2008-07-CCN

A FARMER PERSPECTIVE: T he History of Cottonwood Lane Orchard would run the Fiesta for the next couple of years that the local news media picked it up and caused such an embarrassment to the Legislature that further funding for the event was cancelled.

bringing in the CROP

A FOOD-SHED PA RT NE R WALT

BY

AND

BETTY LEA

F

or the most part, the history of Cottonwood Lane Orchard is a horror story of frustration and loss with a few successes thrown into the mix. Like hanging a carrot just in front of a donkey’s nose, the meager wins keep us plodding forward with hope and determination.

We bought our orchard in 1987. It consisted of about 3 acres of 40-year-old red delicious apple trees. We didn’t have a tractor or equipment of any kind to maintain it, so we went right into the out-go side of the ledger by investing in an old tractor and used orchard equipment. “Oh well,” we said, “we’ll make it back when the crop comes in.”

The first thing we learned was that when you have a full crop of red delicious apples, so does everyone else in the upper Rio Grande Valley. You couldn’t give them away. We tried everything that first crop season, from farmers’ markets to no thank you from retail grocery stores, and ended up dumping most of our crop. Since we live right by the Rio Grande riverbank, at least the beavers enjoyed them.

The next three or four years found us trying to find innovative ways to sell our crop. We helped establish the “Velarde Apple Fiesta,” a once-a-year event that was moderately successful and even wound up meriting a $25,000 community improvement check from the State Legislature, with possible yearly continuance. That was when we began to see what greed and selfishness between growers could do. There was such a fight over who

Hang in there, don’t go away, this is all leading somewhere!

Next thing we tried was working with other growers to get funding for the construction of an apple processing and grading shed, still thinking that we could all pull together as fellow growers. If we could establish a central processing shed and pick-up point that would be a cooperative effort to attract “middle men buyers” like Sun Valley, who would then distribute our produce. These efforts proved fruitless as, once again, various growers with large orchards lobbied to block our efforts and another control war broke out.

Our next effort was working with some of the more dedicated of our fellow growers, some good people from various County Agricultural Extension Offices and a marketing specialist from the Department of Agriculture. We went back to the Legislature to present a unified case for help with the establishment of a State Apple Council. The New Mexico State Apple Council was established as a result of those efforts and that organization has been, and continues to be, a positive marketing and promotional tool for all growers within the state. However, in its early formation stages it did not provide much relief from our particular marketing problems.

no avail. Since we were “retired” people from 30+ years of working in non-agricultural fields, we had a retirement income and did not have to depend on our orchard for a living, thank goodness!

Going Organic We had always leaned toward organic farming and so we decided to launch ourselves in that direction. The first thing we did was hire a backhoe to come in and push over the whole orchard. We cut up the trees and sold the wood.

“Hey! We are finally making money here.”

But for the next five years all we did was spend money.

We started to till the ground and plant cover crops. We planted sudan grass and buckwheat for tilth, hairy vetch and cowpeas for nitrogen fixation. We didn’t know just what we were going to plant for a fruit crop, but we had the great good fortune to become acquainted with Dr. Ron Walser, who is a fruit specialist and was at the time working with the Sustainable Agricultural Science Center at Alcalde.

Ron came out to assess our farm and wound up helping design our present orchard and research fruit varieties that we now grow. The orchard consists of 3 acres on which we installed under-tree sprinkler irrigation and planted 350 peach, 320 apple and 20 cherry trees. We also planted a 200-foot row of blackberries.

CONTINUED ON PAGE

12

YOUR CO-OP

WANTS YOU!

“Okay, this isn’t working! We still haven’t made any money!

What to do? Time to punt? No, let’s go for it on 4th down.”

Up to this point, we had worked within the conventional nonorganic growing community to

CANDIDATE PACKETS are AVAILABLE IN MID-AUGUST Pick up a Board Candidate Packet at any Co-op location.

La Montanita needs a few good people!

Help guide the growth of New Mexico’s Cooperatve Economic network! For more info contact: bod@lamontanita.coop

Deadline: September 24, 2008 Board elections:

Gallup Groove: C o-op School Garden Project G R O W IN G KID S,Growing BY

ROBYN SEYDEL

Food

O

n May 31st some of Gallup’s most dedicated teachers and gardeners met with Chuck O’Herron Alix

of Veggie Growers of New Mexico, Tim Morrison, Gallup store manager, and the Co-op membership department to get the ball rolling on our Gallup School Partner Garden Project.

The project grew out of discussions at a meeting of Gallup volunteers in January. Co-op member, teacher and dedicated gardener Steve Heil has been working with children at the Juan De Onate Elementary School and the community garden for several years (See the Coop Connection article on page 13 in the March 2008 issue at www.lamontanita.coop/images/documents/ connection_news/cc_march_08.pdf). This project expands Co-op support of the school garden project Steve heads and, thanks to Special Education teacher Russ Duran, has spread to the David Skeet Elementary School, just 15 miles north of Gallup on Navajo Tribal Lands.

School programs that help kids understand where their food comes from and how to grow it are key in getting children to eat vegetables and fruit. These programs also aid in the fight against diabetes and obesity among youth and can increase food security.

The problem with most school gardens is that they are planted in the spring, a month or so before school lets out. Teachers, parents and maybe a few kids, keep them watered and weeded all summer.

Nov. 1-14, 2008

When school returns in the fall “voila,” the garden is ready to eat. How it got that way might still be a mystery to many of the children. Providing an avenue for teachers and students to experience a garden throughout the school year seemed a logical next step. A school garden that could be planted in August and tended and harvested before winter break, then started again in late January and harvested just before school ends in May, could fulfill math and science related curriculum and teach the daily care, responsibilities, challenges and successes of food production.

it’s your

Veggie Grower Gardens For several years Chuck O’Herron Alix has participated in Co-op Garden Party and Earth Day events with his “Veggie Grower Gardens.”

His shop, just a few blocks west of the Nob Hill Co-op on Silver, always has a Veggie Grower Garden outside to spark interest in the covered micro-intensive gardens that can produce an abundance of food year round.

Chuck’s uniquely designed growing systems have their roots in the Homegrown Nutrition Program, a hunger relief project that is helping families who live in poverty on the former dump in Juarez, Mexico (for more info see http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/resources/hgn.html).

Chuck designs, builds and delivers these micro-intensive gardens to families in Juarez and offers workshops on planting and care to maximize food output and harvest of fresh, organic produce at the peak of ripeness.

By the summer of 2005 Veggie Grower Gardens of New Mexico was formed in an attempt to meet the growing demand for Chuck’s micro-intensive systems, but also as a way to raise funds for other garden projects that positively

CO-OP affect the lives of impoverished people throughout the world.

A percentage of all Veggie Grower Gardens’ profits are used to support these projects. Last year Chuck installed these microintensive gardens at sites across the nation, including Atlanta Georgia and on the rooftop of an inner city school in Bronx, New York.

Growing Kids Growing Food The Co-op’s Gallup School Partners Garden Project will provide Veggie Grower Gardens for the two schools, Juan de Onate and David Skeet. Teachers throughout both schools will involve students in all aspects of the garden beginning in August of the 2008-09 school year. Gardens for the younger students (K-3) will measure 2’x 8’, a size in tune with their smaller arm length and reach; while grades 3-5 will work with the 4’x 4’ size. The 12 cubic feet of soil needed for each garden will be New Mexico Compost Products compost soil (New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission approved) and will also be provided by the Co-op. Anyone who would like to donate organic seeds, watering cans and hand tools please contact Robyn at 217-2027, toll free at 877-775-2667 or e-mail robins@lamontanita.coop.

Chuck will offer a special veggie grower garden tutorial on planting and care for all the teachers involved in the project in early August, just before school starts; and, if needed, other tutorials during the school year. This project is another in the wide range of projects and activities that confirm the Co-op’s ongoing concern for community.

co-op solutions A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Nob 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. NW 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/Terry Bowling 217-2020 terryb@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 • Tim Morrison/Gallup 575-863-5383 timm@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 Stephanie Dobbie Ariana Marchello Tamara Saimons 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

SUSTAINABLE SUSTENANCE BUILDING THE REGIONAL BY

FOOD-SHEDE

ROBYN SEYDEL

F

ood as a basic human need has, in its production, distribution and consumption, the ability to transform the societal and environmental paradigm. The first agricultural revolution, occurring some 10,000-12,000 years ago, did just that, providing the surpluses that allowed for the development of sedentary lifestyles and civilization.

In the middle of the 20th century agriculture itself was transformed by industrialization; the chemicalization and centralization of the so-called “green” revolution.

Now, less than a century later, the effect of agribusiness on our health and environment, climate change’s realities and a resulting sense of our planet’s finite resources and fragility have inspired us to look for more sustainable ways to create and distribute our sustenance.

A New Food REVOLUTION A sustainable food revolution needs to combine traditional local/regional self-reliance with new technologies and thinking. The main themes being: to expand regional sustainable production, integrate improvements in renewable energy technologies in food production and distribution, create regional/local distribution systems that increase access to markets for producers and access to products for consumers all the while reducing our carbon footprint. Another key concept in building the sustainability movement is to keep resources circulating in communities building vibrant local/regional economies for the food and financial security they provide.

Over the past four decades the organic food movement has grown from the “lunatic hippy fringe” to mainstream America, becoming the only sector of the grocery industry that continues to show double-digit growth. Organic Trade Association (OTA) figures show a 15% to 21% growth each year since1997. In 2007 over 17.4 billion dollars of organic food was sold in the U.S. and researchers estimate that by 2010 organic food will account for 4% of total U.S. food sales (Facts and Figures on the Organic Industry, Alec McErlich, David Granatstein, Washington State University, www. agr.wa.gov.org). Organic production covers some 59 million acres worldwide and over 3.7 million acres of U.S. agricultural land (www.ota.org). This is really just a drop in the bucket when compared with the 938 million acres of “land in farms” reported in the 2002 U.S. Census (USDA/NASS, 2004a). The good news is that organic acreage is increasing worldwide due to increasing consumer demand. In New Mexico alone organic farmland, pasture and rangeland has increased to approximately 130,000 certified organic acres in 2007, up from 40,000 acres in 2005 (New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission).

