La Montanita Coop Connection March, 2006

co op M a r c h 2006

connection

free

7th Annual Valley Garden Party - Mar ch 25 Annual Farming and Gardening Issue

La Montanita’s Annual

Spring Festivals: 7th Annual Valley Garden Party Saturday March 25th, 10am-3pm

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t’s Spring! Come rejoice in the Earth’s annual rebirth and renewal at the Valley Co-op. Drought or no drought, it’s planting time! Come to the Co-op for the most up to date information on how to beat the drought using native plants, mulching and conservation-based watering systems to bring in your crops.

As always, there will be a wide variety of organic seeds, veggie, flower, herb seedlings, native plants, compost, and all the other things you need for a great year in the garden. Some of our region’s most dedicated farmers have already confirmed, including: certified organic Bethany Farms and Charybda Farm of Taos, Becky Thorpe and her native plants and medicinal herbs, Desert Woman Botanicals, erda Gardens and Learning Center, Yvonne Scott of Environmental Enhancers, Subrosa Gardens’ organic weed control, tree health education from Divine Earth Gardens, and so much more.

In addition to supplies, there will be some of our community’s most knowledgeable people on hand to answer your how-to questions. Again this year we are honored to have Joan Quinn, education coordinator for the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, our state’s organic certification agency. A walking, talking natural resource, she can tell you everything you need to know on how to grow it organically, how to get certified organic or how organic farming and gardening supports healthy food production and long term environmental health.

Also on hand will be another of our farming and gardening community’s excellent educators, Bernalillo County Extension Agent Joran Viers. Or you can talk to “Master Gardener” Joe Holdridge for answers to your toughest gardening problems or pick up information on their classes and become a master gardener yourself. You might also want to check out Joe’s amazing variety of tomato plants. Need composting information or some of that rich “black gold” itself? New Mexico Compost Products/ Soilutions folk will be happy to oblige. Get your home compost pile going well and pick up a sack to use until your home brew is ready.

It’s our great pleasure to spotlight some of our community’s wonderful local musicans. We’ll begin the day with local singer/songwriter em Ward, a long time member of the Co-op community and volunteer. It was a thrill to get to know this other side of em: If you haven’t heard her yet, you are in for a special treat. Many Valley regulars know Avi Berg from the Valley Deli, so you won’t want to miss the Co-op debut of his World Peace Band. We are pleased to welcome back the toe tapping bluegrass of the Adobe Brothers. And we’re all looking forward to another Co-op debut, that of the Kubitanna Marimba Band to get you on your feet and dancing. (See schedule below).

And of course, there will be great Co-op food! Sit at an umbrella shaded table with friends and neighbors and enjoy delicious lunch specials from the Co-op Deli. La Montanita’s support of local producers is legendary, with 20% of all our purchases local products. Want to sample some things you haven’t tried yet? Local farmers, manufacturers and vendors will be set up throughout the Co-op, so you’ll have the opportunity to do just that. And for the children, there will be a jolly jumper as well as other children’s activities benefiting the North Valley Mountain Mahogany Charter School.

Farmers, gardeners, and related educational organizations, space is limited so reserve yours today.

Call Robyn at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-COOP (2667). Weather date is Sunday, March 26.

Garden Party Music Schedule 10:30am: em Ward 11am: World Peace Band 12 noon: Adobe Brothers 1pm: Kubitana Marimba

Come to the Co-op for the most up to date information on how to beat the drought using native plants, mulching and conservation-based watering systems to bring in your crops.

Garden Party Jolly Jumper to

Benefit Mountain Mahogany School Opened in 2005, Mountain Mahogany School is a public APS charter school that provides tuition-free education. It serves families with children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade and will expand to include 4th grade next year. There are currently about 70 students. Students at Mountain Mahogany gain a foundation of health, emotional strength, and essential well-being that will promote excellence in academic, artistic, vocational and social pursuits throughout life.

Located on 3.2 acres, at 5014 4th St. NW, between Griegos and Montano, the school nurtures a deep understanding and appreciation for the natural world through nature stories, gardening and environmental education.

Using a curriculum that is informed and enriched by Enki Education where the overall health of the student is the focus. Good nutrition, outdoor activities, learning through movement and dance, and a multicultural approach to learning that values all people and all cultures ensures all students succeed.

For more information please call 244-4110 or go to www.mountain.mahogany.org, and come to the Valley Co-op’s Garden Party on Saturday March 25 to learn more about this charter school.

Botanicals, Peacecraft, No Cattle Farm, Plants of the Southwest, Subrosa Gardens, North Albuquerque Co-op Community School and Gardenscapes to name but a few of the many organizations confirmed at press time.

Celebrate the Earth

festival!

You can count on seeing some of our community’s fine local artists and crafts persons, hearing some of your favorite musicians and thrilling to performances from our gifted local performers. Some festival favorites are coming back, and we are once again honored to have them grace the little stage under the big tent, in the middle of Silver Street.

17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival Sunday, April 23, 10:30am-6pm

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eople all over Albuquerque and throughout the state are getting ready for the 17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival. You can expect the same wonderfully inspiring day filled with information and education booths from dozens of environmental, social and economic justice organizations, local farmers, seedlings, drought resistant plants, beautiful art from fine local artists and crafts people, inspiring music and dancing by some of our favorite local performing artists and of course great Co-op food.

There are some performing groups that make Earth Day the wonderful event it is. One that comes immediately to mind is Eva Encinas and her Flamenco Institute’s Alma Flamenca. This youth dance ensemble is instrumental in bringing the art and passion of flamenco to succeeding generations and to our Celebrate the Earth Festival year after year. A few of the other bands confirmed at press time include the traditional New Mexican/Nortano music of the one and only Chuy Martinez and his Los Trinos, Pilar Leto and Odara Dance Ensemble, the Celtic eclectic band Saoirse, the rocking funk of Jasper, the progressive

blues of RythmFish, and world jam music of Tathita.

Other fine local artists are still to be confirmed.

Watch the April Co-op Connection for more information and performance schedules.

We're praying for a beautiful day, and with Mother Earth's blessing we will once again take time to celebrate "Her" and reaffirm our commitment to restoring and sustaining our blue/green planetary gem. Our little street fills up quickly so please reserve your booth space early. We do give first priority to environmental, social and economic justice non-profit organizations and farmers and farming organizations.

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

Mark your calendar, this is one event you don't want to miss. Sunday April 23th 10:30am to 6pm at the back door of the Nob Hill Co-op location. For more information or to reserve your free booth space please contact Robyn at 217-2027 or 877-775-2667.

MEMBER APPRECIATION

We are looking forward to having groups as diverse as Hawkwatch, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, Charbyda Organic Farm, Habitat for Humanity, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, Bernalillo County Extension Service, Sage Council, Los Alamos Study Group, Sparrow Hawk Farm, Alley Gardens, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Bethany Organic Farm, Albuquerque Birth Network, Desert Woman

SPECIAL! La Montanita Co-op is honored to Team up with Ecoversity for Sustainability Education. All New and Renewing members get special discounts (up to $50 off) on all classes at Ecoversity.

Please pick up your special Ecoversity coupon when you join or renew at all Coop Locations. Check out the Ecoversity Class schedule on page 15.

discounts

for new and renewing members!

gardening special A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Albuquerque/ 7am-10pm M-F, 8am-10pm Sun. 3500 Central S.E. Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631 Albuquerque/ 7am-10pm M-F, 8am-10pm Sun. 2400 Rio Grande Blvd.

Albuq., NM 87104 242-8800 Gallup/ 10am-7pm M-F, 11am-7pm Sun. 105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383 Santa Fe/ 7am-10pm M-F, 8am-10pm Sun. 913 West Alameda Santa Fe, NM 87501 984-2852 Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001 TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP) • 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 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

The Culture of Agriculture

Saving Heirloom Seeds

by Brett Bakker, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, Chief Organic Inspector n a recent trip to Tucson, AZ, I stopped by to see some old buddies at Native Seeds/SEARCH, a seed bank I used to work for. It got me to thinking about how far the heirloom seed movement has come. Nowadays in co-ops and natural grocers you can find all colors & shapes of tomatoes, peppers and melons that just weren’t commercially available twenty years ago. In fact, most of these were never commercially available anywhere but for the local communities where these unique varieties of crops were raised.

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plant water-wise landscapes with native wild plants as well as carrying a few native corn and bean seeds.

Over the next few years, it really started to take off, and before long there were folks all over the country growing stuff that hadn’t been planted since grandpa sold the old farm or since the native boys went off to fight in WWII or Korea. Me, I was so hooked on the concept that I barely ate anything I managed to eke out of the dry mountain landscape but saved it all for future planting and to redistribute to like-minded people.

Back in 1979, I was living in the East Mountains in an old log cabin with no utilities and, like most back-to-the-land hippies, decided I needed to grow some food rather than merely living off the 50 pound sacks of rice and beans I used to buy from the old and cramped La Montanita Co-op.

itchy green

The question was how to grow food with no running water and only a couple of barrels to catch rain (whenever it managed to fall). I saw an ad in the Old Farmers Almanac for the True Seed Exchange in Kansas and heard rumors about native seeds that needed little water. By the time I got the info, the name had changed to the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE).

SSE was a loose network of mostly older folks who had grown up on farms where seed saving was ingrained, joined by younger ones who wanted to plant the old varieties that were adapted to their local landscapes rather than the one-size-fits-all, sometimes-infertile hybrids.

About that same time in Arizona, a nutritional education program on the Tohono O’odham (Papago) reservation was distributing seeds, so people could raise some of their own food. The response they got was along the lines of, well, thanks for the carrot seeds but this is the desert and what I really wanna grow is that old corn my grandma had. So the core of what became Native Seeds/SEARCH began seeking out seeds of the old corn, beans, melons and squash to redistribute, first free to the native community then for sale to the general public. Meanwhile here in NM, Plants of the Southwest in Santa Fe was busy encouraging folks to

The old crops were more diverse, not only in ability to survive adverse conditions (like any naturally evolved plant), but in color, size, shape and maturation times. Along with the genes that control these factors came outstanding flavor and textures that were lost in the rush to breed vegetables and fruits that could withstand mechanical picking and shipping. Nutrition is a debated issue, with many scientists saying a tomato is a tomato is a tomato, but there’s more to nourishment than vitamins. Eating fresh local in-season crops nourishes your well-being too.

Most folks forget the culture part of agriculture. Not only as in the care and cultivation of a crop but the knowledge and wisdom that comes along with it. When do you harvest a turnip and how do you cook the green tops? How do you know when to pick beans for shelling, for green beans or for the dried seed for cooking or planting? In the native communities, the knowledge reached deeper: what songs and prayers are sung at planting and harvest? What do you call that squash in your native language? What religious significance comes with that ear of blue corn?

