2008-01-CCN by La Montanita Coop

The International Cooperative Alliance

The Sumatran Coffee Co-ops TAM SAIMONS n October, La Montanita board member Tam Saimons and marketing coordinator Edite Cates traveled to Singapore and Indonesia to learn about the international co-op scene and visit coffee co-ops and women’s micro-finance co-ops in Sumatra. This is the second segment in a three-part series about that trip.

A CO-OP

Adventure

Travel Log

NORTHERN SUMATRA After being in Singapore for five days, surrounded by the tidy, organized and well-oiled economic machine, humming along in all its efficient glory, our arrival in the Medan airport in Sumatra was an abrupt switch. Clove cigarette smoke wafted in the airport and we didn’t have the comfort and familiarity of English being a primary language as it was in Singapore. Suddenly, we were in a predominantly Muslim region where it is the norm for women to wear headscarves and dress very modestly. Our group of totally Caucasian Americans stood out.

facilitated the creation of a new cooperative known as Koperasi Kredit Maju Bersama which provides farmers with micro-credit to help them as they rehabilitate their farms and harvest the bright red coffee cherries that are responsible for the region’s new economic stability. ACEH AND THE COFFEE FARMERS Central Aceh province is a fiercely beautiful place. Mountainous, verdant and equatorial, it is a region that has endured thirty years of civil conflict. During the conflict intensification in the past few years, farmers found it difficult, if not impossible, to make a living growing produce in isolated rural communities. Many were forced to abandon their farms and moved to the coastal area due to its “safer” environment. This coastal area was hit hard by the tsunami

Fortunately our guide and NCBA Director for Southeast Asia, Sam Filiaci, is an American ex-patriot who has been living and working in Indonesia for thirty years. Sam’s depth of expertise and cultural understanding would be a source of amazement to us throughout the trip and clearly is a major factor in the success of the NCBA operation in Indonesia. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by the National Cooperative Business Association, the project has been hugely successful with the coffee cooperative membership currently at around 5,000 farmers, up from 39 in 2005. The project also

Food-Shed

of December 2004, in which over 100,000 people died. As a consequence of the tsunami, a peace agreement was signed in 2005 and while still fragile, has enabled Acehnese farmers to move back to the Gayo highlands.

Update

With the help of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), the farmers have largely rehabilitated their farms, cultivating land that had been abandoned and greatly overgrown due to tropical climate and are now planting new coffee seedlings. Women farmed coffee as well, often having lost their husbands in the conflict. About 20% of the farmers in the KBQB (Koperasi Baitul Qiradh Baburrayyan) are women. The project currently has 2.7 million coffee seedlings in nurseries. As soon as the continued on page 2

CO-OPS

Build

Economies!

coffee berries and co-op owner photos by Edite Cates

Co-op Distribution Center Special Purchase Grafton Village Cheese Company: Taste of Tradition

sion is to preserve the social, economic and cultural vitality of communities across Vermont. The Windham Foundation's work of purchasing and restoring Grafton’s old buildings that had fallen into disrepair began in 1963. Today, the restoration efforts are widely visible throughout the Village, including The Old Tavern, a sawmill, the local store and the cheesemaking facility.

ROBYN SEYDEL t’s mid-winter and while there are still many local and regional products that the FoodShed’s Cooperative Distribution Center is supplying to all our Co-ops, four season, local production is still a vision we and our participating farmers and growers are working toward. In order to cover our warehouse overhead we continue to look for other products that will bring exceptional value to our members and shoppers. This month we are pleased to bring to your attention raw Vermont cheddar cheese from the Grafton Village Cheese Company. BY

GIVING TREE

THANKS

Once again, you, our fabulous CO-OP COMMUNITY, have come forward to show just how GREAT you are!

hanks to you, over 700 children in need in our communities had their holiday gift wishes come true. Your caring and concern created a little mountain of gifts for special children in the care of three New Mexican agencies and organizations: New Mexico Department of Children Youth and Families, Enlace Comunitario and Peanut Butter and Jelly Day School. You made the holiday season a little brighter for all involved.

YOUR

Today the Grafton Village Cheese Company is part of the Windham Foundation, whose mis-

The milk is not pasteurized and, although it is heated, is still considered raw. Although they once used traditional rennet, (from calves’ stomachs) they now use non-animal based microbial rennet to create their curd. The cheddars are then aged for a minimum of one year. The “Gold” Cheddar is aged for three years. In addition to the Gold, look for Sage, Maple Smoked, and Garlic Grafton Cheddars at your favorite Co-op location. For an exceptional gourmet treat try Grafton Cheddars with slices of tart apples and pears, toasted walnuts, cured olives, whole grain crackers or crusty breads.

THAYN K OU!

From the bottom of our hearts we thank you again this year for your support of this program. We are proud and honored to be able to serve a community with such a generous heart. You’re the best! Thanks again for your cooperative spirit. We hope this New Year is one of peace and fulfillment, good health and great food for all.

Founded in 1892, the Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company converted surplus milk from local dairy farmers into cheese. In the days before refrigeration, there were many such cooperatives in rural agricultural communities and an abundance of fresh, creamy milk was turned into a food that could be stored for a longer period of time. In 1912 the original Grafton Co-op Cheese factory was destroyed by fire. In the mid-1960’s the nonprofit Windham Foundation restored the company and local dairy farmers once again had a venue to improve their farm economics.

Quality and taste are still the hallmarks of the Grafton Cheese Company’s Cheddar Cheese products. Their extra-aged cheddar is made with milk from select herds of Vermont Jersey cows. Jersey milk is the milk of choice due to its superb creaminess and high butterfat content. Farmers of these herds have signed affidavits stating that their animals will not be treated with synthetic bovine growth hormones (rBGH). The cheddar is 100% natural, free of any chemical preservatives or additives.

MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT

READING AND BOOK SIGNING! with MARK WINNE CLOSING THE FOOD GAP: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty SATURDAY, JANUARY 26TH, 3PM • SANTA FE CO-OP, 913 WEST ALAMEDA

Co-sponsored by Collected Works SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 11AM • NOB HILL CO-OP, 3500 CENTRAL AVE AT CARLISLE Co-sponsored by Bookworks For more information call 217-2027 or 877-775-2667. SUPPORT LOCAL, INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS!

see PAGE 4 !

winter events LIFE IN THE AGE OF A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Hob Hill/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 3500 Central SE Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631 Valley/ 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 575-863-5383 tracyt@lamontanita.coop Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanita.coop President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Secretary/Treasurer: Ken O’Brien William Bright Lonn Calanca Tom Hammer Ariana Marchello Tamara Saimons Jonathan Siegel 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 Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept. Advertising: Robyn Seydel Editorial Assistant: Kristin White kristinw@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: robins@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 © 2008 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% postconsumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT 2

CONSEQUENCES the Quivira January 17-19 COURTNEY WHITE lthough no one knows what the decades ahead will bring precisely, there are enough indicators available to say with confidence that the 21st century represents a new era. Whether the concern is climate change, peak oil, overpopulation, species extinction, food and water shortages or something else, the challenges ahead are varied and daunting. BY

They are elements of what I call the Age of Consequences — the era in which we, and subsequent generations, begin to grapple with the cumulative effects of two hundred years of full-throttle industrialism. It’s not just about the effects of greenhouse gases or toxic wastes, but our decisions also. Action has consequences, of course, but so does inaction – and we did plenty of both last century.

CONFERENCE Reversing ecosystem decline, however, requires the adoption of a new philosophy: that all natural landscapes must now be actively managed. Some may need more management than others, depending on their current condition, but under the global effect of climate change, for example, we can no longer turn our backs on our responsibilities no matter how big or small. Economically, building resilience means relocalization — a word that will likely dominate our lives soon. The inevitability of rising energy costs, for instance, means more and more of our daily lives, from food production to where we work and play, will be lived closer to home. This won’t be by choice, as it is currently, but by necessity. Relocalization can be a form of rediscovery — learning about our roots, about community, neighbors, gardens and doing with less in general. One could look at relocalization entrepreneurially — those individuals and organizations that get into the game early, by providing re-localized goods and services, stand a very good chance at a profitable living as the Age of Consequences begins to unfold.

David Western

Metaphorically, I think of the Age of Consequences as a hurricane that has been building slowly over open water for some time but is now approaching shore. We can already feel its winds. Naturally, a strenuous effort is needed to lower the wind speed of this hurricane as much as possible — such as reducing the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. However, we must also prepare basic support systems, including food, fuel and shelter, since the hurricane is destined to make landfall no matter what we do. In other words, we need to build ecological and economic resilience — which the dictionary defines as “the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” — among landowners, organizations and communities so that they can weather the coming storm. Ecologically, building resilience means reversing the downward trend of ecosystem health. And it needs to happen on a global scale. Fortunately, there has been early progress on this front, including the development of progressive land restoration and management methods, sustainable farming and ranching practices, production of local food, expansion of watershed-based democratic collaboratives and the exploration of regenerative economic strategies, albeit on small scales so far.

Coalition

At a minimum, relocalization includes: The Development of Local Food and Energy Sources. Working landscapes will become critical again. So will the innovations currently taking place at the nexus of agriculture and ecology — a nexus that requires working lands. Could New Mexico feed itself? If not, why not, and what can we do to stimulate local food and energy production?

Farmers and Ranchers Will Become Increasingly Important. Not only does local food and energy require local land, it requires local people with local knowledge to do the work. This means figuring out how to keep the current generation of farmers and ranchers on the land, as well as encourage the next generation to stay, come back or give agriculture a try. Restoration Becomes An Important Business. Producing local food and energy from working landscapes, especially in quantity, will require healthy land as well as best management practices that work “within nature’s model.” However, much of our land is in poor to fair condition for a variety of reasons. The good news is that restoration work can afford local communities a bounty of jobs at good wages. The storm moving toward shore took a long time to develop — and it’ll take an even longer time to dissipate. Our primary duty, therefore, is to be patient, to work dutifully and thoughtfully. Building resilience will take time. It will also require skill, collaboration and respect. We’ll have to work together, and we’ll have to do things differently. The sooner we get started, the better off we will all be.

