Co-op Connection News June, 2013

Cultivating Pollinator Awareness

& HABITAT POLLINATOR PARTNERS

program

BY LORETTA MCGRATH, POLLINATOR PARTNERS PROGRAM n spring, the trees are budding open, fruit tree blossoms and pollinators have arisen from hibernation to create fertility across the region. For beekeepers, it is a time to open the hives to inspect them after winter and to assess the vigor of the bee colony. It can be a very inspiring time when a beekeeper sees that not only did the hive survive the winter, but it is flourishing without disease and the queen is laying eggs. It can also be a time of despair, to see no bee activity and to open the colony to see a small bundle of bees all gathered together around the queen, never to awake again. For most beekeepers these days, it is a time of mixed emotion as some bees will have survived and others will have passed on. Increasingly, beekeepers are finding higher hive losses after winter and this year was particularly grim with national losses up to 60%.

I

Policy Action on Behalf of Honey Bees In March, leaders in the European Union made the significant and crucial decision to place a two-year moratorium on the use of a class of pesticides, called neonicotinoids, which have been highly suspect as a main cause of Colony Collapse Disorder. A number of recent studies implicate clothiandin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid, the main ingredients that comprise neocicotinoids, as having detrimental effects on honey bees and other pollinators such as bumble bees.

Beekeepers, environmental organizations and US consumers alike are demanding that the US Environmental Protection Agency take immediate action to curtail use of those same pesticides in the US, but the EPA has ruled that there isn’t significant evidence yet and has postponed a decision until 2018.

Concerned that the US food system and agriculture is in jeopardy due to the decline of pollinating insects, and specifically honey bees, the Center for Food Safety, Pesticide Action Network, Beyond Pesticides, beekeepers and others have filed a lawsuit against the EPA demanding more immediate action. The public can get involved in pressuring the EPA by supporting the organizations that have filed the lawsuit, writing letters to the editor to increase awareness, ending use of pesticides in common household garden products by using natural means to grow plants sustainably, sharing information with neighbors, family and friends, and signing petitions when necessary. Of course, planting chemical-free pollinator habitat, using wise water conservation methods and getting children involved in the process are all great steps to move the situation in a new and vital direction.

Cultivating a Cadre of Pollinator Allies The cadre of pollinator allies in communities around New Mexico who are taking steps to share information, protect pollinators and create pollinator habitat to nourish them continues to grow despite an ongoing drought which some say is the new “normal.” The Pollinator Partners Program finds that folks around New Mexico are eager to support pollinators and get involved in any way they can to support these beneficial and often invisible creatures who enable entire plant communities and the web of life to exist.

When It’s Hopeless, Do It All the More As a sustainability educator, I ask my students to hold in their hearts, find a calling and take up a practice of caring for life. Having faith in humanity will turn the tide of our destructive ways and create a momentum on the planet toward viability and resiliency to

KNOWASTE at Earth Day!

BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER This year at Earth Day, the Co-op stepped up its sustainability game by partnering with composting rockstars Knowaste & the Resource Recovery Rangers to help manage waste produced at the event.

An important part of Knowaste is knowing your waste. This crew does a great job of sorting garbage (split-streaming waste), but also of keeping track of how much is produced during an event. This year at Earth Day here’s how we did: We created a total of 320 pounds of waste at Earth Day. Of that grand total, 132 pounds, or about 41% of what we threw away, was compostable; 99 pounds, or about 31%, was recyclable plastic or aluminum; 27 pounds, or about 8%, was recyclable cardboard; 62

address the real issues of our times, overcome the lack of will that exists in our political system, stand up for the rights of nature (and pollinators) and take action on behalf of cultivating viability and regeneration of life. It’s a form of caring in which one may not know the consequences for several generations from now, but we must do it anyway.

Eliminate Pesticide Use A school garden educator in Truth or Consequences is known for resisting the use of pesticides on her roses when aphids appear. During a workshop on Pollinator Plantings, she found out that Round-Up was toxic to bees, along with other lawn care and rose food products, which usually surprises home gardeners who assume herbicides and fertilizers are safe for bees, ladybugs and the environment. Her son asked her why they don’t spray and she told him, “We don’t spray because those aphids are like chicken to a ladybug. The ladybugs love to eat them.

If we poison the aphids, we’ll be poisoning the ladybugs.”

Training Opportunities For the second year now, the Pollinator Partners Program offers pollinator trainings in a variety of communities. This year the program focuses trainings in the communities of Abiquiu, Espanola, Taos, Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Look for this BEE ICON in this issue to participate in other POLLINATOR EVENTS taking place around the state.

Support Local Nurseries There are a few very dedicated nursery operations in the Rio Grande Corridor which continue to cultivate native plants for pollinators despite the challenges of growing in drought conditions. Please support these businesses that provide very vital services for the region. Visit your favorite nursery and ask them what native pollinator plants they cultivate. Also see if they have local seeds available.

Create Pollinator Habitat!

Tell us about the pollinator habitat you have created by sending your stories and photos to us. If you are interested in promoting pollinators in your organization, business, school, neighborhood or community, you can contact Loretta McGrath at: loremcgrath@gmail.com. Donations to the Pollinator Partners Program can be made to Farm to Table at www.farmtotablenm.org.

Skarsgard Farms’ Urban Agriculture Education Center recently converted a concrete parking lot into a community garden. Home Grown New Mexico will be hosting a series of gardening classes on the site and will launch this year with a pollinator training on June 29 in Albuquerque.

Home Grown’s Third Annual Garden and Coop Tours will include a garden that has substantial pollinator habitat and honey bee colonies. The Santa Fe tour is on July 28 at Sangre de Cristo SUPPORT HONEYBEES Beekeepers Coordinator and Master AND OTHER POLLINATORS Gardener, Kate Whealen’s, garden. The Corrales tour on August 11 will also June 1/Santa Fe from 9 to 11am. EarthCare Community Garden at Jaguar and feature a pollinator garden and is a site Country Club Drive. A Pollinator Garden Planning Class co-sponsored by Farm with honey bee colonies. For more to Table, Homegrown New Mexico and Earthcare. Please RSVP at www.home information contact Amy Hetager: grownnewmexico.org. Information contact Amy Hetager at 505-473-1403. www.homegrownnewmexico.org or 505-473-1403.

June 25/Santa Fe from 9:30 to 11am. Railyard Stewards, the Santa Fe Master Gardeners and Farm to Table co-sponsoring a workshop, Encouraging There are several Open Space Parks in Pollinators, co-taught by Master Gardener Kate Whealen and Loretta McGrath.

Albuquerque that have cultivated The event is free and open to the public. Meet at the Railyard Park Community native pollinator plantings; visit the Room. Directions and information contact Railyard Stewards at 505-316-3596 or Hubbell House and the Open Space www. railyardpark.org.

Visitor Center, check out their website for a list of workshops or contact ABQ June 29/Albuquerque from 10 to 12pm. Homegrown New Mexico, Skarsgard BEEKS. (See article on page 4.) In Farms and Farm to Table co-sponsor a Planting for Pollinators workshop, the Santa Fe, the Railyard Park has a first class to be offered at the new Community Garden site at Skarsgard Farms’ “scent” garden containing pollinator new Urban Agriculture Education Center at 3435 Stanford Drive NE. Information plants and the Railyard Stewards offer contact Jes Peterson, Education Coordinator at jes@skarsgardfarms.com. a pollinator plant training this year on June 25. For directions and information contact Railyard Stewards at 505316-3596 or www.railyardpark.org.

pollinator events

pounds, or about 19% we sent to the landfill as trash.

What all of this means is, we kept out of the landfill about 258 pounds or 81% of what we threw out at Earth Day. Nice work!

In case you’re not familiar with split-stream resource recovery, here’s a little Knowaste primer: Split-Stream; the Resource Recovery Station Garbage is what happens when we gather all of our disposables in one place. Yuk. Split the materials stream from the start. No muss, no fuss. Just well-managed commodities… ready for re-entry, reuse, and recycling. Knowaste provides

educational and easy to find Resource Recovery Stations at events like Earth Day. Hide and Seek; the Resource Recovery Ranger Look for the Hand. And Wastebasket. Together they light your way to the nearest collection point. Managing waste is easier if you know where to put it. When Knowaste is on the scene, you can expect friendly and knowledgeable Resource Recovery Rangers to walk you through the process. For more information contact Knowaste at www.knowaste.net.

the BREAKDOWN Let us know what you

think!

LOOK IN YOUR MAILBOX FOR OUR ANNUAL

MEMBER SURVEY

Your input is important to us. Please take a moment to fill out the survey and bring it back to your local Co-op before June 30th and receive a 15% discount Co-op shopping trip for your effort. For information contact Robin at 217-2027, call the toll free number: 877-775-2667 or e-mail robins@lamontanita.coop.

JUNE is MEMBER

SURVEYmonth!

Know your WASTE Knowaste knows what your refuse is made of. We know where it belongs.

We’ve got answers if you have questions. We’ve got waiting containers if you don’t. This means it’s easy to sort the compost from the recycling, from the trash (ideally there’s next to none of this!)

D.I.Y. sustainably 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

June 2013 2

SUSTAINABLE

GRAZING PRACTICES HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL:

Mesteño Draw Ranch Day

BY ANN ADAMS You’re invited to Holistic Management International’s Mesteño Draw Ranch Day near Mountainair, NM, on August 9. This ranch day will focus on sustainable grazing practices to help manage land in drought. Learn about key sustainable grazing considerations, effective forage assessment, inventory management, and assessing land health. This will be an experiential, peerto-peer learning event with short presentations and small group exercises to help people

UNM Co-op ’N Go/ 7am-6pm M-F, 10-4pm Sat. Closed Sun., 2301 Central Ave. SE Abq., NM 87131 277-9586

AUGUST

9

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

MANAGE DROUGHT

• See how you can improve riparian health for increased forage production; • Get tips on how to increase upland forage health; • Hear how Holistic Management enables producers to better manage risk, make better decisions and enjoy the benefits of sustainable agriculture.

This ranch day is ideal for agricultural producers, wildlife managers, local agency representatives, and anyone interested in sustainability or drought mitigation.

PRESENTERS INCLUDE: Joan Bybee, Mesteño Draw Ranch Owner; Melvin Johnson, Ranney Ranch Manager; Brian Greene, Supervisor for the Claunch-Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD); Kenneth Lujan, District Conservationist for the Claunch-Pinto SWCD; and Ann Adams, HMI’s Community Services Director. Thanks to the Claunch-Pinto SWCD and La Montanita for sponsoring this event.

