La Montanita Coop Connection June, 2012

La Montanita ˜ Co-op Administrative Offices 901 Menaul Blvd. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87107 www.lamontanita.coop

j u n e 2 012

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win a grill!

shop the co|op watch for details during june & july

connection

˜ Co-op Join La Montanita Your community-owned natural foods grocery store

Why Join?

• You Care!

-about good food and how it is produced

• You’re Empowered!

-to help support the local/regional food-shed

• You Support!

-Co-op principles & values & community ownership

• You Vote!

-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. check out the inside spread for grand grilling combos

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Celebrate Pollinators: for the

LOVE OF BEES National

POLLINATOR WEEK June 20-26

BY LES CROWDER, N.M. BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION he New Mexico Beekeepers Association (NMBA) has been helping people keep bees for a very long time and now wants to help people heal our landscape for pollinators.

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In the past our members were commercial beekeepers, many of whom have recently gone out of business. Now small scale and urban beekeeping are rapidly filling the gap. Unfortunately today many fields and orchards are so laced with insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and miteicides that pollinators, bees, wasps and butterflies cannot live there. So commercial beekeeping has become a very costly endeavor in which beekeepers try to make a living moving hundreds or thousands of hives in and out of fields with contracts that prohibit “insecticide” applications during the bloom. They need semi-trucks, all terrain forklifts, and lots of diesel and coffee for nighttime loading and moving. They burn rubber all over the highways from one side of the USA to the other. The book, the Beekeeper’s Lament, by Hannah Nordhaus, tells the story grippingly well.

Pesticide residues and a lack of understanding about the danger of chemicals not technically labeled insecticides have left bees at risk in spite of the promises and contracts. Bee researcher Dr. Diana Samutaro of the Carl Hayden Bee Laboratory in Tucson, AZ, has demonstrated that fungicides used in almond production damage honeybee digestion and make them susceptible to a fungal disease called chalkbrood. Many of the larval or baby bees turn into little chalk mummies and the hive gets weak.

The systemic neonicotinoids don’t kill the bees immediately on contact so the EPA has let them become widespread. Now they have been found to cause sub-lethal damage to bees’ brains and immune systems that make them unable to learn and navigate and more susceptible to disease. These damages slowly kill the hive.

It seems to be getting harder to keep the bees alive! This is where we (all of us) come in to save the day. There are some of us who want to keep a few beehives. Some of us want to simply help bees and native pollinators thrive but don’t want to own a beehive. And all of us can resist poisoning the pollinators in our backyards and teach our neighbors and the next generation how to grow flowers and food without toxins.

Keep a Bee—Save the Day Keeping a few beehives is an amazing endeavor. The urban beekeeper learns to competently tend a few beehives on a roof or in a backyard in such a calm and gentle way that the only impact on the neighborhood is pollination of gardens and some very local honey to sweeten tea or pancakes. We can learn to get over our fear of bees and care for our little buddies, harvest honey and gather natural sweet smelling beeswax to make candles, lip balm, and salves. A variety of classes are offered by the NMBA, teaching us to be bee problem solvers, removing swarms, breeding bees for gentleness and offering a taste of the city’s flowers.

We can grow food for pollinators even if we don’t actually keep bees.

Large tracts of land bathed in all the above “icides” (poisons) and growing GMO monocultures have destroyed the bees pasture, their fields of flowers. Not only do they poison the bees but they offer little if anything to eat most of the year. Planting drought tolerant plants, bushes and trees that bloom throughout the year will fill our eyes with flowers, our noses with fragrance, our ears with buzzing and birdsongs, and our mouths with sweet honey.

Plants of the Southwest and many catalogs offer seed and potted plants, bushes, and trees that require little water and care, and brighten up the city and give the pollinators something to eat. Pollination Nation offers seeds and bee boxes.

A World Without Poison Above all we need to learn how to grow plants without poisons. Spraying a little here or dusting a little there adds yet more to an overburdened world. Toxins leach into rivers and oceans, fall in the rain, and damage earthworms and beneficial microbes in the soil. Insecticides often kill the predators of target insects more effectively than the target insect, leaving the pest more out of control in the long run as pests quickly become resistant to insecticides. A quick check on the internet can help find nontoxic ways to deal with aphids and squash bugs. Soap and ladybugs are ready to help.

