La Montanita Coop Connection July, 2006

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Aqua es Vida: For the Love of a River

Taking an Ecosystem Approach by Lisa Robert

Editors Note: This third section of our series provides a basic primer in ecosystem concepts as they apply to the health of the Middle Rio Grande.

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he listing of the Rio Grande silvery minnow as an endangered species in 1994 resulted in a schism in thinking relative to environmental restoration in the Middle Rio Grande. We are beginning to recognize that the focus on single species restoration has sent us on a costly ten-year detour, and that rather than doctoring the symptom—i.e., trying to halt the decline of one or two species—the wiser course is to protect the system’s natural hydrologic processes, for they are key not

Part III

only to the health of the river, but to the well-being of all of its attendant species. Although endangered species concerns are still driving ecological appropriations and efforts, the actions currently being proposed for recovery of the minnow are starting to echo the strategies charted in 1993 to revive the Rio Grande bosque: strategies that involve both water and non-water solutions, including the restoration of riparian habitat along the river. Gradually, inexorably, we are moving toward an ecosystem approach. The Kissimmee River Restoration Project in southern Florida is an exemplary model for holistic restoration. It involves a huge number of participants--some fifty-eight agencies, organizations, and individuals, with a clear lead agency as well as an independent external advisory committee that periodically assesses both the restoration work and plans for future activity in the basin. The advisory committee is made up of five nationally known researchers including UNM ecologist Cliff Dahm, who believes the ideas embodied in Florida could be very useful on the Rio Grande. “If you can begin to get the hydrology right,” he says, “you’re more likely to solve the other problems.”

Land of Extremes It must be recognized that due to the human imprint—dams, levees, floodplain development, aquifer pumping, and altered patterns of annual flow—the present river system is by no means natural. To return to some idealized ‘original’ state is not possible. Instead, indispensable stream processes must take place largely within the constraints dictated by past engineering and contemporary demands.

a puzzle of deposited sand, clay and gravel is subterranean water. These water-bearing deposits are exceedingly important to the Rio Grande for they constitute a hydrologic savings account that serves as the foundation for surface flow. When the system is functioning properly, water is “banked” in every wash and valley from the top of the drainage basin to the bottom. In semi-arid country, natural drainage pat-

It must be recognized that due to the human imprint — dams, levees, floodplain development, aquifer pumping, and altered patterns of annual flow — the present river system is by no means natural. The Middle Rio Grande’s climate is aridto-semiarid, and seasonal precipitation is highly variable, with an average of less than ten inches of moisture a year. The extremes in this arid-to-semiarid region are more important than the average itself; precipitation in the region exceeded seventeen inches in 1941, while in 1956, only three inches fell. Climatological research suggests such broad oscillation could become even more pronounced, and The U.S. Geological Survey is beginning to discern other patterns in ocean temperature that, coupled with the El Niño/La Niña phenomenon, appear to drive regional precipitation over the long term. What effect global climate change might have on such patterns is unknown. At the same time, tree ring data now offers an unequivocal glimpse into the past, attesting to reoccurring periods of severe thirst across the entire Southwest that often forced human inhabitants to abandon their home ground or die.

terns and recharge areas should serve as the backbone of land use planning; instead, humans repeatedly confound the ‘sponge’ function of the watershed. Throughout the Rio Grande drainage, upland grasses have suffered the greatest reduction of any component of the natural system save wetlands. Local soil disturbance and large-scale terrain rearrangement, injudicious grazing, and years of fire suppression have fostered more woody growth than can reasonably be supported. Overall and throughout the watershed, a better balance needs to be struck between tree cover and grasslands.

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s a snowmelt hydrograph river, the Rio Grande’s natural peak flow generally occurs in mid-May to early June. Additional peaks due to heavy thunderstorms are also a part of the normal hydrograph, generally occurring in mid-summer through late September. Conversely, there are times when downstream reaches of the river go completely dry. After a hundred years of tinkering and technology, the present river is essentially a plumbing system, dependent on a suite of manmade lakes. Heron, El Vado, Elephant Butte, and Caballo Reserviors store water for irrigation and municipal use, while Abiquiu, Cochiti, Galisteo and Jemez Canyon Reservoirs were designed to check floodwater and contain sediment.

How the river system responds to maximums or minimums of rain or snow is initially determined by geology. The mid Rio Grande valley is comprised of a series of depressions, compliments of a thirty-milcontinued on page 2 lion-year-old rift in the earth’s crust. Natural partitions in the form of intrusive lava flows occur at San Felipe, Isleta, San Acacia, and San Marcial. For about the last five million years, ancestors of the present stream and its tributaries have been filling this chain of basins with sediment weathered from the Southern Rockies. Stowed along with

Gradually, inexorably, we are moving toward an ecosystem approach.

The Santa Fe Watershed Association

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he Santa Fe Watershed Association (SFWA) works to return the Santa Fe River to a living river, from Lake Peak to the Rio Grande, while balancing human uses with natural resource protection and restoring the heart of Santa Fe. Their goal is to protect the long-term integrity of the Santa Fe River's watershed by engaging in education, research, and on-the-ground projects of riparian and watershed restoration. They also provide input into governmental planning, permits and projects. Striving to find common ground among different points of view regarding uses of the river and its watershed they advocate careful surface and groundwater resource management and encourage government and community leaders to place a high priority on sustaining seasonal stream flow in the Santa Fe River. SFWA believe that hydrologic, recreational, aesthetic and environmental values can coexist with providing a reasonable supply for human use. Since 1998, SFWA has partnered with Santa Fe National Forest, to reduce fire danger in the overgrown areas of the forest above reservoirs that yield about 40% of Santa Fe’s water supply; creating a constituency for the thinning and prescribed burning that is required to restore ecological balance to this portion of the Santa Fe watershed. Now SFWA coordinates a monitoring effort, including serving as liaison to a panel of scientists that oversees the monitoring. Monthly hikes help the public see and understand the effects of the thinning, which has reached over 1200 acres of the 4200 acres to be treated. It is always impressive to see skep-

tics become believers as they gaze through a sunny, open forest where grasses are beginning to colonize where there was previously nothing but bare ground and pine needle duff. Other Watershed Activities SFWA works with community groups, local businesses, and the City of Santa Fe to restore the urban section of the Santa Fe River block by block through trash clean up, vegetation management, erosion control and advocacy. Adopt the River matches business and community sponsors with volunteers to steward a reach of the Santa Fe River that becomes their special charge. La Montanita Co-op is pleased to partner with the SFWA and adopt the area of the river just across the street from our Santa Fe Co-op location. Look for announcements in upcoming Coop Connection News of a clean-up day for our special stretch of the Santa Fe River. Other SFWA projects include: setting up public dialogues, organizing a Watershed Advisory Group to oversee preparation of a Santa Fe Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS), coordinating educational events such as the "How to Catch a Raindrop Water Fair",” and other river and water education and action based activities. Donate time, money, or both to support efforts to revive the heart of the Santa Fe community—the Santa Fe River. Contact the Santa Fe Watershed Association at (505) 820-1696 or e-mail to info@santafewatershed.org.

Co-op Adopts Santa Fe River! La Montanita Co-op is honored to partner with the Santa Fe Watershed Association in their Adopt a River Program. The Co-op has adopted the reach of the Santa Fe River just across from the Santa Fe Coop location on West Alameda. Co-op volunteers needed for monthly river clean-up work. Call Robyn at 877-775-2667. Watch upcoming issues of the Coop Connection News for river clean up days and other fun river centered events.


agua es vida A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Albuquerque/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 3500 Central S.E. Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631 Albuquerque/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 2400 Rio Grande Blvd. Albuq., NM 87104 242-8800 Gallup/ 10am-7pm M-S, 11am-7pm Sun. 105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383 Santa Fe/ 7am-10pm M-S, 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 • Controller/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 robins@lamontanitacoop.com Store Team Leaders: • Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631 mf@lamontanitacoop.com • John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 jm@lamontanitacoop.com • William Prokopiack/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanitacoop.com • Tracy Thomasson/Gallup 863-5383 tracyt@lamontanitacoop.com Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Treasurer: Ken O’Brien Secretary: Roger Eldridge Susan Cizek Tom Hammer Tamara Saimons Jonathan Siegel Andrew Stone Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year/$200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: Managing Editor: Robyn Seydel robins@lamontanitacoop.com Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Covers and Centerfold: Edite Cates Advertising: Robyn Seydel Editorial Assistant: Ivy Edmondson ivye@lamontanitacoop.com 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, robins@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

For the Love of a

Part III. The Rio Grande’s present flow regime originates at the dam control structures of these various reservoirs, and a convoluted medley of state and federal mandates govern all reservoir operations. Ecosystem Strategies The various policies and laws that figure into basin water operations are often at odds with prudent timing and conservation of flows. According to the terms of the Rio Grande Compact, if the amount of water at Elephant Butte falls below 400,000 acre-feet, no native water may be stored in upstream reservoirs, and runoff from the highlands must be passed down the river to one of the most highly evaporative bodies of water on the continent. In a similar vein, single-minded adherence to the particulars of the Endangered Species Act can also result in contraindicated actions, as with the 2002 release of a substantial amount of the water in upstream storage at the height of a multiyear drought in an attempt to keep one stretch of sandy riverbed wet for minnows. The Rio Grande’s natural hydrograph implies a very different ‘strategy.’ The whole system drinks deep during times of peak flow. Floodwater, with its freight of sediment and nutrients, overtops channel banks and spreads out across the accessible floodplain, ferrying soil to new resting places, nourishing riparian vegetation, filtering impurities, promoting plant propagation and decomposition, and funding the connection between surface flow and groundwater. As the flood recedes, slow-drying backwaters maintain native species through the dry summer months, and essentially, the system coasts, camel-like, until stream flow is renewed during the monsoons. High flows are thus necessary if the river is to complete its key tasks, and human interference with this single hydrologic characteristic hinders all of the forenamed processes. Low flows, too, are undoubtedly important to the Middle Rio Grande ecosystem. Given natural seasonal cycles of high and low flow, and longer-term cycles of drought, some species that have evolved in the basin may well require periods of low or no flow, but little mention of that concept appears in the multitude of studies done on the riparian corridor.

