La Montanita Coop Connection June, 2007 by La Montanita Coop

WILD POLLINATORS:

Agriculture’s Forgotten

PARTNERS BY JOANNE

EXECUTIVE

BAUMGARTNER DIRECTOR, WILD FARMS ALLIANCE

The Web of Relations ne out of three bites of food that graces our tables does so thanks to pollinators. In fact, when comparing the broad spectrum of flavors and nutrients we consume, considerably more of both come from pollinated fruits and vegetables. The wonderful diversity of our diets owes a considerable debt to the humble pollinator.

Before the intensification of agriculture over the last 50 years, native bees handled broad crop pollination requirements. In the past century, conversion of natural areas to agriculture and urban development, along with natural habitat fragmentation, has caused more than 50 native bee pollinators to be Red-Listed, or at risk of extinction in the near- or long-term and in urgent need of protection. Information is currently limited on the majority of native pollinators, yet the potential for heavy and irreplaceable losses of biodiversity is real. Agriculture may soon lose what it does not even know it has. Pollination has been an essential co-evolutionary aspect of agriculture for more than 3,500 years. Humans are beekeepers by nature and have been knowingly moving bees— primarily honey bees, but also bumble bees—around the planet for some time. The workhorse of all crop pollinators, however, has been the European honey bee—overall the most important species for agricultural areas around the world. The crops produced as a result of honey bee pollination are currently valued at about $17 billion dollars in the United States alone, but it is getting risky to rely solely on these European natives. The cost of hive rentals for almond pollination has tripled in the last few years. Small farms in particular have found it more difficult to find hives, as the number of managed honey bee colonies have plummeted 50% in the United States since the 1950s, and as large beekeeping operations find it less cost-effective to drop hives at

small farms. In addition, honey bees are more subject to mortality in the early spring when orchardists most need them. In some years, winter die-offs are up to 50% of all colonies. Bee keepers replenish the number of colonies later in the spring by splitting them and adding a new queen. Without an alternative to the current practice of relying on European honey bees for pollination while disregarding native pollinators’ needs, crop yields may decrease, and plants and wildlife dependent on pollinators could be disrupted. Many experts predict a new kind of silent spring—a tragedy of silent fields and orchards lacking the buzz of bees and others—that would reduce the foods we and other species eat. Nature revolves around pollination. Native pollinators have evolved by mutually benefiting from and lending their services to flowers. Take away part of their year’s food source or nesting habitats, or make the distances they must fly for nourishment and cover untenable, and their numbers will eventually collapse. Because most pollinators nest in the ground, in cavities of decaying wood, or in native vegetation, intensive row-crop farming and overgrazing disrupt their activity. Pollinators do not exist in isolation; they are part of a web of relations that, with optimum management, can be conserved and restored. Honey Bee Declines and Wilder Options For the past few winters, dark clouds have swirled over California’s hundreds of thousands of acres of almond orchards. These clouds are not the swarms of honey bees needed to pollinate the crop, however, but the lack of them. Increasingly, almond growers and beekeepers wonder where the two hives of honey bees needed per acre to shuttle pollen between almond blossoms to set the crop will come from. As almond prices hit record highs, honey bee numbers are decreasing. In fact, they have declined so significantly and the need is so great for the almond bloom, that in 2005 the 80-year-old

Honey Bee Act was altered to allow imports of bee colonies from outside North America. The so-called vampire mite (Varroa destructor) is largely responsible for this free fall and continues to pose a threat as it develops resistance to chemicals used to thwart it. But other factors contribute to the uncertainty, such as the encroachment of Africanized honey bees from the southeast—a region known for selling and leasing hives to the rest of the country—and the increase of an antibioticresistant pathogen that attacks honey bee larvae.

creating diversity In the long run, if there is a silver lining in this decline of honey bees, it may be that farmers are compelled to look closer at other options—such as the native pollinators that live in and around healthy farmlands and capably transfer pollen among blossoms and flowers for free. Agriculture, with its need for pollination and its large footprint on the landscape, has an urgent reason and unique ability to help provide for native pollinators and reap their services, which will ensure that many exist into the future. continued on page 2

FARM BILL UPDATE:

New Mexico Lobby Team Goes to D.C. ROBIN SEYDEL n early May I had the honor of being invited to be part of a regional/national action team that went to Washington D.C. to lobby on food and conservation issues that are part of the 2007 Farm Bill. As part of the National Farm Bill Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife brought nearly 20 people from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to D.C. to lobby for a shift in 2007 Farm Bill policies. BY

June is MEMBER SURVEY Month! Help Guide Your CO-OP Members: Look in your mailbox

for our Annual Member Survey.

We sincerely hope you will take a moment to fill it out. Let us know how we are doing and what you would like to see in the future. This Survey helps us understand how to best serve you, our member owners. Please fill it out! Bring it in to the La Montanita Co-op location of your choice and receive one shopping trip at a 15% discount. Your input is important to us. Please take a moment to fill out the survey and bring it back to your Co-op before June 30th and receive a 15% discount Coop shopping trip for your effort. For information contact Robyn at 2172027 or call the toll free number: 877-775-2667.

get a 15% DISCOUNT!

The New Mexico team was put together by Defenders of Wildlife’s New Mexico organizer, Lisa Hummon, and included rancher/farmer Johanna Trejo from Rodeo, New Mexico, Dr. Karen Herman, Ph.D. of the Wild Horse Observers Association from Santa Fe, and myself. Meeting at the airport for the first time, we felt an immediate camaraderie, and unlike some of the other state teams we decided early on to visit, as a team, all of our Congressional Representatives and Senators. It was no stretch for me, with our Co-op location in Santa Fe, to visit Representative Tom Udall, who proudly pulled his Co-op membership card out of his wallet amidst much cheering. It also made sense, due to the many farmers and ranchers our Food-shed project works with in the southern part of the state for me to visit Representative Pearce’s office.

“cheap” as the processed food in the national commodities program. I also asked for more support for small and mid sized family farmers in the “specialty crops” program, which is basically vegetable and fruit production. Farm Bills subsidies currently support the big five agribusiness commodities: corn, wheat, rice, cotton and soybeans. These crops are the raw materials for our current industrial food system that is directly linked to rising obesity and diabetes rates. Dan Imhoff’s book “Food Fight” points out that from 1985 to 2000 the cost of nutritious foods including fruits and vegetables increased by 38%. During the same period high calorie, corn syrup laden “big gulps” and junk food decreased in cost by 23%.

lobbying for local

Tag Teaming the Topics Johanna’s nearly 1,000 acre family ranch is in New Mexico’s boot heel, close to both the Arizona and Mexico borders. She was a passionate advocate for sane border fencing that would provide security while still allowing wildlife their usual migratory routes and for conservation funding for family farmers and ranchers who meet stewardship criteria. As her husband had been part of the area’s Homeland Security office staff and as land owners in the area had worked closely with border patrol, her voice for local landowners and other stakeholders to have a say in the kinds of fencing to be used was most credible on the Hill.

foods

Karen was deeply informed and extremely eloquent on a variety of issues tackling re-authorization of conservation titles in the Farm Bill and the Endangered Species Act. Informing the legislative aides and Representatives we met that 40% of all endangered plant and animal species exist on private farm/ranch lands, she clearly articulated the importance of maintaining farm bill conservation programs at least at current levels with special support for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and the native grasslands under the Sod Reserve Program. These national grasslands are at risk due to the push to grow more corn for the ethanol industry. She also touched on a number of consumer food issues. I covered basic farm bill issues, including allowing public school systems to choose local products even though they might not be as

ecognizing that the Farm Bill authorizes more funds for conservation through the USDA than all conservation agencies (national parks, fish and game, etc.) combined, one other request I made was to include our “bosque,” acequia systems and riparian areas in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). Riparian areas have not been included in previous WRP authorizations, so New Mexico does not have access to those conservation funds which could help keep farmers on their land providing wildlife habitat while producing fresh, local food. Legislative Action We asked and continue to ask all our Representatives to co-sponsor the Eat Healthy Act on the House side and any bill that contains the provisions outlined above on the senate side. Please contact our Congressional Delegation: • Tom Udall at 994-0499 • Jeff Bingaman at 346-6601 • Pete Domenici at 346-679. Thanks to Heather Wilson for co-sponsoring the bill.

protecting the

pollinators Agriculture’s Forgotten

A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Albuquerque/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 3500 Central SE 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-6pm 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 Cooperative Distribution Center 3361 Columbia NE, Albuq., NM 87107 217-2010 Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001 TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP) • General Manager/C.E. Pugh 217-2020 ce@lamontanita.coop • Controller/John Heckes 217-2026 johnh@lamontanita.coop • Computers/Info Technology/ David Varela 217-2011 computers@lamontanita.coop • Food Service/Bob Tero 217-2028 bobt@lamontanita.coop • Human Resources/Sharret Rose 217-2023 hr@lamontanita.coop • Marketing/Edite Cates 217-2024 editec@lamontanita.coop • Membership/Robyn Seydel 217-2027 robins@lamontanita.coop Store Team Leaders: • Mark Lane/Nob Hill 265-4631 markl@lamontanita.coop • John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 jm@lamontanita.coop • William Prokopiack/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanita.coop • Tracy Thomasson/Gallup 863-5383 tracyt@lamontanita.coop Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Treasurer: Ken O’Brien Secretary: Roger Eldridge Lonn Calanca 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@lamontanita.coop Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Covers and Centerfold: Edite Cates Advertising: Robyn Seydel Editorial Assistant: Stephanie Clayton stephaniec@lamontanita.coop 217-2016 Printing: Vanguard Press Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 217-2027 or 877-775-2667 email: memb@lamontanita.coop Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop website: www.lamontanita.coop Copyright © 2007 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

