La Montanita Co-op Administrative Offices 901 Menaul ˜ Blvd. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87107 www.lamontanita.coop
belong to a co-op? why not?.................................................................. co-ops work.
an answer for the
challenges that we face.
2012 THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR of the
Your community-owned natural foods grocery store
Why Join? -about good food and how it is produced
• You’re Empowered!
-to help support the local/regional food-shed
• You Vote!
La Montañita’s commitment to local food began over 25 years ago when its produce managers wanted more produce than was available from their regional distributor. Over the years and continuing today, La Montañita reaches out to consumers providing support and services to farming families and value-added producers to help keep their businesses afloat during rough times. In conjunction with local officials and community organizations, the co-op works to positively impact policy that supports local agriculture. La Montañita’s growth and commitment to local farmers led to one of their most ambitious projects to date, the Regional Food-Shed Project, which helps local producers secure markets for their products by distributing them not only to La Montañita’s five stores but to other retailers in the area. This minimizes the carbon footprint of farmers by reducing their transport time and costs and allows them to focus their energy and resources on farming their land and producing food. While there is still much to be done, the Food-Shed Project is already helping to boost the local economy through a robust, cooperatively based local and regional food system.
free
THE
I N TE R N AT I O N AL
YEA R
of
the
co-op
• You Care!
-Co-op principles & values & community ownership
stronger together
connection
˜ Co-op Join La Montanita
• You Support!
H H H H H H H H H H H H
j a n u a r y 2 012
-with your dollars for a strong local economy
• You Participate!
-providing direction and energy to the Co-op
• You Receive!
-member discounts, weekly specials & a patronage refund
• You Own It!
-an economic alternative for a sustainable future
In so many ways it pays to be a La Montanita ˜ Co-op Member/Owner
Great Reasons to be a Co-op Member • Pick up our monthly newsletter full of information on food, health, environment and your Co-op. • Member refund program: at the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchases. • Weekly member-only coupon specials as featured in our weekly sales flyer. Pick it up every week at any location to save more than your annual membership fee each week. • Banking membership at the New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union. • Member only discount days: take advantage of our special discount events throughout the year-for members only. • Special Orders: order large quantities of hard-to-find items at a 10% discount for members. • General membership meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations. Your participation is encouraged.
an answer for the
challenges that we face
H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
more money stays
LOCAL more jobs are created A N D
O U R
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G ROWS
A G A I N .
choose a co-op. local. trustworthy. dependable experts.
make history. build a better world. stronger together. absolutely............co-ops work.
THE NEW
MEXICO ORGANIC
Farming Conference FEB. 17-18
in ALBUQUERQUE BY JOANIE QUINN, NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT AGRICULTURE ORGANIC PROGRAM
OF
J
oin the information exchange as organic farmers and ranchers, researchers, and those who help move food from farm to fork gather for the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid, February 17-18, 2012. This two-day event will deliver practical information for farmers, ranchers, and market gardeners on topics ranging from soil building and Integrated Pest Management, to marketing and farming with horses.
ORGANIC GRAPE PRODUCTION Steve and Jane Darland of Old Monticello Farm grow grapes for the production of Traditional Aceto Balsamico of Monticello, as well as herbs, pomegranates and figs. Last winter the temperature dropped to 16 below in the vineyard (the grapes are rated safe to 9 degrees). The Darlands saved their vines with 21 straight days of triage pruning. Steve Darland will explore organic grape production from variety selection to siting to care and use.
NATIVE POLLINATORS As honeybees continue to struggle, producers across the country are discovering native pollinators and working to build habitat that will encourage pollinators rangAmericans may not be ing from inconspicuous flies to starving, but WE ARE huge bumblebees. The results are A MONTANITA CO-OP not only beautiful, but improve IS PROUD TO BE A SPONSOR OF THE pollination on the farm and increase the diversity of habitat N.M. ORGANIC FARMING so beneficial insects of all sorts CONFERENCE AGAIN THIS YEAR. can find a home and help with THIS IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH the work of farming. And, they THE CO-OP SUPPORTS OUR LOCAL do it for free! Strategies for FARMING COMMUNITY. building habitat and information
L
The keynote address, “Transforming Our Food System: Honoring Hope and Hard Work,” will be delivered by Bu Nygrens, coowner and Purchasing Manager of Veritable Vegetable, located in San Francisco, California. Established in 1974, VV is the nation’s oldest distributor of certified organic fruits and vegetables. There may not be anyone more familiar with organic fruits and vegetables and how they get to your plate than Bu Nygrens. Speaking from the perspective of over three decades as a champion and facilitator of organic production, Bu will challenge conference participants to join together to build a sustainable future. In addition to the keynote address, 36 workshop sessions will cover a wide range of topics. Highlights include: PERMACULTURE CASE STUDIES ON THE FARM Whether a small market farm or expansive western ranch, permaculture design can be a useful tool. We will be looking at examples of how farms of all shapes and sizes have implemented permaculture design concepts to reduce inputs from materials to labor and increase yields, all while improving farm health for long-term sustainability. Leslie Buerk of the Permaculture Institute will lead this nuts and bolts discussion of bottom-line benefits and lessons learned from real-world examples. SOIL WHISPERING: MAKING YOUR SOIL DO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO You’ve probably heard of horse whispering and dog whispering, but soil whispering? Dr. Ron Godin, organic soil guru, 2010 New Mexico Organic Farming Conference Educator of the Year, and Extension Agronomist for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Colorado State University, will lead you through previously uncharted territory, discussing how to listen to your soil by analyzing what yield, weed and disease problems are telling you, and how to answer back.
on some of the most interesting species will be provided. Gail Haggard, owner of Plants of the Southwest, will share insights from decades of study of plants and pollinators in the desert southwest. SEED GROWING 101 Organic Seed is the foundation of organic agriculture. However, most growers just purchase their seed and think very little about how important their seed choices are. There is a definite need for many more, knowledgeable organic seed growers to make the organic model sustainable. This workshop with Joshua Cravens, of the certified organic Jardin del Alma, will cover many seed related topics such as: isolation distances, the importance of population size, how growing seeds can diversify your harvest, what to look for when buying seed, understanding the difference between hybrids, open pollinated and heirloom varieties, what seed crops grow best in the southwest, along with a step-by-step talk on how to grow and clean seed. Any grower can benefit from this workshop and gain insight into the foundation of our farming systems, seeds! Other workshops include: Farming with Draft Animals; Bringing ’Em In: Farmers’ Market Marketing;
Coming Together to Build a
sustainable future!
A C T I O N F O R E C O N O M I C W E L L B E I N G A N D L O C A L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y !
FUN AND INFORMATIVE MARTHA WHITMAN, BOARD PRESIDENT Join La Montanita’s Board of Directors in an active and enlightening way to DO SOMETHING about issues that concern you and others. Cooperatives offer a way to maintain local control over one’s own destiny while contributing to the economic well-being and sustainability of the local community. Your Board of Directors will be hosting a Cooperative Study Circle using an eight-chapter course created by the East End Food Co-op in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s our hope that initiating such study circles will increase the awareness of the cooperative advantages and plant seeds for the creation of new cooperatives in New Mexico. Beginning in March we will meet once a month and have a discussion framed by that month’s readings. The chapter titles are Co-op Origins and History, Co-op Principles, Values and Philosophy, Cooperative Models, Cooperative Industry Sectors, Cooperatives Around the World, Cooperative Responses to Globalization, Creating the Cooperative Future, and A Legal Perspective on Co-ops. Each chapter contains five to eight articles that contribute the latest in cooperative thinking. SOUND INTRIGUING? We thought so. The Study Circle itself will be free to members. To participate, each
THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM, STRENGTHENING THE LOCAL ECONOMY Healthy, Happy, Chemical-free Bees: A Guide to Top-Bar Beekeeping; Plant Symptoms: What They Tell Us and What They Don’t; A Few of My Favorite Things — Appropriate Varieties for Your Microclimate/Altitude; The Organic Underground: Composting with Worms; Maximizing Greenhouse/Hoophouse Production; Wind Management; Science and Grazing Rotation; Soil Quality Test Kit: Carbon Activity; Estimating Nutrient Availability from Differing Cover/Green Manure Crops; IPM: Understanding Biological Controls; Soil 101; Home-based Canning; Organic Inspectors Speak Out: Mastering Organic Certification; Evaluating Irrigation Efficiency; Implementing GAPs; Two-ty Fruity: Jujubes and Figs Step into the Spotlight; Expanding into New Local Markets: Cooperative Approaches to Selling Wholesale; Farm Labor; Fire Proofing Your Ranch or Farm; The Real Scoop on Value-Added Production and so much more! Dr. Jon Boren, Associate Dean and Director of the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, and New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte will welcome participants to the Conference on Friday morning.On Saturday, participants will feast on local and organic food at a luncheon where the New Mexico Organic Farmer of the Year will be recognized. REGISTRATION FOR THE CONFERENCE, including Saturday’s luncheon, is $100. For more information call 505889-9921, or look for conference brochures at the Co-op. For hotel reservations, call 1-800-262-2043 by January 26th. Say you are part of the Organic Conference to get the special room rate. SEE YOU THERE!
NEW CO-OP PROJECT! BRINGING VETERANS & FARMERS TOGETHER! • Grow a corps of new food producers • Provide skills, healing and economic opportunities for Veterans • Build our local food economy
COOPERATIVE STUDY CIRCLE! BY
GROWING
member need only purchase the manual, at cost and available at our stores. We’ll meet in Albuquerque and if there is enough demand we’ll run a concurrent Study Circle in Santa Fe. We’re limiting each circle to 12 members and will provide light snacks for each two-hour monthly gathering. If you are interested please email us today at bod@lamontanita.coop.
giving TREE THANKS
!
Once again, you, our fabulous CO-OP COMMUNITY, have come forward to show just how GREAT you are!
FREE Basic Skills Training to Veterans of ALL Branches of service! See page 2 for details.
