europe, and for approximately 150 years, culminating in the Cold War, the word capitalism was used to describe the entire system that stood in opposition to communism. Considering the very real threat that communism presented to American freedoms, it seems reasonable that various ideas merged together behind one term. continued on page 3

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A strict definition of capitalism does not include any of these concepts, which can stand on their own. If we pare away the additional concepts, the core definition of capitalism is: capital controls. In other words, the

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people who put up the money for an enterprise control the enterprise. Practically speaking, since it is the wealthy that have money to invest, it is a system through which the rich control the economy.

january 2006


cooperative

economics

Member View Point:

Economical Shopping Dear Friends, he Co-op is not just for yuppies; its for families. Price is a false deterrent in this respect. Although organically grown produce may seem more expensive, its value is much greater. As a working mother, I find on almost all items the Coop value far outstrips the supermarkets.

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If you want to improve the quality of your life, improve the quality of your food. If you are feeding a family on a limited income, you certainly want the best value for your dollar. Price need not be a false deterrent. Here are some of the ways I’ve found to stretch my food dollars and still purchase mostly organic and exclusively from the Co-op.

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Plan Ahead — Know what your meals (at least dinners) will be for the week. Always come prepared with a shopping list. This helps avoid impulse buys. Supermarket shopping can be an exercise in frustration. I have to weed through dozens of items and read many labels to find what I need. The opposite is true of the Co-op—where for me everything seems tempting. Try new things, but use your list and fill it first.

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Use the economies of scale concept — make enough chili, soup or stew for an “army” on the weekend and you’ll save time as well as money. Freeze some if there is more than you can use for the week, then with little additions, a grain, pasta, or new veggie each day, allow it to become one of those delicious progressive soup pots that only gets better with age. This works especially well with items that are “in season” or when there are specific sales.

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Be guided by value not price. Nuts may seem expensive because they have a relatively high price per pound, but they are a great value because they are so nutritious. You won’t need very many for a satisfying snack especially compared to chips or pretzels. Another example is dates. While they may seem to be expensive, they are a great, healthful substitute for cookies at lunch. They are so sweet and rich you’ll be satisfied with one or two.

Valley

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Use a calculator to roughly keep track of how much you are spending as your basket fills up. Make a budget and have a general spending limit for each trip. Get the items on the list first and then you’ll know whether you can splurge on some special treat.

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Avoid processed products. This is big. Everyone knows that items like chips, cookies, candy, and sodas have little nutritional value and per pound are relatively expensive to buy. These things should generally come under the splurge category. But also consider avoiding even things like frozen vegetables, bread and juice. All processing adds cost. Invest in a bread machine or make quick breads and bar cookies. Juice, while better than soda, has a high sugar content and does not provide the fiber and other nutritive values that eating fresh fruit does. Eat fresh fruit, drink water or tea.

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Make the bulk products aisle your first and most important stop. Packaging adds both cost and waste. Not only can you find many of your favorite packaged foods—cereals come immediately to mind—at great cost reductions but you can expand those items that you don’t normally purchase in bulk. The savings you create can be used to try something new as long as you have stayed within your budget. One of my favorite items is a liquid all purpose soap that can be used for dishes, laundry, hand soap and shampoo! It works better than any other product I’ve ever tried for all of these uses.

And compare the food value and cost to candy or packaged cookies. You’ll be saving money as well as getting good nutrition; dates are one of the few sweets that do not spike blood sugar and can often be eaten by people who have to watch their intake of sweets (please check with your health care provider if you are on a special diet).

Gallup

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Economize in other areas. Even with careful shopping, groceries may still take a large portion of your budget. Consider cutting spending on frivolities. Ask yourself do I really need it? How much use will I get out of it? Where and how was it make? What am I supporting with this purchase?

La Montanita’s mission is to provide service to its members and to the greater community. Your shopping dollars are the greatest expression of your political intent. What a blessing the Co-op is to us: a vehicle for the expression of awareness in our daily lives. by Georgia Daves, Co-op Member

Questioning Capitalism

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n expanded definition of capitalism seems less reasonable post-Perestroika. Absent the specter of expansionist communist powers, and considering a contemporary need to critically evaluate our entire system from an ecological sustainability perspective, the components of our economic system must be parsed and examined. Over time, I have learned to calmly respond that I am not at all a communist. In fact, I am a great believer in free markets, competition, property rights, entrepreneurship, the free flow of capital, and the majority of the concepts built into the American economic system, and antithetic to communism. I usually go on to describe how I see efficiency as an essential characteristic of an ecologically sustainable economic system. The logic behind acknowledging efficiency as a requirement for sustainability is simple. Resources are limited. If they are not efficiently used, they will eventually be overused. Communism collapsed in Russia, because it was an inefficient system for allocating resources. It was highly consumptive, polluting, and could not support a reasonable quality of life for its people. The American free market system has proven to be more efficient than communism. While our economic efficiency often does not translate cleanly into resource efficiency, this is a matter of improving and refining our system, not replacing it. Efficiency is not the only characteristic of a sustainable society, however. Fairness is another essential characteristic. The logic behind fairness as a requirement is equally compelling. Ecological sustainability is something that we must do together, as an entire society. If half of us live “sustainably” and half do not, that is surely not sustainable. For everyone to buy in, the whole system must be fair.

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It is very unlikely that unsustainable practices can simply be legislated or prohibited away. When laws are not consistent with the moral beliefs of society, the laws will be ignored. Prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s is an example. For our society to shift onto an ecologically sustainable path, the vast majority must see it as a moral imperative. As long as there is a significant segment of our population that lives in poverty, or close to it, and that perceives the system in which they live to be unfair, hypocritical, and biased toward the wealthy, it is unlikely that they will be persuaded to sacrifice anything for the cause of sustainability. Attempts to legislate and force an underclass to act sustainably will just be seen as additional hypocrisy. To create an ecologically sustainable society, we must first create a fair society. In the past, the freedom of action and opportunity available in America often set the worldwide standard for fairness. Nonetheless, we must look to the future and ask ourselves, “Does a system in which large corporations increasingly dominate the economic and political realms of society stand any chance of being perceived as fair by an overwhelming majority, especially when the wealthiest control those corporations?” I believe that the answer is clearly no. Speaking out, engaging in dialogue, developing alternatives, and taking action are a means of securing and protecting the rights and ideas that make America great, not a means for tearing them down. We can begin by working to be clear about our language. “Free Markets” and “Capitalism” are not synonyms. The first one is a noble concept in which power is shared through the free action of producers and consumers. The second is an ignoble concept through which power is consolidated in the hands of the wealthy.

Co-op Values Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Co-op Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5 Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT january 2006

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farming & gardening New Mexico Organic Farming Conference set for February 24-25 by Joanie Quinn, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission arm to Table, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission and the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service have joined forces to organize the upcoming New Mexico Organic Farming Conference. The conference will be held at the Albuquerque Hilton. La Montanita Co-op Natural Foods Market, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and Wild Farm Alliance are sponsoring the gathering.

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The conference will open Friday, February 24th, with a welcome by Dr. Miley Gonzalez, New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture. Friday morning’s workshop sessions will include presentations on Soil Composition and Structure, Tree Fruit and Berry Production for New Mexico, Transitioning to Organic Beef, Creating Habitat: Farmscaping with Native Hedgerows, Government Assistance Programs, and The Relaxation Response: A Technique for Reducing Stress.

Friday afternoon will feature two workshop sessions. The first session will include Cover Cropping to Improve Soil Health, Producing Medicinal Herbs, Goats for the Marketplace, Managing Weeds in Organic Production, Merchandising Your Products, and Food Processing. The second session will cover Soil Microorganisms, Organic Seed Production, Organic Sheep Production, Insect I.D. and Controls, Taking Your Marketing to the Next Level, and The Past, Present and Future of Water in New Mexico.

Following the keynote, workshop sessions will resume. The Saturday morning workshop session will include presentations on Composting, Fruit Tree Grafting and Propagation, Organic Poultry Production, Beneficial Insects, Steps to Organic Certification, and Safety on Your Farm. Following Saturday morning’s workshops, conference participants will be treated to a delicious lunch featuring organic and local foods. Two workshop sessions will follow lunch. In the first, presentations will include Building and Maintaining Soil Fertility, Part One: Cover Crops and Green Manures, Season Extension for Family-Scale Farms, Wild Farm Practices You Can Use, Making

The New Mexico Organic Farming Conference is one of, if not the best conference in the nation on arid lands agriculture. Don’t miss it! On Saturday, February 25, the conference will open with a keynote address by Dr. Fred Kirschenmann, speaking on “The Organic Market: From Fringe, to Mainstream, to the Future.” Kirschenmann, a longtime leader in national and international sustainable agriculture, is the Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. He helped found, and for 10 years was president of, Farm Verified Organic, Inc., an international, private certification agency. In 2001, Kirschenmann received the Seventh Generation Research Award from the Center for Rural Affairs for his work in sustainable food and farming systems.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Work, Drip Irrigation Systems for Family-Scale Farms. The second Saturday afternoon session will cover Building and Maintaining Soil Fertility, Part Two: Manures and Other Amendments, Appropriate Equipment for Small Farms, Organic Meat Processing, Identifying Plant Diseases, Good Agricultural Practices, and Solving Global Warming: The Role of Organic and Local Agriculture. Four Demonstrations: Using Dried Flowers, Cheese Making, Wine Making and Honey Productions, will also be given during the conference. Registration for the two-day conference, including Saturday’s lunch is $100. For more information call 841-9067, email joan.quinn @state.nm.us, or look for conference brochures at all Co-op locations.

