La Montanita ˜ Co-op Administrative Offices 901 Menaul Blvd. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87107 www.lamontanita.coop
a p r i l 2 013
connection
˜ Co-op Join La Montanita Your community-owned natural foods grocery store
Why Join? • You Care!
-about good food and how it is produced
• You’re Empowered!
-to help support the local/regional food-shed
• You Support!
-Co-op principles & values & community ownership
• You Vote!
-with your dollars for a strong local economy
• You Participate!
-providing direction and energy to the Co-op
• You Receive!
-member discounts, weekly specials & a patronage refund
• You Own It!
-an economic alternative for a sustainable future
In so many ways it pays to be a La Montanita ˜ Co-op Member/Owner
Great Reasons to be a Co-op Member
NEW PRODUCTS!
from our neighbor dairy in Estancia, New Mexico FIVE NEW TRIPLE CREAM STYLE CHEESES Cambozola • Ash Ripened • Plain • Chipotle • Green Chile
See Them aT The CelebraTe The earTh FeSTival • april 21 • Nob hill
• Pick up our monthly newsletter full of information on food, health, environment and your Co-op. • Member refund program: at the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchases. • Weekly member-only coupon specials as featured in our weekly sales flyer. Pick it up every week at any location to save more than your annual membership fee each week. • Banking membership at the New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union. • Member only discount days: take advantage of our special discount events throughout the year-for members only. • Special Orders: order large quantities of hard-to-find items at a 10% discount for members. • General membership meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations. Your participation is encouraged.
EARTH DAY 2013! • NOB HILL, ABQ • SUNDAY, APRIL 21
free
23RD ANNUAL CELEBRATE THE
EARTHCO-OP! FESTIVAL AT THE NOB HILL
ness Alliance, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, Agua es Vida Action Team, Desert Woman Botanicals, Animal Protection of New Mexico, Old Windmill Dairy, UNM Sustainability Studies Program, Project Peace Pal, Charbyda Farm, Our Endangered Aquifer, New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, The Fig Man, Red Tractor Farm, Valley Seed, ABQ Open Space, to name but a few of the many wonderful organizations confirmed at press time. Ride a Bike! As many of you who have attended the Co-op Earth Fest know, due to the popularity of the event and Nob Hill parking realities, it’s best to hike, bike or carpool to the festival site. Given that, we are once again honored to be working with the City of Albuquerque’s Bicycle program and the Albuquerque Police Department on a wide variety of bike safety and education activities. Thanks to Commander Geier, of the Southeast Area Substation, get to know our southeast area Bike Officers. A special thanks goes out to the City of Albuquerque’s Chuck Malagodi for his help on all things bicycle! This year we will once again have a Kids Bike Safety Rodeo and other bicycle education.
April 21
earth FEST
by Robin Seydel
Coming together for
Environmental ACTION! Sunday, April 21, 10am-6pm BEHIND THE NOB HILL CO-OP, ON SILVER STREET BETWEEN CARLISLE AND TULANE, 3500 CENTRAL SE
I
t’s spring and time for the Co-op’s 23rd Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival in Nob Hill. This year we are encouraging people to focus on ways we can come together as a community and collaborate for a healthy sustainable future for ourselves, coming generations and the planet. There is still much work to do on climate chaos, renewable energy, water quality and conservation, food self sufficiency and many related issues. Come meet and lend your energy in support of the efforts of the many dedicated people in our communities who are working on these and other issues. We firmly believe that with the same cooperative spirit that for nearly 40 years enabled the Co-op to thrive and become the community hub for a sustainable future it has become, we can and will overcome the challenges our communities face. Again this year the festival will cover two blocks on Silver Street between Carlisle and Tulane behind the Nob Hill Shopping Center. You can expect an inspiring day filled with information, education and action booths from dozens of environmental, social and economic justice organizations from around the state. Meet local farmers, pet baby goats, get seedlings for a sustainable food supply and drought resistant plants, and beautiful art from local artists and crafts people. And of course you’ll get to eat great Co-op food and dance in the street with friends and neighbors, new and old. We are looking forward to having groups as diverse as Bethany Organic Farm, Bike ABQ, Amigos Bravos, New Mexico Wilder-
The Dream of
JUNKADO BY ARYON HOPKINS, A/WAY n Philadelphia, the dream was born and raised—in the parades where I spent most of my days. I am a fresh prince to Albuquerque whose creative roots were sown in Philadelphia with cultivation in three dynamic parade formats: the Mummers parade, the oldest running folk parade in America; Peoplehood Parade, a youth focused community parade ending with a performance in the park; and the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby, a free-wheeling bike powered celebration. Uprooted from these rich traditions I have longed for an opportunity to celebrate in the streets with the inhabitants of Burque. Participating in the Marigold Parade in the South Valley with my wife and new friends was an incredible opportunity to connect with the community, but I wanted more.
I
Junkado, sponsored by A/WAY, is a people powered performance parade. Held in conjunction with the 23rd Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest at La Montanita Co-op, this event will allow local organizations and individuals to celebrate their creativity and voice. Junkado is a reference to the elaborate Junkanoo parade tradition celebrated in the Bahamas. Our name is a play on “doing” more with what we all consider “junk.” The sophisticated term for this is sustainable reuse. An obstacle to artistic celebration is often the budget for materials and we are working with the local community to source materials typically discarded and headed for the dump or separated for recycling.
New Special Earth Fest Event New this year we are most pleased to partner with A/WAY formerly known as Sprout. A/WAY has been hosting dinners to raise funds to make micro loans to worthy organizations throughout the community. This year the Co-op Earth Fest is pleased to welcome their first Annual Junkado Parade, float gallery and talent show. The organizational winner of the talent show will receive an A/WAY micro grant to further their work. For more information see the article below.
Earth Fest
Entertainment Schedule 10am: Ehecatl Aztec Dancers 11am: Quality Retreads 12pm: Alma Flamenca 1pm: Chris Dracup 2pm: Baile Baile Folklorico 2:30pm: Odigbo Adama African Ambassador Dancers and Drummers 3pm: Honey House 4pm: Wagogo 5pm: Blue Hornets
Space goes quickly so reserve your booth space today. We give first priority to non-profit environmental, social and economic justice non-profit organizations, farmers, gardeners and farming organizations. Due to space considerations and Fire Department regulations, NO CANOPIES will be allowed. For more information or to reserve your free booth space, please contact Robin at 217-2027, or toll free at 877-775-2667 or at robins@lamontanita.coop. We're hoping for a beautiful day, and with Mother Earth's blessing we will once again take time to celebrate "Her," and reaffirm our commitment to restoring and sustaining our beautiful blue/green planetary gem. Join your friends and neighbors as we educate ourselves for paradigm shifting action and joyously dance in the streets at Albuquerque's favorite spring gathering. MARK YOUR CALENDAR; THIS IS ONE EVENT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS.
A Community of Artists As always you can count on enjoying some of our community’s local fine artists and crafts people, hearing some of your favorite musicians and seeing performances from gifted local performers. Some festival favorites, like the Alma Flamenca, Baile Baile Folklorico and Odigbo Adama African Ambassador dancers are coming InterFaith back, and we are once again honored to have them grace the little stage under the big tent. For more information on which great local bands you will get to hear for FREE, see the full entertainment schedule on this page.
Action for the Earth
EARTH FEST
COLLABORATION
The 23rd Annual Earth Fest is a
ZERO WASTE EVENT thanks to
KNOWASTE
www.knowaste.net The Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest—Sunday April 21st—10am-6pm, at the back door of the Nob Hill Co-op location. DON’T MISS IT!
Immanuel Presbyterian Church, New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light and the Co-op are collaborating during Earth Fest, offering films and educational/ecological demonstrations. In front of Immanuel Church, participate in hands on demonstrations on water harvesting, soil and seeds, building a simple solar cooker, pests and plants and more from 1-3:30pm. Inside Immanuel’s Fellowship Hall several films and shorts will be shown during the afternoon. More info contact Joan Brown at joan@nm-ipl.org.
reduce, reuse, recycle
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Earth Day is about celebrating the abundance of our shared resources. Following the waste hierarchy, innovatively reusing materials is the step before recycling. Our goal is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and in turn generate the minimum amount of waste. Junkado is a kinetic bike or human-powered sculpture derby with sculptures and costumes made with as much reused or recycled materials possible.
SUNDAY CELEBRATIONS A/WAY has been hosting costume, sculpture and welding community workshops in preparation in March, but there is still time to join and get involved. Visit Junkado.org to connect with an existing group and attend a Sunday workshop in April. A/WAY A/WAY, formerly ABQ Sprout, is extending our mealbased microgranting dinners to a parade format, where the people of New Mexico can share their message and compete for a $1,000 microgrant. A/WAY is a multi-disciplinary improvement agency working with Albuquerque. PARADE SPECIFICS This parade is open to both groups and to community organizations to celebrate a cause. Collaboration is encouraged and groups can celebrate a cause for a community organization or create their own message. A total of 25 groups will ride, but only 10 will have the opportunity to compete for the microgrant of $1,000. Prior to the event, A/WAY will choose 10 grant submis-
Junkado bike sculpture PARADE
sions that best benefit New Mexico to compete for the microgrant in a performance at the end of the parade. This can include groups trying to raise funds for an organization that is not their own. Performances will be judged on four criteria: 1) Five-minute performance; 2) Float, bike sculpture and costume; 3) Amount of reused materials used; and 4) Their message. The parade will run the one-mile length of Silver Avenue, designated as “Bicycle Boulevard,” starting at the west end at Yale Boulevard and joining the Celebrate the Earth Festival at Tulane Avenue. Our parade theme is Celebrate your Albuquerque Earth. This theme is not limited to environmental interpretation and we encourage economic, social justice and other activist-based presentations and performances. Contact our organization to discuss your participation. To learn more about how to participate in the parade, submit a grant request, or view ideas from other cities, visit us at Junkado.org. Learn more about A/WAY and our upcoming dinners at ThisIsAWay.com.
earth day
special
April 2013 2
La Montanita Cooperative A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store Nob Hill/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 3500 Central SE Abq., NM 87106 265-4631
HAPPENINGS FOR THE 5TH
ANNUAL
EARTH
U N M S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y E X P O &
LOBO GROWERS’ MARKET
Valley/ 7am-10pm M-Sun. 2400 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Abq., 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
BY JESSICA ROWLAND, UNM SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES PROGRAM COME CELEBRATE EARTH DAY at the University of New Mexico’s Sustainability Expo and Lobo Growers’ Market!