So when you bite into a big red or yellow or orange or green or striped tomato that has an Amish history or mustard that was brought here by the Hmong people from Laos or eat tortillas made from Pueblo blue corn, don’t only thank the farmer who raised it and the companies who made the seed available to them but “Los Viejitos,” the old ones who saved year by year handful by handful your crop and farm heritage.

Farmer’s Planning Meetings: Sustaining New Mexican Agriculture

by Tawny Laveta, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute ow will our northern New Mexico small farms and ranches remain viable and thrive in the future?”

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute asked this question at three regional meetings in Dixon, Santa Fe and Espanola for farmers and agricultural allies during January and February. Growers for the Taos, Dixon, Espanola, Los Alamos, Pojoaque and Santa Fe Markets were most concerned about water rights issues, land acquisition, preservation of farm land from encroaching development, and access to technical support and funding to implement production, marketing and distribution innovations.

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Recent New Mexico Department of Agriculture statistics concur with farmers’ concerns. Since the year 2000, New Mexico has lost over 500 farms and 200,000 acres of farm land while farm debt has risen by $283.2 million from 1999 to 2003.

Exacerbating these daunting economic trends is the prediction for another drought year as spring temperatures arrive early in 2006 and fruit trees and perennials awaken from dormancy without water running in the acequias.

“I am worried about water,” claimed a majority of growers who either attended the meetings or responded to phone interviews. The issues surrounding water are numerous, including updating water laws to mandate conservation, limiting development, guaranteeing agricultural access to water, tying water rights to the land (thereby restricting water right transfers), and adequately funding proactive water organizations like the NM Acequia Association that strive to preserve the historic acequia systems in NM. “Northern New Mexico farmers and ranchers need a voice, a way to get farmers more involved to affect policy decisions at all levels of government,” claimed Stan Crawford of Dixon. Whether discussing water security, affordable land for new farmers, promoting “landbased” economic development, or educating future farmers, partici-

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The seed saving movement went hand-in-hand with the organic movement since most of the old crops weren’t suited to mass mechanized cultivation but the loving care only a pair of human hands can give. What they/we got in return was lovely-to-look-at, good tasting, nutritious food that had a place in culture and history.

pants at all three meetings identified the need to create an interdependent network among agricultural producers, supportive consumers, government agencies and NGO’s.

Economic Cross Pollination Cross pollinating with rural economic development initiatives, college curriculum, nutrition education, and a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen (you can rent for $8.50/hr), Espanola leads the way with a collaborative approach to generate solutions. Cecelia Garcia, the Food Science Technical Director, and Camille Bustamante, Environmental Science Department, at Northern New Mexico Community College described their work with the Espanola Farmers’ Market as they move forward to develop a permanent market site a stone’s throw from classrooms and the commercial kitchen.

Nutrition, health, and education emerged as themes to help promote local agricultural products and keep farms viable. Gaywynn Cooper of Embudo mentioned the Dixon community’s intention to convert donated land adjacent to the Dixon Co-op into an educational community garden. Farmers developing relationships with schools, existing youth organizations, and current farm-to-school programs are seeds ready to sprout in many Northern New Mexico communities.

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 2002 to support the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.

In addition to building and managing the permanent site for the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, its purpose is to implement programs to promote agriculture and other land-based traditions in northern New Mexico; and to educate consumers about the cultural, nutritional and economic benefits of buying locally produced food and agricultural products.

For more information contact Tawnya Laveta, SFFMI at tlaveta@yahoo.com.

march 2006

gardening special Native Grasses: You Can Beat the Drought!!!

by Yvonne Scott t’s been dry this winter, with no promise of moisture and many of us are wondering what we can do to preserve the soil and save water. Well, hold onto your hats while I tell you: plant GRASS. Yes, that’s what I wrote. PLANT GRASS. Perhaps you don’t realize that the entire central range of the United States—from Kentucky and Tennessee on the east to Montana and New Mexico on the west—was historically grassland.

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Before the native Americans were sequestered on reservations, their lifestyle perfectly suited the lush grasslands of the middle continent. The first people frequently burned the prairies which stimulated the growth of a variety of grasses while inhibiting the spread of trees or shrubs. Fire cleaned out the residue of old grasses, and returned nutrients to the soil through the ashes. This process also supported “ecological mosaics,” a clustering of different species of grasses which provided a variety of foods for a variety of animal habitats.

Military personnel and botanists who visited the New Mexico territory before the turn of the 20th century were astounded at the lack of available wood as they traveled miles through lush stands of grass dominated by grama grasses (Bouteloua spp.), sacaton grasses (Sporobolus spp.) and bluestem grasses (Andropogon spp.)

sensual, and the thyme beneath your feet is much more inviting than rocks or mulch. You can plant ornamental grasses as a backdrop, a point of interest, a screen or a hedge. Smaller-sized species serve well as a ground cover. When first planted, grasses require moderate amounts of water; once established, most species will require less. They also require only moderate maintenance. Most grasses are in good form during nine months of the year. In the early spring, you'll need to comb them out and cut grasses back to the ground to insure fresh growth.

Grasses look their best in combinations rather than as isolated ‘specimens.’ Tuck them into hot corners surrounded by herbs or perennial flowers. Let them cascade across the front steps or wave at you from the back patio between agastache or salvia. There are a number of grasses available for you to enjoy. Try maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'), a large clump-forming grass that grows to at least 5 feet tall and can be nearly that wide at the top. Run your hands over Indian ricegrass (Sorghastrum nutans) or Mountain Mist grass (Blepharneuron tricholepis), a native to the four corners area. The choices are stunning and more and more accessible. Most nurseries carry plant seeds as well as plant stock, so you can visualize the look of grasses in your homescape.

Locating native grass seed is not as difficult as you think.

Local nurseries offer seed mixtures and blends geared to the time of year they grow best—the difference between cold (spring and fall) and warm and hot season varieties (those that grow best in late spring and summer.) In general, cool season grasses are easily established by seeding.

Warm season grasses are commonly established through sod, sprigs, and plugs, although some types can also be established by seeding (like buffalograss.) An even more effective method coming onto the market is hydroseeding—a direct application of a slurry composed of the grass seed along with a thin mulch, binder and soil therapy products. In some of these applications, germination has occurred in a matter of a few days and a mature stand of grass was present in just a couple of weeks.

invite native

Valley

grasses

to your backyard

It is difficult to imagine the landscape from the Rio Grande west to the horizon (without the urban sprawl) as a sea of grass, but there are remnants still to be found in the foothills and canyons to remind us that this area was once a more abundant and richly diverse region. But perhaps you are able to imagine a slice of that original prairie grassland in your own backyard.

Why grass?

Before you start screaming about water consumption, let me tell you researchers who have studied the composition of prairie grass root structures can show you exactly how and why native grasses survive and thrive as opposed to their shorter cousins. It’s all in the roots. Buffalo grass, purple three-awn, western wheatgrass, and sideoats grama for example can penetrate soils to a depth exceeding five feet! The root structure holds them in place under adverse conditions (like harsh winds or the teeth on cattle or sheep). Plus the extensive root system loosens the soil, pulls moisture from deep inside the subsoil and thus maintains the plants during times of drought.

Have you considered creating a labyrinth composed of grasses and creeping thyme? The combination is very

Gallup

You’ll never know what mystical blends you can create until you re-think the presence of grasses. By uprooting the natives, we helped to create our current water problems. You can actually improve the landscape and the soil, provide a more diverse and drought-tolerant habitat and reclaim a bit of the land’s history by inviting some native grasses to your backyard.

Source material: Weaver, J.E.: Prairie Plants and Their Environment: A Fifty-year Study in the Midwest., University of Nebraska Press, 1968.

The Land Institute, Craig D. Allen, writings for the U.S. Geological Survey Yvonne Scott is the force behind Environmental Enhancers, a local company promoting simple changes in the way we relate to the planet: 505/907-9070.

Vinegar for Weed Control?

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rganic gardeners have been using vinegar to manage weeds for years, and recently the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has done some research to confirm its use for organic weed control. Vinegars with various levels of acidity were tested. (Common household vinegar has about 4 to 5% acid content, and horticultural vinegar is a form of vinegar containing 20% acetic acid).

Concentrations of 5 to 10% acidity were tested and shown to kill weeds up to two weeks old. Three weeks old and older plants require higher concentrations (20% solution) for an 85 to 100% kill rate. In a separate test by the ARS, there was above 80% success in killing weeds in cornfields without harming the corn. The research used only fruit and grain-derived vinegar in order to meet the organic standards.

TEN TIPS FOR USING HORTICULTURAL VINEGAR: 1. It is important to spray as much of the undesired foliage as possible.

2. Household vinegars are generally not acidic enough to do a sufficient job of controlling perennial weeds. They need to be combined with a surfactant and used on young, annual weeds for best results.

3. When spraying horticultural vinegar, it is best to spray in the heat of the noonday sun, in temperatures above 70 degrees F. 4. In areas where complex root systems make weed control difficult, such as unwanted Bermuda other perennial grasses, drenching the area vinegar: or with a 20% solution may be needed. Caution: This will lower the PH below 5.0, and nothing will grow in the treated areas without calcium and compost supplementation.

5. Be cautious when spraying near plants that you want to keep in the garden, especially desert or xeric plants that love alkaline soil.

6. On windy days, the spray can blow onto desirable plants or into your eyes, so it is best to spray when the weather is calm, warm, and sunny.

7. When temperatures are above 85 degrees F, many weeds can be sprayed with a mixture of 1 to 1 water to 20% acidity vinegar.

8. It is also important to wear gloves, eye protection, and keep your skin covered when spraying, because the high acid content can cause skin irritation and will burn eyes.

9. Do not spray in enclosed areas.

10. Wash the sprayer thoroughly after each use with soapy water, and rinse several times, spraying clean water through the sprayer tip.

an organic

weed control

How does vinegar work to kill weeds? In the case of horticultural vinegar, the acidity of the vinegar dissolves the plant’s protective coating and the plant dehydrates in a few hours, from root to tip. Yucca Extract is added as a natural surfactant (sticking agent, to keep the vinegar from sliding off the surface of the plant).

Even the USDA has tested horticultural vinegar and stated “of many uses, one is as a non-selective vegetation killer.” The product is currently exempt from registration as a pesticide/herbicide and can’t be labeled as such, due to red tape and chemical lobbying. So horticultural vinegar is not currently approved by the EPA to be marketed as a weed killer, despite USDA findings and accumulating research.

Basically, it is OK to sell it and use it as long as no one talks about how well it works against weeds.

march 2006

The above information has been obtained from ARS and USDA research. Horticultural vinegar is sold by the gallon from Subrosa Gardens. Call 505-907-8431 for more information. Co-op members receive a 10% discount.

