Muddy Water STILL CARRIES THE
SKY!
SPRING SPECIAL pleasures of the BY
the Rio Grande:
low and slow
SEASON
YASMEEN NAJMI
he time for planting is here and the season for restoration work in the Rio Grande bosque ending so as to make way for the symphonic convergence, the avian rituals of dating and mating conducted in the bosque each year. I now spend a portion of each day at the river or walking the ditches or “acequias” in the Middle Rio Grande Valley. My work often brings me to these beautiful places but I’m there because I couldn’t imagine life without them.
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The irrigation ditches and drains are flowing again. On evening walks I’ve begun to see neighbors on tractors or shoveling old furrows and turnouts. Fields were transformed from brown to green within the span of a week but another dry winter has taken its toll. “Ditches are Dusty” could be a new slogan we adopt. Though my jeans too are dusty and my running shoes lost any hint of color long ago, I never complain. What a rare blessing as an urban dweller to be able to walk on the earth every day! Everything comes in pairs now. And I’ve learned to look at our changing landscape and water supply with a paired vision. Every acequia I walk has a duck couple claiming their space, heads alternating below the water. Great cottonwoods are a bacchanalia of grape-like seeds, surrounded by the confetti of the invasive Siberian elm’s seeds, peppering the water. The first water in the Foraker Lateral that runs through my backyard arrived and departed before I returned home from work, leaving a muddy map of its travels high in the ditch. Tight water supplies necessitate rotating water between ditches and I wonder how the trees and other creatures will adapt and what new plants may appear and thrive with the changes. When I stepped around the knobby feet of an old cottonwood, I smiled thinking about visiting my “sweet spots” on a few North Valley ditches where I plucked pears, jujubes, apples and rosehips in the late summer. But now, most of the colors on my ditch are the seemingly constant addition of graffiti from local kids. When I feel annoyed I remember that I’m happy that our young people still wander these curves to school and visit friends as they have for hundreds of years. Certainly they wouldn’t love these places more, or perhaps at all, in their absence. I smile again, thinking of the day I saw a neighbor pick fruit from one of my trees.
the only constant is
change
At the Rio Grande last month, I walked through a large opening created by a bosque fire. The ground sputtered and snapped, alerting a crow who trumpeted my intrusion. At the river’s bank I spotted a lingering sandhill crane couple wading, still here at the end of March. Two geese surprised the cranes with a noisy landing only a few feet away. The cranes squawked their staccato displeasure for a minute but quickly moved over and made room. The Rio Grande has historically been regenerated by spring floods. But while the rushing, high water of spring signals the spawn, it’s the slow, shallower parts of the river that birth life. The most productive areas are where the river brakes from a jitterbug to a tango. There in the clay I found algae and other plants, tiny fish pulsing in small waves and a library of tracks. There with the quiet water and mind I learned that muddy water still carries the sky. The river stretches across its bed—a blanket trying to cover all of its children. I’m always amazed at how the river moves around, over and through obstacles without complaint, but at some point in some places its depth and momentum are too thin and the Rio folds itself into ribbons to continue its journey. The river is not just a life giver but a teacher, if you’re willing to observe. To coin a lowrider phrase, these days the Rio Grande is “low and slow” and water from snowpack is 30% of normal. Farming is a profession defined by uncertainty—in crop yield, markets and definitely in Mother Nature. But farmers, understandably, want to know at least a range of possibilities that they can expect for
irrigation water availability. What was a looming, dark but rainless cloud is now a drought reality. Though we have experienced severe drought in the history of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, a diminishing water supply, above and below ground, coupled with the requirements of endangered species are rapidly evolving scenarios and require intensive daily communication and cooperation from all. Irrigators will be on strict rotation for water delivery through their ditchrider while supplies last. Plans, of course, must have contingencies (what we call “adaptive management”) for when and if things change. And, as New Mexico weather consistently demonstrates, the only constant is change. As I write this, on April 10, I glanced through my office window in time to catch 10 minutes of snow! We have already seen some of these adaptations in the small and larger farms cultivating fruits, vegetables and nuts for local markets, schools and beyond and utilizing combinations of irrigation technologies and greenhouses. Many farms are growing the community relationships needed for the survival of local agriculture: welcoming volunteers, training new farmers, a farm camp for kids, farm to table restaurants, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) and cooperatives, weekend “Bike and Coffee” gatherings and seasonal events such as pumpkin patches and corn mazes. These are just some of the inspiring stories witnessed in my time here. The Rio Grande is always flowing even when absent from our limited, human senses. The question is will we also have a river? YASMEEN NAJMI is a Planner with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, a poet and member of La Montanita Co-op.
REPORTfrom the 31st National Beyond PESTICIDES Forum BY ROBIN SEYDEL n April 5 and 6 La Montanita Co-op was honored to be a co-convener of the 31st National Beyond Pesticides Forum, along with the University of New Mexico’s Sustainability Studies Department and the national nonprofit Beyond Pesticides. Co-sponsored by a host of other dedicated regional non-profit organizations, the two-day event was a solutions based inspiration for both national and local participants. Beginning on Friday afternoon with the food hub tour, through closing summations by Native American Community Academy principal Kara Bobroff and Beyond Pesticides Executive Director Jay Feldman, the forum did as promised; provided cutting edge information, artistic inspiration and networking opportunities for scientists and activists to create a healthier future.
Lujan Grisham’s passionate retelling of her work with the Precautionary Principle Task Force and efforts that resulted in a ban on the purchase of vaccines containing mercury in New Mexico.
O
The Friday afternoon food hub tour to two of Agri-Cultura Network’s farms, the South Valley Economic Development Center, the Veteran Farmer Project farm and the Co-op’s Distribution Center showcased our developing food hub that provides fresh food for our community and our public schools. Next, awarding winning actress Kaiulani Lee took the stage for her spell binding portrayal of Rachel Carson, after which local farming and community development luminaries, Don Bustos, Clayton Brascoupe, Loretta Sandoval and Arturo Sandoval discussed projects that are expanding our New Mexican food system.
Without a doubt the most exciting moments came as scientists and activists came together in workshops for shared dialogue and relationship building, creating a community of concerned people that can look to one another for support as we meet challenges and work for more protective environmental health policies.
concern, Dr. Forman cited the newly revised Center for Disease Control statistic that 1 in 88 children now suffer some form of autism. Other highlights included Dr. Isaac Pessah’s discussion on the links between the antibacterial chemical triclosan and autism, and Dr. Tyronne Hayes talk on the pesticide atrazine and its feminization of male frogs. With 33 million Americans exposed to atrazine in drinking water and epidemiological studies showing links between prenatal exposures and birth defects, premature births, low birth weight, and increasing infertility, the use of atrazine is clearly of concern for our species as well. And last but not least was Congresswoman Michelle
Saturday morning began with Andrew Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety reminding us how many times we have stopped or slowed the spread of genetically engineered food and where our energies can best be used in the continuing struggle for GMO- free food. The day continued with a procession of brilliant researchers and dedicated community activists, with every keynote, panel and workshop so power packed, it is hard to pick out a few of the highlights. That said, Dr. Joel Forman, of Mount Sinai Hospital Medical School, deserves our deepest thanks for his research that inspired the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to agree that it is best to feed children organic food to reduce pediatric cancers and behavioral problems such as decreased cognitive function. Providing epidemiologic evidence that demonstrates the links between both acute and chronic early childhood exposures and public health outcomes of
If you missed the opportunity to attend the 31st National Beyond Pesticides Forum, many of the keynotes and panels are available at www. livestream.tv and on the Co-op and Beyond Pesticides websites at www.lamontanita. coop and www.beyond pestcides.org. OUR DEEP AND HEARTFELT THANKS go out to all the participants, the many non-profit co-sponsoring organizations, our friends at Beyond Pesticides and at the University of New Mexico and to all the good folks who helped provide the opportunity to expand our knowledge base for the restoration of our environment and the growth of resilient, healthy families, farms and food as we face our future together.
THANKS TO: MOTHER EARTH for blessing us with a perfectly beautiful day. And our wonderful CO-OP COMMUNTIY for making the 23rd Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest the day of cooperation, peace and love that it was.
EARTH DAY
THANKS!
See yourself and your friends old and new in our ON-LINE PHOTO GALLERY at www.lamontanita.coop See you next year!
spring
happenings
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 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 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
May 2013 2
BRAD LANCASTER: HANDS-ON
WATER HARVESTING WORKSHOP
ALBUQUERQUE /JUNE 7 BY AMANDA RICH, ERDA GARDENS rad Lancaster is the author of the bestselling, award-winning books Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volumes 1 and 2, and creator of the informationpacked www.harvestingrainwater.com. He is a permaculture teacher, designer, consultant and cofounder of Desert Harvesters (www.deserthar vesters.org). Brad practices what he preaches, harvesting over 100,000 gallons of rainwater a year off an eighth of an acre in downtown Tucson, Arizona, where rainfall is less than 12 inches annually.
B
Instead of diverting rainwater off their property and into storm drains, Brad and his brother Rodd have created an oasis in the desert by incorporating rainwater into living air conditioners of food-bearing shade trees, abundant gardens, and a thriving landscape that includes habitat for wildlife. Through creating this living example and giving dynamic public talks and countless hands-on workshops, Brad has inspired thousands of citizens and numerous businesses in Tucson and across the nation to harvest water and sustainably grow their local resources.