Registration begins June 1. There are limited spots, and registration is first come, first served. A $20 registration fee includes the whole day’s program and lunch. For more information about this educational program or to register, go to www.holisticmanagement.org/mesteno. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Development Director Matt Parrack at mparrack @holisticmanagement.org.

learn to apply these skills on their land and understand how to manage for land and animal health while maintaining a profitable business.

This ranch day is part of our Open Gate On-Farm Learning Series.

Open Gate is an action-based approach to learning. Learn to identify common problems and discuss common solutions in a friendly atmosphere with experienced facilitators and producers. When you leave at the end of the day, you’ll take away practical ideas on how you can increase profit, production and performance for a sustainable ranch operation despite drought conditions.

At the Mesteño Draw Ranch Day you’ll…

• See what fellow New Mexican land managers are doing to maintain land health and profitability during drought; • Discuss practical stocking/destocking strategies; • Better understand critical monitoring criteria; • Evaluate herd management strategies; • Understand how best to maximize recovery;

WHITFIELDCONSERVATION AREA NATIVE

PLANT

SOCIETY

On Wednesday, June 5 at 7pm, all are invited to a program focused on the native plants of the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area (near Belen), presented by Ted Hodoba, the WWCA Project Manager.

The Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area is a 100-acre wildlife refuge and nature center located near Belen. Consisting of 97 acres of riparian habitat and three acres of upland habitat, there is always something in bloom as the refuge has the ability to irrigate year round. In addition to a wide variety of native plants, over half of the bird species native to New Mexico and other wildlife, including prairie dogs and coyotes, are commonly seen.

Ted Hodoba, the WWCA Project Manager, has a Master’s degree in natural resources management and environmental planning.

He has a keen interest in native plants and is the author of Growing Desert Plants from Windowsill to Garden about plants suitable for our local environment. He is a past president of both the Albuquerque chapter and the state organization of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico. One of his main areas of personal study are hardy cacti and succulents, especially those native to the Chihuahuan Desert.

14TH ANNUAL

GREENBUILT JUNE 8/9

TOUR

Get your tour book at the Nob Hill, North Valley and Santa Fe Co-op locations! New Mexico Chapter and GreenBuilt Tour Committee are happy to announce the 14th Annual GreenBuilt Tour June 8-9, 2013, from 10-4 at 18 select sustainable homes in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and northern New Mexico. The 2013 GreenBuilt Tour will kick off with a reception and awards presentation on Friday, June 7, at Southwest Green Building Center. The reception and Green Leaf awards ceremony will be from 6-8:30pm.

Tour visits are $2 per home or $15 for a tour pass.

Offering some of the finest examples in sustainable design, from model homes to apartments and multi-generational homes, the tour ranges from Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Placitas, Sandia Park, Santa Fe and Lamy to Abiquiu and Valdez. This year’s theme, Green Revue, brings together innovative homes new to the tour along with homes from previous tours that stand as notable green building precedents within our communities.

See great examples of homes that minimize energy and water use, while maximizing health and comfort. From renovations to new construction, attendees will see examples of passive solar design; straw bale, pumicecrete, and adobe construction; innovative heating and cooling systems, including geothermal, cooled slabs, and whole-house ventilation strategies; and sensitive site design focused on minimizing impact to the landscape.

These homes go above and beyond green standards with composting, community gardens, plant/tree preservation and more.

Some of the homes boast LEED, Build Green NM and ENERGY STAR certifications.

To learn more about these homes and the others check out our guidebook coming soon online at http://usgbcnm.org/GBT2013. For reservations to the awards’ reception go to www.usgbcnm.org, click on chapter events, then on calendar view and select the June 7 date.

Free guidebooks will be available at La Montanita Co-op in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. For more information about the tour or to volunteer go to: www.usgbcnm.org/GBT2013 or email gbtour@gmail.com.

A short chapter meeting precedes the talk. More information about the organization and the June 5 talk is available at www.npsnm.org.

Ampersand Sustainable Living Center's off-grid site demonstrates sustainable systems including permaculture, land restoration, organic gardening, passive solar design, and wise water techniques.

Located in Cerrillos, NM, Ampersand hosts workshops, internships, and volunteer opportunities.

June workshops include: JUNE 2, 10am to 4pm High Desert Gardening JUNE 15, 10am to 2pm Arid Land Restoration JUNE 22, 10am to 4pm Introduction to Permaculture JUNE 30, 10am to 4pm Wise Water Techniques—Simple Graywater and Rainwater Systems TO REGISTER go to www.ampersandproject.org, or 505-780-0535 or at ampersandproject@yahoo.com

AMPERSAND SUSTAINABLE LIVING CENTER JUNE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

growing new mexico

June 2013 3

POLLINATORS, PESTS AND

DROUGHT DR. TESSA R. GRASSWITZ, NMSU ew Mexico is currently entering its third consecutive year of below-average rainfall. At the time of writing, nearly 98% of the state is classified by the US Department of Agriculture as suffering severe drought, or worse. As farmers struggle with a diminishing supply of irrigation water for their crops, the effects of the prolonged drought are making themselves felt on other elements of our landscape, including long-lived perennial plants such as trees and shrubs, as well as wildflowers and weeds. While most growers are only too pleased if weeds fail to germinate, it’s worth remembering that wildflowers and flowering weeds constitute an important source of nectar and pollen for domesticated honeybees, wild native bees, predatory wasps and other beneficial insects.

BY

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Many local beekeepers have reported reduced survival of their colonies over the winter, which some attribute to the lack of floral resources at the end of last summer, reducing bees’ ability to store enough food to sustain them. The same is likely true for many of our wild native bees. This year’s difficult spring hasn’t helped, either, with

late frosts delaying or reducing flower production in many wild and cultivated plants. At New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas, an unusual number and diversity of wild bee species were observed in the fruit orchards in April (especially on apples and plums). Normally the flowers of these trees are dominated by domesticated honeybees, but this year many native bees were also observed feeding at the flowers, including at least three species not seen at the site before.

The effects of a lack of wild forage on the bees was also evident in the severe competition observed for access to the earlyflowering plants in the Center’s pollinator planting, an experimental site established in 2010 to test a range of native and cultivated plants for their ability to attract and sustain both domesticated honeybees and wild bees. The cold spring delayed the flowering of some normally early-blooming species such as stiff greenthread (Thelesperma filifolium) and showy goldeneye (Heliomeris multiflora), and the first available flowers of the red dome blanket flower (Gaillardia pinnatifida) were covered in a mass of hungry bees. This plant attracts a wide diversity of wild bees, but it is normally rare to see more than one bee on any individual flower; this year, as many as five different species were observed crowding onto a single bloom.

As the availability of wild flowers continues to decrease due to habitat loss and the ongoing drought, home gardeners can help by establishing pollinator plantings and providing nesting habitat for our native bees. Even small areas will be found and appreciated by the bees, and a network of such plantAnyone keen to learn more about native bees and planting ings is very valuable. A list of recomfor pollinators may be interested in attending a half-day mended pollinator plants for New workshop to be held at the Los Lunas Agricultural Science Mexico, as well as a guide to our main Center on Saturday, 15th June (details available by calling 505groups of native bees and their habitat 865-7340), which includes a visit to the pollinator planting requirements, has been prepared by New which should be in full bloom at that time.

Mexico State University and the Natural Resources Conservation Service and are Some native plants may be harder to find or raise than our available at www.aces.nmsu.edu/ipm/ familiar garden flowers, and the latter can help, too – but try to pollinator-project.html. stay away from the highly ornamental “double” varieties (e.g.,

PLANTING FOR POLLINATORS AND

NATIVE BEES

KEEN TO LEARN

of sunflowers), as they often provide less nectar and pollen than single-flowered varieties and are more difficult for the insects to access.

JUNE 15

BAG CREDIT DONATION

ORGANIZATION

OF THE MONTH:

Think New Mexico is a results-oriented think tank whose mission is to improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans, especially those who lack a strong voice in the political process, by educating the public, the media, and policymakers about some of the most serious challenges facing New Mexico and by developing and advocating for effective, comprehensive, sustainable solutions.

Their approach is to perform and publish sound, nonpartisan, independent research. Think New Mexico does not subscribe to any particular ideology. Instead, because New Mexico is at or near the bottom of so many national rankings, their focus is on promoting workable solutions.

As a results-oriented think tank, Think New Mexico measures its success based on changes in law or policy that they help to achieve and that improve the quality of life in New Mexico. They are best known for winning passage of landmark laws and constitutional amendments that have: • repealed the state’s regressive tax on food; • made full-day kindergarten accessible to every child in New Mexico; • created a Strategic Water Reserve to protect and restore New Mexico’s rivers;

DONATE E your BAG CREDIT! donate

THEDIME!

feeding

POLLINATORS

THINK

NEW MEXICO • established New Mexico’s first state-supported Individual Development Accounts; • redirected millions of dollars out of the state lottery’s operating costs and into fulltuition college scholarships; • reformed title insurance to lower closing costs for homebuyers and homeowners who refinance their mortgages; • increased the qualifications of Public Regulation Commission (PRC) commissioners, transferred insurance regulation from the PRC to a separate department and consolidated the PRC’s corporate reporting unit for all business filings at the Secretary of State’s Office; and • modernized the state’s regulation of taxis, limos, shuttles, and moving companies to promote job creation, small business formation, and lower prices for consumers.

Their work would not be possible without the help of New Mexicans across the state, including over 900 financial supporters and thousands of email activists. In 2010, this network of supporters sent over 15,000 emails to Governor Richardson, successfully convincing him to line-item veto the reimposition of the food tax. To find out about Think New Mexico’s initiatives and to become involved, visit www.thinknewmexico.org and sign up for email alerts, and follow them on Facebook or Twitter or contact them at 505-992-1315, info@thinknewmexico.org.

THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO: Think New Mexico: Developing and advocating for effective, comprehensive, sustainable solutions, especially for those who lack a strong voice in the political process.

In APRIL your bag credit donations totaling $2,118.52 went to the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. Thank you!!!!

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.

celebrating

pollinators

June 2013 4

FOOD AND FLOWERS, A BEAUTIFUL SOLUTION!

NOT OVER THE

!

Sublethal effects weaken and disable our bees without actually killing them. A study done at UC at San Diego fed bees low doses of a neonicotinoid insecticide and it made them less inclined to forage on all but the very sweetest of syrups. “In other words, the bees preferred to only feed on sweeter nectar and refused nectars of lower sweetness that they would normally feed on that would have provided important sustenance for the colony,” says researcher Daren Eiri. “In addition, bees typically recruit their nest mates to good food with waggle dances, and we discovered that the treated bees also danced less.” The neonicotinoids have been shown to slow learning in bees.