Growth in the organic sector is important for several reasons. First, and perhaps most importantly, organic

food brought about the resurgence of sustainable (in some cases traditional) agricultural practices that eschew environmentally detrimental agribusiness and factory farming methodologies. Second, organic farming practices seem to work best when practiced intensively on a smaller scale enabling the success of highly productive and diversified small to mid-sized family farms. These farms are the foundation for rebuilding healthy rural economies and the sustainable local food movement.

Also of vast consequence are organic practices themselves. “Dirt First!” a phrase coined by the organizers of the national Eco-Farm Conference in California pretty well sums it up. At the core of organic production are the concepts of the restoration or creation and preservation of healthy soil with organic matter and microbes, the essence of sustainability in agriculture. Herein also lies a key to the mitigation of climate change through carbon sequestration and the reduction of agriculture’s carbon footprint.

Getting to Carbon Neutral The Rodale Institute has for decades been the organic farmers’ friend and advocate. They have Diversified pioneered education and research family on a variety of organic issues. farms rebuild After 23 years of “Farm System the LOCAL Trials” that included conventionREGIONAL al, organic and other farming techeconomy. niques, their results show that organic agriculture not only emits fewer greenhouse gases but organic soils sequester greater amounts of carbon. Peer reviewed since its publication in a 1999 issue of Nature, the Rodale research reports that organic farms showed “an average increase in soil carbon of about 1,000 pounds per acre-foot of soil per year, or about 3,500 pounds per acre-foot, per year of carbon dioxide sequestered” (www.newfarm.org).

The EPA estimates that one car driven an average of 12,500 miles per year emits 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Based on this EPA information, Rodale’s research shows that transitioning one average 320 acre, mid-sized farm to organic production is the equivalent of taking 117 cars off the road and if “the 160 million acres of conventional (agribusiness) corn and soybeans in the U.S. were converted to organic production it would translate to the equivalent of taking 58.7 million cars and their green house gas emissions off the road (25% of the national total)” (www.newfarm.org)

R

ichard Manning in his essay “The Oil We Eat” (Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature, published by www.watershedmedia.org) writes, “In 1940 the average farm in the U.S. produced 2.3 calories for every calorie of fossil energy it used. By 1974, …that ratio was 1:1.” The Ann Arbor Center for Sustainable Systems (University of Michigan) research from data assembled in 2005 shows that today it takes closer to 7-10 calories of energy for each calorie of food produced and distributed (www.sustainabletable.org).

This is the legacy of conventional industrialized food production. Yes, we can have strawberries in the northern hemisphere in February, shipped 1,500 to 3,000 miles to your grocery store and table; but should we? Sustainable agriculture must reverse this trend.

The difference between traditional self-reliant (non-industrialized) farming systems of the past and a new wave of sustainable food production is the use of efficient and renewable energy systems. From solar heated hoop and greenhouses that extend growing seasons to innovative water catchment and solar-powered irrigation, farmers involved in the sustainable food movement are utilizing technologies to improve yields and increase on farm efficiencies while decreasing resource use.

In the San Luis Valley at the headwaters of the Rio Grande, White Mountain Farm has been in the New family since 1912. Ernie and Virginia and their son and daughter-in-law Paul and Cindy, grow a continued on page 3

La Montanita needs a few

Your Co-op

Good People!

WantsYOU! Travel to various Co-op communities • meet interesting and interested people • help guide the growth of New Mexico’s Cooperative Economic Network.

Run for your Co-op Board of Directors!

Pick up a Board Candidate Packet at any of the four Co-op locations in mid August.

More info: contact Marshall at bod@lamontanita.coop

Run for

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2

July 2008

sustainable solutions LOCAL Food Solutions for the Coming Food Crisis

SUSTAINABLE SUSTENANCE continued

variety of summer vegetables and cover crops including oats, rye, wheat, fava beans, peas and barley on 700 cultivated acres. But they are probably best known for their Yukon Gold, fingerling, russet, red and purple potatoes and their quinoa. Officially certified organic in 1990, Paul and Cindy, with the help of the Excel Energy Company and the Colorado Office of Economic Development, put in a large solar energy system to power their water sprinklers in 2007. Paul says, “Looks like we will put in a second system to power our potato packing facility, hopefully this year.”

Cooperating for a Regional Food-Shed he New family’s White Mountain Farm products and packing facility (a drop-off center for smaller farmers) are among hundreds of local growers and producers partnering with La Montanita Co-op to create the Co-op Trade Initiative: a regional food-shed production and distribution system. The term and concept “food-shed” is derived from the more familiar word “watershed.” In the arid southwest where “agua es vida” the main New Mexican watershed traverses the Rio Grande Valley Rift from southern New Mexico to southern Colorado. Traditional acequias and other irrigation methods water greenbelt lands that produce food throughout the rift valley. The Co-op’s Food-Shed project adds ancient agricultural regions, including the Mimbres Valley in the Gila, the White Mountain area and other mountain valleys for a regional food-shed that encompasses a 300-mile radius around Albuquerque.

T

The Co-op Trade Initiative grew out of three decades of commitment to local farmers, ranchers and producers. In annual member surveys beginning in 2004, Co-op member/owners increasingly identified the availability of local foods at the Co-op as their top priority. The Food-Shed project was created to expand product, service and value for both producers and consumers. With over 1,100 local products from approximately 400 regional growers and producers, the Co-op was already an industry leader when the local foods movement boomed.

To solidify the Co-op’s local/regional foods commitment, the Food-Shed project is working to help expand wholesale markets, creating an additional on-farm income stream. Its consumer education program and in-store signage is working to increase local sales at four Co-op locations (two in Albuquerque, one in Santa Fe and one in Gallup). Through the Food-Shed warehouse, known as the Cooperative Distribution Center (CDC), the project also provides distribution services for regional/local products to other retail businesses within the food-shed area. It seeks to reduce food-miles by consolidating trucking routes with the pick-up of product and the delivery of farm supplies, including animal feed and egg cartons and produce-packing boxes. It also serves as a recycling center for these supplies. Additionally the CDC provides needed post-harvest refrigerated space for local producers.

Signage on local products increased sales by several percentage points between 2004-2006, but real progress was made after the opening of the CDC in January of 2007. During the first full year of the Co-op Trade Initiative’s operation, local product sales at the four Coop retail locations hit 20% of the organization’s totals, adding 4.6 million dollars to the local farming economy. While most people attribute these sales to seasonal produce, the Food-Shed project moves tons of local fruit and vegetables throughout the year. The big sellers were basic food stuffs, including local milk, eggs, bread and meat.

CO-OP

Food-Shed

PROJECT

The only place in New Mexico where consumers, on a daily basis can get 100% locally grown and harvested, certified organic, grass-fed beef, is at the Co-op, which sells four head each week.

Literally hundreds of tons of beef are grazed here in New Mexico, sent out of state to be processed, then transported back to New Mexico for sale and consumption, not a particularly sustainable system. Gino Garcia, a Co-op staff member, meets Alan Lackey of Canyon River Beef, located southeast of Raton, every Thursday at Western Way, one of the only slaughterhouses in New Mexico, located in Moriarity. There, together, they oversee the entire process to ensure it is both humane and sanitary. Canyon River’s New Mexico raised beef is delivered fresh to all Co-op locations every Friday morning.

It was clear from the beginning that in order for the Co-op’s FoodShed project to succeed it had to serve a wider market than just the Co-op’s own locations.

Sales of local products to

Local Food SOLUTIONS

other retail locations, grocery stores, schools and other institutions, cafes, etc., within the Food-Shed radius accounted for an additional $329,000 boost to regional farmers and local economies in 2007. Becky Javernick of Javernick Farms says, “The extra $12,000 we made by participating in the Co-op’s FoodShed project this year kept me from having to have an off farm-job, and let me concentrate on farming with my new baby at my side.”

A

lbeit a mere drop in the bucket in relation to the conventional food industry, current successes are encouraging, but the Co-op Trade Initiative distribution system and the creation of a regional food-shed face some serious challenges. These same difficulties, seen nationwide, include: a lack of next generation farmers, the cheap food mentality, loss of agricultural land to development and in the arid southwest the sale of water rights to developers. The lack of farmers and product is a major issue facing both the Co-op Trade Initiative and the burgeoning farmers’ markets. Especially so for the Food-Shed project which relies on mid-sized farms, as smaller farms are able to meet their own distribution requirements by attending farmers’ markets and operating CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture).

Santa Fe

Rising energy costs are seriously effecting food production and distribution, as is the use of corn for ethanol. The importance of the Food-Shed Project as the food crisis deepens is immeasurable.

Despite the challenges the Co-op Trade Initiative is moving forward, giving grants to fledgling growers and value-added producers and adding a few national family farmed products, like maple syrup, that are not produced in this region, to help defray the CDC overhead. The Co-op Trade Initiative’s future planning includes: a move from leased trucks to purchased trucks to allow for the use of alternative fuels, creation of a series of retail markets to facilitate better access to goods and services in Food-Shed hinterlands and partnering these added Co-op locations with product pick-up depots to consolidate trucking routes. Future plans also include work on a solar array to power the large coolers needed for storage at the CDC. The Co-op Trade Initiative collaborates with the New Mexico FoodShed Alliance, the New Mexico Agricultural Task Force of the Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments, the University of New Mexico Sustainability Studies Program and others in an effort to push regional food-shed and sustainability forward into mainstream consciousness. Sustainability is, without a doubt, the buzzword of the decade. If it can survive its co-option by corporations, government and most every other bureaucracy, its popularity as a concept, especially when partnered with the all-important notion of environmental restoration, gives hope for future generations.

This article was originally published in the spring edition of the Southwest Journal of Sustainability. Pick up their upcoming August 2008 edition at all Co-op locations.

system ...

CO-OP!

Gallup

Sustaining the Future

Building the local food SHOP

Valley

FOR FRESH FOOD AND FOOD SECURITY

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 Food Market, 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 July 2008

3

consumer

news

URGE CONGRESSIONAL S U P P O RT !

