24TH ANNUAL CELEBRATE THE
EARTHCO-OP! FESTIVAL
Earth Fest
AT THE NOB HILL
Entertainment Schedule
supply, drought resistant plants, and beautiful art from fine local artists and crafts people. And of course, eat great Co-op food and dance in the street with friends and neighbors new and old.
by Robin Seydel
APRIL 27 earth fest ABQ
Come together for
Environmental ACTION! Sunday, April 27, 10am-6pm On Silver Street between Carlisle and Tulane, behind the Nob Hill Co-op, 3500 Central SE
S
PRING CAME, IT SEEMED, IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR. An undeniable reminder that the work we do to restore and sustain our little planet is key to our future. And what better way to get involved in the effort to heal and honor our Mother Earth than to come to the Co-op’s Annual Celebrate the Earth Festival in Nob Hill.
This year we are encouraging people to focus on coming together as a community and collaborating for a healthy, sustainable future for ourselves, coming generations and the planet. We have much work to do on climate chaos, renewable energy, water quality and conservation, food self sufficiency and so many related issues. Come meet and lend your energy in support of the efforts of the many dedicated people in our communities who work on these and other issues. We firmly believe that, with the same cooperative spirit that for nearly 40 years enabled the Co-op to thrive and become the community hub for a sustainable future, we can and will overcome the planetary challenges we face. Again this year the festival will cover two blocks on Silver Street between Carlisle and Tulane behind the Nob Hill Shopping Center. You can expect an inspiring day filled with information, education and action booths from dozens of environmental, social and economic justice organizations from around the state. Meet local farmers and pet baby goats. Purchase seedlings for a sustainable food
SAFE FOOD: A RIGHT or a PRIVILEDGE?
BY STEVE WARSHAWER hat are “rights” and what are “privileges” in our society? Is “safe food” a right or a privilege? If it is a right, how can we best “protect” that right? What makes a food safe, or healthy? What is the relationship between healthy food and the safety of food? Although I am convinced that they are connected, for simplicity sake, let’s look at food safety.
W
I believe that if safe food is not a right—one that the government needs to get involved with—it is at least an expectation for all of us that eat. I further believe that it is the collective responsibility of all food system players to WORK TOGETHER TO MEET THAT EXPECTATION. No exceptions, no excuses! I recently heard a prominent consumer activist express her belief that there should be full transparency and sharing of government information on the results of every inspection of every meat processing plant in the US. She went on to explain that publishing the “scorecards” in these plants would allow consumers to vote with their wallets by avoiding the companies with lower scores, and choosing those with higher scores. I asked if she could see that under these circumstances the higher scoring plants would eventually seek a premium for their products and the lower scoring plants would sell their products to the vulnerable and economically disadvantaged. It is clear to me that turning food safety into a “marketing quality” would mean that the wealthy and well educated would get the safest food and those of lesser means would get less safe food.
We are looking forward to having groups as diverse as Bethany Organic Farm, Amigos Bravos, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, Agua es Vida Action Team, Desert Woman Botanicals, Animal Protection of New Mexico, Valle del Oro Wildlife Sanctuary, Old Windmill Dairy, Futures for Fathers, North American Indian Women’s Association, Project PeacePal, Our Endangered Aquifer Working Group, New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, the Fig Man, Red Tractor Farm and Valley Seed Company, to name but a few of the many wonderful organizations confirmed at press time. Our street fills up quickly so please reserve your booth space early. We do give first priority to environmental, social and economic justice non-profit organizations and farmers and farming organizations. Ride a Bike! As the many of you who have attended the Co-op Earth Fest know due to the popularity of the event, and Nob Hill parking realities; it’s best to hike, bike or carpool to the festival. Given that, we are once again honored to be working with the City of Albuquerque’s Bicycle Program and the Albuquerque Police Department on a wide variety of bike safety and education activities. Thanks to Commander Geier, of the Southeast Area Substation, get to know our southeast area Bike Officers. A special thanks goes out to the City of Albuquerque’s Chuck Malagodi for his help on all things bicycle! This year we will once again have a Kids Bike Safety Rodeo and other bicycle education. A Community of Artists As always you can count on seeing some of our community’s fine local artists and crafts persons, hearing some of your favorite musicians and thrilling to performances from our gifted local performers. Some festival favorites, like the National Institute of Flamenco’s Alama Flamenca, Baile Baile Folklorico and Odigbo Adama Africian Ambassador dancers, are coming back, and we are once again honored to have them grace the little stage under the big tent, in the middle of Silver Street. We welcome two great bands for the first time: Me and My Wife and the rockin’ hillbilly band, Cowboys and Indian. Two bands that are good friends of Earth Fest return including Zoltan Orkestar. Animal Opera was for years the hottest world beat band in New Mexico; newly reunited and better than ever, we welcome them back to Earth Fest. Joan Cere, one of New Mexico’s powerhouse voices, is coming with her newest group, Combo Special, for a soul rocking, foot flying, good dance time. See the full entertain-
She believes that the lower scoring companies would either raise their standards to improve their score or be driven out of business. While a company is improving its operations, and customers have abandoned it due to a lower grade, it will seek a market, and that will be a lowered price-point market. In this scorecard scenario, there will be businesses that win with high rankings and those that lose; and the less economically secure citizens will be the eventual victims. Ultimately competition over food safety creates a class system around access to safe food. Food is not like investments or movies, where an “independent” body can provide a ranking by which to guide consumer choices. Food is for everyone, and if it is not safe enough for one person it should not be passed to another instead. We do not give business the unfettered right to turn EVERYTHING into a competitive advantage! We have a minimum wage, we require equal access to jobs for the disabled, we protect natural resources such as air and water. We protect these because they are fundamental rights; and unfettered we have seen the forces of capitalism collide with those rights. In the produce industry, Chiquita Fresh Express, a company that handles, packs and ships various salad greens in cello packages that are “ready to eat,” recently announced a “new technology” (a lactic acid-based wash product instead of traditional chlorine-based disinfectants) that kills more bacteria when used to wash greens during the handling and packing process. Chiquita went public with this announcement directly to the consumer media, a move that elicited storms of protest from others in their industry. Setting aside the question of the validity of the claim, it is clear that Chiquita wants the buying public to choose their product on the basis of safety. There are some seriously inconsistent positions being staked out here. Consumer activists do not trust industry to work together to assure the safest food. Given Chiquita's idea of how to manage its food
Ehecatl Aztec Dancers Me and My Wife Alma Flamenca Zoltan Orkestar Baile Baile Dance Company Odigbo Adama African Dancers and Drummers 3pm: Cowboys and Indian 4pm: Combo Special 5pm: Animal Opera
10am: 11am: 12pm: 1pm: 2pm: 2:30pm
ment schedule above so you don’t miss any of this great local FREE music. Due to space considerations and Fire Department regulations NO CANOPIES will be allowed. For more information or to reserve your free booth space please contact Robin at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667 or at robins@lamontanita.coop. We're hoping for a beautiful day, and with Mother Earth's blessing we will once again take time to celebrate "Her," and reaffirm our commitment to restoring and sustaining our beautiful blue/green planetary gem. Join your friends and neighbors as we educate ourselves for paradigm shifting action and joyous dancing in the streets at Albuquerque's favorite spring gathering. Mark your calendar; this is one event YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS.
santa fe CO-OP EARTH DAY April 22 11:30am-2pm
Earth Day
BBQ
Come and enjoy a delicious Co-op BBQ! In the store sample local products. Profits of the BBQ benefit the Santa Fe Community Farm.
COOPERATIVE ACTION
FOR
SAFETY safety technology, we can see why: some companies will use their technologies for their own interest and are not concerned with public wellbeing, except when it pays them to do so.
B
ut once we introduce the government as the verification agent on food safety, if we then allow competition based on performance, there will follow a new kind of differentiation with the government as the arbiter. If we want a government owned and operated food system, then great; this is a step in that direction! Or do we want a system of diverse food production and opportunity for farmers and producers of all scales and production methods, built on a level playing field that produces safe food for all and then allows choice based on other attributes that are preferred by one consumer or another? Let the competition be over attributes that are truly discretionary, not over those, such as the highest standards of safety, that are the right of all citizens. What would happen if we could agree on the health qualities of food, and then apply the same logic? What would a system look like that is as committed to providing healthy food as it is committed so supplying safe food? We will explore this another time, but the idea is simple: if we identify a right, and the system of commerce threatens that right, then cooperative action must be taken to reaffirm and protect that right for all.
agua es
vida
La Montanita Cooperative A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store
April 2014 2
NEW PROPOSAL BY THE ALBUQUERQUE/BERNALILLO WATER UTILITY TO
F L U O R I D AT E
Nob Hill 7am – 10pm M – Sa, 8am – 10pm Su 3500 Central SE, ABQ, NM 87106 505-265-4631
OUR
Valley 7am – 10pm M – Su 2400 Rio Grande NW, ABQ, NM 87104 505-242-8800
PROTECT BRAINS OR TEETH?
