celebrate the earth A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Nob Hill/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 3500 Central SE Abq., NM 87106 265-4631 Valley/ 7am-10pm M-Sun. 2400 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Abq., NM 87104 242-8800 Gallup/ 10am-7pm M-S, 11am-6pm Sun. 105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383
EARTH WEEK EVENTS! Tuesday, April 24: Film Screening and Talk The Rights of Nature: An Idea Whose Time has Come: 7pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Bank of America Theatre. Film to be followed by a discussion framed around the Rights of Nature in New Mexico. A Community Collaboration: Bioneers, KUNM, National Hispanic Cultural Center, and Your CO-OP. Burque Bioneers blog: www.bbabq.wordpress.com.
Santa Fe/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 913 West Alameda Santa Fe, NM 87501 984-2852
Cooperative Distribution Center 901 Menual NE, Abq., NM 87107 217-2010
Store Team Leaders: • Mark Lane/Nob Hill 265-4631 markl@lamontanita.coop • John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 jm@lamontanita.coop • William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanita.coop • Alisha Valtierra/Gallup 575-863-5383 alishav@lamontanita.coop Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanita.coop President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Secretary: Ariana Marchello Treasurer: Roger Eldridge Kristy Decker, Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn Susan McAllister, Jake Garrity Betsy VanLeit Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year/$200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: Managing Editor: Robin Seydel robins@lamontanita.coop Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept. Advertising: Rob Moore Editorial Assistant: Rob Moore robm@lamontanita.coop 217-2016 Printing: Vanguard Press Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 217-2027 or 877-775-2667 email: robins@lamontanita.coop Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop website: www.lamontanita.coop Copyright © 2012 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% postconsumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.
CO-OP
Wednesday, April 25th: Film Screening Farmageddon, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute’s MOVIES THAT MATTER: 7pm at Santa Fe Farmers' Market Pavilion, located at 1607 Paseo de Peralta. Info: www.santafefarmersmarketinstitute.org or call 983-4098. Americans’ right to choose fresh, healthy food is under attack. FARMAGEDDON tells the story of how small family farms are being harmed by regulations created for industrial-scale agriculture and threatened using extreme enforcement measures. FARMAGEDDON highlights the urgency of food freedom, encouraging consumers and farmers alike to defend their rights to eat and grow fresh, unprocessed foods.
UNM Co-op ’N Go/ 7am-6pm M-F, 10-4pm Sat. Closed Sunday, 2301 Central Ave. SE Abq, NM 87131 277-9586
Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001 TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP) • General Manager/Terry Bowling 217-2020 terryb@lamontanita.coop • Controller/John Heckes 217-2029 johnh@lamontanita.coop • Computers/Info Technology/ David Varela 217-2011 tech@lamontanita.coop • Food Service/Bob Tero 217-2028 bobt@lamontanita.coop • Human Resources/Sharret Rose 217-2023 hr@lamontanita.coop • Marketing/Edite Cates 217-2024 editec@lamontanita.coop • Membership/Robin Seydel 217-2027 robins@lamontanita.coop • CDC/MichelleFranklin 217-2010 mf@lamontanita.coop
The Burque Bioneers’ Film Screening Series has expanded into a community collaboration between Burque Bioneers, the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC), La Montanita Co-op and KUNM 89.9 FM. The Burque Bioneers would like to thank the NHCC and co-sponsors La Montanita Coop and KUNM for their generous support.
&
FUN INFORMATIVE
In this talk from the 2011 Bioneers Conference, presenter Natalia Greene discusses Ecuador’s revolutionary constitution which recognizes Nature as a subject of rights and offers an example of how to protect Nature not just through regulation, but also by increasing people’s connection with Nature. Historically, Ecuador has been an exporter of Nature. Nature was a commodity. The new constitution, written in 2008, is intended to guide Ecuador’s development with Nature in mind. New Mexico’s story is similar in some striking ways. Our state exports over 90% of the food it grows. New Mexico agriculture is fraught with contentious issues such as genetically modified chile, water scarcity and much more. La Montanita Co-op and other local organizations work to build the capacity of local growers to produce food that feeds New Mexicans, reducing our consumption of natural resources. How can local, state, and federal regulation add to these existing efforts? The screening provides the inspiration and opportunity for a community dialogue following the screening.
QUIVIRA COALITION BY CATHERINE BACA ounded in 1997 by two conservationists and a rancher, the Quivira Coalition is a nonprofit organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, dedicated to building economic and ecological resilience in western working landscapes. We do so via four broad initiatives: (1) improving land health; (2) sharing knowledge and innovation; (3) building local capacity; and (4) strengthening diverse relationships.
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Our original mission was "to demonstrate that ecologically sensitive ranch management and economically robust ranches can be compatible." Proposing common sense solutions to the grazing "debate," which at the time was marked by extreme polarization on both sides, we broke the gridlock by advocating a new set of tools: grass banks, dormant season grazing, planned grazing, restoration, and collaboration. The Quivira concept of The New Ranch is defined as "an emerging progressive ranching movement that operates on the principle that the natural processes that sustain wildlife habitat, biological diversity and functioning watersheds are the same processes that make land productive for livestock." The goal was to expand the "radical center"- a neutral place where people could explore their interests instead of argue their positions. After five fruitful years promoting The New Ranch through workshops, tours, outdoor classrooms, demonstration projects, publications, speaking engagements, media outreach, and other acts of education and bridgebuilding, it was time to adjust our mission. The grazing debate had crested, giving way to other conservation concerns, such as the accelerating loss of open space to sprawl (often on former ranch lands), the threat of noxious species to native biodiversity, the rise of recreation-
Movies at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market Pavillion are entertaining and informative evenings that include a state-of-the-art film about food, sustainable food, water, land and energy issues, and of course, the politics that influence them all. Following the movie enjoy speakers and an interactive Q & A session with fellow moviegoers, as well as locally made food, snacks, and other goodies. Movie nights are truly community events that inspire and are fun! Thursday, April 26th: FREE Class Healing the Land with Livestock: an introduction to sustainable grazing practices with Dr. Ann Adams: 4pm at 117 Gold Street, downtown Albuquerque. For more information contact Robin at 505217-2027. Dr. Adams is education director of Holistic Management International. In honor of Earth Week and due to the important nature of this talk, this week’s Boots and Roots Veteran Farmer Project class is open to the public. Thursday, April 26th: Wildlife Watch! Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area and Belen Marsh Birding Adventure. Meet in the parking lot behind the Hawthorne Suites on Gibson and University at 8am or at the WWCA on Highway 47 at 8:30am. Check out the wildlife at the Conservation Area! Enjoy a day of birding and wildlife watching and lunch at Teofilo’s in Los Lunas. To register or for more information contact Linda at 565-1441 or manzanogal@gmail.com.
BUILDING
RESILIENCE
al damage to public land, and the spread of "nature deficit disorder"—a term coined by author Richard Louv to describe the dissolving bond between people and nature, especially among youth. Quivira began to embrace a more holistic vision of land health and restoration, involving grass, water, cattle, and people resulting in a major restoration project on Comanche Creek, the adoption of the Valle Grande Grassbank on Rowe Mesa, publishing a monitoring manual, the creation of the New Ranch Network, the implementation of an Annual Conference, and workshops on ranch road repair, water harvesting, “reading the landscape,” monitoring, and much more. Then in November of 2007, the Quivira Board of Directors added two new words to the mission statement of the organization: “build resilience.” The mission of the Quivira Coalition is to "build resilience by fostering ecological, economic and social health on western landscapes through education, innovation, collaboration, and progressive public and private land stewardship." In their effort to build resilience, Quivira’s focus is on three areas: 1) Reversing Ecosystem Service Decline, 2) Creating Sustainable Prosperity, 3) Relocalization of Food. Specifically, our projects include: an Annual Conference; a ranch apprenticeship program; a long-running riparian restoration effort in northern New Mexico on behalf of the Rio Grande Cutthroat trout; a capacity-building collaboration with the Ojo Encino Chapter of the Navajo Nation; various outreach activities; and the promotion of the idea of a carbon ranch, which aims to mitigate climate change through food and land stewardship. Whether the concern is climate change, peak oil, ecosystem service decline, overpopulation, species extinction, food and water shortages, or something else, the challenges ahead are daunting and varied. The Quivira Coalition has successfully evolved to meet changing values, markets, and needs in society. Check the website for volunteer workshop opportunities and don’t miss the 11th Annual Conference on November 14-16, The Quivira Coalition’s: How to Feed Nine Billion People From the Ground Up: Soil, Seeds, Water, Plants, Livestock, Forests, Organics, and People. For more info go to www.quiviracoaliton.org.