MOVIE series EDIBLECITY EDIBLE May 22 Edible City takes viewers on a fast and fun journey through the local urban farming movement. Following farmers, cooks and activists, the conversion of empty lots into organic gardens is a natural and practical response not only to Big Ag but also to urban problems like food scarcity and obesity. “We have been eating oil for 40 years.”Chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides have given us more food, but at what price? Food issues ranging from obesity to food costs and shortages are escalating in the US. Edible City tells the stories of the pioneers who are digging their hands into the dirt, working to transform their communities and do something truly revolutionary: grow local good food systems that are socially just, environmentally sound, economically viable and resilient to climate change and market collapse.
Brad will present his work to the Albuquerque community in a FREE lecture on Friday, June 7, from 6-8pm in the George Pearl Hall, on UNM Campus. His engaging, entertaining and informative speaking and teaching styles have resulted in interviews with National Public Radio, New Dimensions, and Natural Home and Garden, along with presentations and workshops for the Bioneers Convergence, the Green Festival, the Texas Natural Building Colloquium, the New Mexico Xeriscape Conference, numerous organic farming conferences, for the US State Department in the Middle East and more. On Sunday, June 9, Brad will lead a handson workshop from 10am to 4pm at Kalyx Studio Learning Center in Albuquerque’s South Valley. In this workshop, earthworks will be implemented to improve the efficiency of gardening within the acequia system, while demonstrating strategies that can also be used when harvesting other water sources in the landscape including rainwater and grey water. Sign up early as space is limited; lunch provided! For more information about the event, go to www.erdagar dens.org or contact Amanda at info@erdagardens.org. For information on the Sunday, June 9, workshop, contact Leslie at ]info@kalyxstudio.com.
santa fe farmers’
MARKETINSTITUTE Highlighting the success of a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood that grows organic food on city plots to benefit local inhabitants, Edible City is an inspiring, practical model for a healthy, local food system that is environmentally sound and cost effective; Edible City is a must for fresh food lovers. Catch Edible City at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Pavilion at 7pm on Wednesday, May 22. This is the last in the spring movie series. Admission benefits the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute work to support local farmers and the local food system. The movies are free for students under 18 and Farmers’ Market Vendors. Become an Institute Member the night of, and receive an immediate discount. For more info contact them at: 505-9837726, info@farmersmarketinstitute.org go to www.farmers marketinstitute.org.
FOREST SERVICE’S JEMEZ PLAN:
A PUBLIC CRY FOR RESTORATION BY JAN BOYER e hope everyone will read the Forest Service’s Southwest Jemez Mountains Restoration Project plan that is available at: tinyurl.com/swjproject. While the plan claims "Restoration," many people feel that the project will turn 210,000 acres of forest into meadows. Although telling the public that they will clean out brush and small trees to prevent fires, Bill Armstrong, fuel specialist for the Santa Fe National Forest, was quoted in the July 2, 2012, New Mexican as saying “We’re going to get rid of about 95% of the Ponderosas."
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This massive project also includes extensive herbicide applications, commercial logging, and burning 166,543 acres of forest. The forest service is requesting "amendments" to existing regulations to carry out this plan. Prescribed burning has a very high risk of causing catastrophic fires. No New Mexican can forget the Cerro Grande Fire. The Forest Service starts burns with helicopter ignition, dropping potassium permanganate, which is toxic. Dropping it over an area this large would contaminate a huge area of land and watersheds with 5.5 tons of a neurotoxin. The Federal Material Safety Data Sheet LA2887 states potassium permanganate "causes central nervous system impairment," and states "prevent from entering sewers, waterways, or low areas."
ACTION
ALERT
In an era of global warming, releasing that much carbon into the atmosphere is unthinkable. Trees sequester CO2, toxins, mercury and radionuclides, all of which will be released by these fires. Many scientists say one-fourth of global warming is due to deforestation. Fire ecologists such as William Lawrence Baker state that the benefits of prescribed burning are unproven and likely counterproductive; that forests that have burned once are more, not less, likely to burn again; and that forest fires correlate with drought, not fuels. This plan will kill untold thousands of animals and destroy entire communities of plants, animals, and birds that evolved under a dense forest canopy. ACTION ALERT: WHAT TO DO! Fire experts around the world recommend better ways to manage our forests: • Keep trees 16" diameter and larger. • Have local cooperatives harvest small trees. • Create space free of flammable materials around buildings. • Do not set fires, particularly during a drought. Call our state and federal legislators and ask that they INTERVENE ON BEHALF OF OUR FORESTED ECO-SYSTEM. Call NM State Senator, Peter Wirth, 505-988-1668, US Representative Ben Ray Lujan, 505-984-8950, and US Senator Tom Udall, 505-988-6511. More information go to: OnceA Forest.org or call 466-4625.
spring
happenings
May 2013 3
CROSSROADS FOR WOMEN:
NEW DIRECTIONS C
During this period Elizabeth and her law partner, Susan Tomita, were talking about how they could fulfill their sense of purpose in improving the lives of those less fortunate. About that time, Elizabeth had a large case settle and Susan brought a steady income into the partnership and they jointly decided to set aside enough to get the non-profit started.
rossroads for Women (CRFW) provides comprehensive, integrated services to support women working to break the cycle of homelessness and incarceration and achieve healthy, stable and self-sufficient lives for themselves and their children. As a transition program for homeless women with co-occurring addictive and mental health disorders, CRFW provides programming in the local jail and works closely with women reintegrating into the community after incarcerations. At the Crossroads community, 30 women are provided with apartments for themselves and their children. Another 12 women reside in a nurturing group setting called Maya’s Place. Support services include intensive case management, therapeutic day program, counseling, parenting assistance, vocational services and healthy community activities.
MOVING
Elizabeth Simpson founded CRFW in 1997 with an original donation of $75,000 while working on a class action case against the jail and trying to improve conditions for the inmates, particularly women with mental illness. Elizabeth says, “Lawsuits have great power to effect change, but they have limitations too. We were, in fact, making great changes in mental health services, but one couldn’t help but notice that the same people would show up in jail over and over. This seemed to be particularly true of women, some of whom had over a hundred bookings, frequently for minor offenses such as littering and public nuisance. We were improving conditions for them in the jail, but they were being turned out to the streets with no chance of making a new life—no shelter, no job, no mental health care, no support.”
CROSSROADS is this month’s
BIKING
F O RWA R D
They soon realized that “wrap around services” in a nurturing, supportive and respectful environment were essential. By 2002 HUD funds became available so that CRFW could provide independent apartments in the community for 20 to 25 homeless women and their children. Counseling and life skills education began with a grant from United Way, and Crossroads began a life skills program in the detention center.
By 2003 they expanded the day treatment program dramatically, adding broader counseling services for client groups and individuals, vocational assistance and therapeutic social activities for the women and their children, as well as after-care. Then in 2005 they instituted a new program for women exiting incarceration; a 12-bed congregate living site called Maya’s Place. Parenting education was implemented at Crossroads and Maya’s Place. CROSSROADS FOR WOMEN is a small non-profit that depends on community support and volunteers. To volunteer, get more information about their admissions process or to make a donation, contact them at info@crossroadsabq.org or call 505242-1010.
BAG CREDIT DOROGANNAIZTAITOIONN
into
SUMMER BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER ccording to the City of Albuquerque website, our sunny city features more than 400 miles of on-street bicycle facilities and multiuse trails. Santa Fe offers an amazing network of trails along arroyos that lead to the heart of the city. And, a number of bike organizations throughout the state host bike tours through many of our state’s most magnificent landscapes. While we’re blessed with a climate conducive to riding a bike most days of the year, warm weather should inspire you to lube your chain, fill your tires and hit the trail.
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The basics of going for a long bike ride in New Mexico are really not so different than other places—except for goat heads. If you make sure your bike is tuned-up, you carry some basic safety equipment and pack snacks, you’re prepped for an enjoyable ride. Test your bike before you go for a long ride. First and foremost, fully inflate your tires. Use a pump with a pressure gauge and make sure you’ve filled them to the recommended PSI. Even the cleanest urban trails can host a variety of sharp objects to leave you with a flat. Get puncture proof tubes, slime your tubes, and carry a spare or a patch kit to ensure you’re not hiking home. Our dry climate means your bike parts need regular lubrication. Stop at your neighborhood bike shop and pick up a bottle of what they recommend—they may suggest different products based on how and where you ride your bike. Further, more than your chain needs to be greased. Your cables and drivetrain should be lubricated. Your bike shouldn’t squeak—if it does and a little lube doesn’t solve the problem, ask for help! In addition to several bike shops
in nearly every neighborhood in the city, a number of good bike mechanics offer house calls or bike pick-up. An annual tune-up for your bike is a great idea. Regular maintenance like inflating your tires and greasing your chain help keep your bike in good working order, but a more thorough tune-up will ensure you can ride your bike for years to come. A good tune-up will assess the condition of your brakes, cables, hubs, wheels and any fasteners, and replace or repair any worn or broken parts. Additionally, it should adjust your brake and drivetrain systems, true your wheels, and completely grease all parts that need lubrication. Be sure to ask questions about what a tune-up includes because most shops offer varying levels of service. Riding your bike can be fun, but it also can be dangerous. Be sure you have appropriate safety equipment— first, wear your helmet correctly, second make sure you have lights and reflectors, third anything you can do to help drivers see you increases your safety. If you ride your bike on the street, it may be hard for even the most observant driver to see you. The recommended strategy for riding in the street is to obey the rules of the road. Always ride with the traffic, stay off sidewalks, stop for red lights, stop at stop signs, and obey all other traffic signs. Even if it seems like there's no compelling reason for you to stop, motorists will give you more respect if they see you obeying the rules. Finally, and perhaps most important, have fun! Biking is an amazing way to experience New Mexico landscapes in a more immediate and intimate way. You will be able to travel distances comparable to a car on paths where cars are not permitted. You will be able to see details in the plants, geology, typography and ecology invisible at typical car speeds. The following sites offer other great suggestions on bike safety and maintenance, where to ride and group tours if you’re interested in going the distance! MORE INFO: www.bikeabq.org www.bikesantafe.org www.bikehubnm.com www.nmcycling.org; www.nmts.org
BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME,
DONATE E your BAG CREDIT! donate
THEDIME!
it all ADDS UP!