Gallup 8am – 8pm M – Sa, 11am – 8pm Su 105 E Coal, Gallup, NM 87301 505-863-5383 Santa Fe 7am – 10pm M – Sa, 8am – 10pm Su 913 West Alameda, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-984-2852 Grab n’ Go 8am – 6pm M – F, 11am – 4pm Sa UNM Bookstore, 2301 Central SW, ABQ, NM 87131 505-277-9586 Westside 7am – 10pm M – Su 3601 Old Airport Ave, ABQ, NM 87114 505-503-2550 Cooperative Distribution Center 9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107 505-217-2010 Administration Offices 9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107 505-217-2001 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 • Operations Manager/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: • Valerie Smith/Nob Hill 265-4631 valeries@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 • Joe Phy/Westside 505-503-2550 josephp@lamontanita.coop Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanita.coop • President: Martha Whitman • Vice President: Marshall Kovitz • Secretary: Ariana Marchello • Treasurer: Susan McAllister • Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn • Jake Garrity • Leah Rocco • Jessica Rowland • Betsy VanLeit
BY KATY FLAMM luoride is a neurotoxin. The Lancet is one of the world's oldest and best-known general medical journals, and has been described as one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world. New research published online in February of this year (2014) has described numerous neurotoxins that are implicated in developmental disabilities. Newly added to the list of neurotoxins is fluoride —a substance that is being proposed by the Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Board to be added to all the drinking water in Bernalillo County. The reasoning behind the Water Utility proposal by Vice-Chair Maggie Hart Stebbins is to safeguard the teeth of low-income children who have little or no access to dental care. This reasoning begs the question – which part of a child’s anatomy do we care about most?
F
Neurodevelopmental Pandemic New research documented in the Lancet article says that: “…strong evidence exists that industrial chemicals widely disseminated in the environment are important contributors to what we have called the global, silent pandemic of neurodevelopmental toxicity. The developing human brain is uniquely vulnerable to toxic chemical exposures, and major windows of developmental vulnerability occur in utero and during infancy and early childhood. During these sensitive life stages, chemicals can cause permanent brain injury at low levels of exposure.” Lancet Neurol 2014; 13: 330–38 published online February 15, 2014 bit.ly/1j3E2IT. This recent Lancet article continues to discuss the cumulative effect of neurotoxins like fluoride on developing brains: “Neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and other cognitive impairments, affect millions of children worldwide, and some diagnoses seem to be increasing in frequency. Industrial chemicals that injure the developing brain are among the known causes for this rise in prevalence. In 2006, we (Lancet)
did a systematic review and identified five industrial chemicals as developmental neurotoxicants: lead, methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic, and toluene. Since 2006, epidemiological studies have documented six additional developmental neurotoxicants—manganese, fluoride, chlorpyrifos, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, tetrachloroethfor the ylene, and the polybrominated diphenyl ethers. WHOLE CHILD We postulate that even more neurotoxicants remain undiscovered. Untested chemicals should not be presumed to be safe to brain development, and chemicals in existing use and all new chemicals must therefore be tested for developmental neurotoxicity.”
CARE
Do We Really Care About Kids’ Teeth? According to the CDC, “Fluoride prevents dental caries predominately after the eruption of the tooth into the mouth, and its actions primarily are topical for both adults and children.” (Centers for Disease Control (1999): Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 48:933-40). Given this statement by the CDC and the exposure to fluoride in our water supply during fetal development and infancy before teeth come in, questions about the wisdom of water fluoridation must be carefully assessed before the county moves forward. Are we willing to trade one public health problem, that of providing adequate access to dental health care for low income children, with another public health epidemic? Research now shows that one in seven children suffers with some form of cognitive/developmental disorder which long term is far more serious and costly to our educational and public health systems. If we truly care about the dental health of low income children as voiced by some Water Utility members, ensuring education on good dental hygiene, dental care cost supports and, if needed, topical fluoride application to the teeth with toothpaste, might be a far better solution than putting the cognitive development of all Bernalillo County’s children at risk. KATY FLAMM has an MS, (biology and clinical nutrition) and is a longtime Co-op member.
!
action alert HELP PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND
Your Water Utility members include Klarissa Pena (Chair), Maggie Hart Stebbins (Vice-Chair), Debbie O’Malley, Mayor Richard J. Berry, Art De La Cruz, Ray Garduno, Trudy Jones and Pablo Rael. If you are concerned about the decision to add fluoride to drinking water please contact these commissioners and tell them your views—find their phone numbers at www.abcwua.org.
april 9
Please attend a public meeting to voice your opinion on fluoridation at the African American Performing Arts Center on the west side of the New Mexico State Fairgrounds on San Pedro on April 9, tentatively scheduled for 5:30pm. Arrive early to get your name on the speakers’ list.
Fluoridation? theWATER SUPPLY
HELP PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR WATER SUPPLY. For more information contact Katy Flamm at katy@vitamintrader.com or www.fluoridealert.org.
OUR ENDANGERED AQUIFER WORKING GROUP:
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. Email the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop Copyright ©2014 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.
D R I N K I N G W AT E R
CO-OP
YOU OWN IT
TAKING ACTION TO PROTECT OUR
DRINKING WATER BY JANET GREENWALD ur Endangered Aquifer Working Group (the Working Group), including representatives of Citizen Action, Southwest Research and Information Center, Partnership for Earth Spirituality, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping and the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, has been in negotiations for several months concerning the Sandia National Laboratory's (SNL) Hazardous Waste Permit. Though the negotiations themselves are confidential, the basis for the negotiations are the concerns of these groups, which were included in their official written comments in early 2013 to the New Mexico State Environment Department (NMED).
O
Among the concerns of the Working Group are: off-site hazardous waste contamination, contamination of the Albuquerque aquifer, insufficient monitoring of air and water, inadequate maps of the SNL sites which are or have potential to contaminate the aquifer, possible transfer of lands for public use, wastes left in landfills that have potential to harm the aquifer, transparency and SNL's relationship with the community.
The Working Group will settle as many issues as they can with SNL and NMED; the remaining issues will go to a public hearing later this spring; at which time the public will have an opportunity to express their concerns. Secretary of the Environment Ryan Flynn has also granted the Working Group a meeting with SNL, NMED and the public to specifically discuss and look toward solutions to the continuing and increasing contamination of the aquifer by SNL. SNL has leaked over a billion gallons of chemicals into the aquifer, among them trichloroethylene (TCE), a known carcinogen and nitrate. The amounts of TCE and nitrate exceed EPA groundwater protection standards. This meeting will be held after the SNL permit hearings in late spring or early summer.
ACTION
ALERT
ACTION ALERT: Stay tuned to the Co-op Connection to find out when these public hearings and citizen input opportunities will be coming up. Let your voice be heard concerning these important water issues. If you would like to receive information by e-mail or have questions, contactus@cardnm.org or call 505242-5511.
our precious FIRST URBAN WILDLIFE
planet
REFUGE
IN THE SOUTHWEST! BY TERI JILLSON, FRIENDS OF VALLE DE ORO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AVE YOU HEARD about the newly established Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (VDONWR)? Located on the 570-acre former Price’s Dairy in the South Valley, it is the first Urban Wildlife Refuge in the Southwest.
H
As an Urban Wildlife Refuge, VDONWR will not only protect wildlife and habitat but will also serve as a place for the community to connect with nature and wildlife and learn about these important resources through outdoor recreation, education and interpretive programs. The Refuge will provide opportunities for hiking, bird watching and wildlife viewing. Because of its accessibility, ten minutes from downtown Albuquerque and an estimated 30-minute drive from 60 percent of the state’s population, the Refuge has huge potential for the education of our children and whole community. It is already a field trip destination for schools, where students come to experience nature, connect classroom curriculum to experience, and learn about the importance of conservation. Historical education opportunities also exist, as the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail crosses the eastern edge of the Refuge. The VDONWR has overwhelming community support and has been financially supported by Bernalillo County, the State of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Flood Control Authority, US Bureau of Reclamation, Land and Water Conservation Fund, Trust for Public Land, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Walmart Acres for America and Wells Fargo Bank; 85 percent of
April 2014 3
VA L L E
de
ORO!
the Refuge land has been purchased—we are still working to identify funding for the remaining acreage. Currently, the Refuge is being farmed for alfalfa. Migratory birds comprise the majority of wildlife on the Refuge, but as habitat is restored, it will attract a greater variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians and native mammals. Plans for the Refuge include bosque, grassland and upland restoration, wetlands, demonstration agriculture, trails, bird blinds, overlooks, a visitor center and outdoor classrooms. Ideally, the Refuge will be open to the public full time, with some of the habitat restoration work completed in the next three to five years. Completion of the visitor center may take longer. In the meantime, you can visit the Refuge during one of our monthly open houses. Visit the website at www. fws.gov/refuge/valle_de_oro for dates and times. Or contact Refuge Manager Jennifer Owen-White (Jennifer_OwenWhite@fws.gov) to schedule a tour for your organization or give your suggestions—this is YOUR wildlife Refuge and we want to hear your ideas so that we can create a Refuge that serves the needs of the community as well as wildlife. One of the best ways to support the Refuge is to join or donate to the non-profit support group, Friends of VDONWR. The Friends provide volunteer services, help develop and conduct environmental and cultural outreach efforts and on-site programs, assist with site planning, fundraise to support Refuge projects and act as a liaison with the community to publicize Refuge amenities—and we have fun! You can find more information and a membership application at www.facebook.com/friendsofvdo. Please join us and help shape this South Valley treasure!
