La Montanita Coop Connection August, 2007

Food-Shed UPDATE Season of ABUNDANCE Peaches:

And it’s not just the larger fauna that they steward at Rancho Durazno! The diversity of their farm, the compost they add, the conservative use of Colorado River water in their micro sprinklers and drip irrigation system, and the flowering

a summer HIGHLIGHT!

BY ROBYN SEYDEL

N

othing is so evocative of summer as the aroma and flavor of fresh sweet peaches. Childhood memories of eating summer peaches, their juice running down chins and arms is one many of us may share. Peaches are one of the “highlights of the eating season” as Thomas Cameron of Rancho Durazno in Palisades Colorado puts it. And well he should know with his 24 acres and thousands of pounds of organic peaches being harvested as you read this.

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PEACHES...

Rancho Durazno means "Peach Farm" in Spanish although many folks just call it the “The Cameron Place." At an elevation of 4,775 feet, this 32 acre farm is surrounded by wild lands, desert cliffs and “slopes no one should farm.” The warm days, intense sunlight and cool nights and make this one of the best sites in a valley famous for its peaches.”

FROM

Rancho Durazno has been certified organic for 16 years, since the state of Colorado first began doing organic certification. A first-generation farmer, Thomas has been working this land for 29 years. The farm is mostly orchard, with plums, apricots and cherries as well as peaches. Thomas has recently diversified the farm with all the veggies and livestock necessary for their new CSA, as well as providing fruit for the Co-op’s Food-Shed project.

Rancho Durazno

cover crops they grow to feed and nurture a healthy eco-system of soil microbes all come together as an essential part of the whole ethics of organic and sustainable farming they live by. “We are land stewards, committed to organic farming and living in harmony with the needs of our land.”

A dedicated environmentalist as well as a farmer, the conservationbased agriculture he practices has created a de facto wildlife sanctuary. Sightings on the farm include woodchucks, wild quail (who help eat the grasshoppers), all sorts of songbirds, the occasional bear, and those “foxes with whom we shared a couple of chickens lately,” says Thomas.

And too, while many farms fail to provide a fair wage and just life for the seasonal labor that make a farm run, the Camerons “place great importance on providing sustainable conditions for our workforce.” In the 1970’s Janet came to help with a “harvest and fell in love with the land and with Thomas.”

Having now raised their three girls, she says “we believe that farm work can be a rite of passage for many, instead of a life of drudgery for a few.”

Workers come to the farm from all over the world and, says Thomas, “many are on track to become our next generation of farmers, others are just getting a taste of the farming life.”

Since 1996, students and recent graduates, volunteers and interns from all over the world have worked on the farm, many of them sponsored by organizations such as CIEE and Intrax. The cross cultural perspective deepens the experience for all involved. About one third of their work force are migrant farmworkers, many of whom come back year after year with their families. Says Thomas, “We make a mutually satisfactory agreement for each laborers' compensation and arrangements.”

They have built a new” hostel” with baths, a large kitchen and comfortable bunk beds.

Thomas and Rancho Durazno share many of the same values as the Co-op. They believe that “growing great fruit involves these important principles: sincerity, generosity, reliability, commitment and community building. They “not only hope you'll buy and enjoy our fruit, we hope to share with you the important values that are a part of everything we do.”

Look for Rancho Durazno peaches in August and September. Ask at your favorite Co-op produce department for special orders of whole cases for canning and freezing.

Area Farmers’ Markets Support Your Local Growers!

Albuquerque Growers’ Market Behind the Ta Lin Market on Alcazar Street Sat. 7am-12pm • Tues. 7am-12pm • 6/30-10/27 • Contact Ken Hayes (869-2369) Albuquerque Downtown Growers’ Market 8th and Central Ave. at Robinson Park • Sat. 7am-11am • 6/9-10/27 • Contact: Eric Garretson (243-2230) Belen Growers' Market Anna Becker Park, Hwy 309/Reinken Ave. • Fri. 4:30pm-7pm • 7/610/26 • Contact: Jenniffer Singleterry (401-4390) Bernalillo Farmers' Market 282 Camino del Pueblo, one block S of 550 • Fri. 4pm7pm • 7/6-late October • Contact: Anthony Garcia (264-3013) Cedar Crest Farmers' and Arts Market 12127 North Highway 14 (SR-14) • Wed. 3-7pm • 7/27- end of October • Contact: Cynthia Daly (286-1335) Corrales Growers’ Market Corrales Rec Center, 500 Jones Road • Sun. 9am-12pm • Wed.4-7pm • 4/29-10/28 • Contact: Al Gonzales (898-6336)

Coming Soon! Old Windmill’s

Edgewood Farmers' Market 1 Eunice Court, one mile west of N.M. 344 • Mon. 3-7pm • 7/25-end of October • Contact: Craig Noorlander (281-7851) Los Ranchos Growers’ Market Village Hall, 6718 Rio Grande Blvd. NW • Sat. 711am • 5/5-10/27 • Contact: Sue Brawley (890-2799) • Los Ranchos Winter Market • Second Sat. of each month 10am-12pm/Nov. 10-April 13 Nob Hill Growers’ Market Morningside Park, 299 Morningside Dr. SE • Thurs.

3-6:30pm • 5/17-11/8 • Contact: Georgia Daves (869-3553) San Felipe Farmers’ Market Exit 254 East off I-25 to the West parking lot of the San Felipe Casino Hollywood • Wed. 4-7pm •7/4-10/24 • Contact: Felice Lucero (505/771-9972, 505/867-3381) South Valley Growers’ Market Cristo Del Valle Presbyterian Church, 3907 Isleta Blvd. SW • Sat. 8-12pm • 6/16-mid-October • Contact Rhonda Reinert (877-4044) Santa Fe Farmers’ Market De Vargas Mall parking lot • Sat. 8am-12pm

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BUY ELECTIONS CALENDAR

October 21: Annual Membership Meeting. Candidates have an opportunity to introduce themselves to the membership. Food, square dancing and CDC tours.

November 1-14: Annual Board of Directors Elections.

Watch your home mailbox for your Co-op Election Ballot.

Return ballot in the envelope provided.

Goat Chevre

To Michael and Ed, Old Windmill Goat Dairy Farm is a dream come true. In 2000, old windmills were their big interest and their dream was to have an old Chicago Aeromotor Windmill. They also had an interest in animals and before long had gathered a cow, a donkey, chickens and some turkeys.

Pretty soon it became clear that not only did they need additional barn space but they needed more water for their feathered and furry friends.” So we put the word out to our local well driller and next thing we know, he offers us his old 1945 Chicago Windmill. It’s amazing how dreams come true.”

Now they have a herd of 100% purebred registered Nubians they call “Michael and Ed’s Huerfano”.

Over the years they have joined the American Goat Dairy Association, added more land, barns and a creamery. Their goat cheeses have won awards both locally and nationally and they say, “our dreams now focus on becoming the best little goat dairy on the prairie and making the best darn goat cheese.”

We think that dream has come true as well and the Co-op FoodShed Project will soon be picking up assorted flavors of Old Windmill Dairy goat cheese as part of our regular routes. Look for this reasonably priced, high quality goat cheese at Co-op locations.

August 14: Nominations for Candidates for the Board of Directors Elections open. All candidates must have been Co-op members as of July 1st 2007. Packets available at all locations.

September 24: Nominations for candidates close. Members should be sure to update their address at the local Co-op Information desk if they have moved to receive ballots.

Award Winning

your CO-OP

WANTS YOU!

MEMBERS: ADDRESS CORRECTIONS On August 31 our fiscal year comes to a close. In order to have the most up-todate database for our annual independent auditors review and for the Board of Directors’ consideration of our annual patronage refund we need your help.

IF YOU HAVE MOVED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS AT YOUR LOCAL CO-OP LOCATION. Thanks, Your Membership Department.

season of abundance HARVEST TIME 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.

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT 2

the amazing

TOMATO STEPHANIE CLAYTON omatoes have come into the spotlight once again due to recent medical studies researching the properties of lycopene and its effect on prostate cancer. But the tomato is used to controversy and has a colorful history that started long ago. What other fruit can boast such an extensive variety of colors and uses, including being named as an aphrodisiac, as well as having its very own court case?

The tomato is not only healthy, it is essential to many everyday recipes and the star of many outlandish culinary feats such as Green Tomato Cake and Mintinfused Tomato Sorbet.

BY

T T

A favorite in ethnic dishes all over the world, the tomato was first “discovered” in Mexico when Spanish and Portuguese explorers were introduced to the native tomato. Brought to Europe and named the “apple of love” or “apple of paradise”, the tomato was quickly dispersed on spice routes and soon arrived in India. Today tomatoes are so ubiquitous, we tend to forget what a huge role they play in adding flavor, color and nutrients to an astounding variety of dishes.

These versatile fruits end up in everything, including: ketchup, cocktail sauce, tomato juice, barbecue sauces, salsa, Bloody Marys, Sloppy Joes, steak sauce, hot sauce, soups, curries, pasta dishes, salads, marinades, sandwiches, chili, salads, and yes even desserts. They can be stuffed, boiled, sliced, stewed, pureed, juiced, deviled, glazed, pickled, grilled, fried, or served raw. As if they weren’t varied enough in their natural state, tomatoes can be vine-ripened, processed, crushed, sliced, whole, peeled, diced, and sun dried.