JULY 2008 4

CLONED FOOD

LABELING ACT: SENATE. 414, H.R. 992

by Robyn Seydel

or go to the Center for Food Safety website at www.centerforfoodsafety.org/cloned.

Please take a moment to let Congress and candidates know we do not want to eat cloned food and at the very least it must be labeled for consumer choice.

Ask for their co-sponsorship and yes vote on the Cloned Food Labeling Act.

T

he Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last month that they are likely to approve the sale of cloned foods this year.

FDA's action flies in the face of widespread scientific concern about the risks of food from clones, and ignores the animal cruelty and troubling ethical concerns that the cloning process brings.

or corporate

control

WHAT'S WORSE, FDA indicates that it will not require labeling on cloned food, so we will have no way to avoid these experimental foods!

The approval also goes against the will of Congress, who voted twice in 2007 to delay FDA's decision on cloned animals until additional safety and economic studies can be completed. It also ignores the feelings of the American public, 150,000 of whom wrote to FDA opposing the approval during last year's public comment period.

Defects in cloned animals can escape detection but they still present food safety risks. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has stated that no method exists to detect subtle health problems in clones. Ian Wilmut, lead scientist responsible for creating Dolly, the first cloned sheep, has warned that even slight imbalances in a clone’s hormone, protein or fat levels can compromise the safety of its milk or meat.

The FDA claims that defective clones will be removed from the food supply with no explanation of how inspectors intend to identify hidden or subtle defects in clones. High doses of hormones and antibiotics used in cloning present another significant safety concern. Host mothers are often given massive doses of hormones and their sickly offspring are often treated with high levels of antibiotics and other veterinary drugs to increase their chances of survival. Although the commercialization of cloning would likely increase hormones and drugs in the human food supply, FDA has failed to address this important food safety issue.

?

ACTION ALER T!

Cloned Food Labeling Act S.414/HR.992 In response to FDA's pending approval, US Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) has introduced Senate Bill S.414, the Cloned Food Labeling Act, and U.S. House Representative Rosa DeLauro(DCT) introduced an identical bill, HR 992 a few weeks later.

During this election cycle we have an opportunity to make the sale and labeling of cloned animal products a pressure point with candidates hoping to win the many open seats here in New Mexico. Please contact all the candidates, many of whom are currently federal legislators, and tell them to support the Cloned Food Labeling Act. To send e-mails to current legislators use the addresses below

Petition the FDA TO BAN ARTIFICIAL FOOD DYES Dyes Have Negative Effects on Children’s Behavior

Y

ellow 5, Red 40, and six other widely used artificial colorings are linked to hyperactivity and behavior problems in children and should be prohibited from use in foods, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). In early June the group formally petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban the dyes, several of which are already being phased out in the United Kingdom. Dyes they would like to see banned are Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange 8, Red 3, and Yellow 6.

Synthetic food dyes have been suspected of disrupting children's behavior since the 1970s, when Dr. Ben Feingold, a San Francisco allergist, reported that his patients improved when their diets were changed. A compre-

THE CO-OP WILL NOT KNOWINGLY SELL MEAT OR MILK PRODUCTS FROM CLONED ANIMALS. USE OF CLONING OR OTHER GMO PROCESSES OR MATERIALS IS NOT PERMITTED IN ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTION.

consumer choice...

hensive 2004 meta-analysis of the medical literature concluded that artificial dyes affect children's behavior, and two recent studies funded by the British government found that dyes (as well as the preservative sodium benzoate) adversely affect kids' behavior.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a non-profit public interest and environmental advocacy membership organization established in 1997 by its sister organization, International Center for Technology Assessment, for the purpose of challenging harmful food production technologies and promoting sustainable alternatives. Contact them at 660 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, #302, Washington DC 20003, P: 202-547-9359, F: 202-547-9429, e-mail: office@centerforfoodsafety.org.

PARTICIPATE in DEMOCRACY Senator Jeff Bingaman, 703 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510. 202-224-5521 or ABQ/ 505-346-6601 or Santa Fe/ 505-988-6647, www.bingaman.senate.gov Senator Pete Domenici, 328 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510. 202-224-6621 or ABQ/ 505-346-6791 or Santa Fe/ 505-988-6511, www.Domenici.senate.gov Heather Wilson, 318 Cannon House office Building, Washington DC, 20515. 202-225-6316, www.wilsong.house.gov Tom Udall, 1414 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC, 20515. 202-225-6190, www.tomudall.house.gov Steve Pearce, 1607 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC, 20515 202-225-2365, or Las Cruces/ 505-522-2219, www.pearce.house.gov shar

Share your VIEWS with your congressional delegation

Americans' exposure to artificial food dyes has risen sharply. According to the FDA, the amount of food dye certified for use was 12 milligrams per capita per day in 1955. In 2007, 59 mg per capita per day, or nearly five times as much, was certified for use.

Dyes are used in countless foods and are sometimes used to simulate the color of fruits or vegetables. Kraft's Guacamole Dip gets its greenish color not from avocados (there are almost none) but from Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. The blue bits in Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles are blue thanks to Red 40 and Blue 2, not real blueberries.

Artificial dyes are particularly prevalent in the sugary cereals, candies, sodas and snack foods pitched to kids.

M&M candies—all Mars products—contain the full spectrum of artificial colors in the U.S., but not in the U.K., where the company uses natural colorings.

Remarkably, in Britain, the color in McDonald's strawberry sauce for sundaes actually comes from strawberries; in the U.S. it comes from Red 40.

"The science shows that kids' behavior improves when these artificial colorings are removed from their diets and worsens when they’re added to the their diets," said Dr. David Schab, a psychiatrist at Columbia University Medical Center, who conducted the 2004 metaanalysis with his colleague Dr. Nhi-Ha T. Trinh. "While not all children seem to be sensitive to these chemicals, it's hard to justify their continued use in foods—especially those foods heavily marketed to young children."

CSPI's petition asks the FDA to require a warning label on foods with artificial dyes during the decision-making period related to CSPI's request to ban the dyes outright. CSPI also wants the FDA to correct the information it presents to parents on its web site about the impact of artificial food dyes on behavior. Joining CSPI's call are 19 prominent psychiatrists, toxicologists and pediatricians who cosigned a letter urging members of Congress to hold hearings on artificial food dyes and behavior, and to fund an Institute of Medicine research project on the issue. For more information go to www.cspinet.org

For decades La Montanita Co-op and the Co-op Connection News have worked to educate the larger community on the health and safety issues related to the consumption of artificial food colors, other food additives and chemicals. At La Montanita Co-op we will not knowingly sell foods with artificial colors or dyes. Please support CSPI’s efforts to have these chemicals banned from our foods. Contact our congressional representatives and ask them to support hearings on the banning of artificial food dyes due to their adverse impacts on children’s behavior.

See congressional contact information this page.

Action alert!!

summer

eating

JULY 2008 5

THE SUMMER

Eating in Season The Fullness of KRISTIN WHITE une 20 marked the beginning of summer solstice, a time when the sun is at its most northern position in relation to the earth. We enjoy extended hours of sunlight during this period, more than any other time of year. The sun gives us energy, inspires activity, and generates this hot and dry season.

As a result, we travel and spend more time outdoors playing and working. Summer is the season of growth and maturation. Plants, too, burst into full bloom, extending their leaves and flowers toward the sun.

BY

J

Many of you are familiar with the concept of eating with the seasons to sustain good health. According to Dr. Elson Haas, author of Staying Healthy with the Seasons, “there is a great deal of change during this time of high activity.” Our lives and our environment are inseparable. In order to stay healthy and in balance, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally, “we must learn to flow as Nature does, through the seasons.” Stress and illness result in opposing or resisting this flow while healing is nurtured when we take time to rest, reflect, play and, of course, enjoy the full nourishment of summer foods. Although the world market and world trade have enabled us to eat any fruit or vegetable any time of the year, this has not

SHOP SMART

AT THE KRISTIN WHITE ith food prices rising rapidly we are all trying to stretch our food budget. La Montanita Co-op is a resourceful way to get the most out of your grocery budget. There are numerous ways to shop wisely at the Co-op, saving you and your family time and money.

BY

W

Don't pay for "natural” The term "natural" on packaging has a lot less meaning than "organic," a term highly regulated by the Department of Agriculture.

When price is an issue, don't pay extra for something called "natural" or "all natural."

What to look for when buying ORGANIC It's worth paying more for organic versions of some fruits and vegetables that retain pesticide residue, even after you wash them. Pay for organic versions of peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes. These have the highest residues of pesticides and herbicides according to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit watchdog research group.

Fruits and vegetables with thicker skins have far less pesticide residue. These include avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangos, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwis, bananas, cabbage and papayas.

Summer been healthy for our planet or for ourselves. The many fresh fruits and vegetables are one of this season’s great joys.

Taste

CO-OP is cheaper dollar for dollar, than buying prepared foods, either organic or conventional. The reward is superior nutrition and flavor and the opportunity to spend quality time with friends or family over a home made meal.

Remember to fuel your body with bountiful light, wholesome foods this summer. Fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of water and juices, big salads, wholesome protein, and some whole grains and seeds will all give it the power it needs. It is said that if you take care in the summer you won’t be sneezing in the fall or sick in winter.

Enjoy the full nourishment of food and make your menu a seasonal one!

Donate your garden tools to the community garden!

(Also seeking premium compost)

Become a Member: Save Weekly Members can pick up a Weekly Sales Flyer at any store location to save more than the annual membership fee each week. At the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchase amount.

You generally get back what you spend in an average week.

Also take advantage of special discount events for members only throughout the year.

Save Money and Time at the Deli The Co-op deli offers a grab-and-go case filled with sandwiches, spreads, pre-made foods and salads, sushi rolls and deserts. From the deli, enjoy a great selection of pre-made foods, sliced meats and cheeses, soups, sandwiches made to order and fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

Do buy organic baby food. Baby food tends to be made from condensed fruits and vegetables, some of which may contain pesticides. You can also make your own from organic whole fruits and vegetables.

The Co-op sells a baby food mill which makes it easy to puree whole foods.

