COOPERATIVE INDEPENDENCE: A JUST FOOD AND ECONOMIC
SYSTEM M
BY ROBIN SEYDEL editating on Independence Day, I am struck by how closely aligned the values and principles of our founding fathers and mothers are with our cooperative values. It is sad to say the freedoms of a just and fair society they envisioned, although brilliant and deeply inspirational, went awry, as they were not applied equally to all. Given the civil and human rights protests our nation has been experiencing of late, I am quite definitely thinking of the African slaves who built many our founders’ homes and created the resources that contributed to their wealth. Additionally, in our enchanting New Mexico where Native culture is thankfully still alive and traditionally practiced, in some cases even on ancient homelands, manifest destiny’s genocidal land hunger also comes to mind. While these are historical injustices that in many ways, still need to be rectified, today, there is a growing injustice clearly defined by the fact that, to quote political economist Gar Alperovitz, “400 people own more wealth than 186 million of us.” Remembering our history so as to learn from our past, the question is: how do we move forward into a truly just and democratic future like that envisioned and so eloquently put forth by our nation’s founders? For me, repeatedly, the answer comes up; utilize the cooperative economic model of community ownership. Cooperatives, with their internationally-accepted principles and values of self-help, self-responsibility, equality, equity and solidarity with honesty, openness and caring for others, are an accepted and successful way of doing businesses. Worldwide it presents an alternative to the conventions of corporate capitalism that, we are told, is the only economic system that works. With approximately 122 million Americans and over 1 billion people worldwide participating in a cooperative of one form or another—from worker- and consumer-owned businesses to agricultural and arts marketing, housing, child care and financial cooperatives that we call credit unions, to
With approximately 122 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide participating in a co-op, it is clear that the COOPERATIVE
SYSTEM WORKS. name a few—it is clear that the cooperative system of community ownership does indeed work. True Economic Democracy With our one person, one vote structure, cooperatives provide a more truly democratic system than the current corporate structure. In that system more money means you can purchase more stocks, more stocks means more votes, more votes means more equality for some people but not for others. It seems a far cry from the concepts of equality for all espoused by our national founders. Applying their visionary concepts of equality and justice to ownership and resource distribution, the cooperative business structure legally provides opportunities in both areas. The last remaining wrinkle: how to maintain equal access? At La Montañita ownership is only $15 a year, and as such is one of the least expensive ownership shares in the nation. In some co-ops, especially start-ups, there is often a sweat equity option, where the cooperative values the work of the individual on behalf of the organization and provides an ownership share for those efforts. Finally, owners receive a fair share of the co-op’s generated income based on their patronage of the organization they own, not on investment after subsistance needs are met, as in the corporate structure. One of the definitions of cooperatives is the coming together of independent and autonomous individuals in an association for mutual aid and mutual benefit. Given the economic pain and suffering great masses of Americans are now experiencing, perhaps it’s time for another revolution. This time let’s make it peaceful, fully legal, non-violent, and “for, of and by the people” utilizing the proven cooperative economic model already in place.
WHY SHOP THE
CO-OP?
We here at La Montañita know that people in each of the communities we serve can purchase the natural and organic foods we offer at a wide variety of corporate big box chains and other retail outlets, and thanks to their superstore economies of scale, often at lower prices. In 1976 when La Montañita started this was not the case, and at that time there was only one small Growers’ Market. Now savvy consumers in search of local produce can choose from a host of farmers’ markets as well as the Co-op. Beside the fact that we have great local, organic products and customer service, and have a work with dignity environment where all our employees are paid a living wage, perhaps the most important reason to shop the Co-op is that our “revolutionary” business structure of community ownership sets us apart. Like our nation’s founders we envision and have manifested a way of doing business that provides an avenue for a truly democratic economy with equality and justice for all.
CO-OPERATORS WANTED!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION NOMINATION
PERIOD BEGINS BY ARIANA MARCHELLO, BOARD PRESIDENT t’s almost time to file Board nomination applications and those of us who work on new Board member recruitment have noticed a recurring theme in our solicitations: La Montañita Board service is not what you may think. Consider what Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn, a current board member, has to say:
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"Being a member of a cooperative allows for active engagement in democracy. I joined the Board of Directors because I hoped to collaborate and create renewed opportunities for all our members to have a greater sense of involvement in a community working together. Perhaps the greatest lessons I have learned while serving as a Board member is that democracy is a long term project that is sometimes slow to make changes and active participation in a democracy is expressed differently by each member. Serving La Montañita through the Board in an everchanging social and economic environment is a great challenge. With the ideals of policy governance a small representative group must stay focused through the members to keep in touch with the values, principles and mission of La Montañita so we can serve our Co-operative and our community."
Each year the Co-op holds elections for three of its nine directors, with terms running for three years. This year there is an additional open seat for a 1-year term. As elected representatives of the 17,000 member/owners, the Board’s job is to provide strategic vision and ensure the Co-op’s long-term stability and success. The Board’s work requires discipline and creativity. We govern by means of a framework called Policy Governance. At our monthly meetings, the Board reviews management’s work by examining performance reports and comparing them to established policy standards. The Board governs by declaring, through its policies, the results it wants and the actions it wants the General Manager to avoid while achieving those results. Only by reviewing and adjusting these boundaries do we affect the direction of the Co-op. We leave day-to-day operational details to the General Manager and his or her team (those are the people you see every day as a shopper). We spend almost half our meeting time studying our world, learning about our owners’ needs, and imagining the future. While it is customary for boards to attract prospective members with management related skills, our approach is different. Our comprehensive policies and the management reporting that is required for them allow the Board to simultaneously ensure successful Co-op performance and still focus on the bigger picture we mentioned earlier. To help keep the Board on this path, here’s what we are looking for in a candidate: • First and foremost, be dedicated to the well being of the Co-op and its owners.
SNAIL OF APPROVAL AWARD BY GRIT RANUSCHKAT OF SLOW FOOD ABQ n early May, Slow Food New Mexico hosted their first ever Snail of Approval Award Ceremony. We are proud to announce the winner: La Montañita Food Co-op.
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La Montañita is doing an exemplary job in promoting Slow Food's values of good, clean and fair food. La Montañita created one of the first food hub distribution warehouses in the nation. Last year, La Montañita purchased and sold 5.2 million dollars of local products. During the main growing season, up to 20% of
their produce is grown regionally. For a decade now, their staff has been paid a living wage, including benefits and savings contributions. We couldn't have wished for a better awardee to launch our bi-annual Snail of Approval program. Thank you, staff and employees of La Montañita, for the awesome work you do!
DEEPEST THANKS from all of us at La Montañita Co-op for this honor and award of recognition.
SLOW FOOD HONORS La Montanita
Co-op
• Have a propensity to think in terms of systems and context. • Be honest and have independent judgment, courage and good faith. • Be able and eager to deal with values, vision and the long term. • Be willing and able to participate assertively in discussions and abide by Board decisions and the intent of established policies. • Be comfortable operating in a group decision-making environment, sharing power in a group process, and delegating areas of decision making to others. To better understand how these characteristics play out, we encourage prospective candidates to attend monthly Board meetings. They are always on the third Tuesday of each month, starting at 5:30pm. Location is the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across Silver and east of the Nob Hill store. Dinner is served to all attending, starting a little before 5:30pm. Nominations start July 20, 2015, and end on August 20. Candidate application packets are available at Co-op information desks and online at the Co-op’s website. TO QUALIFY AS A CANDIDATE, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO THE START OF ELECTIONS, (THAT MEANS BEING A MEMBER SINCE JULY 1, FOR THIS YEAR), AND YOU MUST RETURN YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION BY AUGUST 20. Board elections will be held from Nov. 1 through Nov. 14. Our annual meeting and celebration will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Santa Fe Farmers Market Pavillion. Candidates are encouraged to attend this meeting to have the opportunity to address members regarding their candidacy. As we have done in the last few years, the Board will offer a list of candidates it feels are qualified to serve. Full information about this process is included in the candidate packet, available at all Co-op locations after July 1.
Not just a store... a cooperative
MOVEMENT!
WE ARE OUR NATION La Montañita Cooperative A Community-Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store
July 2015 2
CELEBRATING OUR NATION’S
Nob Hill 7am – 10pm M – Sa, 8am – 10pm Su 3500 Central SE, ABQ, NM 87106 505-265-4631
FOOD
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
ENJOY OUR DIVERSITY.
Santa Fe 7am – 10pm M – Su 913 West Alameda, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-984-2852 Grab n’ Go 8am – 6pm M – F, 11am – 4pm Sa UNM Bookstore, 2301 Central SW, ABQ, NM 87131 505-277-9586 Westside 7am – 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
TAKE A CROSS COUNTRY
FOODIE TOUR BY AMYLEE UDELL t's so easy to dwell on all that's wrong with the USA—our soil is polluted, our food is unhealthy, our healthcare is inadequate, our education system failing. Ask anyone for a list of ills and they'll have one. But around the time we celebrate our birthday as a nation, I like to celebrate the positive in our nation.
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Administration Offices 9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107 505-217-2001 Administrative Staff: 217-2001 TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP) • Interim General Manager/Bob Tero 217-2028 bobt@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 Store Team Leaders: • Valerie Smith/Nob Hill 265-4631 valeries@lamontanita.coop • John Mullé/Rio Grande 242-8800 jm@lamontanita.coop • William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanita.coop • John Philpott/Gallup 575-863-5383 john.philpott@lamontanita.coop • Joe Phy/Westside 505-503-2550 josephp@lamontanita.coop
Regional foods are definitely something to celebrate! Regional foods are an engaging and tasty way to enliven a history lesson. Studying the Revolutionary or Civil Wars? Find out what those soldiers ate. Learning about Native American cultures of the Northwest? Find out what they ate. Interested in the pioneers and wagon trails? Serve up some grub. Your own family has a food history that tells your story. Perhaps yours includes pasta or corned beef. Mine includes char siu bao, saimin, biscuits and gravy—mmmmm, what a meal! Food lessons also teach us a lot about science. Maryland crab vs Louisiana crab—what's the difference? How does an Alaskan salmon get to my plate? How many kinds of peanuts grow in Georgia? What makes sourdough sour? Learning about local foods teaches us about the native peoples who first made use of the area's natural resources, the immigrant groups that settled in an area, the local ecology and the area's industry. So much is "captured" in how people eat. Here are some foods to consider adding to your table. This list does not include all US states and lists only one or two regional items. There are many more for each region, of course. I choose dishes that could be made with readily available ingredients and that are not too taxing on your time and wallet.
ABQ OLD SCHOOL CLASSES IN FRUGAL,
Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanita.coop • President: Ariana Marchello • Secretary: Marshall Kovitz • Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn • James Esqueda • Jessica Rowland • Rosemary Romero • Tracy Sprouls • Tammy Parker
TADITIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING
O
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 • Editorial Intern: Katherine Mullé • Printing: Vanguard Press 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 ©2015 La Montañita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.
Having lived in Memphis for a few years, I avoided BBQ. Even though it is a regional specialty! I don't want to anger anyone from Memphis, Kansas City, Texas or the Carolinas. Take your family on a cross country food tour and consider adding a few of these regional favorites to your menu.