THANKS TO YOU, over 500 children in need in our communities had their holiday gift wishes come true. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you again this year for your support of this program. We are proud and honored to be able to serve a community with such a generous heart. You’re the best! Thanks again for your cooperative spirit. We hope this New Year is one of peace, prosperity and fulfillment, good health and great food for all! YOUR
WITH LOVE, CO-OP MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT
THANK YOU!
sustaining cultural 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 Santa Fe/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun. 913 West Alameda Santa Fe, NM 87501 984-2852 UNM Co-op ’N Go/ 7am-6pm M-F, 10-4pm Sat. Closed Sunday, 2301 Central Ave. SE Abq, NM 87131 277-9586
community
PUTTING VETERAN ON THE GROUND
BOOTS LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION FOR
The Veteran Farmer Seed Corps: Growing a Community of F-armies BY ROBIN SEYDEL or years we have been hearing about how the community of people who are producing our food is aging, especially farmers on small and mid-sized local family farms, with the average age somewhere between 57 and 65. If we are to continue to grow the local economy with sustainably produced food at its root, the importance of growing the next generation of farmers goes without saying.
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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 Valtierre/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
YOU OWN IT 2
The V.A. is providing practice garden plots for vets going through various programs on the V.A. campus and, thanks to the Downtown Action Team, a series of raised beds at the Alvarado Urban Farm Center at Second Street will be worked throughout the Skills Basic Training Sessions and beyond by interested veterans throughout the community. Additionally the McCune Foundation has offered seed money for—well, you guessed it—seeds, start trays, row covers and other start up equipment. FREE Farm Skills Basic Trainings The Farm Skills Basic Training Sessions begin this month with two overview gatherings to introduce teacher/mentors to interested veterans and a series of beginning classes to help us all get started.
NEW
Cooperative Distribution Center 901 Menual NE, Abq., NM 87107 217-2010 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
ing sessions to provide veterans of all stripes, from all areas of service, with the training they need to grow food for themselves and their families, to find jobs in the farm and ranching sectors, or to sell for income at farmers’ markets, through Co-op channels and/or other retail outlets.
CO-OP PROJECT
At the same time anyone who has listened to the news lately knows that we are pleased to be welcoming home some tens of thousands of veterans nationwide. This cause for great celebration is also a cause for concern as they come back to a struggling economy in which finding employment could be most difficult.
All interested veterans are welcome to come to these free skills training sessions. After vets have experienced Basic Training (pun intended!) the Land Link program of the Middle Region Council of Governments can connect vets with farmers/ ranchers in need of help and people with farmland in need of farmers for fun and profit. Also the La Montanita Fund will be available to provide low If we are to continue to grow cost loans to help new veteran farmers the local economy with get started producing food for their SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED families and for income.
FOOD
One of the most exciting parts of putting together a program of this nature has been the tremendous support we have received from all quarters, including but not limited to: Deborah Simon, John Shields, John Renna and Michael Rodarte at the Veterans Administration in Albuquerque; Joran Viers, Executive Director of the Bernalillo County Extension Service (BCES); Craig Mapel, Joanie Quinn and Brett Bakker of N.M. Department of Agriculture; Lora Roberts and of the Mid Region Council of Governments; Kristin Gangwar of Land Link; Chris Goblet and Rick Renne of the Downtown Action Team; Elyse Wheeler of the Veteran Integration Center; Shane D’Onofrio of What Would You Give; Americans Helping Veterans; and a team of local expert farmers, ranchers, permaculture educators, master gardeners, master composters, business skills teachers and more.
at its root, the importance of growing the next generation of farmers goes without saying.
So when I heard the Veteran Farmer Coalition members speak at the national Eco-Farm Conference in Asilomar, California, last year, I was totally inspired. Veterans and farmers who spoke at that workshop shared stories of healing both themselves and the land, and they brought tears to my eyes. I decided to see if we could organize a similar program here in New Mexico. What a perfect way to find solutions to two most pressing problems; finding good jobs for family and friends returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and all other veterans, while ensuring that we all continue to get and eat healthy locally produced, fresh food. Finding ways to integrate these two communities seems a natural concept given that both groups need tremendous discipline, strength, courage and resilience in the face of daunting challenges; and a willingness to serve.
See the first three months of the 2012 Veteran Farmer Skills Basic Trainings below.
The Project From the start members of the farming community and Coop members who work at the V.A. were more than supportive. They rolled up their sleeves and dug in. Together we continue to work to put together a series of skills train-
FREE VETERAN FARMER SKILLS BASIC TRAINING
A
ll Skills Basic Trainings will be held at the Downtown Action Team Offices at First Street and Gold except for the 1/11/2012 overview that will be held at the V.A. Campus Education Center. For more information, newly added classes and the most up-to-date schedules, contact Robin at 505-2172027, or toll free outside of Albuquerque 877775-2667, or e-mail her at robins@lamontanita. coop. All classes are at 4pm unless otherwise noted. FREE TO ALL VETERANS! JANUARY SCHEDULE Veteran Farmer Basic Training Overview Jan. 11th: V.A. Education Center Jan. 12th: Downtown Action Team Offices, at 1st Street and Gold Jan. 19th: Picking Your Seeds, Brett Bakker, NMDA, formerly of Native Seed/SEARCH Jan. 25th: Building Soil and Fertility, Joran Viers, Cheryl Kent Jan. 30th: Season Extension, Row Cover Building, Gabe Baker, (BCES) FEBRUARY SCHEDULE Feb. 9th: Basic Botany: How Plants Grow, Joran Viers, Bernalilo County Extension Feb. 16th: Getting a Head Start: Seeding Start Trays, Gabe Baker or Gina Garland, (BCES) Feb. 25th: Permaculture in the Garden, Michael Reed, Farmer, Permaculture Educator
MARCH SCHEDULE March 10th: The Blessing of Bees: Learning the Basics of Pollination and Honey Production, Loretta McGrath, Coordinator, the New Mexico Pollinator Project March 16th: Boots and Roots Down, More Starts, More Seeds and Transplanting and Seeding Beds, Martin Sanchez, NMDA, East Mountain Organics, Ron Job, Veteran Master Gardener March 17th: Growing Compost Part 1: 1pm, Master Compost program, Omar Sadek, Master Composter Program March 22nd: Season Extension, Continued, Working with Row Covers, Eli Berg, Chispas Farms March 24th: Growing Compost Part 2: 1pm, Master Compost program, Omar Sadek, Master Composter Farming and Gardening Basic Training Sessions will continue in upcoming months. Teachers and dates TBA in future Co-op Connection news issues. Other upcoming sessions include: Dealing with Pests, Integrated Pest and Weed Management, Tool Use and Maintenance, Water Management, Beekeeping, Happy Hens and Urban Chicks, other animal husbandry topics, Feed the Family, the Neighbors and Your Wallet—Marketing Food Farm Business Skills, Resource Guide for Veteran Farmers. For more information contact Robin at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667 or robins@lamontanita.coop.
January 2012
sustaining cultural
community
ALBUQUERQUE’S DOWNTOWN GROWERS’ MARKET ALLIANCE:
THE BUSINESS OF
FARMING
Calling ALL FARMERS! BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER n the short, cold, arid days of January, I sometimes like to sit and daydream about an abundant summer garden as a way to fend off a looming case of the Februaries. The early months of the year provide a time to not only imagine the abundance of the year to come, but also to plan for it.
I
To this end, the Bernalillo County Extension Office and the Albuquerque Growers’ Market Alliance are co-sponsoring a series on business planning for small farms called Financial Success and Business Sustainability for Small Market Farmers. Extension Agent John Garlisch will host six sessions over the course of three days in January and six sessions over the course of three days in February followed by one-on-one consultation for those who need or desire it. The course is limited to 15 participants, spaces are available on a first-come first-served basis, and classes will be held at the Bernalillo County Extension Offices at 1510 Menaul Blvd NW. Specific dates and times are still being set. This FREE, two-part course will focus on the nuts and bolts of developing a business plan for a small market farm. Most farmers grow vegetables because the idea of sitting behind a computer or doing paperwork rank near the top of the list of “Least Favorite Things to Do,” which means that developing a business plan, by extension, falls on that list. But according to Garlisch, it can be the one tool in the shed that makes or breaks a farm. The course begins with a discussion of possible business models for your farm, and then gives direction on where and how to file the appropriate paperwork to register the business, once you’ve decided how it will be structured. Over the course of the series, Garlisch covers developing good bookkeeping practices, tax forms for agriculture, market research and marketing, financial and human resource planning, exit strategies, and more. By the end of the course, if you do your homework, you should have a working business plan to approach possible
funding sources, property owners, or investors to help you start or expand your farm. While the national economy continues to collapse, demand for local food, and awareness about its benefits, seems to be expanding. Farming represents a good opportunity to develop an independent small business that fosters a stronger local economy and a healthy community. If you’ve ever considered farming as a way to work for yourself and earn supplemental income, now may be the time. Resources for small farmers, while limited in dollars and cents, are rich in community networks, shared resources, and accessible information to help launch or expand a farm. This year a number of local food and small farm advocates have come together to devise ways in which to better support growers. Since July of 2011, a team including the USDA, NMSU Extension Agents, Growers’ Market managers, USDA Rural Development, La Montanita Co-op, the Cooperative Development Center of New Mexico (CDCNM), the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) Agricultural Collaborative, and others have come together to build networks to support new and existing small farms in sustainable success. Last year marked the advent of many exciting resources for small market farmers. Just to name a few—the Land Link Program (www.localfoodnm.org) through the MRCOG connects new farmers to mentorship and fields, and land owners to growers; the La Montanita Loan Fund provides low-interest, non-conventional loans to small farmers through community investment; and the Cooperative Development Center of New Mexico organizes and trains growers to plant arable land for organic farming. These developments mean the demand for local food, the work of trailblazing small farmers, and committed advocacy groups have created clearer pathways towards starting a small farm in New Mexico. Whether you are a gardener looking to take the leap towards a small produce business or a farmer looking to strengthen or expand your business, Sustainability for Small Market Farmers is a great place to begin putting your plans on paper and making your January farm dreams come true this spring. For more information about the course contact John Garlisch, garlisch@nmsu.edu, 505-2431545, or Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, info@downtowngrowers.com, 505-221-6404.
KESHET DANCE COMPANY: GROWING THE ARTS IN THE SAWMILL DISTRICT
K
eshet Dance Company was founded in 1996 by Shira Greenberg as a professional dance company that provides outreach programs for troubled, homeless and at-risk youth, as well as dancers of all ages with physical disabilities. Keshet’s mission is to inspire passion and open unlimited possibilities through the experience of dance by uniting professional dancers with the community. Offering approximately 60 classes per week and reaching over 8,000 community members annually, Keshet programs include an annual season of 3-5 productions featuring the Repertory company, which integrates professional and local artists, an on-going dance school, an intensive Pre-Professional Training Program, a variety of outreach programs bringing dance to low-income, at-risk, homeless and incarcerated youth, and a program for youth and adults with physical disabilities. The professional dancers at Keshet are more than just dancers as they facilitate some of these programs. They work with the community as instructors and mentors to provide young artists with guidance along a professional career path, increase youth health and self-esteem, provide a strong base of positive mentorship for homeless and incarcerated youth and demolish misconceptions about individuals with physical disabilities. In 2009, Keshet was one of 15 youth programs in the nation to receive the prestigious “Coming Up Taller” Award from First
CO-OP PROGRAM
DONATE your BAG CREDIT!