MAY BAG CREDIT DONATIONS CROSSROADS FOR WOMEN:
GO TO
Providing integrated services to women to break the cycle of mental illness, homelessness and incarceration for healthy, stable and self-sufficient lives for themselves and their children. Your March Bag Credit donations totaling $2,084.92 were given to Rio Grande Community Farm. Thanks to ALL of you who donated!
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.
spring pleasures!
May 2013 4
THE DUALITY OF
GARDEN AND WILDERNESS
AROUND THE
CAMPFIRE with Uncle Dave BY DAVE FORMAN, REWILDING INSTITUTE ilderness gives wilderness deconstructionists sundry headaches. One of the worst is how wilderness seems to put down living things planted in gardens. If I may toss about a word I loathe, we “wilderfolk” are thought to privilege trees and other worts planted by wild ecosystems over those planted by Homo sapiens in gardens. We are thus chided for stamping a dualism (always an awful deed) over wildernesses and gardens.
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To wit: In 1995, William Cronon wrote: “We must abandon the dualism that sees the tree in the garden as artificial—completely fallen and unnatural—and the tree in the wilderness as natural—completely pristine and wild. Both trees in some ultimate sense are wild…” First of all, I know of no one who says that a garden tree is wholly “fallen and unnatural” and a wilderness tree is thoroughly “pristine and wild.” This is make-believe. Nonetheless, the trees are unalike down to their roots in dirt and being. To think both are wild is to show a misunderstanding of what wild is. One could also say that a gorilla in its concrete and steel-bar zoo cage and a gorilla foraging for wild celery on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes are both “ultimately wild.” Or that a battery hen in a coop so tiny she cannot turn around and a free-flying gyrfalcon in the Brooks Range are both wild. Here we come to befuddlement between wild and biological. Biology is found in our bodies, in the battery hen, in the garden tree. Biology comes with being alive. Life is biology. Wild splits away from biological in at least two ways. The first is that wild things are free of Man’s will; they are self-willed. They are not in a cage or a zoo cell; neither are they highly bred fruit trees planted by Man in a garden. Second, wildness is
A whole
WILD
neighborhood
the whole wild neighborhood. A mountain lion in the Gila Wilderness is more than itself: it is a tangled bundle with everything near it. A 400-year-old Douglas-fir in an old-growth forest is more than itself since it is caught up with everything about it, from the mycorrhizal fungi in the damp, dank, dark forest floor to the spotted owl in its limbs to the winter rains of the Pacific Northwest. The Doug-fir in the big wildwood is a splinter of a mostly self-willed neighborhood. The garden tree is a sprout in a Man-willed neighborhood. There is an unlikeness—and the unlikeness is wild. This said, let me acknowledge that I spend time in my backyard of four espaliered apple trees, a peach tree, four cherry trees, a plum tree, an apricot tree, grape vines, daffodils, tulips… a calico cat, a gray tabby, and a fluffy black cat. As I type this, I have dirt under my fingernails from pulling up grass among my tulips and the calico cat is on my lap.
Wilderness, no. A garden, yes. Do I like it? You bet I do! But I do not play a mind-game that it is wilderness, nor do I have even an inkling that thanks to it, I can live without wilderness. I love my old cats prowling the garden, but I need mountain lions prowling the wilderness, too. Mountain lions cannot live in gardens! Like all my friends, I blend wilderness and civilization in my own life. But what of wildness and wilderness? Our old Concord teacher, Henry Thoreau, said, “In wildness is the preservation of the world.” True, so true. But a deeper truth is that in “Wilderness Areas” is the preservation of wildness. Wildness cannot be without land or sea. Wilderness is stead; self-willed land. The home of wildness! Moreover, in this sad day and age, unwarded wildness likely will not last for long. To keep wildness, we need wild havens (protected areas)—the tougher the better, such as Wilderness Areas. For indoor thinkers, wildness can be a Platonic abstraction, an “essence” like “treeness,” but wilderness is down to Earth—like big woods and slickrock slots. Wilderness deconstructionists like intellectual abstraction, but they shy from true being; I think they would rather play with essence not hardness. Paul Shepard warned, “The garden is abstracted from the world as a whole.” And thereby, although alive, it is not wild. This article is drawn from Dave’s forthcoming book, True Wilderness. 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 rewilding@earthlink.net.
OF RIVERS AND TRAILS: ENJOY AND PROTECT
ALBUQUERQUE’S NATURAL
PLACES
BY KENT SWANSON, CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE OPEN SPACE DIVISION ithin and around our rapidly growing desert city we are blessed with over 29,000 acres of Major Public Open Space. The City of Albuquerque Open Space Division, part of Parks and Recreation, is the agency charged with caring for these special places. The Open Space system includes nearly 100 miles of multi-use trails that provide opportunities for low impact recreation including hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Open Space trails vary widely in terrain and offer access to some of the most unique scenery in and around Albuquerque. Citizens can find Open Space trails in the Sandia Foothills, the east side of the Sandia Mountains, Sandoval County, in Albuquerque's riverside cottonwood bosque, and on the West Mesa. Some of the most visited places in the Open Space system include the Rio Grande Valley State Park (RGVSP) and the Sandia Foothills Open Space.
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The RGVSP is a 4,300-acre green ribbon of cottonwood forest which extends from Sandia Pueblo in the north through Albuquerque and south to Isleta Pueblo. Popular trail access points on the east side of the Rio Grande include the Alameda/Bachechi Open Space, the Rio del Norte Picnic Area at the Central Avenue Bridge, and the Rio Bravo Riverside Picnic Area. You may
also reach the bosque at several points along Tingley Drive. On the west side of the river, the Open Space Visitor Center, located at 6500 Coors Rd. NW, 87120, offers access to a series of beautiful, shaded trails that lead to stunning views of the Rio Grande and Sandia Mountains. The Sandia Foothills Open Space consists of about 2,650 acres of piñon-juniper woodland at the base of the Sandia Mountains. The Elena Gallegos/Albert G. Simms Park, south of Academy and east of Tramway, is a popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders who wish to explore the extensive Foothills trail system. On the north side of the picnic area is the Cottonwood Springs Trail, a wheelchair accessible trail that ends at a wetland and wildlife blind. The Sandia Foothills have additional parking areas and trailheads located east of Tramway from Copper north to Candelaria Road. FOR A COMPLETE LIST of Albuquerque Open Space trails and trail maps, check out www. cabq.gov/openspace. Trail maps are also available at the Open Space Visitor Center and at many local bike shops. TWO EVENTS HELP PROTECT YOUR FAVORITE OPEN SPACE! Each spring and summer the Open Space Division, along with our non-profit partner the Open Space Alliance, REI and other local organizations, host two volunteer events that honor and protect our city’s natural places.
National River Clean Up WHEN: Saturday, May 11 from 8am to 1pm. WHAT: During this one-day event volunteers help remove trash from the Rio Grande and its bosque. Kirtland Outdoor Recreation provides a limited number of spaces on guided rafts to help clean trash from the river. For more details see www. cabq.gov/openspace. WHERE: Volunteers will meet on the northeast side of the Rio Grande off of the Central Avenue Bridge and Tingley Drive. The event is free. All volunteers must register with REI at www.rei.com/ albuquerque or by calling 247-1191. All River Cleanup volunteers are treated to morning refreshments, a door prize drawing and a free after event picnic. Please carpool! National Trails Day WHEN: June 1 from 8am until 1pm. WHERE: The Elena Gallegos/Albert G. Simms Park in the Sandia Foothills. Elena Gallegos is located east of Tramway just north of Academy. WHAT: Volunteers work on over 10 different projects in the Sandia Foothills Open Space trail systems, including vegetation restoration, trash removal and trail maintenance. The event is free. Registration is required. To register see www.rei.com/albuquerque, call 247-1191 or stop by the store located at 1550 Mercantile Ave. (I-25 and Montano). The first 100 people to register for NTD will receive a free T-shirt! FOR MORE INFORMATION on other volunteer opportunities with Open Space, call 505-4525200 or visit www.cabq.gov/openspace.