The hive becomes slow witted, and less able to respond to the floral landscape. That’s like a basketball player slowing down and losing track of the ball. Hives of honeybees owe their lives to the floral landscape and have to be quick and efficient.

CLIFF YET

LES CROWDER, NM BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION have had this reoccurring “daymare!” We think we are really the epitome of evolution, such big brains and opposing thumbs, and yet we are just like overpopulated lemmings running to the edge of the cliff. With all our intelligence we can’t seem to stop and turn around. Beekeepers were the first ones to get to the cliff because we raise insects in a world full of insecticides. I began to wonder how much anybody else really cared. Then I went to a conference in Albuquerque put on by Beyond Pesticides and La Montanita Co-op. I realized that lawyers were suing EPA and companies on behalf of honeybees, and that we now have ample evidence that we are all getting too close to that cliff and together we all see the problem and are calling for a change of direction. Yeah! I am not happy that we are all in danger but I am glad to have friends in our hour of need. Many hands make light(er) work.

BY

I

I have had the wonderful fortune to see how I connected to the rest of the living creatures through an encounter with honeybees when I was a teen.

Not to get too “truffula tree” but in those days (the ’70s) honeybees thrived and it rained regularly in July and August. Honeybees made honey and most (90%+) survived the winter. I have witnessed the gradual slide from those days to the present when honeybees struggle and a 70% winter survival is a great relief. (I remember the year when only two out of 100 of my hives survived the winter.) It is harder to keep bees now. And strangely enough more people are helping than ever before. (We do need your help if you’re curious, contact me at the info below.)

Also at the Beyond Pesticides conference we heard Joel Forman, a pediatrician from New York, talk about his research showing that pesticides in agriculture are increasing autism and ADD rates in our rapidly developing babies. We heard Tyronne Hayes, PhD, researcher from Berkeley, CA, talk about pesticide-induced sterilization of male frogs. I began to feel that beekeepers are not alone on the edge of the cliff. The defenders of kids and frogs are shouting with us!

thrive. If we leave any creature behind, everybody eventually gets held back. We ALL need to rise together. Pollinators, and by extension beekeepers, are being left behind and everybody will get mired with us eventually. Beekeepers deserve consideration, our needs are everybody's needs because we all need bees and trees and food. We all need a healthy vibrant environment to live and thrive in.

Thanks to CCD we are learning something that will make an improvement in the world.

Survival Synergy We have watched the scientific community struggle to figure out what causes CCD for a good many years. The investigations have led us into new territory; the sub-lethal and synergistic effects of pesticides.

Synergistic effects are only beginning to be untangled from a very complicated soup of compounds used in the farm landscapes that beekeepers and our hives pollinate. A common farmland mix of fungicides and neonicotinoids magnifies the toxicity of the insecticides. We are mixing new potions without even realizing the terrible consequences.

In spite of the bad news everywhere I have begun to feel more hope than ever. Women are getting involved in beekeeping in a big way and they are bringing a new power to the scene. There are groups in Albuquerque, (ABQBeeks, see article below), Santa Fe, (Sangre de Cristo Beekeepers) Alamogordo, the bay area of CA, Paris, France, and worldwide, helping people learn to keep bees. People who do not want to keep bees ask all the time what they can do as spectators. I say grow flowers, NEVER use poisons/pesticides, and buy organic food. Flowers and delicious food! What a beautiful solution!

RISING TOGETHER June 22

Still in the Forefront Beekeepers are still at the forefront. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has caused some beekeepers huge losses, put some out of business and threatened to make much of our food scarce. It has spurred research into the causes and this research has revealed new truths about how bees, crops and pesticides interact. All the players in the game of growing food are involved. We all need to make a living. I have had a theory of late that we need to rise together; that beekeepers, almond and apple growers, agricultural supply companies, food eaters and even bees, butterflies, earthworms are all in this life together and we all need to help each other survive and

The New Mexico Beekeepers Association will be having a gathering to hear the charismatic researcher Dr. James Nieh, PhD University of CA, San Diego, and beekeepers in Albuquerque, NM, June 22 from 9am to 3pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 215 Locust St. NE, corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. and I-25. Hear how we can all help bees, butterflies, birds, beetles and people rise out of this dark shadow. I hope to see you there! SHALL WE ALL RISE TOGETHER?!

The Pollinator Support

MOVEMENT BEESWEEK

BY ALISHA M. FORRESTER SCOTT he Pollinator Support Movement (PSM) is a collective of action-oriented humans that possess the personal interest, expertise, experience, and compassionate nature necessary to change the trajectory of the current conditions in the food supply chain. PSM is launching its work on behalf of bees and other pollinators in New Mexico on June 3-4 with a series of educational and action oriented events at UNM.

T

PSM is changing the culture of how humanity works together in the midst of declining global bee populations.

Declines due to mites, disease, chemicals, and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) put the food supply and the continued existence of a wide variety of planet life at risk. PSM is working to create what can be described as a global collective network guided by peaceful standards of conduct and functional behavioral practices.

"BeeSWeek 2013: Scientific and Community Panel Forums" Produced by Pollinator Support Movement (PSM), BeeSWeek is sponsored by the Albuquerque Film and Media

H O N E Y B E E E D U C AT I O N :

A

bq Beeks is a social group that focuses on honey bee education and building a pollinator friendly community. Abqbeeks.org is where you can find beekeeping events, post questions, find a swarm catcher and meet beekeepers. The group meets monthly to discuss seasonal hive maintenance for both Langstroth and Top Bar equipment.

• Abq Beeks Mentoring at Open Space Group Bee Yard, every two weeks throughout the year. FREE. Space is limited so kindly login and RSVP at abqbeeks.org

LES CROWDER and his partner Heather Harrell wrote Top-Bar Beekeeping published by Chelsea Greene in 2012. For the Love of Bees is a small certified organic farm that produces vegetables and strawberries in Penasco, NM. Les is teaching beekeeping classes in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos, NM, this summer and fall. For more information go to www.fortheloveofbees.com

Experience (AFME) (see article on page 15). BeeSWeek runs the first two days, June 3-4 of the 7-day film fest that extends along Rt. 66 (Central Ave.) from downtown Albuquerque to Nob Hill at a variety of locations.

Held on campus at UNM, inside the Science and Math Learning Center Auditorium, the two days provide an in depth look at related bee and food issues.

Four panel discussions with expert-professionals, and presentations by keynote speakers will communicate the current North American bee situation, and discuss the design and implementation of a more robust and sustainable industrial pollination solution set.

Monday’s keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Valerie Solheim. Workshops with experts both local and national will include: the current state of bees, an analysis of four bee industries, today's practices from the perspectives of the farmer and the pollination contractor, usage of chemicals and known and potential sustainable alternatives, BeeGAP (Gardeners Adding Pollinators) as a keystone home garden solution documenting efforts to create healthy yards, natural bee habitats, raising solitary bees to assist the farmer in crop pollination and in wholesome food production in home settings.

For more information or to register for the conference go to www.pollinatorsupportmovement.com or contact Alisha at doyoulikefood@gmail.com or call 978-254-7428.

ABQ BEEKS • June 6, 6:30-8:30pm, Abq Beeks Meeting focusing on queen rearing. Bernalillo County Extension Office, 1510 Menaul Blvd. NW, FREE ABQBEEKS co-chair Jessie Brown is just back from Jamaica where she provided training in treatment-free topbar beekeeping, hive construction, and making wax-based products to beekeeping associations in several parishes. To learn more about her Jamaica stay, the Farmer to Farmer project or ABQ Beeks, contact her at 710-3277 or email: brownsdowntownbees@hotmail.com.

food policy news

June 2013 5 SUPPORT

NATIONAL GE FOOD

RIGHT-TO-KNOW

ACT

Kudos Martin!

Senator Heinrich Co-Sponsors

Take

O

n April 24 US Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clearly label genetically engineered (GE) foods so that consumers can make informed choices about what they eat. Kudos to our Senator Martin Heinrich for his cosponsorship of the bill.

Other sponsors of the Senate bill include; Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Jon Tester (D-MT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (DOR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI).

Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Tulsi Gabbard (DHI), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Donna Christensen (DVirgin Islands), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Peter Welch (DVT), James Moran (D-VA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Don Young (R-AK), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), George Miller (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Ann Kuster (D-NH) are cosponsors of the House bill.

Senator Martin Heinrich says, “Americans deserve to have accurate information when making choices about what they eat. As a parent, the safety and quality of our food is important to me and to families across New Mexico. I am pleased to join my colleagues in introducing the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act to ensure consumers are able to make informed and healthy decisions about the products they purchase."

According to surveys, more than 90% of Americans support the labeling of genetically engineered foods. In fact, many consumers are surprised to learn that GE foods are not already labeled. Currently, the FDA requires the labeling of over 3,000 ingredients, additives and processes, but the agency has resisted labels for genetically modified foods. In a 1992 policy statement, the FDA allowed

Action for labeling!

More than 90% of Americans support the RIGHT TO KNOW what is in the FOODS we FEED our families.

FOOD

CHOICE

The measure would direct the FDA to write new labeling standards that are consistent with US labeling standards and international standards.

Sixty-four countries around the world already require the labeling of GE foods, including all the member nations of the European Union, Russia, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand. This legislation follows last year’s letter from Senator Boxer, Representative DeFazio and 54 Senate and House lawmakers urging the FDA to require the labeling of GE foods.

The Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act has broad support from organizations and businesses, including the Center for Food Safety, Consumers Union, Environmental Working Group, Just Label It, Organic Valley Co-op, the National Farmers Union, Stonyfield Farms, Consumer Federation of America, AllergyKids Foundation, National Cooperative Grocers Association, New England Farmers Union, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Center for Environmental Health, Chefs Collaborative, Label GMOs, Alaska Trollers Association, Ben & Jerry’s, Clif Bar & Company, Lundberg Family Farms, Nature’s Path, Annie’s Inc., and many others.

ACTION ALERT

WHAT

GE foods to be marketed without labeling, claiming that these foods were not “materially” different from other foods because the genetic differences could not be recognized by taste, smell or other senses.

Unfortunately, the FDA’s antiquated labeling policy has not kept pace with 21st century food technologies that allow for a wide array of genetic and molecular changes to food that can’t be detected by human senses.