Calling all Plant Lovers! New Master Gardeners Program Begins

L o s Po b l a n o s Organics

sign up online www.NMOrganics.com or call

6 81-406 0 The best produce from the field to you. Always fresh. Always organic 4

New Mexico State University is looking for a few good plant lovers to join its master gardener program in Bernalillo County. Gardeners interested in improving their skills and giving back to the community can attend a 13-week master gardener training program beginning January 10 at the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service office at 1510 Menaul NW in Albuquerque. “Albuquerque is a big city and people have a lot of gardening questions,”said Extension horticulture agent Joran Viers. “Master gardeners provide an invaluable service. The classes teach them enough basic horticulture to resolve simple gardening questions, or alternatively, enough knowledge of available resources to help people find the answers they need.” The Master Gardener Program, which the Extension launched in Bernalillo County in 1981, has grown rapidly in recent years. The number of trained volunteers doubled from 350 in 2002 to 700 this year, and gardeners are now active in 14 counties. Master gardeners manage local gardening hot lines in most counties. They run information booths at growers’ markets and other public places, give gardening lessons, teach short courses and frequently make home visits to answer questions and analyze problems. About 200 volunteers are active in Bernalillo County, operating a seven-day-per-week hot line from February to

October. They provide information at public libraries, do show-and-tell workshops for Albuquerque fourth and fifth-graders and offer hands-on gardening classes for youth in afterschool and summer programs. “There’s a vast array of volunteer opportunities for participants, from working with children in garden settings to helping plant gardens at group homes for people with disabilities,” Viers said. To become master gardeners, participants must attend a training that covers basic natural science, such as climate and weather, soils, botany, plant pathology and entomology, landscape design and principles, plant selection and care, turf and vegetable gardening, shrubs, trees, weeds, pruning, and more. It’s a broad curriculum that’s entertaining and educational. Course graduates must commit to working at least 40 hours each year as volunteers to earn the title of master gardener. The course is for people who want to be master gardeners but people who are just interested in the classes can attend if there’s room. The course costs $60 for participants who go on to become master gardeners, and $100 for all others.

For more information about the Bernalillo County training program, call Joran Viers at (505) 2431386. For info about master gardener programs in other counties, call the County Extension office.

january 2006


food & health Local Product Spotlight:

Casados Farm’s Atole by Robyn Seydel n these cold winter mornings there is nothing I like better for breakfast than a steaming hot bowl of atole (roasted blue cornmeal). Simmered with water (though some recipes call for milk, water, rice or soy milk will do) spiced with allspice, cinnamon or cardamom, and a little honey or maple syrup, it is traditional meso-american comfort food; and has become my morning favorite. When made with a little chocolate melted in, it becomes a true celebratory treat. Sometimes if I have to rush out of the house, I just drink my bowlful down. Morning schedule allowing or on weekends, I add some coconut milk and a handful of raw, shelled sunflower seeds, allow it to thicken a bit more, and savor slowly, giving thanks for every delicious spoonful. It’s warming and invigorating and I am reminded of the good foods indigenous ancestors domesticated and we, “indio” or not, are lucky to retain despite 500 years of pressure to acculturate.

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Corn was and remains the basic staple of life. Maíz played an integral part in practically every lifetime ceremony, from cutting the newborn's umbilical cord over a corn cob, to placing a piece of corn dough in the mouth of the deceased. It was used as both solid and liquid food, most commonly prepared as a piece of once-ground corn dough dissolved in water, called posolli in Nahuatl (this is not what we here in New Mexico know and love today as posole) and keyem by the Maya. Dr. Rita Laws (Choctaw) writes that Aztec, Mayan, and Zapotec children in olden times ate cereal as their primary food, especially varieties of corn. Such a diet was believed to make the child strong and disease resistant. Even today, Indian healers of those tribes are likely to advise the sick to "return to the arms of Mother Corn" in order to get well. Such a return might include eating a lot of atole, known by traditional peoples as “tanchucua,” as it is considered a sacred food.

6 cups water,whole milk, soy, rice or coconut milk 1 cup atole (roasted blue cornmeal) 2 cups water 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed or 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated 1 cinnamon stick makes 8 servings Heat the milk and chocolate in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve chocolate. When chocolate is completely dissolved, remove from the heat. Mix the atole with the water in another saucepan; place over low heat, add cinnamon stick, and cook until the mixture has thickened slightly. Add the chocolate milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and simmer for a few minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and serve the champurrado hot in cups or mugs.

Champurrado (Chocolate Atole)

An Ode to... Oats by Ivy Edmondson here is much more to that simple bowl of oatmeal at breakfast than meets the eye. A lot of research has been done concerning the health benefits of eating whole grains, especially oats, and the benefits are many and great.

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Oats are a nutrient-rich food high in manganese, selenium, tryphtophan, phosphorus, vitamin E, B1 and other B vitamins, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, and protein. They contain twice as much protein as wheat and are often acceptable to individuals with celiac disease, which normally requires a gluten-free diet. In several studies in the past decade or so, a diet rich in whole grains has been connected to prevention of arteriosclerosis, coronary heart and cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and premature death. In July of this year, the American Heart Journal published a study showing the benefits of eating oats for postmenopausal women with heart disease. Compounds in oats seem to slow the progression of illnesses such as high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and stenosis in the women studied. Starting out your day with a bowl of oatmeal helps to stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day, due to the beta-gluten in oats. Eating oats also enhances your immune system’s response to infection, according to a study in 2004. Antioxidants in the grain help immune cells navigate more efficiently and improve the cells’ ability to eliminate bacteria. Selenium is a compound found in oats that works with vitamin E to lessen asthma symptoms, and is involved in DNA repair, associated with the reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. Also, the lignans in whole grains such as oats work with the beneficial bacteria in the intestine to prevent breast cancer. Oats are not recommended for sufferers of gout or kidney stones. Otherwise, enjoy a bowl and the benefits of oats. VARIETIES Oat Groats are the whole grain of the oat, with only the outer hard husks removed, then toasted; good for using as a breakfast cereal or for stuffing.

january 2006

How lucky we are here in New Mexico to have traditional atole, grown, roasted and ground by traditional family farmers in northern New Mexico. Pete and Juanita Casados of Casados Farm both grew up on farms in northern New Mexico and for the past 50 years have been farming themselves. While their two daughters have become educators, their son is working with them on the family farm. On their 80 acres just a few miles north of Espanola in El Guique, near San Juan Pueblo, they specialize in growing traditional corn varieties and chile. Back in the 1950’s Mr Casados would take a truck full of his corn products to towns like Chama and Espanola. He remembers, “I would go house to house selling my corn. It was hard work, but soon when I would bring my truck into town people would see it and come to the truck to buy the corn.” Now Mr. Casados sells to stores and has even sold to hospitals in Espanola and Santa Fe, where the staff recognizes the soothing and nutritive value of atole.

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uring our recent phone conversation Mrs. Casados reminisced on her childhood as well: “I remember my father used to go out with his horse and wagon and bring our crops to Colorado. When he would sell all our family’s products, my Mother would pack up our products and send him more on the ‘chile line,’ which is what we used to call the train at that time. That way he would save the horses a trip back and forth.” Over the years, the Casados family has not only kept their family farm going and provided high quality traditional corn products to the community, but they have benefited the local economy as well. Leo Maritnez has worked with the Casados’ for 33 years and makes sure La Montanita Co-op has a steady supply of their fine corn products. Thanks to them all!

La Montanita Co-op is honored to be able to support this family farm and its traditional crops. Look for Casados Farms posole and atole in the bulk section of all our Co-op locations.

Steel Cut Oats - Package directions will tell you to cook them for 15 minutes, but you may want to try bringing them to a boil for 5 minutes, then turning off the heat and covering them for an additional 10 minutes. These also do well in the crock pot on low, overnight. Add liquid 3 to 1. Also, check out the recipe section of this newsletter for great ideas, such as pancakes made with oat flour, oat groat pilaf, and oat topping. Liven up your diet with oats!