CO-OP
YOU OWN IT
ld School is a hub of experts happily sharing their userfriendly skills to further the revolution of sustainable and frugal living. Until now, these awesome resources in Albuquerque have had a loose network of independent workshops and classes. Now, these experts and offerings are under one roof, making Old School the place to find the skills you want to learn. Classes are intentionally priced to make them affordable for families in need of these skills. Low-cost, safe childcare is available in order to open opportunities for folks otherwise unable to attend classes. Our financial model is simple. If there are funds left over after paying for rent, supplies, and teacher pay, at least 10 percent is donated to a charity. The remainder is returned to the teachers and administrators to keep the school running. JULY 11-CANNING FOR BEGINNERS 9AM-1PM. Canning is all about preserving the abundance around us, capturing favorite flavors, creating community with friends and family (sharing the labor and the preserved food) and the convenience and pride of having your own quality food, put up for future use. We will go over the basics: formulas and guidelines for hot water bath canning. For more information, to teach a class or to register for one go to abqoldschool.com/classes/.
• Alabama- fried green tomatoes. • Alaska or Washington - salmon. And berries for dessert! • California, northern - mission burrito. Make your burrito HUGE and add rice. • California, southern - fish tacos. • Georgia - seafood boil. Very easy and fun, especially outdoors! Boil up potatoes, sausage, corn, crab, shrimp and your other favorite shellfish with seafood seasoning. Drain and pour it all on a newspaper covered picnic table. • Hawaii - spam misubi and LOCO MOCO. Also very easy. Stack slices of spam on rice and wrap in seaweed. For LOCO MOCO, dish up white rice, a beef patty, a sunny-side up egg and gravy. Very hearty. • Illinois/Chicago - deep dish pizza. • Louisiana - gumbo. I might get flogged, but I make mine in the crockpot for extra ease. Wash down with chicory coffee. • Maryland - crab cakes. • Massachusetts - Boston baked beans and brown bread. For extra kid appeal, have them help you bake it—in a can! • New England - Chowdah. Any kind of seafood chowdah. • New Mexico - Green chile is a given. How about trying dishes with the Three Sisters of corn, beans and squash. You can still add the chile! • Ohio - Cincinnati chili. This was a huge hit with my kids, though I'm not really sure why. Serve ground beef chili on spaghetti noodles. Top with cheddar cheese and raw onions. • South Carolina - shrimp and grits. Very, very fast and easy. And yummy. • "The South" - fried chicken and mustard greens. Every two years, when traveling in the deep south, I order fried chicken. It's just not the same anywhere else. • Vermont - maple syrup. On anything, really! • Wisconsin - grilled cheese using different cheeses from the cheese state.
ROUTE 66 SUMMERFEST! JULY 18, 2-10:30PM On Central Avenue from Girard to Washington Ave, in Albuquerque. The City of Albuquerque, Nob Hill Main Street, and the New Mexico Jazz Festival invite you to the annual Route 66 Summerfest! This mile-long stretch of free fun located on Central Ave. in historic Nob Hill will feature 25 music artists including national headliner Roomful of Blues. Shop with great local vendors and artists in the Mother Road Market! Have a blast at the free kids' activities and walk the Old Route 66 Car Show.
HUNGRY? The Nob Hill Co-op location is situated smack dab in the middle of the mile long Summerfest route. Stop in for a cold drink and great food.
SANTA FE CO-OP
JULY 4 BBQ $7 gets you a juicy grilled burger, chips and a drink. Choose from beef, turkey or veggie burgers and hot dogs too! The profits from the BBQ will go to Rural Disabled Assistance Foundation, a local non-profit that assists individuals who have medical conditions exacerbated by environmental pollution, are seriously disabled, unable to work and have basic living expenses that exceed their income. Enjoy music by SWING SOLEIL, an all-acoustic swing-jazz manouche band.
11AM2 PM
DONATE THE DIME
July 2015 3
JULY’S DONATE A DIME ORGANIZATION:
ALBUQUERQUE CENTER FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE BY SUE SCHUURMAN, OUTREACH COORDINATOR ACPJ ounded in 1983, the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice‘s (ACPJ) initial focus was disarmament and peaceful economic conversion, which was defined as work that reflects our location in a state controlled economically by the war industry since the 1940s. ACPJ strives to create a world where our collective needs are met sustainably and nonviolently. We value the interconnectedness of all life. We emphasize cooperation and respect for diversity. We are committed to nonviolent conflict resolution and to working for peace within ourselves, our community, and our world.
Striving for a world where our COLLECTIVE NEEDS ARE MET SUSTAINABLY. We are committed to non-violent conflict resolution and peace within ourselves, our community and our world.
The ACPJ provides space for organizations and individuals working on peace and justice issues to network with one another, share information and learn from each other's work. Throughout the years, our work broadened to include Central American solidarity (e.g., the Sanctuary Movement) and the Peace Education project, which worked with educators on multiculturalism, “Rethinking Columbus,” and nonviolence. In the 1990s ACPJ organized peaceful resistance to unjust U.S. policies, including the 1991 Gulf War and the opening of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)—a nuclear weapons waste dump in Southeast New Mexico.
affordable space and/or our publicity capacities. These groups are working on such issues as immigration justice, the jet fuel spill, the Mixed Waste Landfill, WIPP, climate change, a justice-based peace in the Middle East, the war machine, and many other issues. For a complete list of our member groups, go to our website, abqpeaceandjustice.org. We hold monthly potlucks for organizations to come together to share information and network.
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With the controversial election of 2000 and then the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, the activity at the Center greatly increased. ACPJ became and continues to be a gathering place for the community to exchange ideas and to collaborate with one another. In 2009, staff began to mentor young people through service learning projects and internships available to high school and college students. In addition to this important outreach, ACPJ continues to support and implement projects for overcoming challenges to peace and justice. PEACEFUL PROJECTS ACPJ hosts a social justice calendar on our website, abqpeaceandjustic.org and publishes a digital and hard copy monthly newsletter with an event calendar and short articles. We publicize social justice events on KUNM on the Grassroots New Mexico radio calendar, aired weekly on Wednesdays at 3:55pm on 89.9 FM and have a social justice book and video library and rotating art exhibits. Our weekly Peace Cafe on Thursdays from noon to 3pm offers coffee, snacks, and community-building conversations. A weekly Food Distribution project takes place in the parking lot on Saturday mornings in collaboration with Trinity House Catholic Worker to help feed people in need. We continue to make our building more energy efficient as part of our Sustainable Retrofit project. We offer ongoing classes and study groups on Nonviolent Communication and conflict resolution service. PAJOLA—PEACE AND JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS LINKING ARMS Approximately 50 grassroots groups working on social justice are members of the Peace Center and use our
HOW MONEY WILL BE USED The Peace Center has had a long relationship with La Montañita Co-op. For many years, the Co-op has generously donated Blue Sky sodas for our Holiday Gala and other fundraisers. P&J also has tabled at the annual Celebrate the Earth Festival. P&J is deeply grateful to the Co-op for their decades of support, and for this opportunity to be the Donate a Dime organization of the month. The money raised will be used to support the work of the ACPJ, including supporting our PAJOLA groups with meeting and event space, publicizing social justice events in our newsletter, website calendar and on the Grassroots New Mexico radio program, and general support as a hub for social justice organizing in Albuquerque. As nonprofits struggle to keep their doors open, such support from the Co-op is critical to our continued ability to serve the community. MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS KEEP THE CENTER STRONG The Peace Center relies on our members to keep us financially sustainable. Everyone who supports our mission is invited to become a member! Membership for individuals is $40 per year. For students/low-income, it is only $15 per year. Payment can be made in person, via mail, or online at abqpeaceandjustice.org. Thank you for your ongoing support! There are several ways to get involved with the Peace Center as a volunteer. We need folks to staff the front desk, answering phones, greeting people, and giving out information; for tabling at events; serving on various committees such as Outreach, Membership, Fundraising, Newsletter Mailing; and others. Stop by to fill out a Volunteer Application. We are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Member groups also hold meetings and events evenings and weekends, but the office is closed during those times.
for more
info
FOR MORE INFORMATION
La Montañita Co-op will still be crediting you 10 cents for each reusable cloth bag that you bring. You may still donate the dime to our Bag Credit Organization of the Month or take it off your check out total each time you bring a bag!
CO-OP PROGRAM
DONATE your BAG CREDIT!
THIS MONTH YOUR DONATE A DIME DONATIONS GO TO: Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice: Committed to nonviolent conflict resolution and to working for peace within ourselves, our community, and our world. Your MAY Bag Credit Donations of $2,667.21 were given to the Many Mothers of Santa Fe. THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED!
Alamed a Blvd. Coors Blvd.
ON JUNE 28 THE 10 CENT PAPER BAG FEE WENT INTO EFFECT The amended Reusable Bag Ordinance went into effect on April 29, 2015 requiring retail stores in Santa Fe to begin charging a 10-cent fee for every paper bag provided to customers. The ordinance is intended to encourage the use of reusable shopping bags. This fee will not be charged for paper bags you bring in to reuse. This fee will not be charged to any person using WIC, EBT, TEFAP, and TANF.
WESTSIDE 3601 Old Airport Ave. NW 505-503-2550
COOP
DON’T FORGET YOUR BAGS
The Albuquerque Center for Peace & Justice is located at 202 Harvard SE, Albuquerque. Phone number: 505-268-9557. Contact Outreach Coordinator Susan Schuurman at abqpeaceandjusticecenter@gmail.com. Website: abqpeaceandjustice.org. To submit an event for our monthly newsletter, email monthlycalendar @abqpeaceandjustice.org. To submit an event for our website calendar, email web@abqpeaceandjustice.org.
Old A irport Ave.
SANTA FE BAG ORDINANCE IN EFFECT NOW !
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 Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5 Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.
AGUA ES VIDA GLOBAL WEIRDING:
July 2015 4
ON SWALES AND SPONGES
PERMACULTURE TO THE RESCUE
EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, it has been raining more this season than it has for a good of number years. The severity of the drought thanks to this turn of weather has, thankfully, been reduced. But we need to remember that this is still a desert; rain is generally a much-appreciated blessing whenever it comes. But given the effects of climate change with its increasing severity of storm events, taking steps to harvest the rain for later use and reduce the effects of flooding is a top-of-the-list action in our high desert environment, especially as we think about conserving and restoring our stores of this precious resource. BY JR RIEGEL
CLIMATE
change is a complex phenomenon that is leading to much more than just increased average temperatures. It is causing a global weirding of weather patterns, leading to more and more unpredictable extreme weather patterns. If we’re to weather this storm of changes, we must each try and improve the resiliency of the land on which we depend. This year has seen much more rain than most people were expecting, and while it’s been wonderful so far, it could be quite the problem if it keeps up into monsoon season. As nice as more rain would be, we need to be prepared for extreme flooding like we experienced in 2013.