NM WILDERNESS
ALLIANCE: RIVER HIKE! San Francisco River Hike/May 4 Here in our high desert environment riverine habitat and wetlands make up less than 1% of New Mexico’s landscape. Explore some of the finest remaining river country in the state with guides from the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. This sometimes strenuous hike will take us to the Lower San Francisco River where it winds its way through a critical wilderness study area. With its towering cliff walls, hot springs, ancient narrow-leaf
and Fremont cottonwoods and native walnut and giant Arizona sycamore trees, this river corridor is home to a remarkable diversity of birds, fish and mammals. With a little luck participants just might see black hawks, endangered loach minnows and beavers, as well as bear and coyote tracks and scat. Be sure to bring your “river legs!” Hiking time: 5-6 hours, including lunch break. For info: www. nmwild.org or email: nmwa@nmwild.org to register for the hike.
mother’s day special
May 2013 5
NOURISHING OUR CHILDREN
ON MOTHERHOOD
FOOD
BY AMYLEE UDELL ome of us grew up listening to our mothers criticize their appearance, shape and size. Often this went with listening to what foods were good, bad, slimming or fattening. For some this extended to concerns from mom about our own shape and size and eating. Others had moms that fed them whenever comfort was needed, the day was hard or we just looked like we needed it. Food was equated with love. Some of us had moms who embraced the technological advances that allowed us to spend less time in the kitchen, from appliances to TV dinners to boxed mixes to fast food. Others of us had moms with rigid food rules, sometimes adopted in the best interest of health and sometimes not.
and
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Whatever your personal food history, one thing we can probably now see as adults is that our parents (I'll be using mothers in this article since it's May, but I mean any mother, father, grandparent or parent-figure who influenced us in this way) most likely had our best interests at heart. Almost all of our moms fed themselves, us and our families in the best way they could, given their budgets and lives at the time. And isn't that what you are doing for YOUR family? Another way mother-guilt can seep in is in how we feed our families. Are your kids picky eaters? Addicted to sugar? Afraid of new foods? On a strict diet of macaroni and cheese—ONLY? Do you wish you could feed them more organic food? Grow your OWN food? Do it all and do it better? Of course! Because we want the best for our families. And when our kids spit out lumpy foods, reject anything green, beg (and beg and beg) for chicken nuggets, or recite the Wendy's menu by heart, people look at MOM.
FLOWERS FOR
MOM!
GET FAIR TRADE FLOWERS at your favorite Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th
But I think we can all agree that, like our parents, we are all working with what we've got and trying our best. And beyond cooking only organic food, grinding our own wheat or butchering our own 100% grass-fed animals, what we ultimately want is for our kids to understand the importance of where our food comes from and have a healthy relationship with that food. And that's a long game. Your occasional fast food run still has a place (if it's truly occasional). And that time you were exhausted so you put together a dinner of macaroni and cheese won't ruin the kids.
DO I make foods others like even if I don't like those dishes? DO I really savor my food? DO I serve all foods on our table without judgement or comment? DO I try at least a bite of a new food before I say "no thanks?" DO I eat absentmindedly? DO I partake of the occasional treat without guilt? DO I sulk if my favorite foods aren't served? AM I afraid of some foods? DO I lament the quality of our food or my cooking? DO I criticize my body in front of the kids? DO I criticize OTHERS' bodies? DO I have the kids help me make meals? Motherhood means emotionally and physically nourishing our children. Isn't it amazing that we are designed to feed our babies with our own bodies? Love DOES equal food! Nursing babies gives them the perfect nutritional food, the physical bonding and emotional comfort along with a full tummy. After that, things can get more complicated. But motherhood teaches us that though our resources (physical, emotional, financial, situational) may be limited, our love is not. We will do our best for our children and amaze ourselves with our creativity in loving the family we created, found or received. Whether in food or any other area, we will struggle with our own selves to make things better for our kids and those challenges will ultimately make ALL of us better! AMYLEE UDELL is a mother to three and owner of www. Inspired ABQ.com, offering pregnancy and parenting support to Albuquerque. Her days are spent trying to offer the best emotional and physical nutrition to her family. Check out www.face book.com/inspiredbirth.
In this long game, ultimately our children will make their own choices and we can only do our best along the way, setting the best example we can. We can't make choices for them and we can't change them. But we can look at our own actions and words right now because THOSE we can change, if we need to. DO my kids see food in its real, whole food form? AM I a gracious guest when eating with others? DO I let the kids choose meals or go shopping with me and choose foods?
CO-OP!
Come check us out and see what we’re about!
co-op news CO-OP BOARD
REPORT
May 2013 6
SUSTAINABLE CYCLING never exist. Cooperatives also insist upon policies that affect entire communities. It is a duty of a coop to enhance the community, listen to the voices of their members, and to encourage and help other
MARSHALL KOVITZ For the past two semesters UNM’s Sustainability Program has offered an introductory course in co-operatives with assistance from La Montanita’s staff and board. The board invited class members to write a paper explaining how the course work has impacted their lives, offering to publish what board members thought was the best article. Of the many fine submissions, we chose this one. BY
our
future
SUSTAINABLE CYCLING
KARA WILLARD ooperatives have the potential to mend some of the financial and social hindrances born of capitalism and “power equates money” ideals that this generation currently stares in the face. Enrolled in the Sustainability Studies Program at UNM, and a lucky participant of a revolutionary course, “Co-ops Rock!,” I have become engrossed by the cooperative movement. BY
C
Raised in a time where money seems to be the measure of our human capacity, and business degrees seem to be the most promising form of education, it is imperative we find ways to combine profit with the needs of the people; and in ways to ensure long-term and sustainable practices. Why rely on shareholders, when you can rely on the employees themselves? Do away with hierarchal structure in the workplace, questionable stratification of wages from CEO to lower-level employees, and the threatened and shrinking employee benefits. The inherent principles of cooperatives demand democracy the way it used to be, by one member-one vote policies, rather than “more money-louder voice” patterns we acknowledge from the monopolies that we swore would
cooperatives. By supporting a common goal, and a common interest in the needs of a community, cooperatives can flourish in the long term. Statistics back this pattern of cooperative vitality. In the article “The Economy Under New Ownership,” Marjorie Kelly examines how co-ops help nurture local economies. For example, as the article states, every $1,000 spent at a local food co-op means $1,606 for the local economy, which is 17% more money that stays within the local economy. That figure is shocking, considering how many of our dollars we throw away to huge corporations on basic, yet crucial purchases every day. Cooperatives
have even proved a means of salvation in many communities, such as Chicago, and in a time of economic peril when we need solutions. In Chicago, when 250 workers of a window company were fired, author Laura Flanders, of “Chicago Factory Workers to the Rescue,” looks at how they made a comeback. They decided to form a workers’ cooperative, where not just profits would be sustained, but the people as well. I hope to direct this newfound energy into a potential cooperative project of my own. I would like to build a small army of like-minded folk, and invest our interests into the foundation of a cooperative; where we will be our own bosses, where we will pay fair wages and benefits, all while enhancing our community. We will do this all through the distribution of sustainable bicycles. Bikes, being my sustainable weapon of choice, to combat the gas-guzzling dependency we know so well. To build bikes with more sustainable resources, and sell them at fair prices to the community would help create a bike revolution! Bikes transmit the cause of sustainability but are currently manufactured in unsustainable ways. By using more renewable resources, such as bamboo, this cooperative will reinstate the purpose of the bicycle. Using a cooperative model, we can make bikes available to the entire community!
membership is
O W N E R S H I P!
APPLEGATE SLICED MEATS! Clean, Humane, Healthy
I
f you are a meat eater, you’ve probably enjoyed some of the Applegate Farms products we carry in our meat departments. Founder and CEO Stephen McDonnell started the company 25 years ago buying Jugtown Smokehouse. Growing the business over the years, Applegate now sources from over 1,000 family farms that humanely raise animals for everything from bacon and sausage to sliced deli and fine cured meats. All Applegate products are made from animals that have been humanely raised on farms in geographically diverse areas to reduce the risk of spreading disease. Further, all manure from these farms is composted, rather than disposed of in lagoons that can contaminate surface water sources with E. coli and other bacteria. Applegate requires that the animals they source be fed exclusively vegetarian food and are never fed animal by-products.
perfect PICNIC FOOD
Applegate has strict standards for humane treatment of all the animals raised for their products including the following (from the Applegate website, www.applegate.com). • Allowing animals to exercise their natural behaviors and instincts. No crates or cages. • Raising animals with sufficient space and shelter against the elements. • Handling animals gently and respectfully. • Providing animals with a continuous supply of fresh water and a healthy diet without added antibiotics or hormones. • Applegate developed their own unique animal welfare standards. You can see this on the “Humanely Raised” statement on their packaging. The standards have been developed (for pork, beef and poultry) with strict requirements that are verified through third party audits and also by internal welfare specialists at Applegate.
BUILDING THE LOCAL
FOODSHED BY ANN ADAMS, HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL f you shop at La Montanita Coop and read the Co-op News, then I assume you have a vested interest in building a local foodshed in New Mexico. Shopping at the Coop is a big piece of the puzzle, but if you want to dive in deeper, a good resource is a new book, Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable, and Secure Food Systems by Philip Ackerman-Leist. This book is part of the Post Carbon Institute’s Community Resilience Guide series and is published by Chelsea Green. The book starts out with a quote from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense: “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.”
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While I think we are long past the point of defending large agribusiness as the solution to feeding the world healthy food, we are still struggling to figure out how to make a local food system that can feed more of the local population for more of the year. Rebuilding the Foodshed talks about some of those strategies and key tactics necessary to get us there. Ultimately, though, it is the consumer that will drive this process through the law of supply and demand. If more consumers are willing to pay the price for local (not just organic from California or Mexico) as we build systems and economies of scale, then more producers will step up to supply that demand.