Common sense would indicate that GE corn that produces its own insecticide—or is engineered to survive being doused by herbicides—is materially different from traditional corn that does not. Even the US Patent and Trademark Office has recognized that these foods are materially different and novel for patent purposes.

Consumers—used to reading labels to see if foods contain MSG, gluten, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup or aspartame—clearly want more information. More than one and a half million Americans have filed comments with the FDA urging the agency to label GE foods.

The bipartisan legislation introduced in late April would require clear labels for genetically engineered whole foods and processed foods, including fish and seafood.

YOU

CAN

DO

!

Let’s get the whole New Mexico Delegation signed on as co-sponsors of the Genetically Engineered Food Right-To- Know Act. Please contact: Tom Udall: 219 Central Ave NW, Suite 210, Albuquerque, NM 87102 Ph: 505-346-6791, 120 South Federal Place, Suite 302, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Ph: 505-988-6511, DC phone: 202-224-6621 www.tomudall.senate.gov/ Michelle Lujan Grisham: 505 Marquette Ave. NW, Suite 1605, Albuquerque, NM 87102 Ph: 505-346-6781, DC Ph: 202 225-6316, Fax: 505-346-6723 www.lujangrisham.house.gov/contact/email-me Ben Ray Lujan: 1611 Calle Lorca, Suite A, Santa Fe, NM 87505 Ph: 505-984-8950, 3200 Civic Center NE, Suite 330, Rio Rancho, NM 87144 Ph: 505-994-0499, 110 West Aztec Ave, Gallup, NM 87301 Ph: 505-863-0582, www.benrlujan.com

action alert!

To comment on line go to: www.justlabelit.org

GRAPPLING WITH THE

FARM BILL

Resilience Planning in Our Food System

BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER his year represents a significant page in the history of food and farming in America. Congress will grapple with the 11th omnibus Farm Bill, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012. In 2008, Congress passed the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act appropriating $289 billion dollars to nutrition, conservation, commodity, agricultural research, rural development and other food and farm related issues. The current Farm Bill was passed at the end of September 2012 by the Senate, but failed to win approval in the House. The House approved an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill and is currently tackling the 600 pages of policy that will legislate nutrition programs, commodities, rural development, agricultural research, conservation and many other food and farm related topics for the next five years.

T

Since Abe Lincoln established the US Department of Agriculture in 1862, our government has recognized the connections between farmland, farmers, food, community, and economic development by passing legislation intended to keep these connections strong and working for US citizens. The Food and Agriculture Act of 1965 marked the first multi-year Farm Bill, establishing more long-term commodity programs. In 1973 Congress passed the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act, the first omnibus farm bill, incorporting legislation for nutrition programs, conservation, and crop insurance.

This year’s Farm Bill has several important pieces which represent a call for serious restructuring of our food systems for resiliency and to better support connecting small and medium farms to consumers at a regional level. Since 1965, the Farm Bill has tended to favor subsidization of commodity crops like soy and corn that have become unsustainable at every level. While they represent small financial inroads, two significant pieces of the new Farm Bill call for a resilience planning in our food systems.

The Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act focuses on getting local food to consumers more effectively, boosting income for small and medium size farms and ranches, improving local and regional food system infrastructure, and facilitating extension agencies to provide services more geared towards small and medium sized farms. New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich signed onto this legislation as an original co-sponsor, and more recently NM Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham, a member of the House Agricultural Committee, has joined the growing number of elected officials supporting significant food system change.

According to the most recent US Agricultural Census, the average age of farmers and ranchers is 60 years. The census also shows that the number of farmers and ranchers over the age of 65 is the fastest growing group in this demographic. As a nation and a state, we face an incredible deficit of farmers as

older farmers and ranchers begin to retire and farm and ranch professions continue to be hard choices for young people. With inaccessible land prices, high levels of student loan debt, a lack of mentorship and information, falsely-low food prices, and other significant hurdles, farming is not the most attractive line of work.

The new Farm Bill also features the Young Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act, designed to encourage young people to enter the farming and ranching professions. More specifically, the program will provide support in the form of loans for down payments on land, funds for new farmer training programs, grants for value-added products from farm produce, and a number of agricultural opportunities for veterans. NM

Senator Tom Udall is an original co-sponsor of this bill, and Senator Heinrich has signed on as co-sponsor of this act as well.

Few people fully understand what a significant impact the Farm Bill has on our day to day lives. These policies will change the prices of food. They will determine who has access to supplemental nutrition programs and how much families who need this support will receive each month. They will set the tone for our priorities in food production, what kinds of farms and crops get subsidies and support. These decisions have a direct impact on the sorts of food we have access to as consumers.

If you’d like to know more about the Farm Bill, read about it on the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s website, www.sus tainableagriculture.net; on the Farm Bill Primer site, www. farmbillprimer.org; or on the Food and Water Watch site, www.foodandwaterwatch.org. More importantly, call or email your elected officials and let them know access to locally and sustainably produced food is important to YOU!

JUNE is

M EM BER S U RVEY MONTH

look in your MAILBOX for our annual MEMBER SURVEY!

Please take a moment to fill out the survey and bring it back to your local Co-op before June 30th and receive a 15% discount Co-op shopping trip. Info: contact Robin at 217-2027.

co-op news BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS!

YOUR CO-OP

NEEDS YOU!

BY MARSHALL KOVITZ, FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS our Co-op needs you! The nominations process for La Montanita’s Board of Directors will be starting soon, and we want to let you know how you can participate. Each year the Co-op holds elections for three of its nine directors, with terms running for three years. As elected representatives of the 12,000 plus member/owners, the board’s job is to provide strategic vision and ensure the Co-op’s long-term stability and success. The work is exciting, challenging, and rewarding. Or, you can VOTE.

June 2013 6

DIRECTORS PROVIDE

VISION,, STABILITY,, SUCCESS

compensated with an annual stipend of $1,800. The secretary receives $2,700 and the president receives $3,600.

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

While it is customary for boards to seek prospective members with management-related skills, our approach is different. Our comprehensive policies and the man-

Y

The Co-op is a 30 million dollar a year operation with five stores: three in Albuquerque, one in Gallup and one in Santa Fe. Albuquerque is also the site of the Cooperative Distribution Center (CDC), which is our Foodshed warehouse, serving producers, processors and retailers throughout our region. In July of this year under the board’s direction, we will be opening a new store on the west side. We are pleased to say that all of the Co-op’s units continue to grow and improve in performance. Finally, our many public outreach programs bring people together and strengthen our communities.

For the second year we will be utilizing electronic voting instead of mailing out paper ballots. Primary members who are interested in voting electronically should submit an email address to the information desk at any of our stores in order to receive election login information. Email addresses will remain confidential and will be used only for election purposes. Primary members who wish to fill out paper ballots may obtain them from the information desk at our store locations between November 1 and November 14.

Very important: blank ballots will not be mailed out, so if you want to vote with a paper ballot, you must get one from an information desk.

Why Run for the Board?

The board’s work requires discipline and creativity. We govern by means of a framework called Policy Governance. At our monthly meetings, the board reviews management’s work by examining performance reports and comparing them to policy standards we have established. The board governs by declaring, through its policies, the results it wants and the actions it wants the general manager to avoid while achieving those results. Only by reviewing and adjusting these boundaries do we adjust the direction of the Co-op.

We leave day-to-day operational details to the general manager and his team (those are the people you see every day as a shopper); we keep tabs on the stores on a monthly basis through formal reporting. Very importantly, we spend almost half our meeting time studying our world, learning about our owners’ needs, and imagining the future.

Overall, board members are expected to spend the equivalent of about three hours a week on board duties, including committee work, trainings, workshops and other meetings and activities. In exchange, board members are

JUNE IS MEMBER SURVEY MONTH

run

for the Board

agement reporting that is required for them allow the board to simultaneously ensure successful Co-op performance and still focus on the bigger picture we mentioned earlier. To help keep the board on this path, here’s what we are looking for in a candidate: • First and foremost, be dedicated to the well-being of the Co-op and its owners.

• Have a propensity to think in terms of systems and context.

• Be honest and have independent judgment, courage, and good faith.

• Be able and eager to deal with values, vision and the long term.

• Be willing and able to participate assertively in discussions and abide by board decisions and the intent of established policies.

• Be comfortable operating in a group decision making environment, sharing power in a group process, and delegating areas of decision making to others.

Our focus on the long term, on clear definitions of roles, and on respectful and productive dialogue has clearly paid off. Here’s what Board Member Roger Eldridge says about his work on the board: “I had never been on a board of directors before, so serving on La Montanita’s has been a new experience. My first challenge was to shed preconceptions about what a board does; La Montanita’s Board does not decide what brand of yogurt to stock, nor does it deal with the mem-

ber who (correctly) wants to change the express checkout sign from “15 items or less” to “15 items or fewer.”

It took me close to a year to really understand that all operational matters are handled by the General Manager and his/her superb staff. The Board, meanwhile, keeps watch on the bigger picture, tries to discern trends, attempts to look into the future in order to steer the Co-op on the course desired by its member/owners (and figuring that out is another challenge). It’s not easy, and sometimes makes my brain hurt. BUT… when I recently sat in on another board, I realized how incredibly wellorganized, forward thinking, and, well, cooperative the La Montanita Board is. Most members don’t realize how fortunate they are to have such dedicated and capable directors. It has been an honor to serve with them.”

We encourage prospective candidates to attend monthly board meetings so they may better understand how the board governs. Meetings are always on the third Tuesday of each month, starting at 5:30pm. Location is the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, directly across the street from the Nob Hill store. Dinner is served to all attending, starting a little before 5:30pm.

Nominations start July 20, 2013, and end on August 20. Candidate applications will be available starting July 20, as paper copies from the information desk and electronically from the Co-op’s website. TO QUALIFY AS A CANDIDATE, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR AT LEAST 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE START OF ELECTIONS, (THAT MEANS BEING A MEMBER SINCE JULY 1, FOR THIS YEAR), AND YOU MUST RETURN YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION BY AUGUST 20.

Board elections will be held from November 1st through November 14th. Our annual meeting and celebration will be held on Saturday, October 12, at our new Westside location. Candidates are encouraged to attend this meeting to have the opportunity to address members regarding their candidacy. As we have done in the last few years, the board will offer a list of candidates it feels are qualified to serve. Full information about this process will be included in the candidate packet.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT US AT bod@lamontanita.coop, or contact Marshall Kovitz, Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee, at 256-1241.

membership is

O W N E R S H I P!

