La Montañita Co-op Connection News, April 2016

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L A M O N T A Ñ I T A’ S

26TH

ANNUAL

EARTHFEST SUNDAY, APRIL 24 10am–6pm on Silver Street between Carlisle and Tulane, behind the Nob Hill Co-op, 3500 Central SE. BY ROBIN SEYDEL

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his 26th Annual EarthFest comes at a time when it is clear we have much to do for planetary and personal health and well-being. In February of this year we repeatedly broke, matched or came close to some of the hottest daily temperatures ever recorded. Additionally this year has seen an uptick in awareness of the social and economic justice issues that need to be addressed for true democracy and justice for all. Over the years we have watched EarthFest grow with much good environmental and justice work done and connections and relationships grown. We are deeply moved by and thankful for how the New Mexican community has come together, to grow this festival into one of the most beloved of spring events. The joyous nature of the festival with its the coming together of friends new and old coupled with the good work we can accomplish when we cooperate makes EarthFest an important part of how we positively impact lives in our community and restore and sustain our little planet. COME TOGETHER This year, recognizing that we are stronger when we come together, we are encouraging people to do just that and focus on collaborating on climate chaos, renewable energy, water quality, conservation, food self-sufficiency, economic and social justice 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 are working on these and other issues. We firmly believe that with the same cooperative spirit that for 40 years enabled the Co-op to thrive and become the community hub for a sustainable future it has become, we can and will overcome the challenges we face. You can expect an inspiring day filled with information, education and action booths from dozens of environmental, social and economic justice organizations from around the state. Meet local farmers, pet baby goats and get seedlings for a sustainable food supply, drought-resistant plants, and beautiful art from fine local artists and

craftspeople. And of course you’ll get to eat great Co-op food and dance in the streets with friends and neighbors new and old. 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 site. Given that, we are once again honored to be working with Chuck Malagodi of the City of Albuquerque’s Bicycle program on the annual Kids' Bicycle Safety Rodeo and other bicycle education. Look for this part EarthFest at the west end of the festival grounds near Tulane. A COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS As always you can count on seeing some of our community’s fine local artists and craftspeople, hearing some of your favorite musicians and thrilling to performances from our gifted local performers. Some festival favorites, like the Ehecatl Aztec Dancers, National Institute of Flamenco’s Alama Flamenca, Baile Baile Folklorico and Adama Africian Dancers and Drummers 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. See the full entertainment schedule on this page so you don’t miss any of this great, local and FREE music. Space goes quickly so reserve yours today. We give first priority to non-profit environmental, social and economic justice organizations, farmers, gardeners and farming organizations. Due to space considerations and Fire Department regulations NO POP-UP CANOPIES will be allowed. 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.

COME

TOGETHER Join your friends and neighbors as we educate ourselves for paradigm shifting action and joyously dance in the streets at Albuquerque's favorite spring gathering. Mark your calendar for Sunday, April 24; this is one event you don't want to miss! For more information or to reserve your free booth space contact Robin at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667, robins@lamontanita.coop.

E ARTHFEST ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE 10:00am: 11:00am: 12:00pm: 1:00pm: 2:00pm: 2:30pm: 3:00pm: 4:00pm: 5:00pm:

Ehecatl Aztec Dancers Eileen and the In-Betweens Alma Flamenca Zoltan and the Fortune Tellers Baile Baile Dance Company Adama African Dancers and Drummers Silver Strings Band Cowboys and Indian Blue Hornets

VETERAN FARMER PROJECT

BOOTS ON THE

GROUND S

BY ROBIN SEYDEL pring is in full swing and so is the Veteran Farmer Project. We have wonderful new people and energy coming into the project, a new farm space in Corrales not far from the Co-op’s Westside location and the inspiring sense of renewal that spring always brings. More Hands on Deck We are pleased to welcome two new Co-op staff people to the project, Lauren Haag and Kyle Johnson. Both work in other positions at the Co-op and will continue their work in the Nob Hill Deli and the Rio Grande Front End respectively. But their love for farming, gardening and people make them a perfect fit as champions and ambassadors for the Veteran Farmer Project. Additionally, there are several new Veterans joining this season and we look forward to serving them with the same spirit of dedication with which they served our nation.

A Moment of Thanks Everywhere we go it is touching to hear so many of you thank our participating veterans for their service; as well we should! There is another group of veterans in our midst, farm and gardening educators, who I would like to thank as well. Every year our winter Veteran Farmer Project class series is a success thanks to these good folks. This year we packed the classroom at the Bernalillo County Extension Office every Thursday for six weeks from late January through early March with people and much good information. To all our farming friends, veterans of arid lands agriculture, who shared their expertise during the 2016 class sessions: you have our deepest thanks.

BBQ AT THE

SANTA FE

CO-OP

APRIL 22, 11:30AM–2PM

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

AND BENEFIT 2016 EARTHFEST IS DEDICATED IN LOVING MEMORY TO

MARSHALL KOVITZ La Montañita Co-op founder, long term Board member, Co-op leader and good friend to us all.

ALL PROFITS GO TO ADALANTE FOR THEIR SUMMER KIDS FOOD PROGRAM Enjoy music from The Shiners Club Jazz Band playing old American blues and swing. Bring your dancin’ shoes! There will be store samples and a Co-op team member art show. DON'T MISS IT! Look for more details posted in the store as the date approaches.

Our Farm Sites This year all is in place to continue our relationship with Rio Grande Community Farm. Last year we had a good sized garden to the south of the community garden area. We pulled over 1,650 pounds of food out of our ten eighty-foot rows. This year we have contracted for four 4'x36' plots. We have contracted with Tom Kuehn of Bethany Organic Farm in the South Valley, a Veteran himself, to grow some starts for us in addition to the seedlings we are all starting in our home greenhouses and sunrooms. We should be working in our plots in early to mid April on our usual Tuesday and Thursday afternoons until the weather gets too hot, then move to early mornings. All are welcome, veteran or not, to work our plots. See below to sign up for our weekly emails about upcoming activities. An Additional Location In February our core veteran team had the opportunity to attend the New Mexico Organic Farm Conference. This was an amazing and inspiring event and our VFP members got to attend engaging educational workshops and network with over 900 southwestern farmers of all sorts. One of our new VFP veteran recruits, Monique, also attended and connected with long-time farmer Dan Borneo from Corrales. Monique was jazzed about getting into farming and Dan had a 1/2 acre available. The team went out to look at the site and decided it is perfect for us and for Monique. This year the team is excited to help Monique get started, develop some infrastructure on the site, plant some fruit trees that have been donated to the project, share seeds and seedlings and do all that it takes to get a small farm up and running. Not only is Dan offering a site but his experience and down to earth good nature make him a great mentor for us all. Thanks to Dan for this opportunity. This is exactly this sort of teamwork to get veterans set up on their own farms that is the mission of the Veteran Farmer Project. And thanks to a richness of community support including but not limited to: New Mexico Department of Agriculture, Bernalillo County Extension, the Desert Oasis Teaching Garden, Master Gardener Ron Jobe, Tom Kuehn and Bethany Farms and oh so many others in our community, we can do it. For the past 5 years it has been an honor to be able to serve our veteran community and inspire them to grow and eat healthy, sustainably raised vegetables. We continue to watch this program grow and look forward to a productive growing season in 2016. Watch for VFP produce at the VA Growers Market beginning in late June and at some Co-op produce departments. For more information, to get the weekly happenings and join us in the fields on work days call 217-2027, sign up for our weekly email at www.lamontanita.coop/vfp, or contact JR Riegel at j.riegel@lamontanita.coop.


FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET La Montañita Cooperative A Community-Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

April 2016 2

STAND AGAINST

Nob Hill 7am – 10pm M – Sa, 8am – 10pm Su 3500 Central SE, ABQ, NM 87106 505-265-4631

THE RUSH TO RE-OPEN

UNSAFE WIPP

Rio Grande 7am – 10pm M – Su 2400 Rio Grande NW, ABQ, NM 87104 505-242-8800

REGIONAL FOODS are an engaging and

Gallup 8am – 8pm M – Sa, 10am – 6pm Su 105 E Coal, Gallup, NM 87301 505-863-5383

tasty way to enliven history and teach us to cfm. Because of contractor incompetence, the interim system is still not operational. Additionally, a supplemental ventilation system that would add 66,000 cfm of unfiltered air into uncontaminated areas of the underground mine was to be operating by December 2015. It is now delayed until at least January 2017.

Santa Fe 7am – 10pm M – Su 913 West Alameda, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-984-2852 GRABnGO 8am – 6pm M – F, 11am – 4pm Sa UNM Bookstore, 2301 Central SW, ABQ, NM 87131 505-277-9586 Westside 7am – 9pm 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 Support Office 9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107 505-217-2001 Support Staff: 217-2001 TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP) • General Manager/Dennis Hanley 217-2028 dennis.hanley@lamontanita.coop • Controller/John Heckes 217-2029 johnh@lamontanita.coop • Computers/Info Technology David Varela 217-2011 tech@lamontanita.coop • Special Projects Manager/Mark Lane 259-4396 markl@lamontanita.coop • Human Resources/Sharret Rose 217-2023 hr@lamontanita.coop • Marketing/Karolyn Cannata-Winge 217-2024 kcwinge@lamontanita.coop • Membership/Robin Seydel 217-2027 robins@lamontanita.coop • CDC/MichelleFranklin 217-2010 mf@lamontanita.coop • Operations Director/Jason Trant 242-8800 Jason.Trant@lamontanita.coop Store Team Leaders: • Bob Veilleux/Nob Hill 265-4631 bob.veilleux@lamontanita.coop • John Mullé/Rio Grande 242-8800 jm@lamontanita.coop • William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanita.coop • Leaf Ashley/Gallup 575-863-5383 leaf.ashley@lamontanita.coop • Joe Phy/Westside 505-503-2550 josephp@lamontanita.coop Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanita.coop • President: Ariana Marchello • Secretary: Marshall Kovitz • Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn • James Esqueda • Gregory Gould • Tracy Sprouls • Tammy Parker • Courtney White

BY DON HANCOCK, SOUTHWEST RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTER he US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that it intends to re-open the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in December 2016. The nation’s only deep geologic repository, located 26 miles east of Carlsbad, has been shut down since February 2014 because of two events—an underground fire and a radiation release.