For large swaths of land, carbon ranching is an invaluable technique to improve soil’s water infiltration and holding capacity. For more on that, check out the articles by Courtney White in the March and May issues of the Co-op Connection News (www.lamontanita.coop/connection). On smaller plots of land such as lawns or home gardens, techniques from the world of permaculture offer the best options for flood defense. Coming from a perspective that acknowledges and works in harmony with the power of natural forces, permaculture practices can make a world of difference in how your yard handles a sudden influx of water. The principal permaculture concept to keep in mind when considering flooding is to stop, spread, sink, and shade incoming water. A great deal of the damage from floods comes from the speed at which water runs across a landscape, so slowing or stopping the water is of utmost importance. You don’t want your lawn to just give floodwater a brief rest though—once it’s stopped, it needs to be spread around so that no single spot is inundated with water. Once it’s been spread, it needs to be able to
WHY HARVEST
ainwater harvesting is an ancient technique enjoying a revival in popularity due to the inherent quality of rainwater and interest in reducing consumption of treated water. Rainwater valued for its purity and softness has a nearly neutral pH, and is free from disinfectants, salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants. Plants thrive under irrigation with stored rainwater. Appliances last longer when free from the corrosive or scale effects of hard water. Users with potable systems prefer the superior taste and cleansing properties of rainwater.
Desert TEACHING GARDEN Oasis HANDS ON teaching garden
CISTERN INSTALLATION WORKSHOP
SAT. AUGUST 1 8:30am-3pm
Advantages and benefits of rainwater harvesting are numerous and include: • The water is free; the only cost is for collection and use.
JIM BROOKS and crew will lead a workshop on cistern installation and rainwater collections systems at the Desert Oasis Teaching Gardens at Albuquerque Academy. There will be abundant opportunity for hands-on work and questions. Bring your cistern questions for group problem solving of a variety of rainwater collection issues. Bring a notebook, camera/phone, water bottle, snack, and gloves. Wear sunhat, work clothes and outdoor shoes. Registration is limited and fee includes lunch. Pre-payment is required to hold your spot. Please email Tiana Baca at the DOT Garden: bacat@aa.edu. Weather date: August 8.
AND
SINK If we’re to weather this STORM OF CHANGES, we must each try and improve the RESILIENCY OF THE LAND on which we DEPEND.
Swales do a great job of capturing water and letting it seep into the soil, but in a lot of New Mexico soils, this water won’t stay for very long. This is where sponges come in. By filling in patches of the land with materials high in carbon, you can create a large underground sponge that acts like a reservoir for the surrounding soils. Things like newspaper, straw, documents, tree branches, and cardboard will soak up and hold onto a lot of water as they decompose over a long period of time. This water can then be pulled into surrounding soils by capillary action, providing water for plants long after it’s dried up or drained out of other soils. If you have a large patch of plants you’d like to make a sponge for, you can create a line of sponge material along the land’s contour much as you would a swale.
Archeological evidence attests to the capture of rainwater as far back as 4,000 years ago, and the concept of rainwater harvesting in China may date back 6,000 years. Ruins of cisterns built as early as 2000 B.C. for storing runoff from hillsides for agricultural and domestic purposes are still standing in Israel (Gould and Nissen-Petersen, 1999).
By Tiana Baca, DOT Garden Manager
SPREAD
Fortunately, it’s not as tough to accomplish all this as it may sound—it just takes a bit of thought, planning, and digging. The key to all of this is the layout and topography of your land. Once you have an understanding of where water currently enters and exits your yard, you can get your hands dirty by adding some swales and sponges. Swales are long depressions in the ground that give incoming water a place to stop. It is important that they follow the contour of your land so that the low point of the swale is as level as possible; otherwise, you’ll just be making a drainage ditch that water will run right through. The rainwater should fill up the length of the swale, and as it sits there it will have time to sink into the soil. The high point on the downhill side of the swale is an ideal place to plant trees, shrubs, and any other perennials. They’ll get more water than your other plants, and they’ll help stabilize the swale over time.
RAINWATER
REPRINTED FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WATER MANUAL Go to www.twdb.state.tx.us for the complete manual.
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sink into the ground to make room for more incoming water. After the flood has ceased, shade over the soil helps to regulate the release of the newly-captured water, converting a potentially damaging deluge into a lasting support system for both your plants and the Rio Grande. This is a much better and more sustainable outcome than you’d get by simply making a ditch or a berm to push your floodwater along for someone else to deal with.
Like swales, sponges should be placed uphill from the plants you want to channel more water to. You should avoid planting right next to sponges unless the plant is particularly waterloving, as otherwise the excess moisture could possibly cause root rot. Additionally, you’ll want to avoid putting either swales or sponges within 10 feet uphill of any heavy structures, like homes or sheds. To dig a functioning swale, you just need to go deeper than the surrounding land to create a basin. However, the deeper you make it, the more water you’ll catch and the more effectively you’ll prevent floodwater damage. When digging a place for a sponge, you’ll want to go at least 12” to 18” down to have plenty of room for water storage. Mulch is a great material to top off sponges with, but rocks or straw can work well too. To learn more about water flow as it relates to permaculture, or if you want to combat flooding on concrete surfaces, check out the great overview at www.bit.ly/waterFD. For a crash course in permaculture practices across a variety of climates, www.bit.ly/permaguide is a nice resource. To really dig deep into permaculture, Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway is an excellent place to start.
• The end use of harvested water is located close to the source, eliminating the need for complex and costly distribution systems. • Rainwater provides a water source when groundwater is unacceptable or unavailable, or it can augment limited groundwater supplies. • The zero hardness of rainwater helps prevent scale on appliances, extending their use. • Rainwater is superior for landscape irrigation. • Rainwater harvesting reduces flow to storm water drains and also reduces non-point source pollution. • Rainwater harvesting helps reduce the summer demand peak and conserves precious ground and surface supplies. • Rainwater harvesting can reduce your utility bills. Rainwater harvesting includes land-based systems with man-made landscape features to channel and concentrate rainwater in either storage basins like cisterns or planted areas.
THE 8 RAINWATER HARVESTING PRINCIPLES BRAD LANCASTER, WWW.HARVESTINGRAINWATER.COM 1. Begin with long and thoughtful observation—see where the water flows and how. What is working, what is not? Build on what works. 2. Start at the top—or high point—of your watershed and work your way down—water travels downhill. Start at the top where there is less volume and velocity. 3. Start small and simple—Work at the human scale so you can build and repair everything. One thousand small strategies are far more effective than one big one when you are trying to infiltrate water into the soil. 4. Spread and infiltrate the flow of water— Encourage it to stick around, walk around, and infiltrate INTO the soil.
5. Always plan for an overflow route, and manage that overflow water as a resource— always have an overflow for the water in times of extra-heavy rains, and use that overflow as a resource. 6. Maximize living, organic groundcover— Create a living sponge so the harvested water is used to create more resources, while the soil’s ability to infiltrate and hold water steadily improves. 7. Maximize beneficial relationships and efficiency by “stacking functions.” Get your waterharvesting strategies to do more than hold water. Berms or swales can double as high and dry raised paths. Plantings can be placed to cool buildings. Trees can be selected to provide food. 8. Continually reassess your system: the “feedback loop”—learn from your work—begin again with the first principle.
GREAT GRILLING
July 2015 5 antibiotics, no growth hormones, and no food that’s had pesticides on or in it.
KYZER FARM
NEW MEXICO PORK HAND-RAISED AND HEALTHY “We were born to raise animals—we care for them and they care for us.” -Robert and Pauline Kyzer
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f you’re considering expanding your summer BBQ menu beyond the classic beef burger, pork from Kyzer Farm is a must-try. The Kyzer family has been raising livestock in New Mexico since 1970, and heirloom pigs since 1997. Their exceptionally flavorful meat comes from raising animals in an old-world style. Kyzer Farm hogs are fed a vegetarian diet, and you can taste the difference. KYZER FARM PRACTICES The Kyzer family strives to raise their pigs as naturally and cleanly as possible. Their pigs are never grazed on chemically-sprayed land, are never given hormones or antibiotics, and the Kyzer’s go above and beyond to make their pigs’ lives stress-free and happy. These heirloom breeds are grain-fed, sup-
plemented with local vegetables and, occasionally, whey. They grow as much alfalfa as they can to feed them from their own land, and what they can’t grow themselves they try to source as locally and organically as possible. They never use any animal byproducts in the feeding of their pigs. Unlike industrial farms, which use only a handful of breeds, Kyzer Farm raises heritage hogs, crossbreeding Yorkshires and Berkshires. They believe that preserving heritage breeds is important; without adequate variation in the genetic pool, any new illness or radical change in climate could wipe out whole breeds. Stress and change are the biggest factors in determining a pig’s well-being. Kyzer Farm animals stay on the farm from birth to market, and the Kyzer’s see them every day. This familiarity fosters a gentle, contented animal. Kyzer Farm has a large 80’x120’ area for their pigs to roam freely with three feeders and a variety of toys. To make sure there’s plenty of room, they only have about a third of the pen’s capacity filled at any given time. They don’t truck their animals around, and they let their pigs socialize freely as they please. Because the farm maintains a stress-free environment, their pigs never have the problems that conventional pig farmers respond to with antibiotics and hormones. The Kyzers are committed to using no
Why Buy Kyzer Farm New Mexico Pork? • Exceptional mouth-watering flavor, texture and juiciness • Natural, solid meat with no shrinkage due to hormones and chemicals when cooked • From humanely-raised animals fed locally-sourced grains and vegetables • 100% traceable and source-verified • Good source of protein (50%), iron (15%), B12 (70%), and zinc (30%) The Co-op is most pleased to have developed a strong relationship with Kyzer Farm, carrying their products through the Distribution Center. La Montañita’s staff has also helped the farm by creating their website and marketing materials, helping them to continue growing and expanding their reach throughout the state. Robert and Pauline say, “We love that we’ve become a household name for pork in New Mexico… We’re happy to discuss our practices with anyone interested; we have nothing to hide and everything to gain from showing folks just how much we care about our pigs.” Check out their website at www.kyzerfarm.com for their contact information, and keep them in mind when considering your BBQ menu! With your continued support for pork from pigs raised happily in New Mexico, Kyzer Farm will be able to grow and offer fresher, cleaner, and more natural meat to our whole community.
KYZER FARM’S EXCEPTIONALLY FLAVORFUL PORK comes from raising their animals in a humane, STRESSFREE ENVIRONMENT.
SWEET GRASS
BEEF COOPERATIVE:
GRASS-FED, GRASS-FINISHED, HUMANE AND HEALTHY BY ROBIN SEYDEL t’s BBQ season and the smell of food on the grill regularly wafts though many a neighborhood. Choosing grass-fed beef adds to the pleasure—in flavor, health benefits and environmental restoration. Raising animals on grass grows meat that is dramatically different from the meat that is produced in the conventional factory farm. Virtually all meat, eggs and dairy products sold in the average supermarket and in most restaurants, especially those fast food joints (although now even some of these are utilizing grass-fed beef), come from animals raised in the cages of large Confined Animal Feeding Operations.