WILD Pollinators continued from page 1

hen agriculture meets native pollinator food and nesting requirements, many other plants and animals also benefit. The farm, managed as part of the larger ecosystem, can support strong bee populations and may be connected to and re-colonized by native pollinators from adjacent wilder areas. While honey bees have served us well, multiple reasons exist for encouraging native bees and other pollinators on the farm. Flowers: Foods for the Gods and for Pollinators For 100 million years, flowers have lured pollinators with their enticing rewards. Some pollinators, like the squash bee, rely completely on one genus of flowers for their larval and reproductive success, which can be a good thing for crop production, but not so good if a bee relies on a rare plant. Others, like the important generalist bumble bee, collect pollen from an array of unrelated plants with overlapping blooming periods that together provide forage for all season. Even flowering weeds offer needed sustenance that can translate into better crop yields, as researchers who compare canola farming systems that do and don’t use herbicides have noted. Abundant forage composed of a diversity of sizes and colors of flowers is important for pollinators, especially in the spring when insects emerge from their winter repose, and before and after the blooming season of a pollinatordependent crop. Native Bees and Their Nests Bees are categorized in various ways based on their social skills, floral preferences, and nesting requirements. Honey bees are the quintessential social bee with large colonies populated by a queen, workers, and drones. Bumble bees and a handful of sweat bees are also social, requiring the assistance of colony members in order to survive. Social bees are the exception, however; most bees are solitary, such as the leafcutter, sunflower, and squash bees (to name just a few), with each female providing for her young without the help of others. Often unnoticed, the majority of bees nest in the ground. Some build in open, well-drained sandy soils or silty loams; others seek areas of bare soil within lawns, abandoned rodent burrows, or vertical banks. Depending on the bee, the nesting area can exist for as little as a few months or as long as decades. About 30% of North American bees nest in cavities or tunnels in wood or other materials. Carpenter bees, true to their name, excavate holes in soft, dry dead wood. Most others use tunnels already drilled by wood-boring beetles in tree snags or dead twigs. Artificial woodblocks drilled to the specific diameter requirement of tunnel nesters can provide habitat in the absence of natural features. Some orchardists purchase mason bees (Osmia) in wooden blocks to augment local bee populations. Depending on the species, the native female bee may have to collect mud, pebbles, or foliage to form the cell walls and end plugs that protect her nursery from pests and weather. The nest materials may have to come from long distances if not readily available. Optimizing the availability of ground- and tunnel-nesting sites and ensuring the presence of nesting materials can add to a farm’s overall pollinator productivity. Butterflies, Birds and Other Pollinators On a global scale, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, and other small invertebrate species are part of a hundredthousand-strong pollinator workforce. While providing

PARTNERS

habitat for native bees, adding a few plants to support these other pollinators is easy. Butterflies require larval host plants and species with multiple florets that produce abundant nectar. Larger pollinators—such as birds, bats, and reptiles—comprise yet another thousand species that serve an integral function. Planting red, tubular, nectar-rich flowers will provide required sustenance for hummingbirds. Supporting the full range of buzzing, gliding, and humming pollinators ensures a durable and resilient natural world. Non-toxic, Diverse Environments Pollinators thrive on organic farms because such farms tend to have a larger diversity of flowering plants and safe, toxic-free zones. Unfortunately, native pollinators are vulnerable to most insecticides commonly used on conventional farms. In general, the fewer pesticides used the better. Bees die both outright from insecticide exposure, and over time from repeated sub-lethal doses that build up in the nest. If insecticides must be used, larger particles (granules and coarse sprays) are better because micro-encapsulated pesticides mimic pollen; never apply pesticides to flowering plants. Spraying at night is better since female bees are usually protected in their nests at that time.

Multiple reasons exist for encouraging native bees and other pollinators.

y reconsidering the “clean” farm strategy—a modern concept that creates a sterile, factory-like farming environment—unsightly “weeds,” shaggy shrubs, and dead trees become a beautiful smorgasbord of floral food sources and highly sought-after nesting havens for native pollinators. Creating habitat in and around crops, conserving natural areas on the farm, and working with community members to protect and restore areas of high conservation value in the surrounding region will establish a complex functioning ecosystem. Embedding agriculture in systems that mimic wild Nature will offer long-term security. Genetic Engineering and Wild Pollinators When comparing different cropping systems of canola, researchers report that the greatest number of bees and floral resources and the best pollination occurred in organic fields. There were fewer bees and flowers and a moderate pollination deficit in conventional fields, followed by the lowest bee and flower population and the largest pollination shortfall in genetically engineered fields. Increased herbicide usage was the main factor.

Pollinator

Partnership

WEEK

JUNE 23-30

The Pollinator Partnership is proud to announce that June 24-30, 2007 has been designated National Pollinator Week by the U.S. Senate (S.Res. 580) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This Wild Farm Alliance Briefing Paper is part of a series that explores many of the issues that define and distinguish the concept of farming with the wild. Each paper focuses on a particular issue set in the context of reconnecting food systems with ecosystems. We are striving to bridge the gap between stewardship farming and wildlands conservation. To obtain other papers in this series, for more information on wild pollinators, to see the Selected List of sources and resources on Wild Pollinators or to learn more about The Wild Farms Alliance’s programs, WILD FARM ALLIANCE, P.O. Box 2570 Watsonville, CA 95077 • 831761-8408, 831-761-8103 fax • www.wildfarms.org • wildfarms@earthlink.net www.wildfarmalliance.org. Thanks to the Wild Farms Alliance for permission to print this briefing paper.

What YOU CAN DO to increase the diversity and abundance of floral resourc e s • Tolerate weeds that do not displace native plants in natural areas and do not economically damage the crop for an increased set of free floral resources. • Grow mixed crops that provide a diversity of flowers. • Plant cover crops such as clover and alfalfa, and allow them to flower before turning over. • Seed strips of sweet alyssum, “good bug,” or wildflower mixes. • Install hedgerows and clusters of sequentially flowering native trees, shrubs and forbs in unused areas that are prone to invasive weeds. • Conserve and restore natural areas of farmland, especially those that are subject to flooding, erosion, or drainage problems, or are rocky, such as along riparian corridors and steep hillsides or in undulating grasslands.

PROVIDE A DIVERSITY OF 2

Native bees evolved in landscapes that naturally provide an array of resources. The closer farms are to native habitat resources, the more they can receive benefits from wild bees. Recent studies show that certain crops in California’s Central Valley have all their pollination requirements met when 30% of the land within 3/4 of a mile of a field is natural habitat. Even farms with much less natural habitat still reap important pollination services from native bees.

FLOWERS June 2007

where have all the bees

Where’s the

gone? the research institute in Scotland where he had long been employed, and his work was discredited.

Buzz?

ROBIN SEYDEL hroughout the world the disappearance of bees, known as Colony Collapse Disorder is, along with global warming, one of the most troubling signs of the environmental crisis we face. Pollination is necessary for succeeding generations of 75% of the world’s flowering plants and at least one third of food crops worldwide. Losses of 5090% in bee colonies are reported in 24 states in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and throughout Europe. Alarmed beekeepers and scientists are looking for reasons and theories include environmental stresses, malnutrition, unknown pathogens, the use of antibiotics, mites, pesticides and genetically modified crops.

In his May 2000 interview, Kaatz told The Observer: “It is true, I have found the herbicide-resistant genes in the rapeseed transferred across to the bacteria and yeast inside the intestines of young bees. This happened rarely, but it did happen.” The May 2000 Observer story continues “Although Kaatz realised the potential 'significance' of his findings, he said he 'was not surprised' at the results.”

A story in the United Kingdom’s Sunday May 28, 2000 Observer have pinpointed a possible cause. The Observer story “GM Genes Jump Species Barrier” reported genetically modified bacteria from canola infesting the guts of European honeybees. The report notes, “A four-year study by Professor Hans-Hinrich Kaatz, a respected German zoologist, found that the alien gene used to modify oilseed rape (Canola) had transferred to bacteria living inside the guts of honey bees.” In 2000 Professor Kaatz had not yet published his findings, nor had they been peer-reviewed, and Kaatz was reluctant to talk about his research fearing backlash from the scientific community similar to that faced by Dr Arpad Pustzai, who claimed that genetically modified potatoes damaged the stomach lining of rats. Pustzai was let go from his position at

Kaatz, who worked at the respected Institute for Bee Research at the University of Jena in Germany, built nets in a field planted with genetically modified rapeseed produced by AgrEvo. He let the bees fly freely within the net. At the beehives, he installed pollen traps in order to sample the pollen from the bees' hindlegs when entering the hive. This pollen was fed to young honey bees in the laboratory. Pollen is the natural diet of young bees, which need a high protein diet. Kaatz then extracted the intestine of the young bees and discovered that the gene from the GM rape-seed had been transferred in the bee gut to the microbes.”

Valley

With Colony Collapse Disorder destroying bee populations here in the United States and throughout the world and newspaper headlines like “Threat to agriculture as mystery killer wipes out honeybee hives,” one can only ask where is Professor Kaatz and his research now? Especially as genetic modification corporations deny any connection between CCD and GMO crops.

MODIFIED GENES JUMP SPECIES

Are Genetically Modified Crops

Gallup

Killing Bees? MACDONALD ith reports coming in about a scourge affecting honeybees, researchers are launching a drive to find the cause of the destruction. The reasons for rapid colony collapse are not clear. Old diseases, parasites and new diseases are being looked at.

which eventually causes a crystallization effect in the guts of the borer larvae, thus killing them.

Over the past 100 or so years, beekeepers have experienced colony losses from bacterial agents (foulbrood), mites (varroa and tracheal) and other parasites and pathogens. Beekeepers have dealt with these problems by using antibiotics, miticides or integrated pest management.

That there is Bt in beehives is not a question. Beekeepers spray Bt under hive lids sometimes to control the wax moth, an insect whose larval forms produce messy webs on honey. Canadian beekeepers have detected the disappearance of the wax moth in untreated hives, apparently a result of worker bees foraging in fields of transgenic canola plants.