Oat Flour adds lovely flavor to breads. You can make it yourself by grinding rolled oats in a food processor or blender. For bread to rise, it must be mixed with a gluten-containing flour such as wheat. Substitute 1 of every 5 parts of wheat flour with oat flour. If your recipe is for a quick bread, no addition of other flours is necessary. Steel Cut Oats (AKA Scottish Oats or Irish Oats) Cooking time is considerably longer than for rolled oats; featuring a dense and chewy texture, they are produced by running the grain through steel blades, which thinly slices them.

healthy whole

GRAINS

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats have a flatter shape that is the result of their being steamed and then rolled. Quaker sets the industry standard, so theirs is considered regular Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. If they are thicker, they are called thick Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Quick-cooking rolled oats are made by flattening precut groats. They cook in about 5 minutes. Instant Oats are produced by partially cooking the grains and then rolling them very thin. Oftentimes, sugar, salt and other ingredients are added to make the finished product. Oat bran is the outer layer of the grain that resides under the hull. While oat bran is found in rolled oats and steel-cut oats, it may also be purchased as a separate product that can be added to recipes or cooked to make a hot cereal. COOKING TIPS Old Fashioned Rolled Oats - Following package directions, you can cook them 2 parts liquid to one part oats, and simmer for about 5 minutes. A great way to cook oats is not to boil the grain itself, but to boil the water, add it to the oats and cover them, letting them set for 3-5 minutes. One part boiling water to 1 part rolled oats is a good ratio to start with. Add more or less water to suit your tastes. If you are in a hurry in the morning, try mixing them up with liquid, vanilla, and cinnamon the night before. Then it takes only a minute to heat them in the morning. Add nuts and dried fruit or milk and honey and enjoy!

ORGANIC PRODUCTS FOR ORGANIC LIFE Inoculate your soil with

TerraPro® A Super Humus Soil Conditioner, with beneficial biology that is essential to winterize your landscape. FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL 505.907.9070 OR 505.321.3717 OR E-MAIL US AT environmentalenhancers@hotmail.com OR webehumus@hotmail.com NM Organic Commodities Commission (NMOCC) approved.

Meets or exceeds the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) regulations

w w w . s o i l s e c r e t s . c o m

5


co-op news

january 2006 6

Elemental Resources: a mission to empower Member Profile

C

hristopher and Valerie Dow have been members of La Montanita Co-op since moving to Albuquerque in 2001. Born and raised in New Mexico, Chris says that one of the reasons they chose Albuquerque is because of the Co-op. They say the fact that the Co-op has been in business so long here tells you a lot about the community; there is a large group of health-conscious people here that value local and organic products and want to support small business. They thought Albuquerque would be fertile ground for an alternative energy and building biology design business. After organizing the first recycling drop sites in the Wichita, Kansas area in the late 80s, they owned a trio of retail shops dealing in products made from recycled materials, naturally-produced products, and renewable energy supplies. The Dows moved back to New Mexico and in 2001 settled in Albuquerque to start Elemental Resources. They offer solar and wind energy design and installation and home design and consulting that combines concepts from building biology and feng shui. They also provide workshops and seminars. They believe their business philosophy is similar to the Co-op’s in that they value diversity over specialization, sustainability in how the business is managed as well as how the business affects the environment and community. They say that rather than shopping for value in the consumerist sense, they shop based on their ethical values and are concerned about how their purchasing decisions will affect future generations.

N EW DIR E C T I O N

C H IR O PR AC T I C Chiropractic withan Ayurvedic Influence K elly Coogan D.C. 3216 Monte Vista Blvd. NE, Suite A Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 chiroveda9@yahoo.com ph 505.247.HEAL fx 505.247.4326

MIND/BODY/SPIRIT Home Valerie approaches design through intention. “Your house mirrors your life,” she says. “Your surroundings in turn influence your decisions and your mood.” Therefore there is a constant subtle exchange between the inner and outer realms. Valerie’s designs work to arrange for better energy flow, improve surroundings and bring the home in balance with the nature of the universe, a basic feng shui design principle. Christopher says that the mission of Elemental Resources is to bring various aspects of the living environment in harmony. He describes these aspects in terms of the mind, body, and spirit of one’s living space. He thinks of the energy source of a structure as the Mind of the home, the sources being grid electricity and gas, or wind/solar energy. The psychology of this home-mind would look at ways to reduce CO2 emissions and conserve energy, and use some passive solar energy methods to heal the “Mind.” The Body of the home consists of its construction materials. As a building biologist, Valerie considers materials that breathe well such as adobe, straw-bale, poured pumice, natural fibers and natural paints. She tries to eliminate use of plastics in a holistic approach that is preventative in nature. Finally the Spirit or Heart of a home relates to the feelings it produces, and this is where feng shui design concepts are useful. Valerie describes her method of Feng Shui as being “concerned with the flow of Ch’i (energy) in the space.” She says, “Each space and each person is unique, so recommendations are customized.” GETTING OFF GRID Renewable energy can empower people, especially those living in developing communities. The Dows explain that even in the U.S. there are places in which poor people are living off the grid, without electricity or indoor plumbing, often living in make-shift housing, hauling water home for drinking and washing. According to Chris, a couple hundred dollars can buy one solar panel and a battery to power a light much brighter than gas light or oil lamps for reading and working at night. He points out how “something as basic as a bright light in the darkness can make a tremendous difference in one’s quality of life, especially during winter. Creating your own energy is akin to growing your own food in the sense that it gives one the confidence that comes with self-reliance.”

The cost of outfitting a small off-grid house with a modest amount of solar power, for example a weekend home, is approximately $9,000, including installation, and can go up from there, depending on the size of the house, the number and type of electrical appliances and other electrical demands. To design and install a system to power a conventional, middle-class lifestyle, in a relatively large house including all lights, TV(s), computer(s), stereo, washer, dryer, and other appliances, as well as power tools, etc. could cost as much as $50,000. Once installed and running, most solar systems will last about 12 to 14 years before repairs are needed, but a few hundred to replace some parts could keep the system going for another 10 years or so.

T

hat said the value of alternative energy, as with organic agriculture and the use of natural materials in the home, is based more on conservation, lowered environmental impact, and myriad health benefits than on short term monetary savings. “If you look at the Earth as a community, health costs are reduced as a result of more people making healthy lifestyle choices,” Chris says. “These choices concern what we put into our bodies, our living environment, and our immediate community. As the threat of global warming increases and the scientific evidence mounts in favor of reducing emissions, the advantages of alternative energy sources outweigh the costs.” In keeping with their conservative environmental philosophy, Christopher and Valerie have recently made the choice to convert their diesel-powered work truck to burn straight vegetable oil (SVO). As opposed to biodiesel, which is vegetable oil with fuel additives such as ethanol and requires some chemical mixing expertise, SVO can go straight into a secondary fuel tank, needing only a heater attached to the tank for winter driving. As with many of our Co-op members, Valerie and Christopher “cultivate seeds of the knowledge that there are new and ecologically better, healthier ways of doing things than the current status quo; ways that don’t cause so much harm, and are more sustainable and empowering.” Elemental Resources is listed in our Co-op Member to Member Resource Guide and offers special considerations and discounts for Coop members. For more information, you can contact Elemental Resources at 505-301-5123 or email dowenerchi @earthlink.net.

member

profile Paul Barlow

M A S S A G E T H E R A P I S T

Christopher & Valerie Dow

242-1795

Polarity Somato-Emotional Release Cranio -Sacral Swedish RPP LMT #2663

in the Old Town Area

Local Product Spotlight Prairie Thymes: Sweet Heat

A

passion for food, wine and traveling the world has fostered a career in the culinary arts for Gary Hall. His life's work in the hospitality field includes leading excursions to South America for adventure travel, catering director at a castle in Ireland, training professional wait staffs and consulting on numerous wine lists. With an entrepreneurial family background (his parents owned a catering company), it was inevitable that Gary would want to head his own company. Prairie Thymes products include fruit salsas, vegatable chutneys, flavored cooking oils and now a delicious Habanero Fudge sauce. Raspberry Jalapeno Ambrosia is their original chutney and gives new meaning to sweet heat. A perfectly balanced blend that is downright irresistible, Ambrosia can be spread over cream cheese or baked brie, grilled salmon, chicken or pork. It is also available in a fiery version for those who really like it hot. Or try their Peach Habanero Ambrosia, with lots of flavor, a not too hot blend of chile with sweet orchard peach. Savor the bright, intense flavor of habanero without the fiery burn. And last in a delicious line of chutneys, their Roasted Tomato Chutney is a versatile condiment of fresh, fire-roasted tomatoes, red bell pep-

per, onions and lots of other savory flavors. Slightly sweet, slightly tart, very delicious. The newest addition to the Prairie Thymes line is the fabulous Chocolate Habanero Fudge Sauce. The rich flavor will transport you back to the flavors of childhood. This is fudge topping better than you remember it, chocolate with just a little bit of warmth. Top your favorite ice cream or cheesecake. Dip fresh strawberries and other fruits or drizzle over cake, brownies or biscotti or add a bit to your morning cup of atole. Look for Prairie Thymes products in the condiment section at your local Co-op.

