La Montanita Coop Connection April, 2006 by La Montanita Coop

coop A p r i l 2006

connection

1 7 t h A Nnonb uH ai l ll- SCu ned la ey bA prr ai l t2e3 r dt h1 e Earth Fest 0:30-6pm Nob Hill-Sunday April 23rd 10:30-6pm

free

This Spring Celebrate Community

with your

CO-OP!

ority to environmental, social and economic justice non-profit organizations and farmers and farming organizations.

We are looking forward to having groups as diverse as Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, Hawkwatch, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, New Mexico Solar Energy Association, Rio Grande Community Farms, Bernalillo County Extension, Master Gardeners, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, Desert Woman Botanicals, Bethany Farms, Charybda Farm, Peacecraft, Defenders of Wildlife, NARAL, Sage Council, Los Alamos Study Group, The Alley Gardens Project, No Cattle Organic Farm, Gardenscapes, Sparrow Hawk Bee Farm, Plants of the Southwest, Subrosa Gardens, Albuquerque Birth Network, Habitat for Humanity, erda Gardens, BRICS and many, many more.

17th Celebrate the Earth

Festival Sunday April 23, 10:30am-6pm Behind the Nob Hill Co-op on Silver Street between Carlisle and Amherst Street by Robyn Seydel xcitement is building for our 17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival. Although you can expect the same wonderfully inspiring day each year, there are some new groups and activities to keep the fun fresh and stimulating. Our little section of Silver Street behind the Nob Hill Co-op will once again become a vibrant street festival that will focus on the many positive actions and activities we can do both as individuals and as a community to envision and manifest a sustainable future.

As always, the day will be filled with information and education booths from dozens of environmental, social and economic justice organizations, local farmers and farming groups, vegetable 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.

Dancing in the Street As always you can count on hearing some of our fine local 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. Again this year we are looking forward to two fine dance ensembles, Eva Encinas’ Alma Flamenca and Pilar Leto and the Odara Dance Ensemble and one of our favorite funk dance bands, Jasper.

The Negative Impact of TV and Other Screens TV Harms Family Life In the average American household, the TV is on for 7 hours a day. Adults watch an average of 4 hours per day, and children watch an average of three hours each day. Most television watching is done alone. Almost half of Americans (40%) always or often watch TV while eating dinner; a 1990 study reported that parents spend an

Mark your calendar, for this is one event you don't want to miss. Free to the community. Join us for the 17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest, Sunday, April 23th, 10:30am to 6pm. For more information or to reserve your free booth space please contact Robyn at 217-2027 or toll-free outside of Albuquerque at 877-775-2667.

Entertainment Schedule 10:30 Red Road Crossing 11:30 Saoirse, A Celtic Eclectic Band 12:30 Alma Flamenca 1:15 Los Trinos, with Chuy Martinez and Oti Ruiz 2:00 Pilar Leto and The Odara Dance Ensemble 3:00 Rhythmfish 4:00 Jasper 5:00 Tathita

Earth Fest! Sunday, April 23

New to our Earth Day Celebration this year we are most pleased to welcome Red Road Crossing’s traditional Native American singing and drumming, Chuy Martinez and Oti Ruiz of Los Trinos, Saoirse, a Celtic Eclectic Band, the progressive blues of Rhythmfish and Tathita’s world jam groove music. Please see the schedule on this page. We’re hoping our collective prayers will once again bring a beautiful day on which to honor our Mother Earth, as we take time to celebrate "Her" and reaffirm our commitment to restoring and sustaining our precious planet. Our little street fills up quickly, so please reserve your free booth space early. We do give first pri-

Turn Off TV... Tur n on Life Turn Off Week raises awareness about the impact of screens (TV, DVDs and video games) and helps people make healthy changes in their screen habits. Given that the average American child spends more time watching TV each year (1023 hours) than in school (900 hours), the importance of this week’s message cannot be underestimated. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screens for children under 3 years.

Join friends and neighbors as we educate one another, share our passion for positive environmental and social change and dance in the streets at this beloved annual spring gathering.

average of 38.5 minutes a week in meaningful conversation with their children.

Nob Hill Merchants Animal Adoption Fest

TV Promotes Violence It has been shown that adolescents who watched one hour or more of TV each day were far more prone to violence in adulthood than those who watched less than an hour each day.

Join the Merchants of the Nob Hill Shopping Center at the 17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest as they host pet adoptions in several of the stores and in front of the Nob Hill Shopping Center.

Excessive TV & Movie Viewing Promote Tobacco & Alcohol Abuse Teens view between 1,000-2,000 beer and liquor commercials each year. Tobacco companies spend $10 billion a year on marketing in the U.S., and alcohol companies spend $900 million on ads.

Participating Animal organizations include ACat, PACA, Basset Rescue and The Alliance for Albuquerque Animals.

TV Promotes Obesity, Sedentary Lifestyles and Eating Disorders TV watching influences eating habits. There is a documented link between childhood TV viewing and between meal snacking, consumption of advertised foods, and children’s attempts to influence their parent’s food purchases.

The Co-op Supports Turn Off TV Week with The Great

Food Turn On! The Co-op will host a party for TV TURN OFF WEEK participants. Thursday April 27 4-7pm at the Santa Fe Co-op at 913 West Alameda. Special treats and gifts throughout the store to sample and take home.

TV Negatively Impacts Reading and School Performance One major study showed a decline in academic performance in children watching more than 10 hours of TV per week. TV Promotes Over-consumption One study shows that the average American spent an additional $208 each year for every hour of TV watched per week. The average child sees 20,000 commercials a year, with brand loyalty developing as early as age 2. TV Leads to Civic Disengagement The experience of most TV viewers is that the world is violent and out of control and there is not much

Give an animal a loving home! anyone can do to change it. TV viewers are likely to feel helpless in the face of a violent and dangerous world. The Positive Benefits of TV Turn Off Week TV Turn Off Week provides a unique opportunity for everyone to take a break from electronic screens. The National TV-Turnoff Network reports that 80% of families who participate in TV Turn Off Week reduce the time they spend watching media. When people break free from TV for even seven days, they can expand their options for healthier and better lives. Recommended Resources Contact The National TV-Turnoff Network at www.tvturnoff.org. by Shelley Mann-Lev, MPH: Shelley is the Drug Prevention Coordinator of the Santa Fe Public Schools’ Office of Student Wellness. She is the Chair of the Santa Fe (NM) TV Turn Off Committee. She can be reached at 505-467-2573 or smann@sfps.info.

Tur n Off Off TV, TV, Tur Tur n On Life

climate chaos solutions 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 • Comptroller/John Heckes 217-2026 johnh@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

Climate Chaos, Organics and

Transfor mation by Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association ne of the most positive things about organic food and farming is that they are not only good for our health and the survival of family farms, but they’re also good for the environment and biodiversity: the soil food web, plants, birds, insects, wildlife, fish. Perhaps less understood, but equally important, is the fact that organic or sustainable farming conserves energy and water, reduces greenhouse gas pollution, and serves as a carbon sink to help stabilize global warming.

Organic farms use far less nonrenewable energy and petroleum in-

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.

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YOU OWN IT

The average food item in an American grocery store, whether conventional or organic, has traveled 1500 miles from farm to market, usually in a diesel-belching tractor-trailer. Multi-ingredient processed foods add up to even more food miles and greenhouse gases. Food processing, packaging, and waste disposal (i.e. throwing millions of tons of uneaten foods into landfills instead of composting them, burning crop wastes instead of composting them) adds more energy use and greenhouse gas pollution. Unless America’s 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers join hands with the domestic climate crisis/ alternative energy movement to reduce our greenhouse gases, it may soon be too late to save the world from rising sea levels, hurricanes, migration, disease, devastating crop losses, increasing global poverty and conflict. One of the major factors holding back ordinary Americans from getting involved in the climate chaos debate is a pervasive pessimism and fatalism. As the refrain goes, “You can’t fight Congress and the big corporations.” But as organic consumers understand, you can fight the powers and begin to win, at least in the marketplace, if you vote with your pocketbook for health, Fair Trade, and sustainability. We can buy local and organic and convince our families and friends to do the same. Other healthy and climate friendly food trends include cultivating a home garden, eating seasonally appropriate foods, eating less meat and animal products, consuming more raw foods, cooking from scratch, and avoiding highly processed and packaged foods.

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

Industrial agriculture and long-distance food transportation generate somewhere between 20-25% of all climate destabilizing greenhouse gases in the U.S., Canada, and other industrialized nations.

puts than industrial agriculture (for example, it takes enormous amounts of energy and petroleum products to produce pesticides and chemical fertilizers), and generate far less climate destabilizing greenhouse gases such as CO2. Since the U.S., with less than five percent of the world’s population, is generating 29% of all the world’s greenhouse gases, it’s especially important to reduce our nation’s pollution by building a strong organic agriculture and alternative energy sector as quickly as possible.

Most of us can also make a commitment to drive less, trade in our gas guzzlers for hybrids or compacts, piece by affordable piece retrofit our homes, arrange to buy green power through our local utilities companies, and, perhaps most importantly, keep our spirits and selfconfidence intact as we embark upon our long-term campaign to save the planet. We of the organic community can use our positive energy to point out that the conversion of American society to sustainable energy, agriculture, and transportation practices will create millions of new living wage jobs, and revitalize both urban and rural communities. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and embark together on this perilous journey of transformation. For more information or to become a member of the Organic Consumers Association go to http://www.organicconsumers.org/

New Mexico Solar Incentives Become Law! by Ben Luce, Ph.D., New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (NMCCAE) Over the past two months, two new incentives for solar energy have appeared in New Mexico: A solar income tax credit, created by Senate Bill 269 sponsored by Senator Dede Feldman at the 2006 NM Legislature, and a RECs (Renewable Energy Credits) buyback program. The latter is only available for net-metering customers of New Mexico’s largest utility, Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), but may be available for customers of some other utilities soon. A downloadable guide on how to “Go Solar” using these incentives and other steps in the process for obtaining solar systems can now be found on CCAE’s incentives page via CCAE’s website (www.NMCCAE.org) or NMSEA’s website (www.NMSEA.org). Solar Credit Details: The new solar tax credits establish a state income tax incentive which is designed to complement and significantly extend the new federal solar credits, such that taxpayers who install systems which cost approx-

imately $30,000 or less will enjoy a solid (uncapped) 30% solar tax incentive (with federal and state combined) for the next ten years. Specifically, the new state credits will be worth 30% of the system cost, and then minus any applicable federal credits, up to a total state credit of $9000. Systems eligible for the state credits include off-grid and on-grid residential PV, on-grid commercial and industrial PV, agricultural water pumping systems, and solar hot water and (active) hot air systems. The credits will be available for ten years, retroactive from January 1, 2006 through 2015. Taxpayers whose state tax liability cannot absorb the full credits for a system in the first year can carry over the unused amounts for up to ten years. A key element of these credits is that systems must be certified first as meeting quality standards, via an application process that will begin soon, by New Mexico’s Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (contact Brian Johnson, 505-476-3313). The Department is developing the certification requirements now, and they should be available as of July 1, 2006. continued on page 4

april 2006

climate chaos solutions Ten Steps to Reduce Your

Climate Change Impact Adapted from the Union of Concerned Scientists ndividual choices can have an impact on global climate change. Americans' per capita emissions of heat-trapping gases is 5.6 tons—more than double the amount of western Europeans—we can all make choices that will greatly reduce our families' global warming impact.