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The Recovery Plan also states to return to the previous ventilation rate requires a new permanent ventilation system with an additional exhaust shaft that goes from the surface to 2,150 feet underground and new underground tunnels. That permanent system is not designed and its cost is unknown. Current estimates are that it would not be operational until 2021.

DOE is in a rush to re-open WIPP even though the facility cannot meet the previous operational and safety standards, let alone more stringent requirements that are necessary to prevent future accidents. The transuranic (plutonium-contaminated) waste from manufacturing nuclear bombs can be in safe storage at generator sites, so there’s no emergency requiring the rush to re-open.

DOE says that a chemical reaction in one drum caused the radiation release. There are at least 675 similar containers, all of which are in violation of the state permit. Without changing procedures, there is no assurance that similar containers will not come in the future.

DOE is rushing to re-open WIPP and also wants to expand WIPP to other missions that are prohibited by law. Currently, DOE has environmental impact statements that say that WIPP can be used for Greater-Than-Class C waste from dozens of commercial power plants; high-level waste from Hanford, WA; commercial waste from West Valley, NY; and surplus weaponsgrade plutonium from the Savannah River Site, SC. DOE also is proceeding with finding a “volunteer” site for the nation’s high-level defense waste, and some officials in southeastern New Mexico say that WIPP should be that repository! The large majority of New Mexicans have opposed high-level and commercial waste at WIPP for the past 45 years. That opposition is why federal laws and State-DOE agreements prohibit such wastes. Senators Udall and Heinrich have said that they oppose expanding WIPP, so they should take action to prevent re-opening an unsafe WIPP and obtain additional safeguards against the proposed expansions. Since WIPP opened in March 1999, the ventilation system could operate at 425,000 cubic feet per minute (cfm). Because of the radiation release, air has to be filtered so that radioactivity is not vented into the environment. The filtration system capacity is 60,000 cfm. DOE planned to have an interim ventilation system operating by March 2015 to increase filtered air to 114,000

The chemical reaction that caused the radiation release was never supposed to happen. But DOE has released no technical reports that show what the impacts on workers of a similar chemical reaction with workers present would be. Numerous citizen watchdog groups oppose re-opening unsafe WIPP. The groups also believe that Senators Udall and Heinrich can help prevent the expansion proposals, including any defense high-level waste. WHAT YOU CAN DO CONTACT SENATORS UDALL AND HEINRICH AND URGE THEM TO: • TELL DOE to improve the ventilation and other safety requirements before WIPP re-opens • INSIST that DOE drop the expansion proposals • REQUIRE DOE to affirm that WIPP will not be considered for the defense high-level waste repository • OBTAIN additional congressional assurances that the WIPP law is not going to be changed to allow the proposed expansions.

RESOURCES DOE WIPP Recovery website: www.wipp.energy.gov/Special/ Senator Tom Udall website: www.tomudall.senate.gov/ Senator Martin Heinrich website: www.heinrich.senate.gov/ SRIC nuclear waste homepage: www.sric.org/nuclear/index.php Nuclear Watch New Mexico: www.nukewatch.org/ Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety: http://nuclearactive.org/

WATER ACTION ALERT

Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year/ $200 Lifetime Membership + tax 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: JR Riegel • Editorial Assistant: JR Riegel j.riegel@lamontanita.coop 217-2016 • Printing: Santa Fe New Mexican Membership information is available at all six 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 ©2016 La Montañita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

ACTION ALERT

DOE’s Recovery Plan states that once both interim and supplemental ventilation is installed, WIPP could re-open for “limited waste emplacement operations.” Now that the additional ventilation is so behind schedule, DOE wants to re-open without the supplemental ventilation.

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT

SPEAK FOR REMEDIATION OF OUR AQUIFER! APRIL 27, 6:30-8:30PM BY JANET GREENWALD, THE WATER GROUPS COORDINATOR ou may have heard about the Kirkland Air Force Base spill in which as much as 24 million gallons of contaminants leaked into our aquifer. Now is your opportunity to learn about the Sandia Labs spill of more than a billion gallons of contaminated waste water into our aquifer.

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Meet with Sandia National Labs and the New Mexico Environment Department Wednesday, April 27, 6:30pm– 8:30pm at the Los Griegos Health and Social Service Center, 1231 Candelaria NW. Refreshments Provided. Become informed and make your voice heard! This meeting will include a report from the New Mexico Environment Department including progress, current status and future plans with regard to soil vapor monitoring and groundwater sampling at three of Sandia Labs' contaminating sites, including the Tijeras Arroyo Area of Concern. There will be a time at the meeting for you to ask questions and to speak up about this destruction of our most precious resource, clean water.

The contaminants of concern in the Sandia release and some of their health impacts are as follows: • Trichloroethylene (TCE): liver problems, increased risk of cancer; • Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), liver problems, increased risk of cancer; • Nitrate: blue baby syndrome in infants.

The Water Groups are pushing for remediation of the over a billion gallons of contaminated waste water that have leaked from the Tijeras Arroyo Area of Concern at Sandia Labs into Albuquerque's aquifer. Since the amount of contaminants continues to increase, the Water Groups will also be asking for corrective action concerning the source of the contaminants. We need more voices, including your voice, to pressure Sandia National Labs, the New Mexico Environment Department and our government officials to clean up our aquifer before the contamination reaches source water wells that we use for drinking, bathing and irrigation. This event is sponsored by the Water Groups, an alliance of non-profits and individuals who are concerned about the quality and safety of our drinking water and aquifer. The Water Groups include: the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, Citizen Action, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, Partnership for Earth Spirituality, and Southwest Research and Information Center. For more information call 505-2425511, or contactus@cardnm.org.


FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET

April 2016 3

APRIL’S DONATE-A-DIME ORGANIZATION:

YOUTH EDUCATION AND ACTION WILD FRIENDS BRINGING BY SUSAN GEORGE he Wild Friends Program is an award-winning, unique public service program serving students in grades 4–12 in communities throughout New Mexico. The program provides hands-on civics education integrated with wildlife science to teach students about the democratic process, good citizenship skills and wildlife conservation through involvement with the New Mexico State Legislature.

WILDLIFE SCIENCE AND

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Each year, the students vote on a wildlife topic of concern, research the issues surrounding the winning topic, learn about the democratic process, and help write legislation to address the issues of concern. The students then travel to Santa Fe during the legislative session to speak with legislators about their bill or memorial, testify at committee hearings, and provide expert witness testimony during floor votes. In addition to the field trips, students write letters, create visual displays and respond to legislative inquiries throughout the session. Since 1991, the Wild Friends students have written 22 memorials and bills requesting state action on issues that affect wildlife, with a success rate of over 70%. For example, in the recent legislative session, the students helped to successfully pass a memorial to protect declining bee populations (SM 103). The program, a public service project of the UNM School of Law, has served over 12,000 students primarily in low-income areas throughout New Mexico, from Farmington to Silver City, Lovington, Jemez Springs, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The Wild Friends Program was designed to address a lack in civics education opportunities, using wildlife conservation as the topic of engagement. Young people naturally connect with wildlife, and this natural connection leads to genuine interest in doing something to help wildlife. A 7th grade student from Rio Rancho said that “Wild Friends helped interest me in making laws and protecting wildlife…I might have a career in this.” The lack of civics education opportunities in our schools and among our citizens has been well-documented. A recent national assessment found that only one-third of Americans could name all three branches of government; less than one-third of eighth graders in this country could

CIVICS

TOGETHER identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence (Guardians of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools, 2011). The Wild Friends Program offers students and their teachers a powerful opportunity to work on projects that make a difference in the natural world while becoming active citizens in our state. The program teaches students at a young age to see themselves as having a voice in our democratic process. An 8th grade student from Jemez Springs said that “Wild Friends helped me to better understand the process by actually having me experience something rather than just reading a textbook.” A 4th grade student from Albuquerque said, “to be honest, it was a little frightening, but it felt good and I felt proud to have the opportunity to stand up for animals.” Teachers in the program consistently report that participation in Wild Friends helps students improve academically, motivates students to read, write and speak on topics they are passionate about, builds self-confidence, helps develop leadership skills, and helps students become life-long advocates for the environment and the wildlife that inhabit it. As one teacher commented, “Wild Friends is an amazing program that allows students to interact and engage in the process of their own government, while helping wildlife at the same time…The program provides experiences critical to education that schools can no longer provide.” Demand for the program increases each year, yet funding cuts of over 40% have reduced the number of schools and students being served, as well as the services offered. The need for the program is critical in this world of crowded classrooms, high dropout rates, and declining morale amongst teachers and students. As a 7th grade student recently said, “Now I know that nothing is impossible.” For more information, contact Susan George, Director at sgeorge2@unm.edu, 277-5089, go to www.wildfriends.unm, or find us on Facebook at Wild Friends New Mexico.

SHARING SEEDLINGS CONTAINER GARDENS FOR ROADRUNNER FOOD BANK

For newcomers, a bit of explanation: La Orilla Farm in the South Valley, with help from Soilutions, Dunkin' Donuts (containers), the South Valley Academy kids, and lots of other gardeners create small container gardens. These are given to people who come to

If your extra seedlings are for larger plants or ones that like to sprawl, like cucumbers or melons, we'd still like to take them. These big guys would go to community or school gardens in the Albuquerque area. Thank you ahead of time for any goodness you can share. You've read or heard the grim statistics regarding hunger in New Mexico. It is through the kindness of friends and strangers (angels?) that we work toward eliminating food insecurity in our community. For more information email me Susan Reed at: skreed47@gmail.com.

WESTSIDE 3601 Old Airport Ave. NW 505-503-2550

Alamed a Blvd. Coors Blvd.