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 3

agriculture Biodiversity Conservation: an Organic

biodiversity &

Farmer’s Guide

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ditors Note: The Co-op’s Common Ground Summits held during the past two Co-op Earth Day Celebrations have helped clarify the important role farmers and ranchers have in both conserving and restoring biodiversity. This year many in the organic community recognized and fought the industry assault on organic standards. A positive addition to the National Organic Program (NOP) Rule is the clarification of biodiversity in certification guidelines. Excerpts from “Biodiversity Conservation: An Organic Farmers Guide� are printed below. Many thanks for reprint permission go to our friends at the Wild Farm Alliance, and our deepest gratitude goes to everyone involved in the effort to further sustainable, organic farming while protecting and restoring wild Nature. For a complete copy of the “Guide� go to www.wildfarmalliance.org.

Organic Farmers’ Guide The USDA NOP Rule requires the conservation of biodiversity and the maintenance or improvement of natural resources,

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including wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife.

Until recently, the organic community had no common understanding of what these requirements mean. With the help of the Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) and others, the National Organic Standards Board approved biodiversity conservation additions into their model Organic System Plan in August 2005.

The Guide's goal is to increase the use of organic farming practices and other land management techniques that conserve biodiversity and the natural resources of organic farming systems, and to help farmers and ranchers comply with the NOP Rule. The Guide draws on the knowledge and experience of organic farmers, certifiers, and conservationists, as well as current research and literature, to provide a range of farming possibilities for a variety of situations that maintain and enhance biodiversity at the farm level and contribute to biodiversity conservation outside the farm’s borders at the regional or watershed level.

Crisis, Conservation, and Restoration Wendell Berry has written, “The question we must deal with is not whether the domestic and the wild are separate or can be separated; it is how, in the human economy, their indissoluble and necessary connection can be properly main-

maintaining habitat can be

enduring and

cost effective tained.� Of the 200,000 plants and animals now known to exist in the U.S., fully one-third are at risk, with 400 species already lost to extinction and another 100 missing.

At most, 10% of U.S. wildlands are protected.

These “islands� in a sea of highly altered landscape do not provide satisfactory habitat or connectivity (movement and gene flow between populations) for many species. While the amount of wildness and existing habitat varies greatly from farm to farm, farmers and ranchers can work with adjoining landowners to help establish and maintain ecosystem connections through enhanced and restored waterways, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and other habitats across the landscape. Farms and ranches that provide these habitats and wildlife linkages can reap nature’s benefits, from increased native pollinators to improved water quality and quantity.

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

232-2358 EricsTreeCare.com ericstreecare@earthlink.net

Spring Mulch Sale Composted Wood Chips $8 per Cubic Yard 5 Cubic Yard Minimum, Plus Delivery

Not all conservation practices come without risks.

The potential to bring unwanted pest birds, mammals, insects, and diseases onto the farm does exist. Unanticipated consequences to sensitive ecosystems may also occur, such as in manipulating a wetland that may then become less viable for priority species, or in attracting native species to an area that makes priority species vulnerable to predation.

Core Principles: Sustain and Restore Farms and Ecosystems In order to address biodiversity conservation, organic farmers must have knowl-

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High quality habitat is key for native plants and animals. The amount of food, cover, and water determines what kinds of wildlife live on the land, while soil and water conditions and disturbance regimes determine native plant populations. A farmer’s actions can change native species’ numbers by changing these parameters. If doing so compromises wildlife habitat, animals become vulnerable to prey or harsh weather conditions and will either move on or die. Native plants are resilient, but only under the right conditions. However, maintaining habitat can be enduring and cost effective; an organic farmer’s standard of living is measured not only by yields, but also by the quality and biodiversity of life.

Ecosystem and biodiversity conservation generally takes place over landscapes much larger than an individual farm. The measure of success is not simply the number of plant or animal species or natural communities in a given area, but whether the landscape as a whole achieves habitat and ecosystem conditions able to support viable populations of native species, particularly those most adversely affected by human disturbance.

When determining what biodiversity should be conserved, all things are not equal and should not be given equal weight when balancing the changes that agriculture brings to the land. In general, the conservation of native predators, such as raptors and large carnivores, should carry more weight than the conservation of their prey. Similarly, some species, such as reptiles and amphibians, are more likely to be adversely affected by farming activities than, say, rodents or blackbirds, and the organic farming plan should include strategies to avoid or mitigate such losses.

What Farmers Can Do Assessing biodiversity resources on the farm is critical. As a steward of two-thirds of the nation’s continental land area, farmers must have knowledge of native species and ecosystems in order to manage farmland for the protection of highest priority species and habitats. Such knowledge can help to identify and protect sensitive habitats from gradual degradation or outright conversion to other uses. By working with neighbors, non-governmental organizations, and public agencies, farmers and ranchers can learn to identify highest-priority species and effectively protect and link blocks of essential habitat as part of a functional conservation network. A few of the Guide's primary considerations for farm and environmental success include: 1. Take advantage of nature’s ecosystem services: pollination, pest control, beneficial predation, advantageous fire, flood and erosion control, nutrient cycling, and improved water quality and quantity.

Thoughtful care of habitats contributes to the strength, stability, and function of these services, which have been roughly valued at $33 trillion for the entire biosphere. continued on page 5

Biological Diversity

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

edge of native species and ecosystems on their farms and in the larger landscape.

biodiversity: variety in all life forms

Biological diversity (biodiversity) includes variety in all forms of life, from bacteria and fungi to grasses, ferns, trees, insects, and mammals. It encompasses the diversity found at all levels of organization, from genetic differences between individuals and populations (groups of related individuals) to the types of natural communities (groups of interacting species) found in a particular area. Biodiversity also includes the full range of natural processes upon which life depends, such as nutrient cycling, carbon and nitrogen fixation, predation, symbiosis and natural succession.

march 2006

biodiversity & agriculture Organic Farming Maintains and Improves Wildness support biodiversity and avoid, to the extent practicable, any activities that would diminish it. The organic production and handling standard itself states that the production practices must maintain or improve the natural resources of an operation, including soil, water, wetlands, woodlands and wildlife. Other areas of the rule related to biodiversity address crop rotation, crop pests, water contamination, livestock conditions and health, and wild crop harvesting.

by JoAnn Baumgarten, Wild Farm Alliance he writers of the National Organic Program Rule do not always get the credit they deserve. They were a forward-thinking group to include language throughout the Rule that addresses the core philosophy of organic production – that farming is done in a way that benefits from and supports biological diversity. This was undoubtedly done for two reasons, one that the writers knew farming in this way was ultimately sustainable for generations of human and wild communities, and two, that organic consumers expect this stewardship.

T

pasture fed

A few years ago Harriet Behar, the then Chair of Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA), first called attention to the fact that biodiversity educational materials and criteria were lacking for IOIA’s inspector trainings and requested that the Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) assist them with this effort. Through support of the Organic Farming Research Foundation and others, WFA formed a broad-based working group of organic farmers, certifiers and conservationists to develop biodiversity criteria and the supporting guides for farmers, inspectors, and certifiers.

predator friendly In August, the National Organic Standards Board reconfirmed this view by unanimously approving a suite of biodiversity issues into their model Organic System Plan (OSP). The NOSB’s template is used directly by many certifiers, or indirectly as a guide for those others who craft their OSP’s to their regions. Biodiversity conservation guides for farmers and certifiers addressing these inspection questions have been created and are available to all that request them.

The definition of organic production includes biodiversity conservation, and the preamble explicitly says that by the use of the word ‘conserve,’ it is meant that the producer must initiate practices to

Organic farmers across the country are serving as exemplar stewards for natural resources.

They are taking advantage of nature’s ecosystem services such as pollination, pest control, beneficial predation, flood and erosion control, nutrient cycling, and improved water quality and quantity while conserving and restoring native plants and animals. They are avoiding conversion of sensitive habitats to agriculture and preventing the production and spread of invasive, non-native species.

continued from page 4 2. Avoid conversion of sensitive habitats to agricultural production or development. The International Federation of Organic Movements (IFOAM) reports that 37% of the earth’s land is in agricultural production. Habitat loss is the main threat to biodiversity worldwide, with agricultural activities affecting 70% of all threatened bird species and 49% of all plant species. The management decisions farmers make can dramatically affect the overall level of biodiversity as well as the success of particular species.

accommodate the spawning, nesting, and migration of native fish and other wildlife by providing needed food and cover.

3. Protect threatened and endangered species, species of special concern, and keystone species.

Examples include conserving native habitat for a rare bird known to pass through a farm, or allowing a beaver (a keystone species) to build a dam.

6. Maintain and restore linkages and connectivity, including large blocks of habitat and wildlife corridors, to strengthen regional networks of conservation areas. In any region, farmlands should help conserve enough native habitat in the appropriate configuration, to maintain self-sustaining populations of native species in functioning ecosystems.

Large core reserves (wilderness areas) interconnected by habitat linkages (wildways) to smaller zeroextraction reserves, even within individual farms, are important. “Working landscapes” are not enough; true wildlands are critical. continued on page 12

5. Conduct restoration based on native species and ecosystems present on the land before it was turned over to agriculture. Successful restoration efforts are based on species and ecosystems that are adapted to (and that had historically occupied) the farm. Nearby intact ecosystems that resemble the land prior to conversion can serve as libraries of ecological knowledge.

FROM SOUP TO NUTS, GRAINS TO BEANS

march 2006

Organic farmers in the prairie pothole region are conserving the low-lying ponds and wetlands that serve as stepping-stones for migrating birds. Sheep ranchers in the Rocky Mountain region are using guard animals to protect their livestock, eliminating the need to shoot native predators. Farmers in the Midwest are allowing native prairies to reestablish themselves. In the Northeast, they are part of wildlife movement corridors and are planting high value crops in part of the farm while conserving natural areas in marginal production areas. Down in the Southeast, organic farmers are taking advantage of restoration demands by growing native plants for sale.

A continuum of practices supports the natural resources of organic farms and their surrounding areas. In a way, they are similar to the continuum of ‘IPM’ practices. On one end are piece-meal methods, and on the other is a holistic approach with self-sustaining natural enemy insects, or in the case of natural resources, self-sustaining native plants and animals, and ecosystem processes on the farm.

When balancing the changes that agriculture brings to the land, the gain of a pigeon or hayfield does not offset the loss of an eagle or wetland. It is not the number of animals or native plants that are important, so much as which ones and what ecosystems support them. As we all know, biodiversity crisis is about the sad fact that many species and whole ecosystems have or are on the brink of winking out. Uncommon, rare, or species that function as key components of healthy ecosystems should receive more consideration in the organic system plan.