BY JOHN

While losses, particularly in over-wintering, are a chronic condition, most beekeepers have learned to limit their losses by staying on top of new advice from entomologists. Unlike the more common problems, this new die-off has been virtually instantaneous throughout the country, not spreading at the slower pace of conventional classical disease. As an interested beekeeper with some background in biology, I think it might be fruitful to investigate the role of genetically modified or transgenic farm crops. Although we are assured by nearly every bit of research that these manipulations of the crop genome are safe for both human consumption and the environment, looking more closely at what is involved here might raise questions about those assumptions. The most commonly transplanted segment of transgenic DNA involves genes from a well-known bacterium, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which has been used for decades by farmers and gardeners to control butterflies that damage cole crops such as cabbage and broccoli. Instead of the bacterial solution being sprayed on the plant, where it is eaten by the target insect, the genes that contain the insecticidal traits are incorporated into the genome of the farm crop. As the transformed plant grows, these Bt genes are replicated along with the plant genes so that each cell contains its own poison pill that kills the target insect. In the case of field corn, these insects are stem- and root-borers, lepidopterans (butterflies) that, in their larval stage, dine on some region of the corn plant, ingesting the bacterial gene,

What is not generally known to the public is that Bt variants are available that also target coleopterans (beetles) and dipterids (flies and mosquitoes). We are assured that the bee family, hymenopterans, is not affected.

finding the

answer

Bees forage heavily on corn flowers to obtain pollen for the rearing of young broods, and these pollen grains also contain the Bt gene of the parent plant, because they are present in the cells from which pollen forms.

Is it not possible that while there is no lethal effect directly to the new bees, there might be some sub-lethal effect, such as immune suppression, acting as a slow killer? The planting of transgenic corn and soybean has increased exponentially, according to statistics from farm states. Tens of millions of acres of transgenic crops are allowing Bt genes to move off crop fields. A quick and easy way to get an approximate answer would be to make a comparison of colony losses of bees from regions where no genetically modified crops are grown, and to put test hives in areas where modern farming practices are so distant from the hives that the foraging worker bees would have no exposure to them. Given that nearly every bite of food that we eat has a pollinator, the seriousness of this emerging problem could dwarf all previous food disruptions.

John McDonald is a beekeeper in Pennsylvania. He welcomes comments or questions about the bee problem at mcbee_77@yahoo.com. This article first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, on March 10th. It is reprinted here with permission of the author.

To promote nesting success: • Leave snags and dead wood in trees and shrubs. • Irrigate conservatively to minimize the flooding of ground-nesting bees. • Till shallow or implement organic or low herbicide no-till practices. • Create patches of bare ground and provide piles of sandy loam. • Drill holes in dead wood and supply drilled blocks of wood. • Provide mud, leaves, and pebbles for nest building.

PROMOTE BEE

June 2007

Santa Fe

nesting

SUCCESS

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

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT 3

agua es

vida

June 2007 4

Sparrow Hawk Farm:

Think Global, Drink Local

MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS

On paper, Albuquerqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Drinking Water Projectâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; also known as the San Juan-Chama water diversion project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; seems fairly straightforward.

Because the RĂo Grande is already fully appropriated, the additional RĂo Grande water diverted for the project must be replaced with an equal amount of treated wastewater from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southside wastewater treatment facility, located 16 miles down stream from the diversion point.

he cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water-related problems were mounting in the 1990s. Albuquerque needed to find a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sustainableâ&#x20AC;? water supply, recharge the aquifer, provide a way to dilute arsenic-bearing water wells so it could meet new federal standards, maintain sufficient water for endangered species like the silvery minnow, not interfere with New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obligation to provide a minimum amount of water to southern NM and Texas under the RĂo Grande Compact, and continue to allow unchecked growth to continue. In the 1960s, the city bought rights to about 47,000 acre feet per year (afy) of Colorado River water. Drawing from two tributaries of the San Juan River, tunnels were built that took the water under the Continental Divide and deposited it in the El Vado and Heron reservoirs, where it could be released down the Chama River into the RĂo Grande â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hence the name: â&#x20AC;&#x153;San Juan-Chama water.â&#x20AC;? The project includes a 600-foot-wide adjustable dam which crosses the river just south of the Alameda bridge, where the river enters the northern part of the city. From there, a water pipeline leads from the dam to a new water treatment plant; two new water lines carry treated water to existing city wells where it will be blended with groundwater and sent to residents. As part of its arrangement with the State Engineer, Albuquerque is also allowed to take up to an additional 45,000afy of RĂo Grande water, for a total of up to 92,000afy or about 30 billion gallons.

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Drinking Water Project NOT as CLEAR as it seems

Problems with the Diversion Unfortunately, Albuquerqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water crisis will not be resolved by the Drinking Water project and new problems will emerge: Sustainability. Analysis of the project reveals that within 25-30 years of the project, San JuanChama and RĂo Grande water will no longer be sufficient and the aquifer will once again experience rapid loss of water. The City will be in the same situation it is in now, but it will have grown tremendously in population. Finding a solution to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water crisis 30 years from now will be infinitely more difficult than it is now. De-watering the River. The city insists that the impact to the river will be â&#x20AC;&#x153;minor.â&#x20AC;? However, if the city diverts the full 92,000 afy, it could lower the average annual flow of the river through the heart of the city by 10% (from 1200 cubic feet per second (cfs) to about 1000 cfs). When the river is running at its average low flow, the impact could be as much as 25%. This would have serious consequences for the Bosque, for the water running in the drains and acequias along the river, for aquifer recharge, and for viable wildlife habitat.

(WTFs) are a major source of â&#x20AC;&#x153;emerging contaminants.â&#x20AC;? WTFs concentrate drugs and other chemicals like steroids, estrogen, and caffeine that we dump down the drain or toilet or excrete. The chemical processes used by WTFs also generate toxics (such as trihalomethanes). It is indisputable that these lowlevel discharges cause physical and behavioral changes to aquatic life. New research shows that low doses of estrogen-like compounds are a likely cause of a wide range of allergic reactions and of chronic diseases like asthma. Two studies have shown that these chemicals are in the RĂo Grande, especially just below the southside WTF; althoughmanagement at the Water Utility Authority claims that they have never detected any of these emerging contaminants. After the RĂo Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flow has been significantly reduced for 16 miles by the Drinking Water project, it will be recharged with the large outflow from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southside WTF, creating an even greater concentration of these contaminants than now (Albuquerqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wastewater discharge is the 5th largest tributary to the entire RĂo Grande). The WTF for the Drinking Water project will perform a similar service when it treats diverted RĂo Grande water before piping it to our homes. Groundwater Storage & Irrigation. Albuquerque plans to pump treated water into the aquifer in order to store this water as backup during drought conditions. The city is already using WTF water to irrigate. Across the United States and elsewhere, water used in these ways receives state-of-the-art treatment technology (typically reverse osmosis and UV) to remove potentially hazardous pathogenic organisms and organic chemicals. These treatments also are common in the bottled water industry and to provide pure water for computer component manufacture. Management at the Water Utility Authority, while claiming publicly that the new treatment facility is â&#x20AC;&#x153;state of the art,â&#x20AC;? acknowledges privately that it is not, because the cost is too high. Albuquerqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drinking Water project is not the panacea its proponents claim it to be, and the city still faces an imminent water crisis. Next: Albuquerqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water consumption.

Emerging Contaminants. There is growing evidence that typical wastewater treatment facilities

PART

ALBUQUERQUEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DRINKING WATER QUALITY The Albuquerque Drinking Water Quality Coalition (ADWQC) is a community group that came together last autumn due to concerns over the proposed diversion of the Rio Grande for use in Albuquerque's drinking water. In monthly discussions with knowledgable individuals and groups, the Coalition has identified concerns that they will soon be taking to local and state officials. These concerns, questions and recommenda-

tions are listed on the following page. For more information on ADWQC and their concerns, call 242-5511. ADWQC encourages you to bring the concerns listed on page 5 to your elected representatives.

AMIGOS BRAVOS is organizing work projects in the Upper Red River to mitigate damage created by irresponsible off road vehicle use. Typically, we meet up on Friday evening near the work area, work all day Saturday, and then finish up early on Sunday morning. We camp near the work site and Amigos Bravos provides food. Volunteers are welcome to join us for the whole weekend. We welcome your help for the day or a couple of hours on Saturday. Jiron/Cuerva Area: June 29th-July 1st: Install a French drain on a water crossing in the Jiron/Cuerva area, which, because of heavy use by ATVs, is causing sediment loading in the Upper Watershed. Help install signs and block illegal routes.

Sustain Our Rivers!

AND: June 2nd â&#x20AC;˘ 9:30am: Rio Pueblo de Taos Cleanup at the confluence of the Rio Pueblo de Taos and Rio Grande near Taos Junction Bridge in Pilar. June 9th â&#x20AC;˘ 8am Rio Fernando de Taos Cleanup; meet at the main parking lot of Centinel Bank at 512 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur. At noon, meet back at the parking lot for a cookout sponsored by Centinel Bank. Call Rachel Conn at 505-758-3874. CO-OP MEMBERS contact Robyn at 871-775-2667 to participate as a Co-op volunteer for discount credit.

Volunteers NEEDED!

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June 2007 5

Albuquerque Drinking Water Quality Coalition List of Citizens' Concerns for Municipal Drinking Water from the Rio Grande and the San Juan-Chama Diversion Project Disinfection DisinfectionIssues Issues

Pollutants Pollutantsof ofConcerns Concerns

Health HealthConcerns Concerns

Questions Questions

Recommendations Recommendations

Ozone will be utilized for the disinfection of river water. The river may have high levels of bromide. This may result in the creation of bromate. This is the first time the Albuquerque Bernalillo County/Water Utility Authority will treat surface water on this scale and use ozone.

Bromate (The maximum US EPA contamination level is 10 parts per billion and it is monitored monthly)

Potent carcinogen; increased risk of cancer.

Will the Albuquerque Bernalillo County/ Water Utility Authority (ABC/WUA) frequently monitor bromate levels? What will the ABC/WUA do if bromate levels exceed the maximum contamination level?

That the ABC/WUA test for bromate every six days during the first 90 days of river water treatment plant operation. Then twice monthly for the next 9 months.

How is the ozone gas deactivated? What safeguards are in place to ensure that ozone does not reach the carbon filtration?