In the last 5-8 years, the systemic neonicotinoid class of agricultural chemicals has become the poison of choice for many people. Beekeeping associations, including the New Mexico Beekeepers Association, are calling for a ban on this class of pesticide. The quick and dirty test used today to allow pesticides to be approved are done in chemical companies own labs and generally rubber-stamped by the EPA. In Europe better tests have been adopted, bans have been enforced, and pollinator populations have recovered. There are groups such as Beyond Pesticides,Pesticide Watch, the Pesticide Action Network and more, easily accessed online, that are working to help make the world safer in spite of the influence of chemical industry money. These groups need our help and support.

PROTECT pollinators: DEMAND a BAN on Systemic Neonicotinoid chemicals!

SPECIAL Pollinator Week FREE FILM screening!

A Co-op Community Collaboration

June 23, 3-5pm

Open Space Visitor Center

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The Open Space Visitor Center’s Indoor Theatre is located at 6500 Coors Blvd NW, 87120. The film screening is FREE but donations for Burque Bioneers conference in October gratefully accepted. For more info contact Sarah Wentzel-Fischer at 505-280-9879.

he QUEEN OF THE SUN: what are the bees telling us? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis, colony collapse disorder and all bee things, from Taggart Siegel, director of THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN. This film will take you on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive. Engaging and ultimately uplifting, this film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from Look in your mailbox for our Annual around the world, including Michael Pollan, Member Survey. We sincerely hope you will take a moment Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva, as together they to fill it out. Let us know how we are doing and what you would like to see reveal both the problems and the solutions in

Another way to help is to buy food that has been grown without insecticides. Organic food helps pollinators. Unfortunately, food grown with insecticides is directly subsidized through farm subsidies and indirectly subsidized through Medicare. Years ago a study, done by Physicians for Social Responsibility (published under the title “In Harms’ Way”) demonstrated that the children of migrant farm workers were more likely to have cognitive delays and disorders due to pesticide exposure.

It is sheer hubris to think that exposures to chemicals that kill insect pests are not affecting the health and well-being of our whole ecosystem. A variety of scientific and media informational outlets have documented this knowledge including: • In 2001: of 99 human studies, 75 indicated a connection between exposure to pesticides and lymphomas. (See Rachel’s Environment and Health News Weekly #250.)

• In 2003: the National Cancer Institute reported that exposure to certain agricultural pesticides may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a large study looking at the causes of cancer in the farming community.

(Agricultural Health Study (AHS), May 1, 2003, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.)

• In a July 2007 study of women who live near California farm fields sprayed with organochlorine pesticides may be more likely to give birth to children with autism. The study is the first to report a link between pesticides and the neurological disorder, which affects one in every 88 children. (Los Angeles Times) We now know that our bodies are laced with many toxins and see the results in our hospitals. We are the generations raised on “better living through modern chemistry” and the “green” revolution. The damages and medical expense we have incurred and continue to experience are not being paid for by the companies that are profiting from the sale of the compounds that are making us sick. If chemical companies had to pay for the damage they cause, their products would cost considerably more and organic food would be cheaper than industrial pesticide-laced food. Consider that every dollar spent on organic food is reducing the cost we have to pay for environmental and medical remediation.

The New Mexico Beekeepers Association is dedicated to helping people keep bees. We have events throughout the year to help pollinators and flower enthusiasts thrive. Members of the NMBA teach beekeeping classes. Our website is full of information that can help you join us in our insistence that this state and the world become cleaner and more life friendly for the generations to come.

For more info go to www.nmbeekeepers.org or contact Les at fortheloveofbees@kitcarson.net, www.fortheloveofbees.com.

Les Crowder has kept bees in New Mexico for nearly 40 years, worked in commercial apiaries, with pollination brokers in California, and as a honeybee inspector for the NMDA. He has taught chemical- free beekeeping for over 30 years; In September watch for his book, written with Heather Harrell, Topbar Beekeeping, published by Chelsea Green Press.

Let us know what

JUNE is MEMBER

you think!

SURVEYmonth!

renewing a culture in balance with nature.

in the future. This Survey helps us understand how to best serve you, our member owners. Please fill it out! Bring it in to the La Montanita Co-op

This event is brought to you through a collaboration of community partners: Burque Bioneers, La Montanita Co-op, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, KUNM 89.9 FM, and the Open Space Visitor Center.

location of your choice and receive one shopping trip at a 15% discount.