YOU OWN IT 2
April 2012
celebrate the earth
EARTH DAY 2012
FINDING COMMON GROUND MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS lthough the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22nd 1970, the image that has come to symbolize that day and the larger environmental movement wasn’t taken until December 7th, 1972, aboard Apollo 17 (earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id= 1133). The famous “Blue Marble” photo gave the growing environmental movement a potent symbol: “This is our home, this is all we have”. In fact, 1972 was also the year that “sustainability” began as a concept—at a United Nations Conference in Sweden. BY
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Here in New Mexico, protection of the environment has depended on a sense of shared interests among a diverse range of groups, even if many of those groups don’t see eye-to-eye with “enviros” much of the time.
In some ways, too, the population boom that was transforming New Mexico – especially the Santa Fe–Albuquerque corridor – also brought new ideas about how rivers should be managed, posing a direct challenge to the many decades of building dams, pipes, diversions, and levees, or the use of jetty jacks and channel dredging to make rivers like the Rio Grande more “efficient”. In particular, the new ideas actually looked like some of the old ideas that had existed among Native peoples and Hispanic settlers—that rivers were important in their own right and—an idea still not widely accepted—have rights to water.
how far we’ve come... how far we need TO GO!
A case in point is hunters and anglers, who often think of environmentalists as people who are working to keep them from pursuing their passion or hobby. In fact, alliances with hunters and fishers were instrumental in gaining permanent protection for the Valle Vidal and in the struggle for Otero Mesa and other proposed wilderness areas now pending.
FINDING COMMON GROUND
Even agricultural interests – in particular cattle growers – have come to support environmental organizations. This has been the case regarding the Pit Rule – mandating improved methods of extraction that helped protect surface and groundwater from pollution – and, again, with the Valle Vidal and Otero Mesa. When a foreign interest purchased land in the San Augustin Basin in Catron County – not an area known as hospitable to environmentalists – farmers and ranchers there sought out groups like Amigos Bravos and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center (www.nmelc.org) to help them fight back against a proposal to pump groundwater from underneath them and pipe it to the Rio Grande. Other groups of farmers – The Acequia Association, land grants, and pueblos – have had an uneasy relationship with the traditional environmental movement, which has often been skeptical of their traditional land use practices, such as grazing and small-scale timber harvesting. This conflict probably reached its worst point during the Spotted Owl controversy in northern New Mexico, but patient community-based work by environmental organizations committed to social and environmental justice (Amigos Bravos was a leader in this effort) managed to rebuild cooperation among traditional land-based groups and environmental organizations. Problems still remain however, particularly regarding the role of flood irrigation along the river, which some environmental organizations see as a huge waste of water and others see as a reasonable mimic of the original “braided river” and a source of both wildlife habitat and recharge for the aquifer.
One other important source of energy for the environmental movement started up in the 1970s – the role of the federal government as a force that could push states to do the right thing by the environment. Important here were the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the EPA, among others. Unfortunately, these are now being eroded by Supreme Court decisions, and efforts in Congress and state legislatures to dismantle the agencies that make and enforce the rules. Here in New Mexico, Native nations have also exerted their rights as sovereign nations to block activities they see as threatening their people and culture – such as the Navajo nation ban on uranium mining and the hard-won right of Pueblos and tribes to set their own water quality standards. It’s been over four decades since Earth Day and it will be 40 years this year since the “Blue Marble” photo. Much has changed in people’s attitudes about the environment and about the relationship between humans and nature (or humans in nature). The gains have come because people were willing to look at their common interests and set aside their differences and distrust. For the moment, it appears that we are in a time where people want a healthy environment and see it as important for the health of their community. On this Earth Day, please remember how far we have come and how far we still need to go and that it has always been possible to find common ground if people are willing to look for it. For more information, contact Michael Jensen at mjensen@amigos bravos.org.
BOOTS AND ROOTS: VETERAN FARMER PROJECT
UPDATE
The Veteran Farmer Project continues its series of classes at the Downtown Action Team office at 117 Gold Street in Albuquerque and our plantings at the Alvarado Urban Farm on Second and Silver are doing well. Each class, while building on the knowledge of previous classes, is a stand-alone opportunity to learn some aspect of farming, gardening or animal husbandry. We have a variety of cold weather crops growing well, at the time of this writing, including lettuce, collards, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, onions and more. Help with weeding and continued cultivation of the raised beds donated most graciously by Albuquerque’s Downtown Action Team would be most appreciated. The Downtown Action Team is also in need of volunteers to help get fencing up and other infrastructure built on this urban community garden site.
CO-OP PROGRAM
DONATE your BAG CREDIT!
April 2012
Boots and Roots: Veteran Farmer Project classes are FREE to active service or veterans of all branches of the military and the National Guard. For more information or to volunteer contact Robin at 217-2027. APRIL CLASSES 4/5 Herding Hens: producing protein—Jen Dwyer, Urban Chicken Farmer 4/12 Tool Use and Maintenance—Joran Viers, ED Bernalillo County Extension Service 4/18 Water Management, working with drip tape and other water issues—Monte Skarsgard, Los Poblanos Farm 4/26 Healing the Land with Livestock: an introduction to sustainable grazing practices—Dr. Ann Adams, education director of Holistic Management International.
BRING A BAG...DONATE THE DIME THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO The Quivira Coalition, building resilience by foster-
ing ecological, economic and social health on Western landscapes. Your FEBRUARY Bag Credit Donations of $2011.61 went to Santa Fe Watershed Association. THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED!
Co-op Values Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, selfresponsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Co-op Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5 Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Coop Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.
3
sustainable the
futures
CARBON
BY INIGNIA BROCCALANDO
Economy SERIES
2012
I
n a nutshell, when disaster strikes a forest or a natural setting the consequences are exacerbated exponentially when the first rain falls. That rainfall and how it is managed will determine how long, how well, and how successful the restoration process will be. Historically, fire remediation and restoration efforts are very costly, slow to respond and not very successful in establishing new ground cover.
April 2012 4
SOIL-BASED REMEDIATION & RESTORATION Zero Waste A huge economic opportunity exists for disaster sites to adapt the zero waste model (www.garyliss.com). The cleaning up mode often amounts to millions and millions of dollars spent on disposal and transportation. Instead we can look at the debris as an asset or resource. On-site debris in a burn recovery area contains burned logs that can be felled on contour, in place.
These "on contour" repetitive small structures are like topographic ribs. A small rainfall event of less than 1" can build up 2" of detritus, ash, and soil particles behind one of these ribs; after 3" of rain, 4-6" of detritus builds up; the perfect place to broadcast quick cover seeds for germination. The continual build up in this area backs up water, and lets it sit and sink into the soil. These same ribs are the perfect place, in the next season, to start seedlings to further speed reforestation in areas closest to human habitat.
We must act swiftly, precisely and with the most pertinent data. The Carbon Economy Series can help educate and train local New Mexicans with cutting edge forest and food regeneration strategies. Dr. Elaine Ingham is the Chief Scientist at Rodale Institute, President and Director of Research at Soil Foodweb, Inc., and one of the world’s leading soil microbiologists with 30 years of research and teaching experience. Soil Foodweb, Inc., helps farmers all over the world to grow more resilient crops by understanding and improving their soil. New Mexico is perfectly poised to become a showcase for sustainable living and fire restoration. Join Dr. Ingham and the Carbon Economy Series for a series of lectures on fire remediation and soil restoration.
Applying learned lessons from natural systems we can easily and quickly create precision interventions that will slow water down, spread it and make it sink in. Using living biology, structured soil and keyline principles we can establish seedlings with companion plants to generate a forest that is stronger than the one destroyed. Looking at examples like Mount Saint Helens and other natural disasters where soil biology is strong, the rapidity of regeneration astounds the scientists. (Featured on NASA’s Earth Observatory World of Change site). Human Habitats as Healers Many recovery areas are in or adjacent to human habitat. So with a small amount of precise, well-directed effort, we can let the water do the work and welcome the moisture we receive. When storm water is slowed down, the detritus builds up behind low impact felled logs, slash or straw wattles; all "on contour."
transportation saves 70% of the regeneration costs at today’s fuel prices and generates local employment.
Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute, Soil Symbiotics and the Inn of Governors is Hosting the Carbon Economy Series on Soil. April 13-15 SEMINARS ON HEALTHY SOIL Presented by Rodale Institute’s Dr. Elaine Ingham These logs are laid end to end, one log high. The stumps are left on the low side to wedge the log. Branches can be limbed off with a chainsaw and used to fill in the gaps between the log and the existing terrain grade insuring soil contact. The remaining vegetative debris from a burn area can be shredded in place to provide a mulch for soil moisture protection and retention. The Water Carbon Equation Water follows carbon so the more organic matter/ carbon available in the soil the greater the capacity of the soil to hold water. The intercapillary water in the soil is greater than all the water in the oceans, streams, rivers and aquifers combined many times over. (As carbon is reduced in the soil so is its ability to hold water). The capacity to absorb water is the difference between life and disaster. In traditional methods of fire damage restoration the costs are very high due to heavy machinery, fuel costs, bureaucracy and specialized personnel. Just cutting out
April 13, Living Soil is Where It’s At Dr. Elaine Ingham, Rodale Institute, discusses healthy soil biology, fertility and high production yield. April 14th, Introduction to Soil Foodweb Dr. Ingham explains in detail how soil becomes foods for plants. April 15th, Soil Foodweb and Compost Tea Technology Dr. Ingham teaches how to heal soil and plants by altering the biology of the soil instead of adding expensive chemical additives. Includes work with microscopes and soil samples, nutrient retaining compost and compost teas and vermicompost. FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOCATIONS, TIMES AND TO REGISTER, contact Iginia at 818-913-2877 or 505-819-3828 or visit www.carboneconomy series.com.
Becoming Sustainable on Campus and
in YOUR Community! Life with dramatically lower energy consumption is inevitable. It’s better to plan for it rather than be taken by surprise. -ROB HOPKINS
T MARCHAND & CO CPA’S PC We offer services to Businesses and Individuals TAX PREPARATION TAX PLANNING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BUSINESS CONSULTING IRS REPRESENTATION BUSINESS ACCOUNTING ELDERCARE FINANCIAL SERVICES WORKOUTS & BANKRUPTCY AUDITS
Robert Marchand CPA OFFICE 505-892-2907 CELL 505-710-5401 2003 SOUTHERN BLVD. SE #102-57 RIO RANCHO, NM
Robert@marchandcpa.com
ransition is a world-recognized movement that helps real people design strategies for their neighborhoods and communities to thrive in challenging times, such as increases in gas prices, rising levels of CO2, water supply restrictions, and an economy where jobs are scarce, wages are low and food is expensive. Transition Initiatives have been formed in 110 US cities and 430 cities worldwide. Transition UNM (students committed to a sustainable future) and Transition Albuquerque initiatives are forming in 2012. Transition founder Rob Hopkins is a permaculture teacher from Totnes, UK, who wrote The Transition Handbook. As Hopkins says,“Transition supports community-led responses to climate change and shrinking supplies of cheap energy, building resilience and happiness.” In Albuquerque, Transition has taken root at the University of New Mexico under the tutelage of student Pily Rodriguez and Lecturer Maggie Seeley in the UNM Sustainability Studies Program. Transition UNM strives to be the first campus Transition Initiative with goals to inspire campuses all across the world. Students formed an official Transition Club. They are looking at the pur-
chase of non-disposable bottles to start a campaign to rid the campus of plastic bottles. Reflective roofs, solar energy, and more “Lobo Gardens” are a part of their vision. Sustainability Studies student Jake Wellman spearheaded the effort to get La Montanita Coop operating on campus next to the UNM Bookstore. UNM students in this program have different majors but a common interest in creating a sustainable future. Transition Albuquerque is taking a second breath under the leadership of Jeness May. She is a UNM Arts and Ecology graduate. Transition will seek to identify the many organizations and groups in Albuquerque already contributing to low carbon solutions and to foster collaboration between them. RESERVE APRIL 21-22ND AND ATTEND TRANSITION TRAINING IN ALBUQUERQUE ON THE UNM MAIN CAMPUS. • Bill Aal, a dynamic Transition Trainer from Seattle, will co-lead the training. • If you are interested in becoming a part of Transition Albuquerque or want to attend the Transition Training, contact Jeness May at jenessmay@gmail.com or Maggie Seeley at maggieseeley44@gmail.com or call 505-268-3339. • You also may register at: www.transitionus.org/ event/training-transition-unm-albuquerque-nm. Get EXCITED about joining a WORLDWIDE movement through www.TransitionNetwork.org.
ALBUQUERQUE COOP TOUR: June 9 and 10, a FREE, family-oriented tour celebrating local backyard chicken keepers, also featuring vegetable and ornamental gardens and other livestock. Chicken Keepers please enroll as a participating Tour stop. Contact Jennifer at www.albuquerquecooptour.com or at scouty_d@yahoo.com or 505-508-0131. More Chicken Coop Tour info next month!
chicken keepers
NEEDED !
ALBUQUERQUE CHICKEN
COOP TOUR
vida Santa Fe Ordinance:
aqua es
Community Water Rights and Local Self-Government BASIA MILLER, CCNS BOARD MEMBER small group of Santa Fe residents has been meeting weekly to draft a Community Water Rights and Local Self-Government Ordinance. An ordinance like this for Santa Fe County will prohibit Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) from polluting the Rio Grande, which now provides drinking water to over 50% of the residents of Santa Fe via the Buckman Direct Diversion Project.
April 2012 5 Does Santa Fe County need legal standing for protections of its air, land and water? The clean-up of toxic chemical, hazardous and radioactive wastes; the "legacy" waste at LANL’s Area G, was given a time schedule and goals under what is known as the Consent Order of 2005. The Consent Order meant that money and personnel would be assigned to the enormous task of cleanup (63 acres to be excavated to 70 feet deep).
BY
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The group came together at an open meeting at the Main Library on February 21 to discuss how to apply the work of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) to Santa Fe’s situation. Many of them had attended a Democracy School sponsored by the CELDF in Albuquerque on February 3rd and 4th and learned of its support of local ordinances that have been drafted in Mora County and Las Vegas in New Mexico. These were modeled on ordinances that have been passed in 150 communities across the country where corporate "fracking" operations for oil and natural gas drilling threaten water safety. The group was also inspired by the unveiling, in the Rotunda, on February 2, of a large color map of New Mexico showing the air, water, and soil contamination caused by the oil and gas industries, by LANL and the nuclear test site at Trinity, and by the plumes of the Cerro Grande and Las Conchas wildfires. The map and accompanying informational materials can be found at www.sacredtrustnm.org. WHO and WHAT would be PROTECTED by the ordinance? The Santa Fe group is focusing on the threats to air, land, and water in Santa Fe County and wants to protect Santa
asserting
community
RIGHTS!
Fe County’s watersheds and aquifers with the ordinance. The draft ordinance states that until now, "residents of Santa Fe County have been affected by contamination in their air, soil, and water without a legal instrument that asserts their rights." The ordinance is intended to close the gap between the residents and the harms they are subjected to by providing legal recourse that specifies the rights of County residents to clean air, water and land. Does the ordinance duplicate the efforts of various official entities to supervise and control continuing contamination in Santa Fe County? A local ordinance is needed to supplement and enforce the work of other official entities. The federal and state regulatory agencies do not take a zero-tolerance position on air or water quality and in some cases work closely with LANL’s polluting activities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is enforcing an Individual Storm Water Management Program at LANL that is one of the most stringent in the nation. Beyond that, LANL is exempt from important provisions of the Clean Water Act.
Unfortunately, the Las Conchas fire last June turned attention to another huge risk area at LANL, where 42,000 drums of plutonium-contaminated waste are stored under fabric tents on top of the mesa. The drums only narrowly escaped the fire. As a result, Governor Susana Martinez told LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that the shipment of 17,000 of these drums to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was her priority. In a regrettable trade-off, the NMED has granted more than two dozen extensions to LANL to delay the schedule of the Consent Order by two years. NMED considers that LANL cannot perform work under the Consent Order while cleanup of the drums of toxic waste is being handled. So once again cleanup at Area G is postponed, and the inevitable contamination continues to flow into the nearby canyons and the regional aquifer. The dramatic change in the implementation of the Consent Order was done without public participation, although public participation is required by the hazardous waste laws and regulations. The imposition by the Governor of a "priority" in the face of LANL’s reluctance to clean up has resulted only in limiting LANL to shipping less than half of what was planned before the Consent Order schedule was altered. Joni Arends, of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, says of the ordinance, "We are excited to be involved in the process of preparing a document that will help protect the residents of Santa Fe County. It is a Declaration of Independence for the local community and will help insure our safety from the incursions of harmful toxins coming into the County from LANL." For more information on the ordinance, contact David Bacon at tocino8@cnsp.com.
OUR ENDANGERED AQUIFER:
AN UPDATE BY JANET GREENWALD ast August a number of you attended a panel/discussion on our endangered aquifer; some of you signed up to attend working groups. These working groups and Aqua es Vida Action Team (AVAT) have taken some steps toward protecting our aquifer, the main source of our tap water. But the path is long and winding and these working groups and AVAT need your help.