SUMMER READING

Suggestions E

BY MARTHA WHITMAN very month at our meeting the Board engages in a study hour. We prepare in a variety of ways, usually reading articles or books, and then we spend our hour discussing how the materials pertain to the Board’s visioning work. Every now and then we find a particularly interesting book, and we offer the following reviews for your consideration as you build your summer reading list. And if you have a book you think we should know about, please drop us a note at bod@lamontanita.coop.

America Beyond Capitalism by Gar Alperovitz America Beyond Capitalism provides an incisive analysis of our political, social, and economic problems. He goes beyond the usual list of miseries to offer proven ways that people at the state and local levels are increasing democratic control, keeping wealth in our communities, democratizing workplaces and making our public institutions responsive to citizens. Alperovitz also offers a way forward at the national level. A readable book about theory and practical solutions.

Brains on Fire by Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church and Spike Jones Brains on Fire reveals how to ignite powerful, sustainable, word of mouth movements. How not to market at your customers; but spark passion in them and bring greater value to their lives. This book shares examples of companies that inspire excitement and form connections with a community.

EcoMind by Frances Moore Lappe EcoMind depicts a planet in peril, but Lappe argues these problems are not the real challenge to our survival.

At root is our faulty way of thinking that blinds us to solutions, and leaves citizens feeling paralyzed and powerless. With brisk prose and startling examples, Lappe demonstrates how developing an eco-mind will allow us to create new possibilities in our lives, our communities, and our world.

Humanizing the Economy: Cooperatives in the Age of Capital by John Restakis Humanizing the Economy provides a global overview of cooperatives in today’s economy.

Beginning with a brief examination of the ideas that sparked the modern cooperative movement, Restakis goes on to flesh out how those ideas are realized today. From Emilia-Romagna, Italy, where cooperatives of all types make up 30% of the economy, to Japan’s giant consumer cooperatives, to worker cooperatives in emerging economies, Restakis’ 15 years of research enables him to tell these stories with great authority and passion.

World Café, by Juanita Brown with David Isaacs World Café is a flexible, easy-to-use process for fostering collaborative dialogue, sharing mutual knowledge and discovering new opportunities for action.

Through storytelling and explanation of its seven core design principles, World Café offers practical tips for hosting “conversations that matter” in groups of any size.

Yet it isn’t a technique. It’s an invitation into a way of being with one another that is already part of our nature.

Particularly enticing is the notion that if you change the conversation, you can change the future.

BOARD ELECTIONS CALENDAR

CANDIDATE PACKETS AVAILABLE: July 1st NOMINATIONS OPEN: July 20th NOMINATIONS CLOSE: August 20th ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: October 12th: Candidates introduce themselves to attendees.

BOARD ELECTIONS: November 1-November 14 Watch for information on the NEW electronic voting process in upcoming Co-op Connection issues.

co-op news NEW WESTSIDE CO-OP LOCATION If you drive by our new Westside Co-op location you might think not much is happening there. We are actually in the most important part of the project. We have been working with our architect and construction contractor almost daily to make sure our plan for design and layout is solid. There are thousands of working parts in a store like ours; we have to account for every drain, every cut in the floor for those drains to make sure they all will flow appropriately. Each day is filled with questions: such as, if we move one of our coolers or freezers three inches how much does this add to the cost of the final project? Every item down to the broom to sweep the floor has to be accounted for. The failure to do this now can cost many of thousands of dollars later. So watching every detail is key in making sure we meet our budget and timeline. As carpenters say, “measure

THE INSIDE

SCOOP

twice. cut once.” We want to make sure that all our details are carefully vetted to save time and money later on.

But I will admit this process is taking longer that I had anticipated. Those who know me best know that patience is not my best quality.

However, I know by experience when you are developing a new store your patience is tested almost every day. I fully expect by the time the Westside store opens, patience will become a virtue that I have embraced.

I will keep you all updated as we move forward.

Thanks for your support of our Co-op. Please contact me anytime by e-mail at terryb@lamontanita.coop or by phone at 505-217-2020. -TERRY B.

June Calendar

of Events 6/18 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 6/24 BOD Member Engagement Meeting, Admin. offices, 5:30pm VETERAN FARMER PROJECT: Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-5pm at the Alvarado Urban Farm, at 2nd and Silver, downtown

CO-OP NEWS CORRECTION In the May issue of the Co-op Connection News, we featured an essay written by Yasmeen Najmi titled “Muddy Water Still Carries the Sky.” In her essay, the last sentence printed as “The question is, will we have a river” should have said “The question is, will we be a river.” La Montanita Co-op editorial staff acknowledges that this sentence, as printed, was not the language or intention of the author and apologizes to Ms. Najmi for the error.

S A N TA F E ’ S L O C A L O R G A N I C M E A L S O N A B U D G E T:

THIRD SEASON

OF

COOKING CLASSES

F

ollowing two successful seasons, the nonprofit collaboration known as Local Organic Meals on a Budget announces a third season of lively cooking classes, starting June 19, 2013, and running the third Wednesday of each month through December. The classes this year will take place at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. The new venue will allow the program to accommodate 60 or more people in a more relaxed setting.

As in the past, classes are designed using ingredients available during each growing season. Each class is led by local, experienced chefs. Class participants not only learn how to create great dishes using seasonal selections, they learn strategies on how to stretch food from local gardens, CSAs and the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. Each class is also filled with tips, tricks and techniques to enhance the at-home cooking experience.

Representatives from local organizations Kitchen Angels, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute and Home Grown

New Mexico have pooled their resources and expertise to offer the classes, which teach participants how to create a filling meal for four people under $20.

Classes start at 5:30 and run for 90 minutes; participants will enjoy tastings of the meal being prepared and will be provided with the recipes.

Classes are free for WIC and EBT recipients.

Participants need to register in advance on the LOMB website (www.localorganicmeals.com).

Premium Compost • Our locally made Premium Compost is approved for use on Certified Organic Farms and Gardens.

Topsoil Blend Local Organic Meals on a Budget 2013 Summer Schedule of Classes 6/19 Tracy Ritter – Santa Fe School of Cooking 7/17 Roland & Sheila Richter – Joe's Dining 8/21 Ryan Gambel – The Palace Restaurant

• 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

More Information contact: Kitchen Angels: 505471-7780; Home Grown New Mexico: 505-4731403; or the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute: 505-983-7726

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

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, CORRALES, NM

S

ince 1957, ARCA has provided services to people with developmental disabilities, assisting them to lead a great life. ARCA ORGANICS employs individuals whose very special talents enhance all stages of the growing and distribution process. Seeing people grow from dependant individuals to healthy and organic food providers continues to be a highlight of ARCA’s work.

LOCAL ARCA ORGANICS Corrales, New Mexico

ARCA ORGANICS grows certified organic vegetables and fruit including wheat grass, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus, blackberries, a wide assortment of culinary herbs and other more exotic varieties, including dragon tongue beans and pestou basil. Wheat grass is a main focus of the farm, supplying ABQ juices stores; Keva Juice with 12 stores, Robeck and Squeeze Juice bars as well as the Co-op delis! Also, GRAZERS, wheatgrass for pets, is available at many of your local pet store boutiques.

Four ARCA associate employees assist Farm Manager Sean Ludden. Formerly from Los Poblanos Farms, Sean was tasked with growing everything that could not be grown by other farmers. Passionate about farming, saving seeds and community, Sean, talks about the importance of support for local growers. Saving seeds from drought resistant plants will insure the future of growing food in this area for the years to come. More local growers means more regional seeds can be collected to assure food production compatible with our climate of wind, intense sun and decreased water supplies.

Inset photos from top to bottom: wheat grass production, the farm stand, ARCA Staff member Erica Cheshire; background photo: Farm Manager Sean Ludden

c o |o p m e m b e r s h i p s u r v e y Let us know what you think. Your input is important to us!

Also,

One Shopp i ••

PLEASE VOTE! in upcoming BOARD elections

•• th • •••

Your input is important to us!

15% OFF!

30

Please take a moment to let us know how we are doing and what you would like to see in the future. Bring it to the Co-op before JUNE 30th and receive your 15% DISCOUNT. This survey helps us understand how to best serve YOU! our Member/ Owners.

n

n d by J u n spo e Re

Look for it in your Mail box!

rip Discount!

T g

Please be sure to give us your email address! Subscribe to our electronic news feed and get weekly and monthly sales info and the Co-op Connection Newsletter delivered to your in-box. To register your email for elections, subscribe to the newsletter or for more info go to www.lamontanita.coop or call 217-2027.

S E V E N G E N E R AT I O N S O F O R G A N I C FA R M I N G

L

orenzo Candelaria is a farmer, retired jockey and the mayo domo of nine South Valley acequias. He considers farming, not as a job, but a sacred duty.

Using ideas carried from his indigenous and Spanish roots, he says that he grows a “living energy that when consumed becomes part of our consciousness.

The energy and graciousness of the earth and the potency of the seed creates an atmosphere where life can abound.”

In the family for 300 years—seven generations, Cornelius Candelaria Organic Farm grows biodynamic chard, kale, beets, tomatoes, beans and asparagus. This combination was chosen to maintain optimal balance for the plants. With the understanding that “seeds carry memories,” Lorenzo uses native seeds when possible; like blue corn collected from the local pueblos.

Using the farming practices of the American Friends Service Committee, Lorenzo works to protcet the land, water rights and traditional cultural practices. This AFSC hands-on model creates systematic change in the food system to support small farmers, increase access to healthy, local food for the whole community.

LOCAL

CORNELIUS CANDELARIA ORGANIC FARM South Valley, Albuquerque

CORNELIUS CANDELARIA ORGANIC farmer Lorezo Candelaria and Amanda Dobron, Nob Hill Produce Manager

raw • gluten free • nut free • yeast free Alive & Radiant only sprouts, mixes and dehydrates their ingredients at low temperatures so that they remain RAW. Never baked or fried, any fat comes from heart-healthy nuts and seeds.

Kale Krunchs & Veggies Krunches Cheezy Chipotle • Perfectly Plain • Quite Cheezy • Southwest Ranch Terragon Dijon • Arugula Cabbage • Sweet Onion • Teriyaki Greens

1

$

OFF! Alive & Radiant Kale Krunch or Veggie Krunch

One coupon per shop • Valid 6/1/13 - 6/30/13

Valid thru June 30, 2013 and while supplies last • available at all stores: GALLUP | SANTA FE | ABQ

early summer

flavors

a midsummer

NIGHT’S ARTISTS’

reception (Or, a Cocktail Party at Your House)

BY GURUAMRIT KHALSA AND JULIA MANDEVILLE, HARWOOD ART CENTER We love two things above all others (sorry, significant others, though we suspect you feel the same way): Food and Art. They share the extraordinary potential to bring people together, and they require, to be good, a certain precision and patience—they take on stunning new identities when presented to a group or enjoyed with an audience. So, we’d like to offer a menu of passable delicacies adapted and invented with an Artists’ Reception in mind. We hope you’re inspired to invite your favorite friends for a midsummer night of food and celebration.