The Sweet Grass Cooperative website points out that grass- fed and finished beef has: 1. less fat than grain-fed beef and is comparable in fat content to a skinless chicken breast (with less cholesterol than chicken per ounce); 2. fewer calories per ounce of meat; 3. more Omega-3 fatty acids (which originate in green plants and have been shown to have numerous health benefits); 4. a healthy balance of essential fatty acids (ratio of omega6 to omega-3 fatty acids); 5. higher amounts of the good fat: Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA); and 6. higher amounts of vitamin E, folic acid and beta-carotene
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Co-ops Benefit Producers Clint is one of approximately a dozen ranchers growing grass to grow beef as part of the Sweet Grass Co-operative. These ranchers “have a passion for ranching in the western tradition of family-owned ranches and a passion for the land, for the animals, and for the well-being of their families and their communities.” Many of Sweet Grass Co-op ranches are organically certified and all humanely raise grass-fed animals that are never confined in feed lots.
Since the 1990s, a growing number of ranchers, like Clint Hoss of Piojo Ranch, in the Watrous Valley on the Mora River, have made the choice to provide grass for their cows, utilizing restorative grazing practices and not treating their livestock with hormones or feeding them growth- promoting additives. Many of you met Clint and visited his ranch last month as part of the Holistic Management International Open Fence Day. At that Piojo Ranch event we got to see firsthand how environmental ranchers like Clint are producing great beef, restoring the landscape and sequestering carbon in the soil to mitigate climate change in what is becoming known as “carbon ranching.”
Sweet Grass Co-op cattle graze in lush, grass-land pastures under a management-intensive grazing system that has been perfected by their ranchers. This means the pasture lands are managed to ensure high-quality grasses and the cattle are rotated between pasturelands to ensure a high-quality grass diet at all times.
Beyond the many health and environmental benefits of grass-fed beef, these forward-looking ranchers are also participating in a traditional agricultural marketing cooperative to help one another market this high quality beef. In our co-op to co-op support, La Montañita’s Distribution Center is honored to be the major distributor for Sweet Grass Co-op beef throughout New Mexico.
For years the livestock industry told us that “corn-fed” or “grain-fed” animals were best; in reality, grain is a more concentrated form of energy than grass and provides more starch and calories resulting in fattier animals.
When you think of grilling, think grass-fed, grass-finished, healthful beef and look for Sweet Grass Cooperative beef at your favorite Co-op store. Please ask staff for special cuts or special orders of larger quantities for your summer parties.
VEGAN GRILLING FRESH, FAIR, LOCAL SUMMER PRODUCE ON THE GRILL! It’s summertime and the temperatures have climbed so it’s the perfect time to cook outside. Just in case you think grilling is only for meat, here are some handy tips on grilled fruit and vegetables. Your vegetarian friends can enjoy the grill too! Whether you decide to marinate or not, the natural flavors of the produce are enhanced by grilling. If you do want to use some enhancements try to keep it simple to let the flavors of the produce shine through; try olive oil, salt and pepper for great vegetables, or a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon or lemon juice for fruit! Grilling Fruit Fruit is high in sugar and grilling brings out its wonderful sweet flavor. Select fruits that are not overripe as they become too soft when grilled. Hard fruit such as apples, pineapples
and pears are easier to grill than softer fruits such as peaches, nectarines, plums, and papaya. Softer fruit only needs to be heated, not cooked; overcooking will cause the fruit to become mushy. Fruit is best grilled when the coals have begun to die out or placed on the outer edges of the grate. If placing fruit directly on the grill rack, cut the fruit into pieces that are large so that they don’t fall through the grates or use skewers. Fruits, specially soft fruit, can be grilled with skins on to help maintain their shape, holding them together as they are being grilled. A Word of Caution: Many fruits contain a high amount of water which will increase the internal temperature and make the fruit extremely hot when cooked. Allow the fruit to cool slightly to avoid burning your lips or mouth.
Grilling Vegetables The flavors of vegetables intensify when grilled as its moisture evaporates, concentrating the flavor, condensing the sugars, and increaseing flavor and sweetness. When choosing vegetables for the grill, select firmer vegetables, such as asparagus, corn, bell peppers, new potatoes, zucchini or summer squash. Depending on the vegetable, either cut it into pieces or grill whole. Some vegetables, such as winter squash, can be precooked or leave them on a little longer than the more delicate vegetables. Vegetables should be grilled over a medium heat. The length of cooking time will vary depending on the type of vegetable and how it has been prepared. Generally it takes about 10 minutes or less for most vegetables to cook. Soak vegetables in cold water to prevent vegetables from drying out and brush on butter or olive oil to prevent them from sticking to the grates. The vegetables must be dry before applying oil or the oil will not stick. Cut vegetables into uniform size pieces, so they will cook evenly. Larger and thicker pieces take longer time to grill. Seasoning the vegetables with a coarse salt before grilling will draw out extra moisture from the vegetables, intensifying their sweetness and flavor. Turn the vegetables over frequently to avoid burning.
CO-OP NEWS
July 2015 6
OUTDOOR SAFETY
You can add things to your water like Emergen-C electrolyte packets or Hylands Bioplasma Cell Salt Tablets that can also be dissolved under the tongue. The Bioplasma can additionally help with mild air-born plant allergies.
OUT ON THE TRAIL -
THE CO OP HAS THE SUPPLIES YOU NEED!
OUTDOOR
JOY
BY KATHERINE TALAVERA, WESTSIDE HBA PURCHASER here are many things that come to mind when planning a day out on the trail, some more essential than others. Several of these essentials can be purchased at your La Montañita Co-op Wellness Department. Here are some great ideas that you will find can add to the success of your next hiking adventure.
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There are lots of sunscreens and bug repellents out there. The Coop has some that are healthy and non-toxic! This month selected Badger Products are on sale; check with your local Co-op location. These are some of the finest we offer and are certified organic. Badger Balm Sweat Proof SPF 30 Sunscreen is a great go-to, however, we also have stronger ones like 50 SPF available as well. Badger Balm 100% Natural & Certified Organic Bug Repellent or if you prefer, Badger also has a 34 SPF anti Bug sunscreen. Also try Alba’s Very Emollient Sunscreen Lip Balm with 25 SPF.
Did you get some cuts and scrapes as you bushwhacked through a thicket? An all-purpose healing salve like the New Mexico- made products from the Super Salve company can help with cuts, scrapes, bug bites and skin irritations caused by brushing against plants that might give a mild allergic reaction. Of course remember: NEVER scratch these irritations because they will spread if they are poisonous. The Dessert Essence Tea Tree Blemish Roll-On is handy too, as it has many of the same uses and is antiseptic thanks to the Tea Tree Oil. It’s a good idea to keep tweezers and bandages in your backpack kit as they often come in handy. STAY HYDRATED: Make sure that you stay hydrated; it will help keep a clear cool head on the trail and aid in avoiding mishaps. You can do that in comfort and style with many water bottle options. My favorite is the Eco Vessel metal canteen that keeps your beverage cool for up to 36 Hours and hot up to 6. They are on sale right now at the Westside location.
If you are taking along a small meal, we also have Eco Vessel Smash Boxes available. These lightweight containers have dividers for a small meal and smash down to almost nothing to be returned into your pack when empty. There are also snacksize smash boxes available for things like nuts and trail mixes; a great assortment of which can be purchased economically from our Bulk department. We also have great Meal Bars like PRO BAR’s Meal Bars or local Taos Mountain Energy Bars (on sale through July). Keep your feet dry and comfy with some cushioned, wicking, 100% organic socks like Maggies Organics hiking socks. Also add a stylish widebrimmed hat or one that has long flaps to cover the back of your neck like the ones we carry. They are excellent sun protection with UPF of 50+ and block 98%+ of UVA & UVB solar rays. Pick up these and many more organic and healthy trail essentials on your next visit to the Co-op. And enjoy your time out on the trail.
TIPS FOR A FUN HIKE!
It also prevents nerve cells from making more pain signal cells for 8 hours. Now is the time to use your bottle of sunflower or olive oil that has cayenne or red chili in it and massage gently into the affected area. Use gloves or be sure and wash your hands after applying so you don’t unthinkingly touch your eyes or mucus membranes. Also our good old friend, apple cider vinegar can help as part of the cold/wet compress treatment.
FIRST AID ON THE TRAIL
SPRAINS
BY JESSIE EMERSON he 4th of July: parades, picnics, fireworks and sparklers—the celebration of the founding of a country and Democracy! When you are celebrating at picnics, BBQ’s and get-togethers be prepared for emergencies. Volleyball games, touch footballs, hide and seek, and “touch” you’re “it” can often lead to sprains.
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Ankle sprains are the most common injuries in America today. Without proper treatment one could face life-long, chronic foot and ankle problems. A sprain occurs when you twist, turn or roll your foot beyond its normal range. The ligaments are over stretched and may tear. Symptoms are: burning, tenderness, swelling, difficulty walking and pain. For simple sprains, without bone-crunching breaks, cracks or deformities, remember “R.I.C.E.”
R- Rest: take weight off ankle. I- Ice: do this immediately to keep swelling down. Wrap ice in a towel or washcloth before applying to injured area. No ice? Use a cold water compress. Do this for 15 minutes, 4 times a day. If you have diabetes or have nerve or muscle damage, remove after 10 minutes. C- Compression: use an elastic wrap. This supports the ankle and helps relieve swelling. Do not wrap too tightly or sleep with it on. E- Elevate: raise the foot to a level above your heart. Kick back, mellow out and let the healing begin. Some herbal additions can help. Add some cayenne or red chili powder to the cold water compress. Cayenne blocks the pain signals that come from the nerves just under the skin.
Hopefully your kitchen (if not your picnic supplies) includes chamomile tea to help relax the person with the sprain. Ginger tea and green tea have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce swelling and bruising. Although this isn’t a kitchen item, arnica salve and homeopathic pills will help reduce swelling that causes pressure on nerves and pain. If the sprain doesn’t improve after 72 hours of home treatment, seek a medical professional. If you have osteoporosis, diabetes, nerve damage, or are taking blood thinners (that includes “baby aspirin”) don’t wait 72 hours; seek medical assistance immediately. The most important therapy? REST. And while you are resting, think about our freedoms, The Bill or Rights and our Constitution and have a happy holiday and a great July!
EASY TO PACK FIRST AID
HOMEOPATHICS
• Nelsons Sting Gel—A topical remedy for bug bites, relieves itching and swelling.
BY JENNIFER QUINN, NOB HILL HEALTH AND BEAUTY DEPARTMENT PURCHASER eed some easy-to-carry first aid for your summer adventures? Homepathics are light and easy to pack in and pack out. They can cover a wide variety of on-the-trail first aid needs, from sprains to bug bites and more. Below are a few of my “don’t leave home without them” favorites and their uses.
• Tilvee Calendula and Comfrey salve—A superb everything balm—helps relieve itching from insect bites, sunburn, rashes, and dry, itchy skin.
• Hyland's Arnica 6x homeopathic—Great for falls, scrapes, bumps and bruises, big and small, it is antiinflammatory and a great pain remedy.
• Zinc Oxide—coral reef safe and goes on clear—on sale for $10.99 for 3oz and also comes in a convenient .6oz sunstick. This is my favorite sunscreen as it is petroleum-free, GMO-free, gluten-free, vegan, non-nano and is biodegradable!
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• Traumeel gel—Wonderful topical homeopathic for muscle strains, sprains, backache, pulled muscles, and bruises. This amazing preparation takes away pain fairly quickly, too. • Boiron Apis Mellifica 30c—For insect swellings, allergic reactions to insect bites.