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The Plan to Inject Treated River Water into OUR Aquifer Last autumn, Aqua es Vida Action Team inspired the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) under the direction of then chairperson, Art De la Cruz, to hold a public meeting on the plan to inject our aquifer with treated Rio Grande water. Presentations and public comments were made. Though the basics of the plan were laid out by the staff and consultants of the ABCWUA, the public had many comments and questions not covered by the ABCWUA staff presentations. Agua es Vida and its workshop participants chose three of these questions to ask the WUA to expand upon, preferably in a workshop setting: 1) Current, detailed tap water quality data, including detection limits 2) Details of design plans for aquifer injection 3) Financial feasibility of the injection project: cost/benefit analysis
LEARNING for SUSTAINABLE LIVING Ampersand Center Ampersand, located in Cerrillos, New Mexico, is a place to explore sustainable living. The off-grid site demonstrates sustainable systems including permaculture, land restoration, organic gardening, passive solar design, wise water techniques, building with natural and salvaged materials and cooking with solar ovens. Ampersand’s whole approach to sustainability is about our relationship with our resources, starting with the basics: water, food, shelter, and energy. They gather, experiment
One reason for asking for data and detection limits is that plutonium and other contaminants from Los Alamos National Laboratories enter our drinking water through the San Juan-Chama Project diversion project. You will not find that information in any current ABCWUA public disclosers, however, because the Utility only reports the contaminants that reach the level of EPA’s outdated drinking water standards; standards that do not protect women, children and the fetus. Aqua es Vida Action Team is a volunteer organization; every new member expands its ability to monitor the safety of our tap water. Please contact them if you are interested in protecting our drinking water: contact avat@aguaesvidaactionteam.net, 505-242-5511. CLEAN-UP B E F O R E NOT AFTER! Contamination of Our Aquifer by Sandia National Laboratories There are three sites considered environment management sites by the Department of Energy at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). These sites either have leaked contaminants into the aquifer or contaminants are poised to enter the aquifer from these sites. SNL’s policy is to monitor contamination or looming contam-
with, and demonstrate sustainable solutions for living in harmony with our bioregion. Ampersand hosts workshops, internships, and volunteer opportunities for everyday folks wanting to respond intelligently to the state of the Earth. Come learn a specific skill, discover and build confidence, connect and share resources with like-minded folks in order to encourage wise practices to grow roots everywhere. Upcoming Ampersand events and classes include APRIL 29TH, Ampersand Volunteer Day 10am-3pm MAY 12TH, Native Plant Hike, 4-6:30pm For more details and a full schedule of events at Ampersand or to register, visit www.ampersandpro ject.org, or call 505-780-0535; PO Box 773, Cerrillos, NM 87010.
ination of the aquifer until the contamination violates regulatory limits; then cleanup commences. Our Endangered Aquifer Working Group whose mission is to protect our aquifer from contamination holds that contamination should be stopped before entering the aquifer rather than cleaned up after the aquifer is contaminated. In relation to that position, the working group has written a letter to SNL, which they will present to the labs after gathering more support for their position: SNL should allocate more of its funds to clean up.
A C T I O N A L E R T: Sign on to Our Endangered Aquifer Working Group’s letter to Sandia National Laboratories! Let’s hold our nuclear neighbors accountable in a way that protects our future. A COPY OF THE LETTER IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST AT: contactus@cardnm.org, 505- 242-5511.
Mary Alice Cooper, MD Classical Homeopathy in Albuquerque since 1992. Specializing in Visceral Manipulation & Lab Analysis. 204 Carlisle Blvd. NE Albuquerque NM 87106 (505)266-6522 info@drmaryalicecooper.com
INFO Jeff Parks at 268-1315 OR tripledrip@hotmail.com .
free class on drip
irrigation design
april 21 The Metropolitan Homeless Project and Jeff Parks of Triple Drip are cosponsoring a FREE class on drip irrigation systems. Learn drip irrigation design, installation and maintenance. 715 Candelaria NE from 11-1pm. Donations accepted by the Metropolitan Homeless Project.
co-op news
April 2012 6
Great Expectations: A Passion for Community
CO N N E C T I O N M
BY LISA BANWARTH-KUHN y father was born in 1906 in a small farming community. He was conservative with small town values, two characteristics that aptly describe many facets of his life. My grandpa owned the town store and was the area undertaker. As a boy, my dad learned to work hard. He helped in the family store, washed windows, and put nickels on dead men’s eyelids. You know, the regular childhood chores. His family worked closely with the town’s people and farmers in the area. The stories my father told conveyed great pride in the Banwarth commitment to trading with friends and lending to the benefit of both merchant and neighbor. My dad witnessed generations of amazing discoveries and inventions like the American car, national radio, the pop-up toaster, television, frozen foods and bubble gum! I grew up near San Francisco. California has a rich history of co-ops and worker collectives. In the 1960s, the Bay Area was a hotbed of social and political movements that drove my father crazy! After witnessing all the modern improvements to farming and food production, conscientiously and cautiously my old man found common ground to share with all the “danged hippies” making trouble. The organic and natural food movement amused him because to him it was merely a return to the farming he already knew. My dad understood the economic and social choices that created the co-ops, buying clubs and food collectives. He actually joined two local co-ops and would affectionately announce to the family that he was going to "the alfalfa store. Would anyone like to join me?"
After years of membership in La Montanita Food Cooperative, and eleven years as an employee, I realized where I got my passion for healthy, wholesome food, my conviction to support local economy, and my sense that cooperatives and collectives are social and political economic choices that reflect a connection to the needs of the community and its future. Over the years there have been many changes as our Coop works to contribute to our community, and my quiet, personal commitment, (even as an employee) did not keep me informed as much as I wanted to be; I did not know just who to ask or what to ask to satisfy what I wanted to know. Reading the Co-op newsletter, voting and attending board meetings is an effective way to contribute and stay informed, but I wanted to feel more effective as a Co-op member. Aha! The Board of Directors seemed like the place where I could find a solution to my conundrum. The Board of Directors is a venue to explore and study the continued health of our cooperative. It requires a commitment to organized and civil discussion. Political infighting and boycotting products have brought about the demise of many co-ops across the country. Along with politics and heady disagreements, too rapid expansion toppled some long lived co-ops and corporate grocery stores. We currently live in an economic atmosphere that requires a strong business plan in order to weather competition and survive the ups and downs of our wallets. La Montanita has a mission based on community concern and supporting local producers, but the quest for funds to support this mission should not cloud a cautious interpretation of
MEMBERSHIP IS
a business plan. Each board member attends sessions that educate and prepare for participation in listening to and understanding the general manager’s business plans and financials. This ensures informed discussion and evaluation. In addition, board members learn about access to a library of sources and myriad articles and books for personal edification. We have to prepare ourselves for discussion of books, ideas, changes and policy. The biggest piece of the puzzle, for me, is how to keep Co-op members and employees informed of changes before and after they are implemented. The Member Engagement Committee meets outside the regular third Tuesday meetings to address membership issues and discuss ways to increase membership and how to improve communication. I would love to see New Mexico become more aware of La Montanita’s connection to and support for local community and our partner businesses. Members in the past have had the opportunity to have "coffee with the board" and are still welcome to the committee meetings. Hopefully, with continued discussion and brainstorming, we can develop some fresh and new, cleverly informative plans that bring together Co-op members old and new, employees and others in the community. No matter what we discuss, evaluate or plan, we have to stay conscious of La Montanita’s statement of ends: "A cooperative community based in the shared benefits of healthy food, sound environmental practices and a strengthened local economy with results that justify the resources used." and the values that we proclaim: "Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, 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."
OWNERSHIP
Climate Change, Carbon Sequestration and
ORGANIC FARMING BY ROB MOORECarbon Sequestration he quest to find ways to counter climate change is pushing science in new directions. A host of national and international agencies are devoting billions of dollars, tens of thousands of work-hours, and enormous amounts of human capital to finding ways to slow the effects of global warming and the catastrophic disruptions in weather, food production, and species impact that accompany it.