DELECTABLE

FOODS

This warm-season crop takes about 5-7 weeks from blooming to ripening anytime during June to October. The tomato is a good source of potassium, B- carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin C. Research has shown that tomatoes contain lycopene, the carotenoid pigment that turns tomatoes (as well as guava, watermelon, and pink grapefruit) red. Lycopene is an antioxidant that can help fight off many types of cancer by lessening the damage caused by free radicals. A mild anti-inflamatory (useful in preventing heart disease) that is very low in calories as well as being low on the glycemic index, the tomato is loaded with health benefits and is easy to incorporate into almost any diet. In fact, just one half-cup of tomato sauce has 21.9 mg of lycopene. The same amount of tomato juice contains 13.2 mg and just two tablespoons of tomato paste contains 18.2 mg of the antioxidant.

Just because of its serious health benefits, don’t overThe tomato look the tomato’s other great is the achievements. The tomato is world’s the world's most popular MOST fruit, with more than 60 million tons of tomatoes proPOPULAR duced per year. There are fruit... more than 4,000 varieties of vegetable... tomatoes, the smallest being fruit. the marble-size cherry tomato and the largest being a 7 pound Ponderosa tomato grown in Oklahoma. In Ohio tomato juice is the official state beverage. It made even bigger American history when the U.S. Supreme court ruling in 1893 declared once and for all the vegetable status of this biological fruit. Despite Italy’s consumption of tomatoes for pasta, pizza, sauces, soups and salads, the tomato makes international news every year from Southern Spain. La Tomatina Festival, The Tomato Throwing Festival, is held on the last Saturday of August every year in Bunol, Valencia and has been a regular event since 1945 in which participants clobber each other with tomatoes until the streets run red with pulp.

With their luscious vibrant colors, fresh taste and remarkable health benefits, not to mention eventful past, make tomatoes the star of your next meal. Feel free to improvise on the recipes below to sample the variety of flavors and textures available from this truly amazing fruit… vegetable… fruit.

TOMATO

RECIPES Fresh Tomato Pasta Toss

Tomato Soup with a Twist

12 C fresh tomatoes, diced 4 t garlic, fresh minced 1 T salt 1 t black pepper, ground 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 7 oz. pasta (cooked according to package) 1 C spinach washed & dried 3 T grated parmesan

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 2 C water 2 t salt 1 1/2 T granulated sugar 3 (2-in.) cinnamon sticks 3 (1/4-in. thick) lemon slices 2 T butter 3 T all-purpose flour 1 C heavy cream Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Refrigerate until needed. When ready, drain pasta, then immediately toss with 1 cup tomato sauce and spinach. Spinach should be just wilted. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. (Serves 4-6)

locally grown!

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to simmer; reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and discard lemon slices and cinnamon sticks.

Pour mixture into blender container and process until smooth.

Meanwhile, in clean saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir to combine. Gradually add puréed soup, whisking constantly until smooth. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

May be prepared to this point and stored, covered, in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When ready to serve, heat to simmer; stir in cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve piping hot in warm soup bowls. (Serves 10) Confetti Tomato Salad Collect a variety of different color and size tomatoes (yellow, striped purple heirloom, pink, cherry, etc).

Clean, dice, and season with fresh herbs (basil, oregano), olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and serve over salads, meats, grain dishes, or as a scene-stealing side-dish.

All nutritional data, history, facts, and recipes were complied from the following sources: www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C0000101c20lf.html www.furmanos.com/tom_trivia.cfm www.ctga.org www.tomato.org

Don’t miss the

Tomato Festival!

Be a part of Albuquerque’s First Annual Tomato Fiesta! August 12, 2007 from 11am - 4pm at the Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87112. Tickets: $5.00.

Enjoy: Tomato cooking demos, ABQ Master Gardner Cookbooks, Plant Clinic, Food- Music, and a special “Kids Corner.” Also there will be workshops and talks with Bernalillo County Extension Agent, Joran Viers, on “Tomato Problems-Pests & Diseases”and Maggie Seeley on ”Permculture.” This Tomato Festival is fun for the whole family. For more information contact Melissa Nelson (505) 720-8278, Email: interiorcreations@msn.com,

Aug

12 August 2007

season of abundance

Counting

Blessings L

SCOTT PITTMAN ooking out my window at the incredible diversity of pollinators floating in an amorphous cloud around the deep Georgia O’Keefe pink hollyhock blooms reminds me to be grateful for the abundance of this season. The rains have been a blessing for most of New Mexico, greening hillsides that have been drought parched for so many years. It’s a little astonishing that there are still seeds and roots to sprout after such a prolonged dry period. Stark reminders of this recent drought are the dead pinon that punctuate the skyline. This memorial only makes the present moment even more special.

BY

And peaches! The fruit is ready to pick and eat. I have a four-year rule about stone fruit that mostly works and that is that you can expect fruit one year out of every four. One tree, an early variety, got caught by the late frost but still managed to produce about a quarter of its usual yield. The later blooming varieties are groaning under the weight of fruit with sticks propping up bent branches, if you squint your eyes it could be a multi-trunked Banyan. Here it is the middle of summer and we are already thinking of winter’s peach jam, chutney, and compote stored in glass jars awaiting our pleasure.

Last fall’s garlic is coming in now with full plump cloves that will last us until this time next year. Onions are also starting to reach harvestable size and will also be stored for winter stews and garnish. My wife Arina is gathering mineral rich nettle, red clover, strawberry and raspberry leaves and alfalfa for herbal teas. Dill weed is drying on the kitchen windowsill. Peas are long gone, the last batch eaten more than two weeks ago, about the same time that the squash was planted.

Last year, after a tsunami of grasshoppers devastated our garden and orchard, we replanted in July and discovered that we could actually grow squash without waging war with the dreaded squash beetle. For the first time ever we watched plants grow without a sign of beetle, and there was still plenty of time in the growing season to collect and put away ripened winter squash. This is another bad year for grasshoppers but our place is a little island of few grasshoppers, thanks to thirteen vigilant guinea fowl.

We bought these birds last year as a final desperate attempt to stem the tide of destruction wrought by the grasshopper. We picked up little chicks from the feed store in Espanola, in a cardboard box with ventilation holes poked in the sides with a ballpoint pen. Raised inside for a couple of weeks, they were then taken outside. I trained them by catch-

ing grasshoppers and offering little morsels to the anxiously waiting youngsters They were amazing students of entomology and soon were racing through the pastures in search of grasshoppers.

The only indication that anything was going on was the movement of the tops of the alfalfa plants as they passed through far below. Sometimes the hoppers were too high on the plant for the young Guineas to reach them and I would walk through the field and shake the tops, forcing the insects to leap to the ground, where they were quickly dispatched by my feathered army.

Guinea fowl are natives of Guinea, a country in western Africa and have never really been tamed. They are free ranging and prefer to roost high in trees. They stick around as long as you feed them a regular handfull of grain; they like to roost in the same place every night. They are very alert to predators and strangers and with the arrival of either they vocalize a cacophony of other worldly sounds. They also like to sing a little serenade from their roost perches at sunset. Over the years I have adjusted my aesthetic to include the Guinea symphony.

We recently bought two nanny goats for milk and our little tribe of Guineas immediately fell into formation behind the goats, following them and breaking up their manure in search of parasites. It seems that these fowl are perfect companion animals to grazers. The author Joel Salatin writes about controlling parasites in cattle by having chickens follow the grazing herd.

Valley

Our goats also provide the additional bonus of being browsers and, as it turns out, love elm; especially those tender shoots that sprout around the trunk after you have cut down the tree! We are now able to harvest armloads of elm shoots and branches and turn it into delicious, easy-to-digest, fresh milk. Elm is no longer a weed on our farm, but is a part of the cycle of milk, cheese and yogurt.

Gallup

The Guineas and goats fit seamlessly into a cycle containing animals, gardens, orchards, ponds, residences and nature. Through trial and error and a lot of observation through permaculture design we are slowly creating a place of sustainability.

Scott Pittman has been teaching and designing permaculture ecosystems for 22 years. Learn more about upcoming permaculture events, classes, and other permaculture applications on Scott’s website: www.permaculture.org.

Santa Fe

PERMACULTURE DESIGN FOR FOOD

Rio Grande Community Farm:

Corn Maze T

he Rio Grande Community Farm (RGCF) in association with the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division, announces the 10th Annual MAIZE MAZE at Los Poblanos Fields Open Space in Albuquerque’s North Valley. The Maize Maze is widely celebrated, attracting thousands of participants from around the region. This year’s Maze design is called BRANCHING OUT, which describes RGCF’s exciting new opportunities and achievements this year. With the hiring of a greenhouse manager for our first year in the new greenhouse and hiring of an outreach and education coordinator, the RGCF is thrilled to be breaking new ground in the production of organic crops and community engagement.

The 2007 Maize Maze will run from September 1 to October 31, operating Friday evenings 6-8pm, Saturdays 10am-8pm and Sundays 12-6pm. Special Moonlight Maze on September 28 & 29 and October 26 & 27 (also Haunted Maze), offer extended hours until 9pm. Holiday Maze operation is 12-6pm.

Opening day, September 1, will kick off with community leaders celebrating 10 years of Maize Mazes.

In addition to the BRANCHING OUT Maize Maze there will be other activities and attractions, including a hay-bale labyrinth, horse-drawn carriage shuttles, viewing telescopes, pumpkin patch, music and farm products for sale (sunflower-seed heads, corn shocks, hay bales and more). School groups, scout groups, company outings, clubs and other groups can arrange private field trips during the week by calling 345.4580.

Volunteers are needed. For more information please call 917.3488.