• Aloelife Aloe Skin gel—Awesome sunburn relief. • Boiron Calendula Gel—Great topical to soothe irritated, sunburned and chapped skin. • All Good Sunscreen—by Elemental Herbs for adults and for kids is a chemical free sunscreen with chamomile and calendula, SPF 33.
Have questions or need something special for your first aid kit? Come to any one of our Co-op locations and let us help you put together a pack it in, pack it out kit specialized for your individual needs.
You can find a wide variety of WELLNESS PRODUCTS at all our CO-OP STORES and don’t hesitate to ask our knowledgeable staff for help finding just what YOU NEED!
CO-OP NEWS
July 2015 7
LOOK for Veteran Farmer Project produce at Albuquerque Co-op locations and at the VA Growers Market.
VETERAN FARMER
PROJECT
July Calendar
of Events 7/4
BBQ at the Santa Fe Co-op! See page 2
7/21 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm
C E L E B R AT E T H E BOUNTY OF
7/27 Member Engagement Committee DON’T FORGET TO USE YOUR MEMBER SURVEY BOUNCE BACK COUPON THIS MONTH!
SUMMER
HOORAY! Our new hoop house is coming together for fall production. The summer harvest has begun!
GENERAL MANAGER’S
CO-OPS: A Solution-Based System A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
COLUMN
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
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his has been my first full month as the Interim General Manager, and while I am still learning the required duties we have made some good progress in addressing a variety of important topics. We have known for some time that our dedicated two-person Information Technology (IT) Team was not enough person power for our organizational needs with six locations and a warehouse. In order for us to move into the future and fully utilize the investment we have made in our new point of sale system time and resources will have to be budgeted to grow a more sophisticated use of our technology. Some of the immediate areas we are going to address include:
work on the aforementioned projects and many more as we move forward.
electronic invoice management, which provides efficiencies for staff and a more eco-friendly way to do our accounts receivables and payables; coordinating IT with the Human Resource Department (HR); and developing systems for store staff in the area of business intelligence reporting. To do this we will be adding a third member to the IT team with the title of “IT Help Desk Technician.” This position’s primary responsibilities will be to provide everyday basic IT support to all our locations. This will allow our other two IT team members David Varela and Zac Sanasac to
ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION AND SUNSCREENS SAFE FUN IN THE
SUN BY KATHERINE MULLÉ f you saw my article in the May Co-op Connection on endocrine disruption or have researched the topic yourself, you’ll know that using products with unknown ingredients can be scary stuff. As summer goes on it’s more important than ever to be aware of the good and the bad of sunscreens, the ultimate summer body care essential.
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Although enjoying some sunshine is important for absorbing vitamin D, getting too much is never a good idea as anyone who has experienced a summer sunburn knows. Most experts agree that 20 minutes of sun exposure without protection is the maximum we should get per day. If we want to stay out after that, it’s important to take precautionary measures; wearing light clothing layers, finding (or making) shade, wearing sunglasses and hats as essentials rather than optional fashion accessories, and avoiding the sun around midday
Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or input. I always appreciate dialogue, suggestions and feedback from our owners and shoppers. I can be reached at 505-217-2028 or at bobt@lamontanita.coop. -BOB TERO
Of these 15 chemical sunscreen ingredients, 9 are known endocrine disruptors—chemicals that interfere with the body’s normal hormone function. They most commonly disturb hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as thyroid hormones. This disturbance can cause abnormal growth in fetuses and small children, premature puberty, infertility, and can lead to cancer, especially ovarian and breast cancer in women. Dr. Perry states, “I cringe when I see women, particularly pregnant or breastfeeding women, and small children slathering that stuff on their skin.”
are all important. For times when these measures aren’t possible or just don’t cut it—like playing at the beach, swimming in the pool, or working in the garden— We all know how important sunscreen can be, quite literalSUNSCREEN is, there are an overly, a lifesaver.
Scary stuff! The good news? You don’t have to do all the research yourself, as there are great resources to whelming number of options out turn to. The Environmental Working there, and using the wrong one Group has a great informational website: While we all know how imporcan be COSTLY AND UNHEALTHY. www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen/, where tant sunscreen is, there are an you can search to see the safety rating of overwhelming number of opyour current sunscreen, find a list of the top-rated sunscreens, and tions out there, and using the wrong one can be costalso see the list of sunscreens to avoid. Popular brands like Banana ly and unhealthy. According to the Skin Cancer Boat, Coppertone, and Neutrogena, among others, made EWG’s Foundation, there are currently 17 active sunscreen “Hall of Shame,” a list reserved for the lowest-rated sunscreens, ingredients approved by the FDA. Of these 17 ingremany containing hormone disruptors such as Oxybenzone. dients, only two—zinc oxide and titanium dioxide— are mineral, or physical, sunscreens that stay on the Even though 80% of the 1,700 products researched were rated as surface of the skin to block UV light. The other 15 are unsafe, lots of good products received a safe rating. Brands like chemical sunscreens, which actually absorb UV rays. Burt’s Bees, Alba Botanical, Aubrey Organics, Jason Natural While research has shown that they do a pretty good Cosmetics, and Seventh Generation are just a few that made the job at protecting against UV rays, they can be dantop of the list, a number of which are available at the Co-op. gerous because they are absorbed into the skin. In his article “Your Sunscreen Might Be Poisoning You,” Dr. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUNSCREEN SAFETY, Arthur Perry of the University of Massachusetts visit EWG’s website: www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen/, check out the explains that these chemicals “scatter all over the Skin Cancer Foundation’s FAQs/Guide to Cancer: http:// body without being detoxified by the liver and can be bit.ly/1kG0sNt, or stop by your Co-op location to talk with detected in blood, urine, and breast milk for up to two knowledgeable Wellness Department staff. Here’s to safe fun in days after a single application. That would be just fine the sun this summer! if they were uniformly safe—but they’re not.”
$7 gets you a juicy grilled burger, chips and a drink. Choose from beef, turkey or veggie burgers and hot dogs too! The profits from the BBQ will go to Rural Disabled Assistance Foundation, a local nonprofit that assists individuals who have medical conditions exacerbated by environmental pollution, are seriously disabled, unable to work and have basic living expenses that exceed their income. Enjoy music by SWING SOLEIL, an allacoustic swing-jazz manouche band.
I want to thank our talented and hardworking staff for their help and support during this period of transition. It has gone very smoothly thanks to their ongoing dedication, expertise and professionalism. We are fortunate to be a Co-op that continues to move forward despite the realities of a highly competitive marketplace. This is in great measure also due to you, our supportive member-owners.
SANTA FE CO-OP
JULY 4 BBQ
9 APPLE CANYON
10 KINNA’S
HOLY CHIPOTLE! Raspberry Chipotle Sauce Santa Fe, New Mexico This sweet, savory, spicy sauce combines smoky chipotle peppers, soy sauce, raspberries and spices. Use as a marinade, glaze, finishing sauce or just drizzle over baked Brie or cream cheese and serve with crackers. This award winner uses only Hatch Green Chile for a truly New Mexican taste.
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Vegan Chile Paste Española, New Mexico A Laos style chile paste, the recipe has been in Kinna’s family handed down through generations. Use as a marinade for meat and fish, mix with olive oil as dipping sauce for French bread. Also try Vegan Mango Salsa or Vegan Tamarind Chile Sauce.
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Hell Hath No Fury Liquid Fire Jemez Springs, New Mexico Packaged in the central mountains, only world famous red and green chile from the Hatch and Las Cruces areas are used in all of their products. Not for the novice chile consumer!
THE BORDER Chipotle BBQ Sauce Tesuque, New Mexico This will be an award winner... just wait and see. North of the Border carries chile mixes for every kind of party from the intimate to the down and dirty, including salsas, marinades, and sauces.
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Green Chile/Red Chile Santa Fe, New Mexico Since 2009 Santa Fe Olé brings the widest selection of green chile products in New Mexico—from bright green (Hatch Valley) to dark green (Extra Roast) and then one with a little red (Late Harvest). In the middle of the pack, New Mexico’s Roasted and Extra Roasted, Original and Medium.
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Green Chile and Red Chile Sauces ABQ, New Mexico Tio Frank’s Chile Sauce is all natural and fully cooked. Every sauce is made in small batches with Hatch New Mexico chile to ensure quality and taste. Tio Frank’s is a truly authentic and delicious family recipe, straight from Emma Dean’s kitchen.
Chimicurri Argentine Meat Marinade Taos, New Mexico A freshly-made and family-owned traditional Argentinian meat marinade that is perfect for any favorite cut of meat. Use it as a marinade or just use it generously. The Patagonian Original is the family grandmother’s recipe based on a tradition from deep in the Andes of Patagonia, Argentina.
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7 GRUMPY’S
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Bold XX BBQ Sauce Thornton, Colorado Grumpy’s carries a wide range of award winning sauces—from Kansas City style to Texas style, from mild to Bold, Extra Bold and the outrageously hot Black Label with habeñero and cayenne chiles. For those of you allergic to corn, there is NO CORN in any of Grumpy’s sauces.
6 LUSTY MONK
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Original Sin Mustard ABQ, New Mexico Lusty Monk Mustards are fresh-ground, handcrafted and full of flavor and fire. Lusty Monk is a family-owned, qualityconscious company devoted to the idea that condiments should never be boring. Original Sin, Burn in Hell and Altar Boy Honey Mustard.
5 EL RANCHO DE
LOS GARCIAS Green Chile Sauce Portales, New Mexico These sauces have been handed down and perfected over the years. Each jar is filled with memories and long hours of care and preparation. Award winning Green Chile, Red Chile and Salsas from hot to mild.
More info and details can be obtained on the individual product websites.
4 NORTH OF
THE BORDER Catch Up! Tesuque, New Mexico Another take on New Mexican flavor, a little smoky, a little warm, your burgers and fries will never be the same. Try their other spices and mixes packaged in handy cellophane bags ready for any location.
3 VALLEY GURLZ
Pickled Asparagus, Spicy Green Beans ABQ, New Mexico Two cousins, one from the South Valley and the other from the North Valley hand pack every jar to maintain quality and ensure a personal touch. Local produce is used whenever possible. Add these magic beans to your Bloody Mary’s, pasta salads and curry sauces.
Name your passion— carne or vegan. Flare up either for the hottest of holidays. A FEW GRILLING TIPS Gas vs. Charcoal • Gas burns cleaner. • Charcoal tastes better giving a smokier, richer taste. • If you choose charcoal, use additive-free lump charcoal, which is just charred wood. Conventional briquettes may contain wood scraps and other additives. • With charcoal, use a chimney starter. Place crumpled paper in the bottom of the chimney, fill it with charcoal and light the paper. In about 20 minutes the coals will be ready to spread evenly in the bottom of the grill — no kindling, no lighter fluid, no harmful fumes.
Get It hot • Preheat your grill 15 to 25 minutes before you start cooking to make sure it reaches the right temperature. • 400-450° for high, 350-400° for med-high, 300-350° for medium and 250-300° for low heat. • A properly heated grill creates improved flavors through caramelization.