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These proposals vary widely, from the highest of high-tech fantasies (gigantic orbiting mirrors to deflect sunlight away from the atmosphere and nanoscale machines to deconstruct particulates) to simpler solutions involving changes in behavior and minimizing the use of chemicals and man-made changes. One solution that has gained greater attention is promoting carbon sequestration. On our planet, carbon sequestration takes place when Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and the terrestrial biosphere (including vegetation and soils) take in CO2 and other gases from the air. CO2 is used by plants and microorganisms to complete their processes of feeding through photosynthesis. After these life forms have processed the CO2 they release oxygen as one of the byproducts, which is one of the reasons that a deep forest or
FOODSHED UPDATE
SUPPORT YOUR CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Enjoy the GREAT FOOD at these LOCALLY OWNED
ESTABLISHMENTS: The fine establishments, restaurants, coffee shops and eateries of all sorts listed here are committed to supporting the LOCAL FOOD system and purchasing locally grown products from the CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER Warehouse. Please support them and let them know that you support their patronage of the Co-op’s initiative to grow the local/regional food economy. Please thank them for purchasing products from the CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
Albuquerque: Mint Tulip • Artichoke Café Lush • Farina The Grove • Farm and Table Flying Star The Hyatt, Downtown The Hyatt, Tamaya Los Poblanos Inn • Ortega’s Santa Fe: Andiamo • Better Day Coffee Chocolate Maven Dulce • Joe’s Diner Junction • Pizza, Etc. Real Food Nation Revolutionary Bakery Tree House The Tea House Taos: Love Apple • World Cup Taos Cow
plant-filled greenhouse can seem so relaxing: the plants and creatures in the soil mean that there is more oxygen around for us to breathe. Surprisingly, this perfect natural process holds a key in helping counter the effects of global warming and climate change. Excess CO2 ends up acting like panes of glass in a greenhouse, trapping heat within the atmosphere and interfering with a host of human-made and natural processes. While oceans continue to take in CO2 , rapid changes in acidity levels over the last few decades have begun to impact the ability of the seas to sequester large amounts as plants and microbe life struggle to survive. These changes make the value of grass and prairie lands even more significant in healing the climate. The Rodale Institute has been promoting the benefits of organic farming practices for decades, and has backed their recommendations with clear and demonstrable science. For folks who make their living from farming, results speak louder than debate, and the best practices emphasized by Rodale (and others) highlight the wisdom of minimizing chemical interference and resisting "fast track" farming techniques that deplete the soil of nutrients. In the United States, current levels of re-sequestration vary from about 56 up to 120 metric tons per acre per year. By adopting organic practices in agricultural management, that number could be raised to between 73 to 159 metric tons per acre per year. Given that the United States has over 442 million acres of cropland in use, making a shift to organic methods could remove a minimum of seven and a half BILLION additional metric tons of atmospheric CO2 per year in the United States alone. Organic farming not only can bring better and more profitable yields for farmers, it turns out that it can help by sequestering carbon, too! Further studies have demonstrated that minimizing pesticide and herbicide use on farmland allows the growth of
Online VOTING at
your CO-OP
Voting online is easy, green, and costs less than paper ballots. To vote online we must have your email address. Come by any store to give us this information. At election time, we will email your password. We honor your privacy. If you wish, we will use your email only for the pur-
mycorrhiza, a fungus family that acts in symbiosis with plants to protect roots and help both water and nutrient retention. Mycorrhiza also allow for (you guessed it) better utilization of carbon stores, again helping to remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere and better crop yields. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change estimates that a further 257 to 807 million metric tons of CO2 per year could be sequestered in U.S. cropland soils under sustainable practices. Such practices include combining greater amounts of silage and plant matter into surface soils via overlay, as well as promoting use of foraging animals and minimizing tilling to preserve the presence of soilbased microorganisms like mycorrhiza. All of these practices are cornerstones of organic farming, demonstrating that the value of going organic continues to expand as our understanding of the agricultural/climate/natural web deepens. While oceanic and forest sequestration is still absolutely vital and ongoing, using intentional methods through adjustments in farmland cultivation is a direct and simple method to promote sequestration here and now. Planetary grasslands offer some of the best carbon sequestration opportunities available, and given the tremendous size and value of American farmlands, expanding our efforts to utilize lands as a natural ally in the fight to restore climate balance makes perfect sense. To learn more about using landmasses to heal the atmosphere and about carbon sequestration in general visit: www.rodaleinstitute.org, www.fao.org/ fileadmin/templates/agphome/documents/climate/A GPC_grassland_webversion_19.pdf and www.netl. doe.gov/technologies/carbon_seq/overview.html
farms
organic sequester more carbon! grow, purchase, eat organic!
pose of voting. Unlike previous years, you will not receive a mailed ballot in November. If you want to vote by mail you will have to request a paper ballot and envelope in person at any store. Voting and candidate information will continue to appear in the newsletter. For more information, contact the Board of Directors: bod@lamontanita.coop.
Going
green!
co-op news
April 2012 7
THE INSIDE I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several smaller co-ops in our region during the past month. It’s wonderful to see the co-op movement moving forward in small underserved communities. My first stop was Alamosa, Colorado. Although not a new co-op, Alamosa is making plans to move from a smaller space to a 4,000 square foot location. I enjoyed the enthusiasm of both staff and board as they discussed their plans for their new store. This project will be the biggest step this co-op has taken to date. I look forward to seeing the space completed. As with many other coops, La Montanita will assist Alamosa as needed. My second stop was the Dixon Co-op, in Dixon, New Mexico. Dixon is doubling their retail space. I have visited several times and was pleased to see
SCOOP
what a difference the extra space has made. After Dixon completes this expansion, the co-op will be a viable food option for this community. Co-ops come in all shapes and sizes; large or small, the co-op business model is taking its place in the mainstream business world. Please contact me with any suggestions or comments at terryb@lamontanita.coop or by phone at 505-217-2020. Thank you for your support of La Montanita. See you at ONE OR ALL of our La Montanita Spring events. See page 1 for details. -TERRY BOWLING
Dow’s Agent Orange Corn: USDA Considering APPROVAL
D
ow Chemical is currently requesting an unprecedented USDA approval: a genetically engineered (GE) version of corn that is resistant to 2,4-D, a major component of the highly toxic Agent Orange. Agent Orange was the chemical defoliant used by the U.S. in Vietnam, and it caused lasting ecological damage as well as many serious medical conditions in both Vietnam Veterans and the Vietnamese people. ACTION ALERT: Tell USDA to do its Job and REJECT 2,4-D RESISTANT GE CORN! Exposure to 2,4-D has been linked to major health problems that include cancer (especially non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), lowered sperm counts, liver disease and Parkinson’s disease. A growing body of evidence from laboratory studies show that 2,4-D causes endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, neurotoxicity and immune system suppression.
EARTH WEEK! Celebrate Spring with the Co-op Come to one or all of our celebrations! See page 1 for details 4/17 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 4/22 Nob Hill Celebrate the Earth Fest 4/28 Earth Day Santa Fe 5/5 North Valley Garden Party TBA Finance Committee Meeting
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.
ACTION ALERT! PROTECT OUR
FOOD!
Calendar of Events
2,4-D contains dioxin, one of the "dirty dozen" group of extremely toxic chemicals that are resistant to environmental degradation and has been linked to many diseases, including birth defects in children of exposed parents; according to the EPA, 2,4-D is the seventh largest source of dioxin in the U.S. For more info and to sign on to the petition that demands the USDA deny approval for Agent Orange Corn go to www.organicconsumers.org to send letters to President Obama and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. Re: Docket No. APHIS-2010-010 The President, The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20500 Re: Docket No. APHIS-2010-0103 The Honorable Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Room 200-A Whitten Bldg. Washington, DC 20250 DEADLINE for COMMENTS EXTENDED to 4/30
co op The Co-op Annual Spring Festivals One for Your Garden - Two for the Earth
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Come Early and Stay Late!
Celebrate Life on Earth!
ALB UQ U E RQ U E • N o b H i l l
A L B U QU ERQ UE • N o rt h Valley
Sunday, April 22, 10am-6pm
Saturday, May 5,
22nd Annual Celebrate the Earth Fest
12th Annual North Valley Garden Party
On Silver Street between Carlisle & Tulane, behind the Nob-Hill Co-op, 3500 Central SE
2400 Rio Grande Blvd. NW
ENTERTAINMENT 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00
Ehecatl Aztec Dancers Squash Blossom Boys Alma Flamenca Sol Calypso Baile Baile Dance Company
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SCHEDULE
10:30 Watermelon Jug Band 11:30 The Full Circle Project
2:30 Youth Ambassadors to Africa & Odigbo Adama Dancers 3:00 Johnny Bones 4:00 Le Chat Lunatique 5:00 Mala Maña H
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SA NT A F E • W est A l a m e d a
Saturday, April 28,
10am-3pm
Honor the Earth Day - Santa Fe 913 West Alameda, in the Solana Shopping Center
ENTERTAINMENT
SCHEDULE
10:00 Michael Combs & Friends 12:00 Anthony Leon & the Chain 11:00 Zoltan Orkestra 1:00 Kumusha Mirimba Band
10am-3pm
SCHEDULE
12:30 Jasper 1:30 En-JOY Cuban Dance Band
Come early and stay late. Dance in the streets with friends and neighbors. H
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Celebrate life on earth at Albuquerque and Santa Fe’s favorite Spring Gatherings!