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ediment transport is as important to overall hydrology as stream flow. A sediment-laden, arid-climate stream’s natural inclination is to meander from sideto-side, building the channel bed higher and higher until the water is forced to seek another route, whereupon the old course is abandoned to the status of backwater, slough, yazoo, or oxbow. An essential factor in system health is the stream’s latitude to drop what is held in suspension and then to either bypass such self-made obstructions, or to take them up again with renewed volume. The inability of the river to move freely across a generous floodplain alters its load bearing and distribution potential. The Rio Grande is currently confined to the narrowest possible channel within a reduced floodplain, and obstructions further impede the movement of sediment downstream. What sediment there is constitutes a plumbing problem rather than a benefit in soil replenishment to the riparian system. Water management has also severely impacted the river corridor’s natural patchwork of biological communities. The cottonwood bosque is now limited to a narrow strip between river levees; non-native pillbugs and woodlice are now the most abundant macro-invertebrates on the forest floor; between thirty-six and seventy-three percent of native fish species are gone; native amphibians are declining along with the region’s marshes; songbird populations are shrinking due to predation and lack of breeding habitat; and once-present species like jaguar, wolf, grizzly bear and mink have entirely disappeared (Morris et al., 2003). Although the notion is seldom expressed, these cumulative losses may be seen as an accompaniment of systemic desertification. Surface to Ground Connections Of the quintessential services performed by the river, the interaction of surface flow and groundwater has perhaps the greatest significance for the Middle Rio Grande. A floodplain is a natural reservoir made up of

River

riparian communities, wet meadows, marshes and ponds, all with their toes in a high water table. In years of ample moisture, the lowlands absorb the excess, while in periods of diminished yield, “high groundwater tables contribute seepage flow to the channel,” (Tetra Tech, 2004). However, in much of the middle basin, the link between river and aquifer has been fundamentally undermined. Since the early 1900s, wetlands in the middle valley have decreased by about ninety-three percent (Crawford et al., 1993). Much of that loss was a result of the drainage function of Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which was formed, in part, to reclaim severely waterlogged lands.

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t an engineering level, the MRGCD’s irrigation and drainage system is a surrogate for the regulated river. Water can be delivered to the farthest edges of the floodplain, imitating in a very controlled way natural overbank flows. A network of dirt-lined drains collects irrigation return flow and groundwater within ten feet of the land surface, and transports this salvaged water back to the river channel downstream, where it is again diverted and reused. This design resulted in an overall lowering of the valley water table by some five to six feet, and despite the reduction in natural wetlands, infil-

Preserving the natural link between groundwater and surface water.

tration from floodirrigated fields and leaking ditches has partially preserved the natural link between groundwater and surface water. According to the Bureau of Reclamation’s 1997 MRG Water Assessment, fifty percent of the recharge to the Albuquerque basin is the result of such seepage (Bureau of Reclamation, 1997). But there has been another infringement on the groundwater-surface water connection, and only recently have its full ramifications begun to be recognized. Urbanization is occurring at a rapid rate, both on the valley floor and along the depositional terraces and piedmont-slopes above the river. As these natural recharge zones are surrendered to development, less and less water percolates to the aquifer. Concurrently, an increasing number of municipal, commercial, domestic, and supplemental irrigation wells are tapping the water table at various levels. In the past, the unlined MRGCD conveyance system and the application of surface water to cropped acreage in the floodplain may have had a mollifying effect on groundwater drawdowns, but the inexorable subdivision of farmland and the drilling of new wells is beginning to outpace that offset.

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n the surface, this unacknowledged recharge dynamic is frequently interpreted as over-diversion by the MRGCD, for despite a steady decline in irrigated acreage, an excessive volume of water is required to meet annual demands. Diversions and return flows are gauged at several locations throughout the system, but there is currently no way to pinpoint precisely where the water is going. USGS studies of groundwater flow in the Albuquerque basin in the early 1990s revealed areas of serious decline in the water table, and in response, municipal resource managers devised a strategy to curtail pumping by switching to surface water. But the aquifer problem cannot be solved in anything short of decades because river flows (which will be substantially reduced by the municipal diversion of San Juan-Chama water) will still be drawn toward the lingering cones of depression. In fact, new USGS aquifer studies (Bexfield and Anderholm, 2002) verify that in some places, the path of groundwater has already been reversed: no longer does it move generally north to south in parallel with surface flow. Now it bleeds toward the most insistent wells, taking seepage from the river and the MRGCD system with it. Restoration Strategems Recreating some of the basin’s wetlands, and consequently a healthier link between surface flow and groundwater is undoubtedly the most controversial of restoration stratagems because it raises the issue of increased evaporation. One of the original reasons for forming the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District was the need to reduce evaporative losses in the middle basin. According to the agency’s official plan, 50,000 acres had succumbed to alkali, salt grass and/or seepage by 1927. Based on very minimal data and using a coefficient of 76%, it was estimated that an average of 582,000 acre-feet of water was being evaporated or transpired annually above San Marcial (Burkholder, 1928). Today’s paucity of wetlands and weakened groundwater/surface water link are significant factors in the hydrologic system’s debility. The Bosque Biological Management Plan’s authors considered wet meadow and marsh enhancement/extension the “most achievable recommendation in the plan,” but not enough innovative work has been done along continued on page 3

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july 2006


agua es vida Community Groups Ready to File Suit Over

Clean Water Act Violations

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iting significant violations of the Clean Water Act at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), a group of six New Mexico community organizations, formed LANL Water Watch and filed a Notice of Intent to Sue the U.S. Department of Energy and the Regents of the University of California on May 23, 2006. The Notice is required by law and gives the defendants an opportunity to respond prior to an actual filing. “LANL Water Watch came together to hold LANL accountable for more than 60 years of contamination that now threatens our future drinking water supply,” said Kathy Sanchez, director of Tewa Women United, one of the community groups. “There are more than 1400 documented contaminant sites at LANL, and every

itself show that New Mexico’s future water supply is being threatened by a number of pollutants, including PCBs at more than 25,000 times the New Mexico Water Quality Standard protective of human health. Other toxins of critical concern include hexavalent chromium (the carcinogenic compound featured in the Erin Brockovich movie), nitrates, fluoride, perchlorate (a chlorine-based chemical linked to thyroid dysfunction), high explosives, and numerous radioactive elements. There is an urgent need to call attention to the U.S. Department of Energy’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2007, which results in a $90 million shortfall for clean-up of contaminated sites. This drastic slash in funding would make it extremely difficult for LANL to meet federal Clean Water Act requirements or comply with the NMED Consent Order, which requires “full and complete” clean up of sites by 2015. The Consent Order was formally signed by the NMED, LANL and DOE on March 1, 2005 but remains an empty promise without the necessary funding.

“More than 60 years of contamination now threatens our future drinking water.”

Organizations in LANL Water Watch are Amigos Bravos, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, Embudo Valley Environmental Monitoring Group, Partnership for Earth Spirituality, Río Grande Restoration, and Tewa Women United.

Kathy Sanchez, Tewa Women United

time it rains or snows, these contaminants move through our canyons and springs to the Río Grande. LANL needs to take immediate and effective action to protect our waters,” she said. Matthew Bishop, of the Western Environmental Law Center and legal counsel for LANL Water Watch, said that the impending law suit was based on four specific violations of the Clean Water Act: failure to conduct adequate monitoring; failure to report violations; failure to have pollution controls in place, and making unauthorized discharges. “The result of these failures is that toxic contaminants are migrating to the Río Grande, the future source of drinking water for Albuquerque and Santa Fe. In addition, the Río Grande continues to be used for fishing and farming all along its length, enabling dangerous contaminants to get directly into the food chain,” says Bishop. Bishop also notes that countless studies by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and LANL

Valley

Amigos Bravos – Protecting and restoring New Mexico’s rivers since 1988. Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety – dedicated to protecting all living beings and the environment from the effects of radioactive and other hazardous materials now and in the future. Embudo Valley Environmental Monitoring Group – Focuses on the public and environmental safety issues related to air emissions generated by LANL activities.

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Partnership for Earth Spirituality – An interfaith group of people working for care of God's creation through reflection, education and action. Rio Grande Restoration – Focuses on the depletion of surface water on the Rio Grande. Tewa Women United – A civic group empowering women from the Northern New Mexico Pueblos. Representing LANL Water Watch, the Western Environmental Law Center is a non-profit, public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the land, sky, water, wildlife and culture of the West. For more information contact Amigos Bravos: Michael in Albuqueruque 505-362-1063 or Rachel in Taos 505-7583874, or Concern Citizens for Nuclear Safety, Sadaf Cameron, (505) 9861973, scameron@nuclearactive.org

Santa Fe

For the Love of a River those lines. According to a USGS report on groundwater in the Middle Rio Grande basin (Bartolino and Cole, 2002), aquifer declines of more than 260 feet can initiate soil compaction and eventually surface subsidence. Decomposed granite and sandier soils that characterize the mesa uplands may stand some chance of being reconstituted, but clay soils, as are typical of much of the valley, tend to compress as they dry out, permanently preventing re-saturation. It may therefore be critical to preserve areas of the floodplain where groundwater-surface water connections have not been damaged, and where lowlying irrigated lands might be actively managed as wet meadows. It should be kept in mind that water seeping from the MRGCD conveyance system or from irrigated fields is not ‘lost,’ but percolates to shallow groundwater, or is picked up by the conservancy’s drains and returned to the river. The decline of agricultural acreage and the prevailing fixation with ‘saving’ water by improving irrigation efficiency may constitute another sort of detriment to the hydrology of the Middle Rio Grande. Beyond providing a mechanism for shallow aquifer recharge, the makeshift floodplain plays an enormous part in maintaining water quality. Federal, state and tribal water quality standards do not regulate all the impurities that modern civilization introduces into the groundwater/surface water system, nor do they take into account the possible longterm effects of those additives on soil and biota. Sediments are the principal reservoir of heavy metals and radionuclides in the environment. In the Rio Grande, river sediment generally contains much higher concentrations of heavy metal pollutants than the water does. The concentrations of chemicals adhered to sediments are important to the evaluation of water quality but are not often considered in traditional water quality studies. Contaminants often arrive in river sediments because of the erosion of waste disposal sites, or by the addition of contaminated discharges, and by atmospheric fallout. Large

precipitation events wash sediments and pollutants into the river from surrounding lands through storm drains and intermittent tributaries, and there is concern about the contaminants in storm water, including those adhered to suspended sediments.