Your input is important to us. Please take a moment to fill out the survey and bring it back to your local Co-op before June 30th and receive a 15% discount Co-op shopping trip for your effort. For information contact Robin at 217-2027, call the toll free number: 877-775-2667 or e-mail robins@lamontanita.coop.

G e t a 15% DISCOUNT!

co-op community 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 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 Store Team Leaders: • Mark Lane/Nob Hill 265-4631 markl@lamontanita.coop • John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 jm@lamontanita.coop • William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanita.coop • Alisha Valtierra/Gallup 575-863-5383 alishav@lamontanita.coop Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanita.coop President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Secretary: Ariana Marchello Treasurer: Roger Eldridge Kristy Decker, Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn Susan McAllister, Jake Garrity Betsy VanLeit Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year/$200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: Managing Editor: Robin Seydel robins@lamontanita.coop Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept.

Advertising: Rob Moore Editorial Assistant: Rob Moore robm@lamontanita.coop 217-2016 Printing: Vanguard Press Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 217-2027 or 877-775-2667 email: robins@lamontanita.coop Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated.

Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop website: www.lamontanita.coop Copyright © 2012 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission.

The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% postconsumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

CO-OP

THE COOPERATIVE: BUSINESS MODEL FOR SUCCESS

CIBOLA ARTS GALLERY COOPERATIVE TURNS 17!

BY ANN ADAMS n 1995, in the small, rural town of Mountainair, New Mexico, a cooperative gallery was born. This year, after weathering the challenges of a start up business, the dot com bubble bursting, and a recession, the Cibola Arts Gallery turns 17. With 2012 being the Year of the Co-op, this cooperative gallery has even more to celebrate.

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While gallery members have changed over time, some of the original gallery members are still involved in the gallery after all these years. One of those gallery members is Mary Schultz, who came to Mountainair 19 years ago. Prior to that, she spent 24 years as an interior designer in Santa Fe. “I’d always thought I’d like to have my own gallery,” she says.

The prospect of doing it all by herself was too much, so she found other artists in the area who were also interested in pooling their resources, and together they opened the gallery. Mary not only sells her beaded jewelry, but she serves as the gallery manager and coordinates the hanging of the gallery for each show.

Cibola currently has 11 working members and 18 guest artists. A working member works at the gallery at least twice a month and pays a monthly fee. As a business partner, working members then have less commission taken from any sale.

Guest artists have a higher commission rate and round out the gallery offerings. A lower commission means that the artwork in the gallery is often sold at studio prices, making the art affordable to local residents as well as tourists. Gallery policy is that all the artists are local, New Mexican artists.

To keep the gallery running smoothly, gallery members have a monthly meeting to make business decisions and plan gallery shows. There is a treasurer and a gallery manager with people assisting in other gallery roles. Members share facilitation of meetings and recording of minutes.

“We made the decision early on to make all our decisions by consensus,” says Mary. “When we all agree, it’s so easy to

move ahead.” Gallery members feel this focus on consensus is an important piece in the decision making for this cooperative gallery. Likewise, an effort to support other artistic endeavors in the community has been another Cibola Arts policy.

Many of the Cibola Arts artists have been involved in bringing more art into the Mountainair school system as well as the forming and running of the Manzano Mountain Art Council which hosts arts events and runs other arts programming throughout the Manzano Mountains. Many of the new people moving into Mountain-

community

ownership supports community art! air say they have been attracted to the town because of the strong focus on art for a rural community of approximately 1,000. This increase in residents has led to increased businesses including more restaurants to serve the tourist traffic along State Route 60. In turn, there have been efforts at town beautification projects, including murals and mosaics (this small town boasts 11 of them!).

Pick up a map at the gallery and do the mural/mosaic tour.

The gallery offers jewelry, photography, oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, gourd art, punched tin and weathered wood art, stained glass, etched glass, carved stone, multimedia art, ceramics, mosaics, turned wood, fiber art, forged iron art, cards, lotions, and more. The gallery had a celebratory art show through the month of May and offers new shows every other month. It also is involved in the annual Sunflower Festival held on the last Saturday in August.

Cibola Arts is located on 217 W. Broadway in Mountainair (66 miles southeast of Albuquerque