Buy local and seasonal produce Buying local is fresher and cheaper. When local produce is in season, the relative abundance of the crop typically makes it less expensive. Foods that are chilled, shipped and stored lose flavor at every step of the way. Ask our experts in the Produce Aisle for the best deals. We carry as much local and organic produce as possible. Buy flats and cases to fill your freezer or do some canning when produce is in season.

If you shop the Co-op wisely, you can feed yourself or your family fresh, local and organic food for nearly the same cost as the widely available “cheap,” processed products. In addition, your wise purchasing decision can lead to a safer, greener and more equitable society. We know you have plenty of options on where to shop and we appreciate you choosing La Montanita Co-op and supporting our local farmers and producers.

Cook at home with whole foods Dining out less could easily make up the price difference between buying organic and non-organic.

Cooking with whole organic and in-season ingredients

• Choose from a variety of mature, leafy and brightly colored vegetables • Use spices such as cilantro, peppermint and dill • Prepare lightly steamed vegetables • Cook foods on high heat for a short amount of time • Avoid red meat and consume smaller amounts of freshwater fish and organic poultry • Try soy milk, tofu spreads, tofu dogs and cold bean salads for convenience. Whole grain and bean combinations provide a rich source of plant-based protein.

• Eat plenty of light, cooling juicy fruits such as berries, pears, plums, apricots and melons of all kinds.

• Avoid iced drinks and ice cream; the extreme cold shocks the body and causes contraction of the internal organs, holding in sweat and heat and interfering with digestive functions. Instead try cooling your body rather than refrigerating it. Salads, sprouts, fruits, tofu, lemonade, flower and mint teas, young coconut and mung beans are all very without being freezing. of the cooling • Drink spring or reverse osmosis water, fresh veggie and fruit juices and green tea. Green tea combines well with mint, chrysanthemum and rose for sun tea. Crushed fennel, coriander and dill seeds make a fine tea that aids digestion.

• Cold-pressed olive oil and organic ghee (clarified butter) are the best oils for regular summer use.

season

Following in the ancient, natural and spiritual traditions, summer is the time of fire; a time to restore balance to the Heart and Small Intestine. Fire has the qualities of heat, dryness, lightness, and moving outward in our lives. The ideal summer diet, then, is one that is internally cooling, moistening, nourishing, refreshing and balancing.

Buy in Bulk One of my favorite reasons for buying in bulk is that I get the exact amount I need without wasting food.

Nuts, nut butters, grains, legumes, oils, maple syrup, tea and coffee, herbs and spices, baking supplies and more can be purchased in quantities from a teaspoon to pounds. Bring your own container or take a bag, provided by the Co-op. Take as little or as much of the product as you like, and then write down the code number from the bulk bin. Save money on items you need, don’t pay extra for packaging. You can often get a whole pound of grains, beans, seeds or nuts for the same price you would pay for a lesser amount of the same item pre-packaged. The wise shopper can save a bundle in our bulk department. Containers can be purchased at the store if you forget to bring your own.

Meats, poultry, eggs and dairy products are definitely worth buying organic because they are free of pesticides, synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics.

The Co-op offers a wonderful selection of local grassfed beef, eggs and first-rate goat dairy products.

DIET

SHOP

CO-OP!

CO-OP Trade

INITIATIVE Bringing together local farmers and Co-op shoppers for the best in

fresh, fair and

LOCAL FOOD!

BUYL LOCAL SHOP CO-OP !

co-op news

JULY 2008 6

MEMBERSHIP IS OWNERSHIP

on the whole environment and economy, not just those who farm or consume the food.

ARIANA MARCHELLO, CO-OP BOARD OF DIRECTORS grew up in a city of 60,000 on Long Island just outside New York City. Until I was six we lived with my mother’s parents, her siblings and their families in one large house my grandfather built. The “backyard” consisted of a sandbox for kids and a vegetable garden that now seems the size of a postage stamp but, had all those things deemed essential to southern Italian cooking; tomatoes, basil, eggplant, peppers, sunflowers, and so on. It was amazing to me to see the food grow during the summer, then be taken upstairs to my grandmother to cook for us to eat.

The Board of Directors, functioning as the member/owners’ representative, creates policies called “ends” to keep the Co-op moving in the direction of accomplishing its mission over the long term. Ends are regularly reviewed for their ability to express members’ values and to give the Co-op, as an organization, a way to become a gathering place, a way to help members to live out their values.

My grandmother knew which neighbors didn’t eat the berries on their bushes and sent me to get them before they became sidewalk jam. We went to farms and orchards upstate to “pick our own.” Eggs and milk were delivered from nearby farms. We went fishing and grabbed mussels off the jetties. Some cousins raised turkeys and ducks further out on the island. The deli we went to cured some of their own meats. And, this wasn’t so long ago.

Member participation in this process is important. The board’s monitoring of Co-op operations through the general manager’s reports can give us some measures to gauge our progress in the short term, but the sharing of values and visions for your lives will help the board create better ends for the Co-op’s future.

BY

I

This, my particular memory of food and the connections created by knowing where my food comes from, how it’s grown and prepared, is what led me to join La Montanita. Being a member/owner gives me a direct social and economic stake in the much larger community formed

by La Montanita’s growing relationships with farmers, producers, other cooperatives and the community at-large.

La Montanita’s mission is to provide to our member/owners, “at the lowest price possible, exemplary customer service, environmentally sound products, and the highest quality natural and organic food. We are committed to ethical business practices, participatory management and cooperative principles. Our intention is to provide the entire community, through practice and education, a working model for a healthy, sustainable future.”

—La Montanita Mission Statement, Board of Directors Policy Manual As Tam Saimons outlined in an earlier Co-op News article, the Rochdale Pioneers formed their cooperative in 1844 so they could buy unadulterated food at affordable prices, form more direct links with producers, run a fair business through their economic and democratic participation, and become a healthy, abundant and empowered community in the process.

La Montanita’s mission statement reflects the same goals and concerns, though today’s practical realities are different and on a more global scale.

In truth, the mission of the Co-op is always in the process of being accomplished each day it’s open for business. Initiatives such as the Co-op Trade/ Regional Food-Shed Project and the CDC have a ripple effect well beyond the Co-op, calling attention to food security issues in the region and in devising methods to resolve them. The promotion and growth of organic farming has a positive effect

Time is reserved at the beginning of every monthly board meeting for member comments. Check your store information desk to find out how to attend a meeting with or without coming to Albuquerque.

PRINCIPLED

COOPERATION RUN FOR THE CO-OP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

E

ach year the Co-op holds elections for 3 seats (of the 9 total) for the Board of Directors. The position is time consuming, profoundly important and challenging. We discuss and articulate policy, and monitor the overall health of the Co-op as a social and economic organization; we most emphatically do not keep tabs on the price of asparagus or which brand of soap is selling best.

The Co-op is a $20+ million a year operation; we currently operate four stores: two in Albuquerque, one in Gallup and one in Santa Fe. Two years ago, we opened a warehouse which is part of a larger initiative intended to develop and maintain a sustainable web of local suppliers--a part of what we call our "Food-Shed."

LOCAL SALE ITEMS

As elected representatives of the 14,000 member/owners, the board especially focuses on a vision and a strategic plan for the Co-op's long-term stability and success. The board's work is both demanding and rewarding. We govern by means of a conceptual framework called Policy Governance. At our monthly meetings, the board reviews management's work by examining performance reports and comparing them to policy standards we have established. When an initiative is desired by management, or if a problem exists, we examine the situation through the lens of these standards. We call them "ends" (results) and “limitations,” and only by adjusting these boundaries do we adjust the direction of the Co-op. We leave day-to-day operational details to the general manager and his team (those are the people you see every day as a shopper); we keep tabs

on the stores on a monthly basis through formal reporting.

We attend to many details through the work of committees--smaller sub-groups of the board that develop specific proposals for consideration by the board as a whole. We also engage in training workshops to better understand ourselves, our role in the organization and our Coop’s role in the community.

Overall, board members are expected to spend the equivalent of about three hours a week on board duties, including committee work, trainings, workshops, and other meetings and activities. In exchange, board members' households are entitled to an 18% discount on purchases (the same as workers receive).

Board members are expected to serve the full three-year term to which they are elected.

We seek board members from diverse backgrounds and age groups, with a variety of skills including business, grass-roots community, environmental and social involvement, agriculture or production or other areas related to the Co-op's current (and future!) direction. Prospective candidates are encouraged to visit our always open monthly board meetings. Check our newsletter or website for specific dates and locations.

If you're interested in running for a position, you may pick up materials at any store, starting in mid-August. Or you may contact us at bod@lamontanita.coop.

SHOP LOCAL & SAVE

The Baker Organic Boulder, CO Organic Sandwich Bread, 24 oz. Assorted Varieties.

Sale $4.49 Sadie’s Albuquerque, NM Hot Salsa, 64 oz. Sale $6.99 Rudi’s Organic Bakery

Boulder, CO Organic Burger Buns, 16-18 oz. Assorted Varieties.

Sale $2.99. Additional Rudi’s items also on sale.

Third Street Chai

Boulder, CO Organic Chai Concentrate. 32 oz. Assorted Varieties. Sale $3.99

LOCAL PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ECO HOSE Is your garden hose constructed from “reprocessed” materials that could be tainting your water? In order to keep costs down, many garden hose manufacturers use reconstructed materials from the automotive industry. Also lead is often added to make garden hoses flexible; a known toxin, it has been found to contaminate water up to 100 times the level established safe by the EPA.

Tijeras Organic Alchemy

Abq., NM Clary & Cucumber Daily Shampoo or Conditioner, 12 oz. Assorted Varieties. Sale $8.99.

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 7/2-7/29, 2008:

NOT ALL ITEMS AVAILABLE AT ALL STORES.

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

FDA-CERTIFIED: DRINKING WATER SAFE Eco Hose of Santa Fe is now offering a hose that won’t leach unsafe chemicals or byproducts into your water and is drinking-water safe. These quality hoses designed for easy use are a flexible kinkresistant hose safe for watering the garden, filling the birdbath and your pet’s water bowl.