QUIVIRA Coalition conference EVENTS

• THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 7:30pm: Beyond the Ivory Wars: Is there Space and a Place for Africa’s Elephants? Marriott Pyramid, Albuquerque, $10 for non-conference attendees • FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1:30pm: Annual conference Keynote Address: Livestock and Wildlife: Can Both Co-exist in the Rangelands?

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.quiviracoalition.org or 505-820-2544, ext 5#

with DAVID

WESTERN

a CO-OP ADVENTURE

TRAVELOGUE continued from page 1

seedlings have seven leaves they are ready to be transplanted. Farmers come to the nurseries and pick out their seedlings personally. Coffee trees require three years to mature to the point when the first crop can be harvested. In the interim, the Co-op makes loans available to farmers so they can survive economically until the first harvest. Currently, the roughly 5,000 farmers in the cooperative farm a little more than 5,000 hectares and represent 111 farmer groups. Approximately 720 metric tons of Grade One certified organic coffee has been exported overseas to date and is valued at $1.14 million. The average family farm is one hectare (about 2.4 acres) and can yield revenue of about $2,300 a year. That level of profitability has generated intense interest in

TAM SAIMONSE

KBQB in the region and an additional 2,400 farm families are currently undergoing inspection for organic certification and will become full members upon passing inspection. On to Berastagi Once our group arrived in Medan on the island of Sumatra, we had a couple of hours before we boarded a twelve seater and flew to Silingit. At Siborong-borong, we visited coffee procurement, processing and drying operations and then traveled by bus for about five hours to Berastagi. We made the trip in a 40-foot passenger bus which swayed side to side as it labored up and down the hairpin, one-lane Sumatran mountain roads. It was the start of the rainy season and we were constantly meeting and being passed by a stream of whizzing motorcycles, trucks, other large buses and cars. It’s an experience that gives new meaning to continued on page 3

JANUARY 2008

winter events NEW MEXICO

FARMING

ORGANIC

CONFERENCE

BY JOANIE

QUINN EDUCATION AND MARKETING COORDINATOR, NEW MEXICO ORGANIC COMMODITY COMMISSION crossroads we now find ourselves at is whether we will allow organic farming to become wholly defined by the materials that are allowed or not allowed in production. Or, can we take organic farming to a higher level, also defining it as an ecological production system that utilizes a range of biological and cultural methods to build soils, defend against pests, and achieve our production goals. The benefits of such a system should include more nutritious food, increased biodiversity, better protection of the environment and enhancement of the natural resource base, and greater prosperity for organic farmers and for rural communities.” – FRANCIS THICKE

“A

Thicke will be joined by a host of experts on organic production and marketing who will deliver over thirty workshops during the conference. Friday, February 29th’s, workshops will include: Processing Options for Livestock; Fruits of the Vine… and Cane; Return of the Retailers; Planting the Rain to Grow Abundance; Pruning; Building a Small Dairy: What You Need to Know; Successful Organic Farmers Speak Out: Veggie Production; How to Get Certified Organic (or Not); Heating Greenhouses; Off the Grid: Solar System Setup; Veterinary Care for Organic Livestock; Who Do You Love? Beneficial Insects on Your Farm; Food Safety on the Farm; What Happens in Your Acequia; and Farm Ergonomics. Workshops slated for Saturday, March 1st, include: Organic Egg Production; Weed Management in Organic Production; Finding Your Niche: Marketing for Small-scale Veggie Producers; For the Birds; Drip Irrigation; Beekeeping Without Chemicals; Successful Organic Farmers Speak Out: Fruit Production; “Soil Health in Drylands – A Permaculture Approach”; Strategies for Retirement/ Transition to the Next Generation; and a Veggie Washing Station Demonstration.

feb. 29/March 1

Albuquerque

Francis Thicke, the keynote speaker for the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference 2008, is the owner/operator of a 75-cow, certified organic, grass-based, valueadded dairy, producing organic bottled milk, cream, yogurt and cheese for sales in local grocery stores and restaurants. Thicke has been in agriculture his whole life and converted the family farm to organic in 1976. He has also been deeply involved in research and promotion of organic agriculture, testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, on the 2007 Farm Bill in March of 2007. Thicke currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Organic Farming Research Foundation, the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission and Steering Committee of Scientific Congress on Organic Agriculture Research (SCOAR). He was a member of the Iowa Organic Standards Board during the writing of state organic standards, serving as chair of the Livestock Committee (1998-2000). Thicke has served as the project leader for several local community projects, including an organic farming mentor program, linking experienced organic farmers with

CO-OP

novices; a "Shared Visions" project to bring local farmers and community members together to create a vision and initiate action toward a more sustainable agriculture and community; and a "Rural Action" project to facilitate the development of local value-added agricultural enterprises.

TRAVELOGUE

New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture, Dr. I. Miley Gonzalez, will welcome participants to the conference on Friday morning. On Saturday, participants will be treated to a luncheon feast of local and organic food during which the New Mexico Organic Farmer of the Year will be recognized.

Our trip to Berastagi provided a window for us to view how most people live in the area, which is extremely simply. While it seems everyone has a satellite dish and a cell phone, the houses are mostly brick and plaster with corrugated tin roofs. A major source of economic support are the roadside stands that are set up to sell fruit, nuts, dried fish and packaged snacks. Coffee trees, laden with the bright red ripe cherries and green ripening ones with their glossy

Santa Fe

The Organic Farming Conference is a great opportunity to hear speakers on all aspects of organic agriculture and to meet with sustainable producers from around the southwest. Hope to see you there! Registration for the two-day conference, including Saturday’s lunch, is $100. For more information call 505-841-9067, email joan.quinn@ state.nm.us, or look for conference brochures at the Co-op. To make hotel reservations, call (800) 262-2043 and say you are part of the Organic Conference to get the special room rate. Hotel reservations must be made by January 28th.

dark green leaves are everywhere and it is clear how large a role in the local economy coffee growing plays. It is very common to see orange and brown tarps laid out with the washed beans, in the parchment stage drying in front of people’s houses and small patches of coffee trees here and there on steep hillsides. Everyone’s got a backyard coffee patch it seems, and there are thousands of these small micro-enterprises bubbling up around this part of Sumatra. On the way to Berastagi, we stopped and caught some grand views of magnificent Lake Toba (one of the highest and deepest crater lakes in the world). We also visited two health clinics funded initially by Starbucks, the main buyer of the beans that are grown and processed by the coffee cooperative. The health clinics provide basic pre- and post-natal care as well as immunizations to children and pregnant women and are staffed with a midwife paid for by the Indonesian government. When we visited one clinic, it was Sunday afternoon after church and the women were dressed in their best clothes, congregating on the floor of the clinic as they waited to be seen for shots and checkups. Big smiles continued on page 13

coffee CO-OPS

REHABILITATE A FRAGILE ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT Growing an International Cooperative Movement JANUARY 2008

Gallup Gallup

Farm to Table, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission and the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service have joined forces to organize the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference, which brings together farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, ag professionals and others interested in organic and sustainable agriculture. The conference will be held at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid, February 29-March 1, 2008. La Montanita Co-op Natural Foods Market and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture are sponsoring the gathering. Over 40 exhibitors will participate in the conference.

continued from page 2 small margins and precise tolerances. Combined with the constant waft of cigarette smoke as the drivers take turns in the back of the bus participating in what seems like a national male smoking obsession; you’ve got the perfect recipe for loss of appetite. Although it feels at every turn that you are about to careen off the verdant cliffs into the bush, in truth, the drivers are incredibly skilled and they take great care because they know if they get into a wreck they’ll never be employed as a driver again. Still, the ride is an excellent opportunity to remember to breathe and relax as there is nothing else one can do except to have the Dramamine handy and take a double dose.

Valley Valley

for more information

www.lamontanita.coop 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

happenings CLOSING the FOOD GAP

co-op

JANUARY 2008 4

RESETTING THE TABLE in the by Mark Winne

LAND of PLENTY

REVIEWED by Robyn Seydel

hat we eat, how it is grown, who has access, who doesn’t and who profits give a clear understanding that food is one of, if not the, most political of issues. Over the millennia it has altered societies and changed the face of our landscapes. From early herding days and the original agricultural revolution to the green revolution eons later, from the early back-to-the-land, organic movement to the current scuffle between the industrialized food system and local food uprisings, we have “revolutionized” our relationship with food numerous times. markets packed up their wares and moved to the suburbs, they left behind a vacuum that was soon filled by the bottom-feeders of America’s food chain — shiny new fast food restaurants and gas station mini-marts.

Reading “Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty,” is like sitting down at the kitchen table with author Mark Winne. In the most personable language, his story of three decades of work on a variety of food, farming and hunger issues is a chronicle of our current “food system.”

“But in fact, such establishments thrive in areas of poverty and low education. While they presumably serve a community’s immediate needs for calories, they actually prey upon those who are weakened by insufficient money, choice and knowledge. As a result of these factors, Hartford’s major food problem shifted from hunger to heart

As the director of the Hartford Food System, a private non-profit organization, from 1979-2003, Mark created self-help programs for low income and elderly residents, commercial food businesses including a neighborhood market, a 25-acre community supported agriculture farm and a variety of food and nutrition education programs. What was happening in Hartford was a microcosm of what was happening across the nation. He writes: “Starting in the late 1980s, Hartford’s food landscape began the final act of its steady and sickening transformation. As the super-

disease, diabetes and obesity. In light of the soaring rates of diet-related diseases, across the nation as well as in Hartford, the high prevalence of unhealthy food outlets became a serious public health issue.” Cheap food’s empty, highly sweetened calories, and reduced access to nutritious affordable food have resulted in the obesity and diabetes epidemic that is the prevalent food and health crisis across the nation. In Closing the Food Gap, Mark clearly and sensibly addresses these problems and how to solve them. After leaving the Hartford Food System in 2003, Mark worked in a variety of organizations, both national and international, and penned articles for numerous publications on food and hunger issues. Utilizing this extensive experience, in Closing the Food Gap, his first book, Mark integrates past and present to offers realistic solutions for a future food supply that provides healthy, affordable food for all and a way out of the public health and environmental crises we now face.

TWIN

POVERTY

REALITIES AND

HUNGER

WERE NOT MY PERSONAL

EXPERIENCES.