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using april’s produce
April 2012 10
a taste of
of Spring AT YOUR CO-OP! Featured produce for April: Artichokes, Asparagus, Spinach, Peas, Mangoes, Strawberries, Chard DEBORAH MADISON I hate to say goodbye to all those wonderful roots and tubers, and I won’t altogether; I’m hooked on sweet potatoes and winter squash. But by April it’s about time to turn to vegetables that are new, fresh and feel like spring. We should be seeing the first asparagus, artichokes, and greens still – bouncy, lively and oh so good. BY
Bright Green Spinach and Pea Soup Serves 4 to 6. When bunches of spring spinach look generous and not as if they’ve just gone through the worst wind and rain ever, buy them! This soup also uses fresh peas, another spring treat. The cooking time here is brief; the color is bright spring green. The vivid hue lasts only about 10 minutes, so organize yourself to serve the soup right away. It’s a perfect first course for a dinner, not a main dish soup unless you’re a very light eater. 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or a mixture 2 bunches scallions, including half of the greens 1 small onion, thinly sliced 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced 1 celery rib, thinly sliced 10 parsley sprigs, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or basil or 1 teaspoon dried Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 6 cups water or light chicken stock 1 large bunch of spinach, stems removed 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen lemon juice to taste for garnish: crème fraîche, small toasted croutons and calendula petals
Warm the oil in a soup pot, add first four vegetables, the herbs, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and stew for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add the spinach and peas. Poke the spinach leaves into the soup and cook until they turn bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend the soup in 2 batches until perfectly smooth. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and stir in enough lemon juice, starting with 1/2 teaspoon, to bring up the flavors. Serve immediately with a swirl of crème fraîche, the croutons and the blossoms floating on top. From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Artichoke Sauté with Toasted Bread Crumbs Serves 4 to 6. The first artichokes, like all firsts, can be expensive, so this recipe mixes them with other vegetables to make them go further. Because it’s a vegetable main dish it makes a lot. You could easily use fewer artichokes, make smaller portions and serve them as a first course or a side dish if that works better. On the other hand, if you want to really splurge, use some of the interesting mushrooms the Co-op now carries in lieu of plain button mushrooms. Basic Approach to Preparing Artichokes For Quarters and Slices: Whether you’re using large or baby artichokes, first snap off several layers of the tough outer leaves by pulling them downward so that they break off at the base. Stop when the inner leaves become a lighter yellowish green and look tender. Slice off the top third of the artichoke. The stem is edible so just peel it with a knife or peeler. Using a sharp paring knife, smooth the rough areas around the base, removing any dark green parts. Cut the trimmed artichoke into quarters. Remove the fuzzy chokes of mature artichokes with a paring knife. (Babies don’t have a choke.) Leave in quarters or slice them thinly for sautéing. As you work put the finished pieces in a bowl of acidulated water to cover. 3 large or 4 medium artichokes, trimmed and quartered (see Basic Approach to Preparing Artichokes) 8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 bunch of scallions, including an inch of the greens, chopped 2 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick 1/2 cup parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves
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using april’s produce Grated zest of 1 lemon 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup olive oil, in all 1/4 cup white wine 1 cup vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or tarragon Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Simmer the artichoke quarters in 1 quart of water with 2 teaspoons salt until tender-firm, 5 to 7 minutes. When done, remove the chokes if you haven’t already, and slice them thinly. Slice the rest of the vegetables as described. Chop the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest together. Brown the bread crumbs in 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet, then set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a wide, non-stick skillet. When hot, add the artichokes. Sauté until they take on some color, then add the scallions and mushrooms, and sauté five minutes more. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the wine. Let it sizzle and reduce, then add the stock and simmer a few more minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking. From Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating From America’s Farmers’ Markets. Chard and Cilantro Soup with Noodle Nests Serves 4 to 6. The chard has looked great lately— smallish leaves that aren’t all battered and torn. I could include chard recipes every month forever because it’s such a good vegetable and so easy to use. Here’s a chard soup that’s light and brothy, seasoned with cilantro, and embellished with noodle nests which give this light soup both substance and texture. If the leaves are very small, you might want to bunch them. The Noodle Nests 2 eggs, separated 3 ounces (1 3/4 cups) fine egg noodles (fideos) 1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Sea salt Oil for frying Beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks, then stir in the yolks, noodles, cheese, and cilantro. Season with a few pinches salt, then really work the mixture with your hands or a wooden spoon so that it’s more or less homogeneous. It will look fairly hopeless. Heat enough oil in a medium skillet to float the noodles, at least 1/3-inch deep. When it’s hot and shimmery, drop the batter into the oil, dividing it into four or six portions by eye. Fry until golden, then turn and fry the second side, about two minutes in all. (They will also cook in the soup.) Set aside on paper towels. The Soup 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 bunches scallions, including an inch or two of the greens, finely chopped 1 celery stalk, diced 1 cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves, packed Sea salt and freshly ground pepper The leaves from 1 bunch green chard or Rainbow chard, about 6 cups, packed 6 cups water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
LOVE YOUR
MOTHER
Celebrate the
EARTH
AT YOUR CO-OP!
the 22nd annual Earth Fest at the Nob Hill Co-op April 22nd, 10-6pm
April 2012 11
Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the scallions and celery and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. After a few minutes, add the cilantro and 1/2 cup water so that the vegetables stew rather than fry. Add the chard leaves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, then cover and cook until the chard has wilted down. Add the water or stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the noodle nests to the soup. Simmer until the chard is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Ladle the soup into soup plates, include a noodle nest in each bowl, and serve garnished with a sprig of cilantro. From Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets. Mangoes with Minced Strawberries Serves 4. You don’t always have to have cups, quarts, or pounds of fruit to make a fruit dessert. This compote uses a handful of strawberries, finely diced and spooned over the luscious mangoes. It’s just pretty, simple, and sufficient. Mincing a few choice strawberries to spoon over ice cream or other fruits is an unexpected and a good way to share a small treasure. 1 small basket organic strawberries, or even a small handful 1 teaspoon sugar Juice of 1 key lime 2 or 3 yellow kidney shaped Ataulfo mangoes, or 1 larger variety (see below) Rinse the berries, set them on a clean towel to wick up the moisture, then remove the leaves. (Never rinse strawberries before you’re ready to use them; they’ll quickly spoil.) Dice them into small pieces. Put them in a bowl and toss with the sugar and lime juice. As they stand, they’ll release their juices to make a little sauce. Peel the mangoes. Then, using a sharp knife, slice them into neat pieces. They won’t be at all uniform because of the big seed that runs down the center of the fruit. Divide the pieces among your plates, then spoon the strawberries and their juice over and around the mango. A SEASONAL NOTE: Mangoes and strawberries overlap in farmers markets’ as well as in supermarkets. Champagne, or Ataulfo mangoes, the small yellow ones, appear first; the big green-skinned silkyfleshed Keitt in late summer, and in between are Haydens, Tommy Atkins and others. Strawberries are not just for June, but span the months from late spring through fall, so keep this in mind! From Seasonal Fruit Desserts from Orchard, Farm and Market.
FRESH
FAIR LOCAL... CO-OP
earth day special
April 2012 12
NM’S RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Get
ACTIVE...
management and remediation activities at dozens of locations to protect the irreplaceable Middle Rio Grande aquifer.
or get
RADIOACTIVE BY DON HANCOCK, SOUTHWEST RESEARCH CENTER he Department of Energy (DOE) wants to carry out insufficient cleanup at Los Alamos and Sandia Labs, while expanding the mission of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Public involvement can make a difference! AND INFORMATION
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On Earth Day 2012, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), east of Carlsbad, will have been receiving transuranic (TRU, plutonium-contaminated) nuclear waste for more than 13 years. The site has more of that type of nuclear weapons waste than any place on Earth outside of Russia. New Mexico also has more uranium tailings waste (from mines and mills) than any other state, much of which continues to cause illness and death because of air, water, and soil contamination. Nuclear weapons research and development activities at Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) and Sandia National Lab have generated significant amounts of radioactive waste contamination. New Mexico has received jobs and state and local tax revenues from decades of federal government spending at LANL, Sandia, and WIPP, and the federal government is sending about $4 billion of taxpayer money, this year, to those three Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. There are no operating uranium mines in the state now, though numerous companies have plans and are seeking permits that could eventually bring renewed uranium mining and milling to New Mexico. It will take years and billions of dollars to clean up the existing large amounts of nuclear and toxic chemical wastes from previous activities. Get Active or Get Radioactive: A Mandate for Clean-up Two of the major uranium contamination sites – Homestake/Barrick uranium mine near Milan and the United Nuclear/GE Churchrock and Quivira/Rio Algom uranium facilities near Gallup – are scheduled for some cleanup this year. At the Homestake site, the Bluewater Valley Downstream Alliance advocates more cleanup of contaminated water and soil, decontamination of houses and land, more technical assistance, and more responsiveness from federal and state officials and the companies. The community wants specific actions this year to address radon exposures and ground water contamination that threaten its health.
NUCLEAR NEW MEXICO?