Lady Michelle Obama. This award is the nation’s highest honor for arts and humanities programs serving young people. In 2011, artistic director Shira Greenberg was named New Mexico Business Weekly’s top performing CEO in the nonprofit category. Since its inception, Keshet has presented over 50 productions, and impacted the lives of over 50,000 children and adults. This number will increase dramatically upon the completion of the new Keshet Performing Arts Center (KPAC), a 36,000-square-foot facility slated to break ground early this year. The facility will be located in the Sawmill Village, within the Sawmill Community Land Trust. The Center will house over 13,000 square feet of dance space within 5 dance studios; a 200-seat black box theatre; yoga, Pilates and multi-purposes areas; educational and performance support spaces, including an arts education library, costume shop, technical theatre space, dressing rooms, student lounge, and a box office. In addition to the administrative office of Keshet Dance Company, the center will also house the administrative offices of the New Mexico Water Collaborative, the New Mexico Ballet Company, and Mother Road Theatre Company, a physical/ sports therapy practice, indoor/outdoor community gathering spaces integrating the greater Sawmill community, and a new organic food restaurant created by Annapurna’s owner Yashoda Naidoo. For more information about Keshet Dance Company, visit www.keshetdance.org or contact us at 505-2249808 or at info@keshetdance.org.
BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME! JANUARY BAG CREDIT DONATIONS: Go to Keshet Dance Company: Providing programs for troubled, homeless and at-risk youth, and dancers of all ages and physical abilities, and inspiring passion and opening possibilities through the experience of dance. Your NOVEMBER bag credit donations, totaling $1,755.90, were given to St. Elizabeth’s Shelter in Santa Fe. Thanks to all who donated!
DONATE January 2012
THE DIME!
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 Food Market, 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
conscious
consumer
plants are our
ALLIES! BY JESSIE
EMERSON, RN, CLINICAL HERBALIST he New Year is a time when people traditionally renew their commitments to improve their health and lifestyle. This year, 2012, is no exception. Added to the usual concerns of not smoking and weight loss is the concern about radiation released from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. This is a valid concern.
T
The power plant is still operating and releasing radioactivity into the air, water, and soil. Clean-up has not fully started and will not start until sometime this year when there is a cold shut down. According to Michio Kaku, physicist from Japan and author of Physics of the Future, "We do not have control, it is still a time bomb. The crises is not solved or contained." Winds and ocean currents are taking radioactivity around the world. Whether from Fukushima or not, we are seeing iodine-131 in milk in New York, and cesium-137 in Philadelphia's water supply. Activists studying the issue in Albuquerque, after perusal of the data, believe that there is plutonium in the finished water from the diversion plant. Water Utility officials will only say that plutonium levels are below E.P.A. regulatory concern. Jeff Patterson, D.O., past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility said, “There is not a safe level of radionuclide exposure. Whether from food, water or other sources; period! Exposures to radionuclides such as iodine-131 and cesium-137 increase incidences of cancer." The Reactor Concepts Manual on biological effects of radiation says, "With any exposure to radiation there is some risk." The effects of radiation include cell death, teratogenic mutations (embryonic mutations), genetic mutations and the creation of free radicals. Free radicals create a chain of chemical events that can effect a key molecule in cellular replication (mitosis) by creating or interfering with the normal function of the affected cell; cancer is one of the results. Those most affected by radiation are unborn, babies and young children (whose cells are rapidly multiplying) those with weakened immune systems and those who are malnourished. The health of the individual at the time of exposure is a key factor.
January 2012 4
VITAMIN A AND RADIOLOGICAL tions and not by the ions produced by radiations." The body attempts to fight or neutralize the changes caused by free radicals and restore balance. Agents that neutralize free radicals are called antioxidants. Vitamins A, C, and E are antioxidants. When the antioxidant vitamin A is used up in the process of neutralizing a free radical, the immune system is weakened. Unless replenished, Vitamin A neglects its other functions; building the immune system, protecting the lungs, protecting the eyes, bone development, cell growth, red blood cell production and skin integrity. Symptoms of free radical toxicity include premature aging, senility, destruction of DNA, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, cataracts, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. There is one super plant in the southwest that protects and cleanses the body of free radicals. It is Larrea tridentata, (a.k.a. Gobernadora, Hediondilla, Shoegoi, Creosote bush) most commonly known as Chaparrel. Larrea tridentata is a powerful antioxidant. It contains NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid) that works by stabilizing vitamin A, ending the free radical chain reaction before vital molecules are harmed. Native American people of the Sonoran desert have used it to treat illness for centuries. To the Tohono O'Dom, Shoego, as they call it, is a sacred plant that is used in ceremonies. This plant should be used with respect—and moderation. It is not for use by people with overt kidney or liver disease or when pregnant. Plants for Health A balanced daily diet includes foods rich in beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A, which is made in the body. The current recommended daily allowance for vitamin A is 5,000 international units (IU). While the food that contains the most B-carotene is liver (eat only organic). I prefer to get my "A" in salsa made with cilantro. Besides being delicious, traditional southwestern foods are some of the best antioxidant foods.
DETOX
The Aztec and other natives of the Americas used chili both as food and medicine. Red pepper, paprika, cayenne and chili powder contain 12960 ug. of carotene and block free radical activity. Cilantro, another much loved New Mexican food, contains 6748 IU of "A". Crush fresh cilantro, add enough water to make a paste, season with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice and sprinkle over salad, grains and beans. One of my favorite wild foods is the humble and often persecuted Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. One cup of leaves contains more "A" than a carrot (10161 IU ). But be sure to collect your dandelions and all wild foods well away from roadways and neighbors who might be using herbicidal chemicals. No garden or greenhouse should ever be without this power packed plant—and you can even eat the flower! Another plant high in "A" which grows just about anywhere and everywhere is lambsquarters. One cup contains 11600 IUs. They can be added to salads or lightly steamed and eaten like spinach. In fact it is called wild spinach by most Native Americans. Last summer I collected lambsquarters, dandelion leaves and mallow, dried them and made a "Green Powder" that I have been adding to my soups and gravies and sprinkling on my salads. Green tea is both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Enjoy a cup daily. Add some mint to the tea and you have added extra vitamins and minerals to your diet and extra protection form radiation and other free radical-causing agents. Dark greens and yellow veggies, including all the winter squash, also have healthy quantities of A. Eat as many raw veggies as you can, they contain digestive enzymes and are living food. Remember in this battle to protect ourselves from radiation, and the other toxins to which we are exposed daily, plants are our allies! Watch upcoming Co-op Connection news issues for more of Jessie Emerson’s Plants Are Our Allies series. Jessie Emerson is a RN with 47 years of experience and a clinical herbalist who received her training from Michael Moore. She lives in the Santa Fe area.
Vitamins Neutralize The textbook Medical Radiation Biology, (page 10) says, “Radiation damage to organic molecules occurs almost exclusively by free-radical interac-
Red,Green or... ROUND UP
READY?
BY MELISSA KOCH ew Mexico is one of those rare places that people relocate to primarily for the culture, beauty of the land, and the attitude. New Mexico has its own feel primarily because of its long and varied cultural history. New Mexicans are a proud bunch. In fact, this may be the only state where people tattoo the Zia symbol on their bodies, and where it is socially acceptable and even considered cool to wear a t-shirt with the state symbol on it. New Mexico residents and visitors both agree that our state has its own flavor. If one takes time to think about it, several things that typify
N
this flavor come to mind: one of these is our famous chile and the classic question: red or green? The chile, as a cultural icon, is facing big changes. Larger NM chile farms here (including Bueno Foods), claim that they are losing out to foreign competitors who are able to grow and export chile at a lower cost. As a result, NMSU has received about $200,000 to research new ways to compete in the global chile market. According to an article on NMSU's website, these include new ways of “...fertilization, plant bed fumigation, weed control, and breeding, plus discussions on the possible development of a genetically-modified chile.” Bueno Foods senior vice president and New Mexico Chile Association (NMCA) president, Gene Baca is quoted in the same article as saying, “You cannot be afraid of science, you have to understand chile, the genetics, and then make a decision on what works and is safe for consumers.” And, according to the savenmseed.org website, “A GE chile is currently being developed by New Mexico State University for the New Mexico Chile Association. This seed may be available within 1-2 years (as stated by a NMSU representative at a meeting of the Economic and Rural Development Committee, September 2010).” In fact the NMCA supports the creation of the GE chile by NMSU. When asked via email if Seco Spice (a NMCA member), whose products are both organic and conventional, supports the creation of GE chile, the response was “I don't know where you would have heard that we support genetic modification of chile, but we do NOT.” A follow up e-mail was sent which explained Seco Spice's support of the GE chile and affiliation with the NMCA. The NMCA supports the creation of GE chile; supports NMSU's quest to create the chile and also lobbied against a recent bill that would have promoted seed sovereignty in New Mexico and consequently, would have stopped NMSU's GE chile from being commercialized. Therefore, it logically follows that any supporter/ member of the NMCA is in support of GE chile.
The CO-OP Foodshed Project: Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in fresh, fair and local food.
Threats of GE Chile GE chile poses many threats, including possibly devestating problems for New Mexico’s ecology and human health. GE chile is specifically being created to be RoundUp (glyphosate) Ready, meaning that chile plants growing in their respective fields can be sprayed with Monsanto’s RoundUp. This herbicide will kill all herbaceous plants except chile with the RoundUp Ready gene. Besides the ecological damage to the land and watersheds, glyphosate saturated chile can easily cross pollinate with other chiles via bees and other pollinators even though they are classically self-pollinated. Chile seeds have been chosen and saved for generations in New Mexico and small chile farmers are proud of their heirloom chiles' distinct characteristics. The threat of cross pollinated chile with GE chile seed is likely to be devastating to small chile farmers who depend on their heirloom chile with its unique taste and traits that are attuned to the climate, soils, canyons and valleys in which it has developed over the generations. This threatens a very important aspect of New Mexico's cultural heritage. Unfortunately, in the business world, it appears to boil down to compromises for profit at the expense of the environment and human life. Since the NMCA is the only official chile related lobby group, it is worrisome that their agenda seems to lean more towards the ability to compete in a global market no matter what the cost to our environment, cultural heritage, or personal health. Please join in the effort to educate friends, family, and coworkers, buy chile from reputable growers who are not affiliated with the NMCA, lobby the NMCA and its members to stop the bio-piracy inherent in the genetic modification of our precious cultural heritage and keep our New Mexican flavor strong! For more information go to www.savenmseed.org.