August 2007

This year’s Maize Maze design sits on 8 acres and you enter through a field of Mammoth Russian Sunflowers. It has been created from the planting of an heirloom variety called Mexican June. Traditionally this variety has been planted in the Rio Grande Valley for its tall stalks growing up to 12+ feet, producing excellent feed for livestock and other animals and for migrating sandhill cranes and Canadian geese during the winter.

Rio Grande Community Farm is a donor-funded non-profit (501(C)3) organization formed in 1997, to manage a portion of Los Poblanos Fields Open Space in partnership with the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division. Through grants, fund-raising, special events, garden member fees, and the sale of certified organic hay and other farm products, the RGCF is able to provide several programs and services to the community: family-oriented events, service-learning for adults and children, a community garden (where members can grow their own organic produce and flowers), and a greenhouse for demonstration and education.

It is the farm’s mission to: demonstrate sustainable urban agriculture; enhance wildlife habitat; research and interpret the relationship between people, food and public land; create educational and training opportunities; celebrate the culture and traBY IAN SIMMONS ditions of agriculture.

For more information contact Maze Coordinator Beverly Rowe at 345.4580 or riograndecommunityfarm@earthlink.net or Ian Simmons 917.3488, email: isimmon2@comcast.net.

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

back to

school

PREVENTING NATURE DEFICIT

Getting Kids Outside

August 2007 4

DISORDER

AILEEN O’CATHERINE n 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring pointed the way toward understanding pollutants and the imbalance of the human footprint upon the natural world. It took years for society to understand the importance of what she outlined through her work.

BY

Yet free play, and play that allows children to interact with their senses in the natural world, is more important than ever. In order to face the challenges of global warming and precarious resources, our children must first have a vested interest

I

Similarly, Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder, published in 2005, views the imbalance between the natural world and the decreasing time children spend within it. As with Carson’s work, it may be years before we fully understand the importance of what Louv uncovered with this deep, unnatural disconnect. He terms it Nature Deficit Disorder. And although the label isn’t a clinical diagnosis, it remains real. Children increasingly fail to experience the sights, sounds and smells of nature.

Under a canopy of leaves near my childhood home, I dug, climbed and observed sun and seasons. I learned the difference between the smell of clay and loam soils. My calm sense of place evolved through discovering the world of natural systems. That early connection to nature underpins the love of science I have today.

Yet in the United States, children no longer freely roam in nature. Fear of crime keeps children close to home and under adult supervision.

Increasing demands on family time, especially in families with two working parents, push children toward more structured, supervised environments such as after-school care. And increasing litigation has caused schools to monitor play so that children can no longer explore even puddles freely. The underlying message for children is that nature is dangerous. In addition, children spend increasing amounts of time indoors. Our culture of television, movies, computers, and the Internet all vie for children’s attention. Some prefer this manmade world. Nature, these kids might argue, is boring.

in what they are meant to help save. Rather than make them fearful of the natural world, we need to bring them closer to it. Teach them about the Amazon rainforest, but not until they first discover the trees in their own backyard.

Empathy for the larger world will come if children are allowed to develop it for the smaller one in which they really live. And in exposing them to the world’s environmental dangers first, before they know their own neighborhood, we run the risk of making children feel helpless and overwhelmed.

The benefits to knowing nature go beyond creating empathy for the world outside the window and the rainforest beyond. Children who spend regular time in nature are calmer and less stressed. Being human animals, we spent millennia close to dirt, cloud, twig and bush. To be separate from the world we evolved in runs counter to our biological leanings. Nature calms us, gives our animal selves a chance to realign.

To turn the disorder around, we must first begin to see it. Once recognized, the solution becomes clear. The National Wildlife Federation recently instituted The Green Hour to validate Louv’s work. They recommend spending an hour a day with your child outside, exploring nature. If it can’t be an hour, make it thirty minutes, even ten. But make the effort to share nature with children you know. Garden together to contemplate seasons, the importance of temperature, water, sunlight and why the dirt beneath our feet equates to food. Pitch a tent in the backyard and discover the night sky. Spend time on the edges of ponds and ravines. Learn the calls of birds.

In 1959, the United Nations proclaimed that children have a right to play. In 1961, the International Association for the Child’s Right to Play called for adults to advocate this right. In 1973, the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play formed in the U.S., dedicated to preserving child’s play. Today’s children, faced with decreasing opportunities to play, face an even greater threat: the ability to discover it within the natural world. Children don’t just need to play in nature.

They have a right to do so.

Children will always crave discovery. The freedom and limits of moving their bodies in space will one day help them understand the physics of motion.

The canopy of trees down the street might help them imagine the solution to global warming. But most of all, children have the right to be children. If we care about them, we must let them be the natural explorers they already are. Let them feel grass tickle. Let them watch light move. Let them take the joy of what they find with their five senses and create with it a larger, better and more balanced world.

childrencrave

Children’s Health:

is

FATthe Future?

BY STEPHANIE CLAYTON hildhood obesity is a growing problem with countless repercussions.

The future of this sad trend includes a slew of health complications with fatigue and depression rapidly becoming the norm with debt from insurmountable medical bills. Most frightening of all is a steady decline in life-expectancy. Is this the future we want for our children? Surely not, but what can we do to change it?

C

In decades past, home-prepared food was common fare for most families. Legions of housewives made this possible, basically unitl the 1950’s. While many homemakers returned to family life after WWI, the female wartime workforce of WWII continued to work outside the home after the war ended.

Processed and individually packaged food created with army-like distribution requirements became pantry staples. Canned veg-

etables and meats, long shelf-life items, and the increased use of corn syrup and preservatives became the standard.

Convenience and packaging became more important than nutritional quality. Now we are experiencing the end product as subsidies created during the Great Depression to support farmer’s efforts to feed a starving nation have been usurped to subsidize large agro-business manufacture of cheap processed foods, making them calorie for calorie more affordable than fruits and vegetables.

CO-OP SOLUTION: Buy bulk minimally processed grains, flours, nuts, and dried fruit as basic pantry staples.

Take your children shopping with you to show them and let them choose some healthy options. Take the time to prepare meals together. Even if you only do it once or twice a week, it will instill in them the knowledge and importance of choosing fresh, healthful foods for themselves.

Despite the government’s $1 billion nutrition education budget, many children have already acquired a taste for conventional, processed, and fast foods which are less expensive and more readily available than the fruit and vegetables promoted by health officials. Just 4 of the 57 government programs studied by the Associated Press had any impact at all on changing the way kids eat. Lack of exercise and increased exposure to technology, such as TV, video games, and the computer, also have a huge impact on the booming weight of young children who are choosing a sedentary lifestyle CO-OP SOLUTION: It’s okay to watch Saturday morning cartoons, but make a point of going on a walk or providing other physical activity options and limit TV time. Even if your kids are doing other non-physical activities like reading or artwork they won’t be exposed to advertisements that trigger them to eat junk food.

Why do kids choose packaged foods over fruits and vegetables even after being educated on health topics? Visibility and availability. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study reviewed 8,854 ads for candy, snacks, cereal and fast food.

On average children see 21 of these everyday, and not a single one promoted fruits or vegetables. For every ad promoting healthy foods, aimed at adults, there were 50 for processed and fast foods which appealed to children and adults.

Healthy Eating for

Life !

DISCOVERY

CO-OP SOLUTION: Beat the oddss by keeping more fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks in the house than processed ones. When possible grow some food at home and reinforce that processed packaged foods are not necessities. Limit TV and other screen time and model an example of choosing fresh whole foods.

Processed foods are more visible, less expensive, and more widely available because food production, like most other business, is dominated by large corporations. The corporate food industry’s advertising budget is more than double the amount of the Federal School Lunch Program. That is to say, $15 billion dollars goes into slogans, air time, and images of processed food, while every child in the public school system is fed for the entire year on $7 billion, most of which, not surprisingly is used to purchase bulk, cheap, processed, packaged food. We have been socialized to live in a culture of convenience and instant gratification, no matter the cost.

CO-OP SOLUTION: Pack your child a healthy lunch and keep their interest by including lots of variety and bright colors, and their favorite fruits and vegetables.

Processed, packaged foods may have a lower sticker price at the time of purchase, but a diet comprised of these foods robs people, especially developing children and adolescents, of their health and inevitably leads to medical complications and subsequent medical expenses. The silver lining is that some manufacturers are picking up on consumers’ growing interest in natural and organic food, especially when buying for children, and are creating healthier drinks and snacks for kids. These items may be an alternative to the junk food kids demand, but by no means the basis of a healthy diet.

CO-OP SOLUTION: Give your children the best food you can to fuel their development. Make a choice and make a difference. Reach out to youngsters and reinforce the essential importance of making healthy natural unprocessed foods the basis of their diets. The same goes for adults.

Facts gathered from Martha Mendoza’s July 7th article, Feds Fruitless in Getting Kids Off Junk Food in the Associated Press and Dan Imhoff’s book Food Fight.

new at the

CO-OP

August 2007 5 HEALTHY FAST FOOD arrives at the Co-op!

LIQUID LIGHT PHARM Frozen Product Spotlight FROZEN WHEATGRASS JUICE? YOU’RE KIDDING, RIGHT? WRONG!

L

iquid Light Pharm wheatgrass juice is so sweet and potent that, even after freezing, it has taste and nutrients to spare. They take special care to grow their wheatgrass with the attention to detail it needs to make it the juice so many people say is the best in town. It simply works! Grown organically in a year-round greenhouse with plenty of sunlight, their 3/1oz. packages of freshly frozen wheatgrass juices are now available at both Co-ops in Albuquerque. Look for the Liquid Light Pharm green and white label in the frozen veggie section.