Get it at YOUR CO-OP


co-op news

january 2006 7

the inside scoop

by C.E. PUGH

It is with sincere gratitude that we enter our 30th year of service this month. Your steadfast support of your cooperative during our many ups and downs over the years is a remarkable testament to your commitment to this wonderful organization. We look forward to serving you during this New Year, and with your support, another thirty years! The deli in our Valley location will be closed for a short time this month as we complete the remodel of this department. I apologize for this inconvenience, but I believe the result will be well worth the trouble. I am sure it will take our staff a few weeks to “gear back up� after the remodel, but we should be back in business soon. We should have the less than satisfactory phone systems in our Albuquerque stores upgraded by the end of Feb-

ruary. Our vendor for this system has located a buyer for the current system and we will take one step back in technology to get something more workable in our environment. I know the limitations of our current system have been frustrating for all of us. We also hope to upgrade our credit/debit card processing systems to make these transactions faster and more convenient for you. We will install this new solution in one store only until we are satisfied with its performance. Your support of our cooperatively owned business continues to grow, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to be of service to you. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if we fail to exceed your expectations in any way. C.E. Pugh, General Manager

Calendar of Events 1/4 1/9 1/9 1/11 1/17 1/21

Finance Committee Meeting, 303 San Mateo NE 5pm Social Responsibility Committee, Nob Hill Annex 5:30pm Co-op Foundation Committee, Valley store 5:30pm Member Linkage, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Coffee with the Board, Gallup store, call for time

THANK YOU! MAKE A CHILD SMILE

Board of Directors Election Results

MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE THE HOLIDAY SEASON BRIGHTER FOR THESE SPECIAL CHILDREN!

Thanks to all our Co-op members who voted in the November election. The Board officially acknowledged the results at the December 20th meeting. Following is the tally of the ballots cast. Our new Board members are those three with the highest votes. Tom Hammer 372 Susan Cizek 359 Jonathan Siegel 327 Rosa Robinson 267 John Kwait 248 Joe Gutierrez 233

BOARD E L E C T I O N

Louise Miller, MA, LPCC, NCC Psychotherapy

Bylaw Amendment Proposal #1: Yes 585 No 25 Bylaw Amendment Proposal #2: Yes 580 No 29

R E S U LT S

Personal Growth Childhood Trauma • Illness Drugs/Alcohol • Loss Women’s Issues

Albuquerque, NM (505) 385-0562

www.louisemiller.org

Total Valid ballots cast: 642

Boar d Brief:

Meeting of November 15, 2005 by Shirley Coe, Administrative Assistant Cooperative Alliances. The question was brought up as to whether, being a cooperative, La Montanita Food Coop should bank with a cooperative. However, cooperative banks do not provide a full range of commercial business services. Wells Fargo provides all the merchant services we require. Lifetime Membership Refunds. To correct an error in the method for calculating lifetime membership refunds, the brochure will be updated. Since annual dues have gone from $12 to $15, it was suggested that lifetime dues increase correspondingly from $200 to $250. Since the stores handle memberships, from here on they will also handle refunds, instead of the board. Board Elections. Elections are over. Ballot boxes in Gallup and Santa Fe have been locked and will be delivered to Albuquerque, then counted on Friday. Continuing board members will develop an orientation program and a board handbook for the new members, who will be seated at the December meeting.

Patronage Rebate. The Co-op’s goal is to achieve a 2% cash rebate and 10% growth in equity annually. The board voted to approve the Finance Committee’s recommendation this year for a total patronage rebate of 2.41%, with 1.75% in cash and 0.66% in member equity (meeting 87% of the cash rebate goal and 93% of the growth in equity goal). Checks are expected to be mailed the week of December 5. Endorsements. Following some discussion, it was decided that members with requests for the board’s endorsement should go to the Membership Linkage Committee, which will help them prepare a proposal for the board. Coffee with the Board. The next Coffee with the Board is Sunday, December 11, from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Valley store. Board Meeting. Members are invited to attend monthly board meetings. The next meeting will be held on the third Tuesday, December 20, at 6:30pm at the Women’s Health Center in Santa Fe (901 West Alameda, Suite 25, across the street from The Marketplace).

Letter to the Editor Dear Coop, On behalf of the Children's Water Festival staff, I thank you for your generosity, prompt attention and effort to secure the donation of all those breakfast bars as well as the publicity in your newsletter. The bars were a big hit with the kids! It is reassuring to know that there are businesses out there that "walk the talk" when it comes to community support. You were there for us in a big way! Warm regards, Katie Babuska Children's Water Festival Co-Coordinator 505-975-0036

! !" #$#% $ &' ( )

Forever ForeverYoung YoungPreschool Preschool Opening January Opening January2006 2006

NOW NOWENROLLING ENROLLING Ages Ages3-5 3-5

Editors Note: Special thanks to Dana Lusby, Grocery Dept. Team Leader/Valley for helping with this project.

Nutritious Organic Meals Served

Nutritious Organic Meals Served

Leo Martinez

San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico Roasted Atole, Per Pound, Sale $2.49

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

505 Organics

Albuquerque, New Mexico Organic Green Enchilada Sauce or Salsa, 16 oz, Sale $3.29

Herbs, Etc. Santa Fe, NM Smoke Free Spray, 1 oz, Sale $8.79 Other Herbs, Etc. products also on sale La Montanita Co-op

Albuquerque, New Mexico Tree-Free Kenaf Co-op Greeting Cards, Assorted designs, Sale 99¢ each

Contact angela@lamontanitacoop.com to advertise

CO-OP CARDS items available at all stores.

LOCAL SALE ITEMS

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 1/04-1/31, 2006: Not all

Low Child-Teacher Ratio

Setting Low Child Home -Teacher Ratio Hours: 7:30am - 5:30pm Home Setting Hours: 7:30am - 5:30pm

Travis Freeman Travis Freeman Phone 307-4671 Phone 307-4671




winter

food

january 2006 10

Hearty oats & mor e Adapted and reprinted from the following sources: www.foodfit.com/recipes www.karenskitchen.com Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health‚ La Montanita Co-op Deli Staff And Ivy’s personal recipe collection (C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, # = pound, oz = ounce)

FMN&_si_Dios!!!

An exhibition of paintings that deal with the violence against women in Juarez, Mexico by Susana Aguirre López

January 6 - 27

Opening reception: January 6 Friday, 6 PM to 8 PM ArtsCrawl reception: January 20 Friday, 5 PM to 8:30 PM

HARWOOD

ART

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

CENTER

MEMBER APPRECIATION

SPECIALS

Power Pancakes 6 T rolled oats 2 large egg whites (or one whole egg) 1/4 C low fat cottage cheese 1/4 t vanilla 1 t peanut butter or almond butter (Or 2 t of finely chopped walnuts) Put the rolled oats into a blender or food processor and process on high for one minute to make flour. Add all the other ingredients and stir until mixed. Cook on griddle coated with vegetable cooking spray until golden brown, flip over and repeat. Variations: If you are on a low fat diet and want to add butter to pancakes, omit the nuts. Some other additions: 6 oz. 1% milk or soy milk, fresh fruit puree (see recipe below), or 1/2 grated apple + 7 tsp soy nuts + 1 tsp. walnuts (grind soy nuts with oats and add all to batter), or 1/2 C blueberries added to batter. Fruit Puree: Any fruit run through the blender (and a teaspoon cane sugar, maple syrup, or other sweetener, if you like) will make a puree that is wonderful for putting on top of pancakes. Choose one of the following or a combination of fruits. The following proportions equal one carbohydrate block each:

GET HEALTHY, GET MOVING! All new and renewing Co-op members get free movement classes and more at Keshet Dance Studio and Co. in Albuquerque and Body in Santa Fe.