K E E P O U R C U LT U R A L F L AV O R
GE FREE!
SHOP
CO-OP!
great grains
January 2012 5 recipe down to bare basics: no dirtying of hands at all! I don't knead, I don't coat a towel, dust with cornmeal or bran, or coat with any extra flour. I use varying amounts of whole wheat flour and my family is used to dense, hearty 100% whole wheat. But it is still wonderful that way. The method still plumps it up.
THE ROMANCE OF
BREAD BAKING! BY AMYLEE UDELL aking bread was once a far-reaching, romantic idea. So far off, I didn't even let the thought of doing it myself cross my mind. Bread from scratch involved kneading with both hands for lengths of time during which one of my children could climb in, out or onto or disassemble something. I just couldn't imagine the time involved. "I'll just leave it to my trusty bread maker," I decided. "That bread's OK." Then, in late 2006, came the advent of No-Knead Bread.
B
The New York Times article by Jim Lahey intrigued me and I had to try the recipe right away. It rocked my world. I completely messed up my first batch. With no experience baking bread, I didn't know what "wet" dough meant. I made a pourable batter instead of a dough. But it still turned out delicious! This recipe is quite forgiving: once I put the bread in the oven, nursed my baby to sleep, feel asleep myself and left it in 2 hours too long. We still ate it! This method can also be easily adapted for pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, sweet breads, and more. It is so easy, forgiving and delicious, I gave away my bread maker. The best part was that I could control the ingredients in our bread. If you go to a grocery store, pick up a loaf of bread. Some have quite a list of ingredients, including vegetable oils and lots of other unpronounceable ingredients. This recipe, as I make it now, contains only water, 100% home-ground, whole wheat flour, sourdough starter and salt.
easy
bread MAKING!
So, what makes this method so "revolutionary" yet so easy? 1. Instead of kneading, doing the work of aligning gluten molecules to help them bind into a strong, elastic network, time does that work. A long, slow ferment not only "kneads" the bread for you, but helps make the flour more digestable. 2. A preheated, covered baking dish helps cook the crust quickly and seals in the rest of the dough’s moisture. 3. A VERY small amount of yeast or sourdough starter 4. No special equipment!
Many people are also discovering a similar method outlined in the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It also uses time to produce bakery-quality bread. I've enjoyed a few loaves, but find myself returning to my NoKnead Bread. The Five Minutes method uses a lot of yeast and other ingredients (especially in their "healthier," whole grain versions) and it hasn't worked as well with using only whole-wheat flour. It also calls for more long-term storage space and more strategic, precise timing. If you are interested in making your own bread but, like me, were intimidated, do try one of these methods. You can fill your house with the inimitable aroma of homemade bread and your bellies with a wholesome food. If you would like to try making a loaf of No-Knead bread with a little guidance, join me for a No-Knead Bread class on Sat., Jan. 7, at 4pm at www.abqoldschool.com.
AMYLEE UDELL is a mother of three children and is usually found in her kitchen. In addition to teaching at Old School she also owns www.InspiredABQ.com.
Finally, it's flexible and forgiving. Don't have a full 18 hours? You'll probably be fine at 12. Forget you set it out and leave it too long? It'll be OK. Too wet? Leave it in too long? It will still be yummy! I've worked this
NO KNEAD BREAD! Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, Time: About 1 hour plus 14 to 20 hours rising 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast 1 1/4 teaspoons salt Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with
flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. 4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Yield: One, 1 pound loaf.
B E AT I N G T H E W I N T E R T I M E
BLUES
BY LISA KIVIRIST AND JOHN IVANKO inter is a season wrapped in contradictions. Cold outside and warm inside! After the chaotic rush of the fall harvest and holiday season, we crave hibernation and cuddling with a book around the woodstove. But by the time we pack the tinsel after the holidays, the groundhog reminds us we still have a long stretch of winter to go and cabin fever hits. The looming weeks before we can get back into our growing fields can feel like an eternity.
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But don’t despair! A dash of freshness can thaw wintertime blues. Here’s how we break free and enjoy those slower weeks leading up to the flurry of spring activity: 1. PURGE: Undoubtedly there’s something in your house right now that could use an ambush purge. Create some needed breathing space by decluttering, donating or freecycling your old stuff. You’ll feel like you lost ten pounds instantaneously. Top areas that could probably use a purge: kitchen drawers, bathroom cabinets, clothing closets. 2. REKINDLE: Now is the time to revive and finish projects that have been floating half-mast for a while, things we started with good intentions and never had time to finish. To keep from getting overwhelmed, just pick one thing to complete. Finish that cross-stitch project, paint the bathroom, or add sten-
cils to the hallway. We rekindle cooking ideas misplaced on the back-burner, such as making homemade yogurt or perfecting our sourdough bread. Or get that beer brewing in anticipation of summertime parties and potlucks. 3. EXPOSE: Depending on where you live, you may need to bury under layers of clothing this time of year, but we can still think of ways to expose and open up our mind to new perspectives. Our farmsteadchef.com website offers ideas of books to read, movie documentaries to watch—like “King Corn”—or organizations leading the way to a healthier food system for all. 4. PLAY: Sprinkle some silly into your day with an unexpected surprise. Garner giggles from your kids by serving popcorn for breakfast, setting up camping gear in the living room for a fun sleepover or hosting a “soup night” like the Carus family does in our town (a “Kitchen Table Talk” in Farmstead Chef) by getting three pots of soup going and inviting over friends. Or play with your food with an evening making pasta from scratch. The above article is adapted by the authors from themes found in Rural Renaissance, ECOpreneuring’s latest cookbook, Farmstead Chef (farmsteadchef.com), filled with stories and recipes to nourish and inspire.
WIN A COPY OF
FARMSTEAD CHEF! MEMBERS put your name, member number, and phone number in the glass fish bowl at either the Nob Hill Co-op, the North Valley Co-op or the Santa Fe Co-op and WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK, FARMSTEAD CHEF by Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko.
Look for the BOOK Farmstead Chef at your favorite INDEPENDENT bookstore
co-op news Beyond Organics: Don’t Go
SYNTHETIC! BY ANNA BIAVA, BEYOND ORGANICS
I
f you take a vitamin C or E supplement, it’s time to trade it in for the real thing; food based supplements! Vitamin C is found in relatively high concentrations in certain foods, including acerola berries, citrus fruit, blueberries, broccoli sprouts and others. This important vitamin is accompanied by hundreds of phytonutrients that work with it to improve health. In citrus, for example, familiar compounds include rutin and hesperidin, but more potent ones include naringin, tangeretin, and limonene, just to mention a few. Potential dangers of synthetic Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in doses as low as 200 to 500 mg include DNA damage (which can be a first step in cancer production), increased risk of atherosclerosis, and its conversion to a pro-oxidant — just the opposite of a beneficial antioxidant. Oxidation puts undue stress on the immune system and speeds the aging process. In addition, Vitamin C in foods is better absorbed than synthetic forms. Vitamin C from citrus, for example, is much more efficiently absorbed and utilized than synthetic vitamin C. In addition, synthetic vitamin C is more quickly eliminated by the body than natural forms. Finally, ascorbic acid is synthesized from conventionally grown corn which is almost always genetically modified. Vitamin E is called alpha-tocopherol. However, alpha-tocopherol is only one of eight compounds in the vitamin E complex. The alpha-tocopherol fraction of the E complex does not normally exist alone in nature but usually occurs with three other tocopherols — beta, delta, and gamma, and four tocotrienols that include alpha, beta, delta and gamma. These other components of the vitamin E complex can be more important than alpha-tocopherol alone. For example, gamma-tocopherol is very common in natural foods and is more effective than alpha-tocopherol as an antioxidant, especially in relation to controlling the oxidation of unsaturated fats. Additionally, tocotrienols are powerful substances that have potent anti-cancer actions, reduce cholesterol and perform other vital tasks.
January 2012 6
LOCAL PRODUCT
SPOTLIGHT
Unbalanced, high doses of alpha-tocopherol have been linked in scientific studies to an increase in all causes of mortality, and can negatively affect antiinflammatory chemical production, cause generalized muscle weakness, decrease thyroid hormone levels and slightly increase fasting triglyceride levels. Like high-dose vitamin C, high-dose vitamin E may also become a pro-oxidant — and be counterproductive to its antioxidant function. Beyond Organics Daily Vitamin C Complex, Immune Complex, and Daily Multiple are made using certified-organic foods to obtain the full complex of natural nutrients. In addi-
tion to containing the specific vitamins, such as C or E, they also contain all the associated vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients normally found in the foods as they occur in nature. Beyond Organics is also one of the only C supplements on the market that is verifiably non-GMO. If you are used to grabbing the closest box of highdose synthetic vitamin C off the shelf in case of emergency, think again. Make the switch to a supplement that has raw, organic, wholefoods as the source of vitamin C. That’s Beyond Organics-a New Mexico Company. Ask for it in your favorite Co-op Supplement department.
Nob Hill Staff Picks:
IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT AND NEW YEAR
DETOXIFICATION BY CHRIS HARTSTOCK, NOB HILL HBA MANAGER IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT: NEW CHAPTER LIFESHIELD IMMUNITY CAPSULES: The fruiting bodies, spores and mycelium (roots) of 10 different medicinal mushrooms. The combination of all of these goes deep to support the immune system at the cellular level.
GAIA QUICK DEFENSE CAPSULES: Use as a rapid response at the onset of symptoms. Includes the herbs echinacea, adrographis, black elderberry and ginger root. People who try it swear by it. HERBS ETC., IMMUNO-BOOST TINCTURE: Supports a fast-acting immune response for both upper and lower respiratory symptoms. Contains all echinacea parts, astragalus and osha root.