UNM Co-op ’N Go/ 7am-6pm M-F, 10-4pm Sat. Closed Sun., 2301 Central Ave. SE Abq., NM 87131 277-9586 Cooperative Distribution Center 901 Menual NE, Abq., NM 87107 217-2010 Administrative Staff: 217-2001 TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP) • General Manager/Terry Bowling 217-2020 terryb@lamontanita.coop • Controller/John Heckes 217-2029 johnh@lamontanita.coop • Computers/Info Technology/ David Varela 217-2011 tech@lamontanita.coop • Perishables Coordinator/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/Robin Seydel 217-2027 robins@lamontanita.coop • CDC/MichelleFranklin 217-2010 mf@lamontanita.coop Store Team Leaders: • Mark Lane/Nob Hill 265-4631 markl@lamontanita.coop • John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 jm@lamontanita.coop • William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanita.coop • Michael Smith/Gallup 575-863-5383 michaels@lamontanita.coop Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanita.coop • President: Martha Whitman • Vice President: Marshall Kovitz • Secretary: Ariana Marchello • Treasurer: Roger Eldridge • Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn • Kristy Decker • Jake Garrity • Susan McAllister • Betsy VanLeit Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year/ $200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: • Managing Editor: Robin Seydel robins@lamontanita.coop 217-2027 • Layout and Design: foxyrock inc • Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept. • Advertising: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher • Editorial Assistant: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher sarahwf@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 website: www.lamontanita.coop Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop Copyright ©2013 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.
CO-OP
YOU OWN IT
The Expo and Growers’ Market offers a great opportunity to interact with sustainability-minded folks at a variety of engaging displays and activities, including an alternative transportation exhibition, a green jobs fair, a growers’ market, and a bicycle auction. Learn about sustainable initiatives on campus and in the surrounding community, connect with potential employers, meet local farmers, and enjoy the fun, energetic atmosphere. The Lobo Growers’ Market portion of the Expo is organized by Sustainability Studies students who are passionate about promoting local farming and small business, and educating campus and community members about sustainable agriculture and healthy food choices. The Lobo Growers’ Market will kick off the upcoming Albuquerque area growers’ market season, and will feature numerous local growers, valueadded producers and prepared foods vendors.
april 23 Now in its fifth year, the Expo and Growers’ Market is one of the largest and most popular events on campus. This year it will be held on Cornell Mall—just east of the Student Union Building—on Tuesday, April 23, from 10am to 2pm. Everyone is invited to join in the Earth Day-inspired festivities!
To learn more about sustainable food and agriculture in New Mexico, check out the Growers’ Market Practicum class blog, ABQ Stew: New Mexico’s Food for Thought. During the weeks leading up to the event, students will post interviews with local foodshed heroes, describe successful New Mexico-based food businesses, discuss agricultural challenges and solutions in our state, and provide “how-to” guides on various sustainable topics. Additionally, during the month preceding the Expo, students will host a free series of four film screenings on campus to raise awareness about food and sustainability. Please join us for this festive and educational event! More Information contact: www.expo@unm.edu.
THE QUIVIRA COALITION: MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGRARIAN
LEADERS
The NAP provides funding to cover the apprentice stipend and other costs associBY VIRGINIA POINTEAU ated with the apprenticeships, while mencheese griculture drives economies, creates green tors provide food and housing. To assist making job opportunities and directly affects the with our fundraising needs, together with health of our nation. With the national averthe Bar Lazy S Ranch (Los Lunas, NM), age age of US ranchers and farmers approaching 60, we will be offering two, three-day cheeseand with less than 2 percent of the US population curmaking courses taught by Vermont cheeserently dedicated to producing food, it is critical that we makers Dr. Larry and Linda Faillace, of increase the number and accessibility of training opporThree Shepherds Cheese. “Italian Cheesetunities for the next generation of food producers and land stew- making,” will be offered July 26-28, in Los Lunas, NM, and ards. All over the nation, enthusiastic young agrarians are ready “Artisanal Cheesemaking” will be offered August 2-4, in to take part in the sustainable food movement, but need oppor- Bernalillo, NM. Proceeds from both courses will benefit apprentunities to learn alongside established practitioners so that vital, tices in our program. experience-based knowledge can be transferred to a new generation of land stewards. Founded in 1997 by two conservationists and a rancher, the Quivira Coalition is a non-profit organization dedicated to Since 2008, the Quivira Coalition’s New Agrarian Program building economic and ecological resilience in western working (NAP), based in Santa Fe, partnered with ranches and farms landscapes. Quivira’s other projects include an annual conferaround the southwest to offer 8- to 12-month apprenticeships for ence, riparian and uplands demonstration restoration projects, new agrarians. Designed to support the next generation of food capacity-building collaboration with the Navajo Nation Ojo producers, this professional development program offers experi- Encino Chapter, our journal Resilience, and the promotion of ential training in all aspects of a resilient agricultural enterprise carbon ranching to mitigate climate change through regenerative and targets young people with a sincere commitment to living at food production and land stewardship. More than one million the intersection of conservation and sustainable agriculture. We acres of rangeland, 30 linear miles of riparian drainages and over work closely with carefully selected ranchers and farmers who are 15,000 people have directly benefited from Quivira’s collaboradedicated stewards of the land; practice beyond organic, regener- tive efforts. ative methods of food production; provide excellent animal care; and who are natural teachers for young agrarians. For more information on Quivira Coalition programs or to make a donation go to www.quiviracoalition.org or email virginie@quiviracoalition.org or call 505-820-2544, ext. 5.
A
CLASS
off CENTER’S 8th annual fundraiser ALBUQUIRKY HOUSE TOUR and LITTLE HOUSES Silent Auction
May 3-4
Take a self-guided house tour of three uniquely artistic, quirky homes in Albuquerque while giving to a great cause. The homes and sculpture gardens that are part of this year's tour range from a violin maker's shop/home overtaken by story-high dragons, an artist/hairdresser's shop/home laden with murals and mosaics and a multimedia artist/collector's home splashed with colored walls, artwork, mosaics and more!
The Albuquirky House Tour is preceded the night before by our Little Houses Silent Auction held at Sumner and Dene Creations in Art. Proceeds from both the auction and house tour ticket sales benefit OFFCenter Community Arts Project, a local social-profit 501(c)3 which provides a group open studio space, materials and skill-building workshops in the visual, literary and musical arts to the entire public—FREE OF CHARGE. May 3: Little Houses Silent Auction from 5-8pm at Sumner and Dene Creations in Art, 517 Central NW May 4: 8th Annual Albuquirky House Tour: 11am-4pm (Self-guided tour throughout Albuquerque) GET TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION at www.offcenterarts.org.
earth day
special
April 2013 3
THE NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE:
PROTECTING WILD LANDS BY TINA DEINES, NM WILDERNESS ALLIANCE The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA) is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection, restoration and continued enjoyment of New Mexico’s wild lands and wilderness areas. Founded in 1997, we achieve our mission through administrative protection, federal wilderness designation and ongoing advocacy. We have a growing membership ranging from 5,000 to 6,000 individuals from all corners of New Mexico and across the nation. Our organizing efforts span the state and involve many diverse groups, including ranchers, sportsmen, land grants, acequia communities, tribal and religious leaders, scientists, youth and community leaders. We are the only statewide wilderness
LOBOS IN THE WILD This year marks the 15th anniversary of the release of Mexican gray wolves (also known as lobos) back into the wild Gila. The last remaining lobos in the US were killed in the 1970s. Reintroduction efforts began in 1998 with mixed results during the ensuing years. The latest good news is that Mexican gray wolves are on the uptick with some 75 roaming the wild Gila, up from 58 at last year’s count. But, with only one wolf per 115,184 people living in New Mexico and Arizona, and a 50 percent decline in breeding pairs since last year’s count, wolves of the Southwest still need our help. With so few roaming free, lobos have yet to play their role in the balance of nature, in maintaining healthy wild lands. With a decline in the number of breeding pairs, decreased genetic diversity seriously threatens their survival. Your continued support of the most endangered wolf on the planet is critical. Please join others in taking a few minutes to e-mail US Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle: RDTuggle@fws.gov. ASK DR. TUGGLE TO: • Release more wolves now. With more breeding pairs producing pups, greater genetic diversity will make for a more resilient Mexican gray wolf population. • Allow direct releases of captive-bred wolves in New Mexico. Currently such releases can only occur in Arizona, thus limiting the number of wolves that can be set free and significantly hindering recovery efforts. Too many wolves are all dressed up with no place to go! • Thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service for promoting proactive measures that effectively minimize conflict between wolves and livestock and strongly encourage them to continue their efforts. Then, take some time to celebrate wild lobos on the landscape.
group in New Mexico with a proven track record of building diverse coalitions to protect our public lands. NMWA is committed to building community and raising public awareness of wilderness issues. Our Let’s Get Wild! program connects citizens to wilderness through hikes and volunteer service projects throughout the state. We reach thousands of citizens each year through our quarterly newsletter and with our Wild Guide, an almanac of our events filled with wilderness anecdotes, art and poetry. Our youth outreach programs engage young people in stewardship of public lands to promote a healthy future for our lands and communities. We hope you’ll join us in our mission to save New Mexico’s wild places!
ACTION
ALERT!
NEW MEXICO NATIONAL
MONUMENT
DESIGNATIONS We have been waiting years for permanent protection of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in Doña Ana County and Rio Grande del Norte in Northern New Mexico. Now that President Obama is settling into his second term, let's get things off on the right foot by asking for his active support for TWO new national monuments in the Land of Enchantment. PLEASE CONTACT PRESIDENT OBAMA and ask him to use the Antiquities Act to create national monuments for the Organ MountainsDesert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte. Both of these areas have ecological, historical and cultural importance and have immense community support in favor of permanent protection. With continued gridlock in Congress, we must look to President Obama for leadership to make sure that these beautiful and historic places are protected for future generations. Second terms are traditionally when a president begins to think about his legacy. There is possibly no more important legacy than defending and expanding public lands for our future generations to enjoy. CALL PRESIDENT OBAMA! Phone: 202-456-1111/Fax: 202456-2461, or send an email to www.whitehouse.gov.
THE LIGHT BULB
CONSPIRACY
water where the poorest of the poor live—all in the name of “recycling” from wealthy countries.
Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute MOVIE SERIES
Offering hope at the end, The Light Bulb Conspiracy depicts the growing spirit of resistance among ordinary consumers, asking: is planned obsolescence itself becoming obsolete?
WEDNESDAY APRIL 17, 7PM
O
nce upon a time, products were built to last. Not today! The Light Bulb Conspiracy traces the story of planned obsolescence—the deliberate shortening of product life spans to guarantee consumer demand. From its start in the 1920s with a secret cartel that limited the life of light bulbs, to current stories of inkjet printers and iPods the film shows the result: discarded electronics piling up in huge third world electronic waste sites, ruining land and
CO-OP PROGRAM
DONATE your BAG CREDIT!