Management decisions farmers make, such as providing habitats and wildlife linkages, can dramatically affect biodiversity levels.

Without food, water and cover wildlife becomes vulnerable to prey and harsh weather conditions. And without space and the right disturbance regimes, native plants disappear. Organic farms that maintain or improve their natural resources not only comply with the NOP rule, but also reap nature’s ecosystem services.

Most organic farmers and all accredited certification agencies in the U.S. will receive copies of the guides. To receive a guide, email the Wild Farm Alliance at info@wildfarmalliance.org.

L o s Po b l a n o s Organics

sign up online www.NMOrganics.com or call

PRICES THAT CAN’T BE BEAT!

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In the arid Southwest, organic farmers are conserving riverine habitat that supports endangered birds and amphibians and that helps capture and store groundwater, which then acts as a water bank for surface flows in the drier times of the year. West Coast organic farmers are installing native plant hedgerows that support beneficial insect pollinators and predators, planting grasses in waterways for water quality, and vegetating canal banks with structurally diverse plants to stabilize soils and provide wildlife habitat.

Management decisions farmers make, such as providing habitats and wildlife linkages, can dramatically affect biodiversity levels.

Biodiversity Conservation

4. Conserve and restore native plants and animals including in and around water bodies. Up to 75% of all wildlife in the West use riparian areas during some point in their lifecycle. Roughly 30% of the protected species and the species proposed for protection made the list because of fresh water resource development. Farm management can

And they are providing patches and even large connected expanses of native habitat that are key for maintaining and improving the diversity of life on the farm and in the broader landscape.

SHOP

6 81-406 0

COOP! The best produce from the field to you.

Always fresh. Always organic 5

co-op news

march 2006 6

A Passion for Pruning! a Member Profile

by Ivy Edmondson with Corva Rose hether she is up in a fruit tree, speaking with concerned homeowners about the state of their climbing roses, or chatting with a co-worker while pruning wisteria, Corva Rose is attentive and always ready with a smile or kind word. Corva is the owner of Divine Earth Aesthetic Pruning. Divine Earth is unique as a gardening business in Albuquerque in that they don’t do landscape design and installation, just pruning. Corva and her crew stay busy year-round pruning various species at seasonally appropriate times. I met with her at her residence behind the Shakyamuni Buddhist Center on a windy day in February to chat.

W

IE: When did you start your business?

CR: I started Divine Earth in 1995 in Oakland, California. It all began as a landscaping adventure with a farming/permaculture emphasis, but after a dear friend coerced me into going up to the Merrit College Horticulture Department for a pruning class, things started to change. It was like the need to clip things had been awakened. I completed the 10-month Aesthetic Pruning series at Merrit, studying with Dennis Makashima and Michael Allinger. And before I knew it, I had my first orchard ladder and a Japanese saw. I moved here to Albuquerque in 1999 with those same tools. While working at the Co-op and erda Gardens CSA, I started pruning here and

N EW DIR E C T I O N

C H IR O PR AC T I C Chiropractic with an 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

there. Eventually, it became clear that there was enough of a need and interest in Albuquerque for a small herd of aesthetic pruners.

IE: What is “aesthetic pruning”?

CR: Aesthetic pruning incorporates both science and art. It is reductive sculpture, creating form by removing form. To be successful, you need to understand the biology of a plant and its growth habit, and also be adventurous enough to take a few risks, to do things differently sometimes. For example, we don’t ever approach a shrub with hedge shears.

IE: Why? Does it damage the plant?

CR: Repeated shearing makes the shrub tight and dense, and it begins to die out inside. It also grows out very quickly and looks ragged.

Instead, we open it up, naturalize it, using only hand pruning. The shrubs look better and are healthier, too. We can often do massive reduction on plants that are too large for a space, or have grown over a walkway, without leaving them looking hacked up. …We enjoy ourselves, really.

IE: I’m curious about your fellow workers and what you guys are up to right now. What kinds of things get pruned at this point in the season?

CR: Usually, we have a crew of 3 or 4 pruners (with David Peacock as the current crew leader), and we work year-round. It’s spring, so we are doing fruit trees and roses, and soon that will give way to all the shrubs that flower in spring: the lilacs, forsythia, quince… and garden clean-ups too. We always enjoy the overgrown and tangled yards, the wisteria gone awry, out of control climbing roses, thorny pyracanthas, and monster photinias. I enjoy pruning here in Albuquerque.

You have to be a bit more careful because the sun

is so intense and can burn the plants if you cut them too hard. But there is always something interesting to work with: an old apple orchard, a gorgeous desert willow in a courtyard, an espaliered Japanese maple in an entryway.

The aesthetic of Divine Earth includes the needs of the plant and also the needs of its human caregivers, and aspires to balance form and function.

Corva’s definition of aesthetic as applied to pruning is “not just what looks attractive,” she says, “but what is most beneficial for the plant.”

For some of us, losing a tree or perennial before its time is like losing a member of the home. It can be stressful to watch a plant that is obviously suffering out in the yard and not know what to do to help it. Corva gets a lot of satisfaction out of doing a thoughtful hand-pruning job that she knows will not only help the plant, but will alleviate stress for the people involved. She also enjoys helping people learn how to care for the trees and plants on their property and offers information and classes (often for free) throughout the year. Below is a list of spring events where Divine Earth will have an info table or a class: March: Info Table/ Valley Co-op Garden Party, Saturday, March 25th (10am–3 pm) Class/ Intro to Pruning: Saturday, March 25th (Noon–1pm) April: Info Table/ Nob Hill Co-op Earth Day Festival, Sunday, April 23rd May: Info Table/ Los Ranchos Grower’s Market, Saturday, May 13th (7–11am) Contact Corva Rose and Divine Earth Aesthetic Pruning at 505-203-8968 to schedule a pruning.

10% discount to current Co-op members!

member

profile Corva Rose of Divine Earth Aesthetic Pruning

Co-op members get 10% off!

Boar d Brief:

Albuquerque, NM (505) 385-0562

www.louisemiller.org

The Sun-News The Sun-News

Our Bi-weekly press run of 10,000 copies per issue.

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

by Shirley Coe, Administrative Assistant Audit Report: This year the Co-op had a full financial audit; the last three years were financial reviews, which are less comprehensive. The independent auditor’s report gave a “clean” opinion; all suggestions can be implemented and there is nothing out of line to be reported.

All increased costs with the new stores were reasonable and expected. The current assets-to-liability ratio is still healthy. Also, buying in greater bulk, with the additional stores, sometimes means better price points Healthy Financials: The General Manager reported that financials were very strong this quarter, with almost every department doing well. The General Manager also noted that the gain sharing program, along with increasing monies to staff, provides staff members with a tangible understanding of their contribution to the Co-op’s financial health.

Reminders: The Board thanked management for sending out renewal postcards to people whose membership was expiring.

Educational Forum: The Board agreed to a member request to have the Co-op sponsor an educational forum on proposed modifications to WIPP’s (Waste Isolation Pilot Project) License. Sponsorship shows community support, increasing the likelihood that DOE will attend the forum.

Member Activities: Several activities are coming up this spring: the Garden Party in March, Earth Day in April, and the Green Built tour with EcoUniversity in May. Read the Co-op Connection for announcements.

Board Meeting: Members are invited to attend monthly board meetings. The next meeting is March 21, 2006, at 5:30pm at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Carlisle and Silver Avenues in Albuquerque.

LOCAL SALE ITEMS Kinna’s Espanola, New Mexico Hot Laos Chile Paste, 2 oz, Sale $2.29 and 6 oz, Sale $4.59 505 Organics Albuquerque, NM Organic Enchilada Sauce, Organic Salsa, or Fajita Marinade, 16 oz, assorted varieties, Sale 2/$6 La Montanita Co-op Albuquerque, New Mexico Tree-Free Kenaf Co-op Greeting Cards, Assorted designs, Sale 99¢ each Tijeras Organic Alchemy

Albuquerque, New Mexico Crimson Clove Hair Revitalizer, 4 oz, Sale $8.99

March Specials Contact angela@lamontanitacoop.com to advertise

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 3/01-4/04, 2006: Not all

Louise Miller, MA, LPCC, NCC Psychotherapy

Meeting of January 17, 2006

items available at all stores.

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

co-op news the inside scoop We are currently working with three UNM Anderson School of Management classes in several areas of our cooperative. A marketing class is working on a study of consumerism and why consumers make particular choices. This class is developing a survey that they will conduct at our Nob Hill location.

An organizational development class is working with us on an analysis of our management structure. This study will identify areas in which we might improve.

A strategy class is working with us on some long range planning options and in particular how we might strengthen our work with local producers.

march 2006 7

by C.E. PUGH

Calendar of Events

We are pleased to have been selected for this work and we look forward to receiving these group’s reports on how we might improve in these areas.

Our business is currently enjoying very strong growth and we appreciate your patience as our staff ramps up to service this higher volume. We have recently added several new staff members as a result of this and I hope you will join us in welcoming them to La Montanita. We are very grateful for your support of our cooperative and please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can be of greater service to you.

C.E. Pugh, General Manager

3/1 3/6 3/21 3/25 3/27 3/28

Board Ends Committee, 303 San Mateo NE 5pm Member Linkage, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Valley Garden Party, Valley Co-op 10:30am-3pm Co-op Foundation Committee, Valley store 5:30pm Finance Committee Meeting, 303 San Mateo NE 5pm

SAVE THE DATE!!!

EARTH DAY AT YOUR CO-OP SUNDAY APRIL 23, 10:30AM-6PM

Local Product Spotlight

Kinna’s Laotion Chile Paste

F

or 6 years, Kinna has been working to bring Kinna’s Laotian Chile Paste to perfection.

Using only the same ingredients used in Kinna’s traditional family recipe, this chile paste is pretty close if not right on the mark in terms of culinary perfection. The all natural ingredients include Asian Chile peppers, shallots, garlic and ginger. Each ingredient is processed separately, in the time-honored way, then cooked together into a thick paste. The end product is a fiery, brick-red paste that is delicious with a variety of foods and brings the traditional taste of South East Asia to our chile-loving New Mexican tables.

With the same attention to detail that generations of mothers in Kinnas’s family have given this sublime South Asian delicacy, Kinna produces this chile paste at the commercial kitchen at the Northern New Mexico Community College.

Kinna’s Chile Paste gives an added zing when mixed with fresh lemon juice and water as a marinade for chicken, beef, pork or fish before grilling, or a little daub will do you on any vegetable or rice dish. For a sweet fire that’s a special treat, mix with a little fresh squeezed orange jucie, mangoes, pineapples or peaches, toasted sesame oil or toasted sesame seeds and water for an unbeatable sauce, salad dressing, marinade or glaze.