N AT I V E P L A N T S O C I E T Y O F N E W M E X I C O :
PLANT CONSERVATION,
T
The Society formed in 1978 with people coming to Santa Fe from around the state for the first meeting. Two years later the Society formed two chapters, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, and by 1980 more chapters, including Albuquerque and South Central NM, formed. Membership in the NPSNM is open to anyone supporting the goals of promoting a greater appreciation of native plants and their environment and the preservation of endangered species. The NPSNM offers a wide variety of field trips, meetings, publications, plant and seed exchanges, and educational forums. Members have access to books on all aspects of plants, landscaping and environmental issues at discount prices. Their quarterly newsletter is jam packed with information on all things natively horticultural. The Society has also produced two New Mexico wildflower posters by artist Niki Threlkeld and a cactus poster designed by Lisa Mandelkern, both available on their website. This year their annual meeting and conference, Good to the Last Drop: Meeting the Challenges of a Changing Environment, will be held July 31–August 2 in El Paso. Tim Lowrey, curator of the UNM Herbarium writes, “New Mexico has one of the most diverse landscapes in the United States. The topographic and geologic diversity interact with the climatic features of temperature, wind, and precipitation to determine the plant diversity in New Mexico.
CO-OP PROGRAM
DONATE your BAG CREDIT!
Supporting the Native Plant Society of New Mexico with your bag donation this month helps restore and sustain the amazing biodiversity of our state through education and other activities. GET INVOLVED with Native Plants: IN ALBUQUERQUE: The Albuquerque Chapter meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm in the multi-purpose room of the Museum of Natural History, 1801 Mountain Road NW. For more information contact: Jim McGrath (programs), sedges@swcp.com, 505-286-8745, or Dana Price (field trips and field forums), dana_price@ gmx.com, 505-872-2646. IN SANTA FE: The Santa Fe Chapter meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm at Christ Lutheran Church, 1701 Arroyo Chamiso (which is located in the triangle of Old Pecos Trail, St. Michael’s Drive and Arroyo Chamiso, directly across the street from Fire Station #4.) Programs are free and open to the public. Come early and enjoy refreshments. For more information email tom@thomasantonio.org or call 505-690-5105. For information or to order posters please go to www.npsnm.org.
VETERAN FARMER PROJECT WORKSHOP Join Jessie Brown of the New Mexico Beekeepers Association for a workshop at the Veteran Farmer Project Gardens at the Alvarado Urban Farm in Downtown Albuquerque. We will be learning how to open and care for the honey bee hives at our farm, check on the health of our bees and their honey supplies. For more info go to www.brownsdowntownbees.com or contact her at president@nmbeekeepers.org. To register for the workshop contact Robin at 505-217-2027 or at robins@lamontanita.coop.
APRIL 8 3-5PM
WESTSIDE 3601 Old Airport Ave. NW 505-503-2550
Alamed a Blvd. Coors Blvd.
EDITED BY ROBIN SEYDEL he Native Plant Society of New Mexico (NPSNM) is a non-profit organization that strives to educate the public about native plants by promoting knowledge of plant identification, ecology and uses; fostering plant conservation and the preservation of natural habitats; supporting botanical research; and encouraging the appropriate use of native plants to conserve water, land and wildlife. They accomplish these goals thnaks to hundreds of members in chapters located in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Las Cruses and also in El Paso, Texas and southwestern Colorado.
COOP
PRESERVATION
In terms of size, New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the union while it is has the fourth highest plant diversity in terms of numbers of species.”
Old A irport Ave.
HABITAT
Old Airport Ave.
OPENING THE
HIVES
BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME! THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO: THE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF NEW MEXICO. Fostering the conservation and preservation of native plants and habitats through education. IN FEBRUARY your bag credit donations totaling $2,302.80 went to Erda Gardens and Learning Center. www.erdagardens.org.
Co-op Values Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Co-op Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5 Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.
our ENERGY future CONNECTING the DOTS: POPULATION ,
LIFESTYLE
AND ENERGY
BY LISA SILVA, NEW MEXICO SOLAR ENERGY ASSOCIATION arken back to one of your first coloring books! Remember those pages that were a sea of dots. Afraid to make a mistake, we started with a pencil and then as our confidence grew, we graduated to a crayon to magically transform the page and in the end, reveal a total surprise that fascinated us each and every time.
H
We’ve become masters of connecting the dots of our life to accomplish not only our dreams but have also excelled in areas that were only imagined by our parents. Our quality of life is now the stuff of dreams that people all around the world seek to emulate. It would be all well and good, except for some glaring excesses. While putting our collective heads to the grindstone to “keep up with the Jones,” and provide the means for our children to enjoy an easier life than ours, we’ve become disconnected from the sources of our food, water and energy.
FINDING
SOLUTIONS
the world’s garbage, consume 15% of the world’s meat and 20% of its energy. Buildings consume 42% of the US’s primary energy output, 72% of its electricity, and 34% of its directly used natural gas. It’s time we acknowledge and take responsibility for our actions over the past 150 years while calling all hands on deck to muster up “good old American ingenuity” to create viable solutions in order to avoid global calamities. The good news is that many solutions already exist. Solar Fiestas! You will have two opportunities to learn more from experts in new and exciting technologies to help us improve our existing home efficiency while saving our precious planet. You won’t want to miss either of NM Solar Energy Association’s (NMSEA) Solar Fiestas this year. Yes, you read two! April 26 and September 27. This year admission, workshops, parking and tours are all FREE!! Plus you’ll be able to speak with representatives from various environmental- and sustainability-related New Mexico non-profit organizations.
AT
SOLAR
FIESTAS
April 2014 4
SANTA
FE
Workshops will be offered at both Solar Fiestas on current, state-of-the-art solar technologies, renewable energy technology, public policy, climate change as it affects NM, biofuel, wind, sustainable practices and other pertinent topics. If you would like to be a presenter, please contact Janet at info@nmsea.org. Or to learn about new workshops as they are added, check out the dedicated website at www.nmsolarfiesta.org. The first Solar Fiesta will be held in Santa Fe on April 26, at Santa Fe Community College’s Trades and Advanced Technology Center as part of SFCC’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. The second Solar Fiesta will be on September 27 at CNM’s Workforce Training Center, near I-25 and Alameda in Albuquerque. You’ll want to mark both dates on your calendar as each Fiesta will have a different emphasis. Come to the Solar Fiestas and the Co-op’s Earth Day Festival the next day to see how you can gain new knowledge and insight to connect the dots to REDUCE YOUR ECO FOOTPRINT.
APRIL 26 SANTA FE
A graphic that projects our current American lifestyle onto the world’s new, record population of over seven billion shows we would need approximately five Earths to duplicate our American lifestyle for the entire world populace. Representing only 5% of the population, Americans generate 40% of
HOME ENERGY
their bills, including providing rebates for ENERGY STAR appliances and heating and cooling systems.
P
Energy efficiency programs have the potential to save enough energy each year to power thousands of homes, avoid millions in fuel costs and reduce both carbon emissions and water use associated with the production of electricity.
EFFICIENCY THE 24TH ANNUAL CELEBRATE THE
EARTH FEST! APRIL 27, NOB HILL CO-OP 10AM-6PM www.lamontanita.coop
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION, BOOTHS, FARMERS, FOOD, MUSIC AND MUCH MORE!
877-775-2667,
robins@lamontanita.coop
NM has launched a new energy efficiency program, the Home Energy Checkup, aimed at helping customers save energy in their home and money on their electric bill. In the new program, for only $40, customers receive a programmable thermostat, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads. In addition, a qualified assessor will complete a walk-through assessment of the customer’s home and install each energy-saving measure. The assessor will also help identify other ways customers can save energy and reduce
Customers throughout the state will be able to SCHEDULE THEIR ASSESSMENTS AND INSTALLATIONS by calling 1-855-7756491. Visit www.pnm.com/rebates for more information about the PNM HOME ENERGY CHECKUP.
nuclear new mexico what is
WRONG WITH
WIPP?
BY DON HANCOCK, SOUTHWEST RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTER (SRIC) he world’s first geologic repository for military nuclear waste is making international news because of the radiation leak that was detected late at night on Valentine’s Day. An unknown amount of Leaked radioactive and toxic chemical waste was released to the environment from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). On February 26, twelve days later, the thirteen workers at the site when the leak was detected were from WIPP notified that they tested positive for internal radiation contamination. Dozens of other workers that came to work at the site on Saturday, February 15, are being tested, and at least four more have tested positive for internal radiation contamination. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), radionucles from the release have been detected more than twenty miles from the WIPP site.
EXPANDING
RADIATION DETECTED 20 MILES
Since the DOE and Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), the operating contractor, have repeatedly stated that WIPP would “start clean, stay clean” and not release any radioactivity for at least 10,000 years, the leak was never supposed to happen. The health dangers that persist for thousands of generations is the reason to put the wastes underground so that they are not released to the environment. Thus, an obvious question: What’s wrong with WIPP? Also, what effect does the leak have on DOE plans to expand WIPP and what is the opposition to such proposals? How much radioactivity was released and where did it go? DOE, the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (CEMRC), and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will release more information to begin to estimate how much was released underground, how much was captured by the filtration system, and how much escaped above ground. Among the contaminants detected are plutonium (Pu)-239 and americium (Am)-241. Am-241 has a half-life of 432 years (half of the current radioactivity will be present in that many years), and plutonium Pu-239 has more than a 24,000-year half-life. Meteorological data, including wind speed and direction, at the WIPP site since February 14 can identify the most likely pathways for the airborne contami-
Sandia’s Mixed Waste
LANDFILL
RADIOACTIVE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS THREATENS
ABQ’S AQUIFER BY BEVERLY BURRIS, PHD AND DAVE MCCOY, CITIZEN ACTION NEW MEXICO e all want pure water coming out of our taps, and tend to assume that we have it. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that Albuquerque’s drinking water is threatened by contamination from sources such as the Kirtland jet fuel spill and various toxic dump sites. One of these is the mixed-waste landfill (MWL) at Sandia National Laboratories, a 2.6-acre site located one mile east from a children's park at Mesa del Sol, a planned residential community for 100,000 people.