As part of the Santa Fe Farmers Market Pavilion Movie Series, The Light Bulb Conspiracy is showing on April 17 at 7pm at the Farmers Market Pavilion at the Railyard at 1607 Paseo de Peralta. A benefit for the Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute: General Admission: $12; Institute Members, Seniors and Students over 18: $10; under 18 and Santa Fe Farmers Market Vendors come for free. More info call 505-983-7726 or email joanne@farmersmarketinstitute.org.
BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME! THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO: THE NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE. Dedicated to the protection, restoration and continued enjoyment of our wild lands through education, coalition building and policy advocacy, www.nmwild.org. IN FEBRUARY your bag credit donations totally $1,827.96 went to Our Endangered Aquifer Working Group.
Co-op Values Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, selfresponsibility, 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 Coop Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.
earth day special THE
POPULATION explosion IN A
NUTSHELL!
BY DAVE FOREMAN, REWILDING INSTITUTE Adapted from his new book Man Swarm and the Killing of Wildlife. Excerpted and reprinted with permission from the author. For the full article and extensive footnotes go to rewilding@earthlink.net
F
orty years and three billion Men ago, conservationists and most everyone else understood that we were in the middle of a population explosion. Today, it seems that many conservationists and most other folks don’t give it much thought. If we ask “Why?” much of the answer is that we’ve let ourselves become sure that our population explosion is over. Why, some even worry about populations dropping. But take another look at the first line: Forty years and three billion Men ago. In 1974, world population snapped the four-billion wire. We will snap the seven-billion wire in another month or two if we haven’t already. So, while we were talking ourselves into believing that the population explosion had been stopped, we crammed another three billion of us onto Earth and took over millions and millions of acres of wildlife homes. From Chapter One, “Man Swarm and the Killing of Wildlife” Sixty-five thousand years seems like forever, yet it is a fingersnap in geological time. Maybe our handicap comes from having a lifespan of only seventy or so years. But walk with me as I slog back 65,000 years. Then there were more than ten kinds (species) of great apes: in east and southeast Asia, two kinds of orangutans, two or more kinds of Homo erectus offspring, and tiny little folks on Flores and other islands; in Africa, two gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and likely two hominin kinds, one of which was becoming us—Homo sapiens; and in Europe and western Asia, Neandertals. Also in central Asia, another kind of Homo, not us and not Neandertal. Genetic and other scientific work shows that there were fewer than 10,000 of the elder Homo sapiens living 65,000 years ago—maybe only 5,000. Fifty thousand years later, we had spread out of Africa to Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas. In a few more thousand years we were building yearlong settlements and starting to grow wheat and lentils. We had already brought some wolves into our packs and would soon tame goats and sheep. Some little desert cats would tame us. Our tally had climbed to a million or so by then; about ten thousand years ago. By that time, our nearest kin— the three to six other Homos—were gone, and we likely had much to do with their going. The Sixth Mass Extinction was going full tilt with the killing of big “wildeors” wherever we newly showed up.
April 2013 4
AROUND THE CAMPFIRE WITH Another way to look at it is that 50,000 years ago, there were more tigers than Homo sapiens. Today, for every wild tiger on Earth, there are two million human beings. Sit quietly with your eyes closed and hold that flip in your head for a minute or two. In India alone, there were some 100,000 tigers in the wild one hundred years ago. As the population of Man shot through the roof in India, the population of tigers fell through the floor. Man Swarm Time Line Father-son historians William and J. R. McNeill write, “By the time the first metropolitan web was forming around Sumer some 5,000 years ago, the earth hosted perhaps 10 to 30 million people.” The widely ack-
UNCLE DAVE
reckon population growth: rate of growth, whether the rate of growth itself is going up or down (and by what speed), how many hungry mouths are added each year, number of women coming into their baby-making years, population doubling time, and so on. Biologist Garret Hardin laid out why we need to look at all these kinds of population growth. Say that the percentage rate of growth slows from 2.1 percent to 1.7 percent a year over a few years while the absolute rate of yearly growth goes from 64 million to 79 million to 93 million in that time. Hardin wrote in 1993: “The absolute rate of increase has increased every year since the end of World War II. It is the absolute increase, rather than the relative rate, that stresses the environment.” In 2009, about “75 million more mouths” were pleading for food than in 2008; it was much the same in 2010, with another 75 million more hungry ones than in 2009. Thinking that a drop in the population growth rate means that population is not growing is a warning that our schools are no longer teaching arithmetic!
Man’s population GREW MORE in the
LAST FORTY YEARS
than in the previous
THREE MILLION YEARS!
nowledged world population for 1 C.E. is 250 million. By 1700 C.E., about the time Benjamin Franklin was born, we had grown to 610 million. Throughout this time of preindustrial civilization, heavy childhood deaths and the “occasional demographic crisis” (epidemics) slowed the dash of growth. As did our bloody swords and spears! Sixty-five thousand years ago: we were less than 10,000. Ten thousand years ago: 1,000,000. Five thousand years ago: 10,000,000 to 30,000,000. Two thousand years ago: 250,000,000. Three hundred years ago: 610,000,000. For every Man 65,000 years ago, there were 100,000 in 1700 C.E. Physician and University of Colorado anthropology professor Warren Hern writes: “As of 1993, we have added more humans to the total human population of the world in the past 40 years than we added in the previous three million years...” Please stop reading for a bit. Sit back and let Hern’s words sink in. They ought to jar your mind. Man’s population grew more in the last forty years than in the previous three million years.
Another way to look at population is by population age structure. As big “age cohorts” go through their childbearing years, they have many children. In 1995 one-third of Earth’s population (2 billion) was under fifteen years of age, while only about five percent of it (300 million people) was over sixty-five. The youngsters are making far more babies now than how many oldsters are dying; therefore population is growing. This is a big deal, but few think about how longevity grows population. In yet another twist, population does not grow evenly over the world. While Italy, Japan and Russia may have ended their growth, elsewhere—Africa foremost— growth is unbelievably high. Take forlorn Ethiopia, where hunger stalks the land like a marrow-sucking wraith; Ethiopia had fewer than nineteen million souls in 1950, had 40 million or so when it had its Earth-shaking famine in 1984, has 85 million today, and is slated to have about 174 million in another forty years. Thirty and forty years ago, Paul Ehrlich and Garret Hardin woke up governments with their warnings. Birth control of all kinds became widespread in the 1970s. Good work was done—at least for a while. But in no way has the population bomb been defused. We add some 75 million more mouths every year. That is 750 million every ten years. HOW HIGH WILL WORLD POPULATION GO? Dr. Joseph Speidel of the University of California’s Bixby Center for Reproductive Health Research & Policy warns, “If birth rates remain unchanged, world population will grow to 11.9 billion” by 2050. In their May 3, 2011, press release, the UN warns, “Small variations in fertility can produce major differences in the size of populations over the long run.” In other words, if the UN’s population wizards guess wrong on fertility by only half a baby for the world’s women, Earth’s population in 2100 would be a mindblowing 16 billion! ISN’T IT TIME TO CALL THE CRISIS A CRISIS?
HOW HIGH WILL HUMAN NUMBERS GO? No one gainsays that our population has grown since 1700. Nor is anyone believable at odds with the exponential growth curve of human population. Where the clash comes is with forecasts, with “cornucopians” saying that population growth is slowing, even as they say such growth is not a worry. (A wise one knows to raise an eyebrow when tossed this kind of two-sided dodge.) Some of the wrangle comes from the handful of ways to
DAVE FOREMAN is executive director of the Rewilding Institute, a non-profit conservation organization based in Albuquerque, NM. Please visit www. rewilding.org to purchase a copy of Man Swarm and the Killing of Wildlife, see a list of books for sale, or make a donation. Subscribe to Dave Foreman's "Around the Campfire" column by contacting rewild ing@earthlink.net.
Premium Compost • Our locally made Premium Compost is approved for use on Certified Organic Farms and Gardens.
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Mulch • A variety of decorative and functional mulches.
Foodwaste Recycling • Albuquerque’s only restaurant foodwaste recycling pick up service
APRIL 5-6 UNM
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BEYOND PESTICIDES
3 1 S T N AT I O N A L PESTICIDE FORUM www.beyondpesticides.org/forum
earth day special
April 2013 5
REDUCE
E-WASTE E BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER AND KEVIN FULLERTON lectronic devices represent the fasting growing waste stream in terms of what we throw away. Most cell phone companies encourage their customers to replace their phones at least every two years. Most big computer companies release new models annually—handheld and console gaming devices are about the same. As consumers, industry encourages us to constantly upgrade our electronic devices for fashion’s sake or through designed obsolescence. So what happens to all our old, unwanted electronic devices?
Often, we simply throw them away and they wind up in a landfill. E-waste, which includes all the types of electronic materials we throw away—TVs, computers, cell phones, printers—increasingly shows up in our landfills as our consumer habits tend towards more new electronic devices that we replace on a more regular basis. E-waste is now the fastest growing waste stream in the US as Americans buy more electronic gadgets every year. According to a 2009 report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, 438 million new consumer electronics were sold that year alone, twice the amount as in 2007. These numbers are staggering when considering that we recycle less than 20 percent of our unwanted electronics. While we send much of our E-waste to the landfill, the truth is that almost every component of our electronic devices can be reused or recycled. While many of the mate-
on, our recycling rate is much lower than the national average. English Bird, the director of the New Mexico Recycling Coalition says, "New Mexico has seen great leaps in our recycling rate in the past years and we are now up to a 21 percent recycling rate. This compares to a national 34 percent recycling rate, but I feel like we are on track to meet that rate in the next several years with all of the recycling program improvements we have seen in the past couple years around the state.”
Fastest Growing
WASTE STREAM!
Our trash offers opportunities for new businesses and ways to make sure we’re being more responsible about land use, natural resource extraction and consumption.
rials in E-waste like plastics, copper, aluminum and steel are fairly straightforward to recycle into new materials, E-waste also contains potentially hazardous materials like mercury, cadmium and lead that can end up in our community's groundwater when landfilled. These hazardous materials require special handling for proper disposal. Cathode Ray Tubes, or CRTs, (the devices used to create images in older TVs and computer monitors) can contain up to five pounds of lead, not to mention a number of other heavy metals. In New Mexico, because waste management costs so little, and because we have so much land to dump our trash
FOR INFO ON E-WASTE RECYCLING: www.r2solutions.org • www.weeeman.org www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ recycling/index.htm For more info on recycling in New Mexico in general: www.recyclenewmexico.com • According to a 2009 EPA study, 438 million new consumer electronics were sold in the US; • 5 million tons of electronics were in storage; • 2.37 million tons of electronics were ready for end-of-life management; and • 25% of these tons were collected for recycling.