Standards include “humanely raised on family farms in an environment that promotes natural behavior of the animals with more room to move about freely.” They follow humane slaughter practices as suggested by Dr. Temple Grandin. When Applegate processes their meats they never add nitrites or nitrates, artificial ingredients, or other fillers commonly found in conventional deli meats and sausages. For those who love a classic deli-style sandwich, a little bacon in their breakfast or sausages for the first patio parties of spring, Applegate is a healthy and humane choice. If you’d like to learn more about Applegate, their farmers, recipes with their ingredients and other educational materials, visit www.applegate.com.
FOR A HEALTHY
LUNCH
Co-op members are leaders in the local food movement because they have made the connection that local food isn’t just about healthy food. It is about all the issues tied to local food including energy, environment, food security, food justice, biodiversity and marketplace values. These are the issues that Ackerman-Leist discusses in his book as well as exploring the ways that we can build these new foodsheds through collaborations. Luckily, the Co-op is a leader in the area with the Distribution Center and the LaM Fund to help local farmers increase their ability to grow and process more local food. Ultimately, as Ackerman-Leist points out, we need to think beyond the local foodshed as a “dot” within a radius (i.e., Albuquerque and the surrounding 300 miles as the foodshed). Rather we must think like an ecosystem and consider the flows and relationships. “Recognizing the flows that we call community, commerce and ecology ensures that we avoid the illusory island effect of a completely independent local food system—an illusion that ultimately leaves us stranded and less enriched.” He suggests we have, in our conversation about local food, created four false divides we need to bridge: Urban/Rural, Small Scale/Large Scale, Local/International, and All/ Nothing. It is in creating “just” relations that we can bridge these divides. It can sometimes seem like a daunting task to help rebuild a foodshed. The key is to remember each decision is one step and by working together we will accomplish the intended outcome as we build community and connection.
co-op news CREATING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
I
JUST READ THE MARCH JOB REPORT; it reported few jobs have been created, the weakest job report since June 2012. I’m happy to report your Co-op is not following this trend. Our new store on the Westside will be creating jobs and providing opportunities not only for our existing staff but for those who are seeking employment. We have already filled several positions. Mark Lane will be the Store Team Leader for the Westside location. Mark has been serving as the Store Team Leader of our Nob Hill store and was looking for a new challenge and the experience of opening a new store. We are thrilled Mark has stepped up and taken this role. Joseph Phy will be our Assistant Store Team Leader. Joe is one of our rising stars; although young in age, Joe has proven his leadership and operational skills. Joe currently works at our Rio Grande location as the Department Team Leader of Grocery, Dairy and Frozen departments. Valerie Smith will be our next Store Team Leader at our Nob Hill store. Valerie has worked at La
May 2013 7
THE INSIDE
SCOOP
Montanita for many years; she has worked as a Department Team Leader at our Rio Grande store, Executive Director of the Mobile Grocery project with which we partner, and most recently as a buyer at our Cooperative Distribution Center. Although not related to the Westside store location, Michael Smith has assumed the role as Store Team Leader at our Gallup store. Michael has worked at the Gallup location for several years, is involved in the Gallup community, and is a great fit for our store. We have also added staff in Gallup since Michael has become the Store Team Leader. There will be many more staff positions to fill as we move forward; this is just another example of why the co-op business model is superior to the traditional model that has put us in this sad situation.
AGRICULTURE A SEMINAR
L
of Events 5/14 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 5/20 BOD Member Engagement Meeting, Admin. offices, 5:30pm 5/25 Santa Fe Co-op, BBQ and Fundraiser 11am-1pm
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.
THANKS for your support of La Montanita, our community owned cooperative. If you ever need to contact me please call 505-217-2020 or email: terryb@lamontanita.coop. -TERRY
EMPOWERING WOMEN IN BY ANN ADAMS a Montanita was a key sponsor for the March 8 Empowering Women in Agriculture seminar facilitated by Holistic Management International (HMI). This event took place at the Mid-Region Council of Governments building in Albuquerque. The event was funded through a National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) grant which was funded by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). Sixty participants attended this seminar and 83% were beginning farmers managing a total of over 4,000 acres in New Mexico. Evaluations showed that the participants found the seminar very educational with participants noting
May Calendar
an average of a 90% increase in knowledge about risk assessment, improving profit, ability to analyze enterprises, and the value of enterprise analysis; 87% of the participants said they would now do a written enterprise analysis as a result of the seminar. The seminar started with Holistic Management Certified Educator, Peggy Maddox, describing how Holistic Financial Planning saved the Maddox Ranch. This was followed by a hands-on workshop on how to create profit in farming enterprises led by Holistic Management Certified Educator Ann Adams. Participants got first-hand knowledge of how to manage
W O M E N I N A G R I C U LT U R E INCREASED KNOWLEDGE GROWTH IN LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION
financial risk and then broke into small groups to complete a financial planning exercise. After lunch (provided by La Montanita) everyone enjoyed a panel discussion and Q&A session with local women producers, including Joan Bybee of Mesteno Draw Ranch, Dory Wegrzyn of Red Tractor Farm, and Nolina Bryant of Nolina’s Heavenly Organics. NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, Robert Maggiani, also gave a presentation on the Top Ten Resources Women Farmers and Ranchers Never Use. THANKS TO THE PROGRAM SPONSORS FOR THIS EVENT: Wells Fargo, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Java Joe’s and New Mexico Mid-Region Council of Governments Agricultural Collaborative.
HEALTH
and
Beauty Food for your skin!
MILK+HONEY LOTION BAR
It’s an ecological moisturizer: no plastic bottle. A beauty balm. An everyday luxury. Artwork for the body. A foot balm, cuticle cream, healing salve and lip balm all in one.
Never greasy!
AUBREY MOISTURIZER
Powerful!
Sheer and never greasy, an elegant daily moisturizer with UVA/UVB protection that defends your skin from sun and dryness with zinc and chlorophyll-rich organic blue-green algae.
COCOA WELL TRUE ENERGY
The latest innovation in energy supplementation. exclusive AdaptoStress blend delivers highquality standardized extracts of three of the most powerful adaptogenic herbs available today.
The sun is getting stronger! To protect yourself from the the desert dryness, Ezekiel of the Valley store recommends added protection and food for your skin. To help you keep up with the demands of spring after a restful winter, a healthy booster for your energy level.
Vitamins HERBS and
RON TEEGUARDEN’S DRAGON HERBS Tonic herbs and superfoods, using
Traditional formulas!
formulas the Chinese have used for 1800 years. Ginseng and Zizyphus Combination nourishes Yin, pacifies the spirit (Shen), strengthens the heart and builds blood.
100% vegan!
Stay hydrated!
DEVITA NATURAL SKIN CARE
The most advanced, certified organic, aloe vera based, 100% vegan, paraben free skin care line available. Day or night, anytime is right to use age defying PERFECTING TIME, a feather light and sheer moisturizing lotion.
WHEREVER WATER LEMON WATER ON-THE-GO
The built-in citrus reamer adds refreshing fruit essence. The ingenious mess-free cap holds the lemon in place. You get a fresh infusion every time you drink! Glass bottle keeps the taste pure. Designed to land on its soft base or lid if dropped. Dishwasher safe. BPA free.
We Love Lemon Water! Cynthia in Santa Fe found a product that lets you carry it with you. Stay refreshed and hydrated everywhere! Be good to your skin with the most advanced certified skin care formulas available and balance your body with ancient herbal combinations.
FACE LOCAL
organic!
LOS POBLANOS LAVENDER LOTION
From Albuquerque, New Mexico’s organic lavender farm, a wonderfully soothing moisturizing lotion, made with their own lavender essential oil. Also look for their LAVENDER HEALING SALVE, intensive treatment for hard working hands, dry elbows and knees. Soothing for insect bites and minor burns.
and
Body
LOCAL
spf 30!
SUPER SALVE CO. SIERRA MADRE SUN CREAM
From Mogollon, NM, a UVA/UVB protection with moisturizing and nourishing properties that help protect the skin from harsh exposure to sun, wind and water. SPF 30
LOCAL
tonic!
ARTEMISIA HERBS NETTLES
Locally grown and wildcrafted herbs from Dixon, NM. Nettles are traditionally used as a spring tonic and curb inflamation due to allergies. They are a slow-acting nutritive herb that gently cleanses the body of metabolic wastes.
We can’t get enough moisture, especially in a drought! Jennifer of the Nob Hill store picks LOCAL lotions, sunscreens and herbs. These folks know all about our New Mexico sun and climate, and the toll its dryness and pollens take on our bodies, inside and out.
NATURALface
Care
DR. HAUSCHKA ROSE DAY CREAM Care for yourself. Care for your face.
The ritual of cleaning and caring for your face can affect how you feel about yourself. When you take a few minutes each day to clean, tone and moisturize your face, the effort will show. You’ll both look and feel healthier.
ROSE DAY CREAM For dry, sensitive or mature skin
A rich, luxurious daily moisturizer. Soothing rose ingredients nurture and renew sensitive, dry and weather-damaged skin. Protects skin against dryness and soothes red, irritated skin and couperose. • Protects the delicate outer layer of the skin against dryness and irritation • Avocado oil with extracts of rose petal and rose hip soothe and renew red, irritated, sensitive skin • Seals in moisture to help prevent dryness • Thirty rose flowers go into each tube of Rose Day Cream • Used as directed, Rose Day Cream lasts approximatley three months
AVAILABLE AT THE CO-OP | ALBUQUERQUE • NOB HILL • VALLEY • UNM | SANTA FE | GALLUP
picnic
pleasures
Let’s have ourselves
a little
PICNIC Stephanie Cameron, along with her husband Walt, are the new publishers of edible Santa Fe. She shares her experiences on reestablishing a deep and meaningful relationship with food, sharing this love with her community, and recipes from their most recent issue.