Neither, for the most part, were they the experiences of a generation that would eventually embrace environmentalism, pioneer the “back to the land” movement and plant the seeds for organic and local food. But for those like myself who had been as touched by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as they had by those of Rachel Carson, our reality was shaped as much by our disquietude with the unraveling of the natural world as it was by the striving of disenfranchised people for social justice. As middle-class baby boomers, we were a generation of light, white, and bright young people largely free of economic hardship, physical toil, and a host of vulnerabilities that commonly befall people from less privileged circumstances. Yet our class and relative freedom from suffering and oppression did not mean that we were feckless. To the contrary, our sensibilities were constantly scoured by a society in conflict that did not square with our inchoate values. It was not coincidental, for instance, that our instincts and ideals were often shaped in places that once had the attributes we most treasured.

the Best

PRODUCE!

food-shed

SHOP

CO-OP!

Mark Winne

Saturday, January 26th, 3pm, at the Santa Fe Co-op 913 West Alameda. Co-sponsored by Collected Works Saturday, Feb 2, 11am at the Nob Hill Co-op 3500 Central Ave at Carlisle. Co-sponsored by Bookworks For more information call 217-2027 or 877-775-2667.

He acts it as life, before he apprehends it as truth.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson For me, Bergen County, New Jersey, was that place. In the 1950s, the Garden State’s remaining truck farms and rolling hills cushioned the growth of tidy suburban towns just beginning to push beyond their pre-World War II boundaries. By the early 1960s, north Jersey was fast becoming the poster child for sprawl. The natural buffers that had defined our communities and fueled my imagination had been bulldozed into oblivion. The last twenty or so undeveloped acres that were still within my bicycle’s range finally became the area’s first multiscreen cinema complex. My mother’s trips to the mall were growing more frequent because there were now more of them. And the farmland that had aroused

every fiber of my ten-year-old being was now sprouting Lord & Taylor, Acme Auto Parts, Pizza Land, and enough parking spaces to land a bomber squadron… Farming, gardening, and even a proximity to these activities were assiduously avoided in the well-tended suburbs of the 1950s and 1960s. Nature was only a concept, and its yucky reality should be held firmly in check. When it couldn’t be avoided, the thinking went, just make sure it was well sanitized. Producing food for a living, like preparing meals from unprocessed, whole ingredients, was spurned. “We made sacrifices during the Great Depression and World War II,” I heard many adults say, “but when it comes to food, we are now free from physical work and scarcity.” But as I was scooping ground balls out of the lush green grass of my front yard and my father was driving golf balls down landscaped fairways, Rachel Carson was writing Silent Spring. Our tidy world was inching toward a showdown with the iron laws of environmental limits at the same time one woman was trying to warn us that we were about to crash into a brick wall. She whispered in our ears that we could not continue hell-bent down the road to Gomorrah without suffering a painful, if not fatal, accident.

Epicurean Wellness Walking Tour at Nob Hill Co-op

hen you balance your proteins and carbohydrates you help balance your blood sugar, hormones and cholesterol. Dr. Jae Atchley, chiropractic physician, will be at the Nob Hill Coop during the month of January to show how easy it is to balance your proteins and carbohydrates for health and wellness. On Jan. 5 and 12 from 1-3pm Dr. Atchley will use applied kinesiology to test protein/carbohydrate ratios for Co-op shoppers. On Sun., Jan. 13th, she will offer an Epicurean Wellness Walking Tour of the Co-op to show people how to design a meal for greatest nutritional balance. All these events are free and open to the public. You must R.S.V.P. for the Walking Tour on Sunday.

from our regional

Book

Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty

Suburbia... and the Food Movement Suburbia, Environmentalism, and the Early Gurglings of the Food Movement

Signing with

an excerpt: by Mark Winne Editors Note: Special thanks to Mark Winne and Beacon Press for allowing the Co-op Connection News to reprint the following excerpt.

Reading &

Insulin resistance contributes to many health conditions. Weight gain is the most noticeable effect, but other symptoms include high blood pressure, diabetes, hormonal imbalance and the #1 cause of death in the U.S., heart disease. Some studies are now linking this disorder with Alzheimer's disease.

The primary cause of insulin resistance, known as metabolic syndrome and syndrome X, is poor lifestyle choices. Eating too many carbohydrates, especially the refined carbohydrates, causes the body to lose its ability to metabolize insulin. Other factors such as stress, lack of exercise and vitamin and mineral deficiencies also contribute to this growing problem.

You can begin to reverse insulin resistance by balancing your proteins and carbohydrates every time you eat. Proteins will help keep your insulin levels from going too high. Too many proteins, however, also contribute to ill health and disease. Join Dr. Jae R. Atchley at the Nob Hill La Montanita Co-op to test protein vs. carbohydrate ratios with applied kinesiology on Saturday, January 5th and 12th, from 1-3pm and for the Epicurean Wellness Walking tour at the Co-op on Sunday, January 13th, at 2pm. There are no fees for these events, however, you must R.S.V.P. for the walking tour on Sunday. To R.S.V.P. please call 266-0307.

BALANCED eating for health

winter

breakfasts WARMING

JANUARY 2008 5

FOOD

BREAKFAST FACTS VS MYTHS KRISTIN WHITE reakfast is my favorite meal of the day. There’s nothing more satisfying than sitting down to a hot bowl of oatmeal with maple syrup and cinnamon, especially in winter. Starting the day with a nourishing breakfast gives me long-lasting energy and keeps me full for hours. BY

Many of my friends do not share my enthusiasm for breakfast. They are not alone. Surveys indicate that many Americans, while educated on the importance of breakfast, do not eat a morning meal. Let’s distinguish a few breakfast facts from the myths. This information applies to people of all ages. On this page you’ll find healthy, delicious and simple recipes that are easy and quick to prepare. Breakfast Facts and Myths Myth: It’s ok to skip breakfast because it is not an important meal. Fact: Skipping breakfast means that from the time you eat before going to bed to the time you eat the next day, if you eat at noon, let’s say, you’ve probably gone at least 13 hours without eating. This deprivation leads to a drop in blood sugar levels, activating a stress response that affects your brain and interferes with alertness and memory. The result is poor

THE RECIPES! (Key: C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, lb. = pound, oz. = ounce) Orange-Hazelnut Muesli Muesli is handy for road trips and hurried breakfasts. Preparing rolled oats this way gives them a slightly different texture that is very enjoyable. Preparation time is ten minutes. 2 C rolled oats or barley (or a blend of both) 1/3 C hazelnuts, chopped (optional) 1/3 C raisins (optional) 1/2 t cinnamon 2 C boiling water 2 oranges, juiced Place grain, nuts, raisins and cinnamon in mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over mixture and stir. Juice oranges; add juice to mixture and stir again. Cover bowl with plate or cloth and allow moisture to soften grains overnight. Serve with grated apple, sliced pears and/or a dollop of plain yogurt. Serves 4. Note: For babies who are 6 months and older: Steam some apple and pear slices until soft. Puree and serve. Morning Miso Soup People don’t often think of having soup for breakfast, but this soup is nutritious and energizing. Fresh gingerroot helps stimulate the digestive system and has a warming effect on the body. 4-inch piece of wakame (seaweed) 4 C water 1 potato, diced 1 C thinly sliced greens (kale, watercress, bok choy, collards) 1 T grated gingerroot 4 T light or mellow unpastuerized miso 1/4 lb. firm tofu, cut in cubes Garnish: 2 scallions, thinly sliced Place wakame in small bowl and soak for 5 minutes. Put 4 cups of water and potato in 3-quart pot and bring to a simmer. Take wakame from soaking water and remove the spine. Chop into small pieces and add to water. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Add greens, gingerroot and tofu cubes at the end and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour a bit of broth into each serving bowl and dissolve 1 tablespoon miso in the broth. Fill each bowl with more broth and stir gently. Garnish with scallions. Note: For babies who are 10 months or older: Remove a little bit of the cooked wakame from the soup. Chop very fine and add

concentration, problem-solving abilities, mental performance, memory and mood. Myth: Eating breakfast will make you tired during the day. Fact: Skipping breakfast leaves you feeling more hungry and tired. The fuel that keeps us going is glucose. Your brain and nervous system need glucose to function at their best. The longer your body is deprived the harder it has to work to break down stored carbohydrates or turn protein and fat into usable energy. Breakfast provides you with the energy you need to start the day off right! Myth: A healthy breakfast consists of high protein, low carb foods such as eggs, sausage and bacon. Fact: “The New Four Food Groups – grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit – can provide you with all the nutrients you need” (www.pcrm.org). Select the following amounts daily to complete your nutritional needs: 8 servings of grains, 3 servings of legumes, 4 or more servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit. It’s important to vary the foods you choose within the food groups because it helps you incorporate all the nutrients your body needs.

SPICED

For the healthiest breakfast it is also recommended to keep the consumption of dairy and meat to a minimum, as they are high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Many children and adults cannot digest the lactose in cow’s milk. For these people, sheep’s or goat’s milk is a healthier and safer alternative. Myth: Children who eat breakfast tend to perform poorly in school. Fact: Children who eat a healthy breakfast perform better in school, are more creative and alert, think more clearly and score higher on tests. Myth: People who eat breakfast tend to gain weight. Fact: When you eat breakfast, your body feels nourished and satisfied. As a result, you’re less likely to overeat the rest of the day. Children and adults who eat a morning meal, daily, tend to eat fewer calories, less saturated fat and cholesterol and intake more nutrients than those who don’t (National Weight Control Registry). Preparing a healthy breakfast can be simple, quick and fun! It can be close to the one you may be accustomed to with a few simple modifications. Try using goat, rice, soy or almond milk with your cereal instead of cow’s milk. Substitute cinnamon raisin toast with jam for a donut. Roast potatoes in the oven rather than frying them. Leave the cream cheese behind and spread your bagel with apple or peanut butter, hummus or fruit spread. Lighten your coffee with non-fat, nondairy creamer. If you want extra protein, try tofu scrambler (scrambled tofu with seasonings) or a breakfast burrito filled with fat-free refried beans, lettuce and tomato. There are also fat-free bacon and sausage substitutes on the market that are surprisingly tasty. The recipes on this page are warming and nutrient-rich. Try them and you’ll be on your way to a healthy new year!