GOT E-WASTE T H AT NEEDS RECYCLING?
HIGH LEVEL
NUKEWASTE Coming through YOUR neighborhood? BY DON HANCOCK, SOUTHWEST RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTER, JANET GREENWALD, CITIZENS FOR ALTERNATIVES TO RADIOACTIVE DUMPING ome people in southeastern New Mexico want to bring high-level nuclear waste to New Mexico. If that happens, the waste could come on any major highway and railroad track in the state. To take part in this important decision, get informed and take action.
S
Background 2013 could be the year that federal laws regarding nuclear waste in New Mexico are decimated—or kept. New Mexicans fought hard for the laws, and people will need to be involved to ensure that the requirements are kept —and public health and safety are protected. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), 26 miles east of Carlsbad, is the world’s only underground military nuclear waste disposal site. The facility currently holds almost 86,000 cubic meters of transuranic (TRU, plutoniumcontaminated) waste generated by nuclear weapons production. WIPP was first proposed in 1972, but did not open until March 1999 because of significant public concerns about the safety of transportation and the site and what wastes would be allowed. That extensive debate (including many hearings and protests) resulted in the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA), signed by President George H.W. Bush on October 30, 1992. The LWA limited the facility to 175,564 cubic meters of defense TRU waste and prohibited transportation or disposal of high-level waste or spent nuclear fuel. But with the termination of Yucca Mountain by the Obama administration and Congress stopping all funding for that proposed high-level waste site, some people in southeastern New Mexico, some nuclear industry companies, and some politicians and government officials are promoting WIPP or a nearby location for high-level waste storage or disposal. The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to make decisions in the next several months about expanding WIPP for other wastes, and Congress will consider nuclear waste legislation.
While ARI currently holds the city contract for recycling E-waste materials, they have only put a small dent in the volume of material we could be reusing or recycling. Tons of material reused or recycled could create hundreds of jobs for New Mexicans. Currently, New Mexico has only a few businesses that source locally recycled materials: Beck Office Systems (Albuquerque Recycled Office Furniture); Vision Paper (Albuquerque manufacturer of recycled-content papers); UnityCenter/ Phat Frames (Creates award/picture frames from wooden pallets); and JaiTire (shredded-tire fluff for playgrounds and athletic surfaces). These businesses represent a small fraction of the types of small- and mediumscale manufacturing that could happen here in New Mexico sourcing affordable, locally processed recycled materials. ARI WILL RECYCLE MOST E-WASTE FOR FREE: They charge for more expensive-to-process tube TVs. They also offer a pickup service, which is free in many cases, dependent on quantity and location. ARI hosts collection events with partner organizations like schools, community organizations, businesses and government agencies. Additionally, they offer free hard drive data destruction, ensuring that your sensitive data does not make it into the hands of hackers and identity thieves. To learn more about recycling your E-waste with ARI, find them online, www.albuquerquerecycling.net, or give them a call at 505-990-3732.
Albuquerque Recycling will host two events in April: • April 13 from 9am to 1pm, City of Santa Fe Solid Waste Management, 1142 Sylar Road • April 20 from 10am to 2pm, Coronado Mall, Albuquerque CALL 505-990-3732 or EMAIL admin@albuquerque recycling.net for more info.
ACTION
Albuquerque Recycling Inc. (ARI) provides electronics recycling services throughout New Mexico and the Southwest. ARI opened its doors for operation in 2008 and since has become the largest E-waste recycling company in New Mexcio. ARI was founded on the principle that there is value in what our culture calls "trash.” The folks at ARI believe recovering raw materials from our waste is now more economical and less invasive than extracting new (usually non-renewable) resources. They make it their mission to "urban mine" these materials and recover their value while simultaneously providing jobs and reducing the amount of waste being landfilled in New Mexico. According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, for every 10,000 tons of solid waste going to landfills, one job is created. That same amount of waste – kept out of landfills – can create ten recycling jobs or between 18 and 296 material reuse jobs, depending on the material. In particular, computer reuse has been shown to create the most jobs of any reused waste. Since its inception, ARI diverted from the landfill and recycled 5.6 million pounds of E-waste and employs about twenty people.
ALERT
DOE plans to issue three environmental impact statements (EISs) this year, each of which would expand WIPP. Expanding WIPP could pave the way for bringing high-level waste to New Mexico. WILL CONGRESS ACT? FOUR SENATORS—Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Diane Feinstein of California and Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee—are writing a nuclear waste bill to be considered by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which Wyden chairs and Murkowski is the top Republican on the committee. The Senate Appropriations Sub-committee on Energy and Water Development, which Feinstein chairs and Alexander is the top Republican on the committee, may include a mandate for DOE to designate a high-level waste storage site, as they did in the 2012 bill that the last Congress did not pass.
WIPP IS UNSUITABLE FOR HIGH LEVEL WASTE In addition to the repeated promises made to New Mexicans and the legal retrictions, WIPP and southeastern New Mexico are not technically suitable for high-level waste. Such waste contains about 10,000 times the radioactivity planned for WIPP, so the health risks to the public and the environmental damage of accidents and leaks are much greater. Many scientists for decades have considered salt to have serious deficiencies in comparison to some other geologic formations for high-level waste because such heat-generating waste can rapidly deform the rock and create instability that could endanger workers and release radioactivity. In addition, the WIPP site is surrounded by active oil and natural gas production facilities and reserves underlie the waste disposal area, which can result in breaches and releases of radioactivity. Pressurized brine reservoirs also underlie the waste disposal area, which could result in waste being transported to the surface, if a pathway is created by drilling or other means.
New Mexico’s two senators should play important roles in any such legislation, because, in the past, they have supported the legal restrictions on WIPP and because they serve on those committees. Senator Tom Udall has just become a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee and Senator Martin Heinrich is a member of the Energy Committee. Senator Udall also is a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which should consider the legislation.
WASTING NEW MEXICO? Come to a dinner and panel discussion (no charge, donations accepted) at the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, 202 Harvard SE, Albuquerque, on Tuesday, April 23, at 6pm.
TAKE ACTION!
CONTACT YOUR SENATORS: Sen. Tom Udall, 110 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510; 202-224-6621; Senator_Tom_Udall@tomudall.sen ate.gov Sen. Martin Heinrich, B40D Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510; 202-224-5521; sena tor_heinrich@heinrich.senate.gov RESOURCES DOE WIPP homepage: www.wipp.energy.gov/SRIC nuclear waste homepage www.sric.org/nuclear/index.php
NO N U K E S IN OUR NEI GHBORHOOD
co-op news
April 2013 6
MEMBERSHIP IS OWNERSHIP:
WORKING TOGETHER to build
COMMUNITY
BY MARSHALL KOVITZ, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT hen we speak about coGO CO-OP ops and what it means to co-operate, we may think about a simple reciprocal arrangement: we support La Montanita economically so that it can then support us, its owners, by providing us with healthy food and educating us about why its products and services are important. Many of us provide additional help by volunteering for board work and other Co-op sponsored activities. Beyond this relationship with its owners, the Co-op’s support of the larger community through its many programs is another expression of how we all work together to create a better world.
W
!
But the far-sighted co-operators at the International Co-operative Alliance—the umbrella organization for co-ops world-wide—understood the need for co-operation to extend beyond individual co-ops and declared Co-operation Among Co-ops to be one of the seven defining principles of co-operatives. Here at La Montanita, we practice this principle in many ways. La Montanita belongs to the National Cooperative Grocers Association, a business services co-op owned by retail co-op grocery stores throughout the country. NCGA provides valuable technical expertise to co-ops. Through the National
Purchasing Program, NCGA negotiates with suppliers, obtaining wholesale discounts that would be unavailable to individual co-ops if they bargained the gift on their own. The NCGA also maintains a joint liability fund, a rainy day account paid for by members and used to support financially distressed co-ops. La Montanita has always been a strong supporter of NCGA and Terry Bowling, La Montanita’s general manager, sits on the NCGA board. La Montanita’s management team supports the principle in another important way by providing technical assistance to other coops throughout the country. Thanks to our skilled staff, La Montanita has developed the reputation as the go-to co-op when others need help. Our policies and procedures are the gold standard nationwide. Terry and his staff train other co-ops’ employees through on site visits and by bringing employees to Albuquerque. La Montanita’s board also supports the principle by providing free governance training to co-ops. Board president Martha Whitman is part of a leadership team in the Western Corridor of NCGA which publishes the LEADer, a newsletter about best practices in governance. Next month,
COOPERATIVE
PROTECTING ORGANIC SEED ACCESS AND SOVEREIGNTY
T
We're skilled, seasoned, organic produce and seed growers who specialize in diverse vegetable crops and are located in several distinct bioregions in the US. This diversity strengthens our ability to offer a wide range of crops that are adaptive to many soils and climates, including multiple varieties of beans, corn, greens, lettuce, melons, root vegetables, soybeans, squash (winter and summer), tomatoes and garlic.
BEYOND
PESTICIDES 31st National Pesticide FORUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO
April 5-6 www.beyondpesticides.org/forum
Co-operation Among Co-ops is one of the many topics our board examines during its monthly study work. You are always welcome to join in our discussions and observe our business meeting that precedes it. We meet on the third Tuesday of each month with the business segment starting promptly at 5:30pm and the discussion beginning around 6:30pm. Discussion topics are wide ranging, future oriented, strategic in scope, engaging and fun. Come at 5:20pm and join us for dinner. Location is Immanuel Presbyterian Church across the street from the Nob Hill store; enter through the northern-most of the two doors facing Carlisle Boulevard. For more information, contact us at bod@lamontanita.coop. Look for the board’s table at the Nob Hill store’s Earth Day celebration on April 21; we’ll be asking for your thoughts about long-term issues affecting the Co-op. And check the Co-op Connection newsletter for other spring events as well as the summer time opening of our new West Side store.
MEMBERSHIP IS
FAMILY FARMERS SEED
BY JONATHAN SPERO, FAMILY FARMERS SEED CO-OP he Family Farmers Seed Cooperative (FFSC) is a farmer-owned cooperative that produces high quality, organic, open-pollinated, public domain seeds for farmers. FFSC took root in 2008, when eight experienced organic seed farmers from Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and North Dakota formed a cooperative, seeking to protect seed sovereignty and the supply of organic, open pollinated, public domain seeds in the face of growing consolidation and homogenization in the seed industry. We now have 13 members, recently adding farms from Nebraska and Oregon, and soon will be expanding into California and Idaho.