AT YOUR CO-OP

1 C strawberries 1/2 C canned pears 1/4 C applesauce (unsweetened) 1/2 C canned peaches 1/2 C blueberries Karen's New Scottish Oatcakes When things get hectic, and someone is expecting YOU to cook breakfast, maybe you should have some of these little "Bowls of Oatmeal in a Biscuit" on hand for some fast fiber! 3 C rolled oats 1 t baking soda 1 t salt 2 T fructose 2 T canola oil

1/2 C pecans, chopped 1/2 C water 2 t vanilla Mix all ingredients into a bowl and let sit for a minute. The rolled oats will just look like wet oats at first, but you have to start stirring them, and the moisture will break down the grain. Begin to knead the rather crumbly dough, and soon it will stiffen. Add enough flour to roll out the dough into skinny biscuits (about 1/4 inch thick). Cut with cookie cutter (biscuit size), or make a rectangle and cut them 4x5 for 20 bars. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 20 biscuits. Traditionally, oatcakes are served with a proteinrich food, such as herring. They are also nice with sausage, eggs, or scrambled tofu. Oat Groat Pilaf with Crunchy Tofu Cutlets Oat Groat Pilaf 2 t olive oil, divided 1 C oat groats (whole kernel oats) 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 C sliced mushrooms (about 1/4 pound) 2 C chicken or vegetable broth, salt free 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper to taste Salt to taste 2 T minced fresh parsley 2 medium tomatoes, sliced, for garnish 1 lemon, juiced (optional) Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a heavy, medium saucepan, and stir in the groats. Cook the groats, stirring them, for about 3 minutes to toast them. Add the remaining olive oil and onion and saute for about 3 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the mushrooms, and cook the mixture for another 5 minutes or so, until the mushrooms are wilted. Add the broth, pepper, and only add salt if broth is salt free. Bring the mixture to a boil; then reduce the heat. Cover the pan and simmer the pilaf for about 40 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Remove the pilaf from the heat, stir in the parsley, and season with lemon juice, if desired. Garnish with tomatoes. Serve hot or cold with roasted chicken or Crunchy Tofu Cutlets. Crunchy Tofu Cutlets 2 # tofu, extra firm, OR frozen, thawed and squeezed out (for a firmer, meatier consistency) 1/4 C soy sauce 1 C seasoned breadcrumbs 1 C flour 1 t seasoned salt Vegetable cooking spray Teriyaki or Szechwan Sauce or Hot Chili Oil (optional) Cut tofu into 3/4" slices and marinate in soy sauce for 2 hours (Yoshida Gourmet sauce, thinned with water, gives a sweeter flavor and is lower in sodium than regular soy sauce). Mix breadcrumbs, flour and seasoning salt. Dredge slices into breadcrumb mixture. Lay tofu pieces on a greased cookie sheet leaving about 1/2" between each piece.

The Sun-News The Sun- ews

Our monthly press run of 15,000 copies Distributed as far north as Abiquiú and Taos, Los Alamos and Española, Pojoaque and Santa Fe, and as far south as Placitas, Bernalillo, Río Rancho, Albuquerque, Cedar Crest, Edgewood, Moriarty, and pretty much everywhere in between!

Sun Books

Inpirational, Motivational, Self Help and Success Books Authors such as Orison Swett Marden, James Allen, Christian D. Larson, Prentice Mulford, Ralph Waldo Trine, Russell H. Conwell, Emile Coué, and many more.

Phone: 505-471-5177 www.SunBooks.com www.ABookSource.com info@sunbooks.com

info@sunbooks.com

Dr. Deborah Wozniak DOCTOR OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE

FAMILY PRACTICE 6501 4th Street NW, Suite E Albuquerque NM 87107

505.250.7173

NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED IN ACUPUNCTURE & HERBOLOGY


winter

food

Bake for 15 minutes on each side. Serve with Teriyaki or Szechwan Sauce or Hot Chili Oil.

1/2 to 3/4 C soy cheese (or other cheese alternative)

Winter Squash and Lentil Stew

In blender or food processor, combine 12-ounce container of soft tofu with garlic and salt. Melt margarine over medium high, add flour and stir to brown; then add soymilk slowly. Bring to very low boil and reduce heat. Add broth powder and whisk. Add tofu mixture and grated soy cheese (or goat cheese if you are lactose intolerant but still like to eat some dairy). Continue to stir over low heat until proper consistency is achieved. Add to any type of pasta, potatoes, or vegetables, really nice on pasta shells and broccoli! (Serves 4 generously).

1 C red lentils (masoor dal) or yellow split peas 4 C water 1 onion, chopped 1/2 t each: mustard seeds, turmeric, ginger, and cumin 1/4 t cinnamon 1/8 t cayenne 4 C peeled and diced winter squash (about 2 pounds) 1 T lemon juice 1/2 t salt (or to taste) Place the lentils and 2 cups water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cover loosely and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Braise the onion in 1/2 cup water until soft and translucent, then add the spices, the remaining 1-1/2 cups water, and the diced squash. Cover and cook over medium heat until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, cooked lentils, and salt to taste. (Serves 8) Kevin’s Savory Roasted Yams (Valley deli) 5 large yams (diced bite-size) 2 large red onions (sliced) 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 3 jalapenos (diced fine and seeded) 2 C toasted pecans or walnuts 1/3 C olive oil 1/4 C fresh lime juice 1/2 T salt 1/2 T black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and dice yams and mix with salt, pepper and half of the olive oil. Roast yams on sheet pan in oven until tender (@40 min). In hot skillet, add other half olive oil, red onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Cook over medium heat until ingredients carmelize. Add lime juice and deglaze pan; reduce by half. Combine cooked yams, onion mixture, and pecans. Serve warm.

505-238-3449 Transitions • Loss • Growth • Women’s Issues • Groups Honoring Spirit in All Albuquerque, NM

Cheesecake Pudding with Crunchy Topping Pudding: 1/4 C low-fat cottage cheese 1/4 C skim Ricotta Cheese 3 T Philly Fat-free Cream Cheese 1 T cane sugar or other granulated sweetener 1 t vanilla 1 T lemon juice Place all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth. Top with 3 heaping Tbs. Crunchy Topping and refrigerate. Serve cold. Crunchy Oat Topping 1/4 C water 1/4 C honey 3 C old fashioned, thick-rolled oats 3/4 C coconut flakes, unsweetened 1 C almond slivers 1-1/2 t cinnamon 1/2 C wheat germ Combine the water with honey. In a separate bowl combine oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon. Drizzle water/honey mixture over oatmeal mixture, stirring constantly. Lay onto greased cookie sheet. Bake the mixture 250-300 degrees F in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, stirring it several times. Stir in the wheat germ and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the mixture is lightly browned. Cool and transfer to a sealed container. Keeps fresh several weeks in cupboard, several months in the refrigerator.

For leftovers: Make wraps! Yams are great in a wrap with black beans. Use whole-wheat tortillas. Add some winter greens if you like, stirfried in a little sesame or olive oil and seasoned with salt or tamari and pepper, adding a squeeze of lemon before serving. Enjoy!

Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy

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

505-266-6522

Isis-Sophia Women’s Health a naturopathic approach to healthcare and wellness Elyse Yasgur, AHG, RN, CNM, MS Herbalist, Women’s Health Care Specialist, Nurse-Midwife Herbal Medicine and Nutritional & Lifestyle Counseling Natural and holistic approaches to hormone balance (thyroid, reproductive, adrenal), menopause, breast health, osteoporosis, detoxification, chronic illness, intestinal parasites, allergies Annual exams and Pap smears in a comfortable, personal atmosphere

Dairy-free ”Cheese“ Sauce 1 12 oz. container soft tofu 1 to 2 cloves garlic salt and pepper to taste 2 t margarine 2 t WW flour 1/2 C soymilk 1/2 t vegetable broth powder

Jungian-oriented Psychotherapy

Pamela L. Beverage, Ed. D., LPCC

dig in

Laboratory Testing (saliva, blood, urine, stool) including evaluation of hormones, allergies, gastrointestinal tract, toxic metals

Checking fees don’t belong. You do.

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

11930 Menaul NE

266-4050


health & healing Building Immune Responsiveness by Robyn Seydel hat with all the talk of “bird flu” these days, working to build a strong and responsive immune system can help alleviate stress concerning this public health threat and help you live a healthier life. Of course there are the basics, a healthy diet of whole grain, organic food, supplemented with vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Adequate rest and exercise bolsters the foundation you are building. Add to this a positive mental attitude that includes stress reduction techniques (yoga, T’ai Chi, mediation, dance etc.) and you have built a protective structure for those times when waves of infection blow through.