Join us—certainly for exquisite art, potentially for the following menu—at Harwood Art Center (1114 7th Street NW) on Friday, June 7, from 6-8pm for the opening reception of SURFACE: Emerging Artists of New Mexico juried exhibition, professional development and endowed cash awards program. SURFACE features fifteen New Mexico artists working in diverse media and at different stages of emergence. Check out the digital exhibition catalog at bit.ly/surface-in-turn-catalog.

June 2013 10

3 tablespoons butter (may substitute with oil) 1/3 cup olive oil 5 cups leeks, chopped 3 pounds zucchini, trimmed and chopped 7 cups vegetable stock (Better Than Bouillon brand) 3 tablespoons mint, minced Salt & pepper to taste

Roast for about 30 minutes, flipping over every 10 minutes. Once blistered, remove from oven and promptly seal in Ziplock freezer bag(s) for 15 minutes. Peel peppers (skin will slide right off), remove stems and seeds, and slice in long, thin vertical strips. DO NOT wash the peppers once roasted, or you’ll remove the beautiful flavor.

Leeks can be deceivingly dirty. After you remove the ends, slice lengthwise and then cut into 1/4-inch slices; clean them thoroughly under cold water by fanning the layers out to remove grit or dirt.

Blinis (can be made ahead) ADAPTED FROM MARTHA STEWART

Melt butter and oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add 5 1/2 cups vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover partially and cook for about 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Working in batches or using an immersion blender, puree soup.

Return soup to pot and let cool. Stir in mint. To adjust thickness, add reserved broth. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Roasted Poblano Blinis with Crème Fraiche and Parsley Yields about 4 dozen

Chilled Zucchini Mint Soup ADAPTED FROM BON APPÉTIT Yields 16+ 4 ounce servings, depending on broth quantity

Crème Fraiche (make a couple days ahead) In bowl, combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place until the cream is thickened, about 12 to 16 hours. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be kept for up to one week in the refrigerator.

NOTES: Soup should be made 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Roasted Poblanos (can be made ahead) Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Place 5 whole, large poblano peppers on a baking sheet.

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one 1/4 ounce envelope) 1/2 cup warm water (about 110° F) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted plus more for the pan 1/2 teaspoon sugar 2 large eggs, separated In a small bowl mix yeast with warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. In another small bowl, stir together flour and salt. In a third, stir together buttermilk, melted butter, sugar, and egg yolks. Whisk in yeast mixture and flour. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 30 minutes so batter can rise.

Beat remaining egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter until incorporated, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Lightly butter and heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, until pan is hot. Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of batter (about 5 or 6 at a time) onto hot pan. Flip blinis once their tops bubble and the edges begin to brown, cooking for about 2 minutes per side. Cook in batches until all the batter has been used. Let cool to room temperature.

Assemble when ready to serve. Coil strip(s) of poblano peppers on the blini to create a spiral pattern, dollop with crème fraiche, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Repeat until all blinis are garnished. Platter and serve immediately.

Endive Boats with Grapefruit, Almond and Chevre Yields about 30, depending on endives 5 Belgian endives, separated into spears 5 large grapefruit, triangled 8 ounces chevre 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted Using a sharp paring knife, cut peel and white from the meat of the grapefruit. Cut into 1/2 inch wheels, then into triangles following the sections of the fruit. Refrigerate after cutting. Remove and discard the outer leaves of each endive. Remove base, about 1/4 inch. Separate leaves, rinse, and set out on serving platter like canoes. Place chevre in freezer 5 to 10 minutes before you’re ready to use, for easier crumbling. Place 4 to 5 grapefruit triangles on each endive spear. Top with crumbled chevre and toasted sliced almonds and serve!

TinyBBTS: Bacon, Basil and Tomato Open Faced Sandwiches Yields: 24 3-bite sandwiches 1 baguette cut into 1/2-inch slices 5 ripe tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch slices (we recommend heirlooms for best flavor) 1 large bunch basil, washed and separated (24 large leaves) Red chile sugar-cured bacon (see on next page)

early summer

flavors

June 2013 11

Red Chile Brown Sugar Bacon ADAPTED FROM CAFÉ PASQUAL’S

stick muffin pan, as you would muffin liners. Dollop a spoonful of rhubarb into each piece of dough.

12 slices Applewood smoked bacon 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 2 tablespoons red chile powder

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Edges of pastry should be puffy and golden. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing pastry. Let cool completely before serving.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Mix chile powder and brown sugar in a shallow bowl. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and top with cooling rack (it allows for grease to drop off and makes for cleaner, more flavorful bacon). Submerge each piece of bacon in the chile-sugar mixture.

Lay bacon strips on baking rack, twisting two or three times lengthwise to create long, loose spirals. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Once cool, use culinary scissors to cut each slice into two or three pieces, based on length of baguette slices.

Spread thin layer of mayonnaise on each baguette slice. Top with large basil leaf, then tomato slice, then bacon piece. Arrange on platter and serve.

Rhubarb Puff Pastry Tartletts Yields 12 muffin-sized tarts or 24 mini-muffin sized tartlets, depending on what type of pan you use 1 package of frozen puff pastry dough (we recommend Dufour brand) 1 pound rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2-inch segments (to make 3 cups) Lemon juice to taste 2/3 cup sugar In a covered medium saucepan combine sugar and rhubarb, cook for 15 minutes over medium low heat. Taste mixture, add a splash of lemon juice if necessary. Increase heat to medium, remove cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 15 to 30 minutes, until rhubarb is broken down and mixture is thick. Remove from heat and let cool.

The day before cooking, move puff pastry dough to refrigerator to thaw. Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Unfold pastry dough onto a lightly floured, clean work surface. Using a sharp knife, pizza or pastry wheel, cut dough into squares that fit the openings of either a regular size muffin tin (12) or a minimuffin tin (24). Set squares of dough into a non-

Mary Alice Cooper, MD

Mint Mule (mock- or cock-tail) Yields 1; multiply for as many guests as you expect and serve in pitchers. This is delicious and refreshing with or without vodka.

1 1/2 ounces vodka (Summum brand), optional 1 1/2 ounces ginger beer (Reed’s brand) 1/2 ounce simple syrup (use lavender syrup for extra depth of flavor) 3/4 ounce lime juice 4 to 5 large mint leaves 1 lime wheel (for garnish) Add mint, lime juice and simple syrup to glass, and muddle to release flavors. Fill glass halfway with ice. Pour ginger beer and vodka (if desired) over ice and stir. Top off with ice, stir and garnish with lime wheel. If serving in pitchers, set out lime wheels on plate.

GURUAMRIT KHALSA AND JULIA MANDEVILLE work at Harwood Art Center, where GuruAmrit is Director of Administrative Services and Julia is Director of Programs and Community Relations. Together they manage Harwood’s Galleries and Exhibitions, curating four annual shows, including SURFACE: Emerging Artists of New Mexico, and programming the additional months by application. For more information email gallery@harwoodartcenter.org or visit www.harwoodartcenter.org

the mighty

MINT!

24 Carrots

Field to Food “A gem of an event”

June 22, 2013 7pm

summer reading

June 2013 12

agua es vida

June 2013 13

The Future of the

Rio Grande MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS t the end of last year, there was talk of a possible shortfall in deliveries of San Juan Chama (SJC) water, which Santa Fe, Albuquerque, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) and others rely on for part of their annual water supply (www.tinyurl.lzm8uo5). If this happens, it would be the first time since the project began operations in the late 1960s.

BY

long-term historic water supply in the Colorado and the growing demands placed on that supply. The demand line touched the supply line in about 1995 and then crossed it in about 2003. Projected demand will increasingly exceed supply through the end of the planning period in 2060 (and beyond). Without significant

A

Since the beginning of April there has been a steady flow of warnings of what to expect this season: • The US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)/US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) “Annual Operating Plan” (AOP) issued on April 1 said that their modeling indicated the Rio Grande may run dry at the Central Bridge several times in the second half of July absent supplemental water. (www.tinyurl.com/ kzcw5yo) • Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID) “Water Supply Outlook” warned irrigators that there would be no allocation available at the start of irrigation season, with the possibility of only about 3.5” of delivery starting in June and lasting just a month or so. (www.tinyurl. com/l78pgh2) • The MRGCD announced in mid-April that it was immediately cutting off Water Bank users (those without water rights) and likely would have a much shorter irrigation season than 2012, which ended in August, not October as in a “normal” year. (www.tinyurl.com/nbkhbro; www.tinyurl.com/Lo3kpg) In May, New Mexico became the state most severely impacted by extreme dry weather (www.tinyurl,com/n7tdm8q).

Looking Ahead The USBR held a meeting in mid-April with contractors to alert them to the Bureau’s understanding of long-term supplies from the SJC project. Their results (not published yet) indicate that there will be a steady decline in deliveries of SJC water. The modeling shows a steady decrease in deliveries from the historic average of about 90,000 acre feet per year (afy) to 7080,000 afy during the second half of the century. The SJC Project is supposed to supply about 96,000 afy, of which the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (WUA) is supposed to get about 48,000 afy.

The decline in San Juan tributary flow into the Chama is part of a larger picture of declining flows in the entire Colorado Basin (the San Juan is a Colorado River tributary). In December 2012, the USBR released the final draft “Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study” (www.tinyurl.com/d72ff2d). This study contains a graph showing the

ACTION FOR

RESILIENCE

measures to conserve water and look for new supply, the entire Colorado Basin will be in serious trouble.

Finally, an April 10 meeting of the Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model (URGWOM) Advisory Committee discussed the West Wide Climate Risk Assessment simulations of Rio Grande deliveries from Colorado across the border with New Mexico. The long-term simulation indicates a 50% reduction in deliveries of water from Colorado to New Mexico. While the Rio Grande historically has picked up large amounts of water from snowmelt in the Sangre de Cristo and other mountains in northern New Mexico, these will also have reduced precipitation and runoff. In the case of the WUA, diminished SJC flows will be further limited by the projected steep decline in native Rio Grande water, since the SJC Drinking Water Project depends on diverting equal amounts of SJC and native Rio Grande water at the Alameda Bridge diversion works.