If you are getting close to giving in to that urge to start seedlings, here is a request: Would you please start a few extras of anything—lettuce, spinach, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, or any other edible—for inclusion in the Roadrunner Food Bank container gardens? Many of you have done that in the past two years. Bless your hearts!

If you do start some extra seedlings, we at La Orilla Farm would be delighted to take them when they are big enough to transplant. Or, you could drop them off at the Roadrunner Food Bank's office, 5840 Office Blvd. NE. That's over by the Journal Center off of Jefferson. They will even pick up donations if you call Jason Riggs, 307-6855.

COOP

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the Roadrunner Food Bank Mobile Pantry sites to get supplementary food. The containers provide people with real, fresh food to eat, and the satisfaction (you gardeners know this!) of tending a garden.

Old A irport Ave.

BY SUSAN REED, LA ORILLA FARM t promises to be a glorious Spring in New Mexico. Of course, there will be some minor glitches—some cold, some rain, some wind. But most gardeners we know are itching to get their hands in the dirt. Many assuage their garden yearnings by starting seedlings that will be planted out when it's consistently warm enough. Is that you?

Old Airport Ave. 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 PROGRAM

DONATE your BAG CREDIT!

THIS MONTH YOUR DONATE-A-DIME DONATIONS GO TO: In April Your Donate-A-Dime donations will go to Wild Friends: Combining environmental action and civics education for New Mexico's youth. In February your bag credit donations totaling $2,614.22 went to Los Alamos Study Group.

YOUR DIMES ADD UP!

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 Montañita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La Montañita 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.


POWERING THE FUTURE

April 2016 4

SOLAR SOVEREIGNTY: COMPONENTS COME TOGETHER

ONE WORLD CO-OP BY TOM KUHN n previous articles from One World Co-op, we have looked at reducing energy consumption, how to minimize fossil/nuclear fuels in your personal energy inventory, and how safe, reliable batteries can provide autonomy from public utilities giving the homeowner sovereignty over their everyday electrical consumption. Here we will look at what components make a solar energy system.

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But first a word from our sponsor. You do not need a permit from La Montañita to grow backyard vegetables. Why involve a public utility in your backyard energy production? One World Co-op cautions homeowners entering into net metered agreements. Public utilities require an onerous permitting process for a home solar installation. More importantly, utilities and the regulatory agencies which oversee them across the nation are reneging on their original agreements. This results in these systems not providing the benefits homeowners expected. The cost of systems are difficult to compare as most companies will not price, or even sell, individual components. Additionally, net metered inverters are required to shut the system down when the grid shuts down. Here is a brief explanation of the workings of a solar energy system. The load is the usage from the home, distributed throughout the house by way of circuits through a circuit breaker panel. The power from your solar array is connected directly to the breakers providing power to your home, in the same way the grid powers the home. Most homes do not run on direct current (DC) electricity, which the battery and solar panels supply. This means the electricity produced

by solar panels and battery systems must be converted into alternating current (AC) electricity. Inverters transform the DC electricity produced by the PV modules or from the batteries. Most Inverters condition the quality of the current to minimize stress on appliance motors and compressors. This is often of higher quality than the utility company can provide from hundreds of miles away. Net Metered inverters synchronize the electricity they produce with the grid’s AC electricity, allowing the system to feed any unused solar-produced electricity to the utility grid. This feed will be metered, allowing the homeowner to receive credit or payment from the utility for electricity generated. Getting Autonomy In an autonomous or off-grid system, or a net metered system with batteries, a charge controller distributes the power between the batteries and the load (household use). Most modern charge controllers incorporate maximum power point tracking (MPPT), to optimize the use of the solar panel's output. To maximize battery life, the controller avoids overcharging or undercharging the batteries. Some charge controllers also include a low-voltage disconnect for the DC loads to help prevent over-discharging, which can permanently damage the battery bank. A battery system will store the produced power for later use. We have discussed previously the types of batteries typically used, and the merits and disadvantages of each type. The total capacity of the batteries is

You do not need a permit from La Montañita to grow backyard vegetables. Why involve a public utility in your BACKYARD ENERGY

PRODUCTION?

dependent on a given households use. With modest conservation/consumption, a 10KWh storage system could reduce a home’s grid use to near zero. The most basic component of solar panels are solar cells. Typical Solar cells produce about 4 watts DC. When light strikes the cell, electrons move from negative to positive poles. A typical solar panel contains 60 cells, and produces 250-260 watts. When a panel collects a full day of direct sunlight, they will produce approximately 1200 watt-hours (1.2KWH) per day. Become a member of the One World Solar Co-op and get great deals on solar components and member prices on all workshops and educational events. One World Co-op currently offers for cash and carry purchase or layaway the highest quality Glass/Glass solar panels (30 year warranty) maintenance-free batteries, and other components. For more information go towww.oneworld.coop. The next One World Co-op Solar workshop will be held on April 16, 11am–1pm or see us at the Co-op's EarthFest celebration. One World Co-op is located at McCune Solar Works, 3500 Access Road C, Albuquerque, NM, 87106 505-242-2384 or email us at tom.kabq@gmail.com.

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED! CRACK DOWN ON FRACKING:

NEW BLM STANDARDS WOULD OFFER

PROTECTION ACTION

growing source of greenhouse gases in the country, and it's projected to grow by a whopping 25 percent by 2025 unless action is taken to stop it.

ALERT

BY LENA MOFFITT, SIERRA CLUB he oil and gas industry is profiting from digging up and fracking our public lands. To add insult to injury, the industry is dumping huge amounts of climate-harming methane emissions into our atmosphere, either by letting it pour out freely or by burning it (commonly referred to as "flaring") at drilling sites on our public lands. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed important new standards to crack down on this harmful gas flaring and venting.

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Regulating methane is a key part of the president's Climate Action Plan, because Methane from the oil and gas industry is the fastest-

PUTTING

It is important to support the BLM's proposed rules which are a big step in the right direction; however regulating methane is not enough to make fracking safe for our climate or communities. Ultimately, the most effective way to solve the climate crisis and to protect our communities is to keep all fossil fuels in the ground.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

IN NEW MEXICO’S

POWER PLAN

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One important part of this solution is to establish strong standards to limit harmful emissions coming from oil and gas infrastructure already operating on our public lands today. This is what the BLM is seeking to do with this proposed set of rules to rein in methane pollution from gas venting and flaring on our public lands.

ecently climate change has become recognized as a growing threat to the people of the United States of America. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said “Climate change is one of the greatest environmental and public health challenges we face.” To combat climate change the EPA has put forth the Clean Power Plan. This plan addresses climate change by requiring each state to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by a certain amount by the year 2030. Since this is a problem we all face, the EPA has encour-

aged the public to give their feedback on both the federal plan and the state plan. The federal plan was created with public input and now it is our turn to let the state government know what we want in our NM state plan. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is writing the NM Clean Power Plan. We need to let them know that we have a great opportunity to lead the country in renewable energy. New Mexico is one of the sunniest states in the country, so it makes sense for us to get our energy from the sun. New Mexico could also take advantage of other

Commend the BLM for covering existing oil and gas infrastructure under these new standards, which is a critical component of comprehensive action to reduce methane pollution. As the administration finalizes these rules, urge it to ensure adequate enforcement measures are included, and to eliminate exceptions and loopholes that could allow the industry to skirt these rules. Limits on flaring should also be strengthened, and all should encourage BLM to increase the frequency of required leak detection and repair inspections. Please take a moment to support the Sierra Club efforts to reduce fracking's methane production while we work on growing our renewable energy sector. Go to www.sierra.force.com/actions to sign their petition or call President Obama directly at 202456-1111 or 202-456-1414. Email him at www. whitehouse.gov/contact/write-or-call

renewable energies such as wind and geothermal. The current problem is that the EPA’s federal Clean Power Plan does not require states to have renewable energy in their plans, but they encourage it. This is why we all need to let the NMED know that renewable energy must be a major part of NM Clean Power Plan. You will have a great opportunity to sign the petition at our table during EarthFest on Sunday, April 24. The New Mexico Environmental Department also encourages the public to contact them directly to give feedback. Getting renewable energy does not just mean that we will have clean energy while keeping fossil fuels in the ground, but it also means that we are taking responsibility to have a healthier and cleaner environment for all the people in the world. So let’s all work together to make renewable energy a part of New Mexico’s future! Look for the UNM Clean Power Plan table at EarthFest, sign our petition and get involved in using and promoting clean energy. For more information email slama.cody@gmail.com.


OUR PLANET, OUR HOME

EXTERNALITIES TRUE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC

COSTS BY JR RIEGEL s I write this, the average price for a gallon of gas in the US sits at $1.81. This is near the lowest it’s been in ten years ($1.59 at the height of the 2008 recession), and it’s fallen far from the heights it reached just before the 2008 crash ($4.10). It’s hard to imagine gas being that cheap when considering everything that goes into producing it and the results of burning it. When you fully account for its production and consumption, it actually ends up costing much more than $1.81, and that’s problematic.

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And Then There's Packaging Negative externalities like this crop up everywhere once you start looking for them. Sometimes they’re very difficult to discover and quantify, but other times they’re impossible to miss. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been in the public eye more and more recently as it continues to grow, and some of its bulk can certainly be attributed to negative externalities of the packaging industry. Recycling and waste management practices deserve partial blame for the garbage patch of course, but plastic only became a waste management issue because of its excessive use.

Accounting as if the Planet Mattered Since it’s so cheap at the pump, we end up using a lot more than we would if its true cost was reflected in its price. The difference between price and true cost still has to be paid by someone, even if that someone never agreed to it. This is called negative externality—a negative economic impact that’s not accounted for in cost calculations but that still must be borne somehow.

Using petrochemical plastics for clamshell packaging, microbeads and the like allows the producer to dodge the cost of environmental damage and cleanup that they would be taking responsibility for if they’d used a compostable plastic or natural micro-abrasive alternative. The same can be said for all the little plastic clips, ties, and tapes that all too often end up in a trash can when a new something-or-other is purchased—it’s cheaper for the producer to include those than it is to pay for better, more efficient packaging design that doesn’t require them. Unfortunately that ends up costing the rest of us even more, not to mention the ocean wildlife that dies as a result.