W
The recent release of radioactivity and exposure of workers and the public from the $3 billion WIPP site indicates that even carefully designed hazardous waste storage sites have their vulnerabilities; in contrast, the MWL pits and trenches are unlined, poorly monitored and have no cleanup or closure plan. Lockheed Martin Corp., the Department of Energy contractor for Sandia, currently refuses to meet with the public to discuss any aspect of their 20-yearold hazardous waste permit, ongoing unsafe nuclear operations and open burning of toxic waste.
WIPP’S MISSION?
nants. Results of soil sampling could help determine how far the radionuclides released underground have traveled and help determine the amounts. Workers on any of the more than 100 oil and gas wells within one mile of the WIPP site boundary on February 14 and 15 could be the first non-WIPP workers in the path of any release.
T
April 2014 5
What is to be done about the contamination? On February 15 and 16, DOE and NWP stated: “No personnel contamination has been identified.” They further stated: “Multiple perimeter monitors at the WIPP boundary have confirmed there is no danger to human health or the environment. No contamination has been found on any equipment, personnel, or facilities.” Sampling data and laboratory analysis are needed so that various technical experts can review the data and provide multiple views about the release.
Various technical and public views should also be included in the process to determine how much decontamination is necessary before underground waste handling can resume and what level of decontamination should be done on the surface of the WIPP site and in the surrounding areas. Decontamination of a radiological release in 3,000 feet or more of an underground salt mine has not been done before, DOE had no decontamination plan for such a release, and there is no agreed upon “acceptable” radiation level for continuing operations. What radiation levels would be considered “acceptable” on the WIPP site surface also is undetermined. Further, what decontamination should be done off-site has not been established. What is happening with WIPP expansion proposals? The DOE currently has five environmental impact statements (EIS) that propose bringing additional wastes to WIPP. While for 35 years federal laws have limited WIPP to transuranic waste from manufacturing nuclear bombs, the EISs promote bringing reprocessed commercial waste from West Valley, NY; commercial waste (but not spent fuel) from all of the nuclear power reactors; some high-level defense waste from Hanford, WA; surplus plutonium from nuclear bombs from the Savannah River Site, SC; and ele-
es that are leaking into the aquifer that supplies Albuquerque’s drinking water. Plutonium was left on the soil surface at the MWL. Today it would be illegal to dispose of such dangerous waste in this manner. In 2005 the NMED issued a final order, which requires Sandia to consider excavation of the MWL every five years, including determining to what extent contaminants in the MWL have reached the groundwater. To date, Sandia has not conducted the mandatory feasibility study (due in 2010) and intends further delay until 2019, in violation of the NMED final order. In November 2005, Sandia’s own study predicted that contaminants could reach Albuquerque’s drinking water as early as the year 2010. What should be done? In addition to Sandia acting responsibly and performing the excavation study, we need more monitoring wells to the south, north and west of the MWL to monitor the groundwater beneath the site. Four monitoring wells were installed in the early 1990s to the north and west of the MWL, but it was soon discovered that the groundwater flow was actually to the southwest.
HEALTH DANGERS from RADIATION persist for THOUSANDS of
GENERATIONS mentary mercury from many government and commercial sites to store on the surface. Another activity at WIPP that DOE and its contractor are pursuing is additional underground mining [the Salt Disposal Investigations (SDI) program] unrelated to defense transuranic waste. That mining is creating small rooms in which heaters could be placed to try to dispute three decades of the scientific view that salt is not a favorable disposal medium for thermally hot, highly radioactive waste. Transportation, storage or disposal of such high-level waste is explicitly prohibited at WIPP by federal law and the NMED Permit. These expansion proposals take time, effort and money and divert the attention of the operators from a focus on WIPP’s safety mission. Those distractions contribute to a declining safety culture that was evidenced by the radiation release and the fire on February 5, that forced evacuation of the underground workers and suspension of waste handling that was in effect when the Valentine’s Day radiation release was detected. Whether DOE will continue to promote WIPP for expansion remains to be seen. However, since some people in southeastern New Mexico have promoted WIPP for other missions for more than 35 years, it seems likely they will continue such advocacy. The majority of New Mexicans who have succeeded in stopping such expansion have even more reason to strongly oppose any such proposals. RESOURCES: DOE WIPP special section on the radiation leak: www.wipp.energy.gov/Special/ CEMRC: www.cemrc.org/ NMED WIPP: www.nmenv.state.nm.us/wipp/index.html EPA WIPP: www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp/index.html SRIC nuclear waste homepage: www.sric.org/nuclear/index.php
The NMED, EPA and Sandia knew twenty years ago that the four monitoring wells were improperly positioned, corroded and could not provide useful data about possible contamination of the groundwater. The hazardous waste permit issued to Sandia by the NMED should be re-evaluated and replaced with a comprehensive cleanup plan and groundwater monitoring that will protect the quality of water in Albuquerque’s declining aquifer. Although we tend to take clean drinking water from our tap for granted, recent threats to Albuquerque’s aquifer imply that we need to take action now to protect the quality of our water for ourselves and for future generations. Citizen Action NM (CANM) is committed to protecting our natural resources by demanding that Sandia and Kirtland Air Force base be held accountable for cleaning up their contamination. During the 2014 legislative session, CANM succeeded in passing a memorial (HJM 13) which seeks to create an independent panel of experts to develop a cleanup plan for the Kirtland jet fuel spill. A similar memorial (SM 30) about the MWL passed two Senate committees but failed to pass the full Senate due to administrative error. For more information about the MWL, other threats to the aquifer and environment, and opportunities to get involved, visit Citizen Action NM’s website: www.radfreenm.org.
Get your application in today! For Information call 877-775-2667
The MWL received radioactive and hazardous waste from nuclear weapons production between 1959 and 1988. The documented waste in the landfill includes 119 barrels of long-lived plutonium- and americium-contaminated waste, tons of depleted uranium and tritium, and hazardous waste such as lead, beryllium and solvents such as trichloroethylenes (TCE), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and perchloroethylene (PCE). These radioactive and hazardous wastes were enclosed in flimsy plastic bags, cardboard boxes and steel drums and then dumped a few feet below ground surface into unlined pits and trench-
Look for Family Farmers Seed Co-op seeds at your favorite La Montanita Co-op location!
Get your Family Farmers Seed Co-op seeds!
PERFECT FOR NEW MEXICO GROWING CONDITIONS
the La Montanita
FUND Loan application now
being taken!
co-op news
April 2014 6
MEMBERSHIP IS OWNERSHIP:
CO-OP PRINCIPLES: COOPERATION among
COOPERATIVES
BY MARSHALL KOVITZ, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT n the past, Board members have GO used this column to discuss the CO-OP seven Co-op Principles, explaining what they mean and how we live them. We would like to continue that discussion, focusing on Principle Number Six, Cooperation Among Co-ops. In particular, we would like to discuss the National Cooperative Grocers Association, (NCGA), an organization that was founded on Principle Six and is critical to the well-being of food co-ops nationwide. Much of the information we offer here comes from a presentation by our General Manager, Terry Bowling. Terry presented at one of the Board’s monthly study sessions, hour-long explorations of strategic issues that impact La Montanita.
I
!
NCGA is a business services cooperative which is owned by 136 retail food co-ops nationwide. Dues are based on the size of the co-op and they pay for a variety of important activities and services that many of the co-ops—especially smaller ones—could not provide on their own. The retail co-ops elect NCGA’s board and Terry, our general manager, serves as Treasurer on the board, devoting considerable time and effort to the work.
One of the most important functions of NCGA is to negotiate prices with natural food wholesalers and the gift with various service providers. Since NCGA negotiates on behalf of all its member stores, it can obtain substantially better rates than what individual co-ops could get. In return for the lower prices, individual co-ops contribute to a joint liability fund, an account used to guarantee payment should any individual co-op fail to pay its bills. NCGA also produces marketing and promotional materials at a level of sophistication not available to small co-ops. Members of NCGA’s staff are among the most knowledgeable in the business and they employ their expertise to further co-op growth and development. When La Montanita recently opened our Westside store, NCGA played an active role in many of the tasks involved in bringing this project to fruition. NCGA staff members help other retail co-ops with many other aspects of operations such as accounting, human resources and
DAIRY DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT:
LOCAL EGG SUPPLIERS: Peculiar Farms: Thomas and family are famous for their "blue eggs" coming from Araucana hens. On their farm in Los Lunas they are committed to using the farm resources wisely to produce healthy food. This means organic methods of farming, coupled with superior varieties, and only well water. Look for their pesticide-free produce, too.
EGG SEASON
I
I love working with all our great egg suppliers and being able to source good healthy eggs for our Co-op community. If you are not growing your own or don’t have a friend who is, the Co-op is the best place to get your fresh eggs. Whether you like them boiled, poached, fried, in salads or baked, we at the Co-op do the best we can to have the freshest, healthiest most delicious eggs in our dairy coolers every day. Here is the who’s who on Nob Hill’s local egg suppliers. Suppliers may vary slightly at different locations. Check in with your favorite Dairy Department staff person or give me a holler at 265-4631 or aarond@lamontani ta.coop.
SPRING greens... Shop your Co-op!