Martha and Terry will be presenting at an NCGA national conference about expansion—another area at which we excel. Martha has worked with the board of the Los Alamos Co-op and Martha and I have trained the boards of the Dixon Co-op in northern New Mexico and the Food Conspiracy in Tucson. I have also worked with the board of the Valley Food Co-op in Alamosa, CO, and I provide assistance to the boards of Albuquerque’s two housing co-ops.
OUR MISSION: Strengthening Seed Sovereignty and Seed Security Our over-arching mission is to fundamentally change our food system from one that relies on distant, industrialized, monocultural farm operations to a system that derives its food from ecologically-based, diverse, local and regional farms and gardens. We recognize the urgent need to protect seed sovereignty—the right of the public to own and develop our seed supply—if we are to ensure food security and live in a healthy and just society. We also know genetic biodiversity is the foundation of a healthy ecosystem and society, and that climate change is affecting agriculture in dynamic and unpredictable ways that require adaptation in our seed and methods of farming. To meet these needs, we are focused on improving and expanding the seed supply in two key ways: • Producing high quality seed of important existing, public domain, organically-grown, open-pollinated varieties and maintaining varietal integrity through continual selection • Creating new, better performing, organicallygrown, open pollinated varieties through trait selection or intentional crosses The key element for maintaining or improving any seed variety is that the selection process never stops. With every generation of plants responding to a changing climate, each new selection leads to further adaptations. This responsive, open-pollinated breeding approach, successfully employed by farmers for millennia, is still needed today for securing a longterm healthy food system accessible to all of humanity. It is a deliberate and necessary counter to the current model that monopolizes the world's seed supply.
OWNERSHIP
Farmer Owned We are a completely farmer-owned and managed seed production and marketing cooperative. This allows for a strategic, coordinated seed production program to meet specific market demands. We are developing a rigorous quality assurance program made up of four key components: a) quality assurance trials; b) stock seed maintenance and improvement program; c) seed testing protocols; and d) crop production specifications. We began selling certified organic garlic in August 2011 and launched our online store in 2012. Now, in addition to finding our seed online, you also can find our seed in a variety of retail locations like La Montanita Co-op. FFSC is focusing on providing seed for organic market growers, with an emphasis on small to medium-sized operations and family gardens. We'll also work with seed companies to develop and produce varieties suited to their particular needs. Community garden organizations and other grower groups seeking bulk quantities of high quality seed will also be served. Developing and delivering quality seed is foundational to everything we do. All varieties offered have been grown successfully in organic farming systems and include some or all of the following important traits: • adaptability to specific climatic and/or soil conditions • adaptability to a wide range of environments; i.e., "workhorse varieties" • durable disease and/or pest resistance • reliably good/excellent yields • distinctive horticultural/consumer characteristics such as outstanding flavor, unique color, or elevated nutritional content. Get your garden or farm started this year with seed from the FAMILY FARMERS SEED CO-OPERATIVE by shopping online at www.organicseed coop. com or buy some at La Montanita Co-op in Albuquerque or Santa Fe.
SLOW MONEY: Fourth National Gathering
April 29-30 IN ALBUQUERQUE Resilient Communties through ORGANIC practices!
SUSTAINABLE farms! sustainable
FOOD
SUSTAINABLE
FAMILIES
Looking for a new kind of social investing for the 21st century? If so, plan to join Slow Money’s emerging network of thought leaders, investors, donors, farmers, social entrepreneurs and everyday folks for their fourth National Gathering this April in Boulder, CO. The list of speakers is phenomenal: the international founder of Slow Food Carlo Petrini; Wes Jackson, founder of the Land Institute; author Joan Gussow, who Michael Pollan has referred to as "my guru"; and many more.
There will also be investment presentations from two dozen small food enterprises and breakout sessions on topics ranging from New Visions of Corporate Philanthropy to Exploring Seeds and Biodiversity to Impact Investing. The Slow Money National Gathering brings together people who are rebuilding local food systems across the US and around the world. More than 2,000 people attended the first three national gatherings—with over $22 million now invested in more than 185 small food enteprises! Join this forward thinking group now. For details and to register, go to www.slowmoney.org
co-op news
April 2013 7
THE INSIDE There have been some exciting developments at our Gallup store. For those not familiar with this Co-op location, we have been in Gallup, having merged with the Wild Sage Co-op at the request of their Board and membership, since 2005. At that time the Co-op was in debt and run by an all volunteer staff. La Montanita paid off their debt, rented a better location, trained a paid staff and hoped to better serve a community that has few options to purchase organic/natural/local food. The Gallup store is small with only 1,000 square feet of space. We have never produced positive income in Gallup, but have not lost much money over the years. A labor of love, this store was designed to serve community needs and my goal for it has been to just break even and have the store pay for itself. When I arrived at La Montanita a good sales week in Gallup was $6,500. Over the years with careful attention, a resetting of the shelves and staff training, the sales increased and a good week became $13,000. Our goal has always been to achieve $15,000 in sales.
SCOOP
About a month ago Michael Smith accepted the Store Team Leader position in Gallup. Michael has been working at the Gallup store for a few years and this was a natural progression for him. During the short time Michael has been our Store Team Leader the store has reached $15,000 in sales two times. This is a fantastic accomplishment! Under his watch the Gallup store has reached a goal that at one time seemed impossible; most importantly we are serving more members and providing more healthy food to the Gallup community. Thank you to Michael and his staff of three, Loreal, Sydney and Josh, for your dedication to the Gallup community and the Co-op. If you are ever in Gallup, we encourage you to stop by and visit our small Gallup Co-op store; we know you will be impressed.
April Calendar
of Events 4/5-6 31st National Pesticide Forum at UNM, go to www.beyond pesticides.org. 4/16 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 4/20 Santa Fe Pre-Earth Day BBQ See ad this page! April 21: 23RD ANNUAL EARTH FEST! NOB HILL CO-OP, See page 1 for more information.
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.
Please contact me anytime you have a need at terryb@lamontanita.coop or by phone at 505217-2020. Thanks for your continued support. -TERRY B. GALLUP:
GROWING THE STORE
PLANTING HOPE BY AMANDA RICH andana Shiva said that, “seeds are our mother,” and indeed we are far more reliant on them than we realize. As the spring draws buds from the branches and we begin to look to our backyard gardens, bare and brittle from last season, the need for seeds arise. Where do we find them? Are they saved from last year’s tomatoes and squash? Do we thumb through glossy catalogs? Or buy from the display at the local grocery store? However these tiny mothers come to us, we feel the pull of spring as well, drawing us outside to find the soil that can birth our future gardens.
V
To plant seeds is an act of faith. It requires the ability to dream, imagine and hope. How else can you place an object so small in the large earth and expect a miracle? While placing peas in a furrow, I was struck by how they resembled the head of a newborn. Remembering a young girl's comment last year at Farm Camp who remarked that, “everything has a seed, even people have a seed. It's one cell.” The seeds and the young people call us to be present. Any gardener will tell you that plants who get our attention thrive better. If planted too deep they will not rise. Without water they will wither. Each seed needs care, attention, commitment. In the 2013 Stella Natura Biodynamic Planting Calendar, John Burns writes, “A seed ... has withdrawn from the stream of time. Often tiny, hard, dry, closed off from the world, to all appearances 'dead,' seeds carry the life of a plant through the death of winter.” To think of seeds as small time capsules that hold information as ancient as the Anasazi or Egyptians makes them a treasure. We help the seed awaken with water, soil and light. However, planted too early, the seed will wait, knowing by its nature, the perfect time to germinate. I watch for the delphiniums sprouting in my yard for a sign to plant cold hardy wild flowers. When the amaranth and the lambs quarters come up, I know it's safe to plant lettuce
LA MONTANITA
FUND:
GRASSROOTS INVESTING TO: • Help GROW the LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM. • Help STRENGTHEN the LOCAL ECONOMY.
and other non-native greens outside. When we perceive seeds as the keepers of wisdom, we can look to them with the reverence they deserve. They can be our teachers. How do we treat our mothers and our teachers in today’s world so focused on money and technology? Well, we “engineer” them, splicing ancient wisdom with our short-sighted human objectives. On a recent drive through the midwest where trains snake around the “amber fields of grain” and tin man silos tower on the horizon, we tried to identify the crops as they blurred by: wheat, soy and America's indigenous grain, corn. How many of these fields host seeds that are “Roundup Ready?” And where are these crops going? The myth of corporate agriculture and GMOs is that they feed the world. But we know that these soybeans are processed into ethanol and that the corn is engorging cows in the feed lots in Texas. Or perhaps it will be processed into corn syrup, or other staples for highly processed foods. This precious water and soil are being devoted to fuel cars with gasoline and fill soda and candy machines. Tonight, 17 million children will go to bed hungry. Sometimes, I feel like we are living in a kind of “dark age” that neglects the most essential parts of our communities: children and seeds. If we choose to nurture our seeds, listen to their wisdom like a teacher, revere them like a mother, treasure them like our children, perhaps we can choose to plant a new world. Maybe dormant for a time, the seed rises, full of the wisdom that was always there. As we dream of our gardens this spring, let us also dream of a world where everyone eats. And our food is something our ancestors would recognize. Let us imagine, as we leave this winter of neglect, that our actions can birth a community founded on the respect of all living things. Our commitment to change starts with the tiny seed of hope. LOOK FOR Botanical Interests and Family Farmers Seed Co-op organic seeds at your favorite Co-op location.
LOAN PROGRAM • Quick and easy application process • Loans from $250 to $15,000, or more in exceptional cases • Repayment terms tailored to the needs of our community of food producers • Applications taken in an ongoing basis To set up a meeting to learn more or for a Loan Application or help with your application, call or email Robin at: 505-217-2027, toll free/877-7752667 or e-mail: robins@lamontanita.coop.
The CO-OP Foodshed Project: Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in fresh, fair and local food
Come check us out and see what we’re about!
SHOP
CO-OP!
Santa Fe
CO-OP
EARTH DAY p re-
BBQ and benefit
CELEBRATION
a
Sat., April 20 11:30am-2pm
ALL BBQ PROFITS BENEFIT SANTA FE EARTHCARE INTERNATIONAL!