Keep a Clean Grill • Scrape off debris when the grill is hot immediately after use for the next time. • Oil the grill. Even on a clean grill, food may stick. Oil your hot grill rack with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) • When grilling Vegan, use more oil on the grill, as tofu and grain meats do not have as much fat and will stick. Oil your burgers and keep refrigerated until ready to grill.
Marinate (Especially Meat) • Marinating infuses food with flavor. • Inhibits potentially carcinogenic HCAs (heterocyclic amines), which form when grilling poultry, red meat and fish. • Marinate your veggies and use skewers!
Safety First • Avoid cross-contamination. Use separate cutting boards, utensils and platters for raw and cooked foods. • Keep a squirt bottle of water near the grill to quickly douse any unexpected flare-ups. — eatingwell.com; livestrong.com
SHOP CO-OP CARNE LOCAL SWEET GRASS CO-OP GRASS-FED BEEF LOCAL KYZER NEW MEXICO PORK FRONTIERE GROUND BISON LOCAL CONTINENTAL SAUSAGE CO. MARY’S ORGANIC CHICKENS
SHOP CO-OP VEGAN SWEET EARTH VEGGIE BURGER GARDEIN BURGERS (frozen) TOFURKY KIELBASA FIELD ROAST SAUSAGES CHAO VEGAN CHEESE SLICES DAIYA DAIRY-FREE CHEESE
DON’T FORGET TO HY DRATE!
Mountain Valley Spring Water
Stop by your favorite Co-op location today.
SUMMER DELIGHTS
July 2015 10
FOOD FOR FUN TIMES GARDEN POTATO SALAD FROM ADRIENNE WEISS SERVES: 10 TO 12 / TIME: 45 MINUTES Aptly named, this bountiful salad features seasonal, fresh delights straight from the garden. The addition of sugar snap peas, high in vitamins and a reliable source of fiber, adds color and texture to this salad. A perfect compliment for outdoor summer entertaining and celebrations. 3 1 2 1 8
pounds fingerling or any new potatoes tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt tablespoons white wine vinegar bunch asparagus, ends trimmed ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed and cut in half 1 fennel bulb, finely diced (2 cups) 1 cup fresh peas shelled 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, such as "Vegenaise" 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Place potatoes in large pot with enough water to cover by several inches. Bring to boil over high heat, add 1 tablespoon salt and lower to gentle boil. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain in colander. Using a clean dish towel to protect hands, slice hot potatoes into 3/4inch-thick rounds for fingerlings or in half and then quarters for new potatoes. Drizzle with vinegar and set aside. Fill large bowl with ice and water. Fill large straightsided sautĂŠ pan with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and asparagus. Cook until barely tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to ice bath until cool. Dry and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces. Place shelled peas in boiling water and cook until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain in colander and transfer to ice bath to stop cooking. Dry on towels. Place mint, basil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, remaining teaspoon salt and pepper in bowl of food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Add
reserved potato mixture, asparagus, peas, sugar snap peas and fennel and toss to combine. Garnish with basil and mint leaves and serve. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING
Calories 266; Calories from fat 97; Total fat 11g; Saturated fat 1g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 606mg; Total carbohydrate 29g; Dietary fiber 5g; Sugars 5g; Protein 4g WATERMELON SALAD WITH SERRANO VINAIGRETTE ADAPTED BY ADRIENNE WEISS FROM CHRISTINA PIRELLO SERVES: 4 / TIME: 35 MINUTES Pairing seasonal, peppery arugula with sweet watermelon and juicy cherry tomatoes makes for a delicious warm weather salad. Everything comes together under a tangy vinaigrette with a slight kick. Salad Ingredients: 4 cups one-inch watermelon cubes, seeds removed 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 4 cups fresh baby arugula Vinaigrette Ingredients: 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Freshly squeezed juice of 2 medium limes 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar of choice 2 shallots, finely minced 1 two-inch fresh Serrano chile, finely minced 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely minced Sea salt to taste Whisk together oil, lime juice, vinegar, shallots, Serrano chile, basil and salt to taste. Set aside for at least an hour for flavors to develop. Prepare watermelon and chill completely. Mix together tomatoes and arugula and toss with just enough dressing to coat the leaves. Divide evenly among 4 salad plates. Mound watermelon on top of salads and drizzle with dressing to taste. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING
Calories 372; Calories from fat 318; Total fat 36g; Saturated fat 0g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 209mg; Total carbohydrate 13g; Dietary fiber 2g; Sugars 9g; Protein 2g MANGO AND PLUM TOMATO SALSA FROM THE CANDLE CAFE MAKES ABOUT 2 1/2 CUPS / TIME: 15 MINUTES TO PREPARE (REFRIGERATED 6 HOURS) This tasty and beautiful salsa, rich in vitamins A, C and D, is wonderful to serve in summer, when mangos and plum tomatoes are at their peak of freshness and flavor. Served here with fresh vegetable and plant-based cheese quesadillas, it is simply a great salsa in which to dip one's favorite chips. 4 fresh plum tomatoes, peeled*, seeded and finely diced 2 mangos, peeled, seeded and finely diced 1 medium red onion, peeled and finely diced 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime 2 to 3 dashes of hot sauce, such as Sriracha Place all ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix together. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
SUMMER DELIGHTS *To peel plum tomatoes, place them in boiling water for only a few seconds, then plunge into ice water. The skins will peel away easily with a knife. (1/2 CUP) Calories 132; Calories from fat 0; Total fat 0g; Saturated fat 0g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1mg; Total carbohydrate 25g; Dietary fiber 3g; Sugars 140g; Protein 2g
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING
NO-FUSS FRESH BLUEBERRY SCONES FROM ADRIENNE WEISS MAKES 10 SCONES / TIME: 30 MINUTES Blueberries are in season! These easy-to-prepare vegan blueberry scones make a great breakfast treat. Or, grab one or two when on the go. Yum! 2 cups whole wheat spelt or whole wheat pastry flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup cold-pressed oil 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup (for brushing) agave nectar 1/4 cup cold water 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 cup fresh blueberries* Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spray very lightly with oil. Place flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix. Add oil, 1/3 cup agave nectar, water and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds. Gently fold in blueberries. Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and brush each scone with agave nectar. Continue to bake for an additional 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Allow to cool. *Frozen wild blueberries work beautifully when fresh berries are out of season. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ONE SCONE
Calories 148; Calories from fat 66; Total fat 7g; Saturated fat 0g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 342mg; Total carbohydrate 20g; Dietary fiber 2g; Sugars 9g; Protein 1g ZUCCHINI, ONION, SPINACH and "CHAO CHEESE" QUESADILLAS From Adrienne Weiss Serves: 4 to 8 or more / Time: 45 minutes Tortillas and cheese are the foundation of quesadillas, but it's the filling that gives them character. These plant-based quesadillas are chock-full of seasonal, fresh sautéed veggies and delicious Chao cheese. Salsas are the final component of quesadillas (see
July 2015 11 Mango Salsa recipe). Served as an entree or appetizer, they pair well with rice, beans, soup, salad, fruit and on and on. For a few or many, these are a real treat for the taste buds. 2-3 teaspoons olive oil 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 large cloves) 1 large white onion, thinly sliced in half moons 2 small jalapeño peppers, finely diced (optional) 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds and then again into strips 3 cups fresh baby spinach Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 8 slices Field Roast "Chao cheese*, either "Creamy Original" or for more of a kick, "Tomato Cayenne," cut into 4 strips each (available at La Montañita Co-op) 8 seven-inch tortillas of choice *Any sliced or shredded vegan cheese of choice will work. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, add oil, garlic, onion and peppers. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 5 more minutes. Finally, add spinach and cook approximately 3 additional minutes. Lightly salt each veggie as added to pan. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush or spray oil on one side of each tortilla. Flip over to fill. Place filling on half of each tortilla and top with 4 strips of cheese. Fold in half. Press lightly to seal. Bake quesadillas until warmed through, about 15 minutes, turning once. For a crisper result, broil for about 5 minutes per side. Quesadillas can also be cooked in a heavy cast iron pan or on the grill over indirect heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice each in half, 2 to 4 wedges per serving. For appetizers, slice each in quarters for 32 bite-size pieces. Serve with vegan sour cream and extra lime wedges. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ONE QUESADILLA MADE WITH A WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR TORTILLA
Calories 224; Calories from fat 82; Total fat 9g; Saturated fat 5g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 464mg; Total carbohydrate 31g; Dietary fiber 5g; Sugars 2g; Protein 5g
THE JOY OF HEALTHY EATING
July 2015 12
FLASH
ON
IN THE PAN
FOOD AND WATER SPROUTED, DEHYDRATED ALMONDS FOR THE WIN BY ARI LEVAUX nyone following California's deepening water crisis has heard about the state's thirsty agriculture industry, which uses 80 percent of the state's water. And they've probably had a crash course in almond farming, which consumes ten percent of that total all by itself. The size and impact of California's almond industry has inspired the notion that almond cultivation, encouraged by growing demand, is exacerbating California's water crisis, causing liberal-minded foodies to question their hunger for the Devil's Nuts, as almonds have recently been called, sarcastically, by some who think the demonization of almonds is overblown.
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Almond milk is often singled out as particularly evil, as it not only is made of almonds, but much of the Devil's Nut, including most of its fiber, is wasted as pulp in the process of making it. The fact that the finished product is mostly water adds insult to the perceived injury. I don't buy the idea that cutting down on almond intake will solve the water crisis. As Nathanael Johnson has pointed out at Grist.org, the root of the crisis is that water is too cheap, and allowing the price of water to rise to its fair value is the solution. Raising the price of water would compel farmers (and lawn owners) to cut back on water waste, and even switch to less thirsty crops, or crops that are valuable enough to justify the expense of watering them. Perhaps in such a scenario it would no longer make sense to raise, say, carrots in California, as they can be grown in every other state. Almonds, on the other hand, grow particularly well in the golden state relative to most other places, which is why 80 percent of the world's almonds are Californian by birth. The extent to which almonds can remain a viable crop with more expensive water remains to be seen. A Food Treasure In any case, almonds are a treasure, and deserve our utmost appreciation—especially considering the water resources we devote to them. And if the price of almonds were to rise with rising water prices, getting more mileage from your almonds by extracting the most pleasure and nutritional value that you can from them becomes all the more useful.
cally available, while improving the flavor. And the other trick, conversely, is to dehydrate the sprouted almonds until they're dry, crunchy, and even tastier. Whether your final goal is a glass of almond milk, a smear of almond butter, or just a yummy, nutritionally enhanced almond snack, sprouting should always be your first step towards almond appreciation. And the first step in sprouting almonds is finding almonds that will sprout, i.e., almonds that are still alive. This can be tricky. Toasted almonds are out, as the heat kills the seed (almonds are not actually nuts, but the seed of small, apricot-like stone fruits), preventing it from sprouting. Only raw almonds will sprout, but since 2007, California-grown almonds sold as "raw" must be sanitized, as the result of two outbreaks of food-borne illness linked to almonds in the early 2000s. This sanitization is accomplished via two means, only one of which, steam pasteurization, results in sproutable almonds. The other method, treatment with a chemical called propylene oxide (PPO), kills the seed. Since PPO is not permitted on certified organic foods, raw organic almonds from California will have been steam pasteurized, and thus should sprout. Alternatively, raw almonds from Italy or Spain, which are commonly available, will usually sprout as well.