DETOXIFICATION: MICHAEL’S ULTIMATE DETOX & CLEANSE: A two-week program which supports the cleansing of colon, liver, blood and fat. Use three packets a day, prepackaged, convenient and an excellent formula. HEEL HOMEOPATHIC DETOX KIT: 3 bottles of liquid homeopathic drops which you pour into your water and sip throughout the day for the elimination of toxins and the stimulation of cleansing. Very convenient and gentle! HEALTH FORCE NUTRITIONAL ZEROFORCE DAILY DETOX: An earthen clay which has a negative charge to bind with toxins for safe elimination. It is also an alkalinizing supplement for the body.
co-op news THE INSIDE
January 2012 7
SCOOP
THIS JANUARY IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR US! We are settling into our new office/warehouse space! The lease of our office/warehouse space located at Columbia Drive ended December 31, 2011. We could have renewed our lease but it had become too small to house our growing Co-op. We made the decision mid- 2011 to search for a new location that will grow with us. After months of searching, we found an ideal space at 901 Menaul Boulevard NE, in Albuquerque. This new space expands our warehouse capacity from 7,000 square feet to almost 18,000 square feet. We have increased our freezer and cooler
space to better accommodate our growing produce, meat, dairy and frozen business. Our new office space has not increased in size but will be more efficient and pleasant to work in. This new warehouse and office space will enhance our ability to serve our communities, provide more local food to our membership and positions us well for future growth. Please drop by for a tour. We are still organizing but welcome your visit. As always, contact me anytime at terryb@lamontanita.coop or by phone at 505-217-2020. Thanks for your continued support! -TERRY
Calendar of Events Veteran Farmer Skills, Basic Training Classes See page 2 for a complete schedule! 1/17 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 1/23 Member Engagement Meeting, 5:30pm, TBA
new location’s proximity to freeway ramps and the “pullthrough” warehouse space, both of which will enable trucks to load and unload much faster than the dock at the old location allowed.
GENERAL MANAGER’S COLUMN
NEW HOME for the CO-OP Distribution
CENTER T
increasingly well over time, expansion and improvement has been limited by the size of our available warehouse space.
BY ROB MOORE he years have been kind to the Co-op, thanks in greatest measure to the support and patronage of you, our membership. In the over two decades we have grown from a single store in Nob Hill, to five (count ‘em!) locations throughout the state, including our wonderful neighborhood spot on Rio Grande, a terrific store in Santa Fe, a bold little outpost in Gallup, and our newest presence, a store servicing a very hungry and very aware good-foods group of students and faculty on the UNM main campus in Albuquerque. And of course the Nob Hill store continues to be a cheerful and welcoming anchor at Carlisle and Central.
Distribution Center Manager, Michelle Franklin, described some of the advantages of the new location, and highlighted some of the opportunities the move will bring.
This positive growth has come with some challenges, to be sure. Part of La Montanita’s work toward developing the community and enriching our future has been our Co-op Distribution Center, which has served as the hub of your Co-op’s efforts to develop a robust and expansive regional food network. Only a few years into the work and the CDC is helping to connect sellers, growers and producers to markets in and around New Mexico. The program has been developing nicely, and while the CDC has been doing
“The setup of the new location will allow us to increase our refrigeration space and capacity, which in turn will enable us to increase the amount of food we can buy from suppliers. If there is an opportunity to buy a large amount of local produce, for example, we will have the ability to take advantage of it, thanks to the new space.” Michelle was also excited about the
But as of this issue, your Co-op Distribution Center and our administrative offices have a new home, in a bigger and better space, at 901 Menaul NE, in Albuquerque. This new space will not only be an improvement for the folks who work behindthe-scenes to keep your Co-op humming along, but will also give us much needed room to grow.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Election Results
BY KRISTY DECKER Congratulations to our new board members Susan, Lisa and Jake! Also, thank you to Lonn for running and for your previous board work. NEXT YEAR ELECTRONIC VOTING The board is excited to begin getting ready for next year’s electronic voting option. Please go to the info desk and provide us with your email address so you can participate electronically, thus reducing paper use and saving trees! You can be assured the Co-op will keep all your personal information confidential, as usual. Finally, a big THANK YOU to those members who voted! Your participation is an expression of the direct exercise of your rights and responsibilities as an owner of our Co-op, a democratic, communityowned organization. It also shows your support of
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
Santa Fe’s Gonzales Elementary: Life Skills Lessons Gonzales Community School’s Life Skills class is learning more about the value of fresh foods, their preparation and taste thanks to a generous donation by La Montanita Co-op. The Life Skills class is learning mathematics, reading, new fine motor skills and organizational skills through meal preparation. Planning for and preparation of healthy food has been an engaging task in which all students in the Life Skills class can participate. Students have real life experiences in using a budget, planning meals, organizing the food preparation, purchasing food and cooking. Using the Co-op for shopping gives the students experience in categorization of different food groups. They do price comparisons and look at the ingredients of the
The increase in space and capacity also means that La Montanita’s CDC can focus on developing new markets for the items we distribute. The CDC already sells to every single food Co-op in New Mexico (something that makes me very proud) as well as a number of other grocery stores and retail outlets. A new part of the venture is furthering our supply role with area restaurants, something that is already in progress but now has room to grow thanks to the new location. The increase in space will enable the CDC to accept and process larger orders, a benefit for both your Co-op and restaurants alike. The larger space will also allow us to better tend the MoGro program, the mobile grocery project that serves food deserts that otherwise have little or no access to healthier, non-processed foods. The new location allows the MoGro truck to be stored inside the building when needed, which will protect the trailer from unnecessary wear and save energy, as well as make it much easier to stock. Like any move, this one has carried an element of melancholy… the “old” space, after all, was base to our offices and operations for long enough to feel homey and comfortable. But like the best of changes, this move will bring great advantage and opportunity and a chance to begin a new path into the New Year and well beyond. Your Coop continues to grow stronger and better, and that sort of change is well worth the move.
Sweet Grass Beef Sticks & Jerky
the alterative economic business model that our cooperative represents. GO CO-OP!
2011 ELECTION and BYLAW AMENDMENT RESULTS* Susan McAllister 640 Lisa Barnwarth-Kuhn 612 Jake Garrity 599 Lonn Calanca 566 Bylaw Amendment #1: Electronic Voting For 803/Against 58 Bylaw Amendment #2: Spelling/Grammatical Errors For 847/Against 19 *Results are Pending Board Approval
foods they purchase. Most importantly it gives them a connection to the community at La Montanita Co-op. -THANK YOU LA MONTANITA CO-OP KATHY GLASER-BLOCK Native American Community Academy THANK YOU! The Native American Community Academy deeply appreciates the generosity of La Montanita Co-op and its members. Your bag donations benefited our school and students greatly. With your support we were able to provide calculators for our students to better prepare for higher level math, a community cultural event with families engaged in our culture and served over 700 people at the Annual NACA Community Celebration and Feast Day. We are grateful for your partnership! Ahe'hee! -WITH DEEP APPRECIATION, KARA BOBROFF, PRINCIPAL NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY ACADEMY (NACA)
NEW! At Your CO-OP… Sweet Grass Co-op Beef Jerky and Beef Sticks! Delicious, grass-raised, cooperatively-made, and on your La Montanita shelves right now! Treat yourself to Peppered or Chile Pequin Jerky or enjoy an original or Jalapeno Beef Stick: FRESH, NATURAL, AND OH SO TASTY!
LOCAL
more money stays
H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
2012 THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR of the
challenges
an answer for the
belong to a co-op? why not?........................................................co-ops work.
CO M M U N I T Y
G ROWS
A G A I N .
{WHY CO-OPS MATTER} H H
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way business is done H
s t r o n g e r t o g e t h e r . a b s o l u t e ly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c o - o p s w o r k .
make history. build a better world.
choose a co-op. local. trustworthy. dependable experts.
H the
drive the economy respond to social change
co-operation builds strong bonds between the people who use products and the people who supply them, co-ops offer a way to
More than 800 million people around the world belong to co-operatives, and at least 100 million of them are employed by co-ops. and more often than you probably realize, co-ops play a vital part of your everyday life.
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more jobs are created
warm it
up
holiday Soup
U stravaganza Winter Melon Soup For broth 1 (3 to 3 1/2-lb) whole chicken 1 bunch scallions, halved crosswise 2 oz cured country ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating 1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, smashed 14 cups water 1 tablespoon salt For soup 5 (1-inch-wide) large dried scallops 1 (2-lb) wedge winter melon 2 oz country cured ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating and cut into very thin match sticks (1/2 cup) 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks (2 tablespoons) 3 scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup) Make broth: Rinse chicken inside and out, then stuff cavity with scallions, ham, and ginger. Bring water with chicken and salt to a boil in a deep 7- to 8-quart stockpot or pasta pot, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, skimming off froth occasionally, 3 hours. Remove and discard chicken, then pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Skim off fat. (You will have about 10 to 12 cups broth and need only 9 cups for this soup; reserve remainder for another use.)
January 2012 10
Make soup: Bring 2 cups broth to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then add dried scallops and remove from heat. Soak, covered, 15 minutes. Return scallop mixture to low heat and simmer, uncovered, until scallops are soft and pale, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in cooking liquid. Transfer scallops with a slotted spoon to a bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Shred scallops into "threads" with a fork or your fingers, discarding tough ligament from side of each scallop if attached. Bring remaining 7 cups of broth to a simmer in cleaned 7- to 8-quart pot with scallops and reserved cooking liquid. Cut off and discard rind from winter melon. Remove and discard seeds, then cut melon into 1/3-inch cubes (about 5 cups). Add to broth and gently simmer, uncovered, until melon is transparent, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in ham, ginger, scallions, and salt to taste just before serving. Winter Squash Soup with Fried Sage Leaves The technique used to make this soup can be repeated for other soups, the seasonings—be they sweet or spicy—varied to suit your tastes. Although the soup is good without it, the cheese adds a flavor that punctuates the natural sweetness of the squash. 2 1/2 to 3 pounds winter squash 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for the squash 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled 12 whole sage leaves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped 2 onions, finely chopped Chopped leaves from 4 thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried 1/4 cup chopped parsley Salt
freshly milled pepper 2 quarts water or stock 1/2 cup Fontina, pecorino, or ricotta salata, diced into small cubes Preheat the oven to 375° F. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Brush the surfaces with oil, stuff the cavities with the garlic, and place them cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake until tender when pressed with a finger, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the 1/4 cup oil until nearly smoking, then drop in the whole sage leaves and fry until speckled and dark, about 1 minute. Set the leaves aside on a paper towel and transfer the oil to a wide soup pot. Add the onions, chopped sage, thyme, and parsley and cook over medium heat until the onions have begun to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Scoop the squash flesh into the pot along with any juices that have accumulated in the pan. Peel the garlic and add it to the pot along with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick, simply add more water to thin it out. Taste for salt. Depending on the type of squash you've used, the soup will be smooth or rough. Puree or pass it through a food mill if you want a more refined soup. Ladle it into bowls and distribute the cheese over the top. Garnish each bowl with the fried sage leaves, add pepper, and serve.