These costs are borne by a great variety of parties: residents around extraction areas, governments paying for environmental cleanup, individuals experiencing health problems stemming from air pollution, and more. Businesses are able to get away with externalizing costs (often doing so intentionally) in large part because it’s so difficult to quantify. Analyses of externalities vary enormously, but they all agree that the true cost of gas is dramatically higher than we pay. A 2015 analysis by Dr. Drew Shindell of Duke University estimated a true cost of $6.25 per gallon, though he focused on health impacts and did not incorporate ecosystem damage. Other estimates differ greatly from that figure, some even exceeding $15 per gallon.

Taking Positive Action This pattern of profiting from negative externalities and intentionally externalizing other costs can be seen all over, but fortunately it’s not hard to take steps against it. Choosing products that are sold for their true cost, or better yet, products that actually have a net positive externality, helps responsible producers succeed and puts pressure on those less responsible companies and industries to start changing. Positive externalities are similarly tough to identify and quantify, so knowing as much as you can about the producer is key. Locally grown produce is a great example; learn about farmer practices either by talking to the farmer directly or by asking our expert Distribution Center

April 2016 5 staff, and from there you can determine what positive impact the farmer might be making. Nolina’s Heavenly Organics is a terrific case showing all the environmental good a responsibly run business can do. Nolina plants herbs and flowers to provide food for pollinators from the start of spring through the end of fall, and she maintains natural habitat to increase the biodiversity of the area instead of simply growing more produce for profit. When honeybees come out before flowers start blooming, she’ll even put honey out to help them survive into warmer weather. These practices go well above and beyond what’s necessary to run an organic farm, and the resulting positive externalities are a boon to neighbors, the surrounding ecosystem, and the overall environmental health of New Mexico. It’s near impossible to vet everything you buy so thoroughly, but fortunately there are already some regulated product labels to help out. The Certified Organic label indicates products with dramatically reduced negative environmental externalities compared to their conventional counterparts, the Fair Trade Certified label indicates reduced labor-related negative externalities, and the Non-GMO Verified label indicates a bit of both. A Just and Sustainable Future Because more true costs are accounted for to acquire these labels, these options do cost more, and that plays a big role in purchasing decisions. This actually illustrates the whole issue—just as companies can benefit from dodging costs in their production, so too can we save on our bills by going for less expensive options. It’s tempting, and from that perspective it’s easy to see why negative externalities are taken advantage of. However, if we’re to have a just, sustainable economy for the future, these patterns of externality exploitation need to be broken. Even if producers won’t break them, we as consumers still can. Thank you to all of you already working to break these patterns and heal our economy and environment.


CO-OP NEWS

April 2016 6

RALLYING AROUND THE NEW ORLEANS FOOD CO - OP

COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES

PRINCIPLE 6 BY BEN SELDEN, LOCAL ENTERPRISE ASSISTANCE FUND (LEAF) hough the New Orleans Food Co-op (NOFC) opened its doors in late 2011, its journey began at the turn of the century. For NOFC, the idea started as a buying club: consumers pooling their purchasing power to access high quality food at lower prices. Plans for opening a store in 2005 were well underway when Hurricane Katrina hit.

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The devastating hurricane only added to the community’s need for a good grocery store, as the entire city of New Orleans became a food desert. Many grocery stores in the area closed, and many of the co-op members relocated. Despite these added challenges, the co-op persevered and, in 2011, finally achieved its dream of opening a physical store. “We were in an area that was heavily hit by Hurricane Katrina,” says NOFC’s General Manager, Lori Burge. “We’ve been a big part of the rebuilding efforts.” They currently operate in Orleans Parish, providing essential access to healthy food in a disadvantaged area. Orleans Parish is a designated Persistent Poverty County (PPC), a term created by the USDA for counties with poverty rates consistently over 20% for at least 30 years. In PPCs, the need for healthy, affordable food is extremely high, yet many traditional grocery stores and other commercial businesses choose not to expand to these areas. Despite a successful opening, NOFC faced startup challenges. It began undercapitalized and struggled to finance the co-op’s needed improvements.

POSITIVE IMPACTS IN OUR

CO-OP COMMUNITY BY GREGORY GOULD BOARD OF DIRECTORS t was with pleasure that I learned that Blunt Bros, the drive-through coffee shop on Central and Washington where I'd been enjoying my daily cup of strong coffee, had received start-up capital from La Montañita Fund for its coffee bean roaster. This is an example of the local dollar multiplier when we invest and support local businesses.

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One of La Montañita Co-op's ends, or goals, is growing regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture typically involves regional small-scale farms whose produce and products tends to be visible only at Farmer's Markets or in the coolers at Co-op stores. This would include organic, pesticide- and herbicide-free produce and products.

By 2015, the co-op had only one fully functional checkout lane, was low on cash, and needed exterior maintenance— the parking lot in particular. Through a grant from LEAF, NOFC received excellent assistance from the renowned food co-op consultants at CDS Consulting. CDS worked with the co-op and LEAF to craft and implement a plan to turn the store around. At LEAF we knew a loan to NOFC would go a long way, but we also believed that leveraging the support of member-owners could multiply the impact of the loan and the overall benefit to the co-op. We worked with NOFC and CDS to rally the co-op’s membership base and to structure a deal where LEAF would match the members’ loans to the co-op dollar for dollar. “LEAF provided a very compelling story for owners to invest in the co-op, so we can do more great work in our community,” recalls Burge. The members responded with enthusiasm and urgency, investing a combined $70,000 in the co-op; matched with $70,000 from LEAF, NOFC had quickly amassed $140,000 to support its business. The effort additionally inspired 200 generous members to contribute $7,000 in equity and donations. Co-op to Co-op Support LEAF and NOFC are currently engaged in still bigger plans. As a second round of financing begins—this time for exterior signage and interior improvements like shelving and minor remodeling—LEAF is matching its loan with a second interested group. This time, NOFC seeks support from fellow food cooperatives to provide collateral for LEAF’s loan. Food co-ops will invest in LEAF, and LEAF will in turn invest 140% of that amount in NOFC. These pledged investments from food co-ops are not only a significant gesture of financial support, but also a wonderful expression of cooperative principle number six: cooperation among cooperatives. The food co-ops that have already invested are

Large food buying institutions like the Albuquerque Public Schools require more volume of produce than a single small farmer can deliver. The Cooperative Distribution Center can aggregate crops from small farms, refrigerate them and sell them to bigger customers. The Co-op's Southwest Development Services (SDS) provides a wide array of assistance to bolster our regional farmers success with financial strategies, food safety education, marketing, branding, business development, facilities management and capital access through the La Montañita Fund. The SDS has been able to leverage its support services with grants from the McCune Foundation for $30,000. The Co-op Distribution Center a grant from USDA Rural Development for $75,000 with a matching grant from the Thornburg Foundation for $75,000 specifically to expand and enhance the work in value chain development to build the local/regional agriculture and consumer food systems. One example of the kind of market expansion that La Montañita offers to existing and new producers are the sales in 2015 of over 60,000 pounds of Rancho Durazno peaches.

RASBAND DAIRY LONGEST-STANDING LOCAL VENDOR BY LEA MAE QUALE a Montañita Co-op Food Market believes in supporting our local community in a variety of ways, but providing fresh and local foods and supporting local farmers, ranchers and producers to get more of their products to market are how we impact the community the most.

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Rasband Dairy is one of our longest-standing local vendors. You’ll find 500 cows at Rasband Dairy farm, located just 30 miles south of Albuquerque in Belen. What we love about Rasband Dairy is the care and attention each cow receives. No hormones are used and these cows only eat the best local and organic alfalfa that is grown on over 800 acres right here in Albuquerque by the Rasbands. Owning and operating a natural dairy farm has always been their mindset, so the introduction of hormones to produce more milk has never been considered by the Rasband family. Currently 1,000 gallons of milk are produced each day—it takes five hours to milk all 500 cows. So what’s a day like in the life of Rasband cows? It starts

proof that this is truly a unified movement and that the co-op community will work tirelessly and unselfishly to build successful food cooperatives throughout the country. Success stories like this highlights the importance of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like LEAF. CDFIs are mission-oriented lenders designed to help disadvantaged communities, which often translates to less stringent requirements than the personal guarantees or high collateral required at banks. Nonprofit CDFIs seek to maximize social impact per dollar while maintaining appropriate investment standards. The case of NOFC illustrates how co-ops can receive the help they need through the close-knit network of good people and impactful organizations that contribute to cooperative thinking around the country. To read the full interview with NOFC’s General Manager, Lori Burge go to: www.leaffund.org/new-orleans-food-co-oploan-match.

Another example of successful partnering with local agricultural agencies is the sponsorship of the annual Organic Farming Conference, which brings together the agricultural community for presentations on best practices and innovations in all aspects of healthy food production including soil management, pest control and how to get started as a novice farmer. In addition to the work with agricultural producers, La Montañita also uses sound environmental practices inhouse. The larger stores provide recycle bins and La Montañita donated over 22,000 pounds of food in 2015 to homeless meal sites. What couldn't be used as food was offered to the community to feed chickens and for composting. In the past few months, biodegradable ink and paper were introduced at the cashier stands for receipts at all the stores.

APRIL

21 UNM SUSTAINABILITY

EXPO early—waking up at 2am for their first milking and then once more just around lunch time. Then it’s time to walk around grazing on organic alfalfa and socializing with their friends. With just 10 employees, Rasband Dairy focuses on producing the finest milk with attention to cow health and happiness. The farm has always been a family affair, dating back to 1952 with Scott Rasband’s father who started it all. Scott Rasband currently runs the farm with his wife, son and daughter by his side, but soon Rasband Dairy will be a third generation farm as Scott will be handing down the family business to his son. La Montañita Co-op is a proud supporter of Rasband Dairy as it represents the local and organic business model that is so important to our organization and to our faithful customers. The next time you’re buying milk, look to one of our favorite local vendors, Rasband Dairy.