Finally, NCGA supports important initiatives at the national level. Among other activities, NCGA lobbies on issues such as organic standards, genetically modified organisms, (GMO’s), and the US Farm Bill. With its expert staff and its vital support of the co-op community, NCGA is a great example of individual co-ops working together so that everyone benefits. If you would like to learn more about the Co-op Principles, a good place to start is the website of the International Co-operative Alliance, ica.coop/en/ what-co-op/co-operative-identity-values-principles. And if you would like to know more about the board’s study work and participate in the discussion, you are welcome to join us at any of our monthly board meetings. Meetings are always held on the third Tuesday of each month starting at 5:30pm. Come a few minutes early and join us for dinner. Location is the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across the street from the Co-op’s Nob Hill store. The business portion of the meeting runs for approximately one hour and is followed by an hour of study and discussion. PLEASE JOIN US!
MEMBERSHIP IS
FRESH, LOCAL AND COLORFUL DOZENS
BY AARON DIEHL, NOB HILL DAIRY TEAM LEADER t’s spring and the hens are laying. I for one am a big fan of our local eggs. One look at the deep rich golden color of the yolk and you know why. You pop them in the frying pan and they bubble up all fluffy, something no commercial egg ever does. You can really taste the difference. Finally knowing that these are real eggs, not full of added growth hormones and antibiotics is something that, as a dad with two young children, is very important to me.
marketing. While NCGA’s focus is primarily on operations, it also provides some support for governance and board development.
S & S Farms: We have done business with Joseph Altobello for going on ten years now. His South Valley backyard farm uses feed produced in Chimayo for their hens. They are a family run operation and do a fine job with the traditional, old school white eggs; perfect for coloring with the kids this month, and delicious for eating after all the festivities. These are the most economical local eggs on the market. Happy Chicken Eggs: Al Humble for Plants of Thanksgiving Farm produces the Happy Chicken brand eggs. Al uses a custom feed he has formulated for his hens, consisting of non-GMO grains, that is corn free and includes some organic ingredients. These are very premium eggs grown in the East Mountain area.
Beneficial Farms: Distributed by the Co-op Distribution Center, Beneficial eggs come from a network of farms in the north central part of the state around Santa Fe. They are the only "fertilized" egg we sell. Delta G Eggzotic Eggs: Another fine local egg out of the East Mountains. Produced on a small scale, it seems to me that Gary has his production down to a science; he has a temperature controlled coop for his hens, so when other hens are not laying either due to heat or cold Gary’s got eggs. These are a colorful dozen as he has a few Araucana hens, so you will see some blue eggs mixed in a box. He also uses a local feed. ALL the local eggs we sell are UNGRADED, meaning that they have not gone through a USDA inspection to determine a grade. Since none of the eggs are mass-produced, they will usually be MUCH fresher than any medium to large-scale production, because at the Co-op, 90 percent of the eggs on the shelf have been laid within the week and are distributed directly from farm to store. The Rio Grande, Westside and Santa Fe stores may have a few other local varieties, so you may want to reach out to them as well.
HEALING THE PLANET STARTS WITH YOU:
STRESS RELIEF BY MONICA RUDE When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden. -Minnie Aumonier (18th Century poet)
R
ecent studies attribute 85 percent of all disease to stress-related factors. Millions of Americans suffer from anxiety, insomnia and illnesses related to stress and its impact on the body. Stress can be from many sources, including physical, emotional, environmental or even psychic. Stress can occur in the form of problems at work, unemployment, striving to achieve, relationship tension, fear, lack of relaxation or adequate sleep, overexertion or lack of exercise, smoking, poor eating habits or eating junk food, drug and alcohol abuse, infections, allergies, pollution, drinking poor quality water, noise, severe emotional trauma, major surgery. Positive events, i.e., marriage, a new baby, a promotion, or graduation can also be sources of stress. So here’s an idea on how to cope: take yourself to the garden. Get away from it all and just BE in a place of peace and calm, where you can relax and breathe. To do this, create a special place, a small place requiring minimal maintenance. Plant only a few plants, i.e., 10 or less, and make them nervines, herbs which calm and nourish the nervous system, or adaptogens, which help the body adapt or resist the physiological effects of stress. It is believed they help to restore the balance between the immune, nervous and glandular systems, all of which are impacted by stress. Some of these herbs are holy basil, catnip, licorice, lemon balm, chamomile, valerian, skullcap, borage, ashwaganda, motherwort. Partial shade would be welcome for the valerian, skullcap and chamomile; the others can grow in full sun. They are quite drought tolerant and attract pollinators.
OWNERSHIP
GROW YOUR OWN
Learn how to grow these herbs and use them in tea, tincture or flower essence. Sip them while sitting in your special garden. Have a catnip moment: tune-in to the healing energy of the plants, imagine it flowing through your body... relaxing, healing, nourishing, restoring, empowering. A few flowers add to the relaxing ambiance and attract more pollinators to watch. Lastly, add a sign or a symbol of peace or a whimsical item. In your special garden, set an intention to sit and relax without feeling compelled to weed, prune, harvest or do anything. This is slow gardening, it’s not production-oriented. Let go of judgement of yourself as a gardener. Realize gardening can be a source of stress if you seek perfection, are attached to yield as a measure of success or self-worth, or are comparing your garden to another. Your goal here is to not-do. Here you can practice calm in the midst of chaos. Meditate, pray, do yoga, daydream, sing, chant, stare at the wall, talk to the plants...whatever it takes to allow yourself to shift into that parasympathetic mode of your nervous system where relaxation is a magic carpet. It carries you to a place where the list of things to-do becomes less urgent. You can breathe, digest, feel and with practice, learn what relaxed feels like so you can go there whenever you realize you’re tensing up again. Let the tension dissipate. Surrender to now. Breathe. And remember... gardening is cheaper than therapy plus you get tomatoes... MONICA RUDE owns Desert Woman Botanicals and will be serving up relaxing herb tea at La Montanita’s EARTH FESTIVAL ON APRIL 27. Look for Desert Woman salves at your favorite Co-op location!
HEALING WITH HERBS
co-op news
April 2014 7
THE INSIDE
T
he Nob Hill Celebrate the Earth Fest 2014 will be Sunday, April 27. I know many of you have attended this event in the past. I think we all agree this is a wonderful celebration with many vendors, entertainment, food and a good time for all! It has become one of the biggest, if not the biggest Earth Day event in New Mexico, a true celebration in every sense of the word. Our own Robin Seydel has organized this event for years. The effort that is required to bring Earth Day to reality is huge. Earth Day 2014 will just be over and Robin will be planning Earth Day 2015. Robin’s office is directly across from mine and we rarely work with our doors closed so much of our communication can be done by just talking loudly and it also allows us to hear what each is working on, no secrets in our office. I am amazed by the number of phone calls Robin receives and makes in the organizing of this event. The permits required by the City can change year
SCOOP
to year and it can be difficult at times to manage the red tape, but Robin goes forward without complaint. After all of our senior Management meetings we have a time that we offer appreciation to whomever we choose. Robin, I, your General Manager and friend, appreciate your efforts to bring this great event to our Co-op and City, your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Also my thanks to our Nob Hill staff and volunteers who spend the day doing everything from cooking to emptying trash; this event would not be successful without you. You can always contact me with any comment and/or concern at terryb@lamontanita.coop or by phone at 505-217-2020. -TERRY
EARTH FEST 2014
CO-OP U: got food? THANK A FARMER
MONA ANGEL here is a food crisis in America today that we can no longer ignore. Produce sections in grocery stores are shrinking and diet related health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity are on the rise. Farming is vital and essential to our health and security. With the average age of a farmer being 60+ we need to bring awareness back to farming and the fact that FARMING = FOOD. We need new farmers. Educational institutions, state and federal agencies are not doing enough to provide support for young people who want to pursue farming as a career and a businesses. The solution is community based and cooperative.
BY
T
U are the solution! Join the Fairfield Growers Cooperative and La Montanita Co-op in a new multi-co-op project to support and train a new generation of farmers. Beginning farmers struggle and often fail. Co-op U is a three-year agriculture educational apprenticeship program. A prospective farmer shadows and works closely with an existing farmer learning the where, why and how of farming. Then the new farmer takes every-
thing learned in year one and works on his or her own space. The final phase includes voluntary membership in Fairfield Co-op and teaching the next round of students.
The overall goal of the program is to offer support to new farmers and train them in the business of farming. How to sell and sell well. This is where a new farmer will get crucial feedback and with a membership in the Fairfield Growers Cooperative also have the continued support of veteran farmers, with issues like pest control and soil building, buying seeds and other farming materials in bulk, special trainings and yearly educational opportunities to keep a new farmer’s knowledge up to date. We want confident, motivated farmers to graduate from this program! To do that the program will always be evolving. One US farmer can feed about 129 people. When one farmer succeeds we all succeed! If you are an agency interesting in supporting this program or an individual interested in becoming a participant, contact Mona Angel at Fairfield Growers Cooperative on Facebook.
April Calendar
of Events 4/8 Veteran Farmer Project Bee Keeping Workshop at the farm, see page 3 4/15 BOD Meeting Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 4/22 Santa Fe Earth Day BBQ See page 1 4/27 24TH Annual Earth Fest! Nob Hill Co-op, see page 1
CO-OPS: A Solution-Based System A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
spring in to
salads
April 2014 10
TASTE
of spring COLD ASIAN NOODLE SALAD Serves 4 Time: 30 minutes Subtle yet sublime, this salad is refreshing, with just the right amount of heat. Baked tofu adds heartiness to the dish.