Look For Kinna’s Chile Paste in the international food section at your Co-op. If not available at the Co-op nearest you, ask Co-op staff to special order for you.

Special!

Try it with any kind of rice, beans, meat or veggies, but be careful; even those of us who love our chile hot may be surprised at the fire it brings to any dish.

Bulk Spotlight: Lundberg Family Farms Pioneering Organic Rice Products

by Adam Fischler, Bulk Department Team Leader undberg Family Farms has been farming in the Sacramento Valley for over 65 years. Founder Albert Lundberg impressed upon his sons the importance of taking care of the land, a lesson he learned during the Dust Bowl years in western Nebraska. An idea before its time, ecological farming has always been a part of how the Lundbergs operate, eventually leading them to pioneer organic rice-growing in the U.S. “We believe a healthy soil will produce healthy food,” says Harlan Lundberg, one of Albert’s sons.

“We believe the soil is living, and as such needs to be fed and cared for.”

Lundberg is committed to organic as a production method that builds soil fertility, preserves avian populations and produces an outstanding rice product. The company serves a diverse customer base and tries to meet the needs of all, including the need for affordable products. For this reason, Lundberg also offers a line of “Eco-Farmed” rice.

Lundberg Family Farms has 12,000 acres under cultivation in the Sacramento Valley, 10,000 of which are organic. The farm has its own mill, which offers distinct advantages. For example, each lot of rice is traceable from planting to packaging, allowing for exceptional quality control. It also means that Lundberg can mill on demand, which means a fresher product.

There are many ways in which Lundberg Family Farms' products benefit and improve our environment. Here are a few examples of the company's innovative environmental practices: • Returning the rice straw to the fields (as opposed to burning it) enriches the soil and preserves air quality.

• Rotating nitrogen fixing crops into the fields improves soil fertility.

• Using the least amount of chemical pest controls, and only when strictly necessary, helps to preserve water and air quality, and helps maintain soil fertility.

• The use of green power in Lundberg's offices and processing facility reduces the environmental footprint.

L

The Lundberg's began farming in Richvale, CA (a farming community with a population of about 200) during 1937, and they pioneered organic farming in 1969. They practice ecological farming methods on all fields. They do not burn rice straw after harvest; instead, it is re-incorporated into the soil. Cover crops, such as Purple Vetch (a leguminous plant that delivers nitrogen and other vital nutrients to the soil), is used as a winter ground cover. This eliminates or reduces the need for chemical fertilizer, depending upon whether or not the field is strictly organic. Fields are rotated on a regular basis. No chemicals are used on organic crops, and a minimum of chemicals are used for Eco Farmed® rice.

Member appreciation

Eco-Farmed products preserve natural resources by utilizing a combination of modern and heritage farming techniques designed to reduce agriculture's environmental impact.

These methods build soil fertility while protecting wildlife, as well as maintaining the quality of air and water.

The Co-op carries a wide variety of Lundberg rices, including organic and nutra-farmed long grain and short grain brown rices; organic medium grain brown rice; organic sushi rice; organic white and brown basmati rices; organic white rice; and others. (The wild blend rice is currently unavailable.) Look for sales in March through the Cooperative Advantage Program.

La Montanita Co-op is honored to Team up with Ecoversity for Sustainability Education. All New and Renewing members get special discounts (up to $50 off) on all classes at Ecoversity.

• Please pick up your special Ecoversity coupon when you join or renew at all Co-op Locations. Check out the Ecoversity Class schedule on page 15.

Ecoversity

Be an Instrument of Peace Stand in Silent Vigil With Women in Black Thursdays 12:00 - 1:00 300 Block of Lomas Blvd NW

One Hour per Week for Peace and Justice contact 573-1275 or 281-9787

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

Co-op cheeses There are over a thousand different named cheeses produced worldwide; France alone turns out around 500. Here are a few Co-op favs.

Don Enrique pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from Spain is made in the Manchego style, covered with rosemary, then slowly cave-aged in its own basket container. The careful aging results in a full rich flavor, good for tapas, cheese trays.

Montana Goat Cheese is lower in calories than cheese made from cow’s milk, is easier to digest and contains short-chain fatty acids.People with a lactose intolerance can usually eat goat cheese. It contains calcium, phosphorus, and minerals as in cow’s milk, but has higher levels of potassium, vitamin A, thiamin, and niacin. The body utilizes goat cheese more like a sugar than a fat, and the body is able to convert this food into energy.

There are studies theorizing that the consumption of goat cheese may actually reduce cholesterol and increase bone density.

Spread it on your favorite bread, then top with a layer of roasted eggplant.

Red Leichester- a merry ol” bacon cheddar . Serving Suggestions: with biscuits and fresh fruit, on a burger, or made into a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.

Beverage Suggestions: burgundy, hearty beer, hard cider fresh fruit, a prize-winning cheeseburger.

Sage Derby is a firm table cow’s milk cheese that is flavored with sage. Sage leaves are soaked in water and chlorophyll and then this bright green liquid is added to the cheese curds producing a gorgeous marbling effect and subtle herb flavor.

Serving Suggestions: delicious with ham and sweet onion relish, grilled cheese sandwich Beverage Suggestions: beer, hard cider

Mona Lisa extra aged Gouda (minimum age 1.5 years).

Pronounced "chou-da" after the town in which it is made in Holland, this cheese can come in a variety of ages, all denoted by the color of wax on the outside of the cheese. This is the sharpest and hardest of the Goudas.

Needs red wine.

Champignon - A double cream soft ripened cheese that is bursting with savory morsels of mushroom. This naturally ripened German cheese is a creamy delight with a distinct mushroom flavor. Characteristics: Cow's milk, smooth and creamy, yet slightly robust.

Serving Suggestions: Melted on pasta, serve with French bread or crackers and fruit, elegant on a cheese tray, excellent in soufflés.

County- the first English cheese to layer completely different cheeses together, County has alternating layers of mellow Double Gloucester and sharp, tangy Blue Stilton-combining two very different flavor profiles that work together to create a wonderful taste sensation.

Characteristics: cow's milk, layers of crumbly blue and semihard cheese, tangy and sharp, light orange and ivory marbled with blue, rindless

Fromager d'Affinois - is a result of a special filtering process that produces a cheese that is like silk - so smooth and creamy that it is ethereal. For before or after dinner, it is delightful with ripe fruit. It is perfect for a "picnic" any time of the year Bleu d'Auvergne is ,a French blue cheese of cows milk from the region of Auvergne. Perfect as a snack, or with a salad.

Not as strong as it's close cousin Roquefort.It is great with salads and wonderful with fresh pears, especially when paired with dessert wines.

Blue cheeses grow more pungent with age or mishandling, and it's best to use them within a few days of purchase.

Manouri Sheep Cheese Manouri is a traditional ancient Greek cheese that is made from the whey of feta, blended with sheep's milk cream. In addition to being used in the traditional Greek delicacy spanakopita, this rindless log-shaped cheese is an exceptionally delicious eating cheese. With a moist, soft texture, Manouri is at first soft and buttery, followed by a uniquely lemony aftertaste.

Try some with Glazed Figs it's fantastic.

HO T

O O P C D E A Ls

valid in store 03/01/06 - 04/04/06

Rudi’s Organic Bakery

Organic Bread

$

2

69

$

2

$

49

8

$ 99

1

99

7

.33oz., selected varieties

Late July Organic Crackers

29

Alacer

Emergen-C Lite

$

22-24 oz., selected varieties

Crown Prince Skinless & Boneless Sardines

Similasan

Eye Drops

32 ct.

Garden of Eatin’

Party Size Tortilla Chips

2/ 5 $

or $2.50 each

3.75 oz.

6 oz., selected varieties

in olive oil

Blue Sky N atural Soda with real sugar

or $2.50 each

Newman’s Own Organic

Organic Pretzels

2/ 5 1

6 pk., selected varieties

$

$

69

16 oz., selected varieties

Cascadian Farm Organic Fruit

$

99

2

7-8 oz., selected varieties

10 oz., selected varieties

Nature’s Path

Annie’s Homegrown

R.W. Knudsen

Organic Cereal

Pasta and Cheese

Spritzers

$ 99

2

10-14 oz., selected varieties

$ 19

1

6-7 oz., selected varieties

$

99

3

6pk., selected varieties

healing cuisine Ayurveda healing cuisine Ayurveda is the oldest known healing science, dating back more than 5,000 years to ancient India. It is a system of diet and lifestyle practices that aim to balance individual constitution. According to Ayurvedic teaching, there are three doshas — Kapha, Pitta, and Vata — and everyone has some combination of the three, with one dosha dominating. Most of the recipes below are dosha balancing for any constitution, and the dahl recipes are for balancing specific doshas. If you don’t know your individual constitution, just try one that looks appealing. To learn more, there are books and workshops available at The Ayurvedic Institute of Albuquerque.

The recipes below have been reprinted and adapted from the following sources: www.mapi.com/en/recipes www.ayur.com/food www.ayurbalance.com/explore_recipesindex

(t = teaspoon/ T = tablespoon/ C = cup)

Allergy-Season Spice Mixture 3 6 6 1 1

parts turmeric parts fennel parts coriander part black pepper part ginger

Blend these spices together in bulk and store in a jar. When you are preparing a meal, place a small amount of ghee in a frying pan and heat it on medium. Add the detoxifying spice mixture, measuring out one teaspoon of spice mixture per serving of vegetables. Sauté the spices until the aroma is released, but be careful not to burn them. Add steamed

march 2006 10

vegetables, mix lightly and sauté together for one minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Or you can sauté the spice mixture in ghee and drizzle on cooked vegetables and grains.

Ghee Clarified Butter Preparation time: less then 30 minutes High Quality Unsalted Butter (Organic is best) Bring the butter to boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered until done. There are a couple of ways to determine when it is done. One way is after the butter turns a clear golden color, dip a strip of paper into the butter, then move away from the butter and all other flammables and light the strip of paper on fire. If the paper sputters, crackles and pops, then the water has not been completely cookedout and the ghee is not yet done. After using this method a time or two you can easily tell by the smell and color when the ghee has been properly cooked.

plain butter. If you’re like the rest of us here, you will not go back to using any other oil for your cooking. Note: ghee does not require refrigeration if you keep moisture out of it; for example, don't dip a wet spoon into the ghee jar.

Turmeric Cooked in Ghee Turmeric contains curcumin, a proven anti-allergenic. Itis especially good for the skin and for enhancing resistance to skin allergies. It also helps support healthy liver function, which aids assimilation and energy levels. Helps remove toxins throughout the physiology.

Powerful aid for building the immune system. Use to spice one vegetable, dahl or rice at every meal.