WHAT IS

SUSTAINABILITY? FIND OUT at the University of New Mexico's Sustainability Expo organized by UNM Sustainability Studies Program students. For more information about the sustainable food and agriculture initiative check out the class blog: www.abqstew.com or email Pamela Toni Quintana at pquintana19@unm.edu. April 21, 10:30am-2:30pm at Cornell Mall, east of the Student Union Building at UNM • interact with the community and learn about sustainability • enjoy growers' market booths, food trucks • educational events • demonstrations • music • bicycle auction and clothing swap • zero waste training


CO-OP NEWS

April 2016 7

April Calendar

GROWING RELATIONSHIPS

of Events

TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE

FUTURE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER BY DENNIS HANLEY, GENERAL MANAGER s I write this I am in my thirteenth week as part of the La Montañita team. The past 12 weeks have been an exciting time for us all and I remain inspired by the dedication and expertise of our staff and the loyalty of our member owners and shoppers. It is clear to me why La Montañita has thrived for 40 years when so many other co-ops around the nation have not. After working in food retail for over 38 years, I feel that I am finally in a place that reflects my world view.

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My personal mission statement, values and life expectations are all about making a difference in developing meaningful lifelong relationships, celebrating life and achievement with family and career, while demonstrating an influencing style filled with enthusiasm and the very highest degree of integrity. To manifest this mission, my job is to inspire, enable and engage the La Montañita staff to positively impact lives in our community. We now have regular Town Hall Meetings at all stores to get staff input, feedback and the many creative and innovative ideas they have to improve operational results. Recently at a one of these meetings one of our fine team members asked for details on our plan, what we have done so far and where we are headed. I thought that this information would benefit all our member-owners as well.

IN OUR FIRST 12 WEEKS TOGETHER, WE: 1. Expanded communication channels throughout the Co-op to facilitate staff, board and owner input and knowledge 2. In week 1 and 2, completed price checks and discovered non-competitive pricing in produce, dairy and grocery. 3. Recognized we did not have a full assortment of products at prices to fit every budget in all departments, especially in produce and meat 4. Began doing organization-wide purchasing to get better pricing on organic produce to reduce prices for shoppers. From these purchasing experiments we learned that quality, affordable produce is one of the most important areas for our shoppers. Started incorporating the Clean 15 in our stores. 5. Recognized the incredible opportunities inherent in La Montañita's position in the local food system, as well as the New Mexico and regional communities. Developed stronger relationships with the National Cooperative Grocers association. 6. Began developing and deepening La Montañita team relationships, finding great heart and enthusiasm in the La Montañita team and a culture that embraces positive change. 7. Filled La Montañita Operations Director and Nob Hill Store Team Leader positions 8. Reduced Support Office staff without layoffs to make a leaner, lower cost management team 9. Created merchandising departments to provide better pricing in all department and more sampling events 10. Began a process to strengthen our community advocacy and development work

4/19 Community Education Series, Food and Technology Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 4/19 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 6:30pm 4/22 Santa Fe Co-op BBQ and Benefit 11:30am, see page 1 4/24 EARTHFEST at the Nob Hill Co-op! 4/25 Member Engagement Meeting Co-op Support Office, 5:30pm

CO-OPS: A Solution-Based System A cooperative 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.

NEXT STEPS: • Increase assortment in all departments, especially produce and meat, and reaffirm our position as an organic and local/regional produce leader. • Improve operational efficiency in store operations with focus on exceptional customer service, lower shrink, stronger purchasing practices, tightening expenses, and increasing operating income to support our community work. • Strengthen and expand our community advocacy and development initiatives to greatly increase our impact in improving the quality of life in the communities we serve. Partner with our Board of Directors to further develop our educational programs. Given all that we want to do, it is really important that we also take time to celebrate all that we have accomplished, especially during our 40th year of operation. We hope you will come celebrate with us our 40 years of community service and help us chart a course for another 40 years of a thriving community Co-op. As always my door is open and I look forward to hearing from you. dennis.hanley@lamontanita.coop/217-2028.

ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP:

THE CLEAN FIFTEEN

consumers about the risks of pesticide EWG published its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

INCREASING FOOD ACCESS WITH

The Shoppers Guide guide ranks 48 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 32,000 samples tested by US Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. In their report, 65 percent of the samples analyzed tested positive for pesticide residues.

INTEGRITY BY ROBIN SEYDEL ince the early to mid 1990's La Montañita Co-op has done its best to educate consumers on healthy nutritional eating. In the past few years providing access to healthy food choices to a broad spectrum of consumers has become of increasing importance, especially given economic conditions here in New Mexico. To that end, many of you have noticed and given positive feedback on the reduction in prices of our organic and local produce and the great deals on organic Field Day grocery items and local meat products.

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Although our commitment to providing the very best organic produce at affordable prices remains

a top priority, in early March the Co-op began experimenting with bringing in some conventional produce to provide accessible price points to support healthy eating among people with lower incomes. In order to do this and retain our commitment to food that is as clean as possible we turned to Environmental Working Group (EWG) and their Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists. Environmental Working Group Over 20 years ago the non-profit, non-partisan EWG formed with a mission of scientific research and education in a variety of areas including: toxics, consumer products, farming, food, water, energy and more. They use this research to forward wise consumer choice and civic action. By 2014 when it was clear that the US EPA would not warn

Consumers can download the complete report. The two most utilized lists are the Dirty Dozen, those items with the highest and most toxic concentrations of pesticide residues and the Clean 15 list, those items with the least amount of pesticide residues. To download these lists go to www.ewg.org. La Montañita is now carrying a few produce items off the Clean 15 list to provide price point options to expand access to the Co-op for people at all income levels.

CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER GROWING THE LOCAL ECONOMY ONE FARMER, ONE BUSINESS AT A TIME SERVING LOCAL PRODUCERS AND BUSINESSES THESE BUSINESSES ARE VALUED CUSTOMERS OF THE

CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER Please support these local businesses and enjoy the best that our community has to offer. When you are there, thank them for supporting the local food system by purchasing quality products from La Montañita Co-op's Distribution Center.

CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

Los Poblanos Inn & Organic Farm

Fire & Hops

Address: 4803 Rio Grande Blve. NW, Los Ranchos, NM Phone: 505-344-9297 Website: www.losPoblanos.com When Started: Designed in 1932 by John Gaw Meem Specialties: Rio Grande Valley cuisine What we buy from the CDC: Local flour from Valencia and Sangre de Cristo, local beans from Estancia, Tucumcari Cheese items and Kyzer Pork products. Regionally sourced beef from Frontiere Natural Meats and Organic Valley Dairy products.

Address: 222 N. Guadalupe, Santa Fe, NM Phone: 505-954-1635 Website: www.fireandhopsgastropub.com When Started: August 4, 2014 Specialities: Brussels sprouts, poutine, rotating fish specials, house made ice cream. What we buy from the CDC: Kyzer farms pork, sweet grass beef, Mary's organic chicken, flour, sugar and potatoes.

They say: Our mission is to preserve the historic Los Poblanos Ranch by cultivating a dynamic business dedicated to sustainable agriculture, hospitality, historic preservation, and community.

They say: We offer a warm, casual environment where people can get high quality food, and a vast selection of craft beer, cider and wine. We focus on using local, seasonal ingredients, and try to be as sustainable as possible.



SPRING IN TO FLAVOR

April 2016 10

SEASONAL TRANSITION

FOODS NEW MEXICO MERINGUE COOKIES Makes approx. 24 cookies / Prep time: 30 minutes / Cook time: 40 minutes A local and quick take on a traditional meringue cookie, these are a decadent way to use up some of spring’s bounty of eggs. 3/4 cup local, raw honey 4 egg whites at room temperature 1 T lemon juice 1 cup pistachios, finely chopped 1/2 tspchile powder (optional) Preheat oven to 300°F. Simmer the honey on medium low until it reaches the “hard ball stage” (250°F to 268°F), about 10 minutes. You can test this without a thermometer by dropping a tiny amount of the honey into a glass of cold water. If you can remove the honey and form it into a ball that holds its shape but is still pliable, it is at the right temperature. Let it cool slightly, but not too much because it needs to remain liquefied. In a large bowl, add the room temperature egg whites and lemon juice and begin beating with an electric beater. It is very important that the eggs are no cooler than room temperature or the honey will harden on contact. Slowly add the honey in a thin stream while beating the eggs to stiff peaks. Gently fold in the chopped pistachios and the chile powder, if using. Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto two parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes. Drop the oven temperature back to 250°F and bake for another 10–15 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet before removing. NUTRITION INFORMATION (ONE COOKIE): CALORIES 64; TOTAL FAT 2G; SATURATED FAT 0G; CHOLESTEROL 0MG; SODIUM 10MG; TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 10G; DIETARY FIBER 1G; SUGARS 9G; PROTEIN 2G

I’VE BEEN KALED! or PINEAPPLE-AVOCADOKALE SALSA Serves 4 / Prep time: 30 minutes Packed with flavor and nutrition, this salsa with a twist is also a very versatile condiment. It’s even yummy enough to eat on its own as a salad! 1 seven-ounce can crushed, unsweetened pineapple, drained 2 avocados, chopped 5 kale leaves, diced 3 green onions, diced 4 T lime juice 1/4 tsp ground chile powder 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cumin 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, diced Combine all the ingredients into a medium sized bowl and serve as a dip for chips, crackers or vegetables or as a condiment for sandwiches, baked potatoes or meat dishes. NUTRITION INFORMATION: CALORIES 143; TOTAL FAT 11G; SATURATED FAT 13G; CHOLESTEROL 0MG; SODIUM 6MG; TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 13G; DIETARY FIBER 5G; SUGARS 7G; PROTEIN 2G