1/2 cup finely chopped shallot 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 cups half-and-half 4 large eggs 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Equipment: 8 (6-ounce) ramekins Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Bake bread cubes in single layer in a large shallow baking pan until goldenbrown, about 10 minutes. Tear or cut mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Cook shallot in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until liquid mushrooms give off has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add parsley and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in mushrooms and bread cubes until coated well and let stand 10 minutes for bread to absorb some of the egg mixture. Meanwhile, butter ramekins, then put a round of parchment in bottom of each and butter parchment. Spoon mixture into ramekins and bake on a baking sheet until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes. Unmold puddings and discard parchment. Parsley-Root Soup with Truffled Chestnuts
Wild-Mushroom Bread Pudding 4 cups (1/2-inch) fresh bread cubes (preferably brioche or challah; about 5 ounces) 1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, cremini, and oyster, trimmed
1 3 5 3
1/2 cups chopped onion (1 large) garlic cloves, chopped tablespoons unsalted butter pounds parsley root (about 4 1/2 pounds total with tops), tops discarded and root peeled and chopped 3 (4- to 5-inch) sprigs thyme 1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
out
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6 cups water 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 to 10 peeled roasted whole chestnuts (from a 7-ounce jar) Make soup: Cook onion and garlic in butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add parsley root, thyme, bay leaf, white pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until parsley root begins to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add water and broth and simmer, partially covered, until parsley root is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf and stir in oil. PurĂŠe soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a bowl. If soup is too thick, thin to desired consistency with water. Season with salt, then return to cleaned pot to keep warm, covered, until ready to serve. Shave chestnuts with an adjustable-blade slicer or sharp vegetable peeler as thinly as possible over each serving. Winter Wheat Soup 1 cup wheat berries or spelt 1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut across into thin slices 2 medium parsnips, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then across into 1/4-inch slices 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into thin wedges 2 large leeks, white part only, split in half lengthwise, washed well, and cut across into thin slices 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 medium ribs celery, peeled and cut across into thin slices 1/2 cup celery leaves, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons coarse salt 1/2 cup cilantro leaves freshly ground black pepper, to taste In a medium stockpot, bring the wheat berries and 13 cups water to a boil (for added flavor, replace some or all of the water with Garlic Broth). Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 50 minutes, or until the wheat berries are almost cooked through, but not mushy. Stir in the carrot, parsnips, turnip, and leeks. Return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato and celery. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Stir in the celery leaves and salt. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the cilantro and simmer for 1 minute. Season with pepper. White Bean Soup with Chile Paste The beans and the chiles need to soak overnight, so start this the day before. Chile paste: 2 dried ancho chiles stemmed, seeded 1 dried chile de arbol stemmed, seeded 1 1/2 cups water
January 2012 11
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Soup: 2 cups dried Great Northern beans 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 large carrot, finely chopped 1 large white onion, finely chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 8 cups (or more) water 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1/2 cup whipping cream
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For chile paste: Place chiles in bowl; add enough water to cover. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Drain. Boil 1 1/2 cups water with the sugar and chiles in small saucepan until 2 tablespoons liquid remain, about 15 minutes. Transfer to processor; puree until smooth. With machine running, gradually add oil. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill. For soup: Place beans in large pot. Add enough water to cover by 4 inches. Let soak overnight. Drain beans. Melt butter in same pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrot, onion, and garlic; cook until soft, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add beans and 8 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and cook until beans are soft, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in cumin and coriander; cool. Working in batches, puree soup in blender, adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick. Return to same pot. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Miso Soup with Carrots and Tofu 6 cups water 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1/3 cup shiro miso (white fermented soybean paste) 1/2 cup 1/4-inch dice of silken tofu (3 oz) Bring 5 1/2 cups water with salt to a boil in a 2quart saucepan. Add carrot, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk together shiro miso and remaining 1/2 cup water in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk into carrot mixture. Add tofu and serve immediately. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM epicurious.com and allrecipes.com.
warm
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AT YOUR
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Ode to the Tomato with apologies to Pablo Neruda Pablo, I'll be the first to admit that I do not have your way with words, but the first tomato from my first garden exploded in my mouth in a rush over the sides of my tongue so that my teeth felt bathed in red, and the seeds wallowed in their own juice like a pig in a mudbath, or a dog in a dead carcass. If you've seen either one of those acts you know that both are in ecstasy and the seeds were in ecstasy too and were rewarding me, my taste buds, the warm welcome of my throat. Pablo, this tomato was fine, was my grandfather's hopes for me revealed in popping, bursting, explosion of flavor that even moments later I still can't describe. What kind of writer am I Pablo? That something as simple as a tomato, freshly picked and rinsed could leave me speechless, wordless, a writer that is trying to steer clear of words like enchanting, heavenly, or divine. Language says so little about tomatoes, Pablo about what it means to grow one, to watch the slow redding of green fruit and guilt I didn't share it with my love, but relished every single drop, every seed, every light crushing of skin in my mouth, not hers or yours or the people who may read this, cause this tomato became mine in the moment I bit down. It was molars that did the work Pablo. This was no hunk of flesh that needed tearing from incisors. No this was pressure, the slow wait as the skin struggled to keep it all intact, but then just burst.... ....like a tomato. like a tomato. It burst like it was supposed to, Pablo. By Don McIver
farming & gardening
PLANTING
AND OTHER
for Pollinators
BY DR. TESS GRASSWITZ, NMSU n the past 5 years or so, a sharp decline in the numbers of domesticated honeybees has been observed in various parts of the world. As a result, much research has been directed not only at trying to determine the underlying causes of this so-called “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD), but also on finding ways to enhance populations of both honeybees (a European species) and native U.S. bees. Although only the honeybee (Apis mellifera) produces honey, the loss of the essential pollination services provided by bees is potentially much more serious. Think of all the crops that need bees to pollinate them – apples, pears, peaches, almonds, beans, squash, eggplant and cotton, to name just a few. In the U.S. alone, the estimated value of bee pollination exceeds $3 billion each year.
GOOD BUGS! N ATIVE
BEES
I
Good News: Native Bees The good news is that, in most cases, native bees can fill the pollination gap when domesticated honeybees are in short supply – provided that their basic needs (food and nesting sites) are readily available, and that they are protected from toxic pesticides. There is increasing interest amongst both farmers and home gardeners in growing flowering plants that will help sustain our native bees, honeybees, and other beneficial insects – such as those that feed mainly on pest insects, but which may also need nectar and pollen for at least part of their life-cycle. Federal programs now exist that can help farmers with the cost of installing such plantings, but until recently little guidance has been available on the best plants to use in New Mexico. For the past two years, a project has been underway at the Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center to meet this need by assessing more than 80 species of (mostly native) plants for their survival, ease of cultivation, and ability to attract and retain beneficial insects. Jointly led by entomologist Dr. Tess Grasswitz of New Mexico State University and native plant specialist Dr. Dave Dreesen of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the project now includes three other sites in New Mexico so that the performance of the various plants can be compared in different parts of the state. Other bee friendly habitat modifications – such as artificial nesting sites – have also been installed in Los Lunas, and in the short time that the project has been running, the results have been extremely encouraging. The diversity of native bees that have been attracted to the plantings has exceeded all expectations, with more than 50 species detected so far. Some of these native bees have also been recorded visiting the flowers of various crops at the Los Lunas Center, including apple, cherries, blackberries, beans, eggplant, tomatillo and sunflowers. They have also been observed on flowers of carrot, dill, fennel and arugula, and are therefore potentially important where these crops are grown for seed. Depending on the crop, installing pollinator plantings can yield considerable benefits to growers; a recent study in Michigan revealed that pollinator plantings next to commercial blueberry fields increased fruit set by 10-15%, representing a net increase in value to the grower of $600-$900 per acre.
Biological Pest Control As an added benefit, some of the flowers in the New Mexico trials are also highly attractive to many species of predatory wasps; while “wasps” typically do not enjoy the most favorable of public images, the species that visit flowers are often important predators, using the nectar and pollen from flowers to fuel their hunting activities – different species will take caterpillars, white grubs, grasshoppers and various other pests to provision their nests. Other biological control agents for pest species will also feed at flowers – including minute pirate bugs, some ladybeetles, lacewings, hoverflies and soft-winged flower beetles. A second project at Los Lunas has been helping to develop an “insectary mix” of annual flowers that are particularly attractive to these species, and which can be used for inter-planting with vegetable crops. Plantings intended primarily for pollinators are generally considered a long-term, stable component of the farming system, so emphasis is placed on growing relatively long-lived plants – flowering perennials, shrubs, and trees. The trials aimed at attracting biological control agents to vegetable crops has focused instead on developing a quickmaturing mix of readily available annual flowers; these offer the dual benefits of quick establishment and the flexibility to rotate the mixture in different areas of the farm. The main thing that the two approaches have in common is the use of a mixture of different plant species: since bees, wasps and other
beneficial insects have mouthparts of various forms and sizes, as well as differing life-cycles and nutritional needs, a mixture of flowers of different sizes, structures, colors and bloom periods will benefit the greatest possible number of beneficial insects. The aim is to provide a diverse array of blooms for as long a part of the growing season as possible. In addition to growing flowering mixtures, those interested in encouraging our native bees could consider increasing the availability of nesting sites for them – for example, by leaving undisturbed patches of soil for ground-nesting bees, or providing simple “bee houses” for bees that prefer to nest in dead twigs or similar cavities. The bee house at Los Lunas has been readily accepted by several different species of native bees and was literally a “hive of activity” throughout the summer months. Guidelines for constructing such nesting sites are readily available (see the resources listed below). Adopting these types of practices can yield other benefits: at Los Lunas, the pollinator plantings have attracted various native butterflies (not important pollinators, but attractive to look at!), as well as birds that appreciate the shrubs and trees as nesting sites – and which may also prey on insect pests. Adding native perennial grasses to the plot has also provided overwintering habitat for ground beetles and other predatory insects that further contribute to natural pest control. The basic principle is simple: the more diversity, the better. You don’t even have to have a huge area at your disposal: even small backyard gardeners can adopt these principles, help our native “good bugs”, and benefit from their services as a result. Resources: Bee Basics: An Introduction to Our Native Bees by B. Moisset and S. Buchmann. Available from the Pollinator Partnership website at http://www.pollinator.org/PDFs/BeeBasicsBook.pdf. Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies by E. Mader, M. Shepherd, M. Vaughan, and S. Black. Available from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation at http://www.xerces.org ($25 for members, $30 for nonmembers).