Ozone may accidentally fail to be de-activated after the ozonation process and as a result destroy the activated carbon filtration.

Chlorination will be used as the post-treatment disinfection. River water will have much more organic matter than is seen in the aquifer water and therefore result in high levels of disinfection by-products.

Trihalomethanes (maximum EPA contamination level is 80 parts per billion, quarterly monitoring). Haloacetic acids (maximum EPA contamination level is 60 parts per billion, quarterly monitoring). Dichloroacetonitrile (no EPA regulation).

Increased risk of cancer. Liver, kidney, or central nervous system problems. Suspect in miscarriages at higher concentrations.

Will the ABC/WUA frequently monitor the levels of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids? What will the ABC/WUA do if the maximum contamination levels are exceeded?

That the ABC/WUA test for these disinfection by-products twice monthly for the first 12 months of the river water treatment plant operation.

Rio Rancho Rancho Outflow Outflow Rio Protection Protection

Pollutants of Concerns

Health Concerns

Questions Questions

Recommendations Recommendations

Rio Rancho has had a history of releases of untreated sewage into the Rio Grande. This untreated effluent is directly north of the diversion dam intake to the treatment plant.

Fecal Coliform, Giardia, Cryptosporidium and numerous other pollutants associated with urban waste like nitrates and nitrites

Gastrointenstinal illness from exposure to microbes. Nitrates and nitrites in high concentrations are toxic to children and infants.

Does the City of Albuquerque and the City of Rio Rancho have an agreement where Rio Rancho will be immediately forthcoming with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County/ Water Utility Authority (ABC/WUA) regarding any releases of untreated waste?

That the Water Utility Authority (WUA) close the diversion dam intake in the event of such releases of untreated wastewater by The City of Rio Rancho. And that the WUA keep the intake closed until testing shows that the river water microbe profile has returned to normal.

Pharmaceuticals in the river water from upriver urban wastewater effluent. The chemicals may exist in parts per trillion levels and may not be detectable by standard analytical methods.

Hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol control, birth control, depression and pain management that adults consume and excrete.

Adverse health effects in children and infants who are much more physiologically susceptible to these highly biologically active compounds.

Will the ABC/WUA monitor for pharmaceuticals?

That the ABC/WUA monitor for the presence of the compounds acetominaphen, caffeine, cholesterol, or ibuprofen to indicate if other low-level pharmaceuticals are not being removed in river water treatment plant.

Health Concerns Concerns Health

Questions

Recommendations Recommendations

Will the Albuquerque Bernalillo County/ Water Utility Authority monitor for plutonium at the standard of 0.15 picoCuries per liter? What does the ABC/WUA think of Governor Bill Richardson's endorsement to adopt this recommended standard?

That the ABC/WUA monitor for plutonium quarterly at the 0.15 pCi/L level during the first three years of the river water treatment plant's operation, then semi-annually after that.

RadiologicalContaminants Contaminants Pollutants Pollutants of of Concerns Concerns Radiological Plutonium from upriver sources. Contaminated sites are known to exist in canyons near Los Alamos. These canyons are part of the Rio Grande watershed

Plutonium is very toxic and the current maximum EPA contamination level for alpha radiation is 15 picoCuries per liter in drinking water. This guideline may not be adequate for plutonium

Increased risk of cancer.

Other man-made radiologicals and naturally occuring radiologicals from upriver sources. These radioactive elements have been detected in the canyons near Los Alamos and in the Rio Grande in the Santa Fe area. These areas are part of the Rio Grande watershed.

Radium-226 and radium-228 (the maximum EPA contamination level is 5 pico Curies per liter). Uranium (the maximum EPA contamination level is 30 parts per billion). Other radiologicals such as americium-241, strontium-89, strontium-90, cesium-137, and tritium.

Increased risk of cancer. Kidney toxicity.

Chemical ChemicalContaminants Contaminants

Pollutants of of Concerns Concerns Pollutants

Health Health Concerns Concerns

Questions Questions

Recommendations Recommendations

Every time it rains, untreated urban storm runoff from the streets, parking lots, and lawns of Albuquerque enters the Rio Grande north of the diversion dam intake.

Benzo(a)pyrene and other polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Di(2-ethylhexylphtalate and other plasticizers. Endothall, Glyphosate, and other herbicides. Fecal Coliforms.

Increased risk of cancer. Liver and kidney problems and reproductive problems.

Will the WUD close the diversion dam intake during heavy rainstorms and snowstorms?

That the ABC/WUA monitor the treated river water for other chemicals found in urban storm runoff.

The river water was once held in lakes and reservoirs where motorboats and jet skis are used. Gasoline and diesel have likely comtaminated these surface waters.

Benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, isooctane and other hydrocarbons. Additionally, the fuel additive methyl tertbutyl ether (MTBE).

Increased risk of cancer. Liver and kidney problems, anemia, and nervous system damage.

Perchlorate. This chemical is an emerging pollutant in many communties throughout the country

Perchlorate.

Thyroid problems.

Will the ABC/WUA monitor for perchlorate? Would the ABC/WUA consider implementing a regulatory limit for perchlorate as Massachusetts and California already do?

That the ABC/ WUA monitor for perchlorate in the treated river water.

River water is likely to be slightly acidic, unlike ground water which is slightly basic as a result of dissolved carbonates. Acidic water is more likely to dissolve heavy metals from old water mains and older home plumbing.

Copper, Iron, and Lead.

Gastrointenstinal distress, liver and kidney damage. Delayed mental and physical development in children and infants.

How will the Albuquerque Bernalillo County/Water Utility Authority avoid another Tucson-type disaster where treated river water discolored the water with dissolved metals and minerals?

That the ABC/WUA initially refrain from blending treated river water into older neighborhoods where much older water mains and plumbing still exist. The City of Albuquerque will need to eventually replace the older infrastructure.

Citizen Involvement Involvement Citizen

Pollutants of Concerns

Health Concerns

Questions Questions

Recommendations Recommendations

Easy access to testing data for citizens. Access to lab data/results preferred in addition to the summary format of results as found in the Consumer Confidence Reports issued annually.

Will the CABQ/WUA post laboratory results on an easy to access website? Will the ABC/WUA also include the Maximum EPA Contamination Levels for all pollutants?

Create a website posting of testing data and results.

Additional treatment within homes (pointof-use filtration) of the treated river water. Residents may opt for additional reverseosmosis, microfiltration, and activated charcoal treatment in their neighborhoods or homes.

Will the CABQ/WUA post information on other technologies that are available for the treatment of water once it has left the river water treatment plant (the point-ofsource).

That the ABC/WUA eventually implement these additional treatment technologies in distribution zones that have chronic problems with specific pollutants.

That the ABC/WUA specifically monitor for these radionuclides in addition to radium and uranium, on a semi-annual basis in the treated river water.

The pollutant MTBE is not currently regulated by the EPA. The ABC/ WUA must also monitor for MTBE in the treated river water.

co-op news

June 2007 6

Bulk Department Spotlight: White Mountain

Farm Quinoa

hite Mountain Farm is located in an ancient lake bed called the San Luis Valley. It lies between the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Southern Colorado Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of about 7600 feet. The farm has been in Virgina Stahl’s family since the 1930's. Now she and her husband Ernie New and their son and daughter- in-law Paul and Cindy New run the farm. The Co-op has been purchasing potatoes from White Mountain farms for many years and are pleased to be able to offer their traditional quinoa in bulk and their new black quinoa in packages. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, the main crops were organically grown wheat, alfalfa, and sheep. In 1984 with their friend and partner Dr. John McCamant, they started experimenting with quinoa and by 1987, White Mountain Farm was incorporated and started growing certified organically grown quinoa and potatoes. Both their packages of black quinoa and the traditional quinoa that the Co-op sells in bulk department bins are constantly being improved

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for food and seed. The New family say, “Our goal is to offer good tasting, high quality quinoa and potatoes at reasonable prices.”

Quinoa This Mother Grain of the Incas has been grown in the Andes of South America for Virginia New centuries. Quinoa is a small seed about the of White size of millet. It is very high in protein and is Mountain closer to the United Nation's FAO ideal balance for amino acids than any other common Farm poses cereal grain. Quinoa is high in essential with towering amino acids: lysine, methionine, and cystine, QUINOA. which are particularly important for vegetarian diets and in correcting deficiencies in legume diets. Quinoa is high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin E and some of the for size, flavor, B vitamins. Colorado-grown quinoa has a drought tolerance and other qualities in their rich, delicate, nutty taste and can be substituted for research area. Dr. John oversees the areas where they plant hundreds of types of quinoa. It was in nearly any grain in almost any recipe. one of these research areas that they developed their beautiful and delicious black quinoa. The farm is a total of 1200 acres some of which cannot be irrigated or cultivated. They sold all their livestock during the recent drought years as they could not grow enough pasture to keep them fed. But they still farm 700 acres growing a variety of summer vegetables and cover crops including oats, rye, wheat, fava beans, peas, and barley to improve their soils in addition to the quinoa and potatoes

Quinoa Basic Recipe 2 cups water to one cup quinoa Rinse quinoa and place water and grain in a 1 and 1/2 quart pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer cover and cook until all water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).For lighter fluffier quinoa do not stir while cooking. Makes 3 cups. Quinoa Tabouli Use cooked quinoa in your favorite tabouli recipe for a high protein summer favorite.

Bring peace & health to your piece of the earth. 505.239.8023 Loralee@SoftShui.com

a member PROFILE

The Fig Man: Lloyd Kreitzer Personal Growth Childhood Trauma • Illness Drugs/Alcohol • Loss Women’s Issues

Louise Miller, MA LPCC NCC Psychotherapy louise@louisemiller.org www.louisemiller.org

Phone (505) 385-0562 Albuquerque, NM

L o s Po b l a n o s Organics

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

STEPHANIE CLAYTON t’s refreshing in this day and age of ever-new technology and high-speed everything to come across someone with old school charm who takes the time to revere and pay homage to something over 60 million years old – the fig. Lloyd Krietzer is in the truest sense of the word a Renaissance man. From his training in tropical agriculture at the University of Hawaii as part of his service with the Peace Corps to his love of figs, all 2,000 varieties the world over, Lloyd’s green thumb is very well qualified. He describes his multitude of plants as friends and praises them for their “intelligence, beauty and reverence.”