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had the fortune of growing up in a four-generation household and tugged on the apron strings of my grandmother and great grandmother. They cooked three meals a day, seven days a week and I learned from a very young age to appreciate the communal aspect of food; gathering around the table every night for nourishment for both the body and the soul. From this experience I learned to love the process of cooking and wanting to feed all my friends. I started having dinner parties when I was 20. After having kids, cooking meals everyday became a challenge. Juggling the demands of school, activities, and a job—my husband and I lost sight of the importance of food for a period of time. In 2009 Walt and I spent a considerable amount of time in New York and we fell in love with food again. Since then we have embraced the local food community and movement. Celebrating every meal we cook and eat knowing where the food on our plate came from and the stories behind it. I would like to share with you the recipes from our spring issue of edible Santa Fe, "Cooking Fresh: Road Eats," as we all get spring fever and start to get the itch to hit the road for adventures and picnics.
Cooking Fresh: Road Eats Road Trip Edition 2013 BY ANDREA FEUCHT Just as the predictable annual winds barge across the state, the threat of frost punches the clock for the season, and we, in turn, realize a good spring cleaning is in order. How about this? Instead, let’s back-burner the dirty stove and shelve the dusty bookcase to take a little road trip and bask in the lengthening days. We’ll keep expenses under control with a cooler full of homemade goodies. We love our state and our cars; a trip to Octopus Car Wash counts as spring cleaning in my book. The day before leaving, head to the store to pick up whatever ingredients are needed for a roadfriendly picnic. The recipes below all travel well and can be made the night before—in fact, several of the delicacies are better the next day. Now, where to go? It all depends on your preference for time driving versus time wandering. The shortest trip possible with some quality browsing time is Madrid—a quick drive along the Turquoise Trail (NM 14) will wind through low hills before arriving at the tiny town known for pedestrianism, both human and canine, and art galleries galore. Stroll for a bit, reload on caffeine at Java Junction and then head north to Cerrillos (watch for the sign to turn west), where just north of town is the lovely Cerrillos Hills State Park. Miles of trails and day-use picnic grounds are just what the doctor ordered. A longer, more drive-happy route is the High Road to Taos. Starting from Santa Fe, drive past Pojoaque to Nambe, turning east on NM 503. Your route heads north on NM 520 through Chimayo. Stop to buy a cookbook, but don’t forget
May 2013 10
that you brought your lunch! Continue on NM 76 for a gorgeous climb through scrubby rangeland with the Jemez Mountains on the horizon. NM. 75 and NM. 518 go toward the big Taos ski basin and more stunning views. Find descriptions, more detail of these routes, and a whole slew of other trip options on the fantastic state tourism website: www.newmexico.org Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Sea Salt and Ground Chile ADAPTED FROM MOLLY WIZENBERG We start with the promise of late summer’s tomatoes by taking ordinary store-bought Roma tomatoes and forcing every bit of flavor out of them by slow roasting. The result is between fresh tomato and sun-dried potency. Vary the baking time to suit your preference for dehydration, or for pure tomato flavor. Ripe tomatoes, preferably Romas Olive oil Sea salt Ground chile powder (red or green) Preheat the oven to 200° F. Cut the stem end off the tomatoes and halve them lengthwise. Brush or spray the open halves with olive oil, then place skin side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle sea salt and chile powder sparingly over the cut face of the tomatoes— it will concentrate as they bake. Let them roast for a minimum of 3 hours and up to 12, until reduced in size by at least half but still soft (you don’t want tomato jerky). Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. Snack at your leisure while on the road, alone, or with briny olives as accompaniment.
Fingerling Potatoes with Chives and Parsley ADAPTED FROM GOURMET These are savory little morsels, perfect for eating out of the container or as a formal side dish to the heartier recipes that follow. Consider these a simple variation on a potato salad without the mayonnaise risk and little else but the essence of potato. 1 pound fingerling potatoes 1 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, pressed 1/2 teaspoon salt Black pepper, freshly ground 2 tablespoons chives, chopped 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped Peel the potatoes (or not, they might get wrinkly later but will still taste awesome), and halve them lengthwise. Combine the potatoes, water, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small skillet with a lid. Bring everything to simmer, then cover and continue simmering with a pan shake now and then until potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes. Uncover the skillet and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Toss in the herbs. Serve at any temperature, same day or next. Cabbage Salad with Pecans While slaw itself isn’t so New Mexican, the pecans add a local touch, as does the inclusion of some fiery local mustard. One original recipe called for spinach, but in the interest of longevity we are substituting kale to keep the color and extra flavor. This is great the day it is made and well into the next day, though it will weep some juice as it marinates.
picnic
pleasures
1/2 small red cabbage, trimmed, cored and shredded (about 6 cups) 1/2 small green cabbage, trimmed, cored and shredded (about 6 cups) 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1/2 bunch fresh kale, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 4 cups loosely packed) 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon or other fancy mustard (locally-made Lusty Monk brand comes to mind) 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped Black pepper, freshly ground In a large bowl, toss shredded red and green cabbage with salt. Transfer cabbage to a colander (I like to use a salad spinner so you can see how much water comes out—more than you might think!) and let it drain for two hours. This helps to ensure crispy slaw. After well drained, you can rinse the cabbage if it tastes too salty—it won’t soak the water back up during a rinse. Put the cabbage into a large bowl and add the kale. In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard and cumin together. Add the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the ingredients are thoroughly emulsified. Toss the salad with the dressing and add the toasted pecans. Season with pepper. Wheat Berry and Barley Salad INSPIRED BY ROBIN’S KITCHEN at the Harwood Art Center in Albuquerque, www.robins kitchen.net The first time I ate a cousin of this salad I was pleasantly full for hours—fair warning if you’re planning on eating a main course as well. Find a delicious variation of hearty grains, herbs and lemon at Robin’s Kitchen. 1 cup wheat berries 1 cup pearl barley 2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 scallions, chopped fine 1 1/2 cups corn, cooked (optional) 1 pint vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice Bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil, then add wheat berries and cook at a slow boil for 30 minutes. Add the barley and cook grains another 40 minutes. At our altitude all hard grains take longer than you think—taste after the time window is up and keep going until they are done. While the grains are cooking, in a large bowl stir together garlic paste, vinegar and oil. Drain grains well and add to garlic mixture. Toss mixture well and cool. Add scallions, corn, tomatoes, chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Chill up to one day before serving at room temperature.
Get your application in today! For Information call 877-775-2667
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FUND Loan application now
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May 2013 11
(Cheater’s) Muffaletta If you haven't tried a muffaletta sandwich before, there is no time like spring. This New Orleans classic is best after aging for a day under heavy weights (yes, really.) It’s kind of like a cold-pressed panino of meaty cheesy goodness. For picnic efficiency, we’re saving time by not making the olive spread or the vinaigrette from scratch. 1 pound round bread loaf, 3 to 4 inches high 1 cup jarred olive salad (often labeled “Italian olive salad”) 1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette, the best you can buy 1/4 pound prosciutto 1/4 pound sandwich pepperoni 1/4 pound Genoa salami 1/4 pound provolone cheese 1 large ball fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly 1 medium red onion, sliced thinly 1 jar roasted red peppers in water 1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped A few handfuls of fresh arugula or spinach Fresh basil leaves Cut the bread in half horizontally, then hollow out top and bottom space for all the fillings. Smear olive salad over the bread bottom and top. Begin layering the ingredients with a periodic drizzle of the red wine vinaigrette: meats, provolone, onion, lettuce, artichoke hearts, basil leaves, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, remaining olive salad. Put the top of the bread on without spilling everything, then wrap the muffuletta tightly in plastic wrap—very, very tightly. Place in refrigerator and weigh it down with a cast iron pan, and let set up to a full day. FOR MORE DELICIOUS PICNIC wwwediblesantafe.com
RECIPES VISIT:
road
EATS!
ABQ FILM AND MEDIA EXPERIENCE • JUNE 3-9 See the hottest movies and documentaries, hear from film luminaries at theaters along RT. 66 including: Robert Redford, Thomas Dolby and more! Tickets, schedules and info: www.abqfilmexperience.com
Premium Compost • Our locally made Premium Compost is approved for use on Certified Organic Farms and Gardens.
Topsoil Blend • Ready for planting in raised beds or flower pots!
Mulch • A variety of decorative and functional mulches.
Foodwaste Recycling • Albuquerque’s only restaurant foodwaste recycling pick up service
Greenwaste Recycling • Bring your Yardwaste to us and keep it out of the Dump!
9008 Bates Rd. SE Open Tues. through Sat. 8am to 4pm Please come down and see us • www.soilutions.net
farming & gardening
May 2013 12
MAKE MINE
CLIMATE FRIENDLY FOOD
HUMANE
growth hormones leads to factory-farmed food that contains antibiotic-resistant pathogens, drug residues such as hormones and growth promoters, and “bad fats.” Yet the vast majority of consumers don’t realize that nearly 95% of the meat, dairy and eggs sold in the US come from CAFOs.