The skin will slip off with an easy pinch between your fingers. The flesh assumes a supple quality with a coconut-like flavor. At this point, if you don't just scarf the whole batch then and there, you can change the water and continue soaking, which will allow the sprouting process to continue. If your final goal is almond milk, pour off the water and add the nuts to a blender, with 3-4 cups of water for every cup of dry almonds you started with, and blend until it's a milky, chunkfree liquid. Some people enhance the flavor of their almond milk by adding dates or vanilla to the blender. Strain the resulting slurry through a mesh bag, or a nut milk bag if you have one—they can be found online. You can also refrain from straining out this pulp, in order to reduce waste. If you are looking to make almond butter, or crunchy sprouted almonds, the next step is to dehydrate the almond sprouts. If making sprouted almond butter, leave the skins on, as they add complexity to the finished product. If you're looking for a crunchy sprouted almond snack, slip off the skins and dehydrate the seeds for 12–24 hours. If you don't have a dehydrator this can be done in the oven, but doing so is tricky as most ovens don't go below 170, and the optimal temperature for drying almonds is around 118. The oven temperature can be reduced by cracking the oven door, but doing this for 12–24 hours will use a lot of energy. After their time in the dehydrator the almonds get so crunchy that they explode at a mere touch of your teeth. It makes almond appreciation an easy task, despite being such a thirsty crop, and giving them up would be tragic. Grow the carrots somewhere else. Charge people more to water their lawns. And sure, raise the price of almonds. The joys of sprouted, dehydrated almonds will justify the extra expense.
Use a teaspoon of salt and a quart of water for each cup of almonds you soak. After only a moment's contact with water there is an immediate perceptible change, as the skin soaks up water, which adds juiciness to each bite. After a night's soak they become plump and soft.
In this spirit, here are some tricks to help you extend the benefits you get from the almonds you eat, in terms of both their flavor and nutritional value. First and foremost, soak the almonds until they sprout. This activates enzymes and makes the seed's nutrients more biologi-
ALMONDS are a NUTRITIONAL TREASURE and deserve our utmost APPRECIATION, especially considering the water resources we devote to them.
JULY 11, 7PM
SCRAMBLING TO PAY MORE FOR YOUR
GALLUP CO-OP AT THE MONTHLY
GALLUP ARTS CRAWL
This monthly event (every second Satruday) features local and regional artists and musicians, special events and offerings from Gallup’s Downtown art galleries and restaurants. This month on July 11 and every month, stop by the Gallup Co-op! Staff and volunteers will serve up delicious, healthy food samples and other Co-op fun!
EGGS?
BY ERIN FRYE 1. Price of eggs Consumers and food companies alike are scrambling to pay a lot more for eggs. The cause is an avian bird flu hitting most large suppliers of U.S. meat and egg producing poultry farms in April 2015. Since the outbreak began, the poultry market has slaughtered up to a million birds per day. Liquid eggs sold for favorites like ice-cream hit an all time high of $2.13 a dozen, up 238 percent since the flu began. Before you start thinking there is no sunny side up your future egg consumption maybe you should consider raising your own eggs. 2. Renegade Poultry Afraid you might ruffle your feathers with chicken ownership? Rent a few from Renegade Poultry, a local Albuquerque Company. For $20 a month you get two egg-laying hens or four teenage hens, as well as a coop. They
THREE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD OWN YOUR OWN
CHICKENS even hand paint their coops in many New Mexico favorite designs (make sure to check out their hot air balloon coop). Renegade Poultry will drop off the coop in your backyard, and you can rent it as long as you like. Their hope is you love it so much you buy the coop and their chickens. You can find more information at http://renegadepoultry.blogspot.com/. 3. Albuquerque Zoning Laws Albuquerque is pretty agrarian-friendly. According to Albuquerque's Comprehensive City Zoning Code, poultry ownership is permitted in residential zones. You can even own a cow, horse or goat for every 10,000 feet of land. You don’t even need a permit. You can have up to 15 chickens including a rooster. If you worried about a rooster wakeup call being too much for your neighbors, try bribing them with eggs. If you are interested in seeing other Duke City coops in action you might want to take the Albuquerque Garden and Coop Tour. You can find more about them on Facebook.
WISE CONSUMER
BUYER BE
July 2015 13
got to realize that the kid will respond to the brighter, “cartoonier” packages no matter what you do.
WARY
Ok, so I’m exaggerating heavily here but that’s the point: all packaging and labels are exaggerated by their very nature. Even the most environmentally friendly unbleached dioxin-free package doesn’t belie the fact that the product inside, even if it was grown organically, may have been the product of a monoculture farm or packaged inside an environmentally unfriendly facility. It’s no shock to find out that the modern advertising and sales professions have regularly been using scientific psychological studies to see what triggers our modern buying impulse.
ITCHY GREEN THUMB
HARD TRUTHS! “Organic” doesn’t mean that there were zero synthetics involved. There are some exceptions allowed whether on farm, in the herd or inside the packing plant. “Non-GMO” only means that there are no detectable levels of GMOs present in the final product, not that there were no GMOs in the crop, the pest controls, the compost, etc. “Local” doesn’t mean it is organic or GMO-free and by the way, just what exactly is the claimant’s definition of “local” anyway? Potato Chips are local if you live in Idaho (and don’t think for a minute that they don’t advertise this there because they do).
BY BRETT BAKKER ost of us organic weirdos are inveterate label readers. We want to know what’s in our food so we can decide what’s going into our bodies. We’ve learned to be careful of the pitfalls but we can also be gullible. If an ingredient is Biodynamic Tibetan Yak Essence with Fair Trade Mung Yeast, it must be good!
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Seriously though, just compare your favorite food co-op or natural market to a regular old supermarket chain or big box. The latter have learned from the former, yes indeed. As consumers we organic freaks have demanded (with our food-dollar purchases) pretty packaging: happy cows happily chewing cud on flower-studded pastures or earth-toned unbleached boxes of “paleo” crackers, cookies and vaguely Oreo-type things. Even the stocker at the Kwik E Mart knows that this packaging sells because it registers as natural, safe and soothing, tripping the right synapese in our Pavlovian trained brains.
“Natural” means almost nothing. Natural meat, for example, only means that no synthetics were added after butchering. Natural orange juice? Oranges from farms that are drenched with chemical fertilizers and pesticides are squeezed into football field sized tanks and held for months through the modern miracle of climate control and (surprise!) additives like citric acid, natural flavors and flavor restoratives, all of which are allowed but do not have to be noted on the label. Natural flavors? Bah. The basic essence may be derived from a natural but heavily processed non-organic fruit or leaf but 90% or more of the ingredients are things vaguely defined as “excipients;” i.e. enhancers,
Of course, there’s not much difference between breakfast cereal packages, with their brightly colored labels that scream fun, be they Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs or Carob Frosted Stevia Bombs! It is a better idea to show kids a real toucan in all its colorful glory than the cartoony one shoving colorful fructose-laden “froot” down its gaping maw. Even if you’re a diehard home-school parent who spins your family’s own raw thread from shade-grown yucca fiber, you’ve
HERE IS MY APPROACH. PAY ATTENTION. DO A LITTLE RESEARCH. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ. flowing agents, and the like. These are not just low-down dirty scams by the way: all of these examples are legal and by the book. Makes you want to start reading a different book, doesn’t it? My point is not to be an enviro-downer! Awareness is the key to dealing with all this. Sure, be aware of what you’re buying and who you’re buying from but even more importantly, be aware of why. Are you reacting to the package or blurb you read for three seconds in the aisle? Are you buying it for a quick fatty/sugary survival mode snack that our bodies appear hard-wired to like? Or do you just like the colorful toucan on the box? Here’s my approach. Pay attention. Do a little research. Don’t believe everything you read (including my ranting and raving). Do your best, but especially this: don’t get too uptight. That will kill you faster than the crud inside that brightly colored box of food-like substance you bought the other day.
TELL ACE AND TRUE VALUE:
PHASE OUT
NEONICS!
NO MORE NEONICS!
BY STEPHANIE DAVIO AND JAY FELDMAN, BEYOND PESTICIDES variety of national non-profit organizations have together, with lots of community support, convinced Lowe’s hardware store to phase out neonicotinoid pesticides within 4 years, and focus on providing more organic options to its customers. Now that Lowe’s is making progress, we need to turn up the heat on their competitors True Value and Ace Hardware to join them in protecting bees, not pesticide industry profits.
taining pesticides linked to declining bee populations. In the U.S., more than twenty nurseries, landscaping companies, and retailers— including Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, Lowe’s, Whole Foods, and BJ’s Wholesale Club, have taken steps to eliminate bee-killing pesticides from their stores.
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A growing body of science has implicated neonicotinoids (neonics), the world’s most widely-used insecticides, as a key factor in recent global bee die-offs. Unfortunately, many of the “bee-friendly” seedlings and plants sold to unsuspecting consumers in these stores may have been pre-treated with neonicotinoids at much higher doses than are used on farms, where levels of neonicotinoid use are already raising concerns among beekeepers and scientists.
Because there is no clear labeling to indicate the presence of neonics in nursery plants, customers may unknowingly purchase pre-treated “bee-friendly” plants with the intent of providing habitats for bees and other pollinators, but end up causing them harm. The EU has suspended popular neonics and a majority of the UK’s largest home improvement retailers, including Homebase, B&Q and Wickes, have made public commitments to no longer sell products con-
Ace and True Value, two home improvement stores that began their businesses as cooperatives, pride themselves in being leaders in customer satisfaction. Let’s let them know we don’t want neonics in products, on plants or in the stores we frequent. To send a letter to their CEOs John Venhuizen and John Hartmann go to www.beyondpesticides.org
HELP STOP THE MEGA Syngenta shareholders have already rejected Monsanto’s initial $45 billion offer, but Monsanto's planning a new offer. Anti-trust regulators in the US and Europe are already skeptical of big corporate mergers, and they have the power to stop this. With strong, targeted pressure from a concerned public, we can make this deal unravel.
MERGER
MONOPOLY TAKE ACTION NOW! EDITED
ROBIN SEYDEL onsanto wants to launch a takeover bid of its key competitor Syngenta, one of the biggest pushers of bee-killing pesticides in the world. The new megacorp would boast a combined revenue of $30 billion and control over 35% of the world's seed supply. This deal could create the ultimate supervillain. BY
SYNGENTA
This merger would allow Monsanto to eliminate one of its biggest competitors and tighten its global grip on the agriculture industry. Our precious wildlife like bees, birds, and butterflies suffer as Monsanto spreads its pesticides further, wider and more heavily around the globe. Increasingly small-scale farmers are bullied if they refuse to buy Monsanto’s seeds.