CHAI TEA

4 C water 10 whole cloves 12 cardamom pods 12 whole black peppercorns 2 sticks cinnamon 4 slices fresh gingerroot, (1/4 inch thick) 1 C soy, sheep or goat’s milk Maple syrup or honey to taste

Bring water, spices and gingerroot to a boil in pot. Lower heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes (this can be done the night before or spices can be soaked overnight and reheated in the morning for a quickie morning cup.) Add milk. If using sheep’s or goat’s milk, bring to a boil again to increase digestibility. Turn off the heat. Strain into a cup and stir in sweetener (to taste).

to pureed cereals and vegetables you are serving to baby. Wakame adds extra calcium and minerals. Serves 4 Goldie’s Whole Grain Pancake Mix This basic pancake mix comes from Goldie Caughlan, Nutrition Educator at Puget Consumer’s Co-op in Seattle. There are many types of whole grain flours besides wheat that can be used to make baked goods; this recipe includes several alternatives. This mix works equally well for waffles. Dry pancake mix: 2 C barley or kamut flour 2 C whole wheat pastry flour 1 C buckwheat flour 1 C blue cornmeal 3 T baking powder 1 t cinnamon Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Makes 6 cups dry mix.

batter onto griddle to form a 5-inch diameter pancake. When pancake has cooked on the bottom, flip with a spatula and cook the other side. Keep cooked pancakes in a warm oven until ready to serve. Makes 10 five-inch pancakes FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS AND OLDER: Reserve some ripe banana. Mash and serve. VARIATION FOR CHILDREN: Put batter in a squeeze bottle and squeeze batter onto griddle in shapes of initials, age of child, animals.

CO-OP Food-Shed

PROJECT

Buttermilk Banana Pancakes Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that is easy to digest and actually quite low in fat! It adds a rich flavor to pancakes. For a dairy-free version substitute soy milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice added to it. 1 egg 1 1/2 C dry whole-grain pancake mix 1 C buttermilk 1/2 C water 1 ripe banana Oil for griddle Separate egg, pour egg white in one bowl and yolk in another. Beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine egg yolk, dry mix, buttermilk and water. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Cut banana into thin slices. Add egg white and banana to batter and gently fold in. Heat griddle to medium-high and coat surface with small amount of oil. Pour enough

Bringing together local farmers and Co-op shoppers for the best in fresh, fair and local food!

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CO-OP news

JANUARY 2008 6

LOCAL PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Bee Sweet Honey:

but now even the mites are not a problem. We have been using herbal remedies to combat the mites; lavender, rosemary, wintergreen. They work really well and our bees are very healthy.” They do have to deal with “Africanization” issues. “Any European bees here become Africanized after a few years, picking up some of the more aggressive traits. They even sting us through our suits. So we have to be careful and make sure our hives are not in populated areas, not near people.”

Healthy Bees, Southwestern Flavors

ROBYN SEYDEL lthough Dolly and Bonnie Brown learned beekeeping from their dad Gayle, their lifelong passion for bees began at fifteen. Dolly says “we took part-time summer jobs at the Bosque Honey Farm and just got hooked.” The Bosque Honey Farm that sold honey to the Co-op for many years is now gone but the Brown sisters have stepped up to the plate to provide delicious raw, local honey. They have been serious honey producers for 15 years and now Bonnie’s son, Justin is part of this small family business, producing some of the finest raw desert honey imaginable. BY

Caring for some “200 hives, give or take a few,” they work with farmers and in desert areas up and down the Rio Grande Valley. “There’s not much clover honey in New Mexico, except for some up north. As our bees go out into the desert they find interesting flavors. We never know what we’re going to get from week to week. It’s the reason our honey is sometimes light and sometimes dark, depending on the nectar source in each batch,” says Dolly.

LOCAL SALE ITEMS SHOP LOCAL & SAVE

The flavors are all New Mexico desert, mountain and valley: purple sage, salt cedar, mesquite, phacilia (a wildflower that grows along the ditches and river banks), cleome (a desert wildflower in abundance after a bit of rain) to name but a few of the flower flavors blended to make this uniquely New Mexican product. So far they are lucky that the bee decline that has been in the news so much this year has not affected them. Dolly says “We’ve been lucky; the die-off so far has not affected New Mexico beekeepers. There was a big outbreak of viral mites back in the ’80’s

Worried about the upcoming allergy season? Honey and bee pollen is a traditional remedy for spring and fall allergies, but you must start early, not in the height of allergy season. For best allergy mitigation begin using Bee Sweet Honey on a daily basis this month. Bee Sweet bees collect pollen and resin from a variety of plants including trees, the cause of spring allergies for most people. Look for locally produced, raw Bee Sweet Honey at all Co-op locations in a variety of sizes. Recently they have added a glass jar option so shoppers can choose between glass or plastic containers.

Rudi’s Organic Bakery Boulder, CO Organic Sandwich Bread, 20 oz, Assorted Varieties Reg. $3.99, Sale $2.89

High Country Kombucha Eagle, CO Organic Kombucha Tea, 16 oz, Assorted Varieties Reg. $3.79, Sale $2.99

LOCAL PRODUCT: MEGA GREENS

La Montanita Co-op

TINY GREENS:

Albuquerque, NM Tree-Free Kenaf Co-op Greeting Cards Assorted Designs, Reg. 2/$5, Sale 99¢ each VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 1/2-1/29, 2008:

Not all items available at all stores.

EVEN MORE LOCAL PRODUCTS ON SALE IN OUR STORES!

JANUARY SPECIALS WANT TO SEE YOUR LOCAL PRODUCT ADVERTISED HERE? Contact Angela at angela@lamontanita.coop

Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy

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

505-266-6522

BIG FLAVORS

fter years of working with top New Mexico chefs, local farmer Paul Cross recently introduced his line of organic Mega Greens™ into grocery stores in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos. These tiny greens have surprisingly big, bold flavors. Beautiful colors and textures make these greens a creative finishing touch to any dish. Add Mega Greens to salads, sandwiches or wraps. They are delicious atop grilled meats, fish or soups. Located in Arroyo Hondo, Charybda Farm’s owner Paul says, “We developed our line of Mega Greens over the past three years through close collaboration with topnotch chefs in Taos and Santa Fe, and now we’re very excited to make our professional line of greens available to people for their enjoyment at home. It’s taking eating at home to a new delicious level. Just a simple and easy addition of Mega Greens makes any dish look and taste great.” Four varieties are available: Arugula, Red Amaranth, Sweet Basil and Spicy Mix. You really have to taste each one to experience the amazing flavors.

Mega Greens are a striking fuchsia color. They have a mild flavor much like beets. The visual appeal of Red Amaranth makes a gorgeous garnish. Sweet Basil Mega Greens are a bright green color with the potent taste of fresh summer basil. They are delicious added to a stir fry once the heat is turned off. Basil Mega Greens are also great on pizza, bruschetta, green or pasta salads, etc. Sprinkled like confetti over a dish really makes a plate look good. Spicy Mix is a seasonal medley of spicy flavors that enlivens any dish. There is a big radish flavor that is balanced by other greens including broccoli, arugula, red cabbage, amaranth, cress, parsley and more. Spicy Mix Mega Greens add a touch of heat and a lot of flavor to a dish, while the colors and textures add a big visual appeal. These flavor and nutrition packet greens are perfect for the winter season. Keep Mega Greens refrigerated. Use within three to five days of purchase. Look for them in the produce case at your favorite Co-op.

Arugula Mega Greens have big spicy arugula flavor packed into its first tiny leaves. Red Amaranth

CHARYBDA FARMS

ADD WARMTH to Any Dish Using Kinna’s Laos Chile Paste in your favorite chicken, seafood or vegetarian recipe is a great way to warm up any winter meal quickly. Using a generations-old family recipe Kinna makes her Laotian Chile paste right here in New Mexico. For those of us who love our chile, the fiery South Asian flare it adds to any meal is a welcome treat.

KINNA’S:

Laos Chile Paste

Made from hand-ground chile, tender shallots, pungent ginger and garlic with all its many health benefits, the combination is a flavorful addition to just about any dish. It compliments soups, stir fries, noodles, salad dressings, marinades and more. Look for Kinna’s Laos Chile Paste at your favorite Co-op and warm up a cold winter’s night.

SHOP

CO-OP! SOUP TO NUTS, GRAINS TO BEANS... AND MANY THINGS IN BETWEEN!

BUY BULK & SAVE

CO-OP news THE INSIDE

SCOOP

Happy New Year!

We are presented some unique challenges and opportunities as we enter 2008. We now have a new competitor in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque. Sunflower Farmer’s Market opened in December at the corner of San Mateo and Lomas. Sunflower is the former founder of Wild Oats’ new endeavor and this location is the 14th store in his new chain. They are headquartered in Colorado and currently operate stores in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. While sales at our Nob Hill location have not been impacted thus far, we know that you continue to have many choices for purchasing natural foods. We strive to never take your business for granted and our entire staff continues to work to provide you the highest levels of quality and service possible. We have a wonderful opportunity as the expansion of our Santa Fe location is nearing completion. This project will expand our current 12,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet as we “reclaim” the original total grocery store space operated by

JANUARY 2008 7

Piggly Wiggly when this shopping center was built many years ago. While our Santa Fe staff is working to minimize the impact of this project on your store experience, we know that the next few weeks will cause some disruption in the store as the project finishes up. We expect the wall separating the new space will come down in late January and we expect to fully complete the new equipment and inventory build out by the end of February. This project will expand every department in the store and generally “loosen up” the store as a whole. The New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union will also be opening a full service branch inside our store as part of this project. This will be their first branch in Santa Fe and we are privileged to have them as a partner in Santa Fe. We know that every year contains challenges and opportunities for us all and we hope that 2008 provides you with more opportunities than challenges. We look forward to participating with you in our Co-op this coming year and we remain grateful for the opportunity to serve you. C.E. Pugh, General Manager

New Year’s Resolution:

BUY BULK for Economic and

Environmental Reasons ROBYN SEYDEL BENEFIT I: Saving Money a Montanita carries approximately 250 bulk items. Everything from soup to nuts, flours, cereals, beans, you name it, the bulk department has it! Saving money and eating healthier are just two of the many good reasons to shop in the bulk department that come immediately to mind. A quick perusal of bulk department prices gives you an idea of how much money you can save. It’s clear that with packaged products you are paying for just that—the packaging. Often you get only 12 ounces of food for more than the price of a full pound in the Co-op’s bulk department. In other cases you are paying for the brand name. Breakfast cereal is a good example. Products that are similar to cheerios, grape nuts, rice crispies, rolled oats, granola, wheatena and other hot cereals can all be found in the Co-op bulk bins. When you compare prices, ounce for ounce, the Co-op’s bulk products win hands down. And you can often get more of the organic variety for the same price you pay for the conventional brand name package. BY

Benefit II: Good Food for Good Health Another great bulk department saving is those inches around our waistline. Much of what is contained in the bulk bins are the healthiest, low fat, high fiber foods you can find. From heart experts to cancer survivorship, from the USDA’s food pyramid to concerns about endocrine disrupting chemicals, a healthy diet

depends on the grains, beans, nuts and seeds that are the foundation of this department. One of the keys to perfect brown rice, fluffy millet or ideal quinoa is to refrain from stirring the grains while they are cooking. The easiest way to cook grains is to put one cup of grain and two cups of water into a pot. Stir once or twice to evenly distribute in the pan, cover and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce the flame to a low simmer and allow to slowly cook. Remember do not stir, as stirring breaks the molecular-like structure the grain sets up as it cooks, causing the grain to become paste-like. To make sure all the water has been taken up, tilt the pot; when no water runs down the side it is done. Let it sit for a moment or two before fluffing with a fork.