Among its many benefits, 1 ounce of wheatgrass juice is equivalent to 2.5 lbs of veggies. It is 70% chlorophyll. It helps balance metabolism, oxygenates and rebuilds the blood, thereby increasing

circulation; cleans and feeds on a cellular level, has most of the known nutrients, is rich in trace minerals, amino acids and has a whopping 6+ grams of protein in one ounce!

It’s an amazing fast food that absorbs 100% into the bloodstream within 20 minutes, delivering energy and stamina late into the day. It reduces the need

Cheese Product Spotlight

Cantaré:

Fresh Milk Mozzarella BY

DAVE PAYNE, NOB HILL CHEESE DEPT.

F

resh cow’s milk mozzarella, alternately known as fior di latte, is an essential late summer ingredient. La Montanita sourced a superior mozzarella and you really can taste the difference. Cantaré makes mozzarella the old-world traditional way. The milk comes from Jersey cows in California who aren’t treated with hormones. The milk is high in butterfat and the cheese is made with lactic acid which means the end product has a wonderfully milky taste and texture. Lactic acid is a natural byproduct of milk, and its use helps the cheese retain its firmness and moisture.

Most US producers commonly use vinegar as an acidifier, which some say leaves an unpleasant flavor as the cheese ages.

The cheese makers at Cantaré believe vinegar belongs on green salads, not in fresh mozzarella.

Fresh milk mozzarella is most prominently seen in the classic Neapolitan preparation insalata caprese. This salad originated on the island of Capri, 10 miles off the shin of Italy’s boot. Its ingredients are rather basic; fresh milk mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, salt, pepper and olive oil, but the sum of its parts is greater than one might expect. It’s a late summer

favorite as many people’s gardens have tomatoes and fresh basil at this time. Just slice the tomatoes and cheese, sprinkle some salt and pepper on them, pull apart a few leaves of basil, put them on top, and at the last minute, add some really good extra virgin olive oil.

It’s a classic pairing, easy to prepare, and is very flavorful. I use the same ingredients on what’s called pizza margherita, reserving the basil for after baking.

The flatbreads in the bakery department work very well in this preparation, and the pizza is nice and light, with the substitution of fresh tomatoes for tomato sauce.

Their fresh milk mozzarella won the fresh mozzarella category at the World Championship Cheese Contest in 2004. Try our new fresh milk mozzarella in 2 sizes: Ciliegine, a 1/3 oz ball perfect for pizza margherita or Ovoline, a 4 oz ball perfect for presentation in insalata caprese.

Cantaré Fresh Milk Mozzarella $6.99 per pound. Member special: $5.99 per pound August 1-8.

a new CO-OP favorite!

New Product Spotlight:

Interrupcion:

Agents of Social Change

Interrupcion* was established in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2001, and New York in 2003. From their first moments interrupcion* has worked to create an integrated socially responsible economy where people are able to work, consume, invest and participate while creating real value and opportunity for themselves (private) and for society (public); part of a virtuous cycle of relationships, decisions and commitments to ourselves, to one another and to the community at large.

Interrupcion’s vision is of the creation of partners rather than clients, customers or suppliers. This means the sharing of common goals; social, financial, risk and rewards. The investment in one another to build a dream based on a more equitable marketplace and living solutions- based values.

From the seed to the consumer, Interrupcion* Fair Trade works to finance, import, distribute and market products in the North American Natural/Organic and Specialty markets, while investing and operating within a framework of social responsibility in communities in Argentina.

Currently Interrupcion* Fair Trade imports three products: Trianna Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; All Natural Mmm Dulce de Leche; Patagonia Berries, a line of handmade artisan jams; and spicy Chimi Churri sauce. Forty new products are currently being developed with Argentine producers.

Look for these Argentine Fair Trade products at Co-op locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Gallup members can special order them by calling Tracy on Tuesdays at 863-5383 and have them in time for weekend enjoyment.

Fair Trade: products from Argentina

for nutritional supplements as well as helping to metabolize them.

Doctors have long recommended chlorophyll’s amazing healing properties (eat lots of veggies), and are now increasingly recommending wheatgrass as a good source of chlorophyll. It is an exceptionally efficient way to get the nutrients one needs. One ounce is about the cost of a supplement, or like paying 70 cents a pound for frozen veggies.

Pamala Maitreya first learned about wheatgrass juice, in 1980 at the Silver City Co-op. In 2001, after 30 years of raising a family, she needed an income. Noticing that more people, weary of the side affects of prescription drugs, were taking responsibility for their health and becoming interested in alternatives that worked, Pamala says, ”With the support and encouragement of my children, I embarked on this adventure of growing wheatgrass professionally.”

Although the wheatgrass business hasn’t been a “get rich” kind of venture and is hard work, Pamala says “the work is rewarding and we love what we do. We especially like the healing effect we are having on so many people and the planet.”

Look for Liquid Light Pharm in the frozen case at both Albuquerque locations!

Summer Food-Shed Abundance: Look for peaches, veggies, goat cheese and other local treats AT ALL CO-OP LOCATIONS!

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

232-2358 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

CO-OP news

August 2007 6

by Tamara Saimons, for the Board of Directors

City facilities already run on 15% wind power and soon city swimming pools will use solar heating and photovoltaic systems. City Rapid Ride buses are increasingly diesel electric hybrids and for those who are fortunate enough to own hybrid vehicles, it’s free to park them at any City meter.

BoardBrief

Y

ou would have to have your head in a bucket of sand these days in order not to hear the word “sustainability” being uttered again and again in a wide variety of formats and venues. Precise definition of the term, however, is harder to come by, in part because there can be a lot of ambiguity in what sustainability actually looks like and depending on who you talk to.

As a board, we want to learn about what will help us to guide and direct the future of La Montanita wisely so that it can be a lynchpin in a community that has access to the commodities necessary to sustain the health and well-being of its members. To that end, we have constructed a time period in our agenda to listen to and ask questions of speakers we have invited to better understand the issues we’ve identified as important.

At the June board meeting we had the first speaker of the “Local Conversation Project,” where the Board and other interested members hear from local experts on topics relevant to the Co-op; for instance, how does Albuquerque City government pursue economic development in an age of diminishing fossil fuels? How do entities manage renewable and

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The City is in the process of converting its fleet of vehicles to either biodiesel, ethanol or compressed natural gas and currently, 40% of the City fleet is alternative fuel ready. There are a number of efforts the city is making toward conservation of fuel, including a “no-idling” policy, limiting nonessential travel and a placing a priority on fuel efficiency.

Co-op members are invited to the Board’s “Local Conversations Project”

There’s a lot more to do in order to develop truly renewable energy sources in Albuquerque as well as nudge everyone toward a daily conservation ethic.

As a City, Albuquerque has made some impressive gains and certainly puts forward an ambitious agenda for change. One question the Board asked that didn’t get answered by Ms. Chavez was about how to reconcile the inherent conflict between growth and sustainability. At some point, the relationship between the two becomes strained and growth that is not moderated impedes progress toward using resources within our means. There are other challenges that we’ll need to meet in order to commit to a way of living that departs from “business-as-usual” mode. In future sessions of this project we hope to hear from other voices about just how this can be done.

nonrenewable resources and what do the growth challenges of the developing food-shed look like at this point?

The Board had the pleasure of hearing a presentation by Regina Chavez of the City of Albuquerque’s Economic Development Department about initiatives the City has implemented or is planning to implement in the coming years to reach some measure of sustainability in its operations. Ms. Chavez talked about all that is being done under Mayor Chavez’s leadership to actualize the “Green Initiatives” of the City of Albuquerque, including the dramatic reduction of greenhouse gases and water use, encouraging the use of alternative transportation and fuels, and increasing the efficiency of new buildings according to the standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Check out what the city is doing at the “Sustainable Albuquerque” website at www.cabq.gov/sustainability.

Ms. Chavez, who incidentally is a member of La Montanita and no relation to the Mayor, talked about how the City has instituted a number of progressive steps toward reducing greenhouse gases.

Mayor Chavez has signed the Climate Protection Agreement which commits the City to reduce greenhouse gases by 7% from 1990 levels by 2012. He has also been in the forefront with 148 other U.S. mayors in his commitment to meet or exceed the goals defined in the Kyoto Protocol.

The Co-op Board of Directors would like to extend an invitation to you to attend the next Local Conversation Project during the board meeting on 8/21 at 5:30 in the Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Silver and Carlisle.

Not all items available at all stores.

board

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

brief

GALLUP GROOVE

A

gain this year the Gallup Co-op location will be purchasing vegetables and fruit grown in their region. Last year, Tracy, Gallup’s store manager, began to collaborate with the farmers and organizers of the Ramah Farmers Market (RFM). Last year RFM produce was very popular with Gallup and residents of outlying areas of the Navajo Reservation. So popular, in fact, that Ramah farmers had trouble keeping up with demand for their spinach and other locally produced greens.

Tracy noted customers from as far away as Chinle in Arizona prefer the Ramah grown greens rather than those shipped in from California as they hold up better in coolers during the transport home.