As well as his way with plants, Lloyd has practiced massage and holistic therapy under the name “Higher Kneads,” which at one point was also the name of his massage school of seven years. He also has experience as a midwife, and if that weren’t enough, the fig man has also been eating natural foods, leading a healthful life, and following sustainable practices since before he became a Co-op member just shortly after the Co-op opened here in Albuquerque over 30 years ago. When asked how he juggles all of these interests and hobbies, he simply states, “Life comes already together, harmonic, and full.” He describes how we compartmentalize our lives and our selves and label things as different when really they are all just facets of ourselves that equally contribute to who we are. Often asked about his success with his plants and his uncanny ability to walk into any park and point out the various uses for whatever plants he may come across, Lloyd explains that “the success in any relationship – be it with a human being or a plant – is listening.” He nur-

tures and grows figs in return for what he learns from them, for their beauty, and surely for their stunning taste and texture when they bear fruit. He connects with all people, whether on the street, or on his massage table and truly enjoys the intimacy of connecting with someone and through common bonds “re-humanizing” one another. As well traveled as he is, he still has much to learn from his varieties of figs that come from Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Turkey, and a variety of other places with rich beautiful heritages. He encourages everyone to find something that moves them and comforts them as much as his figs do him. He implores all of us to “choose life vibrantly” as his figs do everyday. Collecting, propagating, and passing on figs brings joy and purpose to the fig man, and he is more than willing to share his love of figs as well as other plants with anyone who is interested. He sees the Co-op as his neighbor, and in addition to enjoying the healthy fresh, fair and local food and products available he loves the sense of community and information it provides regarding sustainability and options for a holistic lifestyle. A real wealth of knowledge and a pleasure to chat with, Lloyd spreads his seeds of knowledge and encouragement, as well as his fig plants at the Nob Hill Grower’s Market, Downtown, and in Corrales. He will be briefly absent this June when he returns to Indonesia with his daughter and relishes the beautiful and tasty varieties of banana he will be able to enjoy once again. For more information call him at 266-8000 or visit his website www.landofenfigment.com.

info: landofenfigment.com

Willow (Salix)/ Early spring • Cherry (Prunus)/ Spring • Maples (Acer)/ Spring • Black locust (Robinia)/ Late spring • Honey locust (Gleditsia)/ Late spring • Basswood (Tilia)/ Spring-summer • Sumac (Rhus)/ Spring-summer • Sourwood (Oxdendrum)/ Mid-summer • Bay Laurel • (Umbellularia)/ Fall-spring • Barberry (Berberis)/ Spring • Current (Ribes)/ Spring • Serviceberry (Amelanchier)/ Spring • Blackberry (Rubus)/ Spring-summer • Elderberry (Sambucus)/ Spring-summer • Sage (Salvia)/ Spring-summer • Spirea/ Summer • Wild rose (Rosa)/ Summer • Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)/ Late summer • Aster/ Summer-Fall • Goldenrod (Solidago)/ Summer-Fall • Sunflower (Helianthus)/ Summer-Fall

NATIVE PLANTS that support wild bees

co-op news the inside

June 2007 7

SCOOP

Calendar of Events

WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!

ook for our annual member survey in your mailbox in early June. I hope you will take time to complete this year’s survey and turn it in at your favorite Co-op location by June 30th. You will receive a 15% discount on your purchase when you give a completed survey to your cashier. Your feedback is very important to us. This is your community owned business, so please tell us what you think. How are we doing? In what areas would you like to see improvement? You may notice that many of the survey questions remain the same from year to year and wonder why we keep asking the same questions. This consistent set of questions enables us to measure our service to you over time and helps us determine which areas of your business need additional resources. If you have more comments than the survey space permits, don’t hesitate to attach them to the survey form. Wow! Wow! Wow! Strong Support Of Your Co-op Continues! We continue to enjoy strong growth in

our membership and sales. While our Nob Hill location has struggled a little with the recent construction on Central Avenue, our North Valley, Gallup and Santa Fe locations are experiencing record levels of community support. I want to acknowledge our staff members work in adjusting to these higher levels of sales. Our growth in Santa Fe has been particularly robust and it has taken us longer to add staff to support this than we would like. We greatly appreciate your patience and tolerance as our store staff makes the necessary adjustments to maintain our high levels of customer service. Our Santa Fe location’s sales have now surpassed Nob Hill and we are working on an expansion of this location to better serve this community and help us maintain the comfortable shopping experience we all enjoy. We expect to complete this project by year end. Thank you, thank you, thank you, C.E. Pugh, General Manager

6/4

Member Engagement Committee, CDC 3361 Columbia NE (formerly called Member Linkage) 6/14-15 National Consumer Cooperative Management Association Conference

6/19 TBA

Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Finance Committee, location and date to be announced

June is member survey month! Fill yours out, bring it to your local CO-OP and get a 15% DISCOUNT on one shopping trip!

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MJB SPTFO

505 262-4801

Liarosen@earthlink.net 5SVNCVMM "WF 4& "MCVRVFSRVF /.

The Organic Label Means

NO CLONED

ANIMALS

by Will Fantle, Cornucopia Institute he National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), an expert advisory panel to the USDA’s National Organic Program, has made it clear that organic agriculture should not allow the use of cloned animals or their offspring in the production of organic food. The NOSB voted at their spring meeting in Washington, DC to exclude cloned animals, their offspring, and any food products from cloned animals from the organic sector.

The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last December that they were ready to approve the commercialization of cloning in livestock agriculture and indicated that they would not seek any identifying labels on cloned meat, dairy and other food products sold in the nation’s grocery stores. During its three-day meeting, NOSB members wrestled with language aimed at keeping cloning out of organics. Kevin Engelbert, vice-chair of the NOSB’s Livestock Committee and an organic dairy farmer from the state of New York, pressed hard for immediate and decisive action on the controversial technology. The Board’s recommendation provides guidance to the National Organic Program’s administrator on how to address cloned offspring and their food products in the organic sector. The 12-0 vote (with one abstention) occurred after the NOSB heard public comments over three days from numerous representatives of farm, consumer, retail and non-profit groups calling for the cloning ban in organics Jim Riddle, former chair of the NOSB and author of a cloning report for the Organic Center, was

pleased with the recommendation. “I am gratified to see that the NOSB has voted to prohibit cloned animals, their products, and their progeny from organic agriculture,” Riddle said. “Cloning,” added Riddle, “has no place in organic agriculture. As the FDA’s own report shows, cloning is still very experimental with a high failure rate, it’s inhumane and totally unnatural.” Representatives from the Center for Food Safety, Consumers Union, and the Organic Consumers Association were among those testifying in favor of a cloning ban in organics. The action by the NOSB will likely add further support to a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) that would outlaw the use of cloned animals and their offspring in organic food production. The bill, S536, is currently in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

ACTION ALERT: Please call or write both Senator Bingaman and Domenici and ask them to support the ban on the use of cloned animals for food production, especially organic food production in Senate Bill S536. Senator Jeff Bingaman: 703 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-5521 www.bingaman.senate.gov Albuquerque: 505-3466601, Santa Fe: 505-988-6647 Senator Pete Domenici: 328 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-6621 www.domenici.senate.gov Albuquerque: 505-3461, Santa Fe: 505-988-6511

More Information: www.cornucopia.org

Beneficial Farms Santa Fe, NM Fresh Fertile Eggs, 1 dozen, Sale $3.49 Rasband Dairy

Belen, New Mexico Fresh rBGH-free Milk, 1 gallon, Assorted Varieties, Sale $2.99

Rudi’s Organic Bakery Boulder, Colorado Organic Burger Buns, 16-18 oz, Assorted Varieties, Sale $2.99 Herbs, Etc. Santa Fe, NM Allergy ReLeaf System, 120 caps. Sale $29.99 Sandia Soap Albuquerque, NM Handmade Sandia Soap Bars, 5.5 oz, Assorted Varieties, Sale $3.29 High Desert Soap

Albuquerque, NM Handmade High Desert Soap Bars, 4 oz, Assorted Varieties, Sale $2.99

Contact angela@lamontanitacoop.com to advertise

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 5/30-7/3, 2007: Not all items

El Pinto Albuquerque, New Mexico Original Salsa and Green Chile Sauce, 16 oz, Assorted Varieties, Sale 2/$7

available at all stores.

LOCAL SALE ITEMS

June Specials

summer

eating

Sizzling

Dishes As the weather gets warmer, salads and light dishes that can be eaten at room temperature are the perfect match for a lazy summer day. With easy preparations to minimize time in the kitchen, these recipes will leave you plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine outdoors and have a healthful tasty treat. So get outdoors and take these refreshing meals with you. (Key: C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, lb. = pound, oz. = ounce) Butter Bean Salad 3 T apple cider vinegar 5 T olive oil 1/4 t pepper 1 T dried parsley 2 (15 oz.) cans butter beans, rinsed and drained 11 oz. can corn, drained 14.5 oz. can zesty chili diced tomatoes 1 small red onion, chopped In large bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley and mix well with wire whisk. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours, or serve immediately. (Serves 4-6). Chicken Wrap 2 C cubed cooked chicken breast 1/4 C honey Dijon salad dressing 1/4 C mayonnaise 1 green pepper, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 C shredded cheese (choose your favorite) 4 lettuce leaves 4 flour tortillas

June 2007 10

In a medium bowl combine chicken, salad dressing, mayonnaise, green pepper, and tomatoes and toss to coat well. Place tortillas on work surface and line with lettuce leaves and cheese. Divide chicken mixture among tortillas and roll up tightly, enclosing filling. Wrap in waxed paper and chill until serving time. (Serves 4).

(do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again. Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container. Process basil pesto until it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. Serve over pasta. Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months.