SPRING IN TO FLAVOR TURMERIC VEGETABLE SOUP Serves 4 / Cook time: 2 hours / Prep time: 15 minutes 1 small head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped 1 whole leek, rinsed and chopped 1 yellow carrot, diced (optional) 1 pint oyster mushrooms, chopped 3 celery stalks with leaves, coarsely chopped 1 bunch of turnips with leaves on, coarsely chopped (or radishes and their tops) 1 T turmeric powder Salt to taste 4 T cilantro-walnut pesto (recipe on next page) 2 cups vegetable broth (from simmering the vegetables) About 1/4 cup of milk of choice Optional garnish: chopped fresh cilantro and chopped walnuts Have you ever wondered what to do with those turnip greens, radish greens, or the leek tops that other recipes tell you not to use? This is a beautifully complex-tasting, healthy way to eat them. It’s even a bit addictive! Coarsely chop all of the vegetables, and place them in a large sauce pan (or slow cooker) and cover with water. Simmer on low for 1–2 hours until all the vegetables are soft (about 4–6 hours, if using a slow cooker). Cool the vegetables enough to put them into a blender or food processor, reserving the cooking liquid as vegetable broth. Blend the cooled vegetables until smooth, slowly adding about 2 cups of the reserved vegetable broth. Add the turmeric powder, pesto and milk. Add the soup back to the sauce pan and gently re-warm to serve. Do not boil it again. This soup can be made ahead of time and frozen (before adding the pesto and milk) in order to make a quick future dinner. NUTRITION INFORMATION: CALORIES 168; TOTAL FAT 9G; SATURATED FAT 1G; CHOLESTEROL 2MG; SODIUM 462MG; TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 19G; DIETARY FIBER 5G; SUGARS 9G; PROTEIN 6G CILANTRO WALNUT PESTO Makes about 1 cup of pesto / Prep time: 15 minutes This wonderfully flavored variation on the traditional basil pesto can be used in all the same ways: as a topping for crackers or pasta, as the “sauce” for pizza, and as a flavoring for soups.

1 cup raw walnuts Pinch of salt to taste (optional) 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped I always use the cilantro stems as well, but if you’d prefer, you can choose to use only the leaves. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. This pesto can be frozen in an ice cube tray and then stored in a freezer container for later use. NUTRITION INFORMATION (1 T): CALORIES 78; TOTAL FAT 8G; SATURATED FAT 1G; CHOLESTEROL 0MG; SODIUM 36MG; TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 1G; DIETARY FIBER 1G; SUGARS 0G; PROTEIN 1G SMASHED BEANS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND CILANTRO Serves 6 / Prep time: 30 minutes Ready for a recipe that makes great use of the fresh crunch of Spring vegetables? These beans make a flavorful, hearty sandwich filling to which you can add many of Spring’s vegetable stars. Beans: 8 garlic cloves, roasted and peeled 3 cups cooked pinto beans, drained Juice of 2 fresh lemons 1/4 tsp of salt (or to taste) 1/2 cup cilantro, minced Sandwich Garnish Suggestions: thinly sliced radishes, turnips, carrots, onions, lettuce, cabbage or dark leafy greens To roast the garlic cloves, place them unpeeled in a small baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast in the oven at 300°F for 20–30 minutes until very soft. Peel the roasted garlic and smash well with a fork. Add the beans and smash with a fork or a potato masher. Add the lemon juice, salt and cilantro and mix well. The result will be a flavorful paste that can be spread on bread for a sandwich. It can also be spread on crackers or used as a vegetable dip. NUTRITION INFORMATION: (NOT INCLUDING OTHER SANDWICH TOPPINGS) CALORIES 168; TOTAL FAT 5G; SATURATED FAT 1G; CHOLESTEROL 0MG; SODIUM 2MG; TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 24G; DIETARY FIBER 8G; SUGARS 1G; PROTEIN 8G

April 2016 11


FARMING FOR THE PLANET

April 2016 12

ITCHY GREEN THUMB:

SAVE SEED SAVE THE PLANET BRETT BAKKER eed saving? I think you know the drill by now. Saving seed involves protecting purity by rigorously preventing unwanted cross pollination: corn must be grown 1/4 mile away from other corn varieties for absolute seed purity; plant only one watermelon variety each year; bell peppers crossing with chile is utter disaster and despair! If you’re selling seed or sharing through seedbanks, you owe its recipients the assurance that your seed is true to type and not crossed with unknown traits.

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Got it? Good. Now forget it because what follows contradicts this. If you’ve read my ranting here with any regularity, you know I have some very strong opinions. Please note however that I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say. And neither should you. Seed “purity” was pretty much invented for the modern marketplace: Exclusivity = dollars. Heck, even the GMO guys don’t want genes from other varieties to trespass into their seedlines which—it should go without saying—is completely contradictory to their nonchalance when their genes mess up our open-pollinated crops. Cross-pollination occurs between plants which have matching flower structures that enable the reception of “foreign” pollen. This is fact. What is also fact is that western thought classifies plants with this compatibility through Latin nomenclature. For example, cantaloupes are Genus and Species Cucumis melo and part of the wider Family of Cucurbitaceae that includes cucumbers, watermelons, squash and gourds. Note that what I mean here is that the nomenclature system is a fact only in the sense that it is agreed upon and used worldwide, not that it is the only method of classification. In the distant past, people had a different outlook. Someone growing a gourd would not know that there was someone else growing an entirely different gourd species halfway around the globe. Their concept of

plant families was different. It could be plants that were used in similar ways, like healing similar maladies. Or ones that were farmed and eaten together (corn, bean and squash). Or plants that naturally grew together, like our piñonjuniper woodlands with manzanitas, mountain mahogany, sages, asters, prickly pear etc. This is not wrong, nor is it unsound nor is it ignorant. It is merely another way of viewing and classifying the world around us. The native view on seed purity is also different. Fields are planted wherever one has the space to plant. At the Pueblos here in NM, some corn fields are well isolated but that’s mainly due to the fact that fewer people farm than in times past. Some corn fields are planted right next to each other because two farmers may just happen to have rights to neighboring fields. Cross pollination happens. So, you’re husking the blue corn and oops, here’s a white ear, a result of cross pollination. What to do?! Well, you don’t fret but toss that ear onto the white pile. And as you’re husking white corn and you find an ear of blue, throw it onto the blue pile. Many native New Mexican melons and squashes are all mixed up; that is, skin, flesh and shape is variable due to cross pollination. This is not viewed as a problem. Most of these have been grown just this way for hundreds of years so a mixed crop has actually become its own variety.

MEDICINE FROM THE KITCHEN

HERBAL WILDCRAFTING

HARVESTING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS BY JESSIE

EMERSON arth Day is everyday! We need to be aware of Her and Her rapidly disappearing “resources.” She is not a commodity. The Earth and everything upon Her is sacred, alive, sentient and vibrates in its own energy pattern. There is a special bond between humans and plants. We need and depend on each other. Many plants are on endangered or at risk watch lists, some even extinct locally where they once flourished. In 1973 when the Endangered Species Act became law, there were already 15,000 medicinal plant species threatened with extinction.

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My first herbal medicine teachers Jared Gann and and Michael Moore were teaching ecological and sustainable harvesting in the 70s and 80s. I also learned the spiritual way of approaching plants from Native American teachers: give an offering to the clan chief, and then ask permission to pick. Then I wait and listen. Together these approaches form a partnership with nature, with the plants. Rolling Thunder said, “if an herbalist doesn’t pick in this way, the medicine will be weak.” One of the reasons for disappearing plants is human expansion in the name of progress or necessity. The World

Health Organization has said that 80% of our planet’s population rely on plant-based medicine. Sara Oldfield, secretary General of Botanical Gardens Conservation International said, “Medicinal plants harvested from the wild remain of immense importance for the wellbeing of millions of people around the world.” There are over 70,000 plant species thought to be medicinal. Often a plant that has become popular with the public becomes popular commercially and stimulates commercial harvesting, which can result in over harvesting and degradation of the environment. Goldenseal (Hydrastis condenses), American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolis), Lady Slipper (Cypripedium app.), and Northern New Mexico’s star healing plant Osha (Ligusticum porteri) are on an at risk list and have been picked to extinction locally in some areas.

1. Pick only what you and your family will use in one year, plus some for sharing with friends. 2. Know what plants are endangered or are on the protected plant list in the state in which you pick. 3. Disturb the plant population and the area as little as possible. 4. Pick plants growing only in prime locations, plants with insect holes and in obvious poor health are to be avoided. 5. Gather from abundant stands: check around after you have found a needed plant, if there are only two or three plants in the entire area, don’t pick them. 6. Gather from abundant stands starting at the bottom of a hill, leaving older more established plants at the top of the hill to seed.

What’s the final lesson is to be taken from all this? Keep an open mind. See, nature does as she pleases and the best we can do is kind of herd things along and hope we don’t mess things up too bad.

If you use herbal remedies, here are some suggestions for what you can do. Ask the company who makes the product where they obtained the herbs. Are they all organic? Have they been ecologically and sustainability harvested? Plant your own medicine garden. Create or help create a botanical sanctuary. Support organizations like Native Seeds/SEARCH and United Plant Savers that are saving seeds and plants in botanical sanctuaries. Stay healthy and BUY LOCAL. Anyone interested in creating a medicinal plant sanctuary can call or email Jessie at 505-470-1363/ osoherbalsjessie@gmail.com. Jessie Emerson is an RN and certified clinical herbalist. She gives workshops and plant walks and has written Medicine From the Kitchen, a first aid book using what can be found in the kitchen.

There are other contributing factors to the demise of plants around the world, they include but are not limited to: overconsumption of beef, deforestation, contamination of habitat, climate change, changing weather patterns, fires, and of course, “They put up a parking lot,” to quote singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF HARVESTING AND

WILDCRAFTING

I spent so many years keeping seed collections pure that one spring I got fed up and decided to plant every blue corn I could lay my hands on in one field to let them freely cross pollinate. There were three feet tall Hopi corns with six inch ears and eight foot Kewa Pueblo corns with twelve inch ears and everything in between. I later passed the resulting crop onto some non-native people, fully disclosing the mix. What did they do but start to select out specific types rather than keep the mix! Another time, I planted some Peruvian black beans I’d been growing in isolation for a few years. One year, out of seemingly nowhere, there were black, white and blue variations which were later selected out as “new” varieties.