This year once again Gallup shoppers can look forward to a wide variety of Ramah grown greens, cucumbers, beets, kohlrabi, summer squash, lettuces and chard. The Ramah growers collaborate on transport, with Ramah growers piggy-backing

CO-OP SCRIP For two years the Co-op has offered its COOP SCRIP Fundraising Program for schools and other non-profit organizations. During the 2006-2007 school year $40,900 worth of CO-OP SCRIP was purchased. Last year there were more schools involved than during the initial year and the purchases increased by $15,900. The Co-op donates 10% of all SCRIP purchases back to the schools/organizations involved. It is an honor to be able to support our community in this way.

produce deliveries to the Gallup Co-op location during regular trips to Gallup to save on gas for all the growers. The Ramah Farmers’ market is held on Saturdays from 8:30 to 11am.

The Gallup Co-op is also pleased to be selling J.B. Ranch locally grown brown eggs. Owned and managed by Janet and Barry Butler, J.B. Ranch eggs are brown, large, ungraded eggs from uncaged chickens. Though the Co-op gets a delivery most every week, these delicious fresh eggs sell out quickly. Get yours early in the week.

Look for Ramah produce, and other fresh local produce from the Food-Shed project in the newly re-vamped Gallup produce area. Also remember fresh, local bread, meat and other products are brought to Gallup weekly as part of the Food-Shed project.

If you have special requests please contact Tracy on Tuesdays so she can get your special orders on the weekly truck. You can pick them up on Fridays. Call Tracy at 863-5383.

Any 501(C)(3) organization may participate. Organizations purchase CO-OP SCRIP at 10% less than it’s face value,.i.e. $100 worth of CO-OP SCRIP costs an organization $90. The CO-OP SCRIP is redeemable at any and all Co-op locations for the full face value. Organizations make 1 dollar on every 10, their supporters get to eat local and organic Co-op food, and the Co-op has made a 10% donation to organizations doing good things in our communities.

To get your organization involved in this fundraising program, contact Robyn at 217-2027 or outside of Albuquerque, call toll free at 877-775-2667.

Fundraising for Schools and Non-Profits

CO-OP news the inside

August 2007 7

SCOOP

Calendar of Events

GALLUP Location Posts Profitable Quarter

Y

ou may recall that our Gallup location was the result of a request by the Wild Sage Food Co-op for us to “take over” their store in Gallup in 2005. Our research at the time indicated difficulty in achieving the sales necessary for profitability. We budgeted a small loss for year one and expected to achieve profitability in year two.

We did experience strong sales growth in year one, but this growth stalled in year two resulting in a second year of loss. Our new local Food-Shed project and the Coop Distribution Center (CDC) initiative has provided us the opportunity to make weekly deliveries of fresh bread, meat, cheese and produce to Gallup in quantities that location could not access from our regular distributors.

Our North Valley, Albuquerque location’s staff assembles this weekly order for Gallup and it is delivered on the Co-op truck. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our North Valley staff for their ongoing support of this endeavor. The additional variety that arrives weekly on the CDC truck and the efforts of our Gallup staff have resulted in a significant increase in our sales there.

Thanks too, to all our Gallup members and shoppers for their support.

While the Gallup location represents a small portion of our business, the location’s move from loss to profit is an achievement we can all be proud of.

Way to go Gallup!

8/14 8/21 8/27 TBA

Board Candidate Nominations open, get a packet at any Co-op location Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church 5:30pm Member Engagement Committee, CDC 3361 Columbia NE (formerly called Member Linkage) Finance Committee, location and date to be announced

CO-OPS: A Solution Based System A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.

C.E. Pugh, General Manager

Clarifying Member Check

Writing Privileges Over the past months we have experienced an increase in check fraud.

As staff it is our duty to secure the resources of the Co-op for our community of member-owners. In our efforts to provide our members and shoppers the highest quality customer service and expedite checkout service we would like to clarify our check writing process. Following are our check writing guidelines: Check Writing Guidelines • We only accept checks with pre-printed address information. We do not accept “starter” checks (those without pre-printed personal information). Please have your name and current address printed on your check.

• Members are asked to provide a valid drivers license at the time they join the Co-op. Primary members who have done this will not be asked to show their license at the checkout.

• Secondary members, those members who share the primary member’s household, must show a driver’s license

questions: call 217-2027

when writing checks, even if their name is printed on the primary member’s check.

• Those members who want a $40 overwriting privilege must give a blank voided check to the Front End. The Front End Management Team will determine if they qualify for the privilege of cash back on written checks. When approved their privilege will be turned on, no later than 10 business days from the date the check was turned in. Overwriting has a $40 limit.

• Secondary members must purchase their own membership if they want the privilege of the $40 cash back on checks.

• Any member or shopper member may use their ATM card to receive cash-back on a purchase.

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We sincerely appreciate our member’s support in following these guidelines. It is our mission to provide the highest quality service and products to our members and community. If you have questions please contact Robyn in membership at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667.

Available now at your local La Montanita Co-op

Letter to the Editor: More CO-OPS

O

ur entire culture is in a state of crisis. The current model of economics seems to be basically that I try to figure out a way to get you to work for me and I pay you about one fourth of what you are worth. Then I get to keep the other threefourths of what you produce. If I can do that with a whole lot of people I can get rich quickly. Somehow that model leaves a bad taste in my mouth. As long as we are more concerned with our own well-being at the expense of others, we are in trouble.

I don’t think this is the kind of society I want to live in. Our society desperately needs new economic models. I believe that we can meet some of those needs with greater and innovative use of the co-op model. Since this is a Co-op newsletter and you are reading it, I think it is safe to say that you probably feel the same.

I propose that we put some serious effort into brainstorming to identify and implement opportunities for more co-operative ventures. I think most of us could

think of one or two possibilities in addition to groceries but if we get together I would hope we could come up with many more, as well as cooperate to figure out ways to manifest those ideas.

I would like to see a group of people committed to researching and developing new applications for cooperative ventures in New Mexico. I am thinking of the automobile sharing programs that are apparently working well in some places around the country.

There are also a number of employee-owned businesses that seem to be doing well. I understand that there is new technology for bio-diesel that might work for a co-op sized venture. Shoe stores?

Electronics?

I do not know what all the possibilities are, but I would like to hear from people who have ideas or who would be interested in brainstorming and working on developing new co-operative ventures.

If you have any ideas or comments or would just be interested in getting together to brainstorm, you can contact me at rrhostetter@yahoo.com.

Richard Hostetter

CO-OP food-Shed

PROJECT

Bringing local farmers together with co-op shoppers for the best in FRESH, FAIR AND LOCAL FOOD!

Free, full-color Advertising Guide to local, family-centered goods & services

SHOP

CO-OP!

For Advertiser information, e-mail us at childandfamily@qwest.net

better

brown bags

Delicious Lunches A fast lunch doesn’t have to be fast food. With a little bit of preparation, a brown bag (better yet, reusable canvas or natural fiber tote) lunch can be more exciting and varied, and of course healthier than the nearest drive-thru window. With school just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start considering how you are going to fuel your kids with enough brain food to last through the school day. Mix a few simple ingredients with some inventive presentations and a few really special treats to make dull brown bag lunches a thing of the past. And the best thing about a self-made lunch is you only use the ingredients you like, so it’s always just the way you like it.

(Key: C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, lb. = pound, oz. = ounce) Greek Salad 1 C salad greens, washed and shaken dry (colorful mixed baby greens really make this salad gorgeous as well as delicious) 2 T feta cheese, crumbled 1 small plum tomato, cut 8 black Kalamata olives, or substitute other olives to taste 1 T diced roasted red pepper 3-4 T Zesty Fresh Vinaigrette (recipe follows) Wedge of lemon, optional Wash and prepare greens and tomato.

Combine with cheese, olives, peppers, and either toss with dressing to be eaten immediately, or add small container of dressing to be drizzled over salad when ready to eat. Place lemon wedge on top to garnish and add an extra tang if desired.

Keep refrigerated.

August 2007 10

Zesty Fresh Vinaigrette

Apple Dippers

Raspberry-Chicken Salad

2 cloves garlic, smashed 1/4 C balsamic vinegar 1/2 C olive oil 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 t freshly grated lemon zest Salt and pepper to taste

1 medium apple, cut, (choose your favorite) 1 T lemon juice 1 pinch of sugar 3 T freshly ground nut butter

1/4 C raspberry preserves 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons minced scallion 1 C fresh raspberries 4 cooked chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 C chopped Bibb lettuce Salt and ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in glass container with lid (an old jam jar works really well for this) and shake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs before using, allowing flavors to meld. Keep refrigerated and shake to incorporate before each use. Keeps for two months if properly refrigerated.

Riviera Sandwich 1 3 2 1 1

Ciabatta roll slices Prosciutto leaves fresh basil serving melon, sliced thin T Zesty Fresh Vinaigrette

Cut Ciabatta roll and drizzle with Vinaigrette. Toast at 350°F in oven or toaster oven until crisp. After toasted and seasoned roll has cooled, layer with Prosciutto, melon and basil. Wrap in foil or wax paper and enjoy with herb chips and a lime-flavored sparkling water.

Wash and core apple. Cut into 8 or 10 wedges and place in a bowl. Add lemon juice and sugar. Toss. Lemon juice will prevent the apple slices from browning and the sugar should be just enough to combat the acidic flavor of the lemon juice from overpowering the apples, but not sweeten.

Place apple slices and nut butter in containers. When ready to eat, simply dip apple slices in nut butter and enjoy. This can be done with vegetables as well, omitting the lemon juice and sugar, of course. A great combination is celery and carrot sticks with some raisins to garnish.

That’s a Wrap!

Southwestern Frittata

Little bits of leftovers can make a fantastically fabulous lunch if wrapped up in a tortilla. Add an unexpected ingredient for an extra special boost to a standard classic blend.