Are you a city gardener, tired of dragging around heavy hoses? Many of us don’t need a 5/8” to 3/8” diameter hose. One can find the occasional 3/8”

diameter hose, marketed for RV use, but these are usually unattractive with cheaply made fittings. And, most of these hoses will leak because their fittings are made from molded brass, which bends easily. Eco Hose fittings are machined from solid brass and come with quality washers to ensure leak-free connections.

Eco Hose is designed with the urban gardener in mind and can be easily handled by a senior gardener. Eco Hose 3/8” diameter hose has found that happy medium, allowing a plentiful water flow, while conserving water, and by being significantly lighter than other garden hoses. But its non-toxic, lead-free construction is its most important feature.

Get Your Eco Hose at the Santa Fe Co-op and special order at Co-ops in Albuquerque and Gallup. For more info contact Carol at the Santa Fe Co-op, 505-984-2852.

co-op news

JULY 2008 7

THE INSIDE

W

ow! This morning I had an experience that I would have liked to avoid. I paid $4.01 for a gallon of gas.

The term sticker shock doesn’t come close to describing how I felt as I watched the number of gallons click off slowly and the cost rise quickly. I am lucky that my car does get good gas mileage. We are all well aware of the increasing cost of gasoline. I’m more concerned about the increasing price of our food. The rate that we are receiving price increases is like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my more than 30 years in the food business. I don’t foresee an end coming soon.

The combination of a weak dollar, soaring energy prices and global demand recall the 1970s when food prices raised an average of nearly 9%. The price of food could present a greater problem than soaring oil prices for the national economy. The average household spends three times as much of its income for food as for gasoline. In December 2007, The Economist magazine reported the food price index is higher today than at any time since it was created back in the 1800s. One study has concluded that only 20% of the cost of food for consumers comes from growing crops; labor, packaging and transportation account for the rest.

SCOOP

Whenever there is a problem, there is opportunity as well. For us at the Co-op, the opportunity that comes immediately to mind is our “Food-Shed Project.” We are entering the second year of this La Montanita initiative that is working to support local farmers. We believe the increased, onfarm income stream the Food-Shed Project provides will allow farmers more field time and the resources to expand their production both in quantity and diversity.

Thanks to the Food-Shed Project we are poised to bring more local, fresh food to our stores than ever before. This is New Mexico food that is grown by local farmers. It looks good, tastes good, is high in nutritional value and travels a maximum of 300 miles to your tables.

This is far less than the average 1,500-3,500 miles most food travels before it hits your plate.

While we too are struggling with increased transportation costs, the Food-Shed is an example of an attempt to do what is right. We hope you enjoy the local food we offer. We, at the Co-op are pleased to be part of one possible local solution to the food crisis and hope you, our members, see the Co-op as one example of what can be done if we are unwilling to accept the status quo.

Terry Bowling General Manager

Calendar of Events 7/15 BOD Meeting,

Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

7/21 Member Engagement Committee, CDC, 5:30pm TBA Finance Committee Meeting, CDC, 5pm

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.

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE & BODYWORK

NARA SHEDD NTS, CLMA, LMT 5917 CORE SYNCHRONISM ~ POLARITY ~ REFLEXOLOGY SWEDISH ~ MYOFASCIAL RELEASE MOVEMENT ANALYSIS

505.975.4823 WWW.BODYTELLINGSTUDIOS.ABMP.COM

Frozen Product Spotlight:

Luna and Larry’s Frozen Dessert

COCONUT BLISS

L

una Marcus and Larry Kaplowity “had both given up dairy for health and ethical reasons. They tried all the soy- and rice-based alternatives, but weren't satisfied with any of them. One day Luna said 'what about coconut milk?' We'd used it a lot in Thai-style cooking and it seemed ideal. It was naturally rich and creamy and had great nutritional properties. So with the aid of a two-dollar hand-cranked ice cream maker from Goodwill we made our first batch. As soon as we tried it, we knew we were on to something special.”

Now their company, located in Eugene, Oregon, Bliss Unlimited, LLC, makes a unique and exquisitely delicious line of frozen desserts, “consciously prepared from the most nutritious and wholesome organic ingredients available.” All their products are 100% certified organic, made from pure organic coconut and coconut milk and organic agave syrup for the healthiest, richest, dairy-, soy- and gluten-free, completely vegan, frozen dessert available. They also use fair trade coffee, vanilla, chocolate and other carefully chosen all- organic ingredients.

Coconut’s natural richness creates a creamy texture and the fat in coconut milk is high in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) identical to those in human breast milk, so coconut milk has similar germ fighting and heart-protective properties. Unlike other fats, MCTs do not need to be broken down and can be used immediately by the body as energy; it's the ideal fat for people who commonly have trouble

digesting fat, such as those with a slow metabolism, colitis, and hypothyroidism. Coconut fat actually stimulates metabolism.

Agave, known in Mexico as “the tree of life and abundance” produces nectar in its thick succulent leaves. Although the syrup, made from the nectar, is sweeter than sugar, it has a much lower glycemic index and causes only a gentle rise in blood sugar.

Larry and Luna’s Coconut Bliss provides all the satisfaction of a creamy rich frozen dessert without the "sugar rush" and subsequent "crash.” People who are sensitive to sugar, including some diabetics, can often tolerate agave.

As we are dedicated to the bliss of good food at the Co-op, we carry a full line of Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss flavors. Try one and you will want to try them all, from Naked Coconut to Dark Chocolate, Vanilla Island, Mint Galactica, and Cinnamon Chocolate Flake; you’ll love them all but probably find your favorite. And now Coconut Bliss is also available in Strawberry Lemon Love and Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge. If you don’t see them at your local Co-op ask your friendly frozen food purchaser to special order some.

A SPECIAL V O L U N T E E R

OPPOR TUNITY The local and organic foods movement has been growing by leaps and bounds. Last year the number of acres that are certified organic in our state grew from approximately 40,000 to 130,000. Our state still has only has one certifier, Brett Bakker.

For years Brett has been helping to educate us on the issues related to all things organic in his much loved and widely read monthly Coop Connection News column, Itchy Green Thumb.

As part of our Community Capacity Building Program, La Montanita has offered the support of our volunteer program to help him catch

NEW AT THE NOB HILL

DELI!

GRILLED

PANINI MENU Only $7.95 Served on fresh baked baquette or focaccia bread With choice of potato salad, pasta salad or slaw salad

T YO-UORP !

A CO

up with all the copying and filing he has to do to meet the federal requirements, for the hundreds of farmers, who want to go organic.

DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS ONLY, PLEASE We are looking for two very special volunteers who will commit to volunteering two to three hours a week. This is a long-term volunteer position. Some office skills are required. The New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission office is in Albuquerque near Indian School and Carlisle.

Help support the growth of organic farming in New Mexico and get 18% discount shopping credit at the Co-op for your effort.

Please contact Robyn at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667 or e-mail her at robins@lamontanita.coop to find out more.

help grow the

ORGANIC FOOD

MOVEMENT

gourmet backpacking backpacking RECIPES With good planning and preparation, you don’t have settle for the usual oatmeal, instant soup or energy bars. Try some of these gourmet backpacking meals and snacks for your next trip up the mountain.

(Key: C= cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, lb. = pound, oz. = ounce, qt. = quart)

the dumpling is dry in the middle. Eat and enjoy. Serves 1 to 2 Grizzly Berry Granola 1/4 C canola oil 1 (18-oz.) jar blackberry jelly 2 C chopped, lightly salted cashews 1 (16-oz.) bag Bob's Red Mill 5-Grain Rolled Hot Cereal 1 C shredded sweetened coconut 1 oz. dried blueberries 1 oz. dried strawberries 1 oz. dried blackberries dairy or soy milk powder to taste, optional

One Pot Apple Dumpling 3 plastic sandwich bags 1 C biscuit mix 1 C dried apples 1/2 C sugar 1/4 t salt 1/2 t cinnamon 2 T butter (put in plastic bottle or bring along a squeeze bottle of liquid butter) 2 1/4 C water

At Home In a large pot, heat oil and jelly until thin.

Chop cashews and add to pot along with the cereal and coconut. Stir until liquid has covered the mixture evenly. Spread in a non-stick jelly roll pan. Bake at 225 degrees F for 2 hours. Stir periodically.

Allow granola to cool after baking. Once cooled, add dried fruit. Store in large Ziploc bags for the trail.

At Home Measure biscuit mix and put it in one bag. Put one cup of dried apples in a second bag. Put sugar, salt and cinnamon in a third bag.

On the Trail To prepare one serving mix 1 cup of cereal with milk or soy powder and water, or eat straight out of the bag. Serve hot or cold.

At Camp Place apples into pot with 2 cups of water.

Cover the pot and let the apples soak for at least 1 hour. Then, place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil, lower to simmer while you make the dumpling. Then, make the dumpling by adding 1/4 cup water to the biscuit mix and mixing into dough. Next, add the sugar-spice bag contents and butter to the simmering apples.

Use a spoon to spread the dumpling dough over the apples. Replace pot cover and simmer for 15 or more minutes, until

Chicken with Chinese Ginger Lemon Sauce For your health and safety, eat this dish the first day of camping so the meat doesn’t spoil.

1 freezer bag dash of five spice powder dash of granulated garlic dash of black pepper 1/2 t powdered ginger 1 t dry onion 1 cube chicken bullion, crushed

JULY 2008 10

1 t brown sugar 1/2 t lemonade powder 1/2 t cornstarch 7 oz. pouch of chicken, frozen 1 packet soy sauce 1 C instant rice or potatoes 1 C dry sherry, optional

At Home Package each of the ingredients separately. The maple syrup can go in a mid-sized Nalgene bottle if you’re having this meal several times. The pecans are packaged separately as they’ll get mushy if you boil them with the buckwheat.

At Camp Combine all but the meat in freezer bag with 1/4 cup of boiling water and shake to mix well. Add meat and put in a meal pouch cozy* for ten minutes. Serve over prepared instant rice or mashed potatoes.

For a special treat, replace powdered ginger with a chunk of diced candied ginger.

A cup of dry sherry is nice to add as well.

Serves 1 to 2

At Camp Add maple syrup and salt to one and a half cups of water and bring to a boil.

Stir in buckwheat and return to boil.

Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

The cooking time isn’t much longer at 11,000 feet than it is at sea level. Once the buckwheat is soft, turn off the heat and stir in the pecans. Serve the protein powder on the side. Serves 1

*Unless you’re a die-hard camper, you probably don’t own a meal pouch cozy. A meal pouch cozy is made out of aluminum, insulated and reflected to keep food warm. You can make your own with a piece of insulation, heavy gauge aluminum and some rubber bands.

An Explosively High-Energy Breakfast Buckwheat is actually a broad leafed plant rather than a grass. Therefore, many people who have grain allergies are able to eat buckwheat without adverse effects. This breakfast provides a perfect balance of fat, carbohydrates and protein. The pecans provide fat and a serving of protein powder on the side balances everything out.

You’re sure to get a burst of energy from this meal to keep you going for hours on the trail.

2/3 C toasted buckwheat groats 1/4 C pure maple syrup (Grade B is good) 1/4 t salt 1/2 C shelled pecans protein powder, equivalent to 24 grams per serving

Andean Quinoa Stew This supergrain is a perfect backpacking food staple; it’s high in protein and easy to carry.

1/2 C quinoa 1 C water 1/4 t salt 1/4 t ground black pepper 1 T extra virgin olive oil 1/4 lime 1/2 C dehydrated corn kernels, rehydrated 2 T sun dried tomatoes, diced 1 T chipotle seasoning mix 1 avocado, sliced fresh cilantro leaves, handful, chopped Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Place quinoa in a medium-sized pan, add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes. The quinoa should be translucent. Remove from heat and fluff it with a fork.

Sprinkle the grains with the salt and pepper and stir, folding from underneath the

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

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

Phone (505) 385-0562 Albuquerque, NM

gourmet backpacking grains. Fold the olive oil, juice from lime, corn and tomatoes into the quinoa. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Garnish with cilantro and avocado slices. Serves 2 Big River Apricot Granola 1/4 C canola oil 1/4 C honey 1/4 C maple syrup 1 1/2 t vanilla 1 T nutritional yeast 1/2 C wheat germ 2 1/2 C rolled oats 1 C rolled rye 1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut 1 C raisins or dried cranberries 1 C chopped dried apricots 1/2 C chopped dates 1/3 C chopped almonds 1/2 C sunflower seeds

Soak lentils and barley for about two hours by putting them in a bottle (you can do this earlier in the afternoon and they will be rehydrated by the time you get to camp). Add salt to a large pot of boiling water. Stir in rice, barley and lentils. Reduce to a simmer; add onion, green peppers, apples and spices. Cover tightly and simmer for thirty more minutes. Serves 6 Cinnamon ‘n Sugar Couscous 1/4 C couscous 2 T powdered milk 1 T brown sugar 1/2 t cinnamon 1-2 T chopped almonds pinch of salt At Home Combine all ingredients, except for almonds, in a quart freezer bag.

At Home Heat oil, honey and syrup until thin. Add vanilla, wheat germ, oats, yeast, wheat and rye, stirring well after each addition. Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for one and a half to two hours. Stir periodically. Cool, then mix in fruits, nuts and seeds. Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place until eaten.

On the Trail Eat as is or with powdered milk and water, either hot or cold. Serving size is about one cup per person.

Spinach Quesadillas Spinach is great because it’s light and full of vitamins and fiber. Make sure it comes prewashed so you don’t use up water washing off sand and dirt.

3 1 2 2 1 6

JULY 2008 11

T butter lb. pre-washed spinach green bell peppers, chopped onions, chopped C cheddar cheese, shredded tortillas

At Camp Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup boiling water (add less for drier couscous). Place in a cozy (or insulated bag) for five minutes, add almonds and stir well. Serves 1

At home, combine and boil for 1 minute: 1 1/2 C honey 2 oz. white chocolate 1/4 C butter Remove from heat and add: 1 T vanilla Stir into chocolate mixture: 1 C nuts or sunflower seeds 2/3 C crunchy peanut butter 1/2 C wheat germ or shredded coconut 1 C diced dried fruit 5 C quick-cooking oats

These recipes have been adapted and reprinted from the following sources: www.essortment.com Lipsmackin Vegetarian Backbackin,

by Christine and Tim Conners www.wta.org/~wta/magazine/1174.pdf www.benhubbell.com The Backpacker’s Field Manual,

by Rick Curtis

Dhaal-Bhat (Sherpa Rice) 1/2 C lentils 1/2 C barley 3 C instant rice 1 onion, chopped 2 green bell peppers, chopped 2 apples, chopped curry powder, to taste ground cinnamon, to taste salt

Two Locations!

Nob Hill

Acupuncture Center Relief from stress, pain, digestive discomfort, colds & flu Most insurances accepted.

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

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

505-266-6522

Chocolate-Fruit Bars If you can handle chocolate in the morning, have these for breakfast or mid-morning snack. Use your favorite dried fruit; blueberries, chopped apricots, cranberries and strawberries are all tasty.

Pour dough onto a cookie sheet and flatten into one large rectangle about one inch thick. Cool, then cut into bars. Each bar is one serving; serves 24.

In a pot or a frying pan, depending on what kind of camping you’re doing, over medium heat, melt butter and sauté spinach, bell peppers and onions until the spinach is wilted and the onions are browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside in a bowl. Fill a tortilla with some of the spinach mixture, sprinkle with cheese and fold in half. Reheat pot, or pan, and cook each quesadilla over medium heat until the cheese melts, adding butter as needed. Serves 4 to 6

Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy

eat your

B ERRIES!

The Harwood Friday July 4th 5:30 - 8 pm

Betty Hahn, Joyce Neimanas, Judith Golden Outakes: 17 Photographers from the Albuquerque Journal Spirit of the Self Youth Photography Imaginary Lost World of Animals: Michael Godey

505-242-6367 1114 7th St. NW. HarwoodArtCenter.org

BUY BULK AND SAVE BIG SHOP CO-OP

aqua es

vida

JULY 2008 12 We Need Long-Term Solutions For all these reasons, Food and Water Watch’s Take Back the Tap initiative is encouraging individuals not only to shift away from bottled water, but to instead call on Congress to reinvest in our public water systems.

FOOD AND W ATER W ATCH

TAKE BACK THE TAP ANNIE WEINBERG ottled water business is booming; across the country and around the world, consumers have turned bottled water into a $100 billion annual industry.

Consumers buy the big brands, often for more than the price of gasoline, because they believe that it’s safer, purer and healthier than what comes out of their faucets.

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The costs of bottled water are STAGGERING!

Unfortunately, that’s not actually the case.

"Bottled water is an expensive con job on consumers,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, a national advocacy organization. “Tap water is the healthiest, most environmentally sound, and most cost-effective choice for consumers.”

Food & Water Watch is launching the Take Back the Tap initiative to expose the myths and dangers of the bottled water industry, and to promote policies that protect safe, clean, affordable water access.

The organization is working with cities across the nation to urge local restaurants, chefs and consumers to sign a pledge to switch to municipal tap water instead of bottled brands.

Bottled Water is Not Safer Poland Spring, Arrowhead, Dasani and Aquafina pay millions of dollars in advertising spin every year to convince customers that their product is the healthy choice, when in fact, the bottled water industry is one of the country’s least regulated. The Food and Drug Administration, which oversees bottled water regulation, has only one part- time employee responsible for all bottled water oversight.

The FDA requires no testing at all after bottling or storage; for certain chemical, radiological and physical contaminants, companies only have to check the water once a year! And even this bare-bones regulation leaves out up to 70% of bottled water—the FDA doesn’t oversee any bottled water that’s bottled and sold within a single state.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency oversees tap water regulation with strict guidelines, requiring utilities nationwide to test multiple times a day. The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority meets or exceeds all of the EPA’s standards, and full reports of water quality can be found at www.abcwua.org. We are all well aware of the black mold problems the city faced when it went into the bottled water business.

Bottled Water Hurts Our Environment The environmental costs of bottled water are staggering. Seventeen million barrels of oil annually go into the production of plastic bottles in the U.S. alone; these bottles are then transported hundreds of miles, increasing their carbon footprint. Close to 90% of these bottles are not recycled and go into landfills, creating over 2 million tons of plastic waste in the U.S. each year.

The plastic bottles for the bottled water industry are made with pthalates; endocrine-disruptors known to leach into the water and which have been linked to a host of reproductive and developmental disorders.

Bottled Water Is a Scam for Communities Despite the mountain springs and waterfalls on the labeling, a lot of bottled water is simply tap water repackaged. Up to 40% of bottled water is just publicly sourced tap water, marked up thousands of times.

Even “spring water” often means that companies are extracting water from places that need it, disrupting ecosystems and steamrolling community opposition with their economic and political connections.

In Madison County in Florida, corporate giant Nestle got a permit to extract 1.47 million gallons a day until 2018. The cost? A $230 permit. The Water Utility fought the permit, citing concerns about the drastic droughts and water shortages that have plagued the community, but Nestle was able to work around their requests by promising to create 300 new jobs. This was in 2003, and the town is still waiting for those 300 jobs.

In Plachimada, India, Coca-Cola’s Dasani plants lowered groundwater levels by 40 feet, as nearby residents watched their faucets and wells run dry, resulting in numerous farmer suicides. Coca-Cola has mounted an international public relations campaign to defend itself.

Their new website, www.takebackthetap.org, provides restaurants and individuals with useful materials such as petitions, home filtration guides, how-to manuals, educational fliers and other resources to aid concerned citizens and local leaders in removing bottled water from local menus, city events and campuses.

The legislation for a Clean Water Trust Fund would create a dedicated funding source to provide for maintenance of the country’s aging water infrastructure. In New Mexico, current funding levels are at a mere 1/60th of its projected needs statewide.

What can consumers do?

You can start by refusing to purchase still (not sparkling) bottled water. Use the Co-op reverse osmosis water machines and fill a stainless steel water bottle like those sold at the Co-op (hard plastic bottles may leak phthalates such as bisphenol-A into your water) with your own, nearly-free tap water. If you don’t like the taste of the water out of your pipes, a filter like the ones from Brita or PUR can take out most minerals and particulates that may contribute to that “funny” taste.