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io Grande water quality varies primarily because of inflows of groundwater and surface water to the river. Water quality from Cochiti Reservoir to Isleta is affected by municipal wastewater discharges, storm water runoff, irrigation returns, and from tributary inflows. In the lower portion of the Middle Rio Grande, irrigation return flows, uranium mining in the Rio Puerco watershed, and increased contributions of sediment, salts, and nutrients from the Rio Puerco and the Rio Salado all impact water quality. Throughout the basin, nutrient sources include atmospheric deposition; decaying organic material; weathering of rocks and minerals; human, animal, and domestic waste; phosphate detergents; fertilizers; septic-tank discharge; industrial waste; and urban runoff. Nitrate and nitrite are soluble forms of nitrogen commonly detected in both surface and groundwater of the Rio Grande. Volatile organic compounds including solvents and other toxic substances have been identified in groundwater in the Albuquerque area. Pesticide contamination occurs from agriculture, but also from residential and commercial landscaping activities. Herbicides and DDT residues are often found in sediments, fish, and water, and although DDT is no longer used, the compound may still constitute a health risk when bioaccumulated from contaminated environments. It and other chemicals (for example, polychlorinated biphenal compounds, inorganic arsenic, and methylmercury) may thus pose health risks to frequent consumers of fish from the Rio Grande. In short, water in the Rio Grande is subject to countless potential pollutants running off roads and parking lots, leaking from underground storage tanks, applied to lawns and crops, and continued on page 13

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.

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food

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The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

Ruminations on the Food Chain Reviewed By Venetia Pimley his summer organic food’s growth in mainstream supermarkets leaps forward as Wal-Mart sells more organic and will sell it for less than other conventional sources. Some people cheer the increased acres that will be farmed without synthetic pesticides as the organic market grows. But others worry that standards will suffer and small farmers will be squeezed by large purchasers setting lower prices for organic commodities. Well might we all wonder if organic food will continue to meet our expectations. Recently, an organic watchdog group reported that two of the country’s largest organic dairy companies get most of their milk from huge dry lots where cows have no access to pasture, are fed genetically engineered feed and slaughterhouse waste, and are treated with antibiotics. Following this report, the Organic Consumers Association has called a boycott of products from Horizon and Aurora. It turns out that organic might not mean what we think it means… or should mean.

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Now, to unravel the issues behind organic’s identity crisis and other controversies in our changing food system comes Michael Pollan’s new book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Pollan has learned a lot about where food comes from and how the food industry got the way it is. The Omnivore’s Dilemma guides us through four different food chains (conventional, Big Organic, sustainable, and foraged/hunted), tracing the social and

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Phone (505) 385-0562 Albuquerque, NM

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

physical links from farm to fork. Along the way Pollan analyzes the ethical, economic, and ecological implications of diverse farming and food production practices. The conventional food industry, Pollan discovers, is based on a surfeit of corn, whose production is federally subsidized and whose fertility is petroleumbased. In this food chain, producing a calorie of food energy requires more than a calorie of fossil fuel energy. The corn becomes food for feedlot steers and the raw material for cheap processed foods. But

other sites, and then trucked vast distances to be sold. Such a supply system “is nearly as drenched in fossil fuel” as the conventional one (our food industry uses a fifth of all the petroleum used in the U.S.). Further, some of these vegetables will be processed with “allowable” synthetics to become “organic” TV dinners. On a small scale, however, farming can remain sustainable and produce higher quality food. Unlike an industrial farm, which exploits technology and standardization, a small farm is a biological system, wherein waste from one area becomes food in another. The scale must remain small and the diversity great because the “efficiencies of natural systems flow from complexity and interdependence.” Having spent a week observing such

Along the way, Pollan analyzes the ethical, economical, and ecological implications of diverse farming and food production practices. Pollan reveals “the high cost of cheap food produced from corn,” counting its true cost to taxpayers, public health, animals, and the environment.

complexity at a small, polyculture farm, Pollan attests to a successful alternative food chain as well as the difficulties of managing such complexity.

As an educational project, Pollan buys a calf and visits the confined animal feeding operation where it is fattened on corn laced with hormones and antibiotics and whence it adds to the toxic wastestream. In lieu of the steer’s slaughter (he is forbidden to enter the killfloor), he depics the unhappy, sometimes brutal lives of intensively confined animals and analyzes animal rights arguments. Pollan (who tries vegetarianism while writing the book) doesn’t advocate not eating meat. Rather, he argues that animal agriculture would be redeemed if it were more transparent.

The food industry and the USDA maintain that all food is equal, “organic” and “wild,” for example, representing not higher quality but simply market choices. Pollan’s research suggests otherwise and inspires respect for the relationship between the complexity of soil and the nutritional complexity of food. Organic and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables contain higher levels of vitamins and other micronutrients than conventional. And food from grass-fed animals has better nutritional quality than food from industrial farms. For example, eggs from grass-fed chickens contain more omega-3’s, beta-carotene, and vitamin-E.

Pollan found that buying organic often means buying a fiction, which he calls “Supermarket Pastoral:” pictures of happy cows and family farmers and words like “free-range” that have little to do with reality. Despite the marketing, most organic groceries sold in corporate chain supermarkets don’t have an eco-friendly provenance. Organic vegetables, for example, although grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, are grown in huge monocultures, using compost trucked in from

Pollan has a deep appreciation for a food chain’s first elements, the soil and the sun, and a special fascination with grass, “the mediator of soil and sun.” For him photosynthesis, coevolutionary alliances and ruminants (the only animals able to digest grass) are miracles of nature. So, The Omnivore’s Dilemma is both an analysis and a celebration of food chains. Pollan is by turns funny and philosophical, personal and poetic. And he is never prescriptive: Readers must find their own way through the controversies.

Enchanted Valley Farm: Delicious Raw Food Spreads

“W

hen we are running on total body electric, we command our lives!” The aim at Enchanted Valley is to help provide this higher level of energy to you via high quality, nutritionally balanced, mostly raw food products that are unforgettably tasty. Part of the benefit of raw food, besides live nutrition, is to bring the body into pH balance. According to current research and the personal experiences of Barb and Daniele, owners of Enchanted Valley Farm, balanced pH is one of the keys to good health. This balance helps prevent Candida and some forms of cancer, and it allows the organs to do their job most effectively. One current recommendation for balancing the body’s pH is to consume 80% raw or unprocessed food— fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted grains, quality oils, etc. Enchanted Valley products are designed to help achieve this dietary balance. Enchanted Valley Farm (EVF) has translated the “white flour full feeling” you get from the common American diet into live food fulfillment in a variety of flavorful "fast foods"! Their prepared dips, sauces, spreads, live sprouted hummus, and dressings provide the optimal protein, vitamin, and mineral requirements necessary for our daily needs. The dressings are made with Dr. Udo's quality oils, free of Trans-fatty acids. “Our customers tell us they crave it!” say the folks at EVF. The raw hummus contains black sesame seed tahini; and is lower in fat and 14% higher in calcium than any other hummus currently available on the market. It is the "caviar of hummus," they say, and has a rich, exquisite flavor. Amino acids are added to all products to increase absorption of all those nutrients, and most products are vegan. Used as dips, sauces, or spreads, your body will thrive on these tasty live foods.

who were health oriented,” say Barb and Daniele. “Working with quality, fresh, and often raw menus, we discovered fresh chevres [raw milk, goat cheeses] as well as fresh herb pesto, as snacks and a healing method for detoxifying our bodies. These spreads were an instant hit, and the rest, as they say, is history.” The organization has doubled its production every year for the last three years, while maintaining the highest quality standards for their well loved line of products. Enchanted Valley Farm is located in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Everything they produce at EVF is nearly 100% organic and many of the ingredients are homegrown or from a neighboring organic farm. The intention of Enchanted Valley is “to make as many folks as we can smile,” say Barb and Daniele. “That's what good food does for you.” Enchanted Valley Farm Fresh Spreads are located in the dairy/cooler section of La Montanita Co-op in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe locations. Visit Enchanted Valley on the web at www.enchantedval leyfarm.homestead

Local Product Spotlight

“We got our start a few years back as growers of fresh local produce, sprouts and wheatgrass, and as personal chefs catering for quite a few fine folks

july 2006


food

news

Sizzling Summer Grilling

T

he long lazy days and white-hot sunshine of summer are here, and along with them, lots of farm fresh food and outdoor eating. It's a good time to gather together with family and friends and enjoy the delicious bounty the land provides us. American barbecue means beef in Texas and pork in the Carolinas, and anything goes here in New Mexico. Its origins can be traced to the economical practices of smoking meat for long-term preservation in the colonies. The origins of the word barbecue have been traced to the Spanish word arbacoa, which was used to describe the smoking and drying methods of the indigenous peoples that Spanish explorers encountered upon arrival in the Americas. Smoke was used to drive away the bugs that were attracted to exposed raw meat, and to give a tasty flavor to the meat-preserving process. Do You Barbecue or Do You Grill? Within the United States, the difference between barbecuing and grilling is an important distinction for outdoor chefs. Barbecue uses an indirect heat source like hot coals and cooking times between 2 and 12 hours (up to a day for a whole pig, goat or lamb, for instance). Grilling uses very high temperatures and direct heat from flames. Cooking times range between a few to 45 minutes. Summer Food Safety As temperatures increase, so do the chances of bacteria getting into your food and causing illness. To help ensure you have a healthy and safe summer, make sure to purchase, store, prepare, and cook your food properly. Start by purchasing sustainably-raised, meat and poultry; in addition to being better for your health and the environment, these products have been shown to contain lower levels of harmful bacteria than foods produced on factory farms. Wash fruits and vegetables in cold, drinkable water before cooking, grilling, or eating, especially produce

hours. (If the temperature is 90 degrees F or higher, foods should be refrigerated after one hour).

that has been treated with pesticides. Buy fruits and vegetables locally when they are in season; fewer pesticides are used on foods that are not stored for long periods of time and are not shipped long distances. And, remember, even fruits with skins or rinds (like watermelons or oranges) should be washed. Any contaminants on the outside are carried into the fruit when you cut it or spread onto your hands when you pick it up.