W

A strong immune system is especially important given today’s world of increasing environmental pollutants and toxins, high population concentrations, overuse of drugs including antibiotics, antacids, cortico-steroids, alcohol, and “self- medication” with so called recreational drugs (including cigarettes, which are once again increasing in use). Also we must take into account our post-modern lifestyles, a background of excessive emotional and physical stressors on which our lives are painted. The System in Brief The immune system is our personal superhero, coming to our aid at the first sighting of any alien invader, be they bacterial or viral. This system, often pictured as a “PacMan” cartoon gobbling up bad guys, has both autonomic and subconscious responses, is complex and far-reaching and has many organs and systems cooperating for our protection. About one sixth of our body is the space between our cells. This “interstitial” space is filed with a fluid that carries away debris and wastes produced by our tissues. Our lymph system, in addition to healthy mucous membranes and our skin is our first line of defense. The lymph system receives this interstitial fluid and filters out wastes with its PacMan-esque macrophages ( large cells that engulf and destroy foreign particles). The lymph system also encompasses lymph nodes, which contain the B-lymphocytes: white blood cells that initiate antibody production in response to invasion. The thymus gland; two lobes found just below the thyroid and above the heart is the primary immune system organ. It is responsible for the production of T-lymphocytes that control cell mediated immune reactions important in resistance to infection by mold, bacteria, yeast, fungi, parasites, viruses and cancer. The spleen, at approximately seven ounces in a full-grown person is the largest organ in the in the system. The spleen produces the white blood cells that engulf and destroy bacteria, cellular debris, worn out red blood cells and platelets. It also produces other types of cells, including neutrophils (especially important in preventing bacterial infections); eosinphils and basophils (that secrete histamine and other inflam-

In addition to their high vitamin (including B complex, C and E) and mineral ( iron and zinc) content recommended for a strong immune system, plant foods are high in antioxidant nutrients and fiber. Two of the important antioxidants found in fruits and veggies are the carotenes and flavonoids. Like environmental pollutants, carotenes are fat- soluble. Turned into Vitamin A in the liver they protect the whole system, reduce the effects of aging, help rebuild epithelial tissues so important as our bodies first response against attackers and are important in the formation of bones where some of the immune system’s cells are produced. There are over 600 carotenes, 30-50 of which the body can turn into Vitamin A. Beta carotene, perhaps the best known as it transforms most easily into Vitamin A, is found in green and yellow fruit and vegetables, including winter squash, yams, apricots, carrots, chard, kale, mustard greens, papayas, parsley, peaches, spinach, alfalfa, cantaloupe, broccoli, beets, watercress, turnip greens, dandelion greens, garlic, rosehips and fish liver oil. Flavonoids, like carotenes, are responsible for some of the colors of our food. They provide protection against cancer, heart disease and strokes. Their anti-oxidative action reduces free radical damage. In addition flavonoids enhance Vitamin C absorption, work synergistically with Vitamin C to protect the structure of blood vessels and have an anti- bacterial effect. Flavonoids are found in citrus fruit, especially the white material just beneath the peel, berries, onions, parsley, beans, lentils, peas, buckwheat, hibiscus flowers and green tea.

can help to build up the body’s

immune system

Fiber is another very important aspect of immune system support. Fiber binds with unwanted toxins including heavy metals and the body’s waste materials (including destroyed bacterial and viral invaders) bulking them up for prompt elimination. Pectins, found in apples, carrots, beets, bananas, cabbage, citrus, and dried peas slows the absorption of foods, binds with and removes heavy metals, reduces the effects of radiation therapy and other toxins. Sources of fiber to include in the daily diet are whole grains, bran, oatmeal, seeds and nuts, beans, including lentils and peas, and raw vegetables.

purification of the blood supply. A powerful hepatic with antibacterial properties, it clears and supports the liver and related organs, increasing their ability to strain waste from the blood. High in iron and Vitamin C, it is an effective tonic in anemia and was used in the treatment of scurvy. Listed for centuries in pharmacopoeias as an effective blood purifier, Burdock is noted for clearing inflammatory diseases including rheumatism and arthritis, producing gradual changes in the body with its nutritive content, enhancing of liver function and promoting the excretion of wastes in both urine and sweat. Its antibacterial properties have been isolated and it has been found to inhibit tumor growth. Utilize burdock in soups or stews on a regular basis, or chop it and throw it into your bean pot. Yellow dock has a strong flavor; regular use of yellow dock is best achieved generally with tinctures or capsules. Other powerful immune tonics, also best taken in capsules or tinctures in clude the Chinese herbs Astragalus, Maitake, and Reishi mushrooms.

Cold & Flu Remedies

Flu with Fever • Vitamin C, 500-1,000 mgs every 2 hours • Echinacea tincture 30 drops every 2 hours • Boiron — Oscillococcinum- homeopathic flu remedy • Elderberry syrup or tincture • Other herbal antivirals — elderberry, lomatium, osha, garlic, cayenne, St. John’s Wort

matory compounds and are involved in allergic reactions,) and the monocytes (large garbage collector cells that clean up after infections). Other important immune system players include the Natural Killer cells (NK) so named because of their ability to destroy cells that have become cancerous or infected with viruses, the mast cells that release histamine and other inflammatory response compounds including those in allergic reactions and the specialized serum factors including interferon, and interleukin 2 that activate the white blood cells. Let Food Be thy Medicine The importance of whole grains, organic and unprocessed whenever possible, and a diet that contains a broad array of colors and food groups representing the many vitamins and minerals needed to maintain good health bears repetition. Choosing animal products that are organic and free range will reduce exposures to hormones, antibiotics, and other unwanted pollutants as well as increase your intake of beneficial fatty acids. Much farm-raised fish not only contains high levels of pesticides, antibiotics and artificial colorants (in the case of farm raised salmon) but is damaging to water based environments and endangers wild populations of related and other species. Also endocrinedisrupting chemicals linked to cancers of all kinds and cognitive disorders concentrate in the fats of animals including our own. Reducing exposures by limiting animal product consumption reduces stress to the immune system. Utilizing high quality, organic, pasture raised, grass fed animal products in smaller amounts or as a condiment flavoring vegetables, beans and grains is the best way to go.

12

Alteratives known in folk traditions as “blood cleansers” or “blood purifiers” are yellow dock and burdock. Yellow dock is another herb good for reducing glandular swelling however, its tonic qualities come through its astringent

herbal tonics

Quick Reference: Acute Sudden Onset Colds • Zinc lozenges15-25 mg every 2 hours until symptions subside • Vitamin C, 500 mgs, every 2 hours to bowel tolerance • Echinacea tincture 20-30 drops every 1-2 hours until bedtime • Other herbs as capsules or tinctures — osha, ma huang, mullein, pleurisy root, slippery elm, wild cherry bark Chronic or Lingering Colds and Flu • Herbal combinations from local herb companies (Herbs Etc., Deep Health, Phytocillin) • BHI (HEEL) Lymphomyosot • Herbs: Astragalus, Reishi, shitake mushrooms, schizandra, Siberian ginseng, licorice root

is the herb of choice. Also known as Goosegrass, Cleavers is excellent in a wide range of problems where the lymph system is involved, including swollen glands, as in cases of tonsillitis and adenoidial issues, and for lymph node swellings, under the arms, down the neck and in the groin. A noted lymph system tonic, it is used in the treatment of ulcers and tumors resulting from lymphatic congestion and reduced drainage. It can be taken as an effective longterm tonic, its alterative effect slowly building in the body. For those who prefer homeopathics, try Lymphomyosot.

Herbs and Supplements Given the state of our environment and the often, depleted soils in which our food is grown, vitamin and mineral supplementation is a fine idea for building immune function. Often a good daily multivitamin will do. Read the label carefully. Many of those that you find at discount stores are filled with additives, preservatives, binders and fillers. Choose a reputable brand, even though it may not be the cheapest, to be sure you are getting your money’s worth. The concept of the tonic, integral to herbal healing traditions but just recently finding its footing in conventional medicine, is about the building and balancing of the system as a whole over time. For the lymph system, Cleavers

Studied in China, where it has a very long tradition of use, researchers have proved Astragalus’ immune enhancing effects, showing its ability to increase endurance, reduce blood pressure, improve circulation, strengthen heart contractions, and as a non- specific immune system stimulant that in mice has been shown to augment interferon response to a viral attack. In tests in Houston, Texas, water extracts (teas) of Astragalus were shown to restore T-cell function in nine out of ten cancer patients. The recognition of its immune enhancing effects is also notable for those people who are prone to lung infections. Reishi mushroom has been shown in worldwide research to be anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antioxitive, and antiviral. It has also been noted as helping prevent allergic responses, enhancing bone marrow production, enhancing natural killer cells, increasing white blood cell count and as a general immune potentiator. Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is an edible mushroom known here as "hen of the woods" that in addition to its anti-cancer, anti-viral and immune-enhancing properties, may also reduce blood pressure and blood sugar. Take these herbs as tonics to build immune strength. Check with your healthcare professional for a program that best meets your individual needs.