7. Leave mature seed-bearing plants. 8. Propagate and naturalize wild plants, particularly droughtresistant plants compatible with existing ecology. 9. Time of year collecting may be critical to plant’s welfare, i.e.: iris not transplanted when in bloom. 10. If a plant grows in large stands, never pick more than a third. Pick from the borders, leaving the younger to grow and re-seed. 11. Digging roots: dig no more than half of the visible plants, take the largest, leaving the younger to grow and re-seed, fill holes. 12. Chemical awareness, cleanliness of area: always pick 100 feet from the road. Ask yourself if the area has ever been farmed, how long ago, what was grown, were fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides ever used. Never pick where corn or cotton has been grown, as they are usually produced with heavy chemical use.

APRIL 23 10AM-2PM CHILDREN’S SEED

FESTIVAL at the BOTANIC GARDEN Learn how you can help the world's plants during the Botanic Garden's Earth Day Celebration. • Hands-on activities • Keeper talks • Special demonstrations

WWW.VISITALBUQUERQUE.ORG/


REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

April 2016 13

REGENERATING A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM

lates to an additional 14,000–40,000 gallons of water/acre. The more rain captured, the more plants can grow.

PLANNED GRAZING

BY DR. ANN ADAMS, HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL t Holistic Management International we spend a lot of time teaching ranchers and farmers how to manage their grazing animals (cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits) better so that they get all the benefits of managing holistically—improved land health, reduced stress on the animals, improved profitability, and a better quality of life. Does it seem hard to believe that so much can be accomplished with changing grazing practices? Read on and learn about the power of symbiotic relationships.

FINANCES: The increase in soil health that Gabe Brown experienced has resulted in a 20% increase over his county's average corn bushel yield and a substantial reduction of input costs which has led a 200% increase in gross profit per acre. So while soil health is an investment, it’s one that pays off.

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Let’s start with what happens in the grazing process. When an animal takes a bite of grass, it prunes the plant at a given height and the roots die back in mirror image below. The remaining leaf is the solar panel of the plant to capture more solar energy and grow more leaf. It is also pulling carbon out of the air and putting it into the ground where the micro-organisms in the soil are having a feeding frenzy on the carbon coming out around the roots. In turn, the microorganisms' waste becomes the food for the plant. It’s a big party down there with lots of benefit for the land steward if they manage it well and keep those microorganisms well fed. The challenge is to not only graze and put some of the plant through the animal, but allow the grazing animal to push organic matter into the soil, add their own fertilizer, break the surface of any bare soil to allow for good water infiltration and then allow the plant adequate time to recover. All this needs to be done while also working to leave a good portion of the plant so it can be the conduit for the party down below. That means a farmer or rancher needs to have control of their animals. The Tangible Results ORGANIC MATTER: Gabe Brown, a rancher in ND, was able to increase his soil organic matter from 1.8% to 5% with a host of practices. The organic matter really took off when he added planned grazing into the mix. More carbon in the soil equals more organic matter to feed the plant and soak up the rainfall when it comes.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION: The more carbon in the ground, the more carbon that comes out of the atmosphere. Dr. Richard Teague of Texas Agrilife has done studies that show planned grazing land sequesters an average of 20T/acre, more soil carbon than continuously grazed land. WILDLIFE: On the Clark-Birdwell Ranch near Henrietta, TX, they increased their bobwhite quail populations by 452% due to improved wildlife habitat because of their planned grazing. Wildlife needs adequate food, shelter, and water for survival. If the rancher plans the grazing to take into account the wildlife’s needs (such as making sure to avoid nesting areas when birds are nesting), the wildlife counts often improve. This happens because there is often an increase in the biodiversity of plants because of the different grazing patterns employed. EROSION: Soil erosion is the result of soil not held in place by a plant and its roots. Right now the biggest agricultural export for the U.S. is topsoil. Getting more plants on to bare ground for more of the year helps to stop or reduce erosion. Ranchers who work to reduce the bare ground on their land through planned grazing have moved a landscape that was 75% bare ground to having only 40% bare ground. They do this by growing more plants and putting more litter/mulch on the ground where microorganisms can utilize them and they can protect the soil from erosion. WATER: Increased water in the soil is a result both of the decreased erosion (plants and litter helping the water soak into the soil rather running off or evaporating from the hot surface of bare ground) and the increased carbon in the soil acting as a sponge. Some estimates are that a 1% increase in soil carbon trans-

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES :

GARDENING BY THE

SEASONS BY CIRRELDA SNIDER-BRYAN, GARDEN PROGRAMS COORDINATOR NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENCE ant to learn about gardening basics as well as plant biology, native plants, permaculture, drought-tolerant plants and more, together with your child? Join us for our new outdoor program, held in the Kiwanis Learning Garden located at the New Mexico Natural History Museum.

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Garden Workshops for Families provide opportunities for families with children ages 4 to 12 to explore biology, garden practices, soil science, water in the desert in an outdoor garden setting. Healthy, theme-based snacks. Take Home Packets. Hands-on, independent exploration, multi-media art including clay, poems, songs, stories are included. Approval from Coordinator needed for children younger or older. Spring Classes include: Plant Anatomy and Life Cycle (Seeds) 4/8 or 4/9, Food Factory: Photosynthesis and Water (Growing) 4/22 or 4/23, and How Animals Help Plants by Pollination and Other Ways (Growing) 5/13 or 5/14. Class times are Friday or Saturday mornings 10am-noon, or Saturday afternoons from 1-3pm PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED. Costs are reduced for Museum members and there are scholarships available per class. Classes are limited to 12 children plus adults. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is located at 1801 Mountain Road, NW in Albuquerque. For more information go to: www.nmnaturalhistory.org/youth-and-family-programs/gardenworkshops-families or email cirrelda.snider@state.nm.us

FEEDS USAND

HEALS THE

PLANET

ANIMAL PERFORMANCE: The more animals can move to fresh ground, the more opportunity they have for a varied diet with vigorous plants that can give them the nutrition they need. Imagine being at the same salad bar for a week and no one replenishes it. The good stuff gets taken quickly, and the food no one wants gets old and less appealing. The same thing happens on pasture. Moreover, as the soil grows healthier, the food supported by that soil also contains more minerals and nutrients to help animals grow and be healthy. QUALITY OF LIFE: A lot of people are drawn to ranching, but they don’t like the idea of being tied down by the constant pressure of taking care of animals. With planned grazing, ranch families are able to schedule in vacations or make sure that animals are on a certain part of the ranch that allows for more ease of management at challenging times of the year like winter. They also can plan the right number of animals depending on the amount of forage they have so they are less likely to run out of feed. LOCAL FOOD: As ranchers are able to carry more animals who can gain more weight, they can earn more money and stay on the land to grow more local food for their communities. We know that when a rancher sells their animal to some place like La Montañita versus at the sale barn where the animal goes into the commodity market, the local community benefits 10 times more. Bottom Line: Support ranchers who take care of the land and deliver a quality product! To learn more, go to: www.holisticmanagement.org and sign up for our free newsletter to learn more about the HMI events in your area. Join the dialogue and community of people working to create healthy land and food.

IS YOUR CELL PHONE

MAKING YOU

SICK?

Santa Fe Co-op Community Room: FREE Wi-Fi technology is here to stay. Learn about patented products that help neutralize the effects of electromagnetic radiation and simple ways to decrease exposure. APRIL 913 West Alameda, Santa Fe Info: 505-780-8283

26 6–7:30PM

DESERT OASIS TEACHING

GARDENS

KAREN BENTRUP, DOT GARDEN The Desert Oasis Teaching (DOT) Garden is offering WaterSmart Gardening Classes in conjunction with the Albuquerque Water Utility Authority . Everyone is welcome to attend and WUA customers can receive a rebate! BY

The DOT Gardens is hosting this 2-hour combination class of lecture and discussion followed by a tour through the Gardens to see watersmart gardening and permaculture design in action. May class dates include 5/14 (Sat), 5/21 (Sat), 5/23 (Mon), 5/ 24 (Tues). Classes will continue throughout the summer as well. The DOT Gardens is a community education and experiential learning space at Albuquerque Academy, 6400 Wyoming Blvd NE, where we explore sustainability and growing food in the arid southwest. We take the classroom into

WATER

SMART

FOOD PRODUCTION nature to investigate innovative ideas for cultivating dryland growing and we share this information across the middle Rio Grande region. The DOT Gardens is a space where everyone is welcome to volunteer their time and knowledge to inspire others to fold sustainable living into their lives. We want to support all of Albuquerque becoming more adaptable and resilient. Let's grow some food! For information and class dates in June and July go to www.thedotgarden.org


GMO NEWS BRIEFS MONSANTO ’ S LATEST GIMMICK

MANDATORY GMO

LABELING

THE QR CODE SCHEME BY JOSH NELSON, CREDO onsanto and Big Food, along with long-time food industry ally US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, are pushing Congress to adopt a so-called compromise: voluntary high-tech QR code labels that require consumers to scan with their Smartphones to know whether or not food products contain GMO ingredients.

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These so-called “smart labels” will make it more difficult—or impossible—for many people to find out if GMO ingredients are in their foods. That’s because most Americans won’t take the time to scan a label, don’t know what a QR code is, or don’t have the required technology to access the labels in the first place. It’s clear that Monsanto and the food industry are fighting to protect their bottom line by making it harder for consumers to know what’s in their food with this QR code scheme. What’s more, there’s currently no proposal for those without smartphones, typically low-income, disabled, or elderly consumers, to access this information. As Scott Faber, the executive director of the pro-GMO labeling group Just Label It, put it, “Consumers shouldn't have to have a high-tech smartphone and a 10-gigabyte data plan to know what's in their food.” Public pressure on Big Food to label GMO food is working. Earlier in the year, processed food giant Campbell Soup Company and General Mills both announced they would label GMO foods nationwide and not increase prices, a common argument against mandatory labels. With poll after poll showing nearly every American is in favor of mandatory GMO labeling, the Obama Administration and Congress should make it easier for us to know what’s contained in our foods, not harder. Tell Congress and Secretary Vilsack: NO “smart code” labels for GMO food and demand simple mandatory, onpackage GMO labels on our food. TO SIGN THE PETITION, GO TO: www.act.credoaction.com/sign/GMO_QR_codes? and contact our federal congressional delegation to let them know that QR codes will not provide consumer right to know.