The difference between barbecuing and grilling is an important distinction for outdoor chefs.

Grilling Grass-fed Beef Grass-fed or pasture-raised meat is best when cooked differently than factory produced, grain-fed industrial meat. For example, grass-fed meat is leaner than grain-fed, so it doesn't have a lot of extra fat. The number one rule for cooking pastured, grass-fed meat is not to overcook it. It needs about 30 percent less cooking time than most conventional beef and is best if cooked medium-rare to medium. Grilling Vegetables and Fruits Grilling vegetables couldn't be easier! All you have to do is brush on some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste (if desired), and throw on the grill. Fruits and vegetables don't need the same high heat that meat does, so it's best to cook them toward the sides of the grill where heat tends to be lower. Vegetables are best cooked over medium heat; fruits cook most evenly when cooked over low heat. The best option for grilling fruit is to wait until the coals begin to die down. The key is to use locally grown, sustainably-raised, organic fruits and vegetables. When you eat produce that has been picked only a day or two beforehand, you won't need sauces or many flavorings. The natural taste of the food will come through.

grilling veggies is

easy!

It is important to use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables, and to thoroughly sanitize prep areas, knives, and other utensils before switching from prepping meat to prepping vegetables, or vice versa. Prep areas can be sanitized with a few drops of Nutribiotic grapefruit seed extract (GSE) in a cup of water, applied with a clean cloth. Produce can also be rinsed in water containing GSE. Instead of a fork, use tongs or a spatula to turn steaks or other meat; piercing meat with a fork can contaminate the inside of the meat with bacteria. It can also cause juices to escape from the meat, causing it to dry out quicker. Use long utensils so you don't accidentally put your hand over the grill when turning meat. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Perishable foods should not be left un-refrigerated for more than two

Be creative and make vegetable kebabs with a variety of your favorite vegetables. If you're making kebabs, metal skewers are best. But if you only have wood or bamboo, make sure to soak them first for at least 30 minutes so they don't catch fire when placed on the grill. To help prevent food from falling through the slats, use larger pieces that you can cut before serving. The information above was adapted and reprinted from the Sustainable Table web site, a project of GRACE (Global Action Center for the Environment). For more great grilling and barbeque ideas go to www.sus tainabletable.org.

The CO-OP has what you NEED to grill! Shop the Coop for the finest local, grass-fed and organic meat and poultry products, and all sorts of fresh fish. Our produce department has the most luscious, fresh fruits and veggies for grilling, and there are all kinds of vegetarian burgers, hot dogs, and more in the frozen and refrigerated sections of the store.

L IANNE S T. R EMY, A . B . T. therapist & instructor

Local Product Spotlight: Canyon River Beef

G

rowing up in Raton, Alan Lackey has been working on ranches ever since he was in junior high. His first experiences were helping out on his Uncle’s ranch; then later working summer jobs at a variety of ranches as he got his degrees from New Mexico State and Texas Christian in ranch management and agricultural business management. He is pleased to be ranch manager for the Canadian River Ranch, producers of Canyon River Beef. The Ranch’s owners, Ted and Shirley Boucher, are dedicated to raising cattle in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner. First certified organic in 2003 by the New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission, the Ranch raises about 220 head of cattle on their 10,000 acres. Alan’s job as ranch manager is to oversee all aspects of cow care, from birth until they grace the shelves at La Montanita Co-op as the freshest, healthiest beef available. Canyon River Beef cows are truly pasture-fed, spending their entire lives pastured along the Canadian River. Winters can be tough up there in north eastern New Mexico, so Alan supplements their graze during that season with some alfalfa hay and certified organic corn, soy and wheat. To make sure the cows are never confined and “completely range raised,” he takes feed out to the cows.

The Canadian River’s headwaters form in the mountains and classic western landscape around Raton. The river usually ensures the fertility of the Ranch’s pastures, located just 90 miles to the southeast. “We usually depend on rainfall to keep our pastures green and have plenty of water for the cows in our water catchment systems,” notes Alan. “But with this drought — a drought of historic proportions — it’s been a struggle to keep things going. We’ve had to haul water from our wells out to the cows and even had to truck some of our cows to a Nevada ranch, also owned by the Boucher family, to keep them pastured.” What makes everyone who has tried Canyon River Beef rave about its texture and flavor? Alan says, “We believe the key to high quality meat, in addition to the very best nutrition, is a non-stress environment. We often take our cows from pasture to pasture loaded in our trailers. That way they get used to being moved around. It’s just another way to reduce their stress. We try to do everything we can to do it right for our animals; to make the most tender, delicious, healthy meat possible.”

Get Canyon River Beef exclusively at La Montanita Co-op locations and at select area Farmers Markets. For more information or to special order select cuts call Gino at 505-265-4631.

Local, Organic Canyon River Beef: Exclusively at your Co-op july 2006

s h i a t s u & reiki meridian stretches mobile: 1.508.479.2675 home: 505.898.0531 Corrales, New Mexico

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

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

5


co-op news

july 2006 6

Paul Barlow: Therapy of Touch A Member Profile by Ivy Edmondson ouch is a language that communicates well being to the body, sending a healing message through the skin and deep into the layers of tissue and muscle beneath. Paul Barlow is fluent in this bone-deep language. He is a licensed massage therapist and long time Co-op member living in Albuquerque. Paul intuitively combines various modalities, such as Polarity, Somato-emotional release, Cranio-Sacral, and Swedish massage, to suit the individual needs of his client. It is a subtle, powerful style of massage that is synchronized with the body’s internal rhythms, such as the slow tempo of the cerebrospinal fluid within the body, and assists in relaxing and releasing blocked emotions so that energy can flow more freely and the body can better heal itself. I met with Paul recently for a treatment and to talk about his approach to massage.

T

IE: Could you define massage therapy and talk about the different types of massage you offer: PB: There are many different modalities in massage, but in its simplest form, it is the therapy of touch. Swedish is the manipulation of musculature. Polarity is addressing the body as energy and optimizing the flow of this energy. CranioSacral is manipulation of the fascial system of the body, including the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid. Somato-Emotional

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505 Organics Albuquerque, NM Organic Salsa, 16 oz, Sale 2/$6 Additional 505 Organics products on sale Tijeras Organic Alchemy Albuquerque, NM Unscented Daily Shampoo or Conditioner, 12 oz, Sale $8.99, Additional Tijeras products on sale

Herbs, Etc. Santa Fe, NM Alcohol-Free Deep Sleep. 1 oz, Sale $8.99 Additional Herbs, Etc. Products also on sale Hatch Deming, NM Red or Green Enchilada Sauce. 15 oz, Sale 2/$5 Additional Hatch products also on sale VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 7/5-8/1, 2006:

Not all items available at all stores.

JULY SPECIALS WANT TO SEE YOUR LOCAL PRODUCT ADVERTISED HERE? Contact Angela at angela@lamontanitacoop.com.

Release is based on the thought that tissues hold emotion and that by releasing the emotion the tissue will move freely. I rarely give a treatment that is strictly one of these. Every session is very different. I use these modalities as tools to address the body and support it in its healing process. I believe each body knows exactly how to heal itself. I see my job as supporting the body as it heals. It is like being a good dance partner but the body is definitely leading. IE: Any brief recommendations for how to care for your body at home, between treatments? PB: Gentle movement and hydration. Drink lots of water and some re-hydration drinks like Recharge. Also, move! I often tell my clients to close the curtains and dance around their house. This allows for movement without wondering "How do I look?" It is instead "How do I feel?" Once a person starts gently moving with the thought of "this feels good," they move their muscles in a naturally therapeutic way and the muscles begin to relax. It’s effective and fun. IE: How did you get into massage therapy, and how long have you been in business? PB: Back in 1989, I lived in a house with some people that were going to massage school. They practiced on me a lot. I found what they were learning to be fascinating. In 1996, I had returned from Africa, and I thought getting a massage every day for six months sounded great, so I went to massage school. I studied at Crystal Mountain Massage School. I fell in love with the work and have been practicing since June of 1997. IE: What is the meaning behind the logo image you use of the drummer in your ad? PB: I was in Peace Corps in Africa from 1992 to 96 (Rwanda, Guinea, Senegal, Burkina Faso). I also really enjoy doing a treatment called “tapotement,” which is drumming on the body. So the logo is a symbol of things I love. IE: How long have you been a Co-op member, and what does the Co-op mean to you? PB: I love the co-op. I have been a member since 1996. I worked at the co-op from 96 to 99, one year

as a cashier and two years in HBA. When I was an employee, I used the Staff Wellness Program every month. It really helped me. Soon after I stopped working at the Co-op, I was taking a class to become a Registered Polarity Practitioner. I needed subjects for my internship, so I began volunteering. It worked well; the staff got polarity treatments, and I completed my internship. I continued after that because I enjoy working with the Co-op employees. IE: Are there other aspects of your work that you find especially rewarding? PB: I have been doing a lot of work with pregnant women and babies over the last four years. It is fascinating work. Jenny West is a midwife in town who does hypno-birthing. She finds that if a woman gets Somato-emotional release treatment prior to the birth, the birth goes very smoothly. By addressing the emotions that are in the mother’s body and releasing them, the body is able to move correctly allowing for a smooth birth. For example, I was working with a woman whose cervix would not dilate. As we were working, she said she was afraid of dropping her baby. This fear had settled in the cervix, and the cervix was determined to help her not drop the baby. We did visualization work about being a good mother and caring for the baby well and also having a wonderful natural birth. She went home, her cervix dilated, and she had a natural birth. With a baby, I do Cranio-Sacral treatment. This is excellent for colic, positional difficulties, fussy babies (screamers), and many others. The work with the baby is very gentle. I support them in their healing process. For example, I had a couple bring in their three week old baby. The parents looked much harried and sleep deprived. They said the baby, if not in the process of eating or sleeping, was constantly screaming at the top of its lungs. I began working and supporting the baby. It put itself in a very bizarre position, held this position for a length of time, and then took a deep breath and stopped screaming. The baby’s body knew exactly what to do to heal itself, my part was to support the baby while it did it. It is fascinating! Paul Barlow practices massage therapy in Albuquerque’s Old Town area. Call 242-1795 for an appointment.