OUR PLANT
ALLIES Protection from Radiation, #4 BY JESSIE EMERSON, RN t has been a year since the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. Radioactive fallout has been confirmed across the entire Northern Hemisphere. French citizens have been warned about consuming rainwater, leafy greens, and all milk products due to fallout contamination in Europe.
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So, why not just take iodine pills and be done with it? Ah, I wish that life could be that simple. Iodine is necessary for thyroid function and proper metabolism. Proper thyroid function is necessary for all body systems, for skin, hair and nail health and wound healing. The body doesn’t store iodine, so one must eat a little each day. Getting Your Daily Dose Seafood and sea veggies are both high in iodine. I choose to limit my fish and sea creature intake. I do this for two reasons: sea creatures are dimin-
PROBLEMS
F OOCNU S C ONTAMINATION CLEAN-U P!
The Red Water Pond Road community includes Navajos that were previously temporarily moved from their homes in the shadows of the Churchrock site while some of the contamination was removed. The area is to have additional clean up this year and residents face several years of "voluntary housing options" while approximately 1.4 million tons of radium- and uranium-contaminated soil is moved to the nearby mill site. Additional cleanup at the Quivira mines is under discussion. The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE) brings together community groups that are promoting cleanup and opposing new uranium mining. At Sandia, DOE wants to declare that cleanup is complete. But community groups advocate additional funding for completion of environmental
SAY
NO to
NEW MEXICO as the Nation’s Nuclear Sacrifice Area
action
aler t !
In the last six months the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has granted more than a score of extensions on scheduled activities under the LANL cleanup agreement Consent Order (CO). Decisions about what kind of cleanup will happen at Area G, the radioactive and hazardous waste dump, have not been made. The delays in CO milestones are intended to require LANL to expedite shipments of TRU waste to WIPP because of heightened concerns about additional contamination if there were another large forest fire like last summer’s Las Conchas fire. Expanding WIPP This spring, DOE plans to announce that it will consider WIPP as the long-term above-ground storage site for up to 10,000 metric tons of elemental mercury. DOE previously spent two years and millions of dollars on a draft and final environmental impact statement (EIS) that did not include WIPP and chose the Waste Control Specialists dump in Texas as the preferred site for that mercury. The WIPP Land Withdrawal Act prohibits mercury waste, but DOE apparently plans to ask Congress to amend that law. After the election in November, DOE also intends to release a final EIS on "Greater-Than-Class C" (GTCC) commercial waste that also is prohibited by the WIPP law. Hundreds of New Mexicans during public comments in 2010 said that WIPP is an inappropriate site for GTCC waste that contains 30 times more radioactivity than all of the TRU wastes planned for WIPP. These actions to expand WIPP makes it much more likely that all highly radioactive waste would be transported through New Mexico for many decades and buried here FOREVER.
Support community groups addressing contamination and future mining: • Bluewater Valley Downstream Alliance, PO Box 1651, Grants, NM 87020, bvdownstreamalliance.org. • Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment, PO Box 4524, Albuquerque, NM 87196, masecoalition.org. Tell DOE not to consider New Mexico for mercury waste storage: David Levenstein, Document Manager, Office of Environmental Compliance (EM–41), U.S. Department of Energy, PO Box 2612, Germantown, MD 20874; E-mail: david.lev enstein@em.doe.gov. More information at: www.mercurystor ageeis.com. For more information: Southwest Research and Information Center, 505-2621862, www.sric.org. Information on Sandia, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, 505-266-2663, www.cardnm.org and Citizen Action, www.radfreenm.org.
ishing at an alarming rate and there are high mercury levels in fish. My research for this article has indicated that sea vegetables from the US East Coast are safer than those harvested from elsewhere on the planet—especially the Pacific Ocean. Two components of seaweeds are sodium alginate and agar. They help with detox by binding with heavy metals, helping the body excrete them. Sea veggies also reduce the amount of strontium 90 absorbed in place of calcium by bone tissue. Strontium 90 is a key element in fallout, low level radiation, bomb testing, and nuclear plant leaks. The iodine in sea veggies protects the body from iodine 125 and iodine 131. A safe source of seaweed is from "The Seaweed Man.’’ Check out the website, www.the seaweedman.com. The thyroid gland can’t tell the difference between stable and radioactive iodine. Once breathed into the lungs or consumed in contaminated food and liquids, it travels through the body and is absorbed by the gland. It causes DNA damage, thyroid cancer and cancer to surrounding tissues, organs and bones. Potassium iodine (PI) protects the thyroid gland and only the thyroid gland. Flooding the body with normal stable iodine 5-12 hours prior to exposure or even a few hours after exposure will crowd out the radioactive iodine and the thyroid will take up the more abundant stable iodine. Iodine stays in the body 24 hours. I would suggest having enough on hand to protect one’s self and family. Children who received PI immediately after Chernobyl have not been diagnosed with thyroid
cancer. Those who did not receive PI have not been so fortunate. The pharmaceutical dose is for severe immediate nuclear exposure only. At the Linus Pauling Institute website you can learn more about iodine and dosages. WARNING: Do not take iodine water purification tablets or tincture of iodine. WARNING: Do not take delayed release PI. It can create bowel lesions, hemorrhage, obstruction, and perforation. WARNING: Pregnant women should only take PI in high doses if there is an immediate danger of radiation exposure. OTHER SOURCES OF IODINE ARE: radishes, strawberries, watercress, onions, and yoghurt. Milk, cheese, and beef also contain iodine, but be aware of their source to ensure they are contamination-free. Kelp Rice 3 cups cooked brown rice or amaranth or quinoa 2 tbls sunflower oil 1 small sweet onion 1 grated carrot Garlic cloves, at least 3 1/2 cup chopped soaked kelp Cayenne Fresh grated ginger Cilantro (optional) Thyme 1 tbls toasted sesame seeds Sauté rice and chopped and grated vegetables for about 5 minutes, sprinkle with thyme, stir in kelp and cook 2 minutes longer. Add cayenne, ginger to taste; finish with salt and toasted sesame seeds.
RADIOprotective foods SAVE THE DATES! • April 22nd, 22nd Annual Nob Hill Celebrate the Earth Fest • April 28th, Earth Day, Santa Fe! • May 5th, 12th Annual Valley Garden Party
BE THERE!
earth day energy a brighter
Santa Fe
BY LILIA DIAZ, NEW ENERGY ECONOMY magine Santa Fe being a model clean energy city powered by 100% renewables. This would mean our city was actualizing longstanding community values such as cultivating sustainability by generating clean, local, and affordable energy that wasn’t produced by coal plants at the expense of our health, skies and waterways.