SHOP CO-OP AND BUY LOCAL SHOP CO-OP
8-ounce package soba noodles 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, cashews and peanuts 2 cups broccoli florets, cut small 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced 5 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 3 scallions, sliced 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 sweet red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional) Juice of one lime 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (if available) or cilantro 1 14-ounce package baked tofu, sliced or cubed Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again and set aside. Toast nuts in dry frying pan and set aside. Steam carrots and broccoli until tender yet crisp. Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in frying pan on medium low. Add minced garlic and ginger and sauté until lightly browned. Add scallions, tomatoes, red pepper and jalapeño pepper (if using) and stir gently a couple of minutes until slightly softened. In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, 3 remaining tablespoons sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, cayenne, paprika, salt and black pepper until thoroughly combined. To assemble salad, combine sautéed vegetables with steamed carrots, broccoli and basil or cilantro and mix together with soba noodles. Pour dressing over salad and toss well to evenly coat. Best served at room temperature, even if chilled for up to 2 hours. Add baked tofu and garnish with toasted pine nuts, cashews or chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.
Croutons 1/3 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon paprika 3 to 4 large cloves garlic, minced 1 medium-sized firm-crusted, rustic baguette or 4 to 5 slices of bread of choice, cubed Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, salt, paprika and garlic. Add bread cubes and toss until completely coated. Spread on baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, stir, and then bake 5 more minutes, until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool. Set aside. Dressing 1 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 3 large cloves garlic, quartered 1 tablespoon light miso paste (preferably white) 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar Freshly squeezed juice of 2 medium lemons 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes* 1 sheet toasted sushi nori, broken into pieces** 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Salad 1 large head romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces 6 ounces "Beyond Meat," lightly seasoned or grilled varieties of chicken-free strips, peeled into thin slices, or any "vegan chicken" of your choice. In a blender, process olive oil, salt, garlic, miso paste, water, vinegar, lemon juice, capers, nutritional yeast flakes, nori, mustard and pepper until thoroughly mixed. In a large bowl, add lettuce. Toss with 1/3 dressing until well coated. Add more dressing if needed, to desired taste. Add chicken, sprinkle in croutons and toss again. Serve immediately and garnish with additional black pepper, if so desired. Although traditional Caesar salad is simple, with only a few ingredients, feel free to add tomatoes, sliced onions or whatever else you may wish. Omit the chicken-free strips, and this salad pairs well with any pasta or other Italian entrée. *Nutritional yeast adds the "cheesy" flavor similar to Parmesan, a key ingredient in traditional Caesar salad. **Toasted sushi nori mimics the taste of anchovy and a full-bodied miso paste gives it that desired richness.
CLASSIC VEGAN CAESAR SALAD with CHICKEN-FREE STRIPS
FRESH
Serves: 4 Time: 50 minutes Salty capers, toasted sushi nori, fresh lemon juice and a dash of Dijon mustard produces the flavor of a classic Caesar salad.
BBQ & b e n e f it
a
FAIR LOCAL... CO-OP
Santa Fe CO-OP
EARTH DAY
CELEBRATION! ALL BBQ PROFITS
Sat., April 22 11:30am-2pm
BENEFIT SANTA FE COMMUNITY FARM!
ENJOY
DELICIOUS CO-OP BBQ. IN THE STORE SAMPLE
LOCAL PRODUCTS!
spring in to
salads
STUFFED AVOCADOS with TUNA (FREE) SALAD
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 cup sliced almonds 8 dates, pitted and chopped 2 1/2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a peeler
Serves 4 Time: 45 minutes This delicious salad is a great way to add mineralrich seaweed and protein-packed, fiber-rich garbanzo beans to your diet. 2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced 1/4 cup dill pickle, finely chopped (optional) 1 sheet toasted sushi nori, finely crumbled* 1 cup vegan mayonnaise 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 medium to large avocados, peeled and halved In a large bowl, mash garbanzo beans with a potato masher or the back of a fork, until no pieces remain. Fold the onion, celery, garlic, pickle (if using), nori, mayonnaise, salt and pepper into the mashed garbanzo beans. Combine thoroughly. Fill each avocado half with a generous scoop of tuna-free salad. Place 2 filled avocado halves on a bed of greens. Additional garnishes may include cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, sliced carrots, sliced radishes, olives, etc. Serve with crusty bread or crackers of choice. *For a "fishier" taste, add more nori flakes. This vegan tuna-free salad also makes a great sandwich spread, served on plain or toasted multi-grain or bread of choice, with crisp lettuce and fresh tomato slices. KALE SALAD with ALMONDS Serves 4 Time: 30 minutes
In a bowl, whisk juice, shallot, honey, salt and pepper flakes. Add kale; toss well. Let sit 20 minutes. Mix in oil. Refrigerate for up to 1 day, or serve immediately. In a dry pan, toast almonds over medium heat, tossing constantly, until color deepens, 1 to 2 minutes. Add almonds, dates and Parmesan to kale; serve. BEET SALAD with PARSLEY and RICOTTA Serves 4 Time: 45 minutes 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling 2 1/4 pounds assorted beets with greens (such as Chioggia, white, golden and red; 1 1/2 pounds if already trimmed) 1/4 small red onion 1 1/4 cups Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves (from 1 bunch), torn if desired Fresh ricotta or farmer cheese, or grated ricotta salata Whisk together juices, oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Trim beets, leaving 1 inch of stems attached, then peel. Using stems as a handle, slice beets paper-thin (less than 1/8 inch thick), then cut slices into very thin matchsticks. Thinly slice onion. Toss beets, onion and parsley with dressing and season with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally to soften beets and allow flavors to develop. Toss again and season with salt and pepper before serving drizzled with additional oil.
Juice of 1/2 lemon 1/2 shallot, chopped 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 bunches kale, stems removed, leaves shredded or finely chopped
get your
GREENS Your CO-OP Produce Dept. has a huge variety of organic and local greens! (and other tasty spring treats)
SHOP CO-OP
&SAVE
April 2014 11
spring has sprung
Spring Allergies
April 2014 12
SAFE, EFFECTIVE, AFFORDABLE
REMEDIES!
at her disposal. She suggests both dietary changes to reduce overall inflammation levels (and thus your inflammatory responses to the allergens) AND a few very safe, yet effective herbal remedies, all accessible and affordable.
herbs that help
BY AMYLEE UDELL ne early spring day almost 15 years ago two of my co-workers, one who had lived here for many years and the other for his whole life, were absolutely miserable. They couldn't venture far from the tissue box, were reading their computer screens through dripping, watery eyes waiting for the meds to kick in. A few years later I had my first baby and my first bout of allergies. Then I was fine again for awhile, so I chalked it up to postpartum adrenal fatigue. And now a decade later, I am seasoned in the suffering that is New Mexico’s seasonal allergies.
O
There is SOME type of pollen or mold being released every month of the year here in New Mexico. Most of us won't react to every single one and so we have our own season of allergies, depending on what affects us. Juniper, mulberry and elm are the ones that affect most allergy sufferers here. Some people begin suffering in January and most will feel their histamine reactions to these tiny particle invaders from then until April. Late spring also brings our strong winds and stirs up EVERYTHING. For some people, prescription and over the counter medications seem to be the only source of true relief. If you're not there yet or are hopeful to cut down on medications, here are a few ideas: Eliminating pollen is the first step. Keep windows closed and remove shoes outside to prevent bringing it into your home. Vacuum and change your bedding frequently. Also wash your hair, face and hands frequently to rinse away the pollen. If you commute frequently, vacuum your car. And wash your pet, who is likely bringing in lots of pollen, too. How can you calm those strong histamine reactions? Mary Lou Singleton of Enchanted Family Medicine is both an herbalist and a nurse practitioner, and so has both pharmaceutical and herbal remedies
BOTH DIETARY CHANGES TO REDUCE OVERALL INFLAMMATION AND A FEW SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE
HERBAL REMEDIES CAN HELP
Goldenrod is also very safe in all respects. This herb is very helpful for nasal discharge and will help dry up your leaky nose. Taken as a tea, try one cup three times a day. As a tincture, try 30-60 drops three times a day. Singleton also recommends another herbal remedy that comes from a local southwest plant. Mormon tea is a local ephedra plant (it doesn't contain ephedrine). This herb is also very drying.
nettles
for spring relief
It all starts with diet! A low-inflammation diet typically minimizes eggs, wheat, peanut butter, tree nuts, sugar and dairy. I for one audibly gulped; I love my raw dairy! Says Mary Lou, "try consuming antiinflammatory spices, like turmeric, as well as chai spices, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, with your dairy to counter its effects." Singleton suggests, for typical spring allergies, starting to take nettles after the new year. Taking dried nettles in a tea daily in deep winter gives enough time for their cumulative effect to build and prepare you for the spring. If you did not start in time and you want to end your suffering now, look for freeze dried nettles. "You'll need to take quite a bit to see
LA MONTANITA
FUND:
GRASSROOTS INVESTING! Help GROW the LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM
results," she says, "four to eight capsules every four to six hours." Nettles are safe, she says, for all ages and have no contraindications or interactions with medications.
I asked Singleton how she handles her own allergies. She takes burdock and licorice tea (please consult your health professional about any drug interactions with licorice). Combined in a 2:1 ratio, simmer three tablespoons of this dried root blend in one quart of water for one to ten minutes and strain. Sip all day. She also takes quercetin, a supplement with nice antihistamine properties. She has seen a quercetin, bromelain, vitamin C complex work well in treating allergies in her clients. In short, it sounds like decreasing inflammation while improving your overall health by supporting your liver, lympatic system, adrenals and digestion are the path to avoiding allergies. For more information contact Enchanted Family Medicine for family-based integrative health care at 505-573-514.