MUSIC FROM GYPSY JAZZ SWING BAND AND SWING SOLEIL
spring
foods
April 2013 10
Mary Alice Cooper, MD
Old School new foods! BY
OLD SCHOOL CO-DIRECTORS MAGGIE SHEPARD LEILA SALIM
AND
W
e like our food old. Old like great-greatgreat-grandma canning blueberries. Old like Alpine milkmaids setting out curds and whey. Old like hefty German crocks bubbling and like garbanzo beans giving way into hummus dip. Here at Albuquerque Old School, we like it old but only if it can work with the new. We like fermented foods. We like cultured yogurt, kefir and kombucha. We like eating weeds from the yard when we know what they are. And we like the medicine in leaves and roots and stems. We like bees in our backyards, fresh eggs in our baskets, gardens and compost, and growing sprouts and mushrooms in our own kitchens. We like all of this because it isn’t a mystery to us anymore. In May 2011, Old School launched its first semester of classes in frugal, traditional and sustainable living arts welcoming any student who wanted to dabble or evolve in these old-timey ways. Wildly popular from the start were canning classes and chicken-keeping classes. Our dairy culturing (think yogurt and kefir) classes and lacto-fermentation (one very healthful way food was preserved a long, long time ago) classes have become standby favorites. While food preparation is one of our key themes, Old School also offers affordable, fantastic classes in herbalism, how to make body care products, beeand chicken-keeping, natural pest management, crafts, candle- and soap-making, and more.
SPRING greens... Shop your Co-op!
Most of our classes are held at the Albuquerque Mennonite Church on Girard near Constitution, some classes are held at the teacher’s home. We’ve recently added South Valley farming to the mix with a new partnership with Erda Gardens and Learning Center, a biodynamic Community Supported Agriculture program. Classes are kept as affordable as possible. At least 10 percent of proceeds goes to the charity Water for People, which teaches water harvesting and tending to communities in need. You can find us at abqoldschool.com where we schedule new classes every few months. In the meantime, check out some of the simplest recipes from a few of our teachers. FROM OUR HERBALISM TEACHER, DARA SAVILLE ALBUQUERQUE HERBALISM:
OF
FROM
Pour boiling water on the herbs to make an infusion and steep for 6 minutes before straining. Use 1 ounce dry herb to 40 ounces water. Add ice or chill until cold. Enjoy this delicious rehydrating iced tea.
ALEXIS CORBIN:
Figs with Goat Cheese Chèvre is a delightful cheese all on its own, or enjoyed on top of your favorite cracker. But to take your chèvre to the next level, try this easy appetizer: Stuff fig halves with goat cheese. Wrap each with one slice of prosciutto (vegetarian option: use a grape leaf). Bake for 10 minutes at 350° F. Enjoy! FROM OUR TRADITIONAL FOODS TEACHER, AMYLEE UDELL OF INSPIRED BIRTH AND FAMILIES: Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies Taking it easy with the grains? Try this treat when that craving hits. Adapted from WellFedHomestead.com 1 cup butter melted and slightly cooled or ghee 1 cup cocoa powder 9 eggs 1 cup honey 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 3/4 cup coconut flour Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from heat. Add the cocoa powder into the butter, set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in the honey, vanilla and salt, and whisk well. Add in the coconut flour, little bits at a time, mixing well to avoid lumps. Add in the cocoa powder-butter mixture and whisk very well. If you do not whisk well enough, you’ll have clumps in your brownies that are yellow when the rest is chocolateybrown. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. FROM
OUR HUMMUS AND PITA TEACHER,
LEILA SALIM:
Baked Eggplant Sticks I’ve heard from more than one friend they wouldn’t know what to do with an eggplant. But they grow so well here, so next time you see them at the farmers’ market, pick one up. If gooey baba ghanoush or eggplant parmesan isn’t for you, try this recipe. The kids might even like it. 1 large eggplant 1 egg, beaten 1/3 cup flour Salt, breadcrumbs, olive oil Slice your eggplant like steak-cut fries, about 3/4-inch thick. Lay them on a towel, sprinkle with salt, and wait for 10 to 15 minutes to draw out the moisture. Towel dry, and repeat on the other side. Toss dried sticks with flour. Dip each in egg then breadcrumbs, and lay on a baking sheet. You can dry-toast them on parchment or spray the baking sheet at the tops of the sticks with olive oil. Bake at 450° F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the outside is crispy. Serve with lemon-herb yogurt, marinara sauce or even ketchup! FROM
Cooling Herbal Iced Tea Great for upset stomachs or just dealing with the heat of desert summers. Equal parts raspberry leaf, lemon balm and peppermint.
OUR CHEESEMAKING TEACHER,
OUR PARTNER AT
ERDA GARDENS, AMANDA RICH:
Spring Quiche What to do with all those extra eggs? We use fresh milk and cheese from our goats, but any old dairy will do! 2 to 3 large potatoes, peeled, sliced and boiled until tender, but not soft 3 to 4 fresh eggs 1/2 cup of milk or cream
Get your application in today! For Information call 877-775-2667
the La Montanita
FUND Loan application now
being taken!
spring
foods
April 2013 11
1 cup of spinach, washed, stemmed and chopped 1 medium onion, sliced and carmelized (optional) 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (goat cheese, cheddar, Gruyere, etc.) Salt and pepper to taste
ing evenly. Cook on one side 2 to 3 minutes, or until it begins to brown slightly, then turn over and cook for a minute or two more. The asparagus should begin to wilt, but should still retain some crispness and be intensely green.
Layer in a baking dish potatoes, onion, spinach and cheese. Whip eggs with milk or cream for about a minute by hand. Add salt and pepper. Pour on top of layers and bake for 30 to 40 minutes on 350° F or until egg is cooked and firm. Enjoy with fresh salad or greens from the garden!
Remove the pan from the heat and divide the asparagus evenly onto four plates. Squeeze the juice of one quarter lemon over each plate.Using the same pan, return to medium heat, and melt the last tablespoon of butter in the same way as the first two. When the butter is ready, crack the four eggs into the pan. Cook on one side for 1 to 3 minutes, flip and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more, so yolks are still runny. Gently place one egg on each plate of asparagus. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese and salt and pepper to taste on each plate. Serve while warm.
SPRING greens! Spring means greens! While fresh local produce gets a little scarce in the winter, by April, growers are back in gear providing a wide, and tasty, variety of greens. Kales, collards, chards, spinach, turnips, mesclun mix, escarole, pea shoots, asparagus, arugula, mustard, mizuna, tatsoi, and bok choy—just to name a few. Many of these locally grown greens you can find in Coop produce departments. At the Valley Store, you can find: rainbow chard, red Russian kale, bunched and loose spinach grown at Rio Grande Community Farm (www.riograndefarm.org); Easter egg radishes, bunched turnips, loose salad mix, and asparagus from the Agri-cultura Network (www.agri-cultura.org); and mixed greens, spinach, and bunched chard from East Mountain Organics (www.eastmountainorganicfarm.com.) At the Nob Hill store, find: Easter egg radishes, tatsoi, and loose spinach from Agri-cultura Network; loose spinach and arugula from East Mountain Organics; and chives and chervil from Martha Todd. In Santa Fe look for offerings from Khalsa Greenhouses including rainbow chard, mixed salad greens, braising greens mix, and bunched icicle radishes. Asparagus Milanese 1 pound young asparagus, rinsed, dried, and tough ends removed 3 tablespoons butter 4 eggs 4 tablespoons hard cheese (Parmesan or Romano are both good) 1 lemon, juiced Sea salt and fresh ground pepper In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter until foam has subsided, but it has not yet started to brown. Place the asparagus in the pan, distribut-
Arugula Salad with Mango and Avocado Spicy arugula is perfectly complimented by fatty fruits like mangos and avocados. This salad is creamy, tart, and just the right amount spicy and sweet. It’s a great way to enjoy spring greens, and get in the mood for warmer weather. 2 cups arugula 1 Atufulo mango, sliced 1 medium avocado, sliced 2 limes, juiced 4 tablespoons olive oil Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Divide the arugula onto four salad plates. In alternating strips, lay mango and avocado slices across the greens. Drizzle each salad with the olive and juice from half a lime. Finish with a dusting of sea salt and fresh ground pepper, then serve. Kale Chips 1 bunch kale 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon sea salt Preheat an oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the kale leaf from the stalk and cut into 2-inch pieces. Rinse the kale and spin in a salad spinner to dry. Toss the greens in the olive oil and salt, then lay out on the cookie sheet. Be sure that leaves do not overlap. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the kale begins to brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet, then enjoy!
Look for Family Farmers Seed Co-op seeds at your favorite La Montanita Co-op location!
Get your Family Farmers Seed Co-op seeds!
PERFECT FOR NEW MEXICO GROWING CONDITIONS
earth day special GREEN PARENTING: CREATING the
NEW NORM
April 2013 12
A HEALTHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL Imagine how many healthcare dollars we could save with normalized breastfeeding, less cancer? less diabetes? Imagine how many sick days and lost wages would be saved by normalized breastfeeding; working moms can breastfeed. Normalized breastfeedingmeans
BREASTFEEDING
I
Improving Family Health: A Cultural Norm The breastfeeding debate is just one facet of the Mommy Wars. There is enough guilt surrounding a mom's every decision, especially a new mom! I love the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force's mission: “To improve the health of New Mexico's families by creating an environment in which breastfeeding is the cultural norm.” The goal is not to badger or guilt families into breastfeeding. It's to create a culture that is naturally supportive of breastfeeding. We hear it a lot: “Breast is Best.” Breastfed babies have higher IQs, fewer infections, reduced chance of diabetes, fewer allergies, and many more psychological and long-term physical benefits. Breastfeeding moms have reduced likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage, burn more calories, have less chance of breast, uterine and cervical cancers and many more psychological and long-term physical benefits. But this is a skewed perspective. Instead of saying "Breastfeeding improves health," we need to realize that breastfeeding is normal.
THE GOAL: TO CREATE A CULTURE THAT IS NATURALLY SUPPORTIVE OF BREASTFEEDING. www.InspiredABQ.com www.facebook.com/inspiredbirth
The 550 million cans of artificial baby milk sold each year to bottle feed US babies alone stacked end to end would circle the earth one and a half times; 550 million cans equals 86,000 tons of tin and 1,230 tons of paper labels. Imagine the huge reduction in the carbon footprint of feeding our babies if we normalize breastfeeding? Healthy Ingredients Some formulas list corn syrup and then sugar as the FIRST ingredients! My guess is that the better formulas, especially organics with milk and whey as primary ingredients (still, sugar isn't far behind), cost much more and that many families must choose the cheaper version.
BY AMYLEE UDELL 've written on many topics here, but I've never written on the topics on which my business is built: childbirth and breastfeeding. This is because I have strong, passionate opinions on these topics and so objectivity will be harder for me to maintain. And so in a discussion of the all-around awesomeness of breastfeeding, I know some readers will think I'm making those who did not breastfeed feel guilty or bad. Know that I understand there is a place for substituting mother’s milk; adoptive families for whom breastfeeding wasn't an option. I also know of nonbiological mothers who stimulated milk supply and used supplemental nursers to provide a breastfeeding experience and families who chose to avoid store bought formulas in favor of homemade versions like milk from a milk bank or donated milk from other families.