Layered Taco Dip 16 oz. can refried beans 2 C salsa 2 C sour cream 2 avocados 2 T lime or lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced 2 C shredded lettuce 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 2 C shredded Pepper Jack cheese Tortilla chips

Vegetarian “Chicken” Tostadas

In a medium bowl or platter, mix beans and half of salsa and spread evenly on a 12" round platter. Top with 2 cups sour cream. Mash avocados with lime juice, garlic. Spread over sour cream on platter. Top with remaining salsa. Sprinkle with lettuce, then tomatoes and cheese. Refrigerate 2 hours to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips. (Serves 10-12). Perfect Pesto Making fresh pesto is quick, easy, and pays off. In addition to pasta (served hot or cold), pesto is a great addition to sandwiches and a perfect accompaniment to freshly grilled meat and veggies.

4 flour tortillas 1/4 C oil 16 oz. pkg. frozen chicken flavored soy nuggets (or real chicken) chopped 16 oz. can vegetarian refried beans 2 C torn lettuce 2 C chunky salsa 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 avocado, peeled and chopped 1 T lemon juice 2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 C sour cream Heat oil in heavy skillet. Fry flour tortillas, one at a time, about one minute on each side until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Bake the nuggets according to package directions. Heat refried beans in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Toss chopped avocados with lemon juice in small bowl. Assemble tostadas as desired, first spreading with refried beans, then layering on chopped nuggets, lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. (Serves 4).

2 C fresh basil leaves, packed 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 C Olive oil 3 T pine nuts or walnuts 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Minty Mediterranean Orzo

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped

1 1/4 C orzo pasta 6 T olive oil, divided

Change your world, one purchase at a time.

The Community Rewards Program... cash rewards for your community, and cash back to you. It costs nothing to enroll! Start earning 0.25% cash rewards with every signature-based purchase with your ®

Visa Check Card. Each year we’ll donate a match of your total rewards to the community and charitable category of your choice: education, healthcare, the arts, or community support. Get full details at our Web site or at any of our 13 branch ofﬁces.

www.nmefcu.org 505-889-7755

800-347-2838

Member NCUA

3/4 C dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained 1/3 C red wine vinegar 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 C kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 1 1/2 C crumbled feta cheese 1 small red onion, diced 1/2 C finely chopped fresh mint leaves 1/2 C chopped fresh dill salt and pepper to taste Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Transfer pasta into a large bowl, and mix in 1 tablespoon olive oil; cover, and refrigerate until cool. Place lentils into a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer over low heat until lentils are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Combine the remaining olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl. Remove pasta from refrigerator; add lentils, oil mixture, olives, feta cheese, red onion, mint, and dill; stir until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Serves 6). Tuna Burgers with Pineapple Glaze and Green Chile 3 C pineapple juice 1/2 C white wine vinegar 1 T fresh ginger, finely chopped 3 T soy sauce 1/4 C light brown sugar, firmly packed 2 T Dijon mustard 3 T lime juice 1 t freshly ground white pepper 2 lbs fresh tuna steaks, finely chopped 2 T Dijon mustard 2 t chipotle pepper puree

eating

al fresco

1 T honey 2 T canola oil 2 green onions, thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground pepper 8 rolls Green Chile to taste Combine the pineapple juice, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons mustard, remove from the heat, and add the lime juice and white pepper. Let cool. Combine the tuna, 2 tablespoons Dijon, chipotle pepper puree, honey, oil, and green onions in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Shape the ground tuna firmly into 8 round uniform patties about 1 1/2-inches thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes; the burgers must be very cold to hold their shape when cooking. Grill burgers for 3 minutes on each side for medium doneness, basting often with the glaze. Serve the burgers on buns with green Chile spooned on top. (Serves 8). Confetti Corn Quesadilla 1 C fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears) 1 C grated zucchini, squeezed dry 1/4 C chopped cilantro 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped (optional) 1 1/2 C drained and rinsed canned black beans (one 15-ounce can) 1/2 t salt 1/4 t freshly ground pepper 1 t chili powder 2 C shredded Monterey Jack 8 flour tortillas 2 T vegetable oil In a large bowl, gently toss together the corn, zucchini, cilantro, jalapeno, beans, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Stir in the cheese. Heat the oven to 200Â°. Set the tortillas on a work surface. Put about 1/3 cup or more of the filling on half of each tortilla, spreading it to the edge and then folding the other half over it. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add 2 of the quesadillas to the pan and cook them for about 2 minutes per side, until the cheese melts. Transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you cook the remaining quesadillas, adding a bit more oil to the pan for each batch. Cut the quesadillas into wedges. (Serves 4 to 6). Cinnamon Chocolate Cake 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1/2 C butter 1 C hot water 2 C flour 2 C sugar 1 t cinnamon pinch of salt 1/3 C buttermilk 1-1/4 t soda

coming in

June...

your annual member survey!

watch your mailbox!

June 2007 11

2 eggs, beaten 1 t vanilla 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1/4 C butter 8 T milk 4 C powdered sugar 1/4 t cinnamon 2 t vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a double-broiler, melt 4 oz. chocolate and 1/2 cup butter in the hot water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk or eggbeater. Then stir in buttermilk, soda, eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Pour into 13x9" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the top springs back when touched with a fingertip. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 oz. chocolate and 1/4 cup butter together. Add powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla and beat well. You may need to add more milk or powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency: the frosting should be able to be poured. When the cake comes out of the oven, let cool for 15 minutes, then pour the frosting over. Spread if necessary, and let the cake cool. (Serves 16).

1 small jicama (about 8 ounces) 1 medium orange 1 medium lime 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 chopped jalapeĂąo Use a vegetable peeler to remove the brown skin of the jicama. Cut the jicama into sticks about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. (You should have about 1 cup.) Use the small holes of a grater, or a zester, and grate 1 tablespoon of each orange and lime zest (avoid the white pith). Slice off both ends of the orange and cut away the remaining peel. Cut out segments, leaving as much pith behind as possible. In a medium bowl, mix the jicama, orange segments, orange and lime zests, bell pepper, and cilantro. Add jalapeĂąo to taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. The recipes above have been adapted and reprinted from the following sources: www.food.com www.cooks.com/rec www.allrecipes.com La Montanita Co-op Deli Staff

FOOD

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

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Jicama and Orange Salad

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N EW DIR E C T I O N

! A T YOUR

CO-OP!

farming &

gardening

June 2007 12

Accredited Certifiers Association

“RULE”

PONDERING THE

BRETT BAKKER, NMOCC CHIEF INSPECTOR lthough the USDA/National Organic Program makes the regulations for certified organic production (ominously known as the Final Rule), the NOP has never acted as an actual certifying agent. Rather, they accredit organizations to act as certifiers. Some certifying agencies are part of their state government, such as the states of Washington, Texas or New Mexico— where yours truly toils away under ever mounting piles of paperwork. Some states have no certification program, such as Arizona or North Dakota but are served by private certifiers, such as Oregon Tilth or Quality Certification Services (in Florida) that send organic inspectors anywhere in the US or around the world. BY

Accreditation of an organic certifier involves rigorous review of policy, personnel & their experience, documentation, and execution & consistency of organic rule compliance. For example, I’m expecting this summer a three-day visit from a USDA auditor who will finetooth comb my files, shadow me on actual organic inspections and verify that NMOCC generally fulfills our duties and obligations to organic producers and the public. Embedded in all this is consistency. For example, allowing one farm to use a pest control or fertilizer we don’t allow another farm to use is a blatant violation. The more serious the violation, the greater chance of having accreditation revoked. Certified organic producers should be happy to hear this since they go through similar scrutiny and stress, courtesy of yours truly (see? I can dish it out and take it too!).

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

232-2358

Although the Final Rule is encoded in black and white, the meaning and intent of the rule isn’t. Certifiers begin to think like attorneys, pondering over the difference between “may” and “must” and “shall.” We wonder whether to certify yeast as a farm crop or livestock. Or what makes a nonorganic natural flavor (allowed by the Rule) actually natural? What is the extraction process for that

plastic mulch made from corn may render it prohibited. What’s more, we must field questions as to why a farm that NMOCC certifies in New Mexico is prohibited from doing something a farm in Arizona, certified by someone else, is allowed to do. What good is a rule if it’s carried out haphazardly or inconsistently? To address such problems, the Accredited Certifiers Association was formed in 2006 with the mission to “to ensure the integrity of organic certification in the United States. Purposes include developing uniform criteria for implementation of the USDA National Organic Program, certifier training, support and networking opportunities and being a forum for discussion of issues impacting organic certification.”

itchy green

thumb flavor? If it’s extracted with a processing aid rather than mechanical pressing, what is that “aid” and is it allowed (alcohol for example) or is it a prohibited synthetic (like chemical solvents)? Or if an enzyme or bacteria is present in a livestock nutrient supplement, was that organism derived from a genetically modified source? And where does one get this information about flavors, yeasts and solvents? Much of the information is proprietary and may take weeks or months to track down. What are the right questions to ask and addressed to whom? Certifiers are expected to have familiarity with just about every aspect of farming (from a half acre of veggies to a thousand of peanuts), livestock production (a backyard flock of laying hens to eight hundred milk cows) and food processing (bagging fresh herbs to ginning cotton to butchering beef). We’re expected to know why a removable plastic sheet used for mulch is allowed but also that the potential hazard of degradable

Each day we find ourselves discussing by email answers to all the queries I’ve posed above and many more. Our latest project is to get as many of the 56 domestic certifying agencies as possible to reach a consensus about rule specifics, policy implementation and how we put the Rule into action (from organic producers and from ourselves) on a daily basis. It’s easy to feel isolated under growing inquiries and applications for organic certification coming from every part of New Mexico, from dairies to body care products to peanut butter mills, but I’m delighted to find that most certifiers care as deeply about the quality of organics as passing muster with the NOP. The combined experience and knowledge about every facet of the organic industry is staggering. And it’s truly heartening to see that not only are certifiers establishing consistency and consensus in the Rule but care deeply about the original intent of organic certification, not doublespeak and semantics. We’re providing answers to tough questions that the NOP (as underfunded as any of us) hasn’t time to deal with.