Grand(e) Planning The WUA provides its Board and Customer Advisory Committee (CAC) an annual update on the Water Resources Management Strategy (WRMS). Basically, this is a

KIRTLAND’S WATER SUPPLY

ADDING TO BODY BURDENS WHAT ARE TROOPS, VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES

BY DAVE MCCOY, CITIZEN ACTION ver 22,500 residents drink water from five community water wells at Kirtland AFB. The quality of the water is regulated by the New Mexico Environment Department’s Drinking Water Bureau (DWB). A November 20, 2012, DWB sanitary survey report of the supply wells was obtained by Citizen Action through a public records request. The report was the result of a DWB site and documents inspection of Kirtland’s water system.

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Seven “significant deficiencies” that threaten public health were identified for the Kirtland water supply system. DWB found the possibility of contaminated groundwater reaching Well #3 and being pumped into the potable water system.

The report does not identify what contaminants may arrive or be at Well #3, but it is no secret that Kirtland leaked 24,000,000 gallons of aviation gas, JP4 and JP8 jet fuel into the ground and aquifer from 1953 to 1999 from its Bulk Fuels Facility. A large plume of highly toxic ethylene dibromide (EDB) is moving northeast toward Kirtland drinking water Well #3. EDB does not naturally biodegrade.

Kirtland has no plan in place to remove EDB before it hits Well #3 or Albuquerque’s Ridgecrest municipal supply wells. Kirtland has not removed a single gallon of jet fuel dissolved in the aquifer since its discovery in 1997. DWB demanded spill containment and clean up procedures be put in place at Well #14 and also ordered Kirtland to halt the use of the herbicide Hexazonone, that can contaminate the groundwater and surface water as it was being used too close to the water system. DWB did not state whether Hexazonone may be in the supply wells.

In an email exchange on May 13, 2010, VA administrator Albert Martinez stated, “I believe it is KAFB’s responsibility to provide the community and us (the VA) any health effects and/or associated hazards consuming fuel may have on our community, staff and patients.” Kirtland replied, “Health effects concerning drinking water aren’t currently being evaluated.”

Testing of the well at the Veteran’s Hospital showed: • 2011 identifed the presence of flourene and gasoline

DRINKING?

organic compounds at low levels. Benzo-a-Pyrene was found above the EPA maximum contaminant level.

• May 2012 Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthlate detected.

• June 2012 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene was detected.

• September 2012 Pentachloroethane (PCE), also known as Perc, was detected. PCE is very difficult to treat once it reaches groundwater. Data collected in 2004 showed PCE contamination in Kirtland drinking water supply Well #17.

Very little data is available for PCE in drinking water on and around Kirtland.

(NMED Curry 11/26/08) Kirtland asserts that the VA drinking water is still safe and there is monthly sampling. However, Kirtland’s contractor, Shaw Environmental, has repeatedly been criticized by the Environment Department for poor sampling of volatile organics in the jet fuel plume. The June 2012 VA samples arrived at the laboratory five days too late for accurate testing, despite the fact that the sampling turnaround time was ordered to be reduced starting in October 2011.

Samples with air bubbles have destroyed evidence of volatile chemicals.

THE EPA has a goal of zero exposure to many chemicals but still has allowable levels that can be present in drinking water. People vary in sensitivity depending on factors such as age, sex and pregnancy. Military personnel often are already carrying high body burdens of toxic chemicals. The military is often the last to admit to the health effects of toxic exposures. Such was the case with the Atomic Veterans; Vietnam Veteran exposure to Agent Orange; burning oil wells in Kuwait; exposure to depleted uranium and other radionuclides; and Camp Lejeune’s PCE and TCE exposure causing breast cancer in males; birth defects and miscarriages. (www.tftptf.com) The Air Force has 42 Superfund sites that have contaminated community water resources across the nation. (www.vet eransinfo.org/epa.html).

Former NMED resource protection director Jim Davis said Kirtland officials still believe no contamination will reach city wells for at least five years. (www.tinyurl.com/ jvos8b7).

For more information contact: David B. McCoy, Esq., POB 4276, Albuquerque, NM, 87196-4276, 505-2621862, dave@radfreenm.org.

report on the long-term (through 2060) water supply and demand balance for the Utility.

What the report says is that it will get an increasingly larger amount of supply from the SJC Drinking Water Project (DWP), which went online in late 2008. By 2050 or so, the WUA expects to use its entire 96,000 afy of DWP water (50% or 48,000 from the SJC and 50% from native Rio Grande water). Those expectations don’t seem justified given the long-term perspective on the Colorado Basin, the SJC project, or the Rio Grande.

By 2060 the San Juan tributary flow into the Chama could be reduced by approximately 20,000 afy. The Rio Grande, which supplies the other half of the SJC DWP water, could be even more impacted. That means that the San JuanChama supply should be greatly reduced. Unless things like “Conservation,” “Reuse & Recycling,” and “New Sources” are increased, the “Recharged Groundwater” supply will have to increase dramatically. However, this cannot be done, both because the aquifer needs to actually “recharge” in order to serve as a sustainable supply and because the WUA is responsible for depletions to the river caused by the aquifer level being too low.

What Can Be Done?

Rather than basing its water budget and long-term planning on unsupported assumptions, the Water Utility— and all of us—need to focus efforts on actions that can make us more resilient in the face of long-term declines in water supply. Some things that can be done include: • • • •

Conservation & efficiency Reuse & recycling Rainwater & stormwater harvesting Restoration and conservation of headwater streams, wetlands, and wet meadows • Connecting land use planning with water supply More on all these in the next article. For more information, contact Michael Jensen at mjensen@amigos bravos.org.

WATER

REALITY

food &

farming

Backyard

E G G S : QUICK, EASY AND NUTRITIOUS

June 2013 14

nutrition

GREAT

BY AMYLEE UDELL hough I don't have my own chickens, nothing makes me feel wealthier than an abundance of fresh eggs!

I know that if I forget to defrost something or don't plan ahead, I can grab some eggs and whip up a quick and nutritious meal.

Even if none of the visible, physical differences in eggs impress you, the flavor will! And while a scrambled egg is easy and fast to cook, there are many other very easy ways to add to your egg repertoire.

$

FOOD value!

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USING EGGS 1. Add an egg yolk, a dash of nutmeg and stevia (or honey or maple syrup) to your milk or cream. With a touch of vanilla, you've got a nutritious eggnog for a meal on the go. Not recommended for conventionally raised eggs!

OPTION: Great with coconut milk if you're dairy-free.

Blend until frothy 2. Crack one egg per muffin cup. Add green chile, green onions, mushrooms, spinach or any vegetable on top.

Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes or so until yolk is to your desired consistency.

OPTION: Line muffin cup with bacon first.

OPTION: Top with any cheese; consider feta!

3. Hard boiled eggs are a great snack or on-the-go option.

Make several at a time and refrigerate so they're ready to grab. Make Tea Eggs! Tap cracks into the shell of a hard boiled egg and then soak the eggs in a blend of tea, soy sauce and Chinese 5 Spice. This is also called marble eggs, as they will take on a beautiful marbled design once the sauce seeps through the cracks in the shell.

4. Do you make soup broth? Drop in a few eggs next time your broth is simmering and enjoy broth flavored hard boiled eggs.

Eggs are perfectly sized powerhouses of nutrition, naturally prepackaged and preserved. Unwashed, fresh eggs are covered by a protein covering called the bloom. This bloom seals the egg, protecting it from pathogens and helping it retain moisture, keeping the egg fresh for months. Once washed, though, eggs must remain chilled below 45 degrees. Commercial producers may replace the bloom with mineral oil, giving some eggs a shiny look.

Food Dollar Value Eggs contain a truly awesome amount of nutrition at a wonderful price. If you pay for high quality eggs, you're still getting a lot for your money. Say you get extra fresh, pastured eggs at $6 a dozen, a price at which most people would gasp. You are paying .50 for a serving of excellent protein. Maybe you double up and pay $1 for this protein source. That isn't so bad compared to other sources.

What do you get for that price?

One egg contains about 5.5 g of protein, fat, most vitamins (including USEABLE vitamin D, but no C), all necessary minerals, iron, folate, choline and, if you get farm fresh eggs, more DHA and EPA and 2 to 10 times as much Omega-3 fat than from non pastured (industrially raised) chickens. Vitamin D and choline, lacking in so many of our diets and so important for our bodies, are found in only a few other foods. And much of this nutritional treasure is found in the yolk. Eating the white without the yolk, while just feeling inherently incomplete to me, also leaves behind so much of what is right and good about the amazing egg.

What makes a nutritious egg starts with a nourished chicken. What should chickens eat? Like cows and pigs, chickens are not meant to be confined to tiny cages, unable to move and eating only grains. Chickens love grass, but they are not vegetarians. They love their greens, but they love discovering worms and bugs among the green. Chickens that get to roam in the sunshine with access to grass and bugs produce the healthiest, yummiest eggs. What do these high quality eggs look like?

This is a great experiment to do for yourself or with kids! Take eggs from different sources (conventional grocery, vegetarian fed, neighbor, farmers’ market, etc.) and crack them near or next to each other. The first thing you'll

probably notice is the bright, jewel-toned yolk of the egg coming from a chicken that ate lots of greens.

Chickens eating a mix of grass and grains (and likely fewer bugs and worms) will produce less brightly colored egg yolks. Grain-fed chicken eggs will have much lighter yolks. It is the cartenoids in the grass (also found in abundance in carrots) that produce the bright orange color in the egg yolks, as well as a yellow fat on meat chickens and the yellow of grass fed cow’s butter.

You may also see that grass-fed chickens’ egg yolks are firmer and thicker. After yolk color and consistency, pay attention to the egg whites. You may notice there are two different egg white sections. A firmer egg white surrounds the yolk and a thinner white is closer to the shell and on the perimeter of the entire cracked egg. This outer thin egg white repels bacteria, as it is more alkaline and does not contain any nutrients needed for bacterial growth. The thicker egg white surrounding the yolk cushions the yolk.

It also contains some protection against bacteria.

The older an egg gets, the more thin white and the less thick white it has. So compare your eggs for age using that tidbit.

If you have a favorite quick-and-easy egg recipe, I'd love to hear it. Not sure about the quality of your eggs?