You can also make your voice heard by contacting your Congressperson to tell him or her that you support a Clean Water Trust Fund, and that New Mexico should lead the way in making water a national priority.

FOR MORE INFO, check out www.takebackthetap.org

A Farmer’s Perspective

Cottonwood Lane Or char d continued from page 1 Our next step was to obtain registered organic gardener status with the NM Organic Commodities Commission, as our land hadn’t been used for anything but cover crops for 5 years. Our next marketing experiences improved considerably. Though the first offerings from our new orchard were small, we found a ready market for them at various retail stores in Santa Fe and Taos.

They were also widely accepted at farmers’ markets. These markets, of course, required delivery of small quantities of fruit, which required time away from the farm and added delivery expense.

A few things were apparent. On the plus side: Our organic fruits and berries had a definite market, the value of the organic fruits we produced were greater than conventionally produced fruits and the competition for available markets was as yet not as fierce as that on the conventional side.

But even so there were some marketing experiences early in the game with retailers that were on the negative side and rough on us as a small local producer: Including price lowering when large suppliers were flooding the market with similar fruit. This is normal business practice, but a producer who is farming 300 acres can stand it better than one who is farming 3 acres. It is business as usual without much concern for the smaller local growers.

Some retailers required small deliveries with a couple of days notice, throwing us into a harvesting frenzy, but hey!, at least we were selling them.

It was apparent that as the orchard came into full production, we would be in trouble trying to manage some of these problems. We had traveled a long hard road and fought the good fight, but we had created a small monster. Still we felt that we were on the verge of winning. We had a good marketable product, we had a strong young orchard approaching its prime and we had problems.

Two things eased the crunch and gave us a serious shot in the arm for our future prospects. Over the winter months we built a walk-in cooler. This gave us the ability to harvest ahead of orders and wait them out instead

of having to harvest Thursday and Friday because they were needed for Saturday and Sunday markets.

Food-Shed Beginings The following spring we became certified organic.

While attending an Organic Conference in the spring of 2007, we met Steve Warshawer, who represented La Montanita Co-op, and we had the good fortune to do business with Steve and La Montanita for the 2007 crop year.

The experiences we had with the Co-op Food-Shed project were all positive and were as follows: La Montanita bought most of our fruit crop. They picked it up at our farm, sending a truck in twice a week. In addition to paying us fair market prices, they saved us money by supplying us with recycled boxes for our peaches.

As a result of one of the few severe hailstorms we had seen in our time here, much of our fruit was cosmetically damaged. In our past experience the damaged fruit would have been a total loss, but La Montanita made a fair price adjustment and bought the majority of it.

We formed these conclusions at the end of our season: • Making the move to organic fruit production was the proper move.

• La Montanita Co-op is sincerely interested in, and actively involved with, the welfare of the local organic producer — large or small.

• La Montanita is dedicated to the preservation of sustainable organic agriculture and is comprised of a hardworking group of people who are in it for the long haul.

• This is an example of the kind of cooperative effort benefiting all concerned that we envisioned.

We at Cottonwood Lane Orchards are proud to do business with and acknowledge the existence of such a cooperative.

-Sincerely, Walt, Betty and Dan Lea

Dear Walt, Bett and Dan, thanks for your support and for growing great local, organic fruit.

-From all of us here at La Montanita Co-op

farming &

gardening

JULY 2008 13

BlockingGMO drift

BRETT BAKKER big strike against genetically engineered (GE) crops is the ability of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to move into non-GE crops through cross pollination. Cross pollination is nature’s preference: mixing up the gene pool in potent cocktails results in evolution, natural selection and rare specialized creatures like the red-ruffed lemur or giant parasitic Raffelisia flowers.

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There are plenty of studies (mostly sponsored by GMO giants like Monsanto and ADM themselves) that claim there’s no danger in GE crops or in cross pollination. But emerging independent research shows sickness, disease or outright aversion in animals that eat GE crops. I’m no scientist but on a gut level I believe GMOs are wrong on moral grounds and that I’m as entitled to that view as the anti-stem cell research folks. But no matter who’s correct, my overwhelming objection to GE crops is that we’re not given a choice — other than buying certified organic — since the law does not require the labeling of GMOs in our food. Not every non-organic food is full of GMOs, but there is no way to know without full disclosure, labeling and testing.

Proponents of GMOs want it both ways. They say GE food is equivalent to non-GE food; y’know, nothing special. No big whoop. But at the same time, GMOs are so special they deserve extraordinary legal treatment, exclusive patents, rights of ownership and protected status. When nature takes her course and a neighboring farm saves seed that now (through no fault of the farm) contain GMOs, Monsanto claims they are suffering genetic trespass

ACTION

feels he’s providing a service but, as we all know, service costs.

William Olson (Hoegemeyer specialty corn products manager) says in defense, “There are many ways that [the GaS trait] could be used if it wasn’t protected [patented]. It would be open to anybody.”

Ummm, right, Will. That’s the point. Anybody could use it in developing their own lines of GMO-resistant corn if Hoegemeyer didn’t hold the patent.

and deserve financial restitution. But if that same nonGE farm suffers diminished value of the crop or can’t sell it at all due to GMO presence, Monsanto says it’s The GaS trait isn’t 100% effective none of their affair or reGMO in keeping GMO cross-pollination sponsibility. GMO corporaGIANTS: at bay (and to be honest neither tions like Monsanto (and going against is organic certification, but it’s as ADM and Bayer and...) are nature ? good as we’ve got right now). babies who haven’t yet realCross-pollination is, however, greatized selfishness is not adly reduced if not, at times, elimimirable or that we all share itchy green nated. Seed company Blue River the same sandbox. Nor have Hybrids is collaborating with their parental figures (WTO, Hoegemeyer to produce organic USDA, EPA, FDA…) exerPuraMaize corn, estimated availcised responsibility in disciable in three or four years. That’s plining these problem children. great news, really, but hybrid seeds are by definition patented, which means farmers will be able to buy organic PuraMaize seed So, until and (more importantly) unless GE crops are but not save their own. banned (sorry to be a pessimist but I’m not holding my breath), protection from cross-pollination is the only So even when doing good, here’s someone else with their hand in way to go. Since they’re already playing god, you’d the farmer’s pocket. And believe me I know. As a state-employed think the GMO wizards could think of a way to preorganic certifier, I’m obliged to ask the organic farmer for a cut, vent GE pollen from fertilizing non-GE plants, but too. Sigh. In a perfect world, farms would be paying not to be asking them for a solution is like asking the fox to organic; penalized for going against nature. In the long run, we’ll guard the henhouse. all pay for the human race going against nature.

The good news is there is a natural non-GE trait (a gametophyte or GaS) that can prevent unwanted cross-pollination in corn. It’s been known by science since at least 1955. The bad news? It was recently patented by Hoegemeyer Hybrids (http://www.hoege meyer.com/ puramaizerelease.shtml) as PuraMaize.

thumb

Tom Hoegemeyer is not anti-GMO but recognizes the demand for non-GE food. Regrettably, he feels it’s his right to own genetics that are actually in the public domain (let’s not even enter into the argument of whether life forms ought to be patented at all). He

A large (4.8 acres) parcel of agricultural land has been listed for sale in Corrales. This land is one of the only remaining agricultural parcels left in the Corrales area. With the current crisis of cost involved with shipping our food all over the world, many believe it would be in the best long-term interests of the community to keep parcels like this open space and keep it available for food production for the population of the greater Albuquerque area.

ALERT!

For more information or to help craft a strategy for preservation, please contact Cecilia Rosacker-McCord of the Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust (RGALT) at 505-270-4421.

Farm Land PRESERVATION

Please contact your Village of Corrales representative, your Sandoval County representatives, or anyone else you know (such as, perhaps, organizations like the Trust for Public Lands) who may be able to help in efforts to keep this parcel from development.

for FOOD SECURITY FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL

505-270-4421

Navajo Natural Resources

CONFERNCE AND EXPO The 2008 Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources Conference/Expo will be held during the week of July 15-17, 2008. The Expo and Conference will be held at the Du Bois Center on the campus of Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

This years’ theme is "Bridging the Gap to Conserve and Manage Navajo Natural and Cultural Resources." The purpose of this three-day conference is to promote and educate participants on the abundant natural and cultural resources of the Navajo Nation.

• Archaeological Clearance/Bio, Domestic Water vs. Livestock Water, Drought Issues • Forestry Fire/Reseeding, Gallup Water Project, Handheld GPS Training, • Hunting/Fishing Permits & Wildlife poaching, livestock issues, Mining Issues, Navajo/Hopi Compact Agreement, Sacred Mountains • Traditional Values for Modern the Navajos, Uranium Issues, Wood Hauling Safety

SAVE

DATES!

Sessions will include topics on natural and cultural resources, along with current information on regulatory, legislative and conservation/preservation issues that face the Navajo Nation and its People. Some topics to be featured include:

on culture and resources

We invite all interested individuals, chapters, communities and other Tribal, local, state and federal agencies to attend.

For more information on registration, informational booths or sponsorships, please visit our website at www.dnrconference@navajo .org or call the Navajo Land Department at 928-871-6401.

co-op

kids

Sign2 speak

KRISTIN WHITE mylee Udell is a business owner, educator, advocate and mother of three. She is the founder of Sign2Speak, a program designed to teach parents and caregivers of young children how to interact through the use American Sign Language (ASL).

She offers presentations, workshops and in-home instruction for parents, families, daycares and the community.

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A

Amylee has been interested in sign language since childhood and began signing with her first baby. Her husband is supportive and joins Amylee in signing with their three children. Sign2Speak is a natural extension of Udell’s personal experiences, passion for teaching others, and appreciation and respect for ASL.

Postural Corrections W orking Deeply from the Inside Out Fun and Varied approach to Movement Studio and Home Visits

Michele Whitteker Certified Pilates Instructor North Valley michelelee613@hotmail.com Phone: (505) 345-0149 Albuquerque, NM

JULY 2008 14

MEMBER PROFILE Parents, especially, have many roles and responsibilities and, often, busy schedules. Learning basic ASL signs takes little time and offers indispensable value for baby and adult. One of the main reasons, according to Udell, that parents and caregivers want to learn ASL is because it alleviates the frustration that comes from the inability to understand their child or children. It concurrently reduces the frustration of a nonverbal infant or child by teaching him or her a healthy way to express specific thoughts and emotions.