You can find out more about the ACA and participating member certifiers at: http://www.accreditedcertifiers.org/

www.EricsTreeCare.com ericstreecare@earthlink.net

Summer is a great time to deadwood your larger trees & assess your Elms & Cottonwoods for potential hazards. Call for an estimate on crown cleaning your trees today.

Services

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

Federal Judge Halts Planting

Genetically Modified Crop

Federal Judge made a final ruling that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) 2005 approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) “Roundup Ready” alfalfa was illegal. The Judge called on USDA to ban any further planting of the GE seed until it conducts a complete Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the GE crop. In the decision, Judge Charles Breyer in the Federal Northern District of California echoed the Center for Food Safety’s (CFS) arguments in their lawsuit against USDA, that the crop could harm the environment and contaminate natural alfalfa. The ruling also requires Forage Genetics to provide the locations of all existing Roundup Ready alfalfa plots to USDA within 30 days of the May decision. The Judge ordered USDA to make the location of these plots “publicly available as soon as practicable” so that growers of organic and conventional alfalfa “can test their own crops to determine if there has been contamination.” “This permanent halt to the planting of this risky crop is a great victory for the environment,” said Will Rostov, a Senior Attorney for CFS. “Roundup Ready alfalfa poses threats to farmers, to our export markets, and to the environment. We expect the USDA to abide by the law and insure that American farmers are protected from genetic contamination.” In calling today for a permanent injunction, Judge Breyer noted that contamination

of natural and organic alfalfa by the GE variety has already occurred, and noted that “Such contamination is irreparable environmental harm. The contamination cannot be undone.” The permanent injunction ordered by Judge Breyer follows his previous ruling that USDA violated national environmental laws by approving GE alfalfa without a full Environmental Impact Statement. Monsanto and Forage Genetics, the developers of the GE alfalfa seed, failed to convince the Judge that their interests outweighed the public interest in food safety, freedom to farm natural crops, and environmental protection. In fact, Judge Breyer specifically noted that Monsanto’s fear of lost sales “does not outweigh the potential irreparable damage to the environment.” Judge Breyer found that USDA failed to address the problem of Roundup-resistant “superweeds” that could follow commercial planting of GE alfalfa. Commenting on the agency’s refusal to assess this risk, the judge stated, “Finally, the court rejects defendants’ assertion that allowing an expansion in the Roundup Ready alfalfa market is in the public interest because it promotes the use of less toxic herbicides. The record reflects that organic and most conventional forage alfalfa is grown without the use of any herbicides. “This ruling protects the ability of farmers producing organic meat and milk to obtain non-GMO alfalfa seed to grow feed for their animals and preserve the organic integrity of their products,” said Jim Munsch, a certified organic livestock producer from Coon Valley, one the plaintiffs. For more information, please visit www.centerforfoodsafety.org or www.cornucopia.org

SUMMER SOLSTICE OPEN HOUSE The Rio Grande Community Farm (RGCF) is hosting a "Summer Solstice Open House" at Los Poblanos Fields Open Space on Saturday, June 23 from 10am to 4pm. Join us for guided tours of our: new greenhouse, community garden corn plot for the much celebrated fall Maize Maze and much more. Fun for the entire family! Come on down and visit your urban working farm! For more information, please call 505.345.4580 or visit our web site at www.riograndefarm.org

green

consumer

GREEN IS THE NEW

June 2007 13 Reduce Your Wedding Footprint

WHITE

STEPHANIE CLAYTON hite weddings are getting a little greener. Your dream wedding doesn’t have to be wasteful to be beautiful. Even people aware of healthy environmental practices get carried away with planning lavish weddings that can leave behind an unnecessary ecological footprint. Everything from considering alternative fabrics for dresses and suits to ensuring the food and flowers you use are grown locally will help strengthen your commitment to the future of your environment as well as your love. Here are some ways to make the smallest environmental impact on your big day. BY

Location, location, location: In choosing the venue for this special day, consider a favorite outdoor spot. Botanical gardens are luscious backdrops for your event (and photos). Think of full colorful blooms everywhere without having to buy all of the fair trade, local flowers in your town! Also, by having the reception and ceremony in the same place, your guests won’t have to drive from one to the other. As for informing guests on the time and location of the big event, there are many options. Invitations alone can be a daunting process, and one aspect of a wedding that can be made much more eco-friendly. Just making sure the invitations are made from 100% recycled materials and made without the use of chlorine and harsh chemicals would be a great start. There are even papers made with embedded seeds, so guests could plant your invitation and have beautiful flowering tokens to remember the day by. If you’re really trying to cut costs as well as save the planet, consider using a reply postcard and say goodbye to various envelopes and inserts for each guest you plan to invite. And if you really want a green alternative, make a personalized event website with directions and details. You can even use an e-vite service (that sends out invitations to your guests’ e-mail) and allows them to RSVP online.

gestions regarding what is plentiful and in season. Include or use wildflowers exclusively, as these bright and delicate flowers are often overlooked and can really create a gorgeous atmosphere. Use as many potted plants in place of centerpieces and arrangements as you can. Not only are they easier to transport and set up, but they also make great favors for guests. If you want to give something more personalized, let your guests know that you have donated $1-$2 per guest to your favorite environmental organization. For a really bright gift, give each guest an 11-watt compact fluorescent bulb. Each of your guests replacing a 50-watt incandescent bulb with their wedding favor will save 685 pounds of carbon dioxide. Another great way to make your favor a growing promise for our future is to give tree saplings from the National Arbor Day Foundation at www.arborday.org. What about your wedding party? Consider presenting them with thoughtful, useful gifts like a massage or spa certificate to help unwind, wine, handmade soap and lotion packages, or a gift certificate to your local co-op!

FAIR TRADE

flowers

We all know the main event is second only to the bride’s wedding gown. Vintage is in, so consider saying “I do” in a glamorous dress from a previous decade. Or if you’ve decided on an original contemporary design, use organic silk or hemp fabric. If you want to be able to feel exactly like you felt on your wedding day after the vows have been exchanged, choose a simple dress that you can wear again. All of these apply to bridesmaid’s dresses as well as suits for the groom and the rest of the bridal party. If you already have the perfect dress, remember it is probably going to do more good for another blushing bride than vacuum-packed in storage, so consider donating it at www.idofoundation.org.

There are so many areas of a wedding that can be made greener. Don’t throw rice, bubbles are just as magical (if not more so) and don’t impact the wildlife and eco-systems in the surrounding area. Every aspect of your special day can be redeemed with “Green Tags” or Renewable Energy Certificates. For more information on Green Energy New Mexico’s “Green Tags” check out www.Green Energy NM.org. Make Mother Earth your guest of honor to ensure her gifts will continue to be bestowed throughout your lives together. Remember, your dress can be white, but make your wedding green!

Onto the feast! Find a caterer who is concerned with using local organic ingredients and make sure to offer vegetarian options. Almost as important as what you’re eating is what you’re eating on. Rent glasses, dishes, and cloth napkins to reduce waste or at least use biodegradable dishes and flatware made from cornstarch that can go in the compost to feed beautiful blooms, like the ones you’ll have at your wedding. Beautiful flowers don’t have to be costly to you or the environment. Find a florist that uses flowers from local and fair trade growers and ask for sug-

Help Extend Federal Solar

Tax Credits by Ben Luce As you probably know, the Federal government has in place a 30% solar tax credit. At the moment, the incentives drop to 10% — at the end of 2008. Fortunately Legislation is now before Congress that would extend the ITC by eight years: The "Securing America's Independence Act" (HR 550). Please take a moment to send an email to your congressional representative: visit www.seia.org for help doing so. This site is sponsored by the Solar Energy Industries Association (our national solar energy industry association), who have done a great job over the years lobbying for solar in DC.

This legislation is essential to the growth of all forms of active solar thermal, photovoltaics, and concentrating solar power (CSP). Although we have a state solar tax credit, which is quite good for residential solar installations, our New Mexico State credit is capped at $9000. The federal solar tax credit has no cap for commercial systems, which means its ideal for large solar systems on the roofs of businesses, and also for large CSP plants.

Available now at your local La Montanita Co-op

New Mexico's representatives are particularly influential on federal energy legislation. Indeed, they played a major role in getting the federal solar credits in the first place. Now is our chance to extend these, and give the solar industry the boost it needs to really compete. For more information go to info@NMCCAE.org

New Business Practices for a

Sustainable Future native Is your business or organization as green as you want it to be? Green It! The Sustainability Team is offering a workshop for small businesses and non profits: New Business Practices for a Sustainable Future. Experience firsthand how Green It! can empower your teams to transform and design your business practices to increase profitability, reduce costs, and minimize your eco footprint. Date: June 8, 2007 • Place: The Source, 1111 Carlisle Blvd, SE Albuquerque, NM • Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $175 includes lunch, workbook and follow up coaching. Call Maggie Seeley, 268-3339 to register.

with LOW WATER plants

PUEBLO OF TESUQUE Sustainable Agruiculture Seminars: June 9th Soil Fertility ad compost Management: A Lession in Balance with Ron Godin, a research scientist in organic and sustainable agriculture will address building, amending and maintaining soil fertility in our arid southwestern soils. July 13-14 Dio Dymanics: Life Force Energy, with Steve Storch, on the collective experience as influenced by planting, growing and harvesting in accordance with cosmic rhythms. Seminars are hosted by Tesuque Pueblo Agricultural Resource Center. More info and to confirm schedules call 505-955-7723.

Free, full-color Advertising Guide to local, family-centered goods & services For Advertiser information, e-mail us at childandfamily@qwest.net

outdoor

happenings

RIO GRANDE BOTANIC POLLINATOR WEEK

June 2007 14

GARDEN

EVENTS

hat do bees, bats, and beetles have in common? They are all plant pollinators and essential to many of the foods we love to eat and flowers we love to see. The Rio Grande Botanic Garden will celebrate pollinators during National Pollinator Week, Monday, June 25-Saturday, June 30 from 10am-2pm daily. Activities are included with regular admission, unless otherwise noted.