More and more families are keeping chickens in their backyards. And if you just want to pick them up on your next grocery shopping trip, check out Peculiar Farms eggs at the Co-op to see just how bright and firm an egg yolk can be! www.InspiredABQ.com www.facebook.com/inspiredbirth

FOOD CRISIS:

food modernization act

BRETT BAKKER et ready. For higher food prices, more red tape, more high tech fixes to what should be a low tech problem. The Food Safety Modernization Act (a huge overhaul of food safety regulations) is meant to prevent “food crisis” issues like salmonella outbreaks and other food-borne illnesses.

BY

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Food crisis…what an odd concept. The only real food crisis is hunger and starvation. In our technological wisdom, we’ve managed to make eating (one of the most natural acts alongside breathing, sleeping and reproducing) a dangerous affair.

Yes, food contaminated with salmonella is and always has been an issue for humans.

Unlike GMOs or nutrition-less processed food, we humanoids didn’t create these microorganisms. What we have managed to do is foster environments that not only encourage but nurture these natural micro-enemies.

Solutions like irradiation and high levels of chlorine are trotted out to fix the exponential problem created by inappropriate scale. Salmonella in burgers is killing people? Instead of reverting to a locally-based food supply— which effectively contains an outbreak—it’s high tech to the rescue to cure a problem created or made worse by—you guessed it—high tech. The problem was nurtured by a high tech system but exponential contamination is a simple, elementary issue.

A high tech solution to low farm yields is chemical fertilization which feeds the plant but not the soil (and only a few nutrients at that). A food can’t be more nutritious than the soil it is grown in so we end up with empty calories. The high tech solution is even more synthetic fertilizer or GMOs but the issue itself is low tech: the crop is not getting balanced nutrition. Healthy, rich natural soil provides balanced plant nutrition so why not go with natural soil building and maintenance?

itchy green

thumb

Centuries ago, if a farmer or food processor didn’t keep things sanitary, they could easily contaminate the entire community with their carelessness. I know we like local food but a claim of “local salmonella” on your label is not a selling point.

Now, in the name of cheap food and “feeding the world” we wash all our spinach in four or five sinks nationwide and grind hamburger in two or three grinders across the country. What would’ve been a tiny outbreak is multiplied a hundredfold. An average hamburger could contain bits of hundreds or a thousand individual cows. Spinach from a hundred farms may be shipped to one central facility and packed in tens of thousands of plastic bags. It’s easy to see how one iota of contamination (especially microorganisms that reproduce) can spread to many thousands of people.

The argument against this is “you can’t feed the world” that way. I say, the world can feed itself naturally (except in severe drought, plague, etc.) but we can’t feed the world with naturally produced Vitamin D enriched pasteurized milk and luxuries (yes, luxuries) like imported bananas 365 days a year this way. If factory-like production is what we demand, then don’t expect our food to be 100% clean, nutritious and healthy. We expect factory-like production because we no longer know what it’s like to eat based on seasonal and geographic limitations.

No amount of food safety modernization legislation will successfully protect us from the problems caused and exacerbated by food modernization itself.

COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP Sante Fe Co-op members are planning a book club related to community and worker-owned businesses in New Mexico. Meetings will be open to everyone!

We're considering works like Gar Alperovitz's America Beyond Capitalism and Richard Wolff's Democracy At Work to start us off. Suggestions for further readings are needed!

We'll start sometime near the end of summer or early fall (August/September). We're hoping that the discussion group will lead to further actions and organi-

zation efforts to build a community owned economy in the state and beyond.

The format isn't fixed yet (we're considering meeting for an hour in the new Community Room at the Santa Fe location, every-other week, 2 chapters per meeting) and we're soliciting interest from folks who are willing to help organize and moderate the discussions.

Contact Mark at markwayne1969@gmail.com, for discounted copies of America Beyond Capitalism.B

e

READING AND DISCUSSION GROUP FORMING

505-428-0451 F O R I N F O R M AT I O N

community forum

June 2013 15

U LT R A V I O L E T: E Q U A L I T Y AT H I G H E R F R E Q U E N C Y

EDEN FOODS AND WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE T EDITED

ROBIN SEYDEL he group UltraViolet has urged its supporters to contact Eden Foods and express their grievances with the organic food company’s view on birth control. “Because Eden Foods’s CEO Michael Potter, is ideologically opposed to birth control, the company thinks they have the right to dictate to all their employees what health care they will have access to,” the group wrote in an email to its members. “That doesn’t just affect their employees. It’s a dangerous precedent that they are asking the court to set for all workers going forward. But progressive-minded people make up a huge portion of Eden’s customers—people who are likely to think that a boss shouldn’t be dictating their employees’ private health care decisions.”

States Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. This overreach of the federal government infringes on religious freedoms,” he explained in a statement. UltraViolet has set up a petition on its website that urges Eden Foods to stop its “ideological attacks on birth control.” www.weareultraviolet.org.

Who is UltraViolet As posted by Laura Bassett on the Huffington Post, “Online activists Nita Chaudhary of Moveon.org and Shaunna Thomas had an idea for a new kind of women's rights group: one that uses cutting-edge online advertising techniques to engage more people in the fight to end sexism in politics, media and pop culture.”

BY

The company filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over the so-called contraception mandate in March. Potter, a Catholic, alleged that providing his employees with health insurance plans that covered contraceptives violated his religious freedom.

Earlier this month, Potter addressed criticism of his lawsuit and refused to back down. “Eden Foods’ health care provider is required by the HHS to comply with all details of the Affordable Care Act. Parts of the mandate violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment of the United

Using plugged-in technology to create a ground swell of action for women’s rights, Chaudhary and Thomas launched their website, www.ultraviolet.org to bring together feminists of all genders on a variety of issues of importance in the fight to end sexism in all aspects of society, both nationally and internationally.

Although not yet ready to launch their project when Komen for the Cure announced the end of funding for cancer screening tests for low income women using Planned Parenthood due to their position on abortion, the two took action. In just a few hours they gathered 60,000 signatures and two days later Komen reversed its decision and executive director Karen Handel resigned. Chaudhary and Thomas were suddenly at the wheel of a women’s rights organization that grew to 400,000 supporters in just a few months.

Chaudhary told the Huffington Post, "The right wing decided to escalate a bubbling war on women, and hundreds of thousands of people came out of the woodwork to fight back with UltraViolet."

Funded by the progressive nonprofit Citizen Engangement Lab, UltraViolet makes it clear to the women's rights community that while they support important women’s advocacy groups, their use of social media in new and unique ways reaches more people in more immediate ways and adds a power packed punch to the struggle for women’s rights.

Their on-line clearinghouse is a place for sharing stories, views and questions. It’s a place for exploration, opinion and information (not necessarily in that order). Ultra Violet does not represent any school, wave, organization, institution or categorization. Their website says, “We do not belong in a box. We do not huddle together in a tank.

We do not fly in formation like a flock of geese. We are all free people, approaching feminism from different locations, backgrounds and personalities.”

People are welcome to leave thoughtful comments.

UV is a safe space for feminists and women where divergent, respectful viewpoints are welcome. All posts at UltraViolet belong to the individual authors. www.weareultraviolet.org

ADDING PUNCH

to the struggle for women’s rights!

ALBUQUERQUE FILM AND MEDIA

EXPERIENCE FILMS AND EVENT ALONG HISTORIC

ROUTE 66 JUNE 3-9

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he hottest movies and documentaries, celebrities and major events make Albuquerque the place to be June 3-9, 2013, at the Albuquerque Film & Media Experience at Nob Hill (AFME). The week kicks off with musician and ’80s superstar Thomas Dolby presenting his documentary The Invisible Lighthouse with a concert to follow at the Lobo Theater. For camps, students, kids and families, AFME presents a “free bee” screening of the hit Bee Movie at the KiMo Theatre on June 5 at noon.

AFME is honored to present “An Evening with Robert Redford,” A Taste of Film at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, lectures on bees and pollination at UNM and the coolest parties at lounges with actors and industry leaders all hanging out on Route 66.

“There has been global media attention with the participation of Robert Redford, artist Sibylle SzaggarsRedford, director Joshua Michael Stern (jOBS), United Kingdom sleep-artist Lee Hadwin, Americans for the Arts CEO Robert Lynch, and famed composers Morten Lauridsen and David Thor Jonsson,” said executive producers Lainie S. Quirk and Ivan Wiener. “The Mayor, the City of Albuquerque, ACVB, Nob Hill Neighborhood Association and Nob Hill Main Street are thrilled about AFME’s economic impact and the number of out of town travelers already confirmed to attend.”

Many socially conscious movies take center stage as AFME presents Road To Peace, Ancient Wisdom of the

30TH ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION

ALBUQUERQUE CENTER FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE

JUNE 22

Support community groups working for regional and global justice and help launch the next 30 years.

Bosque School, 4000 Learning Rd. NW. Enjoy dinner from the Olympia Café. Hear the Raging Grannies and Dance to Wagogo!

FOR MORE INFO, to register or make a donation contact the ACP&J at 505-2689557 or email:abqpeaceandjusticecen ter@ gmail.com.

14th Dalai Lama of Tibet; Vanishing of the Bees, a documentary examining the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth; and Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives, about the US government ignoring warnings and allowing untested genetically modified crops into our food supply—a gamble of unprecedented proportions.

Five world premieres will screen at AFME, including Justice Denied; Circle the Wagen; Chasing Moonflowers; a documentary by Alex Cox about Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie titled Scene Missing; and Moses on the Mesa. Actors Elizabeth Pena, Jeremiah Bitsui, Veronica Diaz, Jeremy Valdez, Mark Adair-Rios and Raoul Trujillo will be in attendance for the screening of the Lionsgate feature, Blaze You Out. Actor/director Federico Castelluccio from The Sopranos will be at AFME all week, screening Keep Your Enemies Closer, Checkmate. Emily Katz, head makeup and special effects supervisor for Anger Management will be doing an “Intimate Conversation” at Great Face and Body, and director Joshua Michael Stern (jOBS, Swingvote) will be doing a highly anticipated conversation at Tech Love in Nob Hill. New Mexico resident and Hurt Locker producer Tony Mark, actor Wes Studi and Breaking Bad’s Steven Michael Quezada will also be participating in events at AFME. Finally, AFME and SAG-AFTRA are proud to present The Lone Ranger Panel with the four actors who played the Rangers in Disney’s July 3 release, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, Chad Brummett, Lou Temple (Walking Dead), Damon Carney, Robert Baker and Kevin Wiggins. For additional information about the AFME visit www.abqfilmexperience.com.

Come check us out and see what we’re about!