CHOICE!
pumping breaks for moms in the workplace; not asking moms to fight for these short breaks. Pollution Reduction Then there are the other environmental reasons to breastfeed. Breastfeeding requires no water to prepare formula, no plastic bottles, no packages of formula, no energy to boil or heat water, no refrigerator to store extra and no washing after. Breast milk is a renewable resource that is delivered directly to the end user with no use of industrial or transport resources. For every three million bottle-fed babies, 450 million cans of formula are consumed. The resulting 70,000 tons of metal in the form of discarded cans do not have to be recycled.
Clarifying
Meditative WORK APRIL 27
281-0684 THE WAT CENTER 145 MADISON NE
Formula needs to be purchased. Imagine the economic impact on a family of not buying formula. Now imagine the economic impact of normalized breastfeeding on our entire state if families needing state assistance did not need formula! How I would love for our tax dollars to purchase breast pumps and professional breastfeeding support instead of corn syrup laden formula! And then just imagine the related reduction in tax subsidized healthcare costs when our babies and children stay healthier! The goal of normalizing breastfeeding does not mean 100 percent breastfeeding rates. Again, I understand there will always be a need for supplementing and replacing mothers’ milk, but in a breastfeeding supportive culture, this need could be immensely reduced. So what can you do to normalize breastfeeding and improve overall health for individuals and our entire state? When you see a mom nursing her baby, congratulate her on doing a great job. Ask her if she needs anything. Tell her what you loved about nursing. Or, just smile.
A workshop for people from any meditation tradition, as well as for people interested in teachers such as Eckhart Tolle, Pema Chodron, Toni Packer, Thich Nhat Hanh and Krishnamurti. Sitting and discussion, April 27, 2-3:45pm, at the Wat Center, 145 Madison NE, in Albuquerque. $2 donation. Reservations, info at 281-0684, www.cuttsreviews.com.
agua es vida RIO GRANDE VISION(S)
April 2013 13
OUR UNIQUE
INFRASTRUCTURE
or
G R E E N B E LT ?
MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS lbuquerque’s Mayor proposed to “connect,” “protect,” and “excite” as the motto for his Rio Grande Vision. Right now, the emphasis seems badly skewed towards “connect”—as in lots of infrastructure being put into the entire length of the urban river and Bosque.
BY
A
It’s hard to find anyone who does not share the idea behind the Vision; getting better protection and restoration for the River and the Bosque will be easier if people feel a better connection to them. However, there are many people who are deeply skeptical about the idea that it is okay to build lots of infrastructure in the Bosque: boardwalks, hard surface trails, boat ramps, toilets, lookout towers, cafés or even a restaurant. For one thing, there is the Bosque Action Plan, which restricts or prohibits putting infrastructure into the Bosque. To date, it seems as though the Mayor and his advisory committee have largely forgotten that such a key piece of planning guidance exists. For another, the River, Bosque and complex set of drains and ditches along the river are probably unique in the United States. It is not possible to find comparable urban forests and rivers and “borrow” from them without making serious modifications in order to accommodate our unique situation. For example, the initial “vision” for what could be done was to create a “world class” attraction like San Antonio’s Riverwalk … except that that “river” is a concrete lined channel with no surrounding forest. Finally, the River and the Bosque both need critically important restoration. It is not advisable to swim in the River or eat fish from it. The Middle Rio Grande is listed as impaired—contaminated—for Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)s in fish tissue, PCBs in the water, radionuclides and E. coli, and specifically fails to meet its designated use of “Primary Contact” (humans being in the water). The river has flows so low that the Middle Rio Grande Conservation District can’t meet its irrigators’ water needs for the entire season, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (WUA) can’t divert for the entire season, the Bureau of Reclamation has bought 10,000af of water for each of the last two years from the WUA in
RIPARIAN protection
order to keep the river flowing, and last year—in the middle of the summer—there was no native Rio Grande water actually flowing in the river, only San Juan Chama water released from reservoirs on the Chama. Furthermore, the river has been subjected to decades of engineering and re-engineering that have left it unable to fulfill its natural functions, including sustaining the Bosque that is one of the City’s premiere outdoor recreation and tourism resources. The cottonwoods in the Bosque need regular flooding in order to propagate, but Cochiti Dam prevents that from happening naturally and years of controlled flow have led to the river cutting down its bank so that it flows well below the surrounding Bosque. However, there is growing consensus on what needs to be done to help undo or at least mitigate the damage that has been done to the River and the Bosque. The Army Corps of Engineers, the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and others have been carrying out important and innovative projects to restore the connection
BOSQUE
between the River and the Bosque in order to sustain the cotton/willow forest and suppress invasive species; develop an effective controlled flooding regime that mimics the historic pattern of flows on the river; develop a more holistic view of the entire Middle Rio Grande and Bosque that can sustain the endangered silvery minnow and willow flycatcher; and provide the scientific basis for deciding where the Bosque should be allowed to revert to native grassland (creating more diverse habitat), where important wildlife corridors exist, and where further projects to reconnect the River and the Bosque should occur. We need this important work to continue so that fundamentally important scientific, technical and management information can fully inform the Rio Grande Vision planning process. In particular, we need a comprehensive overview of all past, present and planned restoration work on the River and Bosque; an updated Bosque Action Plan that encompasses this new information; and a restoration-based Vision that can overlay the recreation-based plan currently being pushed by the Mayor. This will ensure that both the River/Bosque system and the Mayor’s Rio Grande Vision work together in ways that benefit both. We NEED to get the River and the Bosque RIGHT. Then we can plan for making any new modifications. TAKE ACTION: Documents on the Rio Grande Vision are at www.riograndevision.com. You can contact the Mayor’s Office at 505-768-3000 or send an email to: theplan@cabq.gov. For more information, contact Michael Jensen, mjensen@amigos bravos.org)
GUIDANCE FOR A RESTORATIVE
VISION
C O N TA M I N AT I O N T H R E AT S T O A L B U Q U E R Q U E ’ S
AQUIFER INCREASE BY JANET GREENWALD ccording to a recent report by Paul Robinson, research director of Southwest Research and Information Center, the Review of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) 2012, the most current available from SNL for the TA-V and TAG sites (contaminated sites at SNL), shows a pattern of increasing concentrations for the contaminants of concern: Trichloroethylene (TCE), a known carcinogen, and Nitrate in both groundwater and soil vapor samples.
action
A
On a brighter note Senate Memorial 34, which asks for a review of the Mixed Waste Landfill, a plutonium-contaminated dump poised above the Albuquerque aquifer, a memorial proposed by the New Mexico Environment Department, has passed the Senate Rules Committee with the steady advocacy of the non-profit Citizen Action and its allies.
alert!
SNL 2012 data shows that the amount of contaminants of concern at TA-V and TAG, TCE and nitrate, continues to exceed applicable groundwater protection standards and, at most groundwater sampling sites, is rising above levels previously detected. Most notably, at TA-V the amount of TCE soil vapor found in the soil column above the water table is highest at depths of 400-500 feet below ground surface, near the elevation of the regional water table, and the amount of TCE soil vapor is increasing with each quarterly sample analyzed in most of the soil vapor samples provided.
Concerning the Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) aviation and jet fuel spill, Kirtland AFB has informed the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority that Kirtland has asked the Environment Department to withdraw its order to stop the movement of the jet fuel plume in the Albuquerque aquifer. The extent of the plume from the 24,000,000-gallon fuel spill still has not been measured as required by law. The Water Utility’s hydrogeologist says that there is no evidence that the dissolved plume of chemicals has stopped moving toward municipal wells. Although KAFB has known about the spill since 1999, KAFB has not removed any fuel spill chemicals from the aquifer. Become involved in the campaign to SAVE ALBUQUERQUE’S AQUIFER: contactus@cardnmorg, 595-242-5511 Come visit our table at the 23rd Celebrate the Earth Festival to get involved.
MEDITATE for a HEALTHY EARTH FIND A MEDITATION CLASS NEAR YOU: • Santa Fe: Sundays 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Mondays 7-8:30pm, and kids’ classes at 1310 Monterey Drive (new location!). 505-820-2226, info@meditateinsantafe.org. • Albuquerque: Sundays 10-11:30am, Thursdays 7 to 8:30pm, and Wednesdays and Fridays noon to 1pm at 8701 Comanche NE. 505-2925293, info@meditationinnewmexico.org.
SHOP CO-OP AND BUY LOCAL SHOP CO-OP
farming & gardening PESTICIDE-FREE WISDOM Growing your
fruit
own
Preventing
wormy apples and peaches BY DR. TESS GRASSWITZ, NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY lthough the tree-fruit harvest is many months away, now is the time to think about controlling those perennial pests of New Mexico’s apples and peaches: codling moth and peach twig borer. Both pests can complete as many as four generations per year in our part of the world, and although the late-season generations are the most damaging, control measures must be planned well in advance and implemented from early spring onwards if they are to be effective.
fruit. Unless spray applications are timed correctly, they will not be effective. Furthermore, depending on the insecticides used and their residual life (i.e., period of activity), more than one application may be needed for each generation of larvae. Correctly timing spray applications involves monitoring the flight activity of the adult moths (from early spring
A
Although both pests are larval stages of moths, the two insects differ somewhat in their life cycles, particularly earlier in the season. The peach twig borer spends the winter as small larvae inside silken cells (called hibernacula) in cracks and crevices on the rough bark of peach trees. They emerge in early spring and at that time feed inside developing shoots, causing the tips to wilt and die, which can stunt the growth of young trees and reduce their vigor. Only later in the season do the adult moths lay their eggs on developing fruits—usually at the stem end and often just as the fruit starts to show some color. As soon as the eggs hatch, the larvae bore into the fruit, where they are protected from both predators and pesticides. The codling moth also spends the winter as a larva inside a silken cocoon, either under rough bark, or in protected areas at the base of apple trees, in fruit storage areas, or orchard trash piles. In contrast to peach twig borer, however, the codling moth larva is fully grown at the start of winter and pupates and emerges as an adult in early spring, typically early to mid-April in our area. The newly emerged adult female moths lay their eggs on developing apples in early spring, and the larvae feed inside until they reach maturity. At that point, they leave the fruit to pupate in protected sites on or near the tree. Depending on temperature, each generation takes three to five weeks to complete their larval development, and the cycle is repeated until the end of the season, with apple damage gradually increasing as the summer progresses.