LOAN PROGRAM • Quick and easy application process • Loans from $250 to $15,000, or more in exceptional cases • Repayment terms tailored to the needs of our community of food producers • Applications taken in an ongoing basis To set up a meeting to learn more or for a Loan Application or help with your application, call or e-mail Robin at: 505-217-2027, toll free/877-775-2667 or e-mail: robins@lamontanita.coop.
GMOs in the news
April 2014 13
ABQ Q’S RESOLUTION
LABELING GENETICALLY MODIFIED
FOODS
W H AT W I L L I T
really
These kinds of analyses are done by labeling opponents in the food industry and are far from objective examinations of the facts. Yet a look at the literature on mandatory food labeling reveals that a much lower cost is likely. An impartial consulting firm did a study in 2001 for the UK Food Standards Agency and found that GE labeling would increase a household's annual food spending by only 0.01 to 0.17 percent — a very small figure ranging from an increase of $.33 to $5.58 in 2010 real US dollars (inflation-adjusted) annually.
COST?
ELEANOR BRAVO, FOOD & WATER WATCH, NEW MEXICO CHAPTER lbuquerque City Council will vote in early May on a resolution to support the labeling of foods containing engineered or modified genetic material. Since the first genetically engineered (GE) crops were introduced in the United States in the 1990s, consumers have not been able to tell whether they are eating these controversial new ingredients. And whenever the subject of mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods comes up, the food industry claims that labeling will be prohibitively expensive.
A
But the industry's most frequently repeated claims about the cost of labeling are based on cherry-picked economic analyses and extreme scenarios. The biggest food companies and agribusinesses are worried that consumers will be wary of “scarysounding” GE labels. BUT IF GE PRODUCTS ARE AS SAFE AND NATURAL as these companies claim, then why not let consumers DECIDE what they want to buy? Consumers deserve the right to know what's in the food that they are providing for their families. Not only is GE labeling required in other countries, but the US public has been clamoring for it for years. A 2008 poll by CBS/New York Times found that 87 percent of US consumers wanted all genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled. A 2010 Thomson Reuters survey of consumers found 93 percent in support of GE labeling. And 91 percent of voters polled in a 2012 Mellman Group study favored labeling and 81 percent strongly favored the labeling proposal.
CONSUMER RIGHT to KNOW!
With labeling, consumers would be able to find out the differences in how various foods were produced and decide for themselves what those differences mean. Whether or not someone chooses to read a label is entirely their choice, but people deserve the right to know what they are buying, eating and feeding to their families. Food companies always seem to find room on the label to make a marketing claim — such as “new and improved” or “all-natural” — to try to convince us to buy, but somehow they cannot find any space if they are required to tell us a fact about the process by which the item was produced. A label stating that a product is genetically engineered will not mislead customers; it would simply provide the facts about the food they are eating. Opponents of some labeling proposals claim that mandatory GE food labeling would increase food costs “for the average family by $600 per year.”
For decades, the food industry has opposed any new food labeling requirements, including nutrition labels and ingredient listings. One of their favorite arguments is that new labeling requirements will drive the growth of government bureaucracy and cost taxpayers money. Changing food labeling to reflect the presence of a GE ingredient wouldn't be any different for grocery stores than stocking a product that has changed its ingredients or added a nutritional-benefit claim to the package. The long-term effects of eating GE/GMO foods are largely unknown and there is no effective way to gather data if the foods are not labeled. Because these foods contain novel genetic combinations that do not occur naturally in our food system, the least that consumers deserve is that they be labeled.
VOTE YES!
A C T I O N A L E RT CALL OR E-MAIL your city councilor and Mayor Berry and TELL THEM TO VOTE YES on LABELING RESOLUTION! For more information, including the dates of City Council meetings at which the Resolution will be addressed, go to www.foodandwaterwatch.org. Call the Food & Water Watch NM office at 505-750-4919 or e-mail Lars at lpanaro@fwwlocal.org.
SNAP, CRACKLE, POP AND
GMOs
Mary Alice Cooper, MD
ITCHY GREEN THUMB BY BRETT BAKKER f C.W. Post and Cadwallader C. Washburn aren’t turning in their graves, they are at least sitting up— as best they can—and taking notice. These founders of Post Cereals and General Mills, respectively, were in business in the 1880s during one of America’s first popular calls to return to nature and health by eschewing industrialized food. They were in good company with other breakfast food pioneers like W.K. Kellogg and James Caleb Jackson (who coined the word granola). Most of the breakfast cereal companies we now know were founded by such advocates, many who were members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and strictly believed in vegetarianism, abstinence and kosher dietary law. They were some of the biggest food processing conglomerates of their time, although dwarfed by their modern counterparts (gee, a return to an, ummm, smaller conglomerate would almost be a relief). Anyway, I bet these guys have been resting uneasily since the companies they founded turned into purveyors of chocolate frosted sugar bombs.
I
Post recently announced that Grape Nuts (basically wheat and barley flour paste baked to a fare-thee-well and ground into crunchy bits) has just been Non-GMO Project Verified. Although this only applies to the original flavor, that such a conglomerate would state, “There is potential …to add more non-GMO verified products…We are always listening to our customers,” is notable. Or is it? I’m a little cynical when a megacorporation announces it has our interests at heart. More likely—and more remarkable really—is that Post has decided there is enough of a nonGMO clamor to take this step and cash in. The publicity alone is worth the investment. What have they got to lose really? It’s pretty much only us health food weirdos that buy plain ol’ un-sugared Grape Nuts anyway. In a similar but half-hearted move General Mills announced that Cheerios (the plain flavor, once again) will no longer be made with GMO ingredients. Because there are no GMO oats it’s not a hard switch since only nonGMO corn starch and sugar are needed in the recipe. The difference between these two moves is that General Mills is merely making a claim with no independent testing or verification. That’s like a farm proclaiming it’s organic and natural when no one really agrees on what’s organic or natural means in the first place. The non-verified claim of the
small farmer at the local market, I don’t lose much sleep over one way or another, but a Fortune 500 company like General Mills? Not good enough. They certainly can afford the changes in retooling for a nonGMO product as well as third-party verification. At the very least, making both GMO and non-GMO products in the same facilities requires thorough cleaning between batches, if not equipment and storage “dedicated” to only nonGMO use. I suppose this is some sort of step in the right direction—although an overlyprocessed food is still overly-processed, the kind of thing that Post, Kellogg and all those other early health nuts railed against. What’s most interesting to me is that much of the clamor for nonGMO food is from the general public and not only “special interest” organic food whackos like you and me who’ve been into this for decades. People who barely know one vegetable from another and rarely read food labels have been drawn into this fight. Let’s be honest here: some of their conversion is founded on scare tactics from our side (there’s plenty to be scared about of course) and not a general conviction of what real food is. An organic Oreo is still an Oreo, no matter who makes it, and not really the kind of thing you ought to be putting in your mouth in the first place. But before you think I’m holier-than-thou, I freely admit I put plenty of food-like products in my mouth that oughtn’t be there. I gave up long ago being a hardcore health food nut because that way of thinking tends to breed sanctimonious know-it-alls. Personally, I advocate organic /natural food and farming in defense of the environment more than any other reason. Of course human beings are part of the environment (a fact that tends to be overlooked by city folk) but I give you and me—rightly or wrongly—enough credit to make decisions on our own as long as the decisions don’t affect others. But defining that line, dear reader, is where we can enter into the real argument. In any case, this is a small step in the right direction, but when they decide to make Non-GMO Project Verified chocolate frosted sugar bombs, then perhaps I’ll be a little more impressed.
BUY BULK AND SAVE BIG SHOP CO-OP
recycling
lifestyles
April 2014 14
LOOK FOR
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BUY
RECYCLED CONTENT
RECYCLED?
that this is an important practice and must always be considered. As an individual, always look for recycled-content products when you make purchases.
BY ENGLISH BIRD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NM RECYCLING COALITION (NMRC) any of us easily recognize the recycling “mobius” symbol and see it numerous times a day, but few really know what is meant behind those chasing arrows. The recycling symbol was designed by Gary Anderson in 1970 as part of a contest and it has been suggested that the design was meant to signify closing the loop between the act of recycling, to re-manufacturing it into another product and then purchasing recycled-content products.
The state procurement code states: When bids are received for both recycled content goods and nonrecycled content goods, the public body shall deem the bids submitted for recycled content goods of equal quality to be five percent lower than the bids actually submitted.