April 2016 14

DARK ACT

DEFEATED: PUSH FOR MANDATORY GMO

LABELING FROM THE NATIONAL ORGANIC COALITION n mid-March the “Dark” Act that would deny consumers the right to know if their food contained GMO’s was defeated in the Senate.

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Two Easy GMO Right to Know Actions Please call Senators Heinrich and Udall and thank them for their vote against the Dark Act and for co-sponsoring S.2621 that requires mandatory labeling of GMO foods. Tell them we want mandatory on-package labeling of GMOs not voluntary labeling, and certainly not smartphone QR codes that limit access to the information to some demographic groups. 1. Call the Capitol Switchboard today: 202-224-3121 and voice your support for S.2621. 2. This election year let's make mandatory labeling of GMO foods and consumer right to know an election issue. Ask all candidates in all public forums if they support consumer right to know about GMOs in our food and what they will do about it.

J U S T S AY

NO TO GMOS

DIRTY TRICKS MONSANTO AND GROCERY M A N U FA C T U R E R S O F A M E R I C A BREAKING THE LAW TO DEFEAT GMO LABELING FROM FOOD DEMOCRACY NEWS n 2013, while facing heated opposition from a growing grassroots movement across the country to label GMO foods, lobbyists from the biotech industry and food manufacturers came up with a plot to launder money through the Grocery Manufacturers of America in order to hide their members from public scrutiny. Monsanto and other bio-tech giants donated to a GMA slush fund and the GMA passed those contributions onto the NO on Washington State’s I-522 campaign illegally.

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This is a clear violation of Washington state campaign laws and allowed Monsanto and other corporate members of the GMA to donate a record $22 million and ultimately defeat GMO labeling in Washington state. The Seattle Times reported that the GMA’s plot to deceive Washington voters began at a January 2013 board meeting. According to Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, “It was a detailed scheme over many months to purposely, in their words, shield their donors from public scrutiny... .” The state is recommending a $14 million fine—but that could be tripled if a judge agrees GMA intentionally flouted the law! While this fine might seem large, it is a drop in the bucket for Monsanto and bio-tech friends and it will not change the results of the 2013 I-522 ballot initiative in Washington state.


COMMUNITY FORUM

April 2016 15

ALBUQUERQUE OPEN SPACE DIVISION AND ALLIANCE

RECREATION AND EDUCATION SPRING IN TO OPEN SPACE OPEN SPACE DIVISION STAFF he bees are buzzing and the wildflowers are in bloom! Spring is in the air and the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division and our non-profit partner the Open Space Alliance are gearing up for an exciting season of outdoor recreation, educational events, and fun for the whole family. Below you’ll find just a sample of what the Open Space Division has to offer in the coming months. For a full list of opportunities and events with City Open Space, please check out our website at www.cabq.gov/openspace. BY

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UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE OPEN SPACE VISITOR CENTER • APRIL 9, 2–3PM: Meet Filmmaker Elke Duerr. Elke will screen her short film Wolves and Humans: A Story of Coexistence and Bison Nation and discuss how the coexistence of humans, wild animals and nature is possible and critical to the survival our planet. • APRIL 10, 10AM–NOON: Amphibians! with Dan Shaw from the Bosque School. Mr. Shaw will discuss amphibian habitats in New Mexico and how to protect them. • APRIL 17, 10:30AM–11:30AM: Family-friendly craft workshop. Call 897-8831 for details. • MAY 7, 9AM–5PM: Planting for Pollinators Event. Celebrate the joys of pollinators and help the Open Space Visitor Center expand our pollinator gardens and habitat. Scheduled programs include: mead making, honey tasting, Learn how to plant a pollinator garden for your

home, Live butterfly displays, wildflower hike, apiary tours, and volunteer planting projects. REGISTER FOR THE DIRTY HANDS SUMMER CAMP GET DIRTY THIS SUMMER! The Dirty Hands Summer Camp is taking place at the Mountain Mahogany Community School and the Open Space Visitor Center. Dirty Hands is a summer day camp sponsored by Rainmaker’s, Inc. Profits from the camp will benefit the Mountain Mahogany Community School Gardening Program and the Open Space Alliance. The Camp runs 9am–1pm daily, from June 8–August 7 for grades one through nine. Registration is $120 per week for every week paid before April 30, 2016 and $100 per week for siblings. ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS NOW! For registration information go to: http://dirtyhandscamp.wix.com/home or call 505-514-9210. The Open Space Visitor Center is located at 6500 Coors Blvd. NW at the end of Bosque Meadows

Rd. between Montaño and Paseo del Norte and is open Tuesdays–Sundays from 9am–5pm. Call 505-897-8831 or see www.cabq.gov/openspace for more info about the Open Space Visitor Center or like us on Facebook! VOLUNTEER WITH THE OPEN SPACE DIVISION! WE NEED GIFT SHOP VOLUNTEERS. The Open Space Alliance (OSA), the non-profit organization that supports the Open Space Division, manages the gift shop at the Open Space Visitor Center. Get involved today! Contact Kristy Anderson at 358-8270 or openspacegiftshop@gmail.com or call her at to sign up and help the OSA make 2016 their best year ever! TRAIL WATCH AND OPEN SPACE VISITOR CENTER VOLUNTEER TRAINING SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 10AM–12PM at the Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center. Contact Jolynn Maestas at jmaestas@cabq.gov or call 452-5207 to sign up!

CELEBRATE COMMUNITY

NOB HILL TURNS 100

History Project, short films, public art like the mural at Central and Carlisle, and getting the word out on the celebrations.

BY GARY EYSTER AND CAROLYN CHAVEZ hroughout 2016 Nob Hill celebrates its unique sense of place, its cultural heritage, and its people. Until the turn of the 20th century, Albuquerque existed exclusively in the valley of the Rio Grande where water and farmland were plentiful. In 1898 the city moved onto the east mesa when the territorial legislature established the University of New Mexico above the sand hills.

Nob Hill is 100 Festivities Festivities will take place all year long. Here are a few of the upcoming highlights. For the full calendar of events please go to: www.nobhillmainstreetabq.org.

pouring a rich palette of shapes, details, and materials onto their houses. Due to serendipitous circumstances, the vast majority of houses and commercial buildings in Nob Hill retain their historic character.

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In 1903 Col. D.K.B. Sellers arrived from Eureka, California by way of the Klondike gold rush. He saw unlimited opportunity on the east mesa, platting the neighborhood south of the university in 1906. Sellers worked hard for statehood and was sworn in as mayor just three months after New Mexico became a state. He platted the University Heights east of Girard Avenue, the first portion of what we now call Nob Hill, in 1916. Nob Hill and The Mother Road Small builders worked vigorously in Nob Hill, building 80% of the homes by the start of WWII. Builders eagerly revived historic styles,

In 1917 only 2% of the nation’s roads were paved. In 1926 the American Highway System was created by law. The most storied was the route from the corner of Jackson Blvd and Michigan Ave in Chicago to Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles: Route 66. Motorists needed fuel, food and service and businesses built vibrant neon signs to attract passing motorists. Today, continental traffic flows on the interstate highways but people from everywhere tease out the sense of Route 66 from wellpreserved buildings and neon signs of the Mother Road in Nob Hill. 100 Years of Community Groups and individuals throughout the community are working together to create events with meaning for people of all ages; especially families. This group includes Nob Hill Neighborhood Association and Nob Hill Main Street, together with our business community, our faith community, our schools, and many individuals. Thanks to a grant from Bernalillo County we’ve accomplished a lot in the past year including the Nob Hill Oral

April 24: Co-op EarthFest—La Montañita Co-op moved to Nob Hill Shopping Center in 1989, when it took over the Nob Hill Shopping Center's historic grocery store; a location that has continually served the Nob Hill neighborhood as a grocery store since 1947. The Co-op's 26th Annual Earth Fest is the largest Earth Day festival in the state. Look for our Nob Hill Neighborhood Association and Nob Hill Main Street table. For more information go to www.lamontanita.coop. April 30: Nob Hill is 100 Unleashed Pet Parade and Fair—benefitting area animal welfare groups. Create a costume for yourself and your pet and join the parade. Prizes are offered for best owner/pet match, most unique pet, and many more. Enjoy the fair, live music, and food after the parade. May 22: Nob Hill Insider’s Tour—Its many well-preserved historic buildings, many dating to the early 20th century, give Nob Hill its unique sense of place. Proceeds will benefit University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning Program in Historic Preservation and Regionalism. Tickets are necessary and can be obtained at: www.nobhillabqmainstreet.eventbrite.com.

FOOD, SHELTER, HEALTH AND COMMUNITY

HOME PREPAREDNESS EXPO APRIL 30 PREPARATHON ew Mexico State University’s Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center is hosting its second annual Emergency Preparedness for the Home Expo on April 30—a National Preparathon Day. It will again be held at the Albuquerque Airport Sheraton from 9am to 3pm.

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This is a FREE educational event to assist the public in their effort to be self-sustaining in a disaster. There will be display tables and edu-

cational seminars throughout the day including: How to Prepare a Go-Bag, How to Prepare for Your Pets, Food and Water Storage, Basic First Aid, Backyard Chicken Care, Vegetable Gardening, beekeeping and food preservation and more. Held at the Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel at 291 Yale Blvd. SE, this expo provides a wealth of information and is FREE and open to the public. For more information please contact Cynthia at beiser@nmsu.edu or Cindy Davies at 243-1386.



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