PLANNING
for
effectiveness
onwards), using a pheromone trap for each species, i.e., sticky traps baited with the female sex pheromone (the attractant that males use to locate the females). The best time to spray is then calculated from a combination of trap catch numbers and the daily maximum and minimum temperatures. It is a complex and time-consuming process and may not be feasible for busy homeowners with just one or two trees. To make things easier, New Mexico State University is developing a web-based system that will be used to issue spray alerts for home owners in various parts of New Mexico; the prototype will be tested for the first time this year. In the meantime, for those interested in trying to correctly time their spray applications, Utah State University has two excellent fact sheets that explain the process in more detail*. Larger-scale growers have the option of using a pheromone-based “mating disruption” technique, whereby special pheromone dispensers are placed throughout the orchard, saturating the area
with very high levels of the female sex pheromone; against this “background noise,” male moths are unable to successfully locate the females for mating, and without mating, the females cannot lay viable eggs. This technique can be effective in orchards of five acres or more, but is not suitable for smaller blocks or home gardens. A different approach that may provide adequate control for home gardeners is the use of heavyduty “Maggot Barriers®,” nylon mesh bags that are placed over the developing fruits while they are still small (about an inch in diameter) and secured in place with a plastic twist-tie. The bag is left in place until harvest and no further action is needed. In trials at New Mexico State University’s Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center, the bags provided reasonably good protection for both apples and peaches. However, varieties with exceptionally large fruit may stretch the mesh of the bags to the point where either the egg-laying moths or newly emerged larvae can still reach (and damage) the fruit. Late-maturing varieties also tend to suffer heavier damage. The technique may appear time consuming (it takes about an hour to bag 100 fruitlets), but it could be combined with fruit thinning (which is often neglected by home gardeners) and has the benefit of being a one-time effort compared to the season-long commitment required for successful insecticidal control. Perhaps it’s time to get creative: why not crank up the barbecue this April and have an applebagging party?! *Utah State University fact sheets available on-line at: extension.usu.edu/files/publications/ factsheet/codling-moths06.pdf and extension.usu.edu/files/publications/ factsheet/peach-twig-borers07.pdf
ADAPTING TO
MICROCLIMATES BY ISAURA ANDALUZ, CUATRO PUERTAS he warm soil in my hands reminds me of the brutal heat last summer. Luckily, these weather conditions are not necessarily bad for all crops. For the past two years, crops like chile have been growing through Thanksgiving in some regions. Yet extreme cold this past winter urges us to focus on the foundation of agriculture—seeds. For seeds harvested from plants exposed to the local elements is what has, and continues, to feed us.
T
New Mexico’s unique bioregions create prime conditions for diversity. Chile, a staple food crop, must endure high solar radiation, arid and windy conditions, and a broad range of temperatures from highs of 100F to nighttime lows of 40F. Through traditional practices, landrace varieties of chile have been selected for adaptation to local microclimates for over 500 years. Drought tolerant, and resistant to pests and disease, they are identified by their specific pod shape, size and taste. They go by many names, usually in reference to the locality where they were cultivated,
Control perennial pests!
The problem with trying to control both of these pests with insecticides is that there is only a very limited “window of opportunity” in which to apply sprays and kill the newly hatched larvae before they enter the
I N V E S T I N G I N C L I M AT E C H A N G E :
April 2013 14
such as Chimayo and Velarde. Adapting crops to local microclimates is crucial, as our survival depends on these plants that have fed, and continue to feed us. Chile is one of the earliest domesticated plants (7500 BC) from Mesoamerica. Domesticated crop plants generally retain around 66 percent of the traits found in the wild source. The lost traits might contain resistance to certain diseases from fungi or bacteria. By contrast, a 2009 study conducted in Mexico found that domesticated chiles retained 91 percent of the diverse traits found in their semi-wild samples. This finding is significant as domesticated chiles like our landraces, originating in Mexico, may be invaluable in retaining diversity. How does one develop a crop specific to a microclimate? A farmer begins by planting open-pollinated seeds. Each year seeds are selected from the plants with the most desirable qualities—perhaps taste, size
of plant or pods, or disease resistance. All the while, the seeds continue to acclimate in response to environmental changes in the fields. Over a seven-year period of reselection and planting, the seed becomes stable, meaning that plants grown from these seeds will consistently contain all the characteristics the farmer selected. Depending on the crop, periodic reselecting takes place as another farmer’s seed is crossed with the stable seed to prevent inbreeding. As consumers, we must support farmers working to protect diversity. Farmers who use open-pollinated seeds, no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers. If the soil is healthy, the plants will be strong, the pollinating insects will flourish, the chile will be delicious, and the seeds will continue to feed us. Find farmers you know and trust. Build a long-term relationship by purchasing your chile and other crops directly from them. An investment in our local farmers is an investment in local seed production, crop diversity, food security and the environment.
P E S T I C I D E S A N D H E A LT H : C H L O R P Y R I F O S P U T S
KIDS AT RISK ACTION ALERT: TELL EPA TO
BAN IT TODAY!
Something is up in DC. That's where the decision's been made—again and again and again—to keep a nasty insecticide called chlorpyrifos on the market. The result? A generation of children with health and cognitive problems or issues. More than a decade ago, products containing chlorpyrifos were banned for home use because the science strongly linked the chemical to harm of children's nervous system. But use in agricultural fields continued, to the tune of eight to ten million pounds a year. Children in rural areas are breathing the chemical as it drifts into their homes, daycare centers and schools. And children everywhere consume chlorpyrifos residue on their conventionally produced fruits and vegetables.
When researchers from the Centers for Disease Control study chemicals in Americans' bodies, they find breakdown products of chlorpyrifos in more than 90 percent of those sampled—and the highest levels are found in children 6 to 12 years of age. Meanwhile, more and more scientific studies have found that prenatal and early childhood exposure to this organophosphate can cause serious harm to the development and workings of children's brains. One study used MRI imaging technology to link doses of chlopryrifos in utero to irreversible changes in brain architecture. Not good! We know enough, and it's time for action. Please sign Pesticide Action Network's petition at www.panna.org, urging the EPA not to overlook the strong science showing the dangers of chlorpyrifos to children’s health! BY KRISTIN SCHAFER, PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK
community
forum
Women on the
LAND!
BY IGINIA BOCCOLANDRO ccording to USDA statistics, women own or run thirtyfive percent of all small farms in the United States. This number is projected to increase to sixty percent in the next twenty-five years. It makes sense, as food supplies dwindle, as food increases in price, as the food quality becomes questionable, that women will grow food. The “green revolution” to save the world from hunger by using expensive mechanical and chemical solutions requiring high quantities of inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, fuel and machinery to till, huge amounts of water and GMO seeds has failed.
A
The Carbon Economy Series wants to empower women and those who love them to successfully work with the land. This two-day training will teach regenerative agriculture principles. The workshop will be taught by a select group of women who bring local expertise in holistic land management, planning, design, farming, ranching, gardening, youth integral education, value-added farming, grassland restoration, Northern New Mexico agricultural production, production cottage industry and much more.
April 2013 15
Laurie Bowman and Nancy Ranney are the Director and President of the Southwest Grass-fed Livestock Alliance (SWGLA), representing producers, consumers, land managers, conservationists, and researchers. The organization seeks to improve human, ecological and animal health, and strengthen local agricultural communities by educating producers and the public about grass-fed livestock products.
and blending characteristics that make crops hearty to withstand the extremes of this land of enchantment. Share ancient knowledge, common practices and communal principles, and work side by side with Serena to see the patterns that shaped a civilization that has survived for thousands of years. Come to the Carbon Economy Series: Women on the Land at the Santa Fe Community College to train with these marvelous speakers on April 12, 13, 14, from 7-9pm. Discounts, student/senior rates, interns, work trades and time dollars are accepted. Join us and spread the word. For more information and fees call 505-819-3828 or go to our website: www.carboneconomyseries.com.
Serena Hena, mother, gardener and Pueblo elder, will host at Tesuque Pueblo. The Pueblo has a long history of self-determination, self-reliance, food production, hunting, art, farming and offering to the 23rd divine for their blessings with traditional songs, Celebrate dances and feasts. They have worked with seeds for millennia; selecting, planting
the
EARTH
FEST! ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION BOOTHS, FARMERS, FOOD, MUSIC AND MORE! 877-775-2667
Dr. Ann Adams, a student of Allan Savory, teaches practices that restore vast grasslands all over the world; these “Holistic Management” practices facilitate tremendous carbon sequestration, helping stabilize climate change. As part of the HM practices she shows how to create holistic goals while designing food production systems that meet the triple bottom line: good for the planet, for the people and for profit. Patricia Pantano, a farmer/educator and co-founder of Camino De Paz School and Farm, will host a tour and an organic meal, at her Santa Cruz farm. Her farm is a middle school that engages and instructs youth in organic food production, harvesting crops, creating products for sale and marketing to Santa Fe. The school provides knowledge, experiential learning and real-life skill building that prepare youth for a successful and meaningful life. CARBON ECONOMY
SERIES
Sunday, April 21 Nob Hill Co-op
10-6pm
La Montanita ˜ Co-op Administrative Offices 901 Menaul Blvd. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87107 www.lamontanita.coop
a p r i l 2 013
connection
˜ Co-op Join La Montanita Your community-owned natural foods grocery store
Why Join? • You Care!
-about good food and how it is produced
• You’re Empowered!
-to help support the local/regional food-shed
• You Support!
-Co-op principles & values & community ownership
• You Vote!
-with your dollars for a strong local economy
• You Participate!
-providing direction and energy to the Co-op
• You Receive!
-member discounts, weekly specials & a patronage refund
• You Own It!
-an economic alternative for a sustainable future
In so many ways it pays to be a La Montanita ˜ Co-op Member/Owner
Great Reasons to be a Co-op Member
NEW PRODUCTS!
from our neighbor dairy in Estancia, New Mexico FIVE NEW TRIPLE CREAM STYLE CHEESES Cambozola • Ash Ripened • Plain • Chipotle • Green Chile
See Them aT The CelebraTe The earTh FeSTival • april 21 • Nob hill
• Pick up our monthly newsletter full of information on food, health, environment and your Co-op. • Member refund program: at the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchases. • Weekly member-only coupon specials as featured in our weekly sales flyer. Pick it up every week at any location to save more than your annual membership fee each week. • Banking membership at the New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union. • Member only discount days: take advantage of our special discount events throughout the year-for members only. • Special Orders: order large quantities of hard-to-find items at a 10% discount for members. • General membership meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations. Your participation is encouraged.
EARTH DAY 2013! • NOB HILL, ABQ • SUNDAY, APRIL 21
free