1/2 t turmeric powder 2 t Ghee (clarified butter)

Note: When the butter first starts to boil there will be alot of bubbling and gurgling, then this action will subside. Next the ghee will begin to develop a foam at the top, and at this point the ghee is done.

Melt ghee in a frying pan until it becomes clear (cloudiness is gone). Add turmeric powder to ghee and mix well.

Remove immediately and let simmer off the heat for 5 minutes or until it turns a slightly darker color and releases its aroma. Note: The clarity of the ghee is important in the cooking. When the ghee is clear, this indicates that any water has been removed and the heat is just right for bringing out all the benefits of the turmeric.

Comments: What is Ghee? It's basically butter that has the milk solids and water removed. According to Ayurveda, Ghee (clarified butter) is the best oil for cooking. This is because when used in moderation it stimulates the digestion (Agni) better than any other oil. It also has the ability to increase one’s immunity (called Ojas in Ayurveda). Give it a try! It is very tasty and without the side effects of

Cilantro Chutney According to ayurveda, cilantro offers the bitter and astringent tastes. It is a cooling herb and puts out excess flames in the stomach and generally enhances the digestion without aggravating Pitta dosha. In recent years, modern science has discovered that cilantro is a natural chelation agent, very helpful in removing heavy metals such as lead, mercury

and aluminium from the body. To get the benefit of cilantro's chelating property, enjoy a couple of teaspoons of cilantro chutney with your meals on a regular basis.

1 C packed cilantro leaves and soft stems 6-8 almonds, soaked in hot water and blanched 4 walnuts, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes 4 T cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Wash cilantro thoroughly Drain. Place the cilantro, nuts and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Gradually add the olive oil and continue processing. Season and blend for a few seconds more. (Serves 4-6) Make Fresh Paneer at Home From the ayurvedic perspective, paneer offers nourishment but can be taxing on the digestion. It is preferable to eat paneer dishes at the mid-day meal, and to cook it with spices that enhance digestion.

1/2 gallon whole milk (about 8 cups) 4-5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 sheets of cheesecloth or muslin, a heavy weight such as a pot of water Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan, stirring occasionally to ensure that it does not burn or form a skin. Add the lemon juice and stir. The milk solids should separate, leaving a thin, filmy whey. If the whey is not almost clear, add a bit more lemon juice and stir. Turn off the heat.

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Women’s Health Concepts,

LLC

healing

cuisine

Strain the mixture through the cheesecloth sheets, allowing the whey to drain through.

Discard the whey. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth sheets with a string to form a bundle (with the cheese within). Hang the bundle up for a couple of hours so any remaining moisture drains out. If your recipe calls for crumbled or soft paneer, you can remove the paneer to a dish for use at this point.

march 2006 11

2 t Pitta churna (1/2 tsp each of cumin seed and fresh ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each of coriander, fennel, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, salt & sugar) 2 T coconut flakes 4 C water 4 mint leaves chopped 2 T yogurt Heat ghee in a saucepan and saute Pitta churna for 30 seconds. Add coconut flakes and saute till it becomes fragrant. Add dahl and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove dahl from heat and add mint leaves, yogurt and salt!

Vata Balancing Mung Bean Soup

Satisfying Rice Pudding (Kheer)

1/2 C mung dahl (split hulled mung beans) 4 C water 1/2 t turmeric 1/2 t cumin seed 1 pinch hing (asafetida) 1/2 t minced fresh ginger 1 t fresh lemon juice 1 t chopped fresh cilantro 2 T ghee Rock salt to taste

1 C water 1/2 C basmati rice 4 C whole milk 1 t chopped dates 2 t cashews or pistachios 3 small pieces green cardamom, crushed 1 t sugar (or to taste)

Kapha Balancing Mung Bean Soup 1/2 C mung dahl (split hulled mung beans) 4 C water 1/2 t turmeric 1/2 t cumin seed 1/2 t minced fresh ginger 1/8 t ground fenugreek 1/8 t ground coriander 1/4 t black pepper 1 t chopped fresh cilantro 1 t ghee Rock salt to taste Wash the mung dahl. Add water and the turmeric and cook until dahl is tender. Stir occasionally and remove any scum that forms on top. Add salt, black pepper and ginger and puree in a blender to a smooth consistency.

Heat the ghee until it is clear. Add the cumin seed and stir briefly to release aroma and flavor. Add the powdered coriander and fenugreek, stir and immediately remove from heat.

Pour the ghee-spice mixture over the soup. Stir.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. (Serves 1) Coconut-Mint Dahl for Pitta 1-1/2 C mung dahl 1 T ghee

Soak rice in water for 2 hours. Boil milk. Add rice and all other ingredients. Boil slowly for 30 minutes or more until the mixture reaches a slightly thick consistency, but you can stir it easily. It will thicken a little more when you let it cool.

Balancing Lassi Drinks Lassi (pronounced "LAH-see") is fresh yogurt blended with room temperature water. Yogurt by itself can clog the channels of the digestive and elimination systems, but once it is transformed into lassi it actually aids digestion. Thinning yogurt with water and blending it changes the molecular structure so it is more easily assimilated. It can be drunk before or with lunch.

Sweet Lassi Blend to taste: 1 part cold yogurt 3 parts water Pinches of cardamon, sugar and rosewater Digestive Lassi: Blend to taste: 1 part cold yogurt 3 parts water Pinches of ginger, cumin, salt and black pepper

an herb and a spice cilantro/

coriander

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If you would like a block of paneer to cut into cubes or slices, place the cheesecloth bundle on a flat surface and place the weight on top for 3 hours. At the end of that time, the block of paneer can be transferred to a dish for use.

Wash the mung dahl. Add water and the turmeric and cook until dahl is tender. Stir occasionally and remove any scum that forms on top. Add salt, ginger and lemon juice and puree in a blender to a smooth consistency.

Heat the ghee until it is clear. Add the hing and cumin seed and stir briefly to release aroma and flavor. Remove from heat. Pour the gheespice mixture over the soup. Stir. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. (Serves 1)

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agriculture Biodiversity Conservation: An Organic Farmer’s Guide

biodiversity &

coninued from page 5 In regions used primarily for agriculture, enough quality habitat (e.g., grasslands or woodlands) should be retained or restored to support the native plants and animals that inhabited the area prior to widespread conversion to crops.

7. Prevent introduction and spread of invasive species. Farmers who are knowledgeable about invasive species in the region, especially those that threaten natural areas, can have an effective plan and monitoring system for controlling the pests. New invasives are aggressively dealt with before they become established, and all are prevented from entering the farm by using fully composted material, clean soil amendments and mulches, and uncontaminated tractor tools. Organic methods, including biological control, have no negative effects on desirable native species.

8. Provide habitat for pollinators, insect predators, birds and bats.

Native trees are planted or conserved (even as snags) for roosting

ers use water judiciously and plant appropriate crops that fit the climate, a portion of that water is conserved for native species and ecosystem processes.

Riparian zones and floodplains when properly managed can provide benefits to native pollinators, natural enemy insects and priority species. For example, farm neighbors can work together to time irrigations to ensure a creek never falls below safe levels for rare fish, while profiting from the support of beneficial insects along the nectar and pollen producing habitat corridor.

Maintaining or restoring structurally diverse vegetation buffers of trees, shrubs, grasses, and forbs in shallow draws, along creeks and streams, and around pools, ponds, and wetlands supports a multitude of wildlife, stabilizes banks, and serves as a natural filter for pollutants. Wide

Biodiversity Benefits Farms and Farmers!

• Save Time and Money. Planting natives that support pollinators and beneficial insects can help reduce costs for pollination and pest control. Perennial grasses or hedgerows can help eliminate mowing, discing, burning, and costs of fixing erosion.

• Diversify Income Base. Increased native plants and wildlife may bring income through agri-tourism or harvesting of saleable products.

• Help Wildlife in Ways That Don’t Interfere with Farming. Many practices can be adapted for unused fields, road edges, and non-crop areas that will not affect production.

• Add Value to Farm Products. Educating your customers about the biodiversity farms foster will help keep and hopefully increase wholesale and retail accounts.

and nesting habitat of birds, bats, native bees and other wildlife.

Sequentially flowering hedgerows and windbreaks, including a layered complexity of native plants, when well designed, installed, and maintained benefit priority species and other wildlife, such as beetles, pollinators, insect predators and parasites, and birds.

9. Schedule farming practices to benefit wildlife. Farm management can accommodate sensitive life stages of priority and other wildlife species. Practices may include: delayed hay and grain harvests to allow ground-nesting birds to fledge and newborn four-legged animals to move on. At harvest time leaving a small portion of the crop (a recommended minimum of one-quarter acre for each 20 acres of crop) or its stubble standing provides cover or food for wildlife.

10. The New Mexican Imperative: Managing Water for Crops, Livestock, Native Species, and Riparian Ecosystems. When farm-

patience is a virtue A N D W E ’ R E V I R T U A L LY O P E N !

Please join us this month for Bhava Yoga Studio’s grand opening celebration March 10th, 6–10pm.

Sample classes during our F R E E W E E K — meet the teachers and experience all that Anusara™ Yoga has to offer. Visit our website for information and class schedules. bhavayogastudio.com

• Enjoy Watching Native Plants and Animals Thrive.

Passing to the next generation a farming heritage that supports native species can be very rewarding in and of itself, as can contributing to restoring a region’s wildlife.

• Take Advantage of Conservation Incentives. Several agencies and conservation groups provide grants and cost-sharing programs for habitat enhancement.

riparian areas benefit priority species and may serve as a "wildway" link to neighboring habitats and contribute to a broader regional or watershed conservation network. Efforts that protect or improve the natural function of a river and its natural disturbance regimes are important for aquat-

Livestock are discouraged from degrading sensitive habitats, denuding riparian vegetation that supports native species, and/or disturbing aquatic habitats, including spawning gravels of fish. Strong efforts are made to prevent bank erosion and to conserve native vegetation along waterways, so stored groundwater in the ecosystem releases back into the stream and riparian areas during drier months of the year. Fencing livestock out of sensitive areas protects habitat and prevents water contamination. If drinking water is needed for livestock, a fence chute is used across a stream to restrict trampling of sensitive or rare plant or animal communities and other impacts. Alternatively, livestock is allowed access to sensitive areas for short periods of time and are monitored closely while there. (Please see the complete Guide for extensive recommendations on reducing livestock impacts on wild lands and native populations.)

Edited by Robyn Seydel To obtain “Biodiversity Conservation: An Organic Farmers Guide,” either download it from the website www.wildfarmalliance.org or contact The Wild Farm Alliance, PO Box 2570, Watsonville, CA 95077, 831761-8408, fax: 831-761-8103 or e-mail: info@wild farmalliance.org.