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to stay healthy! january 2006


consumer health Non-stick Surfaces Stay in Bodies

T

he Environmental Working Group (EWG) has uncovered yet another case of corporate greed contaminating human health. Late last year the EWG released documents that show that the DuPont Company knew that a Teflon-related chemical used to line candy wrappers, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags and hundreds of other food containers was migrating into food and could pose human health threats. Breakdown chemicals from these coatings and related sources are now in the blood of 95 percent of Americans, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has spent the last several years trying to determine how they got there. The chemical in question, Zonyl, can rub off into food. Once in a person's body,

Combined, the Evers story and EWG's documents present a startling chronology of DuPont's actions: • Evers describes how, in the mid-1960s, the company negotiated with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a weak standard for how much of the paper chemical coating, which is applied to give packaging grease or liquid resistance, could contaminate food. The FDA at the time normally required a two-year study for chemicals it wasn't familiar with, but agreed to base DuPont's approval on a 90-day test with a 1,000-fold safety factor added. • Evers explains how that standard, which remains in effect

Breakdown chemicals from these coatings and related sources are now in the blood of 95 percent of Americans... How did they get there? it can break down into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts. The Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of deciding if it should classify PFOA as a “likely” human carcinogen and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continuing to monitor the safety of PFOA chemicals in food. From Glenn Evers, a DuPont employee of 22 years and a series of corroborating internal Dupont documents, a startling chronology of disregard for public health emerges. Evers, a self-described “company man” was one of the company's top technical experts, holder of six patents, and his work has, to date, made the company an estimated $250 million in after-tax profits. He was also involved with designing and developing new uses of the grease-resistant, or perfluorinated, chemical-based coating for paper food packaging.

today, was based on the premise that the chemical would leave the body quickly. He says the company knew, at least by 1981, that another class of perfluorinated chemicals, such as PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), accumulates in people. • A company document shows that DuPont conducted a toxicological study in 1973 in which it was unable to find a safe level of exposure in lab animals, and that the chemicals were toxic to the kidneys, liver and blood. • A 1984 internal company memorandum raises the question of which of these crucial findings and imformation, if any, from the 1973 study or after the company was aware of the chemical’s bioaccumulative nature in 1981 were provided to the FDA. • Evers describes how DuPont's "Document Retention Program" required researchers to label

all hard copy files to time their destruction. Company managers could audit employees to ensure compliance, and other staff went through employees' hard copy files to ensure documents were destroyed. A master computer program at the company deleted files from company hard drives after a certain period of time. • Evers tells of how 3M, DuPont's competitor, rapidly abandoned the $150 million per year business using perfluorinated chemicals on paper food packaging when it realized in 2000 that the chemicals were producing byproducts accumulating in human blood that those chemicals were sticky public and harmful to developing lab animals. Despite what it knew from the 1987 results, DuPont moved quickly to sell its similar chemistry to 3M's former customers.

health questions

?

EWG sent the documents to the FDA's acting commissioner, as well as the inspector general of its parent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), requesting the officials act on the new information. The group is also referring documents to relevant EPA officials. "DuPont thinks it has the right to pollute your blood with chemicals, but it doesn't," said Evers. "Someone could get a fine for dumping trash if he threw a used tire into the creek behind my house. This company continues to pollute the blood of the American public with a toxic chemical — what is it going to end up paying?" For more information go to www.ewg.org.

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Young Children Carry Multiple

Pesticide Body Bur dens

S

cientists at Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) analyzed the pesticide data in a study released last August by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finding that more than 90% of people tested carried a mixture of pesticides in their bodies. The CDC evaluated only a fraction of the total number of pesticides used every day in agricultural fields, homes and gardens and found most of these toxic chemicals present in our bodies. Many have been linked to health effects such as cancer, birth defects and neurological problems. This is CDC’s third national sampling of blood and urine of thousands of subjects across the country for dozens of toxic chemicals. In this third study, 148 environmental chemicals were measured, 43 of them pesticides. There are currently over 1200 pesticides formulated into tens of thousands of products registered for use in the U.S. Some pesticides were found at higher levels in children, known to be particularly vulnerable to harm from pesticide exposure. For example, the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos, was found at higher concentrations in children than adults, indicating exposures more than four times the level EPA considers safe. Home use of chlorpyrifos was banned in 2001 because of concern over health effects in children, but an estimated 10 million pounds continues to be used in agricultural fields every year.

CDC also found several organochlorine pesticides in the blood of study subjects. Organochlorines are persistent pesticides that can last in the environment and the human body for many years. They can be passed from mother to child in the womb, crossing the placenta barrier and through breast milk. Most of these pesticides, such as DDT, chlordane and dieldrin, have been banned for decades. The organochlorine insecticide lindane, however, continues to be used in the U.S. though it has been banned in more than 50 other countries around the world. Bayer CropScience is the primary distributor of lindane agricultural products in the U.S. The scientists and activists at PANNA issued a set of recommendations based on findings from the report. These include: • Corporations like Bayer CropScience that distribute organochlorine pesticide products should withdraw them immediately from the U.S. market. • Policymakers should use CDC’s bio-monitoring data to help develop policies that better protect public health, and particularly our children. • CDC should make more detailed data publicly available to help policymakers set priorities and evaluate the impacts of policies put in place. • Consumers should choose organic food and pesticidefree household and hygiene products to protect their families and support the adoption of healthy alternatives.

action alert!

For more information about pesticides in people’s bodies including fact sheets and PANNA’s Ban Lindane Now! Campaign, go to the site: http://www.panna.org.

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13


food &

environment

january 2006 14

The Xeric Landscape

What’s the Difference Between Xeric and Xer o(scape)?

N

o, this isn’t a trick question. From my vantage point as a soil and landscape restoration practitioner, I can tell you that in the urban southwest today, the difference between ‘xeric’ installations and xeroscape is‌ not that much. Xeric has become one of those fads-gone-bad, so I’m suggesting we eliminate the term from our vocabulary until and unless we know how to use it properly. Yes, it may take some getting used to, but it’s essential that we revisit the term and look objectively at the monster it has become. The term ‘xericscape’ first came into popular use in the mid- 1980’s as a set of principles to guide the reduction of water consumption in landscaping in the Denver area and increase the use of drought-tolerant or low-water consumption plant material. Since I spend the majority of my time correcting the ills visited on a landscape by incorrectly applied xeric ideas, I feel it my duty to share with you the most common mis-applications of xeric landscaping and how to correct them. A lush and healthy landscape begins with healthy soil. Rock over Typar or any fabric weed barrier is not the path to healthy soil. It is, however, a great way to create a whole lot more heat around your property. Which will require more water to quench the thirst of your vegetation and grasses. And require more from your swamp cooler or air conditioner. Not to mention higher and higher requirements for organic material and nutrient additions. All that hot rock has effectively killed off the requisite soil biology. The soil has less waterholding capacity and fewer nutrients. Irregular and inappropriate watering systems further stress the plants.

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My suggestion? Get rid of the rock and stop being so frightened of a few weeds. They don’t bite and weeding your property can become an meditative exercise, once you stop resisting the notion. To decrease unwanted plant types in your area begin with healthy soil, covered in organic mulch such as small wood chips and compost, which deters some weed seeds that prefer a more barren landscape, and; second, create lush oases of various types of flowering and edible shrubs and plants. Intensively planted areas, similar to what is found in nature, is the key to inhibiting the encroachment of unwanted plants while creating living mulches. A living mulch slows evaporation thus conserving water while cooling the soil and providing a residue of organic material to decompose and feed the soil.

will be able to create an area that replicates the most critical components of Nature. And they are: 1. Create and maintain healthy soil. 2. Conserve and channel water for optimum use. 3. Utilize organic mulches and consistently add organic material to the landscape. 4. Plant intensively using native, naturalized plant combinations, as well as a mixture of deciduous trees, drought-tolerant varieties of perennials and

Imitate a natural desert landscape

Plant more native trees (like oaks) and native grasses. There are several blends of historic native grasses that will enliven even the dourest of rockscapes. Set up a watering system that mimics nature either with a swirling overhead sprinkler, like a Nelson or through the use of a soaker hose system or laser line. For me, those tiny black tubes punched into the soil right next to the base of a plant makes me think the poor thing is on life support. Drip emitters should be moved in accordance with the expanding drip line, sometimes as often as each new growing season. At the same time, it is a good idea to cut back the weed barrier and add compost and mulch to the enlarged planting circle. Any watering system should be reaching the dripline and a bit beyond. Each plant deserves a minimum of three emitters in a triangle configuration, trees should have more. The most effective way to water is “think deep, not frequent.� You aren’t just watering the plants; you’re also watering all the millions of microscopic beneficials in the soil, as well. From simply observing the natural environment that surrounds our urban area, I’ve recognized that nature has an agenda for us to follow and if we do, then we

shrubs, and native grasses. 5. Prune appropriately during the proper season of the year (preferably by a professional) and never ever top a tree you hope to keep. 6. Imitate as much as possible the natural and historic desert landscape. Last, but equally important, is to spend some time each day, preferably morning and evening, walking the property you inhabit. Your land is a relationship that requires observation, patience, appropriate interventions and love. Your land and all that is growing on it, is very much alive. Treat it as such. By mimicking nature in the urban habitat, you will create the greatest opportunity for a healthy, lush and wildly vibrant landscape. Which was the intent of xeric designers all along. by Yvonne Scott Yvonne Scott is the owner of Environmental Enhancers, providing soil and landscape restoration, consultations, soil therapy and classes. Phone: 505.907.9070.