Calendar of Events

1/5 Free Health Screening, Nob Hill Co-op, 1-3pm, see p. 4 1/8 Finance Committee Meeting, CDC, 5pm 1/12 Free Health Screening, Nob Hill Co-op, 1-3pm, see p. 4 1/13 Wellness Walking Tour, Nob Hill Co-op, see p. 4 1/15 Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 1/17-19 Quivira Coalition Conference, see p. 2 1/21 Member Engagement Meeting, CDC, 5:30pm 1/26 Reading with Mark Winne, Santa Fe Co-op, see p. 4 2/3 Reading with Mark Winne, Nob Hill Co-op, see p. 4 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.

bottles, hand crème bottles, tamari bottles, and refill them in the bulk liquids section, again reducing waste and saving money as you do. Benefit IV: Feeding a Family Organic for the Price of Conventional Using bulk foods rather than processed foods allows you to really stretch your family’s food dollar. Penny for penny and dollar for dollar, you get more value and greater nutrition in the bulk department. Comparing boxed cereal with its Coop bulk counterpart you will often find that you can get the organic variety at the same price or for less than the conventional boxed brand name. So not only are you getting more for your money, you are getting a higher quality product, with a reduced amount of chemical residues, additives and preservatives. Check out the enormous selection of grains, beans, pasta, nuts, seeds, baking supplies, snacks, cereals, trail mixes and more. Check out our web site at www.lamontanita.coop for a variety of great receipes found in the Co-op Connection newsletter archive. Just look for the Food Features section in every month’s issue. This new year resolve to shop the bulk department more. For both economic and environmental reasons you’ll be glad you did.

Benefit III: Saving the Environment Here again the benefits of buying bulk are obvious. Less packaging means less waste going in your garbage and less going to the landfill. It also means fewer trees cut down for that cardboard or paper box. Less plastic manufactured and used reduces the dioxins, produced in all plastics manufacturing, that are released into the environment. This is definitely, as they say, a “win/win situation”. Also you can bring in your own bags, jars, empty dishwashing soap bottles, shampoo

Sustainable Bundles of Firewood at your

CO-OP

ancy Roux lives in an off grid, solar house out in Mountainair, New Mexico, surrounded by some of our most beautiful Manzano Mountain forests. “I’m really into alternative building materials; built my house from old tires, earth and recycled tin cans. So when I noticed the Forest Service and some local ranchers thinning the forests around me for fire defense I thought about putting all that wood to good use.” Her bundles are cedar, juniper and now and again some ponderosa and pinon. “All the wood would have been burned anyway, to clear out the forest and keep the forest healthy,” says Nancy, “so why not let it heat our homes.” She started collecting

smaller pieces for lattias and fence posts. Seeing bundles of firewood in some grocery stores she thought, “I can do that sustainably,” and soon the bundles of firewood developed. “This thinning and harvesting really helped the whole water shed. Juniper can soak up lots of water. By thinning we can create more diversity, keep more water and now we are even seeing some of the grasses and bushes come back.” Co-op shoppers can now get some of her neat bundles of firewood. The firewood has been sustainably harvested to protect our Manzano Mountain forests and carefully cut and split by Nancy and packed into bundles. Look for Nancy Roux’s bundles in the entranceway or the produce department depending on your Co-op location.

LOCAL PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

FRESH DELICIOUS ORGANIC The CO-OP Food-Shed Project: Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in fresh, fair and local food.

L o s Po b l a n o s Organics

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

warming

foods

Heat up the

kitchen! The following recipes include many winter vegetables such as kale, cauliflower, squash, cabbage, beet and watercress to keep you warm and healthy! (Key: C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, lb. = pound, oz. = ounce, qt. = quart)

Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese Ravioli Roasted beets may be cooked in advance and refrigerated. Store colors separately; they will bleed. 3 medium size beets (preferably a variety), washed well and dried olive oil, enough to lightly coat beets kosher salt, to taste ground pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash beets well, dry and coat with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap individually in aluminum foil. Roast in 350degree oven (approx. 1 hour) until knife tender and skin peels easily when rubbed. Peel while warm. Cool. Slice thinly and arrange on 4 plates. Sprinkle with additional salt to taste. Beet Sauce

In medium saucepot, heat olive oil on low flame. Sweat shallots, garlic and herbs for 5 minutes. Add diced beets, sugar and vinegar. Cook on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add enough water just to barely cover. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer five minutes. Turn off, let stand. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Goat Cheese Ravioli 12 ravioli, 3 per person 3 T unsalted butter 2 qts water boiling, salted While raviolis are cooking in boiling salted water, heat a medium sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons butter. Heat until brown and nutty (this step may be eliminated entirely, but the brown butter sauté lends wonderful nutty flavor, depth and great texture to the dish). Cook raviolis until just tender. Strain out raviolis and add to hot brown butter (off the flame). Return to heat and sauté until coated and golden. Remove to prepared sliced beet plates. Save pan. Add 6-8 oz. beet sauce to pan, heat to simmer. Add 1 tablespoon butter (optional). Swirl until melted/emulsified (or without butter, until slightly reduced). Adjust seasoning salt and pepper to taste. Top raviolis with warm beet sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped chives and toasted pine nuts.

May be cooked in advance and refrigerated.

2 large red beets, peeled, diced 1/4" 2 shallots, peeled, sliced thin 2 cloves of garlic, peeled, sliced thin 1 sprig fresh thyme 1/2 sprig fresh rosemary 2 T sherry vinegar 1 T sugar kosher salt to taste pepper to taste 3 T olive oil

Winter Squash Chai Bread Flavorful chai and colorful squash make this sweet quick bread a warming winter treat. 1/2 C sugar 1/2 C (1/4 lb.) butter, at room temperature 1 C mashed cooked winter squash, such as butternut or acorn 2 large eggs 1/2 C liquid chai concentrate

JANUARY 2008 10

1 t vanilla 2 C all-purpose flour 2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1 1/2 t salt 2 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t each ground cardamom, ginger and black pepper 1/4 t each ground cloves, nutmeg and allspice 1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add squash, eggs, chai and vanilla and stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and nuts and stir just until evenly moistened. Pour batter into a buttered 8-inch loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Makes 1 loaf; 10 servings. Tuscan Winter Vegetable Soup The soup is flavorful and hearty, a nutritious winter meal by itself, with phytoestrogen-rich chickpeas that add a creamy consistency with minimal fat, as well as vitamins A, C. 3 C cooked or canned chickpeas 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 3 medium celery stalks, chopped 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 1 large red onion, peeled and chopped 2 T olive oil 2 bunches Swiss chard, cleaned 1/2 head Napa or Savoy cabbage 1/4 C chopped Italian parsley 2 fresh rosemary sprigs (leave on stem) One 14 1/2-oz. can plum tomatoes, drained 6 C boiling water or vegetable broth 5 oz. stale bread, such as semolina or baguette, sliced (about 3/4 loaf) salt and pepper

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, saute the garlic, celery, carrots and onion in the olive oil for about 20 minutes, stirring often so the vegetables do not brown. Cut out the tough triangular inner core of the Swiss chard leaves and slice them into 1/2-inch slices. Add to the vegetables in the saucepan. Tear the Swiss chard leaves and set aside. Cut out the triangular core of the 1/2 cabbage head, then discard. Place the cabbage, flat side down, on a cutting board. With a large chef’s knife, slice at close intervals down the cabbage, forming long, ribbonlike strips. Set aside with the Swiss chard leaves. Add the parsley, rosemary sprigs and tomatoes to the saucepan and cook at a low simmer for 15 more minutes. Add cabbage and Swiss chard leaves, half of the chickpeas and enough boiling water or stock to cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. Puree remaining chickpeas in a food processor and add to the soup with just enough boiling water or stock to keep the soup liquid. Remove the rosemary sprigs and add the bread slices. Add more liquid if necessary, but keep in mind that the soup should have a very thick “stewlike” consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8 Moroccan Lentil Soup/Stew 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 T minced garlic 1 t minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 t ground dried ginger) 1 T olive or canola oil 6 C low-sodium chicken or beef broth (water can also be used) 1 1/2 C red lentils, dried 15-oz. can garbanzo (chickpeas) beans, rinsed and drained

warming

foods 1 C coarsely chopped carrot 1 C peeled, chopped sweet potato 5 C vegetable (or chicken) stock 1/4 C maple syrup cayenne pepper to taste 1 small whole-grain baguette 3 oz goat cheese 1/4 C chopped fresh chives