Corporate-Dominated Lobby Group Attacks Organic Watchdog

T

he Organic Trade Association (OTA) is seeking to suppress the release of a new report rating the nation's organic dairy brands and products. The report will soon by issued

by The Cornucopia Institute, an agricultural policy research group that supports family-scale farmers.

The OTA's "campaign of intimidation" comes less than six months after the organic business group was widely condemned for orchestrating a secret, back-door deal in Congress that was viewed by many in the organic community as weakening federal organic regulations to the benefit of large corporations. Now OTA has once again exposed themselves to widespread criticism by attacking one of the nation's preeminent corporate and governmental watchdogs that is protecting organic food and farming.

The report, according to The Cornucopia Institute, is designed to "empower consumers and wholesale buyers in the marketplace" by rating organic dairy brands based on their adherence to accepted ethical practices and conduct.

"This report is a by-product of a five-year controversy that has been smoldering within the organic industry," according to Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute and organic dairy farmer. Since the late 1990s a handful of large industrial-scale dairy operations, with 2000-6000 animals in factory-farm conditions, have started producing milk sold as "organic."

The Organic Trade Association started as an industry umbrella group that originally included farmer and consumer members in addition to manufacturers.

12

ic species. Examples include periodic flooding to create migratory bird habitat, or allowing a tree to be left that has or appears ready to fall into a stream thereby producing aquatic habitat.

However, the association is now dominated by major agribusiness corporations that have purchased familiar organic name brands in their bid to capture a piece of the rapidly growing organic food market.

At least two powerful OTA members, Dean Foods and the Aurora Organic Dairy, have been the subject of a series of legal complaints concerning livestock management practices on the huge factory farms they operate. Dean Foods now owns the Horizon brand of organic milk, and Aurora packages private label milk for chains such as Costco, Safeway, and Wild Oats.

The good news contained in Cornucopia's report is that the group's research indicates that the vast majority of organic dairy brands contain milk from family-sized farms that share the consumer's conviction that organic agriculture is about more than marketing hype.

"The organic marketplace wasn't built by lobbyists and trade groups, it was built through a loving collaboration between organic farmers and consumers who truly respect their hard work," Kastel stated. "I'm happy to confirm that the majority of organic products are of high integrity, and working together, the organic community will succeed in maintaining more than just the business value of organically produced food."

The Cornucopia Institute is a farm policy research group, based in Cornucopia, Wisconsin. Its mission is dedicated to promoting economic justice for familyscale farmers and ranchers. To learn more about the Cornucopia Institute, visit www.cornucopia.org or call 608-625-2042. The full Dairy Ratings report will be posted on the above website in mid March.

march 2006

health &

healing

NETI:

Ancient Treatment of Sinus Disorders and Hayfever

by Ivy Edmondson ecently, western scientists and health practitioners have rediscovered an ancient health practice from India: nasal irrigation, known in the East as Neti. There is mounting scientific proof that nasal irrigation is a safe, and effective treatment for allergies, sinus infections, common cold, and sinusitis.

Neti has been practiced for thousands of years in the Yogic and Ayurvedic traditions. In yoga, Neti is used to cleanse energy channels and balance the hemispheres in the body. It is a key element of overall physical and mental health, along with a good diet, regular exercise, and internal cleansing.

R

“The nose is the door to the brain and to consciousness,” says Ayurvedic teacher and practitioner Dr. Vasant Lad*. “Prana or life-force energy enters the body through the breath taken in through the nose.” This doorway is equipped with a filtration system made up of fine hairs called cilia and mucous membranes, which work together to keep harmful substances from entering our bodies. In our modern world, we are so constantly bombarded with pollution, chemicals, dust, and pollen that the natural filtration system in our noses gets overloaded, especially during allergy season. The filter needs

neti:

According to research from Well Being Magazine, routine nasal irrigation has been shown to be effective in opening nasal blockages and treating Hayfever (in 85% of those studied), Sinusitis (84%), Common Cold (79%), general allergies (63%), and Asthma (50%). Nasal irrigation with saline solution was found to reduce the incidence of colds in a study of 294 college students by Dr. Richard Ravizza and Dr. John Fornadley of Pennsylvania State University.

Of course, shooting water up one’s nostrils is not exactly appealing to most people. The main obstacle to overcome with Neti is thinking it’s icky! Ravizza’s study noted that most subjects who performed nasal irrigation found it to be soothing. Just give it a try. Neti is a healthy, effective alternative to antibiotics and antihistamines.

Unless one has routine bloody noses, nasal irrigation is safe for anyone to use and has no adverse side effects.

More effective than nasal sprays if done properly, Neti cleanses the entire nasal passage. Many doctors who prescribe nasal irrigation offer a giant syringe for flushing out the nose, but it is only with an authentic Neti pot that one can irrigate the nasal passage in the most thorough and unobtrusive way, utilizing the flow of water with gravity rather than force.

not to block one nostril or blow too hard, as this forces mucous into the ear canal.

5. Then insert the spout into the other nostril and repeat step 3.

6. If your Neti pot is 15 ounces or larger, you can use half the amount of saline for each side. If your pot is smaller, you will need to refill between sides.

7. Rinse the pot after each use and sanitize in the dishwasher or soak for a few minutes in a solution of grapefruit seed extract (by Nutribiotic, sold at the Co-op) and water.

Note: In some Neti practices, it is recommended to flush each nostril for 15 seconds, alternating between sides until the pot is empty.

With practice, Neti only takes about three minutes or less. It can be done over the sink or in the shower.

SALINE SOLUTION: For an isotonic solution, mix 1/2 teaspoon pure salt (non-iodized canning or pickling salt, not table or sea salt) in 2 cups of purified water and add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to soften the water. The saline should be lukewarm, not cold.

NETI WASH PLUS: An herbal combination of anti-microbial, immune-stimulating nutrients proven effective for dissolving heavy mucous. Use as directed only if you have sticky mucous, as it will negatively affect thin healthy mucous and could cause sinus problems. Neti Wash Plus is sold at the Co-op in Santa Fe and can be special ordered by the Albuquerque and Gallup Co-ops.

Sources: *Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing, www.healthandyoga.com and ezinearticles.com.

HOW TO NETI 1. Purchase a Neti pot. (There are a variety of pots available at the Co-op).

2. Fill with warm saline (recipe below) 3. Insert spout into one nostril and lean forward and slightly to one side to allow the fluid to flow out the opposite nostril.

4. Gently blow your nose, being careful

nasal irrigation is an ancient

health practice

Hot Picks for

to be cleaned periodically to maintain energy, health, and wellness, and a routine of nasal cleansing can keep things operating smoothly.

Allergy Relief!

Here are Valley HBA Team Leader Shannon’s hot picks for natural allergy season relief (not in any particular order and please notice all the great local products): 1. La Puebla Elementals Southwest Formula* 2. La Puebla Elementals Nettles* 3. Vitality Works (Co-op brand) Aller-Calm* 4. Herbs, Etc. Allertonic* 5. Progena Allergena Zone 6* 6. Boiron Sabadil 7. BHI Hayfever nasal spray* 8. BHI Sinus tablets* 9. Similasan Allergy Eye Drops 10. Solaray QBC Plex (quercetin, bromelain, Vit C) The items with a (*) are local products. For more specifics talk to the Co-op staff.

Open Studio Night at Harwood

eat your

GREENS

Dr. Deborah Wozniak DOCTOR OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE

FAMILY PRACTICE 6501 4th Street NW, Suite E

March 17

Albuquerque NM 87107

505.250.7173

NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED IN ACUPUNCTURE & HERBOLOGY

march 2006

Friday, 5 PM to 8:30 PM (an ArtsCrawl event) HARWOOD

ART CENTER

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

Your CO-OP Produce Dept. has a huge variety of organic and local greens!

SHOP CO-OP & SAVE 13

community

forum

march 2006 14

International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Special

FGM Education: Protecting Women and Girls

by Sally Blakemore recently visited Nairobi, Kenya, as an attendee to the Grassroots Conference to End Female Genital Mutilation in Africa. There, I met the strongest woman I have ever encountered, Agnes Pareyoi, a Maasai woman of great courage and compassion, who endured female genital mutilation (FGM) at 14 years of age, against her will.

I

She said, "I suffered such pain and psychological trauma. The sting of the urine on my open wound, I will never forget." After Agnes overcame her ordeal, healed from her scars, and left her marriage, she committed herself to her concept of â&#x20AC;&#x153;education first.â&#x20AC;? She designed a lower female torso made up of the groin area and upturned legs with replaceable parts that sculpturally illustrate the 3 stages of mutilation. She asked an African carver to make the â&#x20AC;?teaching toolâ&#x20AC;? for her. She would carry this tool for over a decade, strapped to her back, walking hundreds of miles, to educate young girls and sensitize their tribes, village by village, girl by girl.

This ancient 5,000 year old rite of passage is being overturned by 18 African women and 2 male activists. This rite predates Christianity and Islam. It is not associated with any religion or particular culture. The surgical procedure has the clitoris, labia and vulva cut out,

scraped down to the pubic bone, with unsterilized razor blades, sharpened tin can lids or in some cases the sharpened fingernails of the "circumcisers". Women perform this on each other with no anesthesia. This procedure is done to girls ages 9 to 14 years old. However, when western women began to get involved in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, a backlash occurred and younger and younger children were initiated, some at birth. This rite is done as initiation; a tribal rite of belonging and a requirement for proper marriage in the practicing tribes.

Fathers get a larger â&#x20AC;?marriage paymentâ&#x20AC;? if this mutilation is done.

Agnes Pareyoi

I mportant New s!

The Sensitization Program: Tasaru Rescue House Ms. Pareyoi started a movement that is growing daily. Agnes said, "I believe in friendliness and education." When she first started out, she was scared that she would be killed, â&#x20AC;?chopped with machetes.â&#x20AC;? After a decade, her effort â&#x20AC;&#x153;seemed easyâ&#x20AC;?, she said. It was making the decision to protect these girls that was the hardest. Now laws have been passed to protect the children because of her effort and legal issues pertaining to human rights abuses worldwide are coming into play.

We would like to thank our valued customers for supporting our local family farm. We look forward to working directly with you.

Sincerely, Pollo Real, Tom, Tracey and Family polloreal@zianet.com 108 Hope Farms Rd. 505-838-0345 Socorro, NM 87802

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United Nations Award Agnes Pareyoi was awarded the Person of the Year Award from the United Nations while we were there. We were invited to attend the ceremony for her at the United Nations in Nairobi. The young girls from her safe house sang for her, and the ex-circumcisors, who had laid down their tools, danced and sang wildly, wearing their costume blankets with a silhouetted razor blade and a book on the back which was labeled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Education Firstâ&#x20AC;&#x153; in Swahili. It was very emotional for all of us to witness a culture in change with Agnes at the podium speaking out for the respect and protection of young girls.