Free Estimate Dormant Season: Time for Pruning Pines, Conifers, Fruit Trees Composted Mulch Available

Services • Fruit and Shade Tree Pruning • Technical Removal • Planting • Cabling & Bracing • Pest Management • Fertilization & • Root Rehabilitation Services

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What’s organic, what’s not... Dean/Horizon’s $10 Million Gamble

D

ean Foods, the $11 billion giant that controls the leading market position in conventional milk, is taking a controversial and risky gamble by attempting to turn their 4000 plus cow confinement dairy, in the desert-like West, into what they hope the public will perceive as a "legitimate" organic farm. The corporate dairy giant has announced that they will spend $10 million on their farm located near Paul, Idaho, by adding pasture, more barns, and state-of-the-art milking equipment. Last year The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group, filed a legal complaint with the USDA alleging that cows on Dean's Horizon farm are confined to a feedlot and routinely denied access to pasture as required by the federal law that regulates organic food production. The Cornucopia Institute has been tracking the growth of confinement animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in organic agriculture. As demand for organic milk has skyrocketed, investors have built large industrial farms mimicking what has become the standard production paradigm in the conventional dairy industry. They hope to use the CAFOs to reduce organic production operating costs through confinement and the ability it provides to increase herd milking frequency to three and even four times a day. Dean, along with Colorado-based Aurora Dairy, which operates numerous factory-style dairies around the country, might already control 60 to 70% of the nation's organic milk market. Although Dean claims that 75% of their

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milk comes from "family dairy farms," some of their suppliers have split (conventional/organic) operations with as many as 10,000 cows (3000 organic). Corporate behemoth, Dean/Horizon is the largest conventional milk bottler in the country, is now out to take control of the organic dairy industry by controlling raw milk supply. "What they are suggesting as an answer to their 'image problem' in the organic marketplace is nothing more than an attempt to greenwash their factory farm," says Henry Lewis, family farm owner and organic dairy producer. "Based on the dry climate and lack of rainfall in that area of Idaho, this farm would likely require 5 to 10 times more pasture than the 1400 acres they are proposing to be added to their feedlot operation.� The Cornucopia Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy and economic development their goal is to empower farmers both politically and through marketplace initiatives. The Institute's Organic Integrity Project acts as a corporate watchdog assuring that no compromises to the credibility of organic farming methods and the food it produces are made in the pursuit of profit. The Institute actively resists regulatory rollbacks and the weakening of organic standards, to protect and maintain consumer confidence in the organic food label.

By Mark Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute’s Senior Farm Policy Analyst, kastel@cornucopia.org, 608.625.2042.

The Cornucopia Institute Working to protect organic food’s good name!

www.cornucopia.org


community Statewide

forum

BLM May Spray Herbicides in NM Wilderness Public comment period ends Jan 9,2006. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed to apply massive amounts of herbicides and other toxic chemicals to public lands in 17 Western states including New Mexico. Under the proposal 932,000 acres would undergo chemical application including National Monuments and National Conservation areas. An integral part of this proposal involves aerial spraying of toxic chemicals, including 2,4-D, bromacil, chlorsulfuron, diquat, diuron, fluridone, hexazinone, teburthiruon, triclopyr, and picloram. The proposal would also allow the use of “new chemicals that may be developed in the future.�

january 2006 15

HOME FOR SALE, N. VALLEY, ALB.

Fortunately, the proposal also includes an analysis of possible outcomes of using non-chemical means of managing these areas and offers an option (Option C) wherein traditional methods of vegetation management are used on public lands, not the use widespread application of toxic chemicals.

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Take action: Submit your public comment in support of Option C of the Bureau of Land Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. Write to Brian Amme, Project Manager: BLM, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, NV 895200006. Comments may also be emailed to vegeis@nv.blm.gov. Go to www.organicconsumers.org and file your comments.

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The Power of Dialogue Public Conversations Project Comes To Albuquerque The Public Conversations Project is looking forward to its three day training workshop, “The Power of Dialogue,� in Albuquerque February 9-11, 2006. Cosponsored by the Albuquerque Family Therapy Center and the University of New Mexico’s Center on Dispute Resolution, this experiential training includes a simulated dialogue and allows participants to explore theory, foundations and practice. The Public Conversation Project focuses particularly on highly polarized issues that involve conflicts in the areas of values, identity and worldviews. We have worked around the issues of abortion, the environment, inter-ethnic and inter-religious issues, homosexuality and faith, and many others. We view dialogue as any conversation animated by a search for understanding rather than for agreements or solutions; it is not debate or

mediation, nor is it focused on persuading, convincing or compromising. Rather, dialogue offers participants the opportunity to: • Listen and be listened to so that all speakers can be heard. • Speak and be spoken to in a respectful manner. • Develop or deepen mutual understanding and discover common concerns. • Learn about perspectives that others hold while reflecting on one’s own views.

For more information, people are encouraged to visit their web site at www.publiconversations.org. To learn more or register for the Albuquerque training contact Manda Adams at 617-923-1216, x13 or at madams@publiconversations.org.

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Tricklock Company’s Revolutions Theatre Festival 2006 Tricklock Company brings to Albuquerque its 6th annual Revolutions International Theatre Festival, Jan. 10 - Jan.29. The 2006 Festival will present theatrical work by national and international performers in 10 different venues. For information about the Festival schedule, performers and guest companies, visit www.tricklock.com.

Lauri Norton Licensed Massage Therapist # 4199 Nationally Certified Cranio Sacral, Polarity, Swedish, Reflexology

Albuquerque Opportunity

Center T

he first group foray to bring a monthly Soup Kitchen meal to the residents of the Albuquerque Opportunity Center was a great success. Thanks to the many supporters who funded the effort. Very special thanks go to La Montanita Co-op, which strongly supported this effort. Adam, produce department Team Leader (Rio Grande store), artfully prepared a 35 pound box of exactly the mix of day old vegetables that you would want to eat in a hearty cold-weather stew, with organic potatoes, yams, a variety of winter and summer squashes, Serrano peppers and onions. A word about the venue: The Albuquerque Opportunity Center is a two-year-old, 69-bed, overnight homeless shelter for men that provides stable housing for up to 30 days and services to help them permanently exit homelessness. The focus on ending homelessness and the length of stay offered distinguishes AOC from other shelters. The AOC is a nonprofit organization that is completely supported by private and public donations. AOC does have government and foundation support but

is dependent upon the Albuquerque community to make up the difference. In the first year, AOC served 638 men with 20% exiting into housing. As an employer, the AOC pays a living wage to its staff. They do not have any kitchen facilities on site and are dependent on community largesse for food donations. November’s dinner fed more than 60 folks, cost $60 plus a few bucks more for paper products. That’s about $1 per person for a more than 80% organic, extremely wholesome and tasty meal all cooked from scratch. Volunteers? The kitchen fills up quick and no more than 45 servers are needed each month. Hours are 38pm. Some flexibility allowed. Through combined contributions, we've been able to add "Maw" to the Soup Kitchen, our highly esteemed, 27-quart, stainless steel, whale of a stockpot that requires a two-person lift when full. She's a beaut!

If you'd like to volunteer, make a food donation or for more information about AOC, call 344-2645.

First-time Telescope Users Meeting

“S

etting Up & Using Your First Telescope� will be the topic at a special “Beginners� meeting to be held by The Corrales Astronomy Club Sunday, January 8th at 7PM at the Corrales Montessori School, 3896 Corrales Rd. All those interested are invited regardless of where they live. A follow-up observing session is planned for February 4th at which beginners will have a chance to have experienced people help them set up and use their telescopes at night. This outdoor workshop will be held at 675 Camino Arco Iris, Corrales, starting at 7PM. These Beginner events are part of the club’s efforts towards educating residents of Corrales and the West

(505) 243-1701 cell 410-3741 Insurance accepted with Doctor’s referral.

Side on Astronomy in general and the amateur hobby specifically. The Corrales Astronomy Club holds regular monthly meetings that feature both discussion topics and outdoor observing sessions (weather permitting). Each month the club also holds separate observing sessions that are either held in Corrales or at a dark sky site 45 minutes north. Special presentations are made (by request) to schools, scouting programs, civic clubs and other organizations. Those who want more information can visit the club web site, www.corrales-astronomy.org or call Ed Isenberg at 922-1072, E-mail: astronomy@isenberg-family.net Web: www.corrales astronomy.org.

Did you know... Women’s Health Services is now accepting new patients and most major insurance plans?

“Being a patient of Women’s Health Services not only provides me excellent healthcare, but coming here allows me to support the community because my visits help support patients who cannot afford healthcare elsewhere. Using WHS is really a win-win situation for everybody.� -Melissa Pessarra, WHS patient

Please call us at (505) 988-8869 to schedule your appointment with one of our providers or to learn about our free “Living Well� series.

A National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health 901 West Alameda, Suite 25 Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 988-8869 www.WomensHealthSantaFe.org



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Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.