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 2 T vegetable oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed 1 C corn 8 large eggs 1 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 T finely chopped parsley 1/2 t. salt 1/4 t black pepper

Equal parts beans and corn, amount depending on the size of your tortilla

Curried Turkey and Pear Salad 1 T madras curry powder 1 lemon, juiced 1/2 C mayonnaise 2 C turkey breast, diced in 1/2 inch cubes 2 pears, peeled and diced in 1/2 inch cubes 3 scallions, sliced Salt and black pepper 2 romaine lettuce hearts, washed, dried, and cut into large pieces Mix the curry with the lemon juice, to dissolve. Mix in the mayonnaise. Fold in with the turkey, pears, and scallions. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a bed of romaine leaves right before eating.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together raspberry preserves, oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Add scallions and raspberries to vinaigrette. Add diced chicken and toss to combine with vinaigrette. Pack chicken salad and washed lettuce leaves separately. Spoon chicken mixture over lettuce just before serving.

2 3 2 1

T fresh salsa T grated cheese T diced pineapple soft tortilla

Lay out your tortilla and place corn and bean mixture in the center. Add salsa and sprinkle with cheese before adding diced pineapple. Roll up the tortilla and wrap it tightly in waxed paper. Cut wrap on the diagonal and refrigerate. Microwave for 15 seconds to melt cheese and enjoy with organic blue corn tortilla chips and/or carrot sticks and fresh not-from-concentrate fruit juice.

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Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large ovenproof non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion, pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes or until potatoes are almost cooked. Stir in corn.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, shredded cheese, parsley and salt and pepper. Pour over the potatoes in the skillet. Lower heat and cook uncovered for

better

brown bags

about 10 minutes or until egg mixture is almost set. Finish at 425°F until lightly golden on top and fully set. (Serves 4-6) This makes for great leftovers and an instant lunch or light dinner.

Beef Lo Mein Use leftover grilled beef for a quick lunch that’s healthier than take-out and so much more exciting than another sandwich.

12 oz soba noodles 2 t sesame oil 2 t minced fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 12 oz grilled beef, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 8 grilled scallions, chopped 1 C snap peas 1/3 C shredded carrots 3/4 C reduced-sodium beef broth 1/4 C reduced-sodium soy sauce 1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro leaves Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large skillet. Add ginger and garlic and sautĂŠ 1 minute. Add beef, scallions, snap peas and carrots and sautĂŠ 1 minute. Add broth and soy sauce and bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, until carrots are soft. Drain noodles and add to sauce. Toss together with cilantro.

If you are a vegetarian or just looking to cut down on red meat, substitute the grilled beef with tofu or meat-substitute crumbles and switch the beef broth to veggie broth.

Stuffed Tomatoes

August 2007 11

Kebabs Kebabs make great leftovers. Just wrap in foil and bring a little side of rice or quinoa and you have a healthy, balanced, roasted-to-perfection meal that takes less time than waiting in line at the drive-thru.

Feel free to use a variety of meats, firm tofu, vegetables and/or fruits and experiment with different marinades for a new flavor combination each time.

Marinade: 3/4 C extra-virgin olive oil 1 lemon, juiced the zest of 1 lemon 2 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves 1 clove garlic, minced Skewers: 1 pound chicken, meat, fish, or tofu cut into 1-inch cubes, about 24 pieces 1/2 fresh pineapple cubed 2 lemons 1 large red onion 12 cherry tomatoes 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes For the marinade: Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.

For the skewers: Toss the cubed protein in the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut each lemon into 6 pieces. Cut the red onion in half from stem to root end. Cut each half in half again lengthwise and cut each quarter into thirds. There should be 12 pieces of each vegetable and plenty of pineapple to go around.

6 large fresh tomatoes 2 T olive oil 1-1/2 C sliced fresh, white mushrooms 1 C chopped onions 1 package (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained 2 t garlic, minced 1 t dried basil 1/2 t salt or 1 chicken or veggie bouillon cube 1/4 t pepper 1/2 C quick cooking rice 1/4 C plus 2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Remove your chosen source of protein and toss the vegetables in the marinade. Thread each skewer, starting with a piece of pineapple. Then add a tomato and a piece of protein. Next add the red onion and another piece of protein. Next add a piece of pineapple and top with a piece of lemon. Center the ingredients on the skewer.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Use tomatoes held at room temperature until fully ripe. Cut a slice from the top of each tomato, remove pulp leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell, and set aside.

The recipes above have been adapted and reprinted from the following sources: www.food.com www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes www.allrecipes.com La Montanita Co-op Deli Staff

Chop tomato pulp (makes about 3-1/2 cups). In a large skillet over high heat, heat oil until hot.

Add onions and mushrooms and cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes. Add spinach, chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.

Cooks over low heat, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Stir in rice.

Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place tomato shells in 13 x 9 x 2" baking pan. Spoon hot mixture into shells, dividing evenly. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon Parmesan on top of each. Bake until tomatoes are hot and filling is golden, about 15 minutes. (Serves 3-6)

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Mitch Rayes Mitch Rayes was born breech in Detroit, to a former Irish nun and a Lebanese chemist. By the age of eight his stated ambition was to beFRPH ´D EXP ¾ 0LWFK KDV VLQFH GLVWLQJXLVKHG KLPVHOI LQ PDQ\ ÀHOGV including poet, translator, musician, sound designer, arts organizer, RXWÀWWHU DQG FRQVWUXFWLRQ WUDGHVPDQ +LV QHZ ERRN Soundings, will be published soon by someone.

ART

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eat your

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rea t r m dS

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Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Wor ream t Wo dStrea r NM Animal Friends, a dog/cat rescue and adoption non-profit organization, needs office and special event volunteers AND/OR foster homes. Office duties: light clerical and phones. Special event duties: varies with event. Opening your home to a homeless dog or cat is "temporary," and NMAF pays for all medical needs. Call 8817297 for more information.

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Let Mitch shed a little literary light on your world.

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

SHOP CO-OP & SAVE

farming &

gardening THE REAL ILLEGAL

GMO’s: BRETT BAKKER, STATE ORGANIC INSPECTOR he USDA and the current administration are intent on forcing world markets to accept our genetically engineered crops, like it or not.

The importing Davids however are refusing our exporting Goliath. Good for them! Bad for us though, because despite increasing opposition abroad, there’s no sign of our GE acreage lessening. The fewer GE crops we export, the more will find their way onto own plates. Buttering our own bread so to speak.

BY

T

Meanwhile exports of U.S. organic crops are on the rise because foreign markets (particularly the EU and Japan) have a great demand for certified organic food where use of Genetically Modified Organisms is prohibited. In a perverse twist, to keep up with our own need for organic food, the U.S. is turning to China, where alleged noncompliances of the organic rule have remained on the USDA/National Organic Program’s enforcement agenda for a year. These allegations are not surprising given the increase of Chinese purity and safety violations recently brought to light. Too bad the NOP didn’t act last fall when they said they would. Any investigation will now be seen as reactive rather than proactive, another black eye for the NOP and by extension, the integrity of the “USDA Organic” label.

Rice Quakes A genetically modified rice called Bayer GE-LL601 has been approved by the USDA. No surprise there since our government’s stance is that GMO and non-GMO food are equivalent. This same rice, however, has not

ALIENS

been approved for any U.S. export. Why then has it turned up in Mexican markets? Bayer and the USDA have no explanation. In response, Thailand is increasing its exports of non-GMO rice to fill the gap created by several countries closing their shores to questionable U.S. rice.

Non-GMO European Union In a recent vote, Austria, Luxembourg, Hungary, and Greece successfully blocked approval of EU approval for three new

itchy green

thumb

GMO’s make the integrity of our food exports SUSPECT

GMO varieties: a sugar beet and corn from Monsanto and one from Dow. Despite mounting pressure, these countries are to be commended for refusing to back down.

Enforcing restrictions of U.S. exports is supposed to be our job, but as on many international fronts, our integrity is increasingly suspect. In response to illegal and unauthorized GE imports into the Netherlands, the Dutch Food Safety Authority is increasing inspection and testing of U.S. corn from 10% to 25%. Germany, too, has tightened restrictions, reversing approval of a Monsanto GMO corn seed. To meet the requirements, Monsanto must provide a plan which monitors the crop’s environmental effects. As Monsanto has yet to deliver such

a plan, the new rule amounts to a ban until a monitoring scheme is drafted, submitted and approved.

And Elsewhere Venezuela’s president has stated he will withdraw approval for 500,000 acres of Monsanto GE soy in his country. Watch for U.S. politicians to denounce this as a barrier to trade rather than protection of the Venezuelan populace and their own domestic market. Even Russia, where economic prosperity is limited, has introduced labeling of GE food despite the fact that costs of testing and revised labels could increase food prices.

Clone on the Range We’re not entirely asleep, as evidenced by over 130,000 consumer comments to the Food and Drug Administration opposing the marketing of meat, eggs and dairy from cloned animals. While cloning is not the same as the textbook definition of genetic engineering, some GMOs are used in the process of cloning.

Happily, the NOP has announced that cloned animals and their progeny are not allowed in organic livestock production. However, even the most experienced stockman must occasionally bring in new blood to the herd to resist the effects of inbreeding.

But since labeling and identification of cloned animals is not mandatory, how can an organic rancher verify that an animal s/he wishes to add to the herd for genetic diversity is not descended from a GE ancestor? The NOP has no answer for that one yet.