14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (tomatoes and any juice), low sodium if available 3/4 C diced carrots 3/4 C chopped celery (about 3 medium stalks) 1 t garam masala (a spice blend) 1 1/2 t ground cardamom 1/2 t ground cayenne pepper 1/2 t ground cumin 6 T fat-free sour cream (optional garnish) Add onions, garlic, ginger and olive to a large nonstick saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often (about 7 minutes). Add the broth, lentils, garbanzo beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, garam masala, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin. Bring stew to a boil, then lower heat to simmer, cover saucepan and continue to cook until lentils are soft (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Ladle about a third to a half of the soup into a large food processor or blender and pulse to briefly puree. Pour soup puree back into the pot and stir. Serve each bowl with a dollop of fat-free sour cream, if desired. Winter Chicken and Barley Soup 1 T olive or canola oil 1/2 C chopped onion 1 C chopped celery 2 C sliced mushrooms (about 6 ounces) 1 T minced garlic 1 C chopped carrots 1 1/2 C chopped, cooked skinless chicken breast (about 7 oz. cooked) 5 C low-sodium chicken broth 2/3 C pearl barley 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T parsley flakes) 1/3 C slivered almonds, toasted (toast by heating over medium heat in nonstick frying pan, stirring often, until golden brown) Pepper to taste Salt to taste (optional) Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic and sauté until mushrooms are lightly browned (about 7 minutes). Stir in carrots, chicken and broth and bring to boil. Stir in the barley, cover the saucepan and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about an hour or until barley is just tender. Turn off the heat and stir in parsley and almonds. Add pepper to taste and salt to taste if desired. Serves 6 Winter Vegetable Soup 3 T olive oil 1 C coarsely chopped onion 1 C peeled, cored and coarsely chopped apple 1 C peeled and coarsely chopped turnip 1 C peeled and chopped butternut squash (seeds discarded)

Body-Centered Counseling

JANUARY 2008 11

For soup, heat oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add apple, turnip, squash, carrot and sweet potato; season with salt, then sauté 5 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add syrup, then cayenne pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Puree with a handheld mixer, food processor or blender. For toast toppers, cut 6 slices bread and toast them. Spread 1/2 oz goat cheese on top of each; sprinkle with chives. Pour soup into 6 large bowls; float toast on top. Serves 6 Kale and Rice Chowder 2 t olive oil 1 C chopped onion 1 C chopped red bell pepper 1/2 C chopped leeks 1/3 C sliced almonds 1 T paprika 2 bay leaves 1 1/2 C water 1 14.5-oz can seasoned, diced, stewed tomatoes 2 C vegetable broth 2 C chopped kale 1 C cooked brown rice 1 C drained canned garbanzo beans Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, leeks and almonds. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the almonds, paprika, bay leaves, water, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Add the kale, rice and garbanzo beans. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Serves 6

1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned 2 oranges, peeled and sectioned 2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced

and orange juice in a shallow, wide saucepan and cook on high heat for about 10-15 minutes to reduce to half the volume. While sauce is reducing, season salmon pieces with a little salt and pepper and place on hot pan from broiler. Return pan under broiler heat and broil salmon for just about 2-3 minutes. Do not turn, as salmon is cooking on both sides at once. Remove salmon from pan and place on platter. Season citrus sauce with salt and pepper and strain liquid over salmon. Discard rest. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette: Place all the ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Add the salt and pepper to taste. For the Salad: Toss the watercress, endive and half of each fruit with Balsamic Vinaigrette. Divide the greens mixture onto four plates. Garnish each plate with the remaining fruit. Serving Size: 1 cup salad with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette German Red Cabbage Sauté This can be done a day ahead, since it keeps well.

Pumpkin and Potato Soup with Kale This healthy and hearty vegetable soup is easy to make and full of flavor. The pumpkin works as a thickener while the kale adds color and fiber.

1/4 lb. thick bacon, or meatless substitute, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 medium tart apple, cored and cubed Small red cabbage, about 1 to 2 lbs. grated 1/2 C white wine 1 C water 1 t salt Freshly milled black pepper

2 T olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 T miso paste 3 qt. water 1 lb. organic new potatoes 1 small organic pumpkin, about 1-3/4 pounds, to yield 1 pound when peeled and cubed 1/2 bunch kale, leaves only, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces 3 T minced parsley Red wine vinegar to taste Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Hot ground pepper, to taste Grated Parmesan cheese to pass at the table

Cook bacon or substitute over medium heat in a 4-quart Dutch oven. When beginning to brown, stir in onion and apple. Cook until onions are soft, about 10 - 15 minutes. Mix in cabbage, white wine and water. Cook over low heat, covered, until cabbage is soft, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4-6 The recipes above have been adapted and reprinted from the following sources: radio.weblogs.com www.findarticles.com The Strang Cookbook for Cancer Prevention, by Laura Pensiero and Susan Oliveira (Dutton, 1998) www.medicinenet.com www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ www.pcrm.org/health/recipes/recipe www.homecooking.about.com

Heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Add the onion, reduce the heat to moderate and cook until the onion is just wilted. Add the garlic and miso; stir until the miso dissolves and colors the onion and garlic. Add the water. Watercress and Endive Salad with Winter Fruits

Salmon in Citrus Sauce The orange flavor complements salmon beautifully. It is easy to prepare and can be made very quickly. Choose Alaska wild salmon for the best ocean-friendly seafood choice.

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette: 1 T finely chopped shallots 2 T balsamic vinegar 1/3 C grapeseed oil salt to taste freshly ground black pepper

1 _ lbs salmon filets, skin and bones removed, cut into 4 pieces _ medium sized onion, chopped 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped 2 T fresh lemon juice 1 _ C fresh orange juice 1 t fennel seed 2 T minced fresh parsley, or if you have it, green fennel tops salt & white pepper to taste

For the Salad: 1 bunch watercress 1 head endive

Warming

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gardening SAVING heirloom SEEDS!

farming &

JANUARY 2008 12

KEEPING NEW MEXICO’S HERITAGE

MEMBER TO MEMBER

BY BRETT BAKKER, NEW MEXICO ORGANIC COMMODITIES COMMISSION ast month, I visited a bunch of old friends I hadn’t seen for quite awhile. About, oh, three hundred old friends! I’d met them along the Rio Grande, from Ysleta Del Sur in northern Texas to Arroyo Hondo in northern New Mexico. From Shiprock in the west to Fort Sumner in the east, they have roots in the Southwest, in Mexico and Central America, in Spain and Moorish Africa.

I introduced them to some new friends, one of which is housing all three hundred. I watched them drive away to their new home. I’ve known them intimately for over twenty years. I’ve seen them born, grow up and die — just what they were supposed to do. They are seeds. And they’re from most every corner of New Mexico. Seeds have always passed from farmer to farmer. Just as humans grow accustomed to their environs, so do plants evolve to tolerate extreme heat or cold, drought or flood, insects and disease. As traditional cultures erode, so does farming and with it the seeds. A thousand years of evolution can disappear in one cooking pot if it holds all the beans that are left. But more important is the knowledge that goes along with them. When and how do you plant chile seeds directly into the ground three weeks before spring’s last frost? How do you store watermelons past Christmas with no refrigeration? How do you prepare corn tortillas from scratch? Which corn is better for those tortillas and which for posole? For chicos? What do you call these foods in your mother’s language? What prayers are said when you plant, harvest or eat the corn? Losing any plant or animal species from the planet diminishes us all. We are made the poorer for it. Another piece of the environment is gone, weakening the balance on which all of us depend whether we acknowledge it or not. But losing the knowledge and culture that has evolved alongside such species is a catastrophe.

hanging from the eaves. I bought seeds of corn, beans, chile, squash, melons, gourds, herbs, tobacco, peas, cotton, sorghum, wheat… I am still astounded by the openness and offers of friendship, many of which persist to this day. I was fed many bowls of chile stew, handed hot empanadas straight from the oven, given deer meat from animals hunted not five hours earlier and invited to hundreds of Pueblo dances, some of which weren’t supposed to be witnessed by outsiders. Besides rare DNA, all of these personal experiences are enclosed in the seed collection I managed to amass over two decades.

itchy green

thumb That’s why two pioneering seed preservation groups, the Seed Saver’s Exchange and Native Seeds/SEARCH began collecting, growing, storing and distributing rare and endangered crop seeds. As a long-haired teenage back-to-the-land freak who had just landed in the east mountains outside of Albuquerque, I was lucky to hook up with them both in 1979. By their example, I scoured my neighborhood for old seeds (I found some too) and soon ventured further into Native and Hispanic New Mexico. By 1991 I was employed by the Tucson-based Native Seeds/SEARCH as a seed collector /farmer. The funding for the NS/S -NM Field Office ran out in 2000 but not before I drove dusty miles down dirt roads, knocked on the doors of strangers whose homes had tractors in the driveway or chile ristras

1. SPROUT SOME SEEDS. Find some of last summer’s garden seeds and watch them sprout. Line a glass jar with a damp paper towel and place seeds between the towel and the jar. Place a lid on the jar, put it in a sunny window spot and the seeds should sprout in a few days. Choose different sizes, such as pumpkin, carrot and cucumber. To be scientific, draw the seeds on paper, measure them before placing them in the jar and keep track of observations in a log. Check the paper daily to make sure it stays moist. 2. DECORATE SOME POTS. Once your jar seeds have sprouted, where will they go? Small terra cotta pots can be painted, sequined, sprinkled with glitter, or dotted with small stones and beads. Once the sprouted seeds are large enough to plant, the small decorated pots are perfect to keep them going. Scientific observations can still continue in a log. How much light will the sprouts need? Which sprouts make it to spring? 3. PECULIAR PLANTS. Plants that eat bugs, like Venus flytraps, fascinate young minds. One small plant and a visit to the library to learn more on its natural habitat and growth habits can brighten up any winter.

FRESH,HOT, DELICIOUS EVERY DAY!

Although it was a comfort to pass the collection into capable hands, it was sad to watch a huge piece of my life drive away. But like I said, they’re old friends. You can always count on old friends to be there when you need them.

WINTER GARDENING

AILEEN O’CATHERINE inter may seem a long way from the bounty of the summer garden. Still, there’s plenty to keep children busy if they like to work with plants. Here are some ideas to help keep a child’s darkest months green.

SOUP

These days, as the organic certifier for the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, I toil over paperwork that sometimes makes as much sense as trying to plant a seed on concrete. Since I haven’t kept my acre seed-garden for six years, it was time to pass my friends into other hands. As this new seed library hasn’t a name or even a public face, I won’t mention it here. Not yet. But when it’s ready for your support, I’ll let you know. Besides various seed collections nationwide, against all odds many people from Native and Hispanic communities throughout New Mexico are keeping their heritage alive. That’s healthy for their cultures and a great service and blessing to us all.