M
If you recycle, you provide the supply to a manufacturing segment of industry. When you choose to purchase recycled-content products, you are then participating on the demand side. And both sides are equally important. If a particular recycled material, say cardboard for example, does not have manufacturers that want to buy it because the market is not demanding their final recycled-content product, then that material does not have as much value. Recycled materials are commodities just like oil and gold. Your participation in our local recycling programs is essential for those end-market companies that rely on a steady flow of material that maintain commodity value. Buy Recycled Preference in Procurement The state of New Mexico has a five percent preference for recycled-content products that meet a minimum of 25 percent recycled-content. If your entity follows state procurement, utilize this preference by ensuring it is included in all quote sheets, RFPs and bid lets. If your entity does not follow state code, create a policy regarding recycled-content purchasing to give a clear indicator to employees
Post-Consumer and PreConsumer Recycled Content Products that are made from recycled-content will usually have on their packaging a recycle mobius symbol and either a percentage or a statement about the source of recycled material. The percentage indicates the percent of material in that product that is made from recycled content. Some products signify also that this content comes from post-consumer sources. This means that the material has been sourced from recycling programs as compared to pre-consumer, which means it came from manufacturing scraps and seconds that are put back into the system. State Recycled-Content Purchasing Resources The State of New Mexico works with an office supply vendor that offers many recycled-content office supplies and papers. Check out www.generalservices.state.nm.us/ statepurchasing/officesupplies.aspx. You will also find that you can easily search online for “recycled content” to
find most any product type. The NMRC “Links and Resources” web page also has links to recycled-content purchasing (www.recyclenewmexico.com/links_resources. htm). If a business does not offer recycled-content options, encourage them to consider providing this option. Remember: • Ensure recycled-content purchasing is included in your purchasing code • When purchasing office supplies and paper products, there are almost always recycled-content alternatives • Encourage your entity to make the commitment to buy recycled when the cost is reasonable • Ensure all purchasing agents in your departments are aware of the preference and that the preference is clear on all bid and quote documents. Your Part By recycling, you play a critical role in supporting jobs, assisting in economic growth, conserving energy and natural resources, as well as ensuring a quality of life for future generations. For state offices wishing to receive technical assistance on starting or expanding their recycling program, contact Tim Gray in the New Mexico Environment Department: Solid Waste Bureau Recycling Outreach section at 505827-0129 or tim.gray@state.nm.us. Go to the NM Recycling Directory to find out what and where to recycle in your community: www.recyclenewmexico.com.
GIFT GIVERS ANONYMOUS:
THE ULTIMATE RECYCLING
PROJECT BESTOWING NEW LIFE ON OUTGROWN
BELONGINGS!
???? oxes of outgrown toys, piles of old magazines, the outdated PC that sits in the closet—all have a value to someone, and a team of volunteers is eagerly waiting to take them off your hands to benefit those who will appreciate them. BY
B
Gift Givers Anonymous is the brainchild of Kalei Heartland and Theresa Miles, who began gathering leftover estate sale items six years ago and donating them anonymously to others at Christmastime. "It began simply as a way of spreading some small acts of kindness in the world and hopefully, in the process, inspiring others to join in and spread the kindness on their own," according to the Gift Givers Anonymous website, www.giftgiversanonymous.org. Through that experience, Heartland and Miles realized there was a huge gap between people who didn't know what to do with items they no longer needed and the many organizations that needed donations of everyday goods that their clients lacked. Beginning in June 2013, Gift Givers Anonymous expanded its
DONATE your BAG
credit!
to a different worthy organization each month. See page 3. Donate the dime, it adds up!
and magazines that can be used for art projects, cleaning supplies, cloth, yard tools and kids’ toys. Outdated computers and printers are items sought after by organizations that can refurbish and use them to help train people who need to learn the basics, Heartland said. "We find a home for 95 percent of the stuff we get," she said.
activities to a year-round effort to collect from firms that run estate sales, and private donors, and donate those items to organizations that provide services to people in need. "We act as a bridge," Heartland said. Since then, Gift Givers Anonymous has forged client relationships with 33 nonprofits in the Albuquerque metro area and the list is growing daily. Organizations they work with include; Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless, Adelante, Art Street, Community Gardens, Amanecer, Barrett House, St. Martins Hospitality Center, New Mexico Veterans Integration Center and Crossroads for Women. The organizations they service are looking for a whole range of items, including kitchenware, furniture, linens, nuts and bolts, shoe boxes
KESHET:
IMAGINING THE POSSIBILITIES... AN EVENING OF
FOOD, MUSIC AND DANCE
F
At present, Gift Givers Anonymous has a team of seven volunteers who help collect, sort and deliver items to the nonprofits. As their mission expands they need more volunteers. They need people to help sort through and catalog donated items. Also greatly needed are volunteers with strong arms and someone with a truck to help move heavier items like furniture. For additional information or to volunteer, contact Gift Givers Anonymous at www.giftgiversanonymous.org or call Kalei Heartland at 505-504-5222.
ounded in 1996, Keshet’s mission APRIL is to inspire passion and open unlimited possibilities through the experience of dance by uniting professional dancers with community members. Keshet’s professional dancers work as instructors and mentors to provide young artists with guidance along a professional career path, increase youth health and selfesteem, provide a strong base of positive mentorship for homeless and incarcerated youth and demolish misconceptions about individuals with physical disabilities.
12
Offering approximately 75 classes per week and reaching over 8,500 community members annually, Keshet programs include: an annual production season featuring the Repertory company, which
integrates professional and local artists; an ongoing dance school; an intensive Pre-Professional Training Program; a variety of outreach programs bringing dance to low-income, at-risk, homeless and incarcerated youth; and a program for youth and adults with physical disabilities. Since its inception, KDC has presented over 60 productions, and impacted the lives of over 80,000 children and adults. On April 12, don’t miss Keshet's Spring FUNdraiser. This fabulous evening of fun, food and dance will benefit all of Keshet’s programming. Also on April 23-27 Keshets Ani Ma’amin returns for performances in Albuquerque. “Ani Ma'amin” is Hebrew for “I Believe.” This dance is an exploration of the impact of the Holocaust on American Jews. For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.keshetdance.org.
forum 20th annual Bike
community
SWAP to benefit BikeABQ
ANN OVERSHEET ikeABQ’s annual Bike Swap offers cyclists an opportunity to sell items they no longer need, find great deals on all types of bikes and equipment, and help Albuquerque build a stronger cycling community. BY
B
The Albuquerque Bike Swap involves over 100 BikeABQ volunteers and takes place on Saturday, April 26, from 10am to 3pm at Sport Systems, 6915 Montgomery Blvd., NE. All proceeds go to BikeABQ, a local non-profit organization that engages cyclists through advocacy, education and outreach throughout the metro area. Bike Swap is an organized sale, run by knowledgeable BikeABQ volunteers and Sport Systems staff. The cost to sell items is $1 for each item tagged plus an 18-percent commission on sold items to benefit BikeABQ. Tag charges are collected when items are checked in and commissions are automatically
April 2014 15 deducted from the sale proceeds. People interested in selling items should bring them to Sport Systems on Thursday and Friday, April 24 and 25, between 10am and 6:30pm, when the items will be checked in. Sellers set the prices they want for their items. Once an item is tagged, the price is non-negotiable. All items are stored at Sport Systems until Saturday. Sellers need only return to Sport Systems with their claim tickets on Saturday, April 26, between 4pm and 6pm, to pick up a check for sold items or claim their unsold items. Items not picked up will be considered donated and used for various cycling efforts.
available to assist shoppers. Purchases are made at the Sport Systems registers.
At 10am Saturday, April 26, Bike Swap opens and the sale begins. The variety of bikes for sale typically spans a wide range of vintages, prices and types, including mountain, road, comfort, commuter, BMX, tandem and youth. Related items include parts, clothing, trailers and racks. Arrive early for the best deals! Volunteers and staff are
For more information, visit www.bikeABQ.org or contact Ann Overstreet, BikeSwap coordinator, at Bike Swap@BikeABQ.org.
Founded in 1999, BikeABQ’s vision is to increase bicycle infrastructure throughout the Albuquerque metro area and to assist New Mexico in becoming a top twenty League of American Bicyclists, “Bicycle-Friendly State.” The Bike Swap is BikeABQ’s biggest annual fund-raiser. The proceeds from the Bike Swap are used to support BikeABQ's mission to increase the number of bicyclists in Albuquerque for transportation, health and recreation.
see
BIKE
ABQ at
E A RTH FEST!
APRIL 26
SELL OR DONATE BIKES AND GEAR FOR BICYCLE ADVOCACY
TH E WI LD F L AM E P ROJ ECT :
MUSIC FOR THE The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe
ENVIRONMENT BY MADELINE ARON n the Heart of the Wild Flame" is a locally produced CD that benefits environmental organizations and inspires a heightened awareness of the issues we all face. An eclectic mix of original compositions by some of New Mexico's best artists, including Grammy nominee and US Artists Award winner Rahim AlHaj; the Canadian Aboriginal Award Winner and NAMMY nominee Indigie Femme; traditional New Mexico favorites Chuy Martinez and Cipriano Vigil; Norteno artist Paul Pino; Native flutist Andrew Thomas; flamenco guitarist Lew Critchfield (Luis Campos); 3-time award winners for "Best Band of the Year" by Albuquerque periodicals, Jared Putnam and Le Chat Lunatique; and singer songwriters Bonnie Bluhm, Laurianne Fiorentino and Madeline Aron. These fine musicians have donated music for this album out of love and care for our planet. Themes range from songs about the natural world to human relationships and their impact on it.
“I
EARTH
Author and producer of the New Mexico Music Awards, Jose Antonio Ponce, calls the CD "well crafted and evocative. The flow of the music and the different themes work very well." The album includes a pamphlet with all the words, English translations of Spanish and Navajo language offerings and explanations and meanings of the instrumentals. Funds from the sale will continue to be donated to the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment, (MASE). MASE works on uranium issues in the northwest part of the state and in coalition with many other organizations, including the Sierra Club and Amigos Bravos. All profits from the CD go to support organizations working on environmental causes. CDs will be on sale at La Montanita's Earth Day event Sunday, April 27, at the Nob Hill location in Albuquerque (look for the Wild Flame Project). They can also be ordered through the website at www.castlelark.com/wildflame.