HEAR Dr. Tess at the Organic Farming Conference
DIE HARD Seed Savers: PLANNING FOR EXPRESSION BRETT BAKKER y this time, most New Mexico farms and gardens have been frosted out and put to bed for the winter. You’d think that growers would settle down to enjoy the hard earned fruits of their labor. Wrong! Now’s the time to think about what to do for next growing season while this year’s lessons (good and bad) are still within memory.
BY
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January 2012 12
This goes double for seed saving folks. Seed catalogs—full of enticing new offerings—will soon be delivered to your door by the person in the snappy postal uniform. Wow, you think, I really wanna try planting this newly discovered heirloom pepper from Tierra del Fuego but I already have thirty-two other peppers in my seed collection that I need to replant. Whatever shall I do? If you don’t mind collecting seed next year from a pepper that will express characteristics from thirty-three different varieties, go ahead and plant it. Otherwise the answer is “Plan Ahead.” In the early days of the heirloom seed movement, we all thought things like tomatoes and beans rarely cross pollinate so separating varieties by a few feet was no problem in maintaining purity. That’s not actually the case. For example, work by (among others) Jeff McCormack of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (formed in 1983) has shown that tomatoes can cross when planted as close as twenty-five feet. In general, such crossing is minimal but over many years, your saved seed will begin to drift away from what you started with. That’s fine if you want to adapt a variety to your own microclimate, but be aware that the Mortgage Lifter tomato you started with ten years ago may be a different Mortgage Lifter than what you end up with ten years from now. That’s the nature of heirlooms. Native American farmers and Amish farmers and Hmong farmers who have raised these crops for hundreds of years didn’t hand pollinate or cage their crops for purity. When we speak of evolution we tend not to include domesticated crops, but that is false. Saving seed from only the biggest tomatoes will eventually net you a strain that only produces big tomatoes but you may be inadvertently breeding out characteristics that are
genetically linked to the smaller tomatoes. Could be a pest resistance quality! Could be a germination factor! No one knows for sure except genetic scientists and even then much is guesswork based on the evidence at hand. Evolution is easy to see when you have the luxury of looking back on hundreds of generations but a few years in your garden is barely a snapshot in the long feature film archive of the seed you’re saving. It all comes down to, what is your goal? If you are a diehard seedsaver who wants to ensure that the precise bundle of genes found in the Panicum sonorum collected by Mr. E. Palmer in Colonia Ledro, Mexico, in 1889 remains available for breeding and scientific study, you’ll be much more huffy about your neighbor deciding to plant some Panicum over the backyard fence. Lucky for you, though, nobody knows what Panic Grass is and how important it was as a food crop to Sonoran tribes long ago. But if you want an approximate version of the crop you started with and to be a part of plants and people evolving together (as we always have, along with our four-legged-and-winged and creepy-crawly friends) just keep an eye on how your crop looks from year to year. Keep notes, take photos. You’ll be surprised at how much you learn just by the act of writing something down because you have to observe closely if you want those notes to mean anything. One simple rule of thumb: keep a portion of your original seed. After a few years of saving your own, plant a few of those originals from your saved batch so some crossing of the “old” bundle of genes can occur. There’s more exacting and scientific ways to do this (backcrossing) but I’ve always been a more seat-of-the-pants guy.
itchy green
thumb
healthy
new year
January 2012 13
DETOX TIPS for a HEALTHY YEAR
BY ROBIN SEYDEL or so many of us the holidays are not just a time of family, friends and glorious celebration but a time of sweet treats, mulled wine and other adult beverages and days and nights filled with rich party foods. If you are anything like me you party as hard as you work and now may feel an overwhelming need to clean up and clean out.
F
Dandelion, a most modest, but powerful and gentle herb is one of the plants most capable of healing our toxified bodies. How ironic that conventional gardeners have declared a massive chemical war upon it. A healthy liver will produce approximately a quart of bile a day. Bile serves as a carrier of toxic substances until they can be bound with fiber in the intestines and excreted. Many diseases can be linked to bile insuffi-
Perhaps you have a cold that just won’t go away or your “allergies” seem worse that ever, your nose drips, you sneeze regularly, have chronic nasal congestion, or indigestion after you eat just about anything. Are you chronically tired and irritable, regularly get muscle pains, have a grayish or yellow winter pallor, dizziness, headaches or constipation? All these symptoms and more are typical of toxic overload. With a diet of steaming soups and stew, whole grains and beans and some delicious herbal teas, cleaning up internally could be easier and more delicious than you think. Good Food and the Detox Enzyme Eating a diet that focuses (as much as possible) on organic fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts is an important starting point, and instrumental in the detox process. Studies published in the Journal of Nutrition and the Journal of Food Science as far back as the 1970s have shown that the pectins found in apples, bran (rice, wheat, oat), citrus, potatoes, strawberries, green beans, alfalfa sprouts and burdock root protect the body, especially the gut, from the effects of common food additives, preservatives, and other chemicals. They help by binding with toxins for more efficient removal from the body. The fiber in grains, beans, bran, whole grain cereals, carrots and cabbage absorbs water, increasing bulk and helping those toxins pass through your body more quickly. A natural foods diet also provides higher amounts of the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain health. Using a 3-4 day rotation, eating foods that you seem especially sensitive to once every few days can help greatly and also help you identify foods that might be setting off your reactivity. Vitamin C is especially important in the detoxification process and is one of the most cost-effective methods of raising glutathione levels. Glutathione is a detoxification enzyme produced by our bodies and available in fresh fruit, vegetables and cooked fish. Composed of the three amino acids; cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine, it binds with fat soluble toxins, converting them to a water soluble form allowing efficient excretion by the kidneys. This is an especially important part of the detox process, as most toxins are lipophillic (fat loving) binding with fat molecules and remaining embedded in our bodies. Toxins also are stored in the fat of animals, concentrating as you go up the food chain. Reducing animal fat intake reduces exposure to toxins and the demands placed on the detoxification system. Herbs Help Healing One of the liver’s primary functions is to filter toxins out of the bloodstream. It processes almost two quarts of blood every minute. When properly functioning the liver removes 99% of toxins, whether they are from our polluted environment or those our body naturally produces. Milk thistle seed is a popular booster of liver function and has even been shown to help a damaged liver regenerate cells. My favorite, (though unconventional) way to access milk thistle’s healing properties is to suck on whole seeds one or two at a time until the seed coat softens then chew slowly and swallow. An easier way is to grind them up, with a little flax seed (for a dose of healthy omega fatty acids) and toasted sesame seeds (a good source of calcium) and sprinkle on cooked grains, morning cereal, on salads or in dressings.
Herbs
that heal and beautify
ciency and resulting toxic conditions. Research in England, France and Germany has shown that dandelion can enhance the synthesis of bile and increase its flow. Dandelion dramatically reduces liver congestion, bile duct inflammation, improves gall bladder function and has been used in clinical trials in Europe to treat chronic hepatitis, gall stones, swelling of the liver and jaundice. Both a tonic herb and a healer it has been used to improve functioning in healthy people and for acute and chronic problems. A delicious spring green, dandelion leaves are richer in Vitamin A than carrots and exceed the Vitamin B, C and D of most other greens. As a nutritive tonic, it can be used as food in salads, lightly steamed with other greens, or dried and made into tea. Due to the aforementioned chemical war please be very careful where you harvest dandelion greens or roots. Purchase only organics or plant a patch in your yard far away from car exhaust or herbicidal neighbors. Alteratives: Blood Cleansers Traditional herbalism calls alteratives “blood cleansers”. They include burdock root, red clover, yellow dock, cleavers, nettles, mountain grape, and blue flag, to name a few. These herbs gradually restore the proper function of the body by helping to rid the blood of accumulated toxins from waste products, bacteria and other microbial poisons. More than merely “cleansers”, these herbs also help the blood balance vital salts and strengthen and enhance important plasma substances. Burdock root is about as good a “purifier” as you can get. It produces gradual changes by promoting the excretion of wastes in both urine and
sweat and has proven restorative effects on the liver and gall bladder. A stable in macrobiotic cooking and the famous Ojibway cancer therapy tea, Essaic, made famous by Marie Cassais, it is a delicious addition to any stew and research has shown it to have anti-bacterial, fungal and tumoral properties. Red clover has been used for eons in Europe as a diuretic to treat gout and as an expectorant. Laboratory screening has shown its acidity against several harmful bacteria, the most significant of which is the pathogen that causes tuberculosis. Its mild estrogenic activity, due most probably to its constituent Courmerol, makes it an important protector against the effects of the many environmental estrogenic chemicals to which we are daily exposed. Its ability to block our estrogen receptors; preventing the uptake of synthetic endocrine disrupting chemicals has gained red clover a reputation as an anti-cancer herb. Both nettles and yellow dock enhance the functions of the liver and related organs and have been used to alleviate anemia, due to their high iron, Vitamin C and calcium content. Take yellow dock as a tincture or capsule due to its strong bitter taste. A powerful tonic tea could include dandelion and burdock roots, red clover, nettles and mint (for a fresh taste) or cinnamon (to help balance blood sugar levels) used daily as an aid to a detox program or just as a delicious and healing daily herbal beverage. Dandelion, burdock, red clover, mint and nettles (plant in the shade) are all easy to grow perennial herbs that will happily beautify your backyard gardens and improve your health. Simmer the dandelion, burdock root and cinnamon bark gently for 10-15 minutes, pour over the red clover, nettles and mint, and let steep for at least 15 minutes. Add other tasty herbs as your taste buds dictate including ginger (great for digestion) cardamom, clove, or licorice (do not use if you have high blood pressure). Drink hot or cool, daily, and add local honey (to taste) to begin to build up your resistance to the annual spring allergy assault. THIS INFORMATION IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Please seek the help of an experienced health care professional. For more information check out these popular herbal education books. SOURCES: 1. The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, by Daniel Mowrey 2. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, by Drs. Michael Murray and Joseph PIzzorno 3. A Complete Herbal, by Maude Grieve 4. The Complete Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffman 5. The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine, by S imon Mills
I T A LY C H A R G E S B AY E R A N D S Y N G E N T A W I T H M A S S
Bee Deaths
Clean up, Clean out... feel BETTER
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BALANCING WORKSHOP
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A
s reported in the Italian newspaper, La Stampa, Prosecutor Guariniello charged managers of Bayer and Syngenta with crimes against bees! The familyof neonicotinoid insecticides are a deadly killer of bees and other insect species. Beekeepers campaigned throughout Italy in 2011, for the extension of the ban on products with the active ingredient clothianidin that expired on October 31, 2011. Beekeepers’ fears have lessened during the years of the ban but they did not disappear, because, although used in smaller doses, the same kind of insecticide is used to protect grapevines. If clothianidin is allowed to be used again on corn it would resurrect the colony collapse disasters of the early 2000s and threaten the very survival of beekeeping. Prosecutor Guariniello has over the years quietly conducted an investigation into the causes of the massacre of bees, and sent the managing directors of Bayer CropScience in Milan and Syngenta Crop Protection in Italy warnings based on the conclusions of his investigations for crimes never previously mentioned by magistrates: the spreading of diseases (or mass-killing) of animals and plants, posing a danger for the national economy. Guariniello has charged two managers, from Bayer and Syngenta, with these offenses, alleging culpability; the penalty, if they are found guilty, ranges from one to five years in jail.