Another advantage of signing is that it provides insight into the mind and personality of a child. For example, one can learn the likes, dislikes and fascinations of a child by the signs they are giving. This was the most significant reason for Amylee to teach her children ASL. She tells one story of her oldest daughter making the sign for cat as they were walking toward their house. At first Amylee saw nothing, but as they approached the house she looked down the street and saw a cat in the distance.

Researchers have discovered that babies who sign usually start to talk sooner and develop larger vocabularies than non-signing babies. This is because signing incorporates the use of kinesthetic and visual senses. Adding these elements to verbal communication enhances a young child’s vocabulary, spelling and early reading skills. Furthermore, the physical action of bringing the arms and hands together at the midline of the body, as done when signing, is one of the most significant developmental milestones in infancy and uses both hemispheres of the brain.

An infant learns to read signs, or visual cues, from its primary caregiver at birth. At six months the baby begins to actualize signs, making it an ideal time to learn. Three tips to successful interaction are making eye contact when signing with baby, speaking the word while making the sign and making signing a fun part of a daily routine. Three to five words are all that are needed to start.

Amylee offers an introductory class to parents that lasts one hour and includes an explanation of the benefits of signing, a short video and learning a few basic signs. Once parents or caregivers take this class, they are welcome to join a playgroup once a month for socialization, support and practice.

Amylee also gives workshops and presentations to schools and daycare centers. To learn more about how to enjoy this rich and beautiful language with your child, please contact Amylee at 232-2772 or visit the Sign2Speak website at sign2speak.com Amylee has been a member of the Co-op since 1998 when her “focus was on fair trade and wages to food producers.” She has since learned more about “organic food production, factory farming and local sustainability.” She adds, “It’s great to feel part of a community where my kids can grab a piece of fruit and call some of the Co-op staff by name.”

Toxic Infant

FORMULA CHARLOTTE VALLAEYS, CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE he Cornucopia Institute recently filed a legal complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) demanding that the agency enforce the organic regulations prohibiting toxic solvents from being used in the production of organic food. The institute, a nonprofit food and farm policy research group, found that baby formula and other food manufacturers are using hexane-extracted omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (DHA/ARA) derived from algae and soil fungus.

BY

T

Produced by Martek, these algal- and fungal-based DHA/ARA have been linked to serious side effects such as virulent diarrhea and vomiting in infants consuming infant formula, many of whom required medical treatment and hospitalization. A FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request showed that scores of parents have notified the FDA that their infants experienced symptoms, but that these symptoms commonly disappeared as soon as the infants were given formula without these supplements.

Organic products with the prohibited fatty acid supplements include Horizon Organic milk with DHA (Dean Foods) and organic infant formulas, including Similac Organic (Abbott Laboratories), Earth’s Best (Hain Celestial) and Bright Beginnings Organic (PBM Products).

While formula makers claim to add these oils because they “support brain and eye development,” scientific data to corroborate these claims is very weak. Breast-feeding advocates worldwide contend that DHA and ARA appear to be added primarily as marketing tools. DHA and ARA supplementation adds approximately $200 annually to the cost of formula. Misleading claims that DHA/ARA supplemented formula is now “as close as ever to breast milk” also lead to the impression among many new mothers that formula is now equivalent to breast-feeding.

Cornucopia has filed a FOIA request to look into how the USDA appears to have collaborated with lobbyists for Dean Foods and others in secretly allowing these materials, despite their explicit prohibition in the federal organic regulations. The Cornucopia Institute, together with the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy, has petitioned the FDA to require a warning label on all infant formula supplemented with Martek’s DHA and ARA. The Cornucopia Institute filed a formal legal complaint with the USDA, calling for an investigation of Quality Assurance International (QAI). QAI is the nation’s largest corporate organic certifier and has been at the center of a number of other scandals in the organic industry, most prominently the questionable certification of large factory-farm milk production.

Parents and health care providers are encouraged to pass on reports of adverse reactions to infant formula or food products containing DHA and/or ARA to the FDA and to the Cornucopia Institute: cultivate@cornucopia.org

JACK OF ALL TRADES

MASTER OF

DRIP IRRIGATION

345-9240

CO-OP

Food-Shed Project BUILDING the local food sytem

community

forum

JULY 2008 15

We Art the People

FOLK FESTIVAL

“W

e Art the People” is a fun, community art-making event for everyone. Join OFFCenter in a visual feast; including a large-scale puppet parade, samba drummers and dancers, music of all kinds, demonstrations of visual and performing arts, hands-on art activities and 100 folk art vendors. Bring your lawn chairs, parade gear and creative spirit!

The day will begin with a giant puppet samba parade, in which everyone is invited to participate. When the parade concludes the live music begins on two stages featuring local musical talent. Throughout the day different community art-making events will take place; including weaving, water colors, paint by number, face painting, button making, rain sticks and collage cards. All projects are free to anyone who attends the festival.

The festival is a celebration of folk art and community. This is a unique experience and one not to be missed. It welcomes unexpected, spontaneous acts of creativity from neighborhood and community groups. The event is August 9 from 11-4pm in Robinson Park at 8th and Central Ave. following Saturday morning’s Downtown Growers’ Market.

Please call 247-1172 to be a volunteer!

Volunteers can be creative in the art tents or helpful in the weeks leading up to the festival; no experience necessary, only a willingness to work and play. Volunteers will be asked to paint signs, label water bottles and help the day of the festival by setting up supplies and signs. We look forward to including volunteers of all ages with various skills and ideas. If you are interested in making friends or networking with other artists in the community, please call or stop by OFFCenter at 808 Park Ave. SW. OFFCenter’s FREE community studio hours are Tues/Wed/Thurs. noon-8pm, and Friday 15pm. OFFCenter is a community art space, home to a studio, gallery and sales shop.

Everyone in the community is welcome to come to OFFCenter to buy or make art.

Individuals, families and groups participate in a wide variety of both casual open studios and organized activities.

THE THIRD ANNUAL

Albuquerque Open Space Summer Series

No Child Left Inside Sunset Hikes and More

C

ity of Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Department, Open Space Division, invites you to a summer of family fun during our 2008 Open Space Summer Series. All Saturday Series programs take place at the Elena Gallegos Double Shelter Amphitheater and are free with the park entry fee. The Elena Gallegos Park is located at the end of Simms Park Road, east of Tramway Boulevard, just north of Academy.

Open Space will be partnering with the Nicodemus Wilderness Project to offer “Leave No Child Inside” programs in the hopes of getting families to experience the outdoors. Check the website, www.cabq. gov/openspace or call 452-5222 for more information, directions or pre-registration.

July 19/ CumuloNimbus: Musical performance of flutes, drums and storytelling.

July 26/ Birds of Prey: Animal demonstration and talk

by Denise Coil of Wildlife Rescue.

SUNDAY HIKES from varied areas of Open Space On Sundays at 9am, knowledgeable guides and members of our community lead explorations and offer demonstrations in an assortment of fields and specialties. Some hikes are in partnership with the Nicodemus Wilderness Project’s Apprentice Ecologist Initiative and essay contest. Most events are two to three hours long.

GET outside

Saturday SUNSET SERIES at Elena Gallegos Picnic Area The Saturday Sunset Series will feature talks, demonstrations and shows by some of Albuquerque's best speakers, teachers and performers at the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area Amphitheater on Saturdays at 7pm.

July 5/ Insects and Spiders of the Area: Educational talk by Sandra Brantley and David Lightfoot from the UNM Biology Department.

July 12/ Bat Chat: Educational talk by Rob Yaksich from NM State Parks.

July 6/ Petroglyphs of Piedras Marcadas: Dr. Matt Schmader, Open Space. Meet at the Piedras Marcadas Canyon Trailhead.

July 13/ Volcanoes and Geology: Larry Crumpler, NM Natural History Museum. Meet at the volcanoes in the Petroglyph National Monument.

July 20/ Albuquerque Overbank Project 10th Anniversary Hike: Nancy Umbreit, Bureau of Reclamation Biologist. Meet at the Bosque Gate on the west side of the river off Cesar Chavez. Pre-registration required.

July 27/ Community Gardening: Ian Simmons of the Rio Grande Community Farms. Meet at Los Poblanos Fields.

N E W ME X IC O J A Z Z F E S T IVA L JULY 17-28, 2008 ALBUQUERQUE & SANTA FE A Collaborative Project of The Outpost Performance Space The Lensic Performing Arts Center The Santa Fe Jazz Foundation w w w. t i c k e t s s a n t a f e . o r g

5 0 5 - 9 8 8 -12 3 4

W W W. N E W M E X I C O J A Z Z F E S T I VA L . O R G Tetragon Pharoah Sanders Allen Toussaint Chris Calloway Kenny Garrett Youssou N’Dour Cassandra Wilson Paquito D’Rivera Preservation Hall Jazz Band Martin J. Chávez, Mayor

ENJOY the great outdoors!

Body-Centered Counseling

party local annual santa fe alliance family

picnic!

Integrated Counseling, Therapeutic Bodywork and Movement

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

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

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

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

Summer

Help us celebrate 5 years of Alliance achievements, honoring key members, valuable volunteers and YOU – our members & friends with local food, raffle drawings, family entertainment, kids activities, live music, Alliance member business booths!

is a great time to deadwood your larger trees & assess your Elms & Cottonwoods for potential hazards.

This picnic, a fundraiser for the Alliance’s education activities, features the live music of Sid Hausman, Kumusha Marimba Ensemble, The Hoodoos and More! (Picnic Blankets and Lawn Chairs STRONGLY ENCOURAGED!) Tickets: $10 each, Kids FREE, are available at Century Bank locations and Oshara Village office on Richards Ave. For more information contact the Santa Fe Alliance at PO Box 23864, Santa Fe, NM 87502 505 989-5362, fax: 505 795-7803 or go to www.santafealliance.com

Call for an estimate on crown cleaning your trees today.

july 12 1-6pm be there!

Services

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