Although we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t physically castrate our children, it made me look at the mores of our own culture including; predatory marketing practices of toy/game makers and fast food industries, TV messages that brainwash girls into dissatisfaction with their bodies causing bulimia and depression; medicating children who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t learn in prescribed ways; plastic surgeons in the USA offering

Now laws have been passed to protect the children because of her effort and legal issues pertaining to human

rights abuses worldwide are coming into play.

There are three steps in her program at the Tasaru Rescue House in Narok, Kenya: 1) to give the girls a safe house to flee to (guarded by giant sensitized Maasai warriors with spears), 2) to feed, educate and clothe the girls for as long as it takes for them to be safe and finish their schooling, 3) to sensitize and educate their family and tribe against FGM and replace it with an alternative rite of passage.

Pollo Real â&#x20AC;&#x201C; New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest and largest Pastured Poultry Operation is forming a Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA), with limited membership and limited production available. Please contact us immediately to assure availability of products. Our customers will receive the highest quality of fresh chicken, turkey, duck, eggs and vegetables. You can currently find us at the Santa Fe Farmers Market until the end of March.

Many die during the procedure from blood loss and shock. Others heal with emotional scars that last forever. Some attempt natural childbirth through the wound and die when the baby cannot exit the scarred birth canal. Sex is a torture of reopening the wound, performed by husbands with a hunting knife or bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horn, just to be re-stitched.

December and August are considered the months of the "cutting". As many as 6000 girls a day, throughout Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan are mutilated.

The girls are taken to a "place" where sometimes 14 girls are cut in one ceremony. They are forcibly held down by their mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers, mutilated and stitched shut (infibulation), leaving only a small hole the size of a match stick for urine and menstrual blood to escape. The girls are sequestered for up to 20 months for healing in mud huts. Some young children fight so hard against the cutting that they break their own arms and legs and cause the circumciser to cut too deeply into the anus, causing further damage.

designer vaginas and breast implants, use of hormones for girls as treatment for acne, to name a few.

Efua Dorkenoo in her book Cutting the Rose, appealed to western cultures for help 10 years ago. These strong and dedicated African women have asked us to support their efforts (without Western/Christian values or judgement) by contributing directly to the FGM fund through www.mothering.com/ EqualityNow. The EqualityNow organization estimates that $10 million dollars is needed to build the rescue houses now in progress. The Pond Foundation has offered a matching grant of up to $90,000. Each contribution can be delegated through the FGM site and every cent goes directly to the tribes involved in cultural reform. We are a global family, and these are our sisters who need our resources and compassion.

To make a donation or for more information go to www.mothering.com, www.equality now.org or contact Sally Blakemore directly at arty projects@cyber mesa.com or sallyb@mothering.com.

20th Anniversary of Hawkwatch International!

HawkWatch International (HWI) works to monitor hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey and their environment through research, education, and conservation. We believe through our efforts to monitor and protect raptors, we can also protect our shared environment, our rich natural heritage, and ourselves. HWI has 14 research sites in the U.S. and is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year. We are fortunate to have two of those sites in New Mexico. The spring site is in the Sandia Mountains, and the fall site is in the Manzano Mountains.

Observers began their count on February 24 in the Sandias, and every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until May 5, weather permitting, they will monitor the flight of

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the migration begins

raptors migrating north along the Rocky Mountain Flyway. Banding should begin by March 11, and during the season a field educator will be available to answer your questions and guide field trips up to the site. Visitors will be able to see raptors up close before they are released to the wild after banding. Field trips to the site start at the trailhead of the Three Gun Springs Trail. Several ID presentations followed by field trips to the hawkwatch will be scheduled this spring. Directions to the site may be found at www.hawkwatch.org, or call Bobbie (255-7622) at the local HawkWatch office for directions or to make a reservation for a free ID presentation and/or field trip. Since the site is in the Sandia Wilderness Area, the size of each field trip group is limited to 15 people. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The hike from the parking lot to the observation site is a little over one and a half miles, with a 1,000 foot gain in elevation. The climb can take anywhere between one and two hours each way.

In order to raise money to buy food for our volunteers working at our two hawkwatch sites in New Mexico, HWI sponsors a garage sale in the spring. Any help Co-op members can give us either the day of the sale or in gathering items to sell would be much appreciated. This year the sale will be at 1806 Palomas NE on March 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 255-7622.

community

forum

march 2006 15

Statewide

Ecoversity and Co-op Team-up for

Sustainability Education Take One Simple Step towards Sustainability: Take a Class at EcoVersity. This year, all new and renewing Co-op members can take advantage of special discounts on all classes at EcoVersity in Santa Fe. Renew your membership or join for the first time and pick up your Member Appreciation “Take One Simple Step” coupon, courtesy of EcoVersity. New and renewing members of the Coop are eligible to receive $25 off any one community class or $50 off any one certificate program. Offer expires December 31, 2006.

Located in Santa Fe, EcoVersity is a non-profit educational center teaching hands-on sustainable living skills. This spring, as part of its rich and diverse curriculum, EcoVersity will hold classes and workshops in permaculture, natural building, land arts, community activism, gardening, healthy living, renewable energies, water and more. EcoVersity also offers

three certificate programs; Permaculture Design, Earth Based Vocations and Beekeeping. Graduates of EcoVersity’s certificate programs leave with livelihood skills for living and working on the land, regenerating the earth and revitalizing the spirit.

EcoVersity is dedicated to serving the community, both by providing a place for public events and site-based projects and by inviting educators and professionals working in the world of ecological activism to be a part of campus life. Lectures and discussion groups, musical performances, festivals and many other ecological activities take place on campus. Ecoversity will be celebrating their Annual Earth Day Festival (the day before the Co-ops Festival in Albuquerque) on Saturday, April 22.

Paul Barlow

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

242-1795

Polarity Somato-Emotional Release Cranio -Sacral Swedish

For more information and a schedule of classes call 505-424-9797 or www.ecoversity.org.

SPRING CLASSES

INCLUDE

March: 4/Gorgeous Earth Plasters 25 - April 7/ Permaculture Design Course 25 - 26/ Beekeeping Certificate Program, Session 1 29/ Bioneers Video Salon 29 - May 31/ Biodynamic Gardening Lecture Series

in the Old Town Area

RPP LMT #2663

for a full class schedule go to www.ecoversity.org

SHOP COOP

BUY LOCAL AND SAVE

Erda Gardens MOVES! WE

are a community supported agriculture (CSA) project with a long history and a new beginning! Erda is a biodynamic garden, so we do not use pesticides. We are a community of friends growing food, working, and playing together. Community supported agriculture is an old concept, although the first official CSA in the US was established as recently as 1986 in New England. In the CSA concept, farmers grow food for members, or shareholders, who buy a portion of the farm's crop up front for the season. The members then collect their share weekly throughout the growing season: mid-May through the end of October here in the Southwest. Member participation gives people the chance to be involved with the earth and to connect with a group of folks interested in working to create alternatives to mass-produced food.

This year erda has a new home in the South Valley! Every year erda hosts two interns for the season. Our new place has on-site housing for the interns, which is a first for erda! It is all very exciting. We are working with three families who are dedicated to community and sustainability, each of whom have offered land this year.

We plan on growing lots of veggies and flowers, both decorative and edible and will offer an ongoing reading and study group for folks interested in learning more about biodynamics and anthroposophy. We are planning children's and adult workshop series for the season as well as several seasonal festivals. Work days are the first Saturday of every month.

Membership at Erda gardens means many things: weekly distributions of delicious, healthy vegetables and fruit in the summer months, the opportunity to purchase Erda honey and other local, hand made products such as pesto, dried herbs, and teas that are made by Erda people with Erda produce, an invitation to all our festivals, seasonal celebrations and workshops and last but not least the opportunity to work on a biodynamic, local, community farm with experienced farmers and other cool people.

2006 is a year of transition for Erda Gardens and Learning Center. We need visionaries and people who are interested not only in sacred food but in community building. We need people who insist that there is a better way than what WalMart and other corporations offer us, and who are willing to work to change it. We need people who resist eating contaminated food that travels 1500 miles before it gets to your plate. We need people who are willing to invest energy into an alternative for themselves, the children and the whole planet.

If you are interested in an application or more information about this radical farming adventure, please call us at 505.610.1538 or check out our website at www.erdagardens.org.

ORGANIC PRODUCTS FOR ORGANIC LIFE Inoculate your soil with

Terra Pro®

A Super Humus Soil Conditioner, with beneficial biological inoculum that is essential to Spring Up your landscape.

Wildlands Art Exhibit The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance presents Wildlands Art! 2006, a juried art show honoring Wilderness and the Wildlands of New Mexico. The show will be an exhibit of work by emerging artists featuring the wild landscapes and wildlife the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance works to protect.

A portion of all proceeds from the event will go directly to the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. Wildlands Art! opens March 3 at the Albuquerque Arts Alliance Gallery and runs through March 31st. Please come support Wilderness in New Mexico and local artists at one of the events being held during the month of March. March 3/ Opening Reception 5-9pm. March 9/ Slideshow: Rock Art, Anthony Howell 6:30-8pm. March 16/ Slideshow: Arctic Refuge Stephen Capra 7-8:30pm. March 18/ NMWA Reception and Silent Auction 3-8 pm. March 23/ Slideshow: NM Then & Now, William Stone 6:30-8pm. March 30/ Slideshow: Dona Ana Wild! 6:30-8pm. For more information please call NM Wilderness Alliance at 505-843-8696 or go to www.nmwild.org or email tisha@nmwild.org.

Protect New Mexico Wilderness

TO FIND A DEALER NEAR YOU, 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

303 San Mateo NE Albuquerque, NM 87108

Next month

17th Annual

Celebrate the Ear th Fe s t i v a l Sunday April 23 at the

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Insurance and Financial Counseling: Call Robin Chall 344-2747 8. Free delivery for seniors, housebound and differently-abled people.

9. MEMBER- ONLY DISCOUNT DAYS: Take advantage of our special

Co-op teams with

Ecoversity for Member Discounts

on Sustainable Living Classes

discount events for members only â&#x20AC;&#x201D; throughout the year!

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

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

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

Now More than Ever: Support Community, Support Cooperation

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

ONLY$15 ANNUALLY,

OR

$200 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

Nob Hill: Central & Carlisle, 505-265-4631 Valley: Rio Grande & Matthew, 505-242-8800 Wild Sage: Gallup, 505-863-5383 Market Place: Santa Fe, 505-984-2852