Bayer's website it is billed as "the new insecticide for seed treatment of seed corn”. Successfully marketed already, in the United States and other countries, it is very effective against several parasites and is particularly useful against difficult-to-control pests. It kills insects by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses. Bayer produces it, Syngenta sells it. Guariniello collected reports from many beekeepers in the province of Turin and examined pathology analysis from bee post-mortems, which, after 24 hours show no traces of neonicotinoids. So they went further and "field testing" confirmed the cause and effect relationship between the death of bees and the nicotinoid insecticide. "Systemic and persistent in the environment, neurotoxic and lethal to many life forms," notes an old report, from the National Union of Italian Beekeepers Associations (Una.Api). Guarinello's advice - to the layman - is that bees are not contaminated at the time of pollination, but from “lethal doses of the pesticide contained in flying dust from corn fields during planting.” For this reason, the impending October 31 deadline to reverse the ban on the insecticide is a cause for major concern and protests among beekeepers. In Italy the planting of corn takes place in the autumn.
The plant protection product which ended up in the crosshairs of the magistrate is called ‘Poncho’. On K E E P I N G B E E S H E A LT H Y !
our precious
planet
On Corporate Crimes and
ECO TERRORISM MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS ver the holiday season, I watched a documentary called, If a Tree Falls, which came out in June 2011. The film follows the trajectory of one member of one cell of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) in Eugene, Oregon, in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
BY
O
January 2012 14
A
SUPER CHARGED TERM?
is absurd. But doing so allowed the Bush administration to claim several successful trials in the “war on terror”. In fact, this particular cell broke up when some members began discussing the possibility of
However, the film is really a discussion of several intertwined ethical and political questions: since the ELF arsons didn’t cause any injuries, can they really be called terrorists? (Just prior to 9/11, the FBI considered the ELF the US’s #1 domestic terrorist organization and several members of the Eugene group were arrested and tried under the post-9/11 terrorism laws.) When is violent protest justified? Does property damage really work to stop corporate practices? As a local Eugene police officer said, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” But is the message really that simplistic? People in the Eugene area attempted to use traditional, peaceful protest: going to public meetings, signing petitions, blocking roads and equipment, all the things normally associated with the environmental movement. The response from officials was to subvert the political process and call out large numbers of well-armed police to douse protestors in pepper spray, forcefully open protestor’s eyes to rub irritants in them, and to use nightsticks. Anyone watching the Occupy Wall Street protests will be familiar with the relative levels of “violence” from the two sides. Given the failure of traditional environmental protest, Eugene ELF members began planning and then committing arson. In the film, we see attacks against a meat packing plant that routinely overwhelmed the wastewater treatment facility, a car dealership selling SUVs, a timber company headquarters building, a research farm involved in genetic engineering research for the timber industry, and a research facility at the university also doing genetic research. In the last cases, it turned out that the information on the farm was outdated and the fire at the university spread beyond its target. So, were these people terrorists? It seems clear that equating these arsons with terrorism of the sort that Timothy McVeigh or the 9/11 hijackers used
of the community. In one of the most significant moments in the film, coming at the very end, the local FBI agent in charge of the investigation admits that once he got to know the people involved, he could begin to understand why they had done what they did. He wasn’t condoning it, but he could see why people had resorted to arson and he could see why some people left the local cell when the possibility of personal attacks rather than attacks on property began to surface. There is one question that the film only deals with indirectly, but which is really the other half of the film’s central question: if the ELF is a terrorist organization, then are corporations also capable of committing acts of terror? If individuals and groups are surveilled and arrested or broken up because of attacks on private property, what ought to be the response when corporations (and their political supporters) cause harm to public lands, or to a “public good” like the environment, or to individual and collective health and well-being?
Corporations AS
TERRORISTS? moving to attacks on individual people – so-called “captains of industry”. Were the attacks successful? Although the meat packing plant went out of operation, all the other facilities reopened and are still operating. None of the people running the facilities expressed a change of heart about what they did for a living. And the point of the attacks – that companies were engaged in harmful environmental activities – was completely absent in the media coverage, which focused on the “eco-terror” message of the police, the FBI, and the Bush administration. Corporate Terrorists Were the attacks justified? If you look at the history of civil uprisings and civil war across the globe, it is quite striking and readily apparent that in almost every case people first tried to resolve their grievances through the political process, but were met with varying degrees of violence, from mass arrests to mass killings. The failure of the political process – and specifically violence from the political elite – is what led to violence by members
Where is the massive show of force and the arrests when a mine collapses and kills workers because the owner continuously disregarded safety rules and orders to improve? Or when coal-fired power plants spew out tons of mercury and sulfur dioxide and other contaminants that cause asthma, acid rain, and toxic rivers and lakes? Or when politicians dismantle environmental and public health regulations at the behest of powerful corporate interests, knowing (because they’ve been told) that doing so will increase deaths and illness or environmental degradation? The former chief of police in Eugene concluded that he didn’t like the term “terrorist” for his job because it was too charged a term and too complicated. He liked to deal with crimes, in this case, arson. Maybe it’s time that we started dealing with bad corporate actors as criminals, and bring the full weight of the law down on them, too. For more information, contact Michael Jensen at mjensen@amigosbravos.org.
DUMPING NUKE WASTE ON
NEW MEXICO? BY JANET GREENWALD, CO-COORDINATOR OF CITIZENS FOR ALTERNATIVES TO RADIOACTIVE DUMPING have been a fan of Martin Heinrich since his City Council days and supported his run for Jeff Bingaman’s Senate position. However, I recently found out that he is co-sponsoring a bill (HR 2367) introduced by Rep. Steve Pearce which would allow New Mexico to become the nation’s dump for commercial nuclear waste.
I
New Mexicans were promised by Presidents, Congresses, their Federal Representatives, and the Department of Energy (DOE) that if a military nuclear waste dump was sited in New Mexico (the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)), that commercial waste, including spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants, would go elsewhere. The law now states that commercial waste cannot be placed in WIPP, but not for long if Pearce and Heinrich have their way. They are promoting WIPP as the depository for
non-defense commercial waste. This bill, enabling WIPP to accept some commercial wastes, opens the door to other changes allowing WIPP to accept commercial spent fuel rods. Since the Federal government and nuclear utilities are looking desperately for a high level waste dump, WIPP will rise to the top of the very short list of two states; Nevada (which has already rejected the Yucca Mountain dump) and New Mexico. High Level Nuke Dump If New Mexico becomes the United States’ high level waste dump, wastes will be coming from all directions, on all of our major highways and by rail. In the meantime concerned citizens from the villages and towns along the heavily used north-south WIPP route (US 285), on the eastern side of the state, have not been able to get DOE to implement even minimal safety precautions with regards to waste transport and overnight parking in their communities. There are no studies that show what impact repeated exposure to the radiation given off by the trucks can have on women, children and the unborn. Also, not all first responders along the route have been given training in case of a nuclear accident or spill from
WIPP-bound trucks. The Western Governors’ Association and other groups have stated that the WIPP transportation system is totally inadequate for high-level waste. To make matters worse, high-level waste is also hundreds to thousands of times more radioactive than the waste that already comes to New Mexico. Now is the time to let Martin Heinrich and Steve Pearce know that radioactive waste is an environmental and health issue that we care about. And that we do not want our state to be the nation’s nuclear waste dump. We have done our part by hosting WIPP. If Martin Heinrich cares about New Mexico as a whole and not just financial benefit for a few businesses, he will withdraw his co-sponsorship of the Pearce bill. Contact Martin Heinrich: by phone at 505-346-6781 or 505-8774069; or e-mail him at Martin@mail.house.gov. LET MARTIN KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE ON WHICH YOU WILL BE VOTING! For more information contact Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping at 266-2663, or at contactus@cardnm.org.
DON’T
DUMP ON US!
NOMINATIONS NOW BEING TAKEN: PAUL RÉ
PEACE PRIZE! The Paul Ré Peace Prize Da Vinci Laureate Paul Ré is recognized internationally for promoting world peace and harmony through his art. In keeping with these ideals, the Peace Prize is given to that UNM student, faculty, staff member or retiree who has promoted peace, harmony and understanding among people of the world, both within him- or herself and outwardly through tangible works. These works may be on a local, regional, national or global level. Emphasis is on promoting both internal and external peace and fostering discussion of what really constitutes peace.
The CO-OP Foodshed Project: Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in fresh, fair and local food.
The recipient of the award may be an artist but may also be an individual in any field who has pursued peace and harmony with creativity and dedication. Possible projects may be environmental, involve individual or social healing, integrative medicine, sustainable energy or green architectural design, art creation or preservation, human population control and family planning or any positive endeavor. Included is Conflict Resolution, but Conflict Prevention is to be particularly strongly emphasized. For nomination forms or other information please go to www.paulre.org.
co-op
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January 2012 15 STORY AND PENCILS BY RAS ELIJAH TAFARI, INKS AND LETTERS BY CHRISTOPH KNERR
TO BE CONTINUED
HASTA LA PROXIMA