REQUIRES ANIMAL FRIENDLY
FARMING
RONNIE CUMMINS, ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION growing number of organic consumers, natural health advocates and climate hawks are taking a more comprehensive look at the fundamental causes of global warming. And it's led them to this sobering conclusion: Our modern energy, chemical and GMO-intensive industrial food and farming systems are the major cause of man-made global warming.
BY
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How did they reach this conclusion? First: by taking a more inclusive look at the scientific data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—not just carbon dioxide (CO2), but also methane and nitrous oxide. Next, by doing a full accounting of the fossil fuel consumption and emissions of the entire industrial food and farming cycle, including inputs, equipment, production, processing, distribution, heating, cooling and waste. And finally by factoring in the indirect impacts of contemporary agriculture, which include deforestation and wetlands destruction. When you add it all up, the picture is clear: conventional agriculture is burning up our planet. And factory farms or, in industry lingo, Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), play a key role in this impending disaster. CAFOs and Climate Today, nearly 65 billion animals worldwide, including cows, chickens and pigs, are crammed into CAFOs. These animals are literally imprisoned and tortured in unhealthy, unsanitary and unconscionably cruel conditions. CAFOs contribute directly to global warming by releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere—more than the entire global transportation industry. According to a 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, including 37% of methane
COMING HERE?
EDIBLE FOOD FORESTS BY IGINIA BROCCALANDRO, CARBON ECONOMY SERIES omo sapiens have been around for nearly 200,000 years and have subsisted from a horticultural model for 90% of that time. Agriculture only dates back ten to twelve thousand years. As omnivores, we integrated ourselves into the available food system; we hunted, foraged, gathered fruits and nuts along with selecting seeds to plant in specific auspicious places.
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Living on game and perennials versus annuals like modern agriculture does, made our impact on the environment nearly null. It is with tilling, monocropping, irrigation and the cutting of trees for fuel and shelter that we begin to deplete the vegetative skin, ruin our soil and create deserts. In addition comes the necessity of guarding the yield, which requires soldiers and armies. Add petroleum and greed to the equation and we have modern, industrialized agriculture with its increasing desertification, water usage and creation of environmental devastation at an alarming rate. What took Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years to create, a huge desert, we are doing in less than 100 years, with the dust bowl and the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, as proof of our foolishness. We must look at how we fed ourselves in the past, take note and move forward. Edible food forests are a part of our heritage that must be revived. That is why David Jacke, teacher and author of Edible Food Gardens, is coming to the Carbon Economy Series.
emissions and 65% of nitrous oxide emissions. The methane releases from billions of imprisoned animals on factory farms are 70 times more damaging per ton to the earth’s atmosphere than CO2. Indirectly, factory farms contribute to climate disruption by their impact on deforestation and draining of wetlands, and because of the nitrous oxide emissions from huge amounts of pesticides used to grow the genetically engineered corn and soy fed to animals raised in CAFOs. Nitrous oxide pollution is even worse than methane—200 times more damaging per ton than CO2. And just as animal waste leaches antibiotics and hormones into ground water, pesticides and fertilizers also eventually find their way into our waterways, further damaging the environment. Factory farms aren’t just a disaster for the environment. They’re also ruining our health. A growing chorus of scientists and public health advocates warn that the intensive and reckless use of antibiotics and
Alliance for the Alternative There’s an alternative: A socially responsible, small-scale system created by independent producers and processors focused on local and regional markets. In 2013, a new alliance will tackle the next big food battle: meat, eggs and dairy products from animals raised on factory farms, or CAFOs. Starting with a massive program to educate consumers about the negative impacts of factory farming on the environment, on human health and on animal welfare, and then to mobilize millions of consumers to demand labels on beef, pork, poultry and dairy products derived from these unhealthy and unsustainable industrial practices. Opponents and skeptics will ask, “What about feeding the world?” Contrary to popular arguments, factory farming is not a cheap, efficient solution to world hunger. For every 100 food calories of edible crops fed to livestock, we get back just 30 calories in the form of meat and dairy. That’s a 70% loss. Once people know the whole truth about CAFOs they will want to make healthier, more sustainable food choices. To do that, we have to fight for our right to know not only what is in our food, but how it is produced. RONNIE CUMMINS is the international Director of the Organic Consumers Association and its Mexico affiliate, Via Organica. www.organicconsumers. org, www.viaorganica.org.
I asked Jacke what his workshop is about and he responded by saying: “Ecosystem agriculture intends to create food-producing habitats that mimic natural ecosystem properties, principles, patterns and processes. This workshop explores the vision, theory, design and practice of ecosystem agriculture using temperate forest ecosystems as the primary general model, and one or two habitats of the Santa Fe region as specific models. Lectures, field observations and experiential classes will reveal the nature of ecosystem architecture, social structure, underground economics and succession. Participants will draw conclusions from these experiences, developing practical design principles, practices, patterns and processes for garden design and management. Once we “get” the bigger patterns that connect, we will focus on the nitty gritty of perennial polyculture design.”
CHLORINE
Our ancestors lived on this land for millennia with a perennial polyculture that Jacke defines as “an effective mixture of useful perennial plants that minimizes competition, creates additive yields, and minimizes the gardener’s work and outside inputs.” The May 30–June 2 workshops explore the specific ecological theories through experiential classes and design exercises. Participants will design at least one perennial polyculture during class using Niche Analysis, Guild Build, Ecological Analogs, Patch Design or other processes. The workshops will be held at the Santa Fe Community College. CALL FOR CLASS AND FEE SCHEDULE: 505-819-3828. Register online: www.carboneconomyseries.com.
AND YOU R
garden
BY JOE
FRANKE or the past several years, I’ve noticed that even the toughest of my garden and pollinator plantings are having a tough time of it. Not only are the usual signs of heat stress evident, many plants that are otherwise thought of as tough are showing signs of what I thought was the result of a soil nutrient problem or a disease process. Plants of many different families show the same signs: first a small yellow blotch appears in the middle of the leaves, and this eventually turns to brown and then a hole forms or the leaf drops off. Questions to county extension agents and the Water Authority (as I began to think that water quality was a possible cause) provided no leads, but in talking with a well known tree nursery owner it was revealed to me that excessive amounts of chlorine in our Albuquerque’s municipal water system was in all possibility the culprit.
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Chlorine is added to municipal water to kill bacteria and other pathogens. Several forms are used, but all are toxic to one degree or another. What kills bacteria in drinking water also kills plant cells and plays havoc on the complex ecology of your soil. In drought years such as those we are experiencing now, when water from the river is likely to have a very high fecal coliform count, a LOT of chlorine gets used and this adds to the stress all of the plants in your garden undergo when rain is scarce.
There are a number of ways that chlorine can be removed from water, but methods such as reverse osmosis are impractical, expensive and wasteful. Most RO filters have a waste ration of 2/1, meaning for every gallon of RO water you get, two go down the drain. The more practical methods for removing chlorine are those that turn the harmful chlorine into harmless chlorides. This can be done using magnetic, electrical or chemical means. Chemical cartridges, which are threaded onto the end of your hose line, are the cheapest to install. The magnetic and electrical methods are those that are actually placed in the main line, and will convert chlorine to chlorides in all of the water entering the plumbing of your house. The downside of these systems is that they are expensive, starting at about $1,600, plus installation costs. You should also remember that these systems only deal with chlorine, and other contaminants of concern that are either present or will be entering our water through contamination by the millions of gallons of jet fuel spilled by Kirtland Air Force Base, and the tons of nuclear waste presently buried in unlined pits at Sandia Labs “mixed waste landfill” are NOT filtered out. For these contaminants, other filters must be used, and this will be the subject of the next installment. Please feel free to send the author an email: Joe Franke, jf@ABQwatersolutions.com.
farming & gardening DOING THE DRIP: water RANT
BY BRETT BAKKER s I write (early April) there’s been a dusting of snow on the Sandias, drenching rain in the Gila and showers in many places across the state as well as late snows near the headwaters of the Rio Grande in Colorado. In spite of this, New Mexico remains in a critical drought and at this point, no amount of precipitation will make much of a difference. Acequia farmers across New Mexico face having their ditches shut off entirely as early as July 1. Farms that use well water are watching water tables drop. Some farmers are threatening to sue upriver farmers for depleting the amount of water that should pass downstream.
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itchy green
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Visiting a few Albuquerque farms recently, I was encouraged to see many of them working with various forms of drip irrigation. Drip is key to conserving water right now but it is also worth stopping to consider what it costs. The first answer would be cost of the drip-tape and a pump to push water through the lines. Some folks would add the price of powering the pump and maybe the cost of maintaining the engine. Few people would add other hidden costs—sort of like the carbon footprint concept.
port the fuel. What about the energy needed to build the pump? To mine and transport the materials needed to build that pump? And to build the power plant that provides the energy to build the pump? And to run the mine and factories for the raw materials and parts used to build it? This can go on endlessly: the infrastructure to move all the energy, whether ground transport or power lines or pipelines.
Okay, so we need energy to run the pump. If it’s electric, think of the energy needed to run the power plant to create the energy to run the pump. If it’s gas-powered then factor in the energy needed to extract, refine and trans-
Then there’s the drip line itself: extracting raw material (oil) and refining it to make plastic to manufacture the lines. And let’s not forget the—uh—investments made in the name of protecting “our” oil resources
DELICIOUS NEW MEXICO SAVOR THE LOCAL FLAVOR
ON
JUNE 2
Delicious New Mexico has joined with New World Cuisine, a food and visual art display at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, to celebrate New Mexico's flavor. The two will combine efforts with an event featuring New Mexico food businesses, cooking demonstrations, books, a New Mexico wine and beer tasting, and, of course, LOTS OF FOOD.