Local Product Spotlight: Tara’s Organic Ice Cream

T

he seed was planted for Tara’s Organic Ice Cream several years ago when friends gave Tara Esperanza a home ice cream maker. Many, many quarts of ice cream later, and feedback from lots of willing tasters, Esperanza achieved the balance, texture and flavors she desired. ”I was bored with what was available in the retail market and also interested in only eating organic dairy. I wanted ice cream with more of a culinary flair,“ said Esperanza when asked why she decided to start her business. ”I realized most people love ice cream, and I wanted to broaden the ice cream horizon while offering the very best quality.“ The purity and quality of the ingredients is what makes Tara’s Ice Cream so fabulous. In addition to buying locally produced herbs whenever possible, Tara uses only the finest certified organic milk from Straus Family Farms. Unlike many socalled “natural” or conventional ice creams, she uses no emulsifiers or stabilizers. (Emulsifiers are used by conventional brands to increase volume and reduce cost; stabilizers create the creamy texture). Tara’s attention to quality ensures that her product doesn’t need these additives. ”People say our ice cream flavors are strong. That’s because they’re used to artificial flavors.

Our flavors are bold, made with real herbs and quality ingredients. People have a different experience and feel much more satisfied without that sugar feeling you get with other ice creams. Also our ice cream has more nutritional value, with less fat, fewer calories, carbohydrates and less sugar content than other ice creams. Its real homemade ice cream.“ Tara Esperanza moved into her production kitchen in March of 2005 and Tara's Organic Ice Cream Shop opened in March 2006 at 1807 Second St. in Santa Fe. In between that time, The Co-op became Tara’s first retail account, and the Co-op is still proud to be able to offer this fine local product at our stores in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. When asked how she comes up with her flavors, Tara says, “I literally dream up things, they just sort of come to me. I like to try new things all the time, and I knew that I could do so much more than the usual flavors.“ Not all flavors are carried at every Co-op all the time, but can be special ordered. Give all these great gourmet flavors a try: Basil, Blueberry Mint, Cinnamon, Coconut Sorbet, Garam Masala, Japanese Green Tea, Lavender (new!), Lemongrass, Mango Ginger, Orange Cashew, Peanut Butter, Roasted Banana Sorbet, Roasted Green Chile, Sage, Spiced Pumpkin, Turkish Coffee ,Vanilla, and White Pepper Chocolate Chip.


co-op news

july 2006 7

the inside scoop

by C.E. PUGH

We greatly appreciate everyone that completed a member survey last month. Your feedback is very important to us and I will share the results with you in this column when we finish processing the surveys. We have leased a small-refrigerated truck and are now picking up local produce from farms in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. We are also picking up and delivering Rasband milk from the Rasband family dairy in Belen. Many of our local producers have indicated value in distribution assistance, and we are working to find value for them and

you in this program. I believe we will find great benefits for both producers and consumers in this program, and will monitor it closely over the next few months to find out. Our goal is to begin to build a more sustainable food system in New Mexico and if we can make the economics work we will purchase a truck and convert it to bio-diesel. We are testing this program with a short-term lease before making any long-term commitment. Thank you for supporting your Co-op, C.E. Pugh, General Manager

Calendar of Events 7/10 7/15 7/18 7/19 TBA

Foundations Committee, Valley Co-op 5:30pm Coffee with the Board, Nob Hill Co-op 11am-1pm Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Member Linkage, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Finance Committee Meeting, 303 San Mateo NE 5pm

Boar d Brief:

Meeting of May 16, 2006 Distribution Program: The General Manager reported that the Co-op plans to lease a refrigerated truck to distribute some goods. Several local producers would offer the Co-op a discount if we picked up goods from them and delivered them to the Co-op. The goal is to have the producers’ discounts cover the Co-op’s distribution costs. If successful, this could lead to future distribution practices, including renting a warehouse. Nominations and Elections: The Nominations and Elections Committee submitted nine proposals to help improve the Co-op’s nominations and elections process, and all were approved. A Board member will write an article for the newsletter summarizing these changes. Bylaws Development: A charter was approved to form an ad hoc Bylaw Amendment Committee to help develop several proposed bylaw amendments.

Board Calendar: The Board’s policy review calendar was reorganized to make the reviews more useful for new Board members being seated each December. Looking Ahead: Board meetings will soon be reformatted to allow more opportunity for long-range planning and visioning. The Board wants to look at trends, look at the Co-op’s goals, and continue to ensure that policies, especially Ends statements, clearly direct the Co-op toward a healthy future. Board Meeting: Members are invited to attend monthly board meetings. The next meeting will be held on the third Tuesday, July 18, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Carlisle and Silver avenues in Albuquerque. by Shirley Coe, Administrative Assistant

SHOP CO-OP AND SAVE Rediscover the Natural World! DEHYDRATION… Nature’s oldest, safest and most effective method of insect control

Board Member Mavens Dear La Montanita Shoppers, As many of you are aware, the Board’s Membership Linkage Committee recently did a pilot project in which it put a supersized comment pad on an easel at each store for one week to elicit comments from members/customers. We asked three questions: 1) If the Co-op were a monarchy and you were the monarch… 2) What does a Co-op membership mean to you? 3) Why is it important we are a Co-op? As a follow up to that effort and to respond to some of the creative and interesting comments, and questions we received, the Member Linkage Maven will have a monthly column in the Co-op Connection starting this month. The column will focus on one store per month and respond to a particular comment made to one of the three questions. This month, we’re delighted to initiate the column with the Maven’s response to several comments Santa Fe customers made in which they expressed their wish for the Santa Fe cashiers to sit on chairs, if the Co-op were a monarchy and they were the monarch. Dear Cashier Champions de Santa Fe, Talk about pulling up a chair for someone! What chivalry! Santa Fe shoppers, the Member Linkage Maven finds your care for the hardworking cashiers at the Co-op Marketplace to be a touching expression of cooperative values and human kindness. Clearly, Santa Fe customers, you rise to an evolved standard, solidly in touch and attentive to the comfort and well-being of

those employees who stand at the registers all day as they ring up the sales that make La Montanita so strong and vital. Not to mention the important role the front end staff plays charming customers with utmost professionalism as they leave with the fruits, veggies, meats and other groceries and products that are yummy and healthy for our communities and the planet. The Member Linkage Maven would implement foot baths and pedicures for all of the staff, if the Co-op were a monarchy and she was the monarch, as well as wave the wand for the manifestation of double digit margins to finance what would be, I’m sure, a very popular program of foot care. But I digress…

The Alternative to Conventional Insecticides

505-203-7779 www.Perma-Guard.com

The Co-op has made a number of commitments to staff satisfaction, including a recently completed Ends statements that values fair compensation and a respectful and responsive work environment. The Maven agrees wholeheartedly that chairs for the cashiers may very well constitute a respectful and more comfortable work environment: however, this is an operational matter best left to the Santa Fe store manager, Will Prokopiak, and his capable, competent staff. Will runs the store impeccably, and the Maven knows if there’s a reasonable way for him to seat the cashiers based on collaborative decision-making with his team, the cashiers may end their shifts with happier heels and toes. Whatever the outcome, the Maven showers Santa Fe with congratulations for their compassionate stand for the front-end staff. For now, the Member Linkage Maven bids adieu and be on the watch next month for this column with another fabulous store and another provocative question.

Co-op Special Needs Delivery Program Are you homebound or specially challenged? Need a food delivery from your co-op?

member benefit!

Control Bugs In Your Garden & Field Crops Protects Stored Grain From Bugs Kills Fleas And Ticks On Animals & In Living Areas

Call Tim at Nob Hill Tuesdays from 9am-12pm at 265-4631, Rene at the Valley, Wednesdays at 2426124. Call Gerri in Santa Fe Thursdays at 984-2852. You must be a Co-op member to participate.


Local Producers send us good vibrations for fresh summer eats ! Tara’s Organic Ice Cream! “Our fla vors ar e bold, with re t al herb s and q hey are made uality in gredien ts” n o z i r ho m a e cr e c i y.” the t i l n a e u d q t roa s b e b o t ry d e e v t n e a h “I w ffering t o e l i h “I like to try new things all the time and I knew that I w could do so much more than the usual flavors”

- all quotes by Tara Esperanza

See Page 6 to find out all the flavors and more about Tara’s

Enchanted Valley Farms! w a r y l t s o m , d nce a l a b y l l a n o i t i nutr tasty y l b a t t high quality, e g r o f e un r a t a h t s t c u food prod

“Our custom

ers tell us t

“When we are running on total body electric, we command our lives!”

hey crave it

-Barb & Dan !” iele

- Daniele See page 4 for more on Enchanted Valley


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Paper Towels and Laundry Detergent also on sale


summer

grilling

Some Great Grilling

Ideas

The smoky aroma of fresh food on the grill is one of the distinctive smells of summer. Grilling can be as easy as throwing on some burgers (veggie or not) and making some slaw and potatoes while they cook, or you can prepare a gourmet feast right over the flame. Either way, there’s a recipe here for you. Pick up some organic grass-fed beef or chicken, wild fish (fresh or frozen), or some fresh organic produce at the Coop, and try some of the great grilling ideas below. And for those times when you are lethargic from the heat, don’t forget the Co-op deli can do the whole meal for you! Fresh off the grill or fresh from the deli, you can enjoy great food without heating up the house! (t = teaspoon/ T = tablespoon/ C = cup) Grilled Chorizo Stuffed Chile Peppers Use either traditional Spanish chorizo or vegetarian soy-based chorizo for this recipe. Both are available at the Co-op. 8 large mild chilies 6 oz chorizo sausage or veg. alternative 1 C fresh spinach, chopped 1 C bread crumbs 1 C mushrooms, finely chopped 1/3 C Monterey jack cheese, shredded 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced, 1/2 t cumin 1/4 t salt