KIDS AND BY

THE COOP DELI HAS

ALIVE

4. WORMS ATE MY LUNCH. Start a worm farm to teach kids about the interdependence of plants and organisms. They can be as simple as a cardboard box lined with a garbage bag, placed under the kitchen sink. Fill it with soil, organic matter and worms. The best worm farm for kids is one where they can see inside, such as a small glass fishbowl. Add kitchen scraps (vegetables

try sprouting some

seeds!

only) and watch the worms at work. A valuable byproduct is rich compost for the garden. High Desert Worm Ranch has a full education curriculum. Give them a ring at 505-384-5302. 5. WINDOWSILL GARDENS. These are fun if herbs are used, and it’s a classic formula, especially for kids who like to cook. But kids can also learn that the tops of any root vegetable can be cut and planted to come back again, or that the eye of a potato becomes a plant. All that’s needed is a sunny spot and a few containers of soil. 6. SPONGE GARDEN. We’ve all seen the winter “chia pets” that kids love. They can make their own hairy garden by using a natural sponge, wetting it down, and sprinkling it with sprouting seeds such as radish or clover. The sponge should be kept moist, so this works best on a plate, or if possible, suspended in a sunny spot so kids can have a hanging green world. 7. POT PEOPLE. Another variation of the “chia pet” is pot people. Small terra cotta pots can be decorated so they appear to have faces. Then when the soil is planted with grass seed and watered, kids can watch the “hair” grow. 8. JUMP START SPRING. Planning the summer garden can be one of the most exciting ventures of the year. Choose from a catalog. Start seeds indoors to plant outside after the last frost. 9. TERRARIUMS. Find an old mason or mayonnaise jar and carefully place soil and a few mosses and rooted plants inside. Keep this mini world moist with a plant mister and place clear plastic wrap over the covering. 10. DON’T FORGET THE BIRDS. Build a birdhouse that will decorate the garden come spring. Get kids involved in choosing bird feeders and suet and find a place to feed the birds where kids inside can watch. Have your child keep a record of the different species that come to the feeder and what date each one was spotted. Find some bird books at your local library and start a lifelong hobby.

SHOP CO-OP AND SAVE BUY LOCAL SHOP CO-OP AND SAVE

farming & gardening

JANUARY 2008 13

Animal, Vegetable or Miracle

<QUW\Pa 0IUUIKS

A YEAR OF FOOD LIFE by Barbara Kingsolver with Stephen L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver

Already the local movement has caught the ire of food industrialists who have begun labeling local food as elitist and pricey â&#x20AC;&#x201D; two arguments completely debunked in this book. Even better is the sense of patriotism and true national security that arises when a family takes on responsibility for circulating its food dollars in the local community.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Locavoreâ&#x20AC;? (one who eats locally) Renaissance (after all, that's what we used to do before industrialized food production) began its emergence with the help of books like "The Omnivore's Dilemma". With Barbara and her family's moving and deeply touching recounting of their experiment during a year of growing and eating locally, it truly blooms.

From Barbara and family you learn about raising turkeys and chickens, pasture-fed beef and lamb, freezing cherries and canning tomatoes. You learn how to make your own mozzarella cheese, bean soup in a pumpkin, and dozens of other fresh recipes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the best part is that all this information is also available online at animalvegetablemiracle.com, with links to many other sites concerned with the local, sustainable and fair trade movements.

What sets this book apart and makes it a must read for any gardener or farmer's market afficianado is the personal and personable essays backed by sidebar science. The book also contains many recipies, a wealth of online resources and a bibliography for those whose interest has been piqued (think picante sauce!).

But the reason I truly recommend this book is the warmth, soul and downright American country wisdom that flows through her storytelling and generous helpings of tongue-incheek humor I remember so well from my Kentucky grandfather who came from the same small town as Barbara.

Just in case you weren't already horrified by CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and the amount of petroleum calories to food calories in a tomato trucked in from California (27:1), this book covers the basics of why a local/regional food-shed is fast becoming a necessity if we are to halt climate change.

Finally, I want to thank the members of the Coop for giving me the opportunity these last three years to serve on the Board of Directors. I have learned so much about our local/regional food-shed, and my own farming efforts have been redoubled from the inspiration received from my involvement! ÂĄMUCHAS GRACIAS, AMIGOS!

REVIEW

ANDREW STONE CO-OP BOARD MEMBER ou are probably no stranger to Barbara Kingsolver, one of America's finest raconteurs and number 76 on a rightwing list of "America's Most Dangerous People." (Jimmy Carter is #6. Barbaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to finding out she was number 76 was "I guess I have to try harder.") BY

JUST-RETIRED

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

the clinic as they waited to be seen for shots and checkups. Big smiles and warm greetings were extended to us as we toured the small clinic, primitive by U.S. standards; but even this level of health care is an immense sign of progress that was non-existent prior to the coffee economy. Cupping In Berastagi at the coffee processing plant, we had the opportunity to try our palate by â&#x20AC;&#x153;cupping,â&#x20AC;? an exercise of inhaling

deeply and then quickly slurping a spoonful of unstrained coffee to the back of the tongue in order to determine the taste qualities of that particular batch. The coffee is then spit out. A trained cupper considers six characteristics of coffee: Fragrance, Aroma, Taste, Nose, Aftertaste and Body and uses a 100 point scale to grade the cup. Like wine tasting, cupping employs a range of terms to describe the qualities of the coffee. Floral, earthy, chocolate-like, vapid, rubbery, smoky, animal-like, resinous, metallic, insipid and grassy are a few of the many ways to describe the flavor and feel of the product. In addition, there is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;terroire distinctionâ&#x20AC;? whereby a skillful cupper can predict the region the coffee was grown in based on an ability to discern certain soil qualities within the coffee. In the end, what really matters is whether the cupper for the coffee cooperative has the palate to match what buyers want.

Good cuppers must exercise great intuition. Cupping is based on a finely tuned palate but is also an art of imagination and sensual ability to taste the spoonful of coffee, inhale the vapors rapidly and then describe them in great detail, all in the space of about five seconds per cup. A skilled taster may cup hundreds of samples per day. Our group cupped about ten samples which took roughly 30 minutes. We attempted to coordinate the slurp, the smell and the spit. Several of us were able to detect obvious qualities in our samples like acidity level, earthiness and body and it was obvious that certain detectable differences exist, even to inexperienced cuppers like us. On occasion, according to Sam, farmers will do things that they think will speed up the process of washing the coffee beans to get them to the saleable parchment stage. In one instance, a farmer used detergent. The beans were ruined, having absorbed the soap. Even one fermented bean can throw off a whole batch and cause the loss of a lot of money. Incidents like this where the farmer violates the organic (and other) standards can cause the farmer to be kicked out of the co-op. After Berastagi and the highlands of Central Aceh, we went by bus back to the Medan airport to fly from there to Banda Aceh, the provincial capital where the brunt of the tsunami hit, leveling the area. We met several groups of women who revitalized their lives and are adding to their local economies with micro- credit farming enterprises. Next month, more about the amazing women of Banda Aceh and how they are rebuilding their lives post-tsunami. Watch for the final installment of Tam Saimons writings on her international cooperative adventure in the February issue of the Co-op Connection News.

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TRAVELOGUE CONTINUEDE

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healing PHYTONUTRIENTS THE CHEMICAL

health &

CONSTITUENTS OF PLANT

FOODS

STEPHEN FOX here are many “nutraceuticals” that have both cancer preventive and cancer suppressive properties. Currently, the terms "phytonutrient," "phytochemical" and “nutraceuticals” are being used interchangeably to describe those plant compounds thought to have health-protecting qualities. The antioxidant, immune-boosting and other wellness properties of active compounds in plants are now being widely investigated. BY

In common usage, all these terms have a more limited definition. They are usually used to refer to compounds found in plants that are not officially required for normal functioning of the body but nonetheless have a beneficial effect or an active role in the amelioration of disease. Thus, they differ from what are traditionally termed “nutrients” in that they are not a necessity for normal metabolism and their absence will not result in a deficiency of disease. What is beyond dispute is that phytonutrients have many and varying beneficial health effects. They may promote the function of the immune system, act directly against bacteria and viruses, reduce inflammation and may also be associated with the treatment and/or prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other maladies affecting the health and well-being of an individual. Constituents for Wellness ALLYL SULFIDES are found in garlic, onions and shallots. They suppress growth of tumor cells and bring about apoptosis, or natural cell death (cancer cells find ways to stop this process.) Allyl Sulfides also promote excretion of cancer-causing chemicals, reduce stomach and colon cancer and help to treat colds, improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation, arteriosclerosis and diabetes.

JANUARY 2008 14

LYCOPENE is best known for providing protection against prostate cancer and may also help defend against lung and stomach cancer malignancies. It is found in tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya and in rosehips. The most powerful quencher of singlet oxygen, it is 100 times more so than Vitamin E and is helpful for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and male infertility.