To be fair, it’s not just NOP’s responsibility but an inefficient bureaucracy where one agency’s rules are enacted in direct conflict with another’s.

The question remains: how and when will all this be resolved? Consumer demand and public opposition remain the best action. As always, a vote in the form of a dollar is more effective than a vote at the polls.

Mulches for New

Mexico WALTER DODS ew Mexico is a tough place for plants to flourish. It is extremely hot in the summer and often extremely cold in the winter. Your veggie garden, bedding plants, and even some drought tolerant native plants need protection from the extremes. Humans combat the extremes with sunscreen and hats. We insulate our houses. You can protect your plants from these adversities by using mulch. Mulching with organic material is like insulating your house.

BY

N L o s Po b l a n o s Organics

August 2007 12

Mulch is simply a layer of material covering a soil surface. It may be inorganic (rocks, gravel, carpet) or organic (wood chips, cardboard, straw, nutshells, dead weeds, leaves). A mulch is installed to address certain landscape issues: appearance, weed control, evaporation retardation, slope stabilization, and erosion control. Generally, apply mulch 3-5” thick on the soil surface; thicker for better weed suppression (in my experience, you can’t get too thick). For erosion control, it is important to consider and sometimes modify the contour of the area to be mulched. To build a healthy environment where plants and beneficial organisms thrive, forego the weed barrier and apply a thick layer of organic mulch. Avoid direct contact with tree trunks or stems of existing plants. After several years, it may

be necessary to top-dress the area with 1-2” of fresh material.

While most properly applied mulches perform similarly, in this climate, organic mulches have distinct advantages over nonorganic mulches. Organic mulches are usually made from recycled woody materials such as trees and brush.

Recycling woody material (greenwaste) saves tax dollars by extending the life of landfills. Organic mulches are not mined, like rock, and are lighter. They are thus easier and cheaper to transport. They come in a wide variety of colors, textures and particle sizes to fit any application.

The most important differences between organic mulches and inorganic mulches is what they do once installed. Organic mulches moderate the soil temperature. This reduces evaporation from the soil surface. In the summer this means a cooler garden with less evaporation. In the winter, this means fewer plants lost to freezing. Also, as organic mulches decompose, they recycle plant nutrients and amend the soil. A soil with organic material drains properly while retaining air and nutrients more efficiently. This in turn provides a habitat for beneficial soil organisms. Healthy soil grows healthy plants.

For more information contact Walter at New Mexico Compost Products, a.k.a. Soilutions, at 877-0220

organic mulch helps plants flourish

sign up online www.NMOrganics.com or call

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

Always fresh. Always organic

The World Peace Conference will hold its first meeting on Thursday, August 16, at the Home Free Office, 98 State Road 150 Suite 11 near the Old Blinking Light in Taos, New Mexico.

Everyone welcome. For more information contact Keith McHenry co-founder of the Food Not Bombs movement, 505-776-3880, 1-800-884-1136 or on line at: keith@foodnotbombs.net, www.foodnotbombs.net, www.consensus.net/world_peace_conference.html

Conference Planning Meeting: August 16

World

PEACE

agua es

vida

August 2007 13

Sparrow Hawk Farm:

Think Global, Drink Local

MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS he first installment of this series looked at the global water and water treatment crisis before focusing on New Mexico and Albuquerque. This article is leaving Albuquerque and New Mexico to talk about the situation with water in Brazil. My family and I have visited several times and lived there for almost two years; this time I’ve been paying more attention to water-related issues.

BY

T

WATER: A Global Crisis Impressions My first impression came on the way in from the airport to my mother-in-law’s apartment. The freeway runs along a major river in São Paulo, the Tiête. The river – like every river or stream or channel running through any town I’ve been to in Brazil – has always been filthy. The Tiête’s smell seeped in through closed windows with the smells of diesel and gasoline and alcohol from the inevitable traffic jams. This time, I couldn’t smell the river and it looked cleaner. I asked everyone I met in the city about the river and they all acknowledged that massive investment (a big part from Japan) has improved river flow and treatment of discharges, but a lot still needs to be done.

A few days later, we were visiting my brother-in-law at a small beach town on São Paulo state’s north coast, Boiçucanga. After the greetings and dropping our bags in the bedrooms, he said, “You can’t drink the water here, it’s full of Giardia”. At the neighboring town, Camburi, we spent a couple of evenings with friends who live away from the coast in the Mata Atlantica – the coastal temperate rain forest.

(Most of these coastal towns are largely illegal, and it has long been against the law to build in the forest.; but everybody from current and former state and federal politicians to the large number of poor people migrating here to work in the tourism industry or the houses of the well-to-do have established themselves outside the law). Our friends get their water from a

a SUMMER CONFERENCE

simplifying

our lives

mountain stream and it is clear and cold and delicious. The area is full of waterfalls and streams and everyone insists they are clean.

Brazil Brazil has somewhere between 12% and nearly 14% of the world’s fresh water (I’ve seen various figures).

Eighty percent of that water flows through the Amazon watershed. Internationally, the country ranks 23rd in water quality. However, as much as 40% of the population doesn’t have access to potable water. A large part of the northeastern part of the country experiences regular prolonged droughts.

São Paulo São Paulo state has 20% of the country’s population but is responsible for 1/3 of the country’s gross national product. It has 1.6% of the country’s fresh water supply. São Paulo city has around 19 million people in the metropolitan area encompassing 31 municipalities, making it one of the world’s “megacities.” In terms of size and diversity of its economy, São Paulo is sort of like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles mixed together.

The governor of São Paulo state, José Serra, said this year in a speech during the “Week of Water”, that São Paulo state “faces a grave and urgent problem” with water and sanitation; as much as 80% of the population of the state isn’t guaranteed access to water at all times. This is true for the city of São Paulo as well.

Floods periodically paralyze the city, although the situation is getting better. On the other hand, water supplies built up and stored in reservoirs during the peak rainy season, October through March, start to dry up during the dry season in fall and winter (“Aguas do Março” – Waters of March – was recently voted the most “Brazilian” song ever recorded; part of the chorus: “And the riverbanks talk of the waters of March”). The population continues to grow rapidly and water is, of course, a limited resource (even if it is “renewable” in theory).

A statewide public company, SABESP (Saneamento Basico do Estado São Paulo) provides water and sanitation services to the city, through a consortium that is headed up by Siemens. SABESP promises to provide universal water supply to the metropolitan area, which according to SABESP consumes about 180 liters of water a day per capita (about 47 gallons per

Join the Center for Action and Contemplation’s 2007 summer conference, The Great Chain of Being: Simplifying Our Lives, at the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, August 3-5. The conference will feature the Center’s founder and renowned spiritual teacher Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM; futurist and environmentalist Paula González, SC, PhD; and Tiki Küstenmacher, author of How to Simplify Your Life. For more information or to register, please visit www.cacradical grace.org or call 242-9588.

Presented by the Center for Action and Contemplation

Body-Centered Counseling

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

day). By comparison Albuquerque residents use 167-180 gallons per household.

In order to realize its goals, SABESP announced last year that it would double its investment through 2010 to R$6 billion (about $3 billion at the current exchange rate). This would assure water supply to an additional 2 million inhabitants as well as sanitation services to an additional 2.3 million.

In addition to these water supply and sanitation issues, there is still an immense amount of investment needed to clean up the Tiête and another river running through the city, the Pinheiros. The city and state government’s “Operaçao Defesa das Aguas” (Operation Defending Waters) work to clean up a watershed and end illegal activities threatening two of the reservoirs supplying the city.

Landfills throughout the region are starting to release toxins into the groundwater, which is also being pumped at tremendous rates. The city and state have major public relations campaigns to get people to use even less water and are exploring ways to raise rates as a way to dampen demand and increase revenues for critical infrastructure improvements, (huge amounts of water are lost due to outdated and worn out pipes and inefficient delivery systems.)

Brazil and São Paulo contain great contrasts: world-class science and technology, major global enterprises, significant public and private corruption that infiltrates and impacts the widely varied and innovative non-profit sector. There is immense wealth side-by-side with abject poverty. In many ways, this is a description of New Mexico, although the contrasts are not so stark.

The crisis with water is also something we share: floods and droughts in the same year, promises of universal water supply and sanitation that aren’t met (look at parts of Albuquerque’s South Valley just as a starting point) and the increasing difficulty in providing water to a growing population. Next month: Alternatives for Albuquerque and New Mexico

PART

6

community BREAK

forum

THE

August 2007 14

GRIP

PEOPLE POWER NOT CORPORATE MONOPOLIES

BY BEN LUCE ut of that cauldron of rampant ethical corruption, otherwise known as the New Mexico State Legislature, comes now a new citizens campaign called Break The Grip! (www.breakthegrip.org). As the former Director of the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, and a former president of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association, I became fed up with the blatant corporate political monopoly that entities such as electric utilities (e.g. PNM), the oil & gas industry, telecommunication giants, and others possess over both the Governor and the Legislature. After spending ten years advocating and lobbying for renewable energy and energy efficiency at the Legislature, and in fact helping to get many good laws passed, I realized that when it really came down to brass tacks about where the state was going with energy development, utilities such as PNM flexed their muscles, and made sure that their plans to develop more coal and nuclear power were protected. And those plans are now moving forward.

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KWUXI[[MTMK\ZQK(OUIQT KWU TQKMV[M ! !

Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy

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

505-266-6522

Pushing forward on renewable energy SOURCES

In particular, in October, 2006, the Richardson Administration began allowing only PNM to â&#x20AC;&#x153;be at the tableâ&#x20AC;? on energy policy proposals. The Administration then introduced only PNMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s versions, which were full of corporate loopholes and giveaways, and proceeded to try and push those things through without any modification. Even worse, it attempted to utilize a PNM lobbyist named Art Hull, and a LANL strong-arm with strong ties to the coal industry, Charryl Berger to do so. Both Hull and Berger were actually made official representatives of the Administration, with full access to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fourth Floorâ&#x20AC;?, while remaining on PNMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and LANLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s payroll. Break The Grip! claims that the Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use of Hull violated New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anti-donation clause, and the Attorney General is now investigating.

While many of the coalitions I participated in were ultimately able to blunt the worst flaws in the proposed legislation through all-out resistance, the new Renewable Energy Standard, a law that requires utilities to produce a certain amount of their power from renewable sources, essentially has no teeth until 2015. Worse, the Transmission Authority can still be utilized for nuclear and/or coal. Although the requirement for 30% renewable energy was ultimately re-inserted into the bill (due to our actions), the Richardson administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt to remove that provision revealed the true purpose of the proposal.

Following the 2007 Session, PNM assigned Mr. Jim Ferland, a major nuclear industry player, (who carried the permit for the LES uranium enrichment

plant though the regulatory approval process), to be in charge of new electric generation for PNM. Also, a consortium of nuclear interests, working together under the banner of GNEP (the Bush Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Global Nuclear Energy Partnershipâ&#x20AC;?), are intent on building a nuclear reprocessing plant and a reactor near Roswell, NM. The plan has become clear: avoid strong renewable energy and energy efficiency requirements, and go nuclear.

As bad as all this sounds, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only the tip of the iceberg: The Speaker of the House, Ben Lujan, also allowed a PNM lobbyist to act as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;expert witnessâ&#x20AC;? on another bill that rolls back an important moratorium that bars utilities from shutting off utilities to low-income people in the wintertime. This as if a utility lobbyist is an objective witness on a bill that pits utility profits against the needs of lowincome people!

These incidents are not isolated to the recent session: In 2005 the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national â&#x20AC;&#x153;environmental groupâ&#x20AC;? affiliated with Richardson (a former board member) worked with Richardson to pass an incredibly unfair efficiency policy that actually allows PNM to increase rates to recoup any profits lost through efficiency gains. The NRDC person involved, Ralph Cavanaugh, was exactly the same â&#x20AC;&#x153;advocateâ&#x20AC;? who promoted deregulation and ENRON to the environmental community in California.

Break The Gripâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign is to end such undue influence and seeks to have the worst of the flawed energy policies repealed. More generally, Break The Grip! aims to spark a revolution in New Mexico to transform State Government through constitutional amendments and new laws that will replace the current part-time and unpaid State Legislature with a full-time, paid body publicly financed elections, strong contribution reporting laws and limits on contributions, open committee hearings of all types, and much better citizen access, among other projects.

Break The Grip! also seeks to replace PNM and other investor-owned electric utilities with publicly owned utilities, and to push the strong development of distributed generation, instead of centralized conventional power plants.

People can become involved with Break The Grip! by sending an email to network@breakthegrip.org.

WALLACE C. THARP:

1918-2007

T

he Father of DE (diatomaceous earth as a natural insecticide), Wallace C. Tharp, passed away on June 28, 2007. Up until the time of his death, he was the Chairman of the Board of the company that he founded some 40 years ago, Perma-Guard, Inc. His insistence and tenaciousness in implementing the use of diatomaceous earth worldwide were well known to everyone concerned about the toxic chemical intrusions into our ecological environment. This native New Mexican was proud of his role as the premier expert on DE in the world and its application to benefit all forms of living entities: soils, plants, animals and humans.

His passion and insistence on eliminating toxic chemicals from our environment were legendary.

Rachael Carson, who wrote Silent Spring (and who incidentally would have been 100 years old in 2007), was one of his heroes,.

When Wally was in his forties, he was diagnosed with nine different physical ailments. On the advice of an organization called the Natural Food Associates and with the help of his devoted wife Pauline, he spent a year eating exclusively organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and sprouts. He lived another 40 years in extraordinary health.

Wally later became the president of the New Mexico chapter of the Natural Food Associates (NFA). Since there were no health food stores in New Mexico at that time, the members themselves raised their own organically grown food. To this day an extension of Wallyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original NFA group, Healthy Food Advocates, continues to meet every second Thursday of the month at the Monte Vista Church off Campus Street, in Albuquerque at 7PM. Everyone is invited and attendance is free.

To all those that closely knew him, Wally was a sweet, kind, gentle, and caring person. These qualities manifested in his connection with numerous individuals caught in a quandary of not having a source with whom to discuss natural health options.

He undoubtedly enhanced and enriched the lives of hundreds of people because of his expertise and tenacious attitude in these areas.

Wally exhibited a way to live that is dedicated to hard work, fearlessness in the face of challenges, to love and care for others, and to be fair. The memory and legacy of Wallace C. Tharp will always remain in the hearts and minds of all the multitudes of people that he so inextricably and intimately touched and inspired.

BY CARLA SCOTT SCHMIDT

Go to Website: www.perma-guard.com for more information on Wally Tharp and diatomaceous earth.

in M E M O R I U M

community

Forum

August 2007 15

Statewide

New Mexico

Bioneers Conference This year’s local programming includes an amazing array of nationally recognized speakers who will be speaking live in Santa Fe. They include: • Richard DeerTrack from Taos Pueblo, served as President of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, and works with AIDS patients and youth projects.

• Ohki Simine Forest, created a spiritual center in Chiapas and a nonprofit aimed at helping Mayan indigenous communities.

• Brad Lancaster, a permaculture designer and educator based in Tucson, AZ. • Dr. John Todd, an internationally recognized biologist and inventor of Living Machines, or ecological engines, for the treatment of wastes, production of foods, generation of fuels and the restoration of damaged aquatic environments.

RICHARD KUJWASKI “Early Bird” Reduced Fee Registrations hile the 3rd Annual NM Bioneers Conference doesn’t take place until October 19-21, August is the month to take advantage of the “early bird” discount registration fees. This year’s conference is at the College of Santa Fe campus, which is excited to have the opportunity to host as many as a thousand “bioneers” each day.

The college’s caterer, Bon Appetit, is one of the few food service businesses that fully embraces organic, natural and locally grown produce. They are excited about preparing an estimated 800 lunches each day for the conference participants, and will be relying on La Montanita Co-op to provide their daily produce needs.

BY

W

BIONEERSIN Sante Fe

The NM Bioneers Conference is a combination of plenary speakers broadcast by satellite from the main conference in California, with exciting local speakers and workshops, relevant to our daily lives. This will be the largest environmental and social justice gathering in the state.

Registration fees are affordably low – only $95 for a standard registration for the full conference, and only $50 for youth, educators, nonprofit staff, and elders. Since the early-bird rates expire August 31, those eager to attend the conference and save money are encouraged to register now.

The California plenary speakers that will be seen here on a big screen during the conference include: Winona LaDuke, John Abrams, Judy Wicks, Eve Ensler, Jay Harman, Charlotte Brody, Evon Peter, Wallace J. Nichols, Paul Anastas, Majora Carter, Judy Baca, and many more.

Full details are available on the website www. nmconference.org/bioneers, where you can register online, or by calling 505-428-1227. Information is also available about becoming a sponsor, an exhibitor, and to be a volunteer.

The Albuquerque

Opportunity

T

Center

he Albuquerque Opportunity Center has some extra special ways for you to help homeless people that are recovering from illness. The AOC's new convalescent care unit is now open, so sick people who can't leave the shelter during the day now have a place to rest. This volunteer work will be based out of the Albuquerque Opportunity Center for the Homeless As their staff is small and budget is limited, volunteers are needed to be present in shifts at the shelter from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays These volunteer(s) will keep an eye on homeless residents recovering from illness, escort them for a breath of fresh air in the garden and call for help if the need arises. Also needed are volunteer drivers who can be called upon to take convalescent homeless residents to medical appointments. No special medical skills

Two Locations!

Nob Hill

Acupuncture Center Acupuncture/Herbal & Nutritional Supplements Relief from stress, pain, digestive discomfort, cold, & Most insurances accepted.

Toll Free: 888-265-5089 P: 505-265-5087 3415 Silver SE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 P: 505-863-8018 103 East Hill Gallup, New Mexico 87301

are required for these volunteer opportunities, but volunteers do need to be at least 18 years old and the City may require background checks.

AOC is New Mexico's largest year-round homeless shelter for men, and has placed more than 30% of residents into housing over the past 3 years. For more information contact: David L. Craft, Albuquerque Opportunity Center for the Homeless, 715 Candelaria Blvd. NE, 505-2635564 fax: 505-344-2088 or go to www.abqaoc.org

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

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Co-op members who are not presently affiliated with AOC and would like to assist in the above ways can do so as part of the Co-op Community Capacity Building program. Contact Robin at 217-2027.

OFFCenter’s 5th Annual

folk festival

OFFCenter Community Arts Project is pleased to announce that the 5th annual We Art The People Folk Art Festival will take place on August 11, 2007, 11am-4pm. This family friendly free event will take place in Robinson Park. We are looking for VOLUNTEERS to help set up and ready the park for the celebration.

Interested parties should contact OFFCenter at 247-1172. Don’t miss this once-a-year gathering where Albuquerque music, local fare, free art making for kids, giant puppets and samba music, all take place alongside over 80 vendors selling handmade goods.

We ART the

people