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Place sausage in a skillet and add cumin, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes, making sure to dispose of excess fat. Add mushrooms and spinach to skillet, cook for an additional 8-10 minutes. Take skillet off heat and stir in egg, cheese, salt, and bread crumbs. Place chilies on lightly oiled grill grate and cook until charred on one side, about 3 minutes. Remove from grill, take off charred skin, cut tops and remove seeds. Fill chilies with chorizo stuffing and place on the grill for an additional 6 minutes. Remove and serve hot. Ultra-Juicy Hamburger One bite of this burger and any dreadful memories of tough, parched, leathery homemade hamburgers will instantly vanish: this hamburger oozes with succulence. And, what's best, it's extremely easy to make. 24 ounces sustainable ground beef * 1 large sweet onion, chopped 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves, minced 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves, minced 2 T Dijon mustard 1 T Worcestershire sauce 1 t ground cumin (optional) 1 1/2 t salt Freshly ground black pepper 5 T of olive oil or canola oil 1 T unsalted butter *Note : If you wish, you can grind the beef yourself, as long as you have the right attachment to your food processor or mixer. The best cuts are sustainablyraised chuck or round. In a medium sauté pan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium to high heat. Add the onion, lower the heat, and cook for about 20 minutes

july 2006 10

until nicely browned and caramelized. Add a tiny bit of extra oil or hot water if the onions start to stick to the pan. Set aside to cool. (Note: you can prepare this ahead of time and place the cooked onions in the refrigerator for later use.) Place the beef in a medium-to-large bowl, mix in the onions, rosemary, thyme, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cumin. (Note: you can add any other spice and herb mix that you like; just make sure it doesn't overpower the flavor of the burger.) Shape the ground beef mixture into four patties. In a cast iron skillet or a regular skillet or sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil and the butter over mediumto-high heat. Cook the patties in oil and butter until medium-rare or medium, from about 8 to 10 minutes on each side. You can opt for using just oil, of course. Serve with your favorite sustainable bread and a selection of sliced cheese, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and your favorite sauce – anything from ketchup and mustard to mayonnaise, guacamole, or hot sauce. (Recipe by Laura Giannatempo) Grilled Potato Chips Make sure that the potatoes are sliced very thin or you'll just end up with grilled potatoes. 1/2 # large potatoes 2 T olive oil 1/2 t kosher salt Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Use either a mandoline or sharp knife to cut potatoes lengthwise into very thin slices. Place in a large bowl and coat with olive

oil and salt. Place grill pan on grill and allow to heat. Place potatoes on pan forming a single layer. Allow to cook for 5 minutes per side. Repeat process with additional potato slices. Serve with your favorite dip. California Grilled Veggie Sandwich 1/4 C mayonnaise 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 T lemon juice 1/8 C olive oil 1 C sliced red bell peppers 1 small zucchini, sliced 1 red onion, sliced 1 small yellow squash, sliced 2 (4x6 inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally 1/2 C crumbled feta cheese In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill for high heat. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer the bread with vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches. Yield: 4 servings.

GET TO KNOW THIS LABEL The Beneficial label is your assurance of fresh, regional, chemical-free, delicious food with a unique, family-farmer signature. Consumers now have a clear choice for buying fresh, high-quality produce, eggs and meat at prices that reflect the true costs of small-scale, sustainable farming.

Money when you need it most. We’ll customize a home equity loan to fit your lifestyle. Payments as low as interest-only, fixed rate options, and fast local processing with no closing fees! $5,000 to $150,000 for home improvements, college tuition, debt consolidation…whatever your needs may be. Call a lending specialist anytime day or night — or apply securely online.

888-8920 • www.nmefcu.org

Beneficial Foods is a collaborative of small family farms and ranches in the Rocky Mountain bio-region dedicated to producing food with a strong emphasis on soil, ecology and nutrition. All of the farms in the collaborative grow their products with organic production methods, but not all are certified organic. Products are identified by individual farm, and that information is available to consumers.

Give yourself the good feeling that comes from participating in a vibrant and growing local food system while shopping at the co-op. www.beneficialfoods.org


summer

grilling

Marinated Grilled Veggies These tasty vegetables can be cooked on skewers or thrown straight on the barbecue. As cold leftovers, they're great with crusty bread or wrapped in tortilla with cheese and chili and reheated in a toaster oven or skillet.

1/2 T raw organic sugar or sugar alternative 2 t ground coriander 2 t paprika 2 t mineral or sea salt 2 t ground black pepper 1/4 to 1/2 t chili flakes (optional)

1 small eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices 2 small red bell peppers, seeded and cut into wide strips 3 zucchinis, sliced 6 fresh mushrooms, stems removed 1/4 C olive oil 1/4 C lemon juice 1/4 C coarsely chopped fresh basil 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Sturdy plastic bags or plastic containers are useful for marinating. 24 metal skewers (or, if you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least an hour before using to prevent burning).

Place eggplant, red bell peppers, zucchinis and fresh mushrooms in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, basil and garlic. Pour the mixture over the vegetables, cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Place vegetables directly on the grill or on skewers. Cook on the prepared grill 2 to 3 minutes per side or to desired doneness, brushing frequently with the marinade. Yield: 5 servings. Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Portobello mushrooms are the steaks of the mushroom family. Here they’re marinated and grilled. Yummy! 3 Portobello mushrooms 1/4 C canola oil 3 T chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 T balsamic vinegar Clean mushrooms and remove stems, reserve for other use. Place caps on a plate with the gills up. In a small bowl, combine the oil, onion, garlic and vinegar. Pour mixture evenly over the mushroom caps and let stand for 1 hour. (Depending on marinating time, ingredients, cooking method, etc., the actual amount of the marinade consumed will vary).Grill over hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Yield: 3 servings. Ivy’s Grilled Tempeh Veg-Kabobs

Cube tempeh into 3/4 inch pieces; toss with tamari and set aside. While tempeh absorbs the tamari, slice the veggies into 2 inch pieces. In a large bowl, whisk marinade ingredients until blended. Marinate tempeh and vegetables in separate bags or containers. Divide the marinade equally among containers, seal, and refrigerate for 4 hours or longer, turning at intervals to even out the marinade. Skewer all the items and discard the marinade. If you would like to ensure completely even cooking, separate the tempeh and the mushrooms from the remaining vegetables on separate skewers. This way the tempeh and the mushrooms can be taken off the heat sooner than the rest if needed. Wrap the ends of wooden skewers in a bit of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Over a medium-hot fire, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred and the tempeh until crisp on the outside and somewhat charred. (Skewers can also be baked on a sheet in the oven at 425 F). Serves about 4, or with pilaf or potatoes on the side, serves 6. Enjoy! All recipes reprinted and adapted from the following sources: www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes www.tofurky.com/recipes www.barbeque.allrecipes.com www.bbq.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes www.sustainabletable.org/kitchen/recipes/sum mergrilling and Cooking Fresh from the Bay Area (Eating Fresh Publications 2004)

fresh veggies & meats for grilling:

at your CO-OP

2 squashes (zucchini, crookneck) 1 each red and green bell peppers or several mini-sweets 1 large or 2 small onions About a dozen button mushrooms and/or cherry tomatoes 1# (16 oz) tempeh 1/4 C tamari

New Mexico Pics: The State of Photography curated by Holly Roberts and Miguel Gandert

Integrated Counseling, Therapeutic Bodywork and Movement

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

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

July 5 - July 26

Body-Centered Counseling

Reception: Friday, July 21•5 PM to 8:30 PM

Marinade: 2 C orange juice 1 C quality oil (such as equal parts olive oil and safflower oil) 1/2 C of freshly squeezed lime/ lemon juice 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

HARWOOD

ART CENTER

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

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


farming &

gardening

Considering the Economics of Part-Time

Farming

by Donal Kinney y wife, Betsy, and I own and operate a small farm based in Dixon, NM. We make a relatively minor amount of money selling vegetables and fruit. Often, people are amazed that we undertake this endeavor on such a small scale, and with so little apparent economic gain. While it is true that we farm mostly because we enjoy it and find meaning in it, there is more to the economics than meet the eye.

M

Our property is 2.2 acres, of which slightly more than 1 acre is agricultural land that has been ditch irrigated and farmed for at least 150 years. The rest of our land is either cottonwood bosque bordering the Embudo River, which we leave alone, or dryland above the irrigation ditch, where we will someday build a house.

Another advantage to part-time farming is the potential for tax savings. Like most small businesses, a startup farm will generally lose money in its early years, generating tax savings when there is other income the losses can offset. When the crops are perennial and take many years to develop, like tree fruit for instance, the losses can stretch for many years. Last year our farm showed a $2,000 tax loss after all expenses, including the depreciation of our farm shed, irrigation system, walk behind tractor, and greenhouse. This saved us about $500 in taxes. Depending on your tax bracket, and whether your family can qualify for the Earned Income Credit, the tax savings can be far greater than this. The next level that we see a benefit from the farm is in the education of our two boys, who are 4 and 6 years old. The boys spend their summer days with us, either helping with the farm or engaged in their own fantasy play. Farming is

We spend about six months of the year living in Santa Fe, where we make the majority of our income for the year. From May till October, we live in a yurt on our land and grow a wide variety of vegetables and care for perennials we have planted. We have owned the land for six years and have gradually developed our infrastructure. Last year was the first year we sold our produce. For many years, Betsy and I were working toward being fulltime farmers. We spent two growing seasons as interns on an organic farm. We filled a one-eighth acre Santa Fe lot with plants, learning and developing our techniques. We have read extensively, and have attended many courses and conferences. We spent countless hours looking at agricultural land in Northern New Mexico, trying to find the right property. The economics of farming in this region are challenging. The market price of produce is not high enough to easily cover the cost of owning land and the labor needed to grow and deliver produce. If you experience sticker shock when you pick up a head of organic lettuce, try pricing agricultural land with secure water rights, within a reasonable distance to a market in New Mexico. We have found the economic equation intimidating and have not been willing to make the leap to the scale required for full-time farming. Instead, we have chosen the path of part-time farming. Last year our farm generated about $1,000 of revenue by selling vegetables. This came out of a quarter-acre garden. We also managed another quarter acre of newly planted orchard and berry plants, which has not yet produced cash income, and we maintained cover crops to improve the soil on the last half acre. $1,000 is not an impressive amount, but it is cash income, and we expect it to improve steadily. On top of this, we probably consumed and gave away to friends another $2,000 in market value of vegetables and fruit. This includes what we stored and enjoyed through the winter, in addition to the fresh food that we largely subsist on during growing season. It is worth noting that we do not pay any kind of tax on the food we produce for ourselves. If we were to buy this food, we would first have to earn over $3,000, and pay over $1,000 in income and social security taxes.