The birds, the bees, the bats and more... at the RIO GRANDE BOTANIC GARDEN

Visit hands-on discovery stations to meet a variety of pollinators, learn why flies are important to vanilla ice cream, and see how bees make honey and help make apple pie. Create pollinator arts and crafts, listen to stories about these incredible animals, learn about plants you can grow for pollinators. Guided tours of the PNM Butterfly Pavilion will be offered each day. Visitors can hear about their amazing life cycles and learn to identify many of the common species found in the pavilion.

Garden docents will also lead tours of the Pollinators’ Garden, pointing out plants that provide pollinator habitat. Spend time in the Pollinators’ Garden to see hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees at work gathering nectar and moving pollen. Gather information about how you can create a pollinator garden at home.

A variety of hands-on activities for children and adults will be offered in the courtyard of the Children’s Fantasy Garden each day. Build flowers and pollinator partners with recycled materials. Make a newspaper pot and plant a seed to take home and grow. Create a garden bracelet out of colorful beads representing a variety of flowers and pollinators. And help make bee and bat houses that will be hung in the BioPark to create habitat for pollinators. On Wednesday, June 27, join a guided tour from 7:00-8:30 all about nocturnal pollinators. Watch as bats dip and dart over the garden pond and listen for the buzz of hawk moths. The Pollinator Night Walk is $6 for adults and $4 for youth and seniors; pre-registration is suggested. Please call 848-7180 to register. Other speakers on gardening for pollinators and local beekeepers on general bee biology and colony collapse disorder will also be scheduled. For a full schedule of events or more information, please go to www.cabq.gov/biopark or call Amy at 848-7180.

New Mexico’s Herbal

EXPO Rediscover your innate capacity to move, think and feel. Karen Swift, MSPT, CFP

Wholistic Physical Therapy Integrating Feldenkrais®, Qi Gong, Yoga & hands on techniques.

505.401.8206

www.karenswift.com

he New Mexico Herb Growers Association will host the 2nd Herbal Expo on Sunday, June 24th at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The format will be a combination educational conference and vendors’ exhibit. Local herb and specialty crop growers, especially organic growers, will be on hand in the main plaza offering a wide variety of herbs and herbal products. These will include culinary herbs, ornamental and flowering plants, dye plants and dye plant products, honey and honey products, and of course medicinal herbs and herb products. Anyone providing a service that involves herbs, such as massage therapy, aromatherapy, or body and skin care using herbal products are also encouraged to have booths at the Expo. Made possible by a grant from the NMDA Specialty Crops Program, the Herbal Expo is an excellent way for health-conscious consumers and the general public to learn more about the importance and value of herbs, natural health products, and alternative health care. This year’s educational conference features both local and national expertise coming together to help growers learn more about how to grow and market these specialty crops, as well as explaining and discussing the various aspects of herbal regulations that may develop in the coming months and years. Two con-

current tracks will be held, one focusing on herb production and marketing, the other dealing with the clinical and regulatory aspects of herbalism and the herb industry. The growth of the herb industry over the last ten years, coupled with things like the recent ephedra scare, have brought herbs and herbalism increasingly under the scrutiny of the FDA. The possibility of medicinal herb standardization, greater regulatory measures, and restriction of the availability of herbs, could have negative consequences for small-scale herb growers and limit the availability of certain herbs to consumers. Growers, herbalists, and the general public all need to be kept informed of these issues and their potential impact on the herb industry and alternative health care. Our first Herbal Expo held last summer was a great success, thanks to the volunteer efforts of the Expo committee and support from sponsors like La Montanita Co-op. We hope to build on that success and continue to offer the Expo as an opportunity to promote locally-grown, smallscale, organic herbs, specialty crops, and herb products. For more information about the conference or to register, contact Charles Martin at cmartin@nmsu.edu or call 505-852-9071. If you wish to be a vendor, please contact Monique Ortega, vendor coordinator, at 852-0555 or email jmak2415@valornet.com.

The Herb Industry IS GROWING

Albuquerque Open Space

Summer Series Join the City of Albuquerque’s Open Space Division for a summer of family fun during our 2007 Open Space Summer Series. All programs are free with a $2.00 parking fee. The Elena Gallegos Picnic Area is located at the end of Simms Park Road, east of Tramway Boulevard, just north of Academy. For more information, call Bill Pentler at 452-5222 or go to www.cabq.gov/openspace. Saturday SUNSET SERIES at Elena Gallegos Picnic Area The Saturday Sunset Series will feature talks, demonstrations and concerts by some of Albuquerque's best speakers, teachers and performers at the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area Amphitheater on Saturdays at 7pm. June 2: Two Roses: Flute and Harp – Performance by Bonnie Schmader and Donese Mayfield

June 9: Talking Talons – Animal demonstration and talk by Talking Talons Staff June 16 : Wildlife West – Animal demonstration and talk by Wildlife West Staff June 23: Flint Knapping – Talk by Luther Rivera June 30: NM Ghost Hunters – Facts and stories by Ghost Hunter Staff July 7: Ancient Weapons – Talk by Ron Fields SUNDAY HIKES at Elena Gallegos Picnic Area, Pino Trailhead Starting at 9am on selected Sundays from the Pino Trailhead, knowledgeable guides will lead Sunday Hike explorations of the geology, flora and fauna of the Sandia Mountain Foothills. June 10: Introduction to GPS – Erik Zsemlye June 17: Bike Maintenance 101 – REI Staff June 24: Map and Compass for Families – Paul Daily July 1: Tracking – Casey McFarland July 15: A Hike Through Time; Archeology of the Foothills – Dr. Matt Schmader, Open Space Division

SO CLOSE, YET A WORLD AWAY

community

Forum

June 2007 15

Statewide

Center for

Contemporary A r t hroughout its twenty-eight year history, the Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) of Santa Fe has remained the only multi and interdisciplinary arts organization dedicated to presenting a full compliment of contemporary arts.

The first event in the newly renovated gallery space will be the 6th Annual Photography Auction; a highly anticipated celebration offering artists an opportunity to exhibit as well as to have work acquired by supportive patrons.

CCA is looking forward to a summer of events that will include the opening of the muchanticipated Muñoz Waxman Gallery in August. The $1.75 million renovation of the once-shuttered warehouse is being undertaken by the ‘LEED’ architects, Atkin, Olshin, Lawson-Bell. CCA’s partnership with this firm will ensure a whole-building approach to sustainability, recognizing the importance of the five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

CCA’s Cinematheque, currently undergoing its own renovation, is set apart from other regional cinemas by its post-film discussions and lectures, and its partnerships with other organizations. One such collaboration, coming in June, with Bioneers, will explore the profound and increasingly politicized state of water in the On Water series.

The CCA’s inclusive arts policy is exemplified by ‘artREACH’ which enables members of social service agencies, students enrolled in Title 1 and Pueblo schools to take advantage of CCA’s programs, including the MediaLab’s workshops, admission to CCA films, forums and performances for free.

Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy

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

505-266-6522 For a complete overview of the happenings at CCA, visit their website at ccasantafe.org. Memberships to the Center start at only $35.

North Valley Coalition: Urban Agriculture Open Forum

Open Space and Urban Agriculture: A Panel Discussion, Thursday, June 7th, 7:10-8:55pm at the North Valley Senior Center. Doors open at 6pm for refreshments and networking – NVC Annual Business 6:30-7:00pm.

Come hear speakers from local farmers co-ops, conservation groups, civic leadership and planning, and community volunteers talk about the interplay between public and private open space urban envelope farming, local foods initiatives, acequia use and history, and recreational use. This is for everyone who lives, works and eats in the valley community. For more info contact Chris Weller at 440-6293 or visit: www.northvalleycoalition.org

come one, come all 1114 Seventh Street NW

MISHRAS BENEFIT AT THE OUTPOST India’s acclaimed father-son sitar duo “The Mishras” are coming to North America for their 2007 summer tour. From their home city of Benares, an ancient spiritual centre of traditional music and Hindu culture, they will be bringing Classical North Indian Ragas and folk music to communities throughout British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The Mishras will be in New Mexico at the Outpost Performance Space on June 17th. For more information, tickets and show times call Candice at 505-779-3842 or go to www.kindmusic.ca

Body-Centered Counseling

enjoy dinner and dialogue on food related topics

with Greg Gould, Phil Pohl, Kathy Isaacson and others at “The Space” behind Michael Thomas Coffee, 1111 Carlisle SE (North of Gibson) from 6-8PM

June 26th features Food Politics with discussions on global trade, security, policy, energy, culture and history. July 31st features Food Sustainability including local foods, community development, farming recycling and water issues. August 28th features Food Philosophy focusing on personal commitment, cooking value, communication, relationships and health.

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

Space is limited please e-mail Amanda at guavapuree@hotmail.com for reservations. Entrance fee includes dinner, drinks, dialogue and food film clips.

it’s all about

food!

505-242-6367 www.harwoodartcenter.org

Reception Fri 6/8 5-8:30

Are you concerned about loss of open space, horse and farm animal uses, and arable farmland across the Greater North and South Valley Areas? The North Valley Coalition invites you to an open forum on the subject:

shows run june 4-27

Artists of the Rio Abajo: Fine Arts Unlimited of Valencia County Metamorphosis: Betty Dore Expressionism Thoughts-Small World: Gerry Mlynek Corporeal Land(ing)s: Jessica Dunn

While CCA makes the transition into the new gallery space they will host ’26 Hours’ a site-specific event at the Art Santa Fe International Contemporary Art Fair. Curators Zane Fischer of the Santa Fe Reporter and disCOARSE.com and CCA’s Visual Arts Director Cyndi Conn will select 26 artists to participate in 26 solo exhibitions in a combined project space. The exhibits, featuring a rotating schedule of painting, sculpture, installation, conceptual and performance art, will take place each and every hour with each solo exhibition lasting approximately 40 minutes.

CCA has long been committed to providing educational resources to students and artists, especially those working with technology. The CCA Integrated Media Arts Program provides access to technology to help improve media literacy and to support the professional development of media artists in our region.

HARWOOD

ART CENTER