ELLAGIC ACID appears to defend cells lining the digestive tract against carcinogenic substances and has prevented colon and esophageal cancer in animals. It is found in pomegranates, grapes, raspberries and BENEFICIAL strawberries. It also may help the liver to PLANT break down and remove cancer-causing subCOMPOUNDS stances from the blood. One study reported in Clinical Nutrition in 2004 showed clearing of plaque in the carotid artery after three years of pomegranate juice as a supplement. QUERCETIN is a flavonoid that works to prevent Italian researchers have also found ellagic acid inflammation and inhibits the release of histamines. reduces the side effects of chemotherapy in In a recent study in the British Journal of Cancer, advanced prostate cancer treatment in men, and quercetin and ultrasound were used to treat skin the Hollings Cancer Institute at the University of and prostate cancers, with a 90% death of the canSouth Carolina conducted a double blind study cer cells within 48 hours and no visible deaths of on 500 cervical cancer patients that showed ellagthe normal cells! This phytonutrient is used in canic acid caused apoptosis (cancer cell death) withcer therapy, prostatitis, heart disease, cataracts and in 72 hours for breast, pancreas, esophageal, respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma. It is skin, colon and prostate cancers. Researchers found in capers, apples, tea, onions, grapes, citrus, speculate that this results when ellagic acid forms broccoli, leafy green vegetables, cherries, turmeric adduct (from Latin, “drawn toward”) with DNA, and cranberries. thus masking binding sites to be occupied by the carcinogens. LUTEIN (from Latin “Lutea” meaning yellow) is one of 600 known carotenoids. Found in leafy ESVERATROL causes apoptosis (cancer greens including spinach and kale, mangos and cell death) and a number of beneficial health winter squash, it works as an antioxidant. Early effects; anti-cancer, antiviral, neuroprotecstudies have shown high intake reduces risk of tive, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and life-probreast, colon, endometrial and prostate cancers. longing effects have been reported, although these Lutein is found in concentrated areas of the macustudies used animal subjects. Resveratrol is found la, the small area of the retina responsible for cenin the skin of red grapes and as a constituent of red tral vision and can help prevent macular degenerawine. It is found in widely varying amounts in tion as well as help maintain skin elasticity. grapes (primarily the skins), raspberries, mulberries, in peanuts, berries of Vaccinium species, CATECHIN, found primarily in green tea and cocoa including blueberries, bilberries and cranberries. In is an antioxidant that helps keep tumors from taking grapes, resveratrol is found primarily in the skin hold and growing. According to Norman and seeds. This is particularly true for Muscatine Hollenberg, Professor at Harvard Medical School, grapes, whose skin and seeds have about 100 times epicatechin, a metabolic form of catechin, can the concentration of the pulp. Resveratrol interferes reduce the risk of all four major human health probwith all three stages of carcinogenesis — initiation, lems: stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes. His promotion and progression. studies were based on the Kuna people in Panama who drink up to 40 cups of cocoa a week, with only ANTHOCYANINS are antioxidants that protect 10% being struck by the big four diseases! DNA against cancer-causing damage and promote apoptosis, as well as the ability to keep cancer CHLOROPHYLL is the prime biochemical for all cells from spreading. It is found in berries, grapes, respiration and life in the plant world. It is strikblack currants, acai, mangosteen and goji berries. ingly similar in form to hemoglobin, differing in They also act as “sunscreens,” protecting cells by that chlorophyll has magnesium in its carbon chain absorbing blue-green light, thereby protecting tiswhere hemoglobin has iron. This would explain sues from photoinhibition or high-light stress. A partly why wheat grass juice is so instantly benefi2004 study at Michigan State University noted cial for those with “tired blood” and anemia. that anthocyanin could boost insulin production Chlorophyll is found in spirulina, chlorella, barley by up to 50%, and a 2007 study at the University grass and in leafy greens. It is a potent detoxificaof Pittsburgh showed that it killed human cancer tion agent and protects genes against the biochemcells while not affecting healthy cells, even in cases ical damage that leads to cancer cell development. of leukemia and lymphoma. The biochemical mechanism thought to be at work is the ability of SULPHORAPHANE is the phytonutrient that actianthocyanins to cause the normal cells to release vates enzymes that detoxify carcinogens; it interperoxides which kill the cancer cells. feres with cancer cell growth and promotes cancer cell death. Both an anticancer and antimicrobial, it is found in all cruciferous vegetables such as brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, arugula, Chinese broccoli, broccoli raab, eating kohlrabi, mustard, turnip, radish, watercress and cabbage but is especially potent in broccoli sprouts.

for wellness

GET OUTSIDE!

the Rio Grande NATURE CENTER BIRD AND BAT FESTIVAL Experience the Nature Center

The Winter Bird and Bat Festival will be held on January 19, 9am-3pm. Activities will include guided bird and nature walks, speakers and slide shows, live birds and bats, and children’s activities. Admission is free! There is a $3 parking fee for nonmembers of the Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center. For more information and directions to the Rio Grande Nature Center, please call 344-7240. Volunteer Training: Saturdays: Jan. 26-March 1: from 9am-1pm. Info: call Anne Russell at 344-7240. Bird Walks: Sat. and Sun. 8:30am Nature Walks: Sun. 10am Moon Walks: Jan. 22, Feb. 20 or Mar. 21. Call for time and reservations: 344-7240.

community

forum

JANUARY 2008 15

Albuquerque’s Weapons

Arsenal W BY JEANNE

PAHLS ould you like to see nuclear disarmament? Albuquerque has a unique role to play: Our city is home to 1,914 nuclear weapons. This means that if Albuquerque were to secede from the union, it would be the world’s third largest nuclear power (Russia, United States, Albuquerque). It also means that Albuquerque citizens can play a key part in calling for the dismantling of a significant percentage of the world’s nuclear arsenal. Many people believe that the nuclear weapons are stored somewhere in the Manzano mountains southeast of Albuquerque, but they are in fact stored in the Kirtland Underground Munitions Storage Complex which is located about 1 mile to the southeast of where the two runways cross at the Albuquerque Sunport. This is very close to home for many Albuquerqueans.

When the Kirtland Underground Munitions Storage Complex was opened in 1992, 2,090 nuclear weapons were stored there. In August of 1997, New Mexico had the most nuclear weapons stored in one place anywhere on the planet, with 2,850 warheads out of a U.S. total of 12,500. In other words, roughly one fourth of the U.S. nuclear arsenal was located within 30 miles of the homes of all of Albuquerque’s 500,000 residents in 1997. By 1998, the number of nuclear weapons at Kirtland had dropped to 2,450, but went up to 2,510 by 2004. As of November of 2006, the number of Kirtland weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) had dropped to 1,914, the lowest number ever at the Kirtland Underground Munitions Storage Complex. Albuquerqueans can take credit for this drop in the number of Kirtland WMDs. Since 2003, more than

Bombplex 2030 More Nuclear Bombs in Our Future? LUCILLE CORDOVA AND JANET GREENWALD, CARD COORDINATORS ast October, the Bush administration announced their vision for the nuclear weapons complex in the year 2030. Under the Complex 2030 program, the Bush administration has proposed spending $150 billion dollars to rebuild the nuclear weapons complex and produce up to two hundred new nuclear warheads per year. The current arsenal of nuclear weapons is known to be reliable for at least another fifty years. BY

The production of nuclear warheads brings with it a legacy of health problems and environmental degradation, borne in large part by the poorest of the poor. In New Mexico, many groups have collaborated, including Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping (CARD), Citizen Action, Southwest Research and Information Center (SRIC) and Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS), to get government agencies to clean up

Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Nuclear dumps at the labs have leaked dangerous toxins into our aquifers and the Rio Grande. The impact of the Complex 2030 plan would also be felt internationally. The underlying premise of international efforts to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) is that the U.S. and other nuclear weapons states will work to reduce their own stockpiles. Complex 2030 does not add to efforts to prevent further global proliferation nor does it reduce our nuclear stockpile; required as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The World Court has ruled that nuclear weapons are illegal due to the uncontrolled impacts of fallout. As it stands now, the U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons has the destructive power to unleash an estimated 50,000 times the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.

Action Alert! PUBLIC HEARING ON

BOMBPLEX 2030! You will soon be given an opportunity to comment on Bombplex 2030. Although dates for the public hearing in February have not been announced as of this writing, stay tuned to the Co-op

Two Locations! Nob Hill

Connection News for information on where and when these Bombplex 2030 Public Hearings will be held.

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There are many reasons to dismantle the Kirtland WMDs: 1. All our nuclear weapons did not keep us safe on 9/11 and do nothing but drain resources that could be better used for education, health care, etc. 2. Nearly 2,000 nuclear weapons do not belong in a city, or anywhere. 3. What are we going to do with them? Use them? Let us dismantle these nuclear weapons and ensure that they will never harm anyone! For more information about the campaign to dismantle the Kirtland nuclear weapons, contact www.StoptheWarMachine.org or StoptheWarMachine@com cast.net

LEGISLATIVE ALER T! Would you like to see Nuclear Disarmament?

Call for the DISASSEMBLY OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS at Kirtland!

For more information call 505-268-9557 State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino will introduce a Senate Memorial at the Roundhouse during this year’s legislative session that calls for the disassembly of the nuclear weapons at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. Support Senator Ortiz y Pino’s memorial by doing the following:

1. Schedule a meeting with your state senator in order to recruit his/her support for the memorial! Then contact StoptheWarMachine@comcast.net or 505-401-4808. Stop the War Machine can send a representative to the meeting with a copy of the signed petition (over 8000 signatures!). 2. Sign the petition to have the nuclear weapons dismantled! You can find the petition at www.StoptheWarMachine.org .

FOR MORE INFORMATION or to participate in a citizen action alert email list, send an e-mail to contact us@cardnm.org or admin@cardnm. org, or call 505-266-2663 for more information.

Duende Poetry Series

presents:

Placitas Literary Heritage: Annual January Duende and Friends Reading... poems and writings from many voices who have called Placitas home: Creeley, Dorn, Goodell, among others...

Acupuncture Center

8,000 people have signed a petition calling for the dismantling of the nuclear weapons here. Demonstrations, radio shows, articles and guest editorials have all voiced the concerns of many. Groups of citizens have pored over Albuquerque’s All Hazards Emergency Operations Plan, which does not even acknowledge the existence of nuclear weapons in Albuquerque. City Council meetings have discussed the issue of safety in the proximity of one of the world’s largest nuclear arsenals. Citizens have raised their concerns to city legislators, state legislators, Living in close federal representatives, the goverproximity to nor and even the Secretary of one of the Defense. With the exception of a world’s largest few rare officials, the response has NUCLEAR been silence. Or has it? The numARSENALS ber of nuclear weapons at Kirtland has dropped to its lowest amount since 1992.

Sunday, January 20th, 3pm at Anasazi Fields Winery of Placitas, NM. Anasazi Fields wines will be available for tasting and purchasing. Suggested donation of $3 will pay the poets. WINE BAR TASTY SNACKS GREAT PLACE. Drive out for a good time and a fistful of literature. To get to the Winery, take I-25 to the Placitas exit 242, drive 6 miles east to the Village, turn left at the sign just just before the Presbyterian Church, follow Camino de los Pueblitos through two stop signs to the Winery entrance.

sunday,jan 20,3pm

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

232-2358 www.EricsTreeCare.com ericstreecare@earthlink.net

Dormant Season Pruning is Upon Us Call us about pruning pines, conifers and fruit trees December-February

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