I
Santa Fe holds tremendous solar power potential that could reduce negative impacts from fossil fuel use, create new jobs, and build enduring prosperity. Currently 65% of Santa Fe’s energy needs are met by PNM’s combustion of coal, with adverse affects to our economy, environment and health. Existing pollution control measures can minimize but not eliminate toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants. Long-term energy, economic, and health solutions are needed to shift energy production from coal plants to cleaner, non-polluting technologies. We know that reducing energy consumption and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy are essential steps to a healthy and sustainable Santa Fe. Our largest source of electricity comes from PNM’s coal-fired power plant, the San Juan Generating Station,
which is outdated and is one of the largest sources of nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution in the US. Nitrogen oxide pollution and other hazardous toxins from the plant are a major source of asthma, lung and heart disease, and responsible for the brown haze that is polluting our skies. The plant also consumes about 18,000 gallons of clean water an hour. While the law mandates that utilities produce 10% of their energy from renewables, PNM is only producing 7.3%. PNM is challenging the law with claims that they cannot afford solar and wind even though their profits since 2008 jumped an extraordinary 2,500% in large part to the continued rate hikes that are burdening hard- working New Mexican businesses and families. Frustrated with PNM’s stranglehold on our energy democracy, New Energy Economy is partnering with the City of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Fire Department to install a solar electric system at Fire Station #3. The project will showcase two solar applications: solar panels mounted on a carport structure that will be installed in the station’s parking lot and a twelve module solar tracker (that like a “sunflower” follows the trajectory of the sun). The community scale solar electric power installation will use locally manufactured solar panels and
GOLF in the DESERT? Loving the
BROWNS! Sustaining the FUTURE: Golf and Water
BY JOE FRANKE "In a high desert community such as Albuquerque, water is our most precious resource." - Albuquerque official city website
L
ast summer was a hot one in America, with 4,000 record high temperatures set in June alone. In Albuquerque, we found ourselves in the midst of a serious drought year. The majority of Albuquerque residents, and their elected city and state governments, seem to persist in an antiquated fantasy of a West of unlimited resources, including water. There are a number of bizarre manifestations of our collective madness, one being our continued adherence to the idea of a green lawn, a strange cultural carry over from England that has absolutely no place in the high desert. Another is the grass golf course. There are about 17,000 golf courses in the United States, which average 150 acres apiece, with total land coverage of about 3 million acres, or about 5,000 square miles. This would be the same as the total area of Delaware and two Rhode Islands. Albuquerque has no less than four golf courses, and the amount of water that these courses consume is staggering. As an example, the University of New Mexico is home to two courses; the existence of which remains unquestioned by an institution that is host to the region’s only university-level program in "Sustainability Studies." According to R. Gary Smith, Ph.D., Associate Director Environmental Services and Maintenance and Operations, over a 16-year average, the 9-hole North course uses 57,880,256 gallons per year and the Championship course south of town uses 220,627,900 gallons per year. Those figures aren’t typos; golf course consumption of water is always measured in the millions of gallons. The privately owned Desert Greens Golf Course on Albuquerque’s West Side uses 185 million gallons of water and faced a $500,000 water bill for 2011. Under political pressure by neighborhood residents wishing to protect their property values, the Water Authority cut a deal with the owners of the course in which they removed one million square feet of turf in exchange for
a $1 million credit that will keep the course open for another two years. Opponents of change in our present unsustainable patterns of water usage like to point out that the water used on some courses is "wastewater" that would otherwise simply escape unused. There is no such thing as "wastewater." We have only two sources of water, the aquifer and the river that we share with farms, cities and a plethora of non-human beings from Colorado to Mexico. Water not used to grow our food to sustain ourselves should return to these sources, for the good of humans and the ecosystem as a whole. The Albuquerque golf-going public might be horrified by the prospect of "grassless" and thus waterless golf courses, but they might partially be reassured by a visit to the website of the Desert Lakes Golf Course in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It’s an entirely sand course, as are most of the courses in that land; rich with money and oil but essentially without precipitation. The course is made of compressed sand, with the "browns" (their term for "greens") made by compacting sand mixed with waste oil. It sounds pretty grim but a visit to their website reveals a large contingent of sun-roasted and contented expat golfers from all over the world who maintain that it plays like grass. Clearly, we would need to use something in place of the waste oil to bind the "browns", but this could easily be replaced with a non-toxic polymer such as those used to bind the grouting sand used by some New Mexico masons. In an environment such as ours only a sand course would be truly sustainable. I’d suggest that in keeping with UNM’s new stated emphasis on sustainability that part of at least one their courses be turned into a center for research into "brown" golf; figuring out how to construct courses that are waterless like those in Saudi Arabia and other desert regions. In order for our city to have a sustainable future, everybody is going to have to give up something, and to be intellectually and morally flexible enough for change. Yes, you live in a desert—love it and preserve it; let’s not try and make it into something that it isn’t.
GEOLOGY, SOIL AND MASTER GARDENERS
NATIVE PLANT S O C I E T Y On April 6 at 7pm, come hear Judy Dain explain how geology has shaped the soils of Albuquerque. Then four Master Gardeners—Cheryl Mitchell, Margo Murdock, Robin Romero, and Barbara Shapiro—will tell how they have molded those soil challenges into beautiful and sustainable gardens. FREE: Sponsored by the Albuquerque Chapter, Native Plant Society of N.M. at the N.M. Museum of Natural History, 1801 Mountain Rd. NW, Albuquerque.
www.npsnm.unm.edu/albuq
April 2012 13
SOL! NOT COAL will employ locally trained installers. An Advanced Photovoltaic class at the Santa Fe Community College (for urban designers, city planners, electricians seeking their solar certificates) is analyzing electric consumption and assessing solar system size, conducting a site survey and feasibility study, and will be intimately involved in the technical installation under the tutelage of the local solar installation company. An interactive kiosk has also been proposed for the Fire Station to provide community members with information about solar energy and the amount of electrical power being generated at the station during any given day or year. ACTION ALERT! It will take all of us to improve our climate and support our economy. We are asking you to join New Energy Economy with a contribution of $20 or more to pay for the solar system. Energy democracy means all of us coming together and creating the energy solutions we need. We will not accept PNM’s plan (rising rates, dirty coal, unhealthy society, fouling our air and water). With your help we can democratize the way we produce and consume energy! Sol Not Coal is a solar energy campaign to bring brighter possibilities for the health, prosperity and sustainability of Santa Fe. 100% of your contribution goes directly to solarizing Fire Station #3, and is tax deducible! Donations can be made at www.newenergyeconomy.org.
community
forum
April 2012 14
SANTA FE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION:
VICTORY FOR A LIVING RIVER
BY FELICITY BROENNAN is a significant year for the Santa Fe Watershed Association’s flagship program: Adopt-the-River. For ten years, our goal has been to help the residents of Santa Fe connect with the river corridor by taking a personal interest in its care. From 2002-2012, thousands of citizens have joined forces to support successful stewardship from the Two Mile Dam site east of town all the way through the traditional village of Agua Fria.
ADOPT THE RIVER PROGRAM’S the Santa Fe River Commission, diligent City Staff and a volunteer group of diverse stakeholders who continually championed this effort. It really does take a village to raise a river! It also takes laws and the "Santa Fe River Target Flow for a Living
2012
GOOD
stewardship
The Santa Fe Watershed Association works with the City and county of Santa Fe to enlist businesses, groups and individuals to share looking after the river. Adopt-the-River gives businesses the opportunity for visibility via signs along Alameda Street and the money they give covers materials and staff time to recruit, train and coordinate the monthly trash collection of each steward group. There are 26 reaches of the Adopt-the-River program along the Santa Fe River (ranging from a few blocks to over one mile), sponsored by businesses, foundations, and even a few individuals. The reaches are stewarded with monthly cleanups by volunteers from schools, businesses and civic and environmental groups. Average annual participation in our program has grown from 200 in the past to over 600 people. In 2011, 619 volunteers removed 560 bags of trash along with shopping carts, tires, and even a rug! Our favorite shared memory from the last year was from a ten-year-old student at the Dragonfly School who was telling a two-year-old volunteer, "That is a leaf. It is part of nature. Please leave it in the river and put trash in the bucket." Thank you La Montanita Co-op for being a stalwart Sponsor and Steward for over six years! There are currently two Sponsorships and two Stewardships available. Please contact Robin Hilliard, Adopt-the-River Coordinator, at robin@santafewatershed.org, or 820-1696. A River Needs Water Too! After more than eight years of promoting "A Living Santa Fe River", we celebrated "a watershed moment" on February 29th when the Santa Fe City Council voted for a detailed and thoughtful ordinance that guarantees water for the river channel. This was the result of a long-term effort by the Santa Fe Watershed Association, Mayor Coss,
10TH ANNIVERSARY
River Initiative" has given us the framework; now up to 1,000 acre-feet per year will pass through McClure and Nichols Reservoirs, and run through the city. (One acre-foot equals 326,000 gallons of water). Consistent, predictable flows will surely rebuild the river’s ecosystem. Native plants and wildlife will return both in and around the channel, the riverbanks will stabilize, and the residents and visitors will have a healthy, natural waterway to enjoy. Santa Fe is New Mexico’s first city to enact a law that allows for water releases into a river solely for use by the river. Lest we forget in this age of thirst, "A River Needs Water Too!" To get involved or make a donation contact the Santa Fe Watershed Association at: www.santafewa tershed.org, or contact robin@santafewatershed.org.
18TH ANNUAL BIKE SWAP
TO BENEFIT
Bike ABQ SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 10-3PM The Annual Bike Swap is a fund-raiser for BikeABQ, a non-profit bicycle advocacy organization in Albuquerque. It is an event many look forward to for either selling bicycle items or finding a good deal. This year it will be held on Saturday, April 21, between 10am and 3pm at Sport Systems, 6915 Montgomery NE, in Albuquerque. Bicycles and bicycle related items such as parts, clothing, trailers, and racks can be sold at the Bike Swap by checking in the items with BikeABQ
Volunteers at Sport Systems on Thursday and Friday, April 19 and 20th, between 10am and 6:30pm, also at Sport Systems on Mongomery. For details about selling items, including costs, see www.BikeABQ.org. On Saturday, some people arrive early (9am) to park and line up to await the sale opening at 10:00am. It is such a popular event that 50% of the items are sold in the first 3 hours. Usually there is quite a variety of bikes for sale – mountain, road, comfort, commuter, BMX, tandems, youth – in a wide range of vintages and prices. BikeABQ uses the proceeds of the Bike Swap to help make Albuquerque a more bicycle friendly city. For more information go to: www.BikeABQ.org.
co-op
comix
April 2012 15 STORY AND PENCILS BY RAS ELIJAH TAFARI, INKS AND LETTERS BY CHRISTOPH KNERR
TO BE CONTINUED
HASTA LA PROXIMA