MONSANTO
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No single corporation should be allowed to wield the sort of power that comes from a near-monopoly on our global food system. In January, a whopping 1 out of 5 Monsanto shareholders (20%!) supported a SumOfUs-backed shareholder proposal calling out Monsanto’s CEO for being his own boss and pushing for independent management oversight. And Syngenta is no better, having recently asked USDA and EPA regulators for a 40,000% increase in the legal limit of bee-killing neonicotinoids. Tell antitrust regulator to say NO to this monster merger of Monsanto and Syngenta. To sign the petition go www.SumOfUs.org or email: us@sumofus.org.
SYNGENTA ASKED EPA FOR A 40,000
INCREASE IN LEGAL
NEONIC USE
INDIGENOUS SURVIVAL 19TH
July 2015 14 Reaching 1,500
A N N U A L N A V A J O N AT I O N
NATIVE CHILDREN
SUMMER CAMP
with obesity and diabetes prevention EDUCATION and ACTION
POSITIVELY IMPACTING NATIVE
CHILDREN BY ROSE WEEKS, JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR AMERICAN INDIAN HEALTH ativeVision is a sports and life skills initiative that has served more than 40,000 Native youth since it was launched in 1996 by the NFL Players Association, the Nick Lowery Foundation, and the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. As one of the country’s largest nutrition, obesity and diabetes prevention programs focused on American Indian children, NativeVision brings in over 60 top collegiate and pro athletes to inspire Native youth. This June, over 700 children attended the three-day camp held in Tse’ Bit’ a’ i (Shiprock; “Rock With Wings).
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The program reaches nearly 1,500 Native American children annually through an intensive summer camp and after-school programs in three tribal communities. The national athletes, both college and former pro, offered clinics in football, basketball, track, volleyball, soccer, and lacrosse. Youth leaders present workshops on topics such as
nutrition, public speaking, and bullying. Over the years children from more than 40 tribes in over 15 states have participated, from the Seminole in Florida to the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico to the Metlakatla in Alaska. At the free summer camp hosted on reservations, the athlete-mentors conduct sports clinics interspersed with breakout sessions that promote self-esteem, discipline, healthy living habits and staying in school. “I would like to help the Shiprock community to be healthy and strong,” wrote Chenoa Lewis, a camp attendee. The camp includes workshops for the children and tribal community members on parenting, nutrition, leadership, drug abuse prevention, and entrepreneurship. Local tribal leaders host traditional feasts, games, and dance and song exhibitions. In addition, two $5,000 college scholarships are awarded each year. This year's camp is hosted by Shiprock High School and the Central Coordinated School District. NativeVision now engages children year-round in the White Mountain Apache, Navajo and Santo Domingo Pueblo communities. Native American young people have the poorest health, socioeconomic and education-
SAVING ENDANGERED
MEXICAN GRAY
WOLVES
By Roxanne George of Mexican Wolves and Keely Sinclair of Defenders of Wildlife EDITED BY ROBIN SEYDEL n mid-June the number of supporters on the Mexican gray wolves Facebook page passed the one million mark. When the page launched in 2009, the wild population of these highly endangered wolves, also known as lobos, had declined to its lowest numbers in 7 years, with only 42 wolves and 2 breeding pairs. This year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the Mexican gray wolf population had reached a high of 109 wolves, and the Facebook page devoted to the wolves’ recovery has an international following of passionate wolf supporters.
I
WOLVES are a
keystone species with great importance to the whole SOUTHWESTERN ECOSYSTEM
The success of the social media campaign to save the lobo, a collaborative project of conservation groups, scientists, and volunteer activists, confirms the premise on which the project was based: if people are made aware of the desperate plight of the Mexican gray wolf, they will care very much, and their concern will translate into action to avoid extinction of these beautiful, intelligent, family-oriented animals from the wild. The lobos need to be introduced in the Grand Canyon area and southern Colorado, and they must be protected throughout New
Tewa Women United (TWU) was started in 1989 as a support group for women concerned with various issues including alcoholism, suicide, and domestic and sexual violence. In 2001 TWU transitioned from an informal, all volunteer group to a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
fill the space
These partnerships have achieved landmark public health breakthroughs credited with saving the lives of over 60 million children around the world. To learn more please visit: www.jhsph.edu/caih, email rweeks@jhu.edu, or call 443287-5152.
Albuquerque grey wolf fan Adrienne Seltz, who took on a leadership role in the Albuquerque “Packtivist” group in 2013, said “I’m thrilled that there are so many people all over the world who love and appreciate our Mexican wolves. All New Mexicans need to make their voices heard so that the decision-makers know that we value our native wolves. They are so important to the health of our ecosystems and to our culture and we need to protect them for future generations.” Mexican gray wolves are among the most endangered wolves in the world. For these wolves to recover in the wild, it is critical that the Fish and Wildlife Service complete and implement a science-based recovery plan. The Service already has the best peerreviewed science available to guide a recovery plan—now the Service needs to stick to that science and finish a recovery plan. To survive, the wolf population need less political deal-making and more wolves in the wild. Recovery planning must be a transparent process that involves all stakeholders. The Arizona Game and Fish Department continues to insist on an unscientific limit of 325 wolves in the Southwest and keeping wolves south of Interstate 40. Even as
INDIGENOUS WOMEN UNITED IN HEART, MIND AND SPIRIT Tewa Women United works
T
The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health supports tribal communities leadership in designing public health programs to raise the health status, self-sufficiency and health leadership of Native people around the world. An independent center within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health with satellite offices on reservations of the White Mountain and San Carlos Apache, Navajo Nation, and Santo Domingo Pueblo, the program has 35 years of collaboration with southwestern tribes, programing now reaches more than 50 tribal nations in over 25 states.
Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. They need greater genetic diversity in the wild, which at this point will only come from releasing more of the wolves presently in captivity. There should be greater penalties for killing them illegally and the government should focus on assisting livestock owners with coexistence measures instead of killing and trapping wolves.
TEWA WOMEN UNITED: BY KATHY SANCHEZ, TEWA WOMEN UNITED ewa Women United (TWU) is a collective intertribal women’s voice in the Tewa homelands of Northern New Mexico. The name Tewa Women United comes from the Tewa words “wi don gi mu,” which translates to “we are one.”
al status of any racial or ethnic group in the country, including suicide rates two to three times the national average, obesity and diabetes rates three times the national average, and high school dropout rates up to 50 percent higher. NativeVision is a flagship program at the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health.
for educational, social and benevolent purposes, specifically for the ending of all forms of violence against Native Women and girls, Mother Earth and to promote peace in New Mexico. TWU has five innovative programs focused on supporting indigenous women, families and communities. The Women’s Leadership/Economic Literacy Program aims to strengthen, encourage and build upon women’s natural leadership and entrepreneurial ability in order to help Indigenous women
Arizona Game and Fish biologists on the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team have been working hard to make the reintroduction program a success, the politically appointed members of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission have repeatedly worked against the recovery of endangered Mexican gray wolves. Wolves are keystone species with great importance to the health and structure of the whole southwestern ecosystem. They drive evolution to maintain healthy and strong prey animals and keep streams healthy by keeping deer and elk out of them so that the banks don't erode, fish populations can increase and young trees can grow on their banks. Remove the keystone and the balance of nature falls apart. We have a choice; either we pass on a viable ecosystem to our grandchildren or we don't. Wolves are a key part in making that choice. FOR MORE INFORMATION: info@mexicanwolves.org lobo@defenders.org www.mexicanwolves.org www.defenders.org
fight the pervasive poverty in our communities. Poverty impacts our capacity to make healthy choices in matters of nutrition and other aspects of daily life. TEWA Women United Values: wina ta yay – we belong, will live these values wowatsi - circle of life, what you give comes back, generosity, reciprocity, life affirming, living life as a prayer, purposeful living kwee wa-sen - female and male wa vi tuu – ancestral knowingness SAVE THE DATE: 19th Annual Gathering for Mother Earth Honoring All Cultures and All Ages Sept. 26: The Mother Earth Summit at San Ildefonso Pueblo Sept. 27: Healing Mother Earth Relay Run at Pojoaque Pueblo For more information go to www.tewawomenunited.org, call 505747-3259 ext. 1203, or email: info@tewawomenunited.org or kathy@tewawomenunited.org.
COMMUNITY FORUM
July 2015 15
THIRD ANNUAL SUMMER Festival Opening Night Gala October 14. Come and do the Time Warp under the stars on July 11.
FILM FEST, FESTIVAL DE SANTA FE
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anta Fe Independent Film Festival's Summer Series is running through August and features screenings at The Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), Jean Cocteau Cinema, the newly-opened Violet Crown Cinema and outdoors at the Railyard Park. The SFIFF 3rd annual Summer Series’ now dubbed "Festival de Santa Fe," will excite and delight audiences with free screenings, special guests, and one-of-a-kind events. The 2015 Summer Series includes a screening of "Grease" outdoors in the Railyard Park on Friday, June 19 at 7:30pm, sponsored by Amp Concerts. The screening is free and includes a costume contest, so dress up!
A TIME FOR DISTRICT
PEACE 70
YEARS AFTER NAGASAKI
Festival de Santa Fe will also present "The Overnight," which premiered at Sundance, on Friday, July 3 at CCA. The screening begins at 7pm, followed by a Q&A with director Patrick Brice. On Saturday, July 11 at 7pm, Festival de Santa Fe continues with a presentation of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with a live cast from Rocky Horror New Mexico. This is a free community event in the Railyard Performance Green. A special costume contest will be held for the most elaborate costume, so dress up and come enjoy the show. Prizes include gift certificates to some of Santa Fe's best restaurants and tickets to the 2015 Santa Fe Independent Film
Gather to remember the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1945-2015
The first national gathering of the non-profit organization Campaign Nonviolence will be in Santa Fe on August 6–9 and will remember the dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago with another wave of peacemaking activities to be held on September 20–27 across the US. Between August 6 and 9 the Campaign Nonviolence will, with friends throughout New Mexico, offer a series of events including:
• THURSDAY, AUGUST 6: Participate in the annual “sackcloth and ashes” peace vigil in remembrance of Hiroshima and call for nuclear disarmament near the National Labs, 24pm at Ashley Pond, in Los Alamos, N.M., with reflections by Rev. Jim Lawson and Roshi Joan Halifax.
• SUNDAY, AUGUST 9: Mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki with the annual sackcloth and ashes peace vigil and call for nuclear disarmament near the Los Alamos National Labs, 11am-1pm at with reflections by Rev. Jim Lawson, Medea Benjamin, Rev. Lennox Yearood, Marian Naranjo and others. For more information go to www.campaignnonviolence.org or abqpeaceandjustice.org or call 505-268-9557.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the longest-running theatrical release in cinematic history, playing in theaters regularly for nearly four decades. The Rocky Horror New Mexico cast encourages audience participation and so does Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, so bring your props! Bring your props, boas and your friends for an incredible night of dancing to the time warp under the stars! For more information, detailed schedules and tickets email: info@santafeiff.com or go to www.santafeiff.com.
¡VIVA LA FAMILIA! Free Family Festival! Santa Fe’s Museum of Spanish Colonial Art’s Viva La Familia! Festival is for children of all ages. This free family festival includes storytelling, music, flamenco dancers, children’s recipes, youth artists, mini workshops, period costumes and a fashion show from La Sociedad Folklórica. There will be a food cart, refreshments, treats, and souvenirs.
JULY 21 2-6PM