operation, and as we become more knowledgeable and efficient, we expect to exceed $10,000 a year in sales, while the other benefits continue. We work hard for this, but we are not killing ourselves with the effort. An acre of farmland is a great deal of work, but it is not the boring drudgery that many people associate with this kind of labor. We grow a high diversity of crops, in part to keep the labor varied. Since the farm is not our primary income, it is not high stress for us. Our bodies recover from the effort over the winter. The greatest economic benefit that we expect to see from our farm is as an investment. Our farm is our equivalent of a retire-

Local, sustainable agriculture... a growth industry.

quite complex, but it is also very transparent. They can see and understand what is happening. They participate and take pride in providing for the family. They love irrigation days and market days, which each have their own magic. They relish the cycles of the week and the seasons. It would be difficult to put a price on the educational value. There are very few professions that are so welcoming to children. Suffice it to say that we could spend thousands for summer camp, and it is unlikely that it would be as successful at character building. And then there is the health and fitness aspect of the farming endeavor. Betsy and I love being outdoors all summer. We work hard and get into what we call “farming shape.” While we work long days, we take time to practice yoga in the morning, and take a dip in the river in the hottest part of the day. We go to bed early and sleep well. And we eat very well - the best, freshest food imaginable. I believe that we save thousands in medical expense, gym fees, supplements, and so forth. It is also worth noting that the process of working hard on the farm for a humble income helps us to stay conscious about our spending. We deliberate a little longer about purchases that may not really be necessary, and we really appreciate it when we do choose to splurge. Through our farming efforts, we are also creating goodwill for ourselves, growing our community of friends, and networking in ways that help our off-farm employment. In all, I would estimate that our family is ahead by at least $10,000 a year because we are operating our small farm. This is just our second year of growing for market, and we are producing on only a quarter of our best land. As our perennial crops mature, as we place more of the farm into

ment account. We carefully invest money in it each year, and we expect its value to go up over time. Like an IRA, we generate tax savings when we invest. Because the farm is our home for half of the year, we could sell it and take advantage of the personal residence exemption, to avoid much of the capital gains tax we would otherwise owe. Most importantly, we know that farmland with topsoil and abundant water in New Mexico is precious, and will only become more precious. Betsy and I have set up our work lives so that we have the time to dedicate to farming during the growing season. Betsy is a teacher, which provides an ideal summer break. She is not currently teaching, while our boys are small. I am a tax accountant, with a busy season that ends on April 15. Not everyone has this seasonal flexibility, but it is not necessarily required for small time farming. We know doctor-farmers, writer-farmers, builder-farmers, activistfarmers, and all kinds of other farmer combinations. We also know many families where one spouse farms and the other holds a paycheck job. If you believe, as we do, that the current energy intensive industrial agriculture system is not sustainable, and that food prices will go up dramatically as the demand for and price of oil rises over time, then parttime farming may be your opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a growth industry – local, sustainable agriculture.

BULK PRODUCT

Spotlight:

Just Tomatoes

Looking for the perfect hiking or camping foods, light weight foods that carry a big nutritional punch? Look no further! JUST TOMATOES, etc! fruits and veggies are "always in season." Fifteen years ago, they sliced and dried tomatoes to make their first product. The products are exactly what they say they are—absolutely nothing has been added! No salt, no sulfur, no fat, no sweeteners, no preservatives! The Just Tomatoes folks like to say, “It's the next best thing to eating out of your garden.” Just Tomatoes, etc. products are good indefinitely. They do not 'go bad.' However, freeze-dried products can lose their crispness and the color can fade.They will come back to green if cooked or reconstituted. Absolutely nothing is added to any of their products so you know you are getting real food. Just Tomatoes products are tremendously convenient, easily carried to work, on hikes, in the car, and are the perfect products for emergency kits.

12

july 2006


agua es vida Agua es Vida: For the Love of a River stream banks from erosion, and providing shade and continued from page 3 flushed down household drains. It may also bear the cover for fish and other aquatic species.” (Federal legacies of weapons laboratories, military bases, and Register, June 6, 2002.) other industries that dispose of contaminants in permitted but perhaps cumulatively dangerous amounts. After ten years, the actions identified as necessary for Finally, both river and groundwater are subject to river restoration and those deemed crucial for recovmillions upon millions of gallons of swill consigned ery of the silvery minnow are finally on a parallel to sewage plants and septic systems, calling into ques- course. There is basic agreement, however wary, that tion the wisdom of using fresh water for waste dis- river health underwrites single-species health. If the floodplain is as unfetposal in the first place. Researchers tered as possible, if have barely begun to ask how long any stream system can withstand such accumulations, or what mysterious River allies might already be serving to processes absorb or transmute contaminants. Our current local ecosystem may, in are the part, be a product of pollution. Even a backbone of brief look into the field of phytoremeecosystem diation suggests that two mainstays of health. the mid Rio Grande valley, cottonwoods and alfalfa, thrive on excess nitrates generated by, among other things, domestic septic systems. It might be practical to consider how potable the waters of the Rio Grande would be without the presence of bosque and hay fields. periodically there is sufficient flow to rearrange sandbars and their itinerant plant communities, and if a Health for all Species That river processes are the backbone of ecosystem careful link is maintained between surface flow and health in the MRG was certainly understood by the groundwater, then the river once again becomes the agency in charge of endangered species recovery. In curator of the tableau, and the steward of aquatic designating critical habitat for the Rio Grande silvery and riparian species. minnow in 2002, biologists noted in the Federal Register: “This critical habitat designation takes into In devising a more comprehensive road map for the account the naturally dynamic nature of riverine sys- future, resource managers would do well to return to tems and recognizes that floodplains (including ripar- the basic textbook on the Middle Rio Grande, the ian areas) are an integral part of the stream ecosys- Bosque Biological Management Plan, which aspired tem. For example, riparian areas are seasonally to “determine conditions and recommend action that flooded habitats (i.e., wetlands) that are major con- will sustain and enhance biological quality and tributors to a variety of vital functions within the ecosystem integrity of the MRG bosque, together associated stream channel...They are responsible for with the river and floodplain that it integrates.” Since energy and nutrient cycling, filtering runoff, absorb- 1993, many hundreds of copies of the manual have ing and gradually releasing floodwater, recharging been distributed, and its tenets already inform the groundwater, maintaining streamflows, protecting vast majority of restoration efforts in the central Rio

Grande. The management plan’s instructional, non-compulsory approach has contributed to broad public support for bosque and river revitalization initiatives, while more requisite attempts to safeguard the endangered silvery minnow have been bitterly divisive. In light of that fact alone, we would be wise to reaffirm ecology’s underlying creed that river meanders, aquifers, trees, and fish are all threads in the same fabric, and that for better or worse, their fate is geographically, biologically, politically, and philosophically interlaced with our own. The 1993 Bosque Biological Management Plan is available from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Field Office in Albuquerque. To obtain a free copy, contact Cyndie Abeyta, at 761-4738. The original bosque management plan is also included, as part of the MRG Bosque Biological Management Plan Update.

Santa Fe Waldorf School

✻ PRE-K TO GRADE 12

Where Learning is Shared

Waldorf education— • is an adventure in learning • engages intellect and imagination • encourages self-discipline and active engagement in the world • offers strong academics • cultivates the fine and practical arts • develops life skills for meaningful work and social relationships

Now enrolling for 2006 -2007 • Pre-School, Kindergarten, Grades 1-8: 983-9727 • • High School: 992-0566 • www.santafewaldorf.org • Tuition Assistance Available

It’s fresher, purer, and better tasting than it was 100 years ago. In fact, with Nordic Naturals patented fish oils, taking your daily dose is a pleasure. Research has shown fish oil keeps a healthy heart healthy.* But it doesn’t stop there. EPA and DHA from fish oil help your mind stay sharp, your mood stay great, and even help protect from the negative effects of occasional stress.* Incorporate Nordic Naturals into your daily diet and see for yourself how important these fatty acids are. Available in chewables or liquids in a variety of fruit flavored formulations for the entire family.

Come meet a Nordic Naturals product-trained demonstrator • ask questions • taste our products • find a product to best suit your needs Valley Store Santa Fe Nob Hill

july 2006

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

7/01/06 7/14/06 7/15/06

13


health &

healing

july 2006 14

Laid Back Summer Skin Care

W

e notice our skin more during summer, when we love to bare it all. But who wants to spend a lot of time in the bathroom polishing it to perfection? Fortunately, that’s not necessary. In fact, many skin problems are the result of product overload and harsh regimens that were intended to make us glow. So relax, take a break, and let your natural beauty shine through with these laid-back summer skin care tips.

some of the sun’s damaging effects, say Harvard researchers. Lutein also helps lessen skin damage caused by aging, UV light, and other environmental stresses. 8. Relax with a Glass of Red Wine. Applied topically, reservatrol, an antioxidant found in grapes and red wines, decreases the effects of UVB exposure and helps protect skin cells from cancer. Reservatrol may also work through moderate consumption of grapes and red wine.

1. Sleep in the Nude. Take it all off every night— dirt and make-up, that is. Wash your face each night before bed with a cleanser that is chemical and petroleum free. Kat James, author of The Truth About Beauty: Transform Your Looks and Your Life From the Inside Out, says, “The point is to purify your face, not add harsh synthetics.�

SAVE THE DATE! OCT.15, 2006 THE CO-OP’S 30TH BIRTHDAY BASH! FOOD, FRIENDS, MUSIC

9. Get Back in Black. Choose black beans over pinto to reap the most benefits for your skin. Black beans have the highest levels of flavonoids and more antioxidant activity, gram for gram, than other beans.

2. Embrace your Stress. Don’t be stressed out about being stressed out: A series of studies done at the Ohio State University suggests that short bouts of stress increase the skin’s ability to fight infection and heal minor wounds. Feeling more relaxed yet?

10. Have Some Guacamole on the Side. Not only are they yummy, but avocados will keep skin glowing. They contain nourishing monosaturated fats and antioxidants that moisturize dry skin and may prevent wrinkles.

3. Heal Your Wounds. Apply topical Nutribiotic grape-seed extract in liquid form to help wounds heal faster and with less scarring (found in the health and beauty section of the Co-op).

This summer, don’t mind the stressful spurts. Just don your sombrero and have a black bean quesadilla with guacamole and greens, and then chill with a green tea grape spritzer (recipe below). In this way, you can enjoy the long lazy days of summer and lovely skin as well.