1. The car you drive: the most important personal climate decision. When you buy your next car, look for the one with the best fuel economy in its class. Each gallon of gas you use releases 25 pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Compare the fuel economy of the cars you're considering and look for new technologies like hybrid engines. 2. Choose clean power. More than half the electricity in the United States comes from polluting coal-fired power plants, which are the single largest source of heat-trapping gas. Switch to green generated energy both on and off grid. 3. Choose locally produced and organic foods whenever possible. Approximately 20% of the greenhouse gases we generate are from agricultural production and the 1500 to 3000 food miles conventional food travels adds to the planets body burden of CO2. Organic farming builds soils that help hold on to more CO2, to name but a few of the benefits. 4. Look for Energy Star: Efficient Appliances. When it comes time to replace appliances, look for the Energy Star label on new appliances. If each household in the United States replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we would save $15 billion in energy costs and eliminate 175 million tons of heat-trapping gases. 5. Unplug a freezer. One of the quickest ways to reduce your global warming impact is to unplug the extra refrigerator or freezer you rarely use. This can reduce the typical family's carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 10 percent.

6. Get a home energy audit. Take advantage of the free home energy audits offered by many utilities. Simple measures often can reduce a typical family's carbon dioxide emissions by about 5 percent. 7. Light bulbs matter. If every family in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with an energy-saving model, we could reduce global warming pollution by more than 90 billion pounds, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road. 8. Think before you drive. If you own more than one vehicle, use the less fuel-efficient one only when you can fill it with passengers. Driving a full minivan may be kinder to the environment than two midsize cars. When possible, join a carpool, bike, hike, or take mass transit.

Valley

9. Plant a Tree! Check labels for sustainably harvested forestry products when buying wood. Forests that are well managed are more likely to store carbon effectively. Get a group of your neighbors together and contact your local arborist or urban forester about planting trees on private property and public lands. In addition to storing carbon, trees planted in and around urban areas and residences provide muchneeded shade, reducing energy bills and fossil fuel use.

Gallup

10. Let policymakers know you are concerned about global warming. Our elected officials and business leaders need to hear from concerned citizens. Sign up for the Union of Concerned Scientists Action Network at www.ucs.org.

Climate Change: New Reasons to Support Organic and Local Food

he most serious threat today is climate change. Threatening changes are occurring far faster than the scientists had thought just a few years ago. How we use the world's resources is going to have to change, and the sooner, the better. One of the things we can alter is how we produce, process, and distribute our food. Here are some of the facts that will hopefully lead to changes in agricultural and food practices. Why Organic? Reducing Energy Usage: Natural Inputs: Making chemical fertilizer takes huge amounts of energy. Every unit (kilogram) of Nitrogen fertilizer takes 18,000 kilograms to produce. Chemical pesticides and herbicides also require energy to be produced and shipped. When organic and non-organic farming are compared, organic farming uses roughly 1/3 less energy! BioIntensive farming uses close to zero petroleum energy! Organic Soils Hold Tons More Carbon: Petroleum farming also does not hold carbon in the soil as well as organic. The importance of holding carbon in soils (called carbon sequestration) is now being recognized internationally because of the dire need to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. Organic farming sequesters roughly 20% more carbon! Some have estimated that if all the U.S. farmland were converted to organic processes, the soils would absorb one-half of the emissions from U.S. cars! Drought Protection: Holds More Water: Organic soils hold more water, and therefore have more resilience to drought.

rocket in price! The shorter the distance between people and their food means more protection when supplies of petroleum for transport become expensive and/ or scarce. Reducing Energy Usage: Food Miles: Average food now travels 15002500 miles from farm to plate. Transporting food accounts for an estimated 25% of road usage. Local food can reduce transportation emissions 5-17 times. Small Farms: Potential for Maximizing Efficiency: Certain methods of organic farming can increase food production per square foot 2 to 4 times! New Mexico’s traditional family farms and smaller farm size make us the perfect place to utilize these near-zero fossil fuel and extremely low water growing techniques that can produce higher yields. BioIntensive (Jeavons) methods can produce enough food to feed one person for a year—the average American diet in 4000 square feet of garden space. Local Food, Less packaging: Local food reduces the need for costly and consumptive packaging and processing. Packaging food uses 7% of food system energy. Processing food uses 16% of food system energy. Food Security: Extreme weather damages food production. Hurricane Katrina did $2 billion worth of damage to agriculture, and Hurricane Wilma did about $2 billion as well. Drought across the U.S. has done several billion dollars of damage. Damage from pests and diseases with warmer U.S. weather has doubled, adding another extra billion dollars. Food security is strongest when food is grown nearby.

Drought Protection: Produces More Food: Irrigation waters often come from summer snowmelt, which will be reduced by higher temperatures, and by possible long-term drought. With effective organic methods, food production has been shown to be greater than Petroleum-based agriculture; sometimes 25% to 75% more, depending on local conditions.

Local Jobs/Less Communting: With strong support for local food, more people could work in their own rural communities, reducing the need for commuting to cities for work. Local jobs can also be created in cities with the development of urban agriculture. by Louise Pape

Why Local? Buffer Petroleum Price Increases: Local food and organic farming can help protect us from nasty price increases as petroleum products sky-

For more information go to ClimateNewsNM@aol.com, or email: louisepape@aol.com.

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 april 2006

solutions Ethanol: A Transitional Strategy Toward Sustainability

energy

by Donal Kinney n George Bush’s February State of the Union address, he proclaimed, “America is addicted to oil”. He also vowed to, “replace more than 75% of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025”, and stated, “We must change how we power our automobiles.” Six years ago, my wife and I purchased our first bio-fuel vehicle. It is a 1999 Ford Ranger Pickup, flexible-fuel vehicle. Flexible fuel means that it can run on any mix of ethanol and gasoline, up to 85% ethanol. We purchased the truck, just as ethanol became commercially available in Albuquerque. Since then, two stations have opened in Santa Fe. Last year, over 70% of the fuel we put into the truck was e-85 ethanol.

Ethanol as a vehicle fuel has been criticized in the press. Some of the criticism is warranted, but not all of it. Here is my take on the most contentious issues surrounding fuel ethanol. Net-Energy Balance The argument that has most significantly slowed the adoption of ethanol is the argument that the production of corn ethanol has a negative net-energy balance. If true, this would mean that it takes more energy to produce the fuel, than it provides the end user. This argument was first published in the late 70s and early 80s. The initial research has been retested many times, including studies by the USDA, several Universities, Argonne National Laboratory, and others. The results vary significantly, but most current findings put ethanol net-energy in a positive 20% to 100% range. The results vary because there are no standards for farming, distilling, and delivery practices. The use of energy in producing ethanol depends on the crop, the amount of fertilizer, pesticide and water used, farm machinery used, distillation techniques, delivery distances, and many other variables. All of the published studies are based upon mid-west corn ethanol, but our ethanol is made in Portales, NM, from sorghum, which requires less fertilizer, pesticide, and water. It is also important to point out that gasoline itself has a negative net-energy value. It takes approximately 20% more energy to produce and deliver a gallon of gasoline than it provides. By my calculations, the net-energy provided by ethanol production in

Guest Speakers: Donald Petersen, Los Alamos Education Group Ben Luce, New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy Thursday, April 6, 7-9pm UNM Law School, 1117 Stanford NE Rm. 2405 For more information call Citizen Action New Mexico: (505) 262-1862.

Our future: Nuclear Power or Renewable Energy?

free

public forum

The Whole Woman Center

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THE GRAND OPENING

April 14th 2006 5:30 – Refreshments 6:00 – Ribbon Cutting 7:00 – Community Dance

Finally, the production of ethanol produces a valuable byproduct, called distillers grain, which is a high protein source of animal feed. To fail to allocate a part of the energy used to the production of this co-product misses a big part of the overall energy equation.

A recent National Geographic article looked at this kind of data and suggested that the true cost of a gallon of gasoline is in the $6 to $8 range, suggesting subsidies of upwards of $4 per gallon. I have seen more controversial estimates, which include expenses such as the Iraq War and the results of climate change, which suggest fossil fuel subsidies are closer to $15 per gallon. Even assuming the conservative estimates, the 55 cent ethanol subsidy looks puny.

Ethanol Subsidies Ethanol is highly subsidized up to about 55 cents per gallon, totaling over $1 billion annually. It is important to realize that gasoline is even more highly subsidized. There are a handful of tax breaks available only to the Oil and Gas industry, including special expensing rules, tax credits,

505-243-4010

Extra Expense of Ethanol At current prices, it costs more to run on ethanol. E85 has averaged about the same, or slightly less than gasoline in New Mexico. The catch is that ethanol

the expense of

ETHANOL A values based decision: Ethanol may cost 30% more but lowers CO2 emissions by 1/3 to 1/2. and tax exemptions. These breaks represent at least $5 billion annually, and some estimates put them as high as $17 billion. There are additional program subsidies to fossil fuels, including funding of research and development, subsidized loans, regulatory oversight, pollution cleanup, and liability costs. Again, estimates vary widely, but represent at least tens of billions annually, and perhaps as much as $100 billion. Then we get into the indirect subsidies through military protection of petroleum producers. The US military is actively involved in protecting pipelines around the world. We are especially active in South America and the former Soviet Republics. On top of this are emergency response expenses for oil spills and fires, performed by the Coast Guard and State and local governments. Before we are done, we need to consider environmental, health and social costs borne by society. The combustion of gasoline creates air and water pollution and related health, environmen-

mileage is about 75% of what we get with gasoline, which translates into paying about 30% more for fuel. For this extra expense, we are lowering our fossil fuel use and CO2 emissions by an estimated onethird to one-half. Clearly this is not a purely economic choice, but a values-based decision. To put it into perspective, the decision could be compared to buying a hybrid vehicle, which is also difficult to justify purely by economics. First, I believe that I am lowering my fossil fuel use at least as much as with hybrid technology, which increases mileage by 25% to 40%. The difference is that the hybrid technology increases the initial cost of the vehicle by $3,500 to $5,000. We paid no more for our flexible fuel vehicle than we would have for its gasoline-only equivalent, but we pay $300 to $400 more for fuel a year. I am not trying to criticize hybrids, only to show that ethanol provides another alternative, with less upfront cost. Several manufacturers have been developing flexible-fuel hybrids, which combine the technologies, and will provide even more dramatic reductions in fossil fuel use. Continued on page 14

New Mexico Solar Incentives Become Law continued from page 2 Systems installed before July 1 will be subject to a more flexible evaluation process than systems after July 1.

NABCEP (the North American Board of Certified Energy Practioners – www.nabcep.org) is now offering training and certification for both photovoltaic and solar thermal installers (the solar thermal services are just getting underway).

www.wholewoman.com

The Whole Woman Center 418 Central Ave. SE Albuquerque NM

tal, and infrastructure problems. The costs are impossible to estimate, but are very real.

Quality certification was extremely important to the State Legislature, and is meant to avoid a repeat of problems with solar tax credits experienced by NM in the 1980s. The Department’s requirements will be designed to effectively weed out substandard components and faulty installations. They should not, however, be onerous, and people who utilize good quality components and reputable installers should have little difficulty in getting their systems certified.

The Whole Woman Center is the world’s ﬁrst institution dedicated to the prevention and treatment of common women’s health disorders through posture and movement.

P LEASE

New Mexico is at least 50% greater than the net-energy provided by gasoline production.

RECs Buyback: Under the new “PV RECs Buyback Program,” PNM is now offering to purchase RECs (renewable energy credits) generated by PNM customers who already own or who buy net-metered PV systems for $.13/kWh through 2018. PNM will then apply these RECs towards compliance with the NM Renewable Energy Standard (which contains a 3 credit multiplier for

solar). PNM will purchase every PV REC generated by a customer, whether the customer uses those kilowatt-hours or feeds them back into the grid, offsetting their bills by spinning the meter backwards. For systems installed this year, customers are expected to recoup approximately $2500 per kilowatt of PV through 2018 under this program, or approximately 25% of system cost relative to today’s prices. The program may be extended beyond 2018, or terminated at that time, by the NM Public Regulation Commission. Program Limits and the Long View: Finally, it should be kept in mind that both programs have upper limits on the total number of systems that they can support: The tax credit program is currently limited by law to $3 million in new PV systems per year, and $2 million in solar thermal systems (the maximum fiscal impact of the program on New Mexico is $50 million over ten years). Interested in Helping Make Clean Energy a Reality? Join the Clean Energy Network of the New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy online at www.NMCCAE.org, and receive email alerts on who-to-call and what-to-say to assist Coalition policy actions at all levels. The Coalition promotes incentives and other policies for solar energy, wind power, biomass/biofuels, and energy efficiency.

april 2006

sustainable

choices

Local Product Spotlight:

La Puebla Elementals

om Rohrkaste has had a love affair with the natural world for just about all of his life. The fine herbal products of La Puebla Elementals, produced at his small farm on the Stanley/Rowe mesa are a natural outgrowth of that love. Says Tom, â&#x20AC;&#x153;all life at the farm is appreciated and acknowledged for its participation in the creation of every product. When I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow it on my farm, friends allow me to do plantings on their farms in other ecosystems.â&#x20AC;? Tom recognizes that all of nature is interrelated. For the past 33 years he has been a beekeeper. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been making herbal products for 22 years, nine of those years as La Puebla Elementals. His biology degree put him in the University of Illinois lab for a while, but the wide world was calling and he subsequently studied traditional healing wisdom with a variety of teachers including a Santa Clara elder, curanderas and other native healers. These experiences have allowed him to â&#x20AC;&#x153;mix the conventional with the unconventionalâ&#x20AC;? for a series of products with outstanding healing qualities. La Puebla Elementals was initially established in La Puebla, New Mexico (between Chimayo and

Espanola). Says Tom, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was immensely satisfying to have Elderberries thrive in our dry conditions. By adding composted goat manure and irrigating from the Santa Cruz River, plantings could reach 15 feet in a single season. My first product, Elderberry Formula, was designed primarily for fighting the flu. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over 70% elderberries. I also added Echinacea angustifolia and purpurea, astragalus, fresh ginger, and an herb sacred to the Navajo, Yerba Fria. Due to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high flavonoid content, it is also helpful for Tom Rohrkaste hypertension and as an antiinflammatory.â&#x20AC;? All plant material, whether grown on the farm, from plantings at other sites or sustainably wild-crafted, is processed at the Rowe farm with meticulous standards. The medicinal plants from the Peruvian Rainforest or the Orient used in some formulations are of the highest quality and La Puebla Elementals uses only non-endangered rainforest plant species,

collected by the indigenous people of Peru. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The supplier of our rainforest herbs practices honorable exchanges with native collectors and belongs to several rainforest preservation foundationsâ&#x20AC;? says Tom. All formulations are cold processed in small batches to assure consistent quality and potency. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After living in Northern New Mexico for 21 years, finding solutions to the Spring allergies has been paramount!â&#x20AC;? The now famous Southwest Formula does just that. By helping to relieve allergy symptoms due to juniper pollen, it also allievates the bacterial infections that often follow, e.g. bronchitis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By combining my favorite herb, Yerba Mansa, with Ocotillo bark and flower, and Elephant tree, I created the Southwest Formula. To date, this is my most popular formula. But everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physiology and diet are so varied that sometimes a fresh Nettles tincture or Peruvian Catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Claw is needed to mitigate allergies as well,â&#x20AC;? says Tom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My overall philosophy has been to invite and respect the consciousness behind the natural world. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always believed in the power of synergy. That is to say, the sum of the parts working together is greater than the sum of the parts working separately.â&#x20AC;? At the instruction of a Santa Clara Elder, Tom blesses all past, present, and future generations of each plant he works with. He says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;when gratitude is freely given to Nature, an amazing opening takes place that words cannot express!â&#x20AC;? Look for the tinctures and salves of La Puebla Elementals in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and special order at the Gallup Co-op.

The Golden Egg by Ivy Edmondson hroughout history, the egg has been a powerful symbol for life, chi, and fertility, a condensed sphere containing the divine spark of creation and rebirth. In ancient times, eggs were thought to have magical healing properties. They were planted among crops to promote a good harvest, were thought to restore fertility, and bring fortune, and were decorated and given as courting gifts. They also symbolize resurrection as a part of the celebration surrounding the Vernal Equinox, the beginning of Spring, which came to be known as Easter and are part of the Passover Seder in many Jewish homes. The legendary golden egg is a symbol of great fortune and power.

Eggs are popular around the globe, not only symbolically, but as a key element of healthy diet, and for good reason. They are like jewels of nutrition, condensed forms of highly accessible of protein, with above 95% absorption by the body (about 15 to 20% higher than other proteins). They are inexpensive relative to their high nutrient value, easy to prepare, and easy to chew. All of these factors make them highly valuable to a balanced diet, especially for seniors. The only problem is that eggs have been on the restricted list by the American Heart Association for the last thirty years due to their high cholesterol content. The AHA has long recommended limiting egg consumption to no more than four eggs a week. There has been bad press on eggs since the seventies, but current research shows that eating eggs as a regular part of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diet has only miniscule effect on cholesterol levels and little relationship to heart disease or stroke. A recent study of over 100,000 men and women was funded by the National Institute of Health and conducted by Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health (published in the Journal of the American Medical Association). Participants were studied for up to

fourteen years, and Hu reported no adverse effects from consuming an average of one egg per day in healthy individuals, and little detectable effect in those eating up to two eggs a day. The study did note that these findings do not apply to those suffering from diabetes, in which one-a-day egg consumption appears to double the risk of heart disease.

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When asked why daily egg consumption did not turn out to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals, Dr. Hu and his team pointed out that eggs contain high amounts of essential nutrients. Although the yolks are relatively high in cholesterol (213 g per egg), they also contain antioxidants, B vitamins, folate, many essential minerals, and unsaturated fats, in a highly absorbable package that feeds the body and may counterbalance the adverse effects of the cholesterol. Rather than eliminating eggs from our diets, the Hu team recommends â&#x20AC;&#x153;reducing saturated fatâ&#x20AC;Ś and trans fat [oils that become solid at room temperature]â&#x20AC;Ś and eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables.â&#x20AC;? For egg-lovers who want even more heart-healthy eggs, try some Omega-3 eggs from the Co-op. Organic Valley feeds their hens vegetarian organic feed containing flax seed, which produces 225mg of Omega-3 proteins per egg (compared to 80mg each in conventional eggs). Studies have shown that our modern diets tend to be low in nutrients such as Vitamin E and fatty acids essential for human health. Omega-3 proteins provide these essential nutrients, promote normal brain and retinal development, healthy infant growth, and have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. On this Easter egg hunt, Omega-3 eggs may be the prize golden egg! And they are on sale at the Co-op for the month of April! Consult our recipes section in this issue for some great ways to prepare eggs and go to www.enc-online.org for more information on eggs and nutrition.

FOR THE FRESHEST

EGGS... SHOP CO-OP

Look for local, organic and omega-3 eggs in the dairy case at all Co-op locations

april 2006

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ORGANIC PRODUCTS FOR ORGANIC LIFE Inoculate your soil with

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

Meets or exceeds the USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Organic Program (NOP) regulations

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

co-op news

april 2006 6

Cooperative Extension with Organic Heart a Member Profile by Ivy Edmondson oran Viers is the friendly face at most every gardening conference and event in the area, and he teaches some of the classes for the Albuquerque Master Gardener’s Program. Born in Albuquerque but having grown up in California, Costa Rica and rural Arkansas, he moved back to Albuquerque in 1990 and soon after became a Co-op member. I met with him recently, sitting amongst botany books, soil samples, and tree limbs collected for testing, to talk.

IE: How did you get into gardening? JV: I grew up in very rural areas, with nature all around, and with a mom who was an organic gardener and consumer back when that was kooky. My appreciation for the natural world is a large part of what brought me to the study of Biology at University of New Mexico. I also got very interested in organic gardening, as it seemed to make sense in light of my studies. Also, my future wife, Susan, and I bonded over gardening in her yard. We graduated and got married on May 16, 1992, and then that fall I began a Masters program with the Botany Department of the University of Florida, in Gainesville (again with an emphasis in plant ecology). After graduating, I took a position with UF’s Horticultural Sciences Department, as Garden Manager for their Organic Gardening Research and Education Park.

In 1996, Susan and I moved back to Albuquerque, and after working for a couple of local nurseries I took a parttime position with the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission (NMOCC), which lead to my appointment as Agency Director for the NMOCC. I held that position for 6 years, during which time the agency grew from a one-person operation to four-persons. During that time, I was fairly active in the organic industry at a national level as well as in state.

Joran

Viers

member profile

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 RPP LMT #2663

in the Old Town Area

Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy

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

505-266-6522

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

Louise Miller, MA, LPCC, NCC Psychotherapy Albuquerque, NM (505) 385-0562

I was a founding board member of the National Association of State Organic Programs, and a board member of the Organic Materials Review Institute. When Governor Richardson took office, I was one of the many political casualties. The day after I found out I was to be replaced at the NMOCC, I heard that the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service had an opening for a Horticulture Agent.

IE: What do you do for the county extension service? JV: As Horticulture Agent, I’m the lead contact for citizens and businesses on any horticulture questions that come into the office. I work with homeowners, neighborhood associations, small and large landscape firms, and various organizations. I’m the Secretary for Think Trees New Mexico [Annual Arboriculture Conference], a member of the Xeriscape Council [Annual Xeriscape Conference] and a member of the TVI Landscaping Program Advisory Board. I help identify problems (insects, diseases, and most common abiotic conditions). I do informal teaching through presentations to groups and a lot of phone and on-site consultations. I am the faculty advisor for the Albuquerque Area Extension Master Gardeners and teach quite of few of their training sessions. IE: What is a county extension agent? JV: A county extension agent is the front-line of the Cooperative Extension Service, an organization structured through the land-grant college (in NM, that’s NMSU) and charged with disseminating knowledge

gained through research out to the general public who can use that information in everyday settings. I like the contact with different people, the range of topics I have to help with, and the technical nature of the work. It’s nice to think I’m making a difference to people in how they care for their gardens and landscapes, and to know that their tax dollars support our efforts. Mostly, we don’t have to charge for our services. IE: Do you have any thoughts on gardening during this drought year? JV: As for water, it is my position that this is the year to skip bedding plants and other annuals, pull in and regroup, mulch heavily and try to maintain the perennials, shrubs and trees. Let the lawn go, but not at the expense of the trees that might be rooted in that same area. Even if you can afford the water bills, good stewardship should dictate reducing water use. IE: I hear your family is also involved with the Co-op JV: We both joined before meeting each other because it fit with our lifestyle and our philosophical choices. We’ve been members all along, except for the four years in Florida. Susan graduated UNM with a double major (Biology and Chemistry). Later, before we left Florida, she went through a massage therapy program, and since 1996 has been a massage therapist here in Albuquerque (Alegria Therapeutic Massage). She provides free massage to Co-op employees as a volunteer participating in the Staff Wellness program for the 18% discount. With two kids, Wren, 7, and Lyle, 4, it helps greatly as the vast majority of our groceries are purchased at the Co-op. The Bernalillo County Extension Office offers a long list of services and programs, including the Albuquerque Master Gardening Program, Home Economics and information on Agriculture/Horticulture (in conjunction with New Mexico State University), 4H Club, and free nutrition classes (ICAN) for low-income groups, soil testing and free consultations, to mention a few. The Extension Office is located at 1510 Menaul NW, Albuquerque, 87107. Call (505) 243-1386 for more information, or visit the web site, http://bernalilloextension.nmsu.edu. Meet Joran at the 17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival!

CO-OP SPECIAL NEEDS

ach week dedicated Co-op volunteers shop for and deliver food to people who are housebound, people with special needs and elders. This is a FREE Co-op service. Nob Hill area members call 265-4631 on Tuesday mornings. The North Valley area members call 2428800 Wednesday mornings. This service is not yet available in Santa Fe or Gallup. We only deliver groceries to members who live within a five (5) mile radius of the stores. Call in your order between 9am and 12 noon. Groceries are delivered later that afternoon. This FREE delivery service is a Co-op Member Benefit. You must be a current Co-op member to participate. Co-op members interested in volunteering to deliver or to shop for the special needs program can sign up on the posted sheet at both Albuquerque information desks. Volunteer sign up is on a first come first serve basis.

DELIVERY PROGRAM

For more information contact Tim Morrison at 265-4631.

www.louisemiller.org

a Reminder

Lifetime Members and Membership Promos:

Marsha Mason’s Resting in the River

~ Approved for Organic growers & gardeners by The Organics Commodities Commission. ~ Composted over 12 months & low in salts Mulch ~ for beauty, cooler soil, weed reduction, and Water Conservation Organic Recycling ~ Respect our resources Bring your yard waste to us! www.soilutions.net

Herbs, Etc. Santa Fe, NM Allertonic, 1 oz, Sale $7.99 and ChlorOxygen, 1 oz, Sale $9.99 Other Herbs, Etc. products also on sale

Abiquiu, New Mexico Healing Body Butter, 8 oz, Sale $13.99

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 Clary & Cucumber Daily Shampoo or Conditioner, 12 oz, Sale $7.99 Other Tijeras Organic Alchemy products also on sale Contact angela@lamontanitacoop.com to advertise

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 4/05-5/02, 2006: Not all

LOCAL SALE ITEMS This year feed your soil the best! 877-0220 Premium Compost

items available at all stores.

It was recently brought to our attention that Lifetime Members feel left out during all our New and Renew Membership Promotions. It has always been our policy to give our Lifetime Member any and all Membership Promotions. Just ask any of our friendly Information Desk staff to verify that you are indeed a Lifetime Member to pick up one of whatever promotion is available that interests you. Questions or problems, call Robyn at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667.

co-op news

april 2006 7

the inside scoop

by C.E. PUGH

We are pleased to announce Tracy Thomasson as the new store manager in our Gallup location. Tracy had served as the assistant manager for several months. We are sorry to see Tim Hankins leave, but I hope you will join us in welcoming Tracy in her new role. Our deli remodel in our North Valley, Albuquerque location is almost complete and your response to this work has been fabulous. The deli staff is doing a wonderful job with these changes and the department sales are in line with our projections for the remodel. We recently replaced the deli stove and oven in our Santa Fe location and we will be expanding the deli “grab and go” display and the cheese display area shortly. We will also begin work in the check-out area to add two express lanes to better serve our increasing sales volume.

Our Board of Directors and Edite Cates (Co-op Marketing) created the set of “quiz cards” that are attached to the shopping carts in the stores. We hope you find value in these and if you have any comments or questions for the Board, you may contact them at bod@lamontanitacoop.com. We also now have audio conference service in Gallup and Santa Fe for our monthly board meetings. If you would like to participate in a board meeting from Gallup or Santa Fe, please contact Tracy Thomasson at the Gallup location or Will Prokopiak at the Santa Fe location. We are very grateful for your support of our cooperative. Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can be of greater service to you. C.E. Pugh, General Manager

Boar d Brief:

Meeting of February 21, 2006 by Shirley Coe, Administrative Assistant MBA Students: Students from UNM’s Anderson School of Management attended the meeting. Finances: The Finance Committee reported that as of December 31, 2005, the Co-op is ahead of budget and the net margin is improving. Member Linkage: In order to increase its visibility, the Board is planning on having a regular column in the Co-op newsletter. This will provide the Board an opportunity to respond to members’ questions about the Co-op and its governance. Member Events: There will be no Coffee with the Board in March or April. Instead, be sure to attend the Garden Party on March 25 and the Earth Day celebration on April 23. See the Co-op Connection for details.

Calendar of Events 4/3 4/10 4/10 4/18 4/23 4/26 4/27

Social Responsibility Committee, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Finance Committee Meeting, 303 San Mateo NE 5pm Foundation Meeting, Valley Co-op 5:30pm Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church 5:30pm 17th Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest, Nob Hill Co-op (pg.1) Member Linkage, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Co-op Great Food Turn On, Santa Fe Co-op 4-7pm (pg.1)

recycle reuse EAR TH DAY SALE SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 10-4PM IMMANUEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ACROSS FROM THE CO-OP EARTH FEST!

Co-op Information: Look for the two new Co-op information pamphlets; they provide clear and useful information on how the Co-op is run. New Board Members: The Board held a successful orientation day in January for all Board members. New Board members will meet again in May for training in policy governance. Valle Vidal Endorsement: The Board agreed to endorse the Sierra Club’s core values statement for the Valle Vidal of New Mexico. Board Meeting: Members are invited to attend monthly board meetings. The next meeting will be held on the third Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at 5:30pm at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Carlisle and Silver Avenues in Albuquerque.

Homemade Chai a la Nueva Mexicana by Andrew Stone, Co-op Board Member Having been a lifelong coffee afficionado in its original meaning; 'addict', I knew I had crossed my Rubicon when, after a 4-shot breve latte, I fell fast asleep. I had read much about the healthy caffeine alternative green tea with its anti-oxidant properties, but had never cared for its bitter astringent qualities (although a Buddhist friend assures me nothing beats plain green tea!) Remembering my Eastern lore, I googled 'Yogi Tea' - only to find that it was a trade name, not a recipe! Digging further revealed the seven (to eleven) sacred ingredients for an amazing brew that revives the weary soul as it feeds the body Indian Chai (don't say Tea after Chai unless you like redundancy as Chai means Tea!) It's simple to make chai from scratch and quite rewarding to work with the raw ingredients. Ideally, I like to cold infuse the herbs the night before, so I can fire up the tea half asleep. Here's a recipe for 4 cups: Grind in a coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle if you're a purist, the following one cinnamon stick 7 green cardamon pods 3 cloves 1 star anise Thinly slice a nice hunk of fresh ginger Toss these into 2 cups of filtered water If you want to make it a la Nueva Mexicana, add a pinch of ground red chile or cayenne - and to fully invoke the ancient gods of Atzlan, add a teaspoon of powdered dark chocolate. An overnight soaking really releases the flavors. Turn on the heat and add:

1 1/2 cups of milk or soy/rice milk 1/2 cup of half and half (really makes it delicious!) Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally - but contrary to popular wisdom, do watch the pot so it doesn't boil! Take off heat and add:

Chai revives the weary soul as it

feeds the body

2 tablespoons of honey (Ayurevedics insist sugar) 2 tablespoons of Gunpowder Green tea Steep for 3 minutes, strain into mugs.

The Co-op sells two excellent green teas in bulk that really lend themselves to tasty chai - the Gunpowder green - which unfurls like smoke in the tea, and Montana Tea Company Organic Green. You can get a week's supply for less than the cost of one 4-shot breve latte, your breath will be as sweet as honey, and your mind and productivity will soar!

Discounts Member Appreciation

for new, renewing and lifetime members!

EcoVersity

I mportant New s!

Chai made by boiling the tea leads to two problems: extreme bitterness as the tea's tannin comes out with boiling and degradation of the caffeine molecule when exposed to temperatures over 200 degrees.

Special

All New, Renewing and Lifetime members get 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 CLASS SCHEDULE ON PAGE 15.

sustainable living • land-based learning

Pollo Real – New Mexico’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. 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

Please scroll down to view the center spreadâ&#x20AC;Ś

Working on the Food Chain Organic and Natural foods are the “Big Thing” now, which is kind of goofy when you think that these are the methods that were used for cultivating healthy food for people all around the planet for millennia. It wasn’t until last century that people abandoned their organic origins and began using chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and the genetic modification of crops. Now that we are wising up to the links between how our food is produced and our health and the health of our local economies and our environment we, “Foodies” more that ever recognize the importance of our “Big Thing.” So do the giant agribusiness corporations and food industry giants, who are jumping on the bandwagon, to get a piece of the organic money making pie. These huge companies now own most of the organic and natural foods industry’s leading brands and although they may adopt enough of the farming practices to qualify for a USDA Organic or “Natural” label, few if any actually change their tune into truly embracing the underlying philosophy of organics.

Another Way?

Centralized corporate ownership and control of our food is not necessary, in fact it hampers the free flow of goods on one imagines in a free, capitalist society. Given the ability to decide between chemicaldependent crops and organics, we overwhelmingly choose to consume the later. When the choice is between fresh, local products and those shipped thousands of miles we are a voice for local production. La Montañita sincerely believes in this endeavor and this is why we currently carry over 1500 local products from over 400 local vendors in our stores. Look for our local product signs designating these fine products on our shelves. Keep in mind tht every dollar that goes toward an owner-operated local or organic business supports an ideal that will have global results. Included here is a list of a few of the great New Mexican businesses we support. Every day we work to make new connections with more local vendors to expand our local offerings. Support local and regional farmers and producers. Shop Your Co-op!!

The information on these pages has been obtained from many sources, including but not limited to: wikipedia.org, theyrule.net, tyson.com, op buyers. and the Co-o The “Working on the Food Chain” info at the top of this page has been updated from our “Who Owns Organic” spread op featured in our May 2005 Co-o Connection News.

505 Organics A Farmer’s Wife American Pie Apple Canyon Aroma Coffee Aug & Bob’s Award Winning Bee Sweet Beneficial Farms BHI BHI / Heel Bill Rodgers Black Mesa Blue Mountain Bosque Farms Bruce MacCallum’s B’s Buenatural Bueno Cannon’s Caribbean Temptation Casa Blanca Cervantes Chavez Farms Chile Crop Chile Jammin’ Stuff Cibolo Junction Clear Light Cedar Co. Cloud Cliff Comida Loca Coonridge Farm Coyote Cocina Coyote Trail Del Valle Pecans Derma-LLife Desert Dew Desert Gardens Desert Woman Dragon River Herbals El Patio El Pico de Santa Fe El Pinto Embudo Fabric Design Enchanted Soaps Essential Eating Flour Estancia Valley Fano Bread Co. Feeding Fido Fiesta Firehouse Salsa First Organics Flo’s Flower’s Salves Flying E Ranch Foods of New Mexico Garcia’s Gourmet Bagels

Food industry giants can really depend on the organic food market to up their bottom line thanks to impressive growth rate. Organic sales have doubled since 1997 and increased up to 21 percent each year compared to increases of 2 to 4 percent for the entire food industry. The demand for fresh and naturally grown food is reflected in the everincreasing shelf space devoted to organic products at large supermarket chains and in the big box discount stores. At the Co-op we want to consume goods that embrace our values above simply the lack of synthetic chemicals; values like: biodiversity, local and fair trade, pasture-fed, predator friendly livestock, etc. At a June 28, 2005 conference, the International Food and Agribusiness Association reported that global sales of organic and natural products are forecasted to reach $100 billion by 2008. Where should we invest our consumer dollars? At the Co-op we believe we must invest in a strong local food supply, support family farmers and spread the democratic economic model of cooperative community ownership.

Chile Sauces & Salsas Berry Jams Pies & Pastries Sauces & Marinades Bulk Coffee Fresh Eggs Cow Feta New Mexico Honey Fresh Eggs & Produce Homeopathics Homeopathics Pesticide-Free Pinto Beans New Mexico Honey New Mexico Honey New Mexico Honey Tapered Candles New Mexico Honey New Mexican Foods New Mexican Foods Sweet Hot Chile Preserves Flavorings & Marinades Beef Jerky Chile Sauce & Salsa Fresh Eggs Salsas Chile Jams Posole & Stew Mixes Cedar Lotions & Body Care Bread & Baked Goods Soup Mixes Organic Goat Cheeses Sauces, Salsas & Chips Chile Sauces Organic Pecans Skin Care Products Shea Butter Salsa Mixes & Seasonings Fire Cider, Lotions & Salves Herbal Extracts & Formulas Chile Sauce & Salsa Fresh Salsas Salsas Potholders Soaps Organic Sprouted Spelt Local Pinto Beans Breads & Baked Goods Dog Food Chile Barbecue Sauces Salsas Organic Dietary Supplements Chile Apple Butters Salves Fresh Eggs New Mexican Entreés Salsas Bagels

Hatch Heart of the Desert Heel Heidi’s Herbs, Etc. Extracts High Desert Soap High Mesa Chai Holy Chipotle Jemez Mountain Jerky by Art Jilli Pepper Joseph’s Cookies José’s Just Cashews Kidstuff Kinna’s La Montañita Cards Montañita Plant Works Le Chantilly Le Paris French Bakery Leo Martínez Leona’s de Chimayó Lori’s Farm Los Chileros Mac’s Hot Sauce Mainstreet Bakery Mama Luigi’s Maria Rosa’s Merlie’s Milagro Monroe’s Moses Mujeres en Acción Muy Cool Near Magic New Mexico Style NM Piñon Coffee Co. Noble’s North of the Border NOVA Homeopathics Otiska Pastry Guild Pastry Stop Pedro’s Plantworks Pollo Real Progena Pueblo Puerta de Luna Purple Onion Questa Rancho de Las Rosas Rancho de Santa Fe Rasband Rayo

Chile Sauces & Chile Pistachios Homeopathics Raspberry Jams Herbal Tinctures & Soaps Instant Chai Mix Sauces & Marinades Spring Water Beef Jerky Salsas Cookies Beef Jerky Fair Trade Cashews Salsas Hot Laos Chile Paste Tree-Free Kenaf Greeting Cards Herbal Tinctures & Extracts Pastries & Baked Goods Bread & Baked Goods Posole & Atole Flour Tortillas Fresh Eggs Dried Chile & Seasonings Hot Sauce Bread & Baked Goods Marinara Sauces Bizcochitos Chile Sauce & Salsa Salsas Chile Sauces New Mexico Honey Tamales Chile Jams Healing Oil Chile Jams Piñon Coffee Red Chile Sauce Salsas, Chile Sauces, etc. Homeopathics Salsas Pastries & Baked Goods Pastries & Baked Goods Salsas Herbal Extracts Organic Chicken Herbal Products & Supplements Chile Sauces & Salsas Salsas Deli Salads & Spreads New Mexico Honey Organic Red Chile Powder Chile Powder & Seasonings Hormone-Free Milk Fresh Eggs & Salsa

Red Foil Red Rock Roasters Resting in the River Cosmetics Route 66 Sabroso Sadie’s Sage Sage Bakehouse Sage Smudgesticks Sage Smudgies Salman Ranch Salsa de Santa Fe Sandia Soap Sandia Soy Candles Sangre de Cristo Coop SF Beeswax Candle Co. Santa Fe Bite Size Santa Fe Cider Co. Santa Fe Culinaria Santa Fe Gourmet Santa Fe Jerky Santa Fe Olé Santa Fe Seasons Sasha & the Pasha Shepherd’s Lamb Sister Creations Sore No More Southwest Gardens Spaghetti Western Sparrow Hawk Farms Sunrise Juice SunStop Super Salve Suwanee Farms Sweetwood’s Tamale Molly Taos Herb Co. Tara’s Tea Naturals The Range Café The Shed Three Angel Tijeras TLC Bakery Tucumcari Uncle Mabe’s Union Baking Co. Valley Vital Soapworks Vitality Works Wing-TTime Winning Coffee Co. Wolfe’s Bagels Yerba de la Negrita Yerba Maté Revolution

Root Beer Bulk Coffee Herbal Skincare & Spring Water Flour & Corn Tortillas Chile Sauces & Salsas Smudge Sticks Bread & Baked Goods Smudge Sticks Smudge Sticks Raspberry Jams & Toppings Salsas Soaps Soy Candles Organic Whole Wheat Flour Beeswax Candles Gourmet Cookies Organic Sparkling Cider Blue Corn Pancake Mixes Gourmet Pestos Beef Jerky Chile Jams & Sauces Chile Sauces & Salsas Oat Clusters Organic Lamb Skin Serums & Cosmetics Topical Analgesics Chile Sauce Salsas & Pestos Beeswax Candles Fresh Juice & Juice Beverages Sun Monocle Salves Fresh Eggs Goat Cheese & Cajeta Gourmet Tamales Herbal Extracts Organic Gourmet Ice Cream Tea Breeze Facial Mists Salsa Red Chile Sauce Chile Jams Hair & Body Care Products Bread & Baked Goods Greek-Style Feta Barbecue Sauces Bread & Baked Goods Garlic Oil Soaps Herbal Tinctures & Extracts Buffalo Wing Sauce Bulk Coffee Bagels Herbal Extracts & Hair Care Organic Yerba Maté

Tyson: Newest Organic Player The giant international mega-conglomerate Tyson Foods is the newest corporate player in the organics arena having recently purchased Natures Farm Organics. Twice as large as any competitor in the meat-and-chicken industry, Tyson also sells their brand of religion in addition to chickens, beef, and precooked frozen meals. "Mealtime prayer booklets" for a variety of “God-based” faiths can be found in PDF form on their website. Under the headline, "TYSON LAUNCHES FAITH-FRIENDLY MARKETING CAMPAIGN," Ad Age Magazine reports: "What started out as the internal manifestation of Tyson's mission statement --- a set of core values that includes '”striving to be a faith-friendly company . . . and to honor God”— has moved the company over the last few years to place 128 part-time chaplains in 78 Tyson owned plants across the country.

FOOD ROUTES SUSTAINABILITY JUST AHEAD LEAVING BEHIND

CENTRALIZATION COMMODIFICATION INDUSTRIALIZATION

Food Groupie Buy-llaws

1. Vote with your fork. 2. Know where your food comes from. 3. Think first, consume later. 4. Support domestic fair trade. 5. Practice ethical consumerism. 6. Give the earth a chance. 7. Know who owns the food you purchase. 8. Preach our inherent right to food safety. 9. Celebrate the plant life you consume. 10. Eat soul food: nourish your whole being! 11. What’s on your plate when the food trucks can’t roll? 12. Contribute to the sustainability of the community you call home. 13. Create a shorter route from farm to fork for you and your neighbors. 14. Unleash eating goodness on the community you touch. 15. Support your local organic farmer today, she will support you tomorrow! 16. Add your own to this list, and help define the movement towards sustainability! 17. 18. 19. The really compelling aspect of this movement is how quickly a community can create a local food economy. It doesn’t take a global agreement, it doesn’t take required legislation. We believe that every locally grown tomato, green chile or hamburger from a local, humanely raised and slaughtered cow is a method of supporting a less-polluting, safer and more delicious way of life.

edible eggs How do you like your

2 cloves charred garlic, mashed salt to taste

eggs?

ggs are not as bad for you as previously thought. Egg protein is the most accessible form of protein for the body to absorb. They are packed with nutrients, and they are cheap! As long as you don’t overdo it, or have an allergy, try welcoming eggs back into your diet! For more information on eggs and nutrition, see The Golden Egg, page 5.

(C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, # = pound, oz = ounce)

2 corn tortillas 1 large egg 1/4 C peas, cooked 1 T grated dry cheese (Romano, Parmesan, or Sardo) 1 slice ham, diced (or substitute) 1/4 C beans, refried corn oil Salsa Yucateca 2 charred habanero chile, mashed 2 key lime or lime, juiced 4 T olive oil

For the Salsa Yucateca: Mix all ingredients together. Heat the sauce. In a small frying pan, add about 1/4 inch oil and heat on medium high. Fry the tortillas for a few seconds on each side. Smear the beans on one of the tortillas. Fry the egg in the same oil and place on the beans. Salt & pepper to taste. Top with the other tortilla. Place the ham and peas over the second tortilla and top with the salsa and grated cheese. Serve immediately. (Recipe serves 1). Egg Brushetta 4 slices toast 2 large cloves garlic 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes - sliced thickly 4 extra-large eggs salt and pepper - to taste extra virgin olive oil for frying

Adapted and reprinted from the following sources: http://organicvalley.coop www.mrbreakfast.com http://www.recipelink.com

Huevos Motulenos (Eggs Motul Style) by Melanie Miguel

april 2006 10

Lightly grill the tomato slices then keep warm. Meanwhile rub the garlic onto the toast. The more you like garlic the more you rub. Fry the eggs till pinked in extra virgin olive oil. To assemble cover each slice of garlic toast with grilled tomato. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Top with the fried egg and serve immediately. Simple and delish! Serves 4. Zucchini Sprout Omelet 1 small zucchini, sliced and then chopped 1 C mung bean sprouts, chopped 5 parsley sprigs, chopped fine 2 celery tops, chopped fine 1/4 C milk, or substitute

To assemble, put muffin on plate, stack tomato and eggplant on top of each serving. Carefully place egg on top and drizzle with pesto. Serves 4.

1/4 C parmesan cheese 4 eggs, or substitute 1 small onion, minced 1/4 t garlic powder 1/4 t onion powder 1/2 t sweet basil 1/8 t sugar 1/8 t sea salt 1 T butter

Summer Squash Pancakes

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add butter. Stir in the celery tops, parsley, zucchini, onion, and sprouts. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Put the eggs in a medium-sized bowl and beat in the parmesan cheese, milk, onion and garlic powder, sugar, sweet basil and salt. Pour over the vegetables in the skillet. Cover and cook over low heat until eggs are set.

3 C summer squash, grated 1/2 t salt 2 T fresh parsley (minced) 2 cloves garlic (minced) 3/4 C Organic Valley Parmesan cheese, grated 1 Organic Valley Large Brown Egg 1 C organic flour 1 t baking powder Mix all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls into oiled skillet. Cook. Turn once when golden. Keep warm in the oven until all are done.

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict Divine Eggs 1/2 C fresh basil leaves 1 t minced garlic 2 T pinenuts salt and pepper to taste 1/2 C olive oil 1/4 C grated parmesan 1 T olive oil 4 tomato slices, 1/2 inch thick 4 eggplant slices, 1/2 inch thick 2 English muffins, halved 4 eggs In food processor, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper until well combined. Add half oil and puree. Add remaining oil and cheese until blended. Brush tomato and eggplant slices with oil and roast in a preheated oven for five minutes, turning once. Lightly brush muffins with pesto and toast under broiler. Poach eggs.

6 Organic Valley Grade A Extra Large Brown Eggs (hard boiled*) 2 T celery (finely chopped) 1 green onion (finely chopped) 1/4 t garlic (powder) 1/2 t pickle relish (Cascadian Farms) 3 T mayonnaise 1 t dijon mustard (Annie's Honey Dijon Mustard) 1 T fresh parsley (chopped) 1/2 t paprika (for garnish) Cut the cooked and peeled eggs in half lengthwise; scoop out yolks into a bowl. Mix in celery, green onion, garlic powder (optional), pickle relish, mayonnaise and honey dijon mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the yolk mixture evenly among the reserved whites, mounding it slight-

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incredible

eggs

april 2006 11

ly. Garnish with paprika and parsley, if desired. Eggs may be stored, covered in plastic in the refrigerator, for up to 1 day. Serves 6. *Note: For perfect hard-cooked eggs, place eggs in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them by 1". Bring water to a boil; remove from heat and leave eggs in water 15 minutes. Pour off the hot water and replace with cold water, and allow the eggs to cool for 10 minutes. The perfect route to easy peelin'!

dough: Beat butter and the brown sugar (or Sucanat) in large mixing bowl until fluffy and well blended. Beat Organic Valley Large Brown Eggs into the mixture 1 at a time. Then add the vanilla extract. Sift flour, baking soda and salt over the buttery mixture and stir to blend. Mix in oats, the chocolate chips (your favorite fair trade variety) and pecans. Add raisins if desired. Drop tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto prepared sheets.

Puffed Up Potatoes

Bake for 12 minutes if you like 'em chewy, and a tad longer if you like crispy cookies. Once baked to perfection, transfer to racks and cool completely. (Cookies can be prepared a few days ahead of time, if stored in an air-tight container). Serves 48.

N EW DIR E C T I O N

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rich Peasantâ&#x20AC;? Stirfry

K elly Coogan D.C.

1 # baking potatoes 2 T Organic Valley Butter, softened 1/3 C Organic Valley Milk, warmed salt and pepper 2 Organic Valley Eggs, separated 1 heaping C (2-3 oz) Organic Valley Raw Sharp Cheddar, finely grated Peel potatoes, cut into large, equal-sized chunks and place in pot with water to cover. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, 12-18 minutes. Drain well, then cover pot and heat potatoes over low flame, shaking pot occasionally, until potatoes look dry, 2-3 minutes. Pass potato chunks through a potato ricer into a large bowl or mash them on low speed with electric beaters. Fold in softened butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste (remember youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be adding cheese, so go easy on the salt). Let cool to barely warm or room temperature. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a medium baking dish. Beat egg yolks and stir them into the potato with cheese and chives. Using electric beaters and a clean bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold a quarter of them into the potatoes, then gently fold in the rest. Transfer potato mixture to baking dish, using spatula to create a few decorative peaks. Bake until top is brown-tipped and potatoes are heated through, 25-30 minutes. Serve them the instant they come out of the oven, directly from the baking dish. Serves 4. Super Duper Oaty Choco-Yums 1 C Organic Valley European-style Cultured Butter (softened) 1 C brown sugar (unrefined and packed into measuring cup) 2 large Organic Valley Eggs 1 t vanilla extract 2 1/4 C all-purpose flour (or try spelt flour) 3/4 t baking soda 1/2 t sea salt 2 C rolled oats (crumbled) 8 oz chocolate chips (fair trade and organic) 1 C pecans (chopped) 1/2 C raisins (optional) Preheat oven to 350Â°F. Lightly "massage" 2 heavy large baking sheets with butter. For the

cooking oil (such as peanut oil) toasted sesame oil tamari 6 eggs a handful of snow peas 1 julienned carrot 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes, 2 or 3 cloves chopped garlic 1 T cornstarch 1 T vegetable broth powder scallions

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Steam carrots for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick you slice them. Add snow peas to steam for the last 2 or 3 minutes. Whisk eggs together in a bowl. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok and add fresh chopped garlic, then pour egg mixture in.

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

Cook on high heat, stirring constantly with a metal spatula until most of the runniness is gone but eggs are still moist. Add diced tomatoes and continue to cook on high until bubbling, then reduce to medium and stir occasionally, adding soy sauce to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomato flavor deepens.

Surrender to Storm

Barbara Rockman and Cynthia Fusillo

In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and vegetable broth powder to 1/2 cup cold water and pour mixture into wok. This will mix with the juice from the tomatoes and the garlic already in the wok to make a nice sauce. When sauce thickens, add chopped scallions and veggies, turn off the heat, and season with sesame oil and more tamari if needed.

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earth Gardening in a Time of

caring for the

Drought by Wendy Natoli, of Plants of the Southwest here are rumors that this will be one of the hottest and driest years on record. This dire prediction provokes some despair in anyone who derives their livelihood, food, and/or pleasure from the garden. A few have told me they are planning to refrain from planting a summer vegetable garden this year. It’s an understandable reaction, this may not be the best year for watermelon. On the other hand, we need our gardens and they need us. The wildlife, pollinators and soil microorganisms that have found a home thanks to our careful hospitality need us to garden. Leaving the land barren will mean losing precious topsoil to spring winds, losing summer rainwater to storm drains, losing well established tree canopy. So, how do we garden wisely and weather the constantly changing weather? The answer lies in our past. We have inherited many brilliant techniques for dryland gardening, and they just so happen to be inexpensive and easy to implement. They include land contouring, mulching, using adapted plant species, and water harvesting.

Land contouring is a fancy name for moving dirt around to slow the flow of water. Unless the land is perfectly flat, when water hits the ground, it will immediately run off, taking topsoil with it. Digging wells around trees and planting in sunken beds are familiar ways to keep water where we want it. Creating shallow trenches along the contour of a slope will slow the downhill rush of rainwater, and spread the water horizontally so that it can slowly percolate into the soil. A beloved and wise local gardener, Jim Lewis, built high berms all around his Albuquerque property (out of piled brush not dirt). He ensured that not a drop of water was ever lost to run-off.

The water we don’t lose to run-off is often lost to evaporation. A thick layer of organic mulch will cool the root zone, significantly slow evaporation, prevent annual weeds, create inviting soil habitat for beneficial organisms, and break down slowly to build beautiful, rich topsoil. Just about any biodegradable material will work: leaves, straw, seed-free weeds, newspaper, composted manure, woodchips, nutshells, old cotton clothes. Replenish mulch yearly. Ancient New Mexican farmers used large cobblestones to mulch their crops. Although rock mulches won’t break down to add to the topsoil, they work well as mulch for many of our native desert plants that don’t want rich soil. The desert has provided us with some of the most tenacious and beautiful plant species on the planet. We have a vast palette of colors, textures, shapes, smells and even tastes to select from. These are species that have evolved with drought and extreme temperatures. They are also the plants most preferred for habitat by our native wildlife. Our favorite fuel trees are native pinon and juniper. Some of our favorite foods, such as corn, beans, and chile, are adapted cultivars of ancient native plants. Check out the City of Albuquerque Xeriscape Guide, www.plantsofthesouth west.com, or the Native Seed Search catalog, for more ideas on using native and adapted plant species in the garden.

collecting rain water in cisterns and rain barrels and diverting run-off to planting areas. Another abundant source of irrigation water is the wastewater from bathtubs and washing machines, called greywater. Greywater can be safely used in the landscape to water shade trees, shrubs, perennial flowers and fruit trees. The water must be discharged into mulch basins so that it does not stand open to the air. For simple greywater designs check out www.oasisdesign.com. Ollas are an ancient and ingenious way to use water efficiently in the garden. They are unglazed terracotta pots with a narrow opening. When they are buried in a garden bed or container planting and kept topped off with water, they will keep the soil around them evenly moist by sweating the moisture through their walls. The small opening prevents evaporation. With a little ingenuity and a lot of help from our ancestors, we can adapt to the changing climate patterns. The challenge of desert gardening offers opportunity for creative problem solving and practice in adaptability not found in water abundant gardening. Our continued relationship with the land will provide us with solutions to many of life’s problems and give us a place to act beneficially.

take your cues from the

desert

Many gardeners are already taking advantage of water harvesting techniques such as

Raising Less Corn, More Hell: The Case for the Independent Farm Against Industrial Food

n a matter-of-fact, folksy style that engages the reader from cover to cover, in Raising Less Corn, More Hell: The Case for the Independent Farm Against Industrial Food George Pyle describes the conditions and consequences of American industrialized food production. His broad knowledge of how farming works, the politics intertwined with it and the social and health costs associated with current farming practices makes this an eminently readable, humorous and useful book. Mr. Pyle asserts that our current industrial model is grounded on the big lie that the world is either short of food or risks being short of food in the near future. He looks at how government subsidized staple crops are grown in massive quantities in the U.S. and then dumped on the international market at prices below the cost of production. This adversely impacts farmers in developing countries who don’t have the economic strength or the resources to weather this type of lopsided competition, and it also hurts the American farmer who must continually invest in expensive ways to increase crop yields while bushel prices drop. He details how the highly touted “Green Revolution” of the 1960s had the unintended consequences of increased dependence on pesticides and fertiliz-

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Mr. Pyle says, “…independent farmers…do not automatically deserve to be preserved by policy choices any more than did the Pony Express or the town crier. But…every step taken to allow the independent farm to survive into the twenty-first century will not be an act of charity or nostalgia but an act of self preservation for all of us, even for people who never have and likely never will set foot on a working farm.” He says that the independent farmer should be seen as an indicator species, one which alone doesn’t nec-

April 4th, 7:00 pm T he James A. Little Theater, Santa Fe at St. Francis and Cerrillos

essarily have profound influence but points to the well-being of the overall ecosystem. In essence, Mr. Pyle makes an airtight case for the localization of food production with far less reliance on chemicals. His book conveys information that will help readers gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the food web, the value of decentralizing agriculture and why cheap food undermines democracy. George Pyle covers the wide swath of agribusiness and meat production with a deft and knowledgeable style and his book is a useful, entertaining way to get the big picture on where our food comes from and how it’s grown. Review by Tam Saimons, Co-op Board Member

Gallup Community Garden A Work In Beauty his growing season Gallup will have a community demonstration garden. The garden will be located at 113 East Logan with demonstration days on the second Friday of each month from 3pm till dark.

a work in beauty:

V isit w w w.foreverwild.info or call Lisa at (505) 248-0118 12

ers, depletion of water resources and lowered prices that farmers receive for their food, while increasing the cost to the farmer to grow the food.

Gallup community

garden Steve Heil, dry land farmer, famous for his Green Thread Tea Bags (Navajo Tea), is managing the garden with the help of other friends and neighbors. The garden has twelve sixty foot long rows three feet wide with two foot paths between them. Four rotating groups of crops will be grown: corn and squash; tomatoes, peppers and herbs; greens and lettuce; peas, beans and cut flowers.

Watering will be done using roof run-off whenever possible, but mostly City water will be used. Two drip tapes are implanted in each row, and community gardeners will be keeping a record of water use. Elementary and University school teachers have been invited to use the garden as a research project, looking at both failures and successes. The garden is the first project of Work in Beauty, Inc., a new 501c3 that seeks to create jobs that sustain, heal and harmonize with the environment for young career seekers in the Gallup area. All donations are tax-deductible. Work in Beauty organizers haven't given up on their goal to create a larger community garden where neighborhood residents can have a little plot of land, and some good sites have been identified. But for now the demo garden will have work-days and other events for participation. The vegetables will be sold at the Gallup Farmer's Market and used by the families doing the work. For more information or to participate call Be Sargent at 505-726-2497 or Steve Heil at 7226842.

april 2006

caring for the

earth

Protecting The Endangered Species Act and a Sustainable Rural Economy by Lisa Hummon, New Mexico Outreach Representative, Defenders of Wildlife t’s a strange feeling to enjoy spending money. But I can’t help but smile as I hand over my check card at the Co-op register in Albuquerque. I feel good knowing that my money will help build the future I want to see. One where the air is clean, water runs clear, biodiversity is rich, farms are productive, sustainable, and locally supported, and our communities are strong and healthy. There are signs all around us that this future is on its way. Organic agriculture, farmers markets, co-ops, and CSAs are steadily on the rise. Communities across the country are passing ballot measures to protect wildlife habitat and open space. Cities are developing renewable energy portfolios, and individuals are taking action to protect local endangered species. We’re in the midst of a new green revolution, one that’s growing from the grassroots up.

It can be hard to recognize this progress when, at the same time, powerful forces in Washington, DC are threatening to take it all away. Over the last few years we’ve seen a seemingly constant barrage of attacks on conservation efforts from the Administration and Congress. Perhaps the most egregious has been the attempt to dismantle one of our nation’s most important and successful environmental laws, the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This past September, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that could unravel three decades of success at protecting our nation’s imperiled wildlife from extinction. The

legislation, H.R. 3824, sponsored by Richard Pombo (R-CA), was pushed through in less than two weeks, leaving little time for discussion or public input. Pombo’s bill would undercut our ability to conserve habitat for species recovery. It would set a dangerous precedent by requiring taxpayers to pay developers not to harm endangered species. It would exempt all pesticide decisions from compliance with the ESA, and deter the use of best available science for listing and management decisions. Of New Mexico’s three Representatives, Tom Udall was the only one to vote against it.

Help save the

What will happen now that these programs are once again on the chopping block and there is a proposal to gut the law that provides a safety net for our nation’s imperiled wildlife? If we do nothing, Congress will surely pass Pombo’s bill to gut the Endangered Species Act and continue to reduce funding for conservation programs. But I’m an optimist. I believe in the movement that is growing across the country. People are standing up to corrupt government officials and industry interests. Individuals are changing American culture, building new communities and painting a new, brighter vision for the future. There is power in our movement, and we can use it to beat back the destructive forces at work in DC.

endangered species

act!

Pombo claims that one of the groups who will benefit from his bill is landowners. If he really cared about landowners, he would be furious with the President for proposing to slash funding for programs that pay farmers and ranchers to conserve and manage wildlife habitat and other natural resources on their land. Every year Congress and this Administration withdraw promised funding for programs authorized in the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill, including the Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. These programs are the backbone of good land stewardship and are solutions that keep species from slipping towards extinction. They help encourage sustainable farming and ranching practices and lift up rural economies.

We still have a chance to save the Endangered Species Act in the Senate. Contact Senators Bingaman and Domenici, and ask them to protect the integrity of the Act and not pass any legislation that would make Pombo’s bill law. Ask them to increase funding for conservation programs and protect them when the Farm Bill is reauthorized in 2007. Together, we can make our vision for the future a reality. Please visit www.saveESA.org or come to the Co-op’s Earth Day Festival.

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

232-2358

National Uniform Food Act Destroys Protections In Mid March the U.S. House of Representatives passed controversial legislation that would eliminate more than 200 state food safety and public health protections. Heather Wilson was among the congressional representatives who voted for the corporate sponsored National Uniformity Food Act (H.R. 4167). Tom Udall opposed it. H.R. 4167 is opposed by environmental groups, Democratic legislators and a majority of state attorney generals. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that H.R. 4167, introduced by Congressman Mike Rogers, (R Michigan), last October, would cost taxpayers $100 million over the next five years, with added costs for federal, state and local government’s regulations.

H.R. 4167 would shift the balance of power between the states and federal Government, undermine states' ability to prepare for and respond to terrorist threats to the food supply; prevent states from requiring consumer notifications about health risks associated with certain foods; and create a new federal bureaucracy to review and, potentially disapprove new state food safety laws.

For more information on the effects of the bill see "Shredding the Food Safety Net" at: www.nrdc.org. Call Jeff Bingaman at 346-6601 and Pete Domenici at 346-6791 and let them know how you feel about this bill should it come to the senate.

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april 2006 14

Nuclear New Mexico?

Sandia Repor t: Nuke Dump Will Contaminate Albuquerque’s Drinking Water by 2010 by Sue Dayton, Citizen Action

ontamination from a Cold War-era waste dump will reach Albuquerque’s drinking water aquifer as early as the year 2010, according to a new study conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. The dump, known as the Mixed Waste Landfill, contains an estimated 100,000 cubic ft. of radioactive and chemical waste from nuclear weapons research buried in unlined pits and trenches at Sandia. The study conducted by Sandia, known as a “fate and transport” model, predicts the movement and releases of contaminants from the dump. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) ordered Sandia to conduct the study as a requirement of a permit the NMED issued that allows Sandia to cover the dump with 3 ft. of dirt and monitor the site indefinitely. The news that the dump will eventually contaminate Albuquerque’s sole source aquifer came after Ron Curry, NMED Secretary, issued a permit to Sandia to cover the waste. Previously, Sandia Labs has consistently maintained that it was “highly unlikely that contaminants from the dump would ever reach the groundwater below.” Sandia’s study predicts that tetrachloroethane, a man-made chemical commonly referred to as PCE, will reach Albuquerque’s aquifer as early as the year 2010. PCE can persist in the groundwater for

years, and has been classified as a “probable” human carcinogen linked with liver and kidney cancers. PCE decays and forms other chemical compounds that include trichloroethane (TCE); dichloroethane (DCE); and vinyl chloride (VC), all of which are linked to cancers of the brain, liver, stomach, lungs, prostate, cervix and endometrium.

of one chemical (PCE) to the groundwater, even though previous investigations by Sandia have shown that at least a dozen various chemicals have escaped the dump.” Other sampling efforts by Sandia have shown deer mice and vegetation living at the dump to be contaminated with radon and tritium, two radioactive materials. This new study demonstrates that contamination from the dump is inevitable and raises serious concerns about the potential for contamination from the Mixed Waste Landfill to Albuquerque’s aquifer.

Paul Robinson, Research Director for the Southwest Research and Information Center, who reviewed the study for Citizen Action, said, “Sandia’s study only models for the movement

For more information contact Citizen Action New Mexico: (505) 262-1862. To read Citizen Action’s comments on Sandia’s Fate and Transport Model visit the website at www.radfreenm.org.

Ethanol: Strategy Toward Sustainability Continued from page 4 The Promise of Ethanol from Cellulose It is the promise of fuel ethanol, rather than its immediate impact that most appeals to me. Ethanol can be produced sustainably. Ethanol is really just grain alcohol, also known as moonshine. I could set up my own still and make it myself. It is more easily localized and potentially appropriate scale than any other technology available, excepting bio-diesel, perhaps, which is not yet commercially available here in blends greater than 20%. At present, ethanol is made from primary agricultural products like corn, sorghum and sugarcane. It can also be made from waste products, including straw from cereal grains, woodchips, and other forms of cellulose, or from hearty drought tolerant high-cellulose perennials like switchgrass, which take far less energy to grow than corn and sorghum.

The energy potential from cellulose is considered to be very high, potentially providing positive 300% net-energy, or more. The challenge is that we have not yet developed a low energy means of breaking down the cellulose to create ethanol. The technology has been moving away from the use of heat (high energy), toward the use of enzymes and other micro-organisms. The technology that receives the most commercial support will develop and evolve the most rapidly. The development of cellulosic ethanol presents a greater likelihood for offering truly sustainable and relatively affordable transportation in my lifetime than do other alternatives. We are far closer to unlocking the potential of ethanol from cellulose than we are to developing commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. For more information on ethanol in New Mexico, including a list of flexible fuel vehicles and the location of stations visit: www.renewableenergypart ners.org.

community

forum

april 2006 15

Statewide

Har wood Anthology Book Release and Poetry Party Harwood has published the work of New Mexico poets since 2000 in small, free publications available to be picked up by passers-by, strangers, friends, poets... These were transitory publications, and it made us long to publish a book, a permanent record of the work of New Mexico poets. The Harwood Anthology chronicles the remarkable work that is being created in the New Mexico poetry community. The book also features cover artwork by Sally Condon and book design by JB Bryan. It includes the work of seventy-four poets: Levi Romero, Lisa Gill, Danny Solis, Joan Logghe, B.A. Wingate, Gene Frumkin, Arthur Sze, Demetria Martinez and Jimmy Santiago Baca to name a few. The proceeds from sales support future literary programming at the Harwood Art Center. On Friday, April 21st at 6pm at the Harwood Art Center’s Poets’ Plaza, help celebrate the publication of the book, as many of the poets featured read their work. Call for information at 242-6367.

La Raza Unida Expands Annual May Day Celebration by Carlos M. Flores he contribution of workers to our economy, the historical significance of the struggle for worker rights, and the continuing attack on the benefits and income of workers are all issues that continue to demand attention. La Raza Unida (LRU) members are pleased to add a panel discussion on these issues to their annual May Day event. The panel will be entitled The Working Class: Wages and the Struggle for Economic Justice.

The panel Discussion on Workers will be held just before the annual concert event on April 29th at 6:00 PM at the Lobo Theater. La Raza Unida will host the discussion with help from the New Mexico contingent of the International Workers of the World. The panel discussion, free to the public, will conclude at 7:00 PM after which the Annual May Day Concert and Dance will begin. Featured poets will include Janda and Aztatl. Music will be provided by Mezcla Experience, Mezcla Latina, with a feature presentation by the

Rudy Boy Experiment. Refreshments and snacks will be sold. Books for sale by the IWW will be available. Guests can also register to vote at the May Day event. The proceeds for this event will benefit the Youth Committee of La Raza Unida, the Gardening Network Project, LRU alternative economic development projects, and the International Workers of the World. La Raza Unida works to expand political and cultural awareness and supports local work on economic and social justice. Both events will take place at the historic Lobo Theater, located at 3013 Central Avenue, NE, Albuquerque, NM. Tickets for the concert and celebration will be sold in advance and the day of the event. Advance tickets cost $8.00 for those at ages 12 and older. Tickets for youth, ages 4-11, cost $4.00. Children under age 4 enter for free. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 344-1797 or 255-9312.

EcoVersity in Santa Fe

The Earth Day festivities at Ecoversity get underway on Saturday, April 22nd at 10am and end at 7pm with a dancing and drumming circle. ADMISSION IS FREE. City of Santa Fe buses will be free all day in support of Earth Day; the bus stops at Ecoversity.

APRIL classes

for a full class schedule go to ecoversity.org

Heart disease risk factors are different for women?

she knows.

Women’s Health Services is now accepting new patients and most major insurance plans. Dr. Deborah Thompson has joined Women’s Health Services as a Primary Care Physician.

All Species Parade and Earth Day at Celebrate Earth Day with EcoVersity! The famed All Species Project will be parading in celebration of Earth Day! The parade begins at 11am at Frenchy’s Field, less than a mile east of Ecoversity on Agua Fria, and arrives at the Earth Day Celebration on EcoVersity’s campus. A whirlwind of stilt dancers, musicians, beautiful animal masks and costumes of every kind, this is an event not to miss!

EAR TH DAY

APRIL 23 AT THE NOB HILL CO-OP

Burley Design Cooperative has donated a Burley Child Trailer for our raffle. Make cob sculpture with Robert Francis Johnson and Earthprayers for World Peace, enjoy drumming with Akeem Ayanmiyi and company, Middle Eastern Dance by Mosaic Dance Company, clowning, face painting, and learn about alternative fuels, solar energy and more. Wear a costume. Pack a picnic and sit under the big tent. There will be continuous entertainment for children on a small stage set up under the trees and continuous music and drumming on a stage adjacent to a colorfully decorated circus tent. Call EcoVersity for more information. 424-9797

1/ Gorgeous Earth Plasters 1/ Backyard Composting 6-May 25/ Arts, Society & Social Change 8 & 9/ Beekeeping Certificate Program 11/ Heal Thyself Introductory Lecture 11-May 16/ Sustainable Solutions in Energy 15/ Easter Eggs with Natural Dyes 18-May 23/ Heal Thyself with Herbal Arts 19-June 7/ Ethnobotanical Explorations 20-May 11/ Residential Energy Efficiency 22/ Earth Day Celebration 26/ Bioneers Video Salon 29 & 30/ Building an Earth Oven 29/ Gorgeous Earth Plasters 29/ Sustainable Solutions in Water Management 29-30/ Beekeeping Certificate Program

EcoVersity

Dr. Thompson received her M.D. from the State University of New York Health Science Center, where she participated in the renowned Rural Medical Education Program. She completed her family practice residency at Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency Program and her general preventive residency at the University of Colorado Health Science Center in Denver. Dr. Thompson is currently accepting new patients.

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

OF PLANTS THE SOUTHWEST

Celebrate Spring with your

1 7 Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest Nob Hill Co-op -Sunday, April 23

Santa Fe Co-op’s Great Food Turn On in conjunction with TV TURN OFF WEEK, Thurs, April 27 from 4-7. Turn off TV... ...Turn on LIFE

Co-op

see inside for details

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 823-9537

8. Free delivery for seniors, housebound and differently-abled people. 9. MEMBER- ONLY DISCOUNT DAYS: Take advantage of our special discount events for members only — throughout the year!

eat LOCAL & ORGANIC

10. Special Orders: You can special order large quantities or hard-to-find items, at a 10% discount for members. 11. General Membership Meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations; your participation is encouraged.

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

Now More than Ever: Support Community, Support Cooperation

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

ONLY $15 ANNUALLY,

$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