Savor the Flavor will be held on Sunday, June 2, at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe from 10am5pm. Delicious New Mexico will bring today’s local food community into the mix with a host of food businesses that will feature their delicious products for sample and sale. The event also includes a book fair featuring New Mexico cookbook authors, outdoor horno baking demonstrations, cooking demos with Chef Rocky Durham of the Santa Fe Culinary Academy and wine and beer tasting in the Museum Hill Café. Museum entrance is free with NM identification. www.deliciousnm.org
May 2013 13
RESOURCES
FOR LIFE
globally. And how long do these lines last? A couple of years at most if on top of the ground, exposed to the elements, and a few more years if buried underground. Plastic may take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose entirely but it degrades and becomes unusable quickly. So then there’s the cost of new plastic made with “new” oil and maintaining all that old infrastructure, extraction and exploration. One could argue that all the mines, factories and infrastructure are already there. And that would be correct. But all that stuff wouldn’t be there if there was no demand (i.e., no money to be made in doing so.) Some people may think I’m going too far, but there is an energy and ecological cost to everything we use or consume on a daily basis: plastic spoon in our take-out lunch, washing the dishes, getting the latest model phone, on and on and on. We can’t be completely “clean” because all creatures, including humans, have to use resources to stay alive. We’re just the only species that create such far-reaching effects. Using a stone ax to cut down a tree in a forest to make a shovel handle is about as clean as you could get—except that the material for the shovel head has got to come from a smelter and mine someplace. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we need to return to the Stone Age. I like using a well-made shovel or digging fork, or switching on the lights or my stereo. All I’m suggesting is that drip irrigation is a way to use less water but it comes at a higher energy cost. But heck, even ditch irrigation requires energy to dam the rivers, build the head gates, pour concrete, etc. I don’t think anyone wants to return to the old method of building dams with huge woven willow baskets full of rocks and dig ditches with pointy sticks. No, I’m not even sure what my point is here except just to be aware. Water in the desert is not a given. In my view, growing food with it trumps lawns and landscaping, sports fields, new home development, industry, or even our new sacred cow: the creation of jobs. Finally there’s the issue OF WATER RIGHTS. As water is “saved” by cutting back on irrigation, it’s then seen as “available” for other industrial/development uses. USE IT OR LOSE IT is the reality here whether it’s exactly legal or not. But that’s another rant entirely…
GROWING FOOD trumps...
summer
reading
May 2013 14
community
forum
May 2013 15
NOT ONE MORE ACRE! MILITARY GREENWASH MANEUVER BY JEAN AGUERRE he US Army's claim that ongoing and expanded operations at the already ravaged Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) in southeastern Colorado pose no significant environmental impacts is a "bizarre greenwash" of an ongoing assault on fragile prairie grasslands in an area that scientists describe as the "headwinds" of the 1930s Dust Bowl. Watchdog group, Not 1 More Acre! (N1MA!), challenged the Army's unsupported and contradictory claims in comments filed March 21 under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). N1MA! submitted scientific evidence refuting the Draft Finding of “No Significant Impact” and Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment filed by the Army earlier this year.
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PROTECTING OUR
LAST
N ATIVE
GRASSLANDS
In stark contrast to the picture painted by the Army, Fritz L. Knopf, a Great Plains historical ecologist, warns, "Training at Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site results in irreversible disturbance of soils. Soils of the shortgrass prairie are highly erodible. Historically, southeastern Colorado lies in what might be termed the 'headwinds' of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Studies have concluded that tracking by military vehicles causes a soil disturbance that leads to an ecological shift from a deep-rooted, wind-resistant, soil-protecting vegetative cover to a shallowrooted flora prone to severe wind erosion in periods of drought," Knopf said.
The proposed operations will involve relocation of many thousands of soldiers and civilians on multiple bases; along with thousands of pieces of heavy equipment, including tanks, artillery and aviation assets. Activities will include live–fire training exercises, the use of toxic and hazardous substances, integrated electronic weapons systems, including armed drones, and intensification of maneuvers by the 13th Heavy Combat Brigade and other units. Yet, the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) reaches the astounding conclusion that none of the current or proposed activities will have any significant adverse environmental impacts.
M U S E U M O F C O N T E M P O R A RY N AT I V E A RT S
SPRING EXHIBIT STANDS WITH A FIST: NATIVE WOMEN ARTISTS The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) celebrates the opening of its Spring 2013 Exhibitions with an extraordinary group exhibition — Stands With A Fist: Contemporary Native Women Artists, two solo exhibitions by multi-disciplinary artist Kade L Twist and photographer Rosalie Favell and daily screenings of the experimental documentary Apache Chronicle. Stands With A Fist is a multi-disciplinary art exhibition celebrating visual expression created by contemporary Native women artists. The exhibition demonstrates the ways that women boldly fit into, redefine or turn upside down the usual categories of art and art-making, while re-interpreting and drawing from their rich cultural heritage. Collectively, their work expresses a unique Indigenous relationship to the land, contemporary worldview and sense of obligation to their culture.
In bringing these artists together, Stands With A Fist bears witness to the strength of diverse cultural influences, individual experiences and the intellectual and creative activism expressed by Native women artists working today. In conjunction with the Stands With A Fist: Contemporary Native Women Artists, MoCNA has commissioned artist Nanibah “Nani” Chacon to create a new mural in the Allan Houser Art Park. Stands With A Fist: Contemporary Native Women Artists include: Gina Adams, Natalie Ball, Lindsay Delaronde, Merritt Johnson, Tanya Lukin-Linklater and Melanie Yazzie and is curated by Ryan Rice. The exhibition is open to the public on Saturday, May 25, and continues through July 31. The opening reception will take place on Friday, May 24, from 5 to 7pm at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, 108 Cathedral Place in Santa Fe. The opening is FREE and open to the public. For more information contact Andrea R. Hanley at 505-428-5907 or ahanley@iaia.edu.
ANNUAL GOURMET LUNCHEON AND RANCH TOUR
HORSE SHELTER M AY 1 9
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irst and foremost, the Horse Shelter is dedicated to providing a safe, healthy environment for rescued horses. They follow up on each and every report received of horse abuse or neglect, disseminate information on proper horse care for horse owners and make every attempt to assist individuals in the care of their horses. The Horse Shelter’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and facilitate the adoption of abused, abandoned and neglected horses throughout New Mexico. Shelter horses are housed in run-in stalls, large paddocks and turn-outs. They maintain a healthy feeding regimen, provide veterinary and farrier care and exercise horses when appropriate, working with them to get them ready for adoption to carefully screened new owners. For some horses the Horse Shelter will be a life-long sanctuary due to their history, age or medical condition. This year is the 12th Annual Auction and Fundraising benefit to help cover the costs of this work. On May 19 enjoy a delicious gourmet luncheon donated by Restaurant Martin, ranch tours and horse training demonstra-
tions utilizing shelter horses, and a fundraising auction. Don’t miss this wonderful event and a chance to help our four-legged friends. On June 15 you are also invited to join Horse Shelter staff and volunteers for their Valles Caldera horse ride, another benefit for the Shelter. Enjoy lunch catered by the Whole Hog Cafe and a rare opportunity to ride horses out in the beautiful Valles Caldera. Groups ride independently, without being restricted to trails and have seen coyote and elk! The Grande Meadow is 14 miles long and ten miles wide. There is still hot magnum three miles below the surface. It is one of only three active calderons in the US today. The heat below the surface is the reason no trees grow there. Space is limited to 50 horses. Please reserve as a riding group with Sue Murphy at: suemurphy 723@earthlink.net FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RSVP for the May 19 celebration of horses and gourmet food go to www.thehorseshelter.org or call 505-471-6179.
“Scientific studies have collectively concluded that ravages already wreaked on the shortgrass at the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site are irreversible,” Knopf warned, “and there currently is no technical knowledge or expectation that the erosion-protecting sod landscape can be recovered or restored following surface disturbances from military actions past and proposed. The Army ignores the collective research programs at the Agricultural Research Service's Long-Term Ecological Research site in Eastern Colorado which conclude that restoration of shortgrass prairie from severe damage is so slow that it has not yet been definitively documented anywhere in eastern Colorado, 75 years after the Dust Bowl." The southern Great Plains represent the largest continuous expanse of native shortgrass remaining on earth. Because of the already documented ecological desecration of this fragile and sensitive region, Not 1 More Acre! opposes any continued use or expansion of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site and insists that the Pentagon withdraw the 2020 PEA and immediately cease any training and/or any other activities at the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site. Not One More Acre! says, “We will not stand by to watch the last native shortgrass prairie become the next National Sacrifice Zone.” For more information, to make a donation or to see related documents go to www.not1moreacre.net
BIKES
PARTS, AND STUFF TO BE HAD!
BIKE SWAP!
SATURDAY, MAY 11 Noon to dusk on Lead SE, just west of Elm, at the warehouse with the Donkey Kong mural. FREE TO VEND. For info contact Kevin at fullertronic@gmail.com or David at hueroknife@yahoo.com.
Mary Alice Cooper, MD