4. Don’t Get Tapped Out. “The chlorine in tap water assaults your skin,� James says. It’s irritating, it causes free radical damage, and it destroys the skinnourishing vitamin E in your body. “A shower-water purifying filter eliminates chlorine and will give you the biggest skin-care bang for your buck,� she says. “You’ll notice changes in your skin that you couldn’t get with even the most expensive product regimen.�

See Care2.com for more skin care information. This article adapted from Organic Style magazine, July/August 2004 issue (Rodale Press), edited by Ivy Edmondson.

Local Products for Cool Summer Skin The Co-op HBA Department has what you need for healthy summer skin care!

5. Wear a Sombrero. A wide brimmed hat is a great solution to keeping the sun off your face and hair. For gardening or other work that requires spending extended periods out in the hot sun, a white, long-sleeved shirt made of organic cotton is a cool, chemical-free alternative to sunscreen.

Sunscreen: Sierra Madre Sun Cream Face Care: Mimosa Blossom Dream Cream • Power Repair Cream or Serum • Tea Breeze Hydrating Facial Mists

6. Drink a Tall Glass of Iced Green Tea. There’s no end to what green-tea leaves can do. They contain compounds called polyphenols, which help eliminate free radicals that can cause cancer and premature aging of skin. Green-tea extract seems to prevent UV-induced skin inflammation, and EGCG, the most abundant green-tea polyphenol, minimizes sun damage. The latest green-tea research shows that EGCG may bring dying skin cells back to life when applied topically. Try this refreshing treatment: Steep two green-tea bags in two cups of water for 15 minutes, pour into an empty spritzer bottle, cool it in the refrigerator, and spray yourself throughout the day.

Body Care: Super Salve Body Lotion • Resting in the River Healing Body Butter and Healing Body Lotion Sunburns and Bug Bites: La Puebla Elementals Sacred Heart Salve • Desert Woman Calendula Salve Gardening hands: Desert Woman Creme of Lemon Supreme • Resting in the River Intens-salve • Encantos Gardener's Hand Care or Exceptional Dry Skin Care Healing soap: Katzima Farms oat and honey soap for sensitive skin Lip protection: Super salve comfrey and calendula lip balms with sunscreen • Encantos Extreme Exposure Lip balm

7. Have Spinach Salad. Eating the antioxidant lutein (found in dark-green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and chard) can protect your skin against

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Bring water to a boil. Place the tea bags in a pot and pour hot water over them. Cover and steep for 3-4 minutes and 2 C water remove. Add the ice cubes and cool. 4 bags green tea Transfer the tea to a pitcher, add the 2 C ice cubes grape juice. Fill 4 tall glasses with ice. 1 C grape juice Fill the glasses 3/4 full with tea mixture, About 1 C sparkling water and top them off with sparkling water. 12 grapes and a 4 sprigs of mint, for Garnish each glass with a few grapes garnish and a sprig of mint.

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community

forum

Our Daily Bread: Packaging

G

iven the vast rate of depletion of the world’s natural resources in just the past 50 years, what is on tap for the very next generation? We who have grown up with consumerism take for granted using whatever is readily available. Yet the extent of consumption in our times is a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of mankind, and if the speed at which we have used up our natural resources continues, the natural world could in the space of the next breath become a shell of what it once was. In spite of our peripheral awareness of the world’s dwindling resources, there is a powerful undertow created by the wastefulness inherent in consumerism and by the technology that supports it. If there is only 30 minutes to go out and get and eat lunch, the average American does not question the genesis or exodus of the plastic used to insulate a prepared meal. And what was used to make the plastic? The chemicals with which most plastics

The ideal is to re-use each item as much as possible yourself and to buy items that are designed to hold up under much use. For example, glass jars in which food is sold can be reused to store food (rather than storing it in a plastic container—a further benefit to your health, as plastic leaches into food). Re-use saves all the materials used in the item. If re-use is impossible, then recycling materials back into their original form and using them again in manufacture (“primary recycling”, such as newspaper into newspaper) saves 20-90 % of the virgin materials consumed in making a product. Far less conserving of original materials is ‘secondary’ recycling: using materials such as glass in road pavement, or plastic soda bottles in park benches (where other materials would be less wasteful of particular virgin materials and/or resources used in their manufacture). Materials recovery necessitates equally comprehensive legislative policies. To make anything happen on a large scale, changes must be made mandatory, not only for citizens, but for industry, government, etc. Legislation is needed that halts destruction of materials (e.g. incinerators, manufacture of single-use plastics, etc.) and compels manufacturers to re-cycle, to use a high percentage of scrap, and to design products that facilitate reuse. Governments, users of vast quantities of materials, could be required to use products that contain a higher proportion of scrap. A charge for plastic/paper grocery bags could be added at the grocery store. Water bottles and soda containers could be exchanged for pennies at grocery store compacting machines, etc.

july 2006 15

N EW DIR E C T I O N

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

ECS Body & Life Coach HOME and OUTDOOR activities without weights! Agility, Balance, Fat Loss, Body Sculpting Self-Esteem, Stress Management Get fit and feel better! Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist Call 604-2600 WE ART THE PEOPLE FOLK FEST: Save the Date, August 12th, Robinson Park, 11-4-pm. Art Vendors, Puppet Parade, Entertaiment, Art Making Tents and so much more. For more information or to volunteer to help make it happen contact OFF Center Arts 247-1172.

reduce

your use!

are made (using energy-intensive processes) are derived from petroleum, a rapidly waning resource. And where will the plastic go after lunch? — into more plastic, into a gasguzzling truck, and into an incinerator or a landfill of finite size where it will take years to decompose. About 80% of our products go into the garbage after a single use. What is worse is how much is wasted in manufacturing products: in making paper, more than half a tree is wasted; 80% of the energy burned in our vehicles is wasted, etc. In order to avoid the slash and burn of our natural world, we need to dramatically increase the efficiency with which we use materials. In essence, whatever is thrown away that is re-useable or recyclable in some way not only represents a loss of natural materials used in that item, but also materials lost in manufacture, and the energy used to manufacture. The raw materials of everything we use, buy, make, consume in any way came originally from the natural world, even chemicals and synthetics of all kinds that we might not ordinarily associate with the Earth. In addition, everything discarded represents an increase in waste accumulation (pollution)—that troublesome issue which we would like some other state to take on.

And what can we do? The first reality is to commit to a daily awareness of what we are doing with our things, especially what we are discarding. A 3-day list of all we throw away would be a wake-up call as to how much packaging, advertising, paper and plastic, we — even many of us who are aware of the problem — throw away. How we store things, how we transport things and people, what packaging we buy (support), what we do with used substances, the amount of avoidable junk mail we receive, all involve potential for reuse, recycling, or conservation of materials.

Recovering materials is not cheap. And indeed, in some cases re-cycling is counter-productive, when it uses more natural resources than it saves (including the cost of collection). And if industry must rely more on scrap, the cost of products we buy will increase. This is exactly the cost of reality. What we re-use costs nothing to the environment, nor to us; but what we discard costs us to replace, and re-cycling costs to process. (Of course, the more systems for collection and recycling are refined, the more these costs are likely to decrease). In our own lives, conserving our materials involves a commitment to the planning and organization that makes this happen. After initial plans for how to most efficiently contain possessions and leftovers, how to minimize trips for errands, how collection for recycling could be organized in the home, etc., recycling takes little time. Albuquerque city trucks pick up recyclable goods every week now on the same day as residential garbage pickup (not in all neighborhoods) — items should be bagged in white or clear plastic, and newspaper and cardboard bound and placed within 5 feet of trash barrels. Every time you place string/canvas/produce bags in your car to bring to all stores, every time you recycle what you are unable to reuse, every time you choose carefully what packaging you buy, every time you send items in reused mailers, every time you make presents or things you need out of reused items, every time you buy reused/recycled items, every time you fit as much as possible into a garbage or other bag, every time you bring your lunch rather than buying fast food, you are doing a little more for the Earth of the next generation. Our world is crying out for consciousness. by Mary Grube

Stewards of Creation: Passion for the Earth “The Great Work now as we move into the new millennium is to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a mutually beneficial manner.” -Thomas Berry, The Great Work Stewards of Creation, an environment and faith adult leadership training program begins its fourth class this fall. The course, which entails one introductory weekend and four optional weekends, is built on the philosophy that the human species needs a new understanding of the universe and the human place within the universe.

Stewards of Creation are people of diverse faith traditions and cultures who seek to address the spiritual disease of separateness from the earth, which underlies many of the ecological concerns that we face. Participants will grapple with the complexities of mysticism and science, faith and technology, ecology and actions for justice. The program is looking for adults who would like to collaborate for ecological stewardship, and commit to be teachers, leaders and advocates in ecology/faith. For information contact: Joan Brown at 266-6966, or Betsy Windisch at 863-4512.

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. 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

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

232-2358 EricsTreeCare.com ericstreecare@earthlink.net

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

Services OFFCENTER Community Arts: A KATRINA LEGEND Katrina survivor Henry Kennison's three murals depict hurricane Katrina before, during, and after the disaster. The power of the images, both poignant and compassionate, must be witnessed. Co-sponsored by OFFCenter and Pearl of The Antilles Gallery. "A Katrina Legend" Featuring: Henry Kennison, Mark Garcia, Jude Pacheco and other artists runs through Friday, July 21st 2006. Free at OFFCenter Community Arts Project, 808 Park Ave. SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 or call them at 247-1172.

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


La Montanita Co-op Food Market 303 San Mateo NE Suite 201 Alb NM 87108

Summer growing seaon is here!

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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 cheeses, 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, the environment and your Co-op. 4. WEEKLY MEMBER-ONLY COUPON SPECIALS as featured in our Weekly Sales Flyer. Pick it up every week at any location and 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! 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 Information Desk for details.

Now More than Ever: Support Community, Support Cooperation

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

MEMBERSHIP: ONLY$15 ANNUALLY, OR $200 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP • Nob Hill: Central & Carlisle, 505-265-4631 • Valley: Rio Grande & Matthew, 505-242-8800 • Gallup: East Coal & First St, 505-863-5383 • Santa Fe: Alameda 2 blocks west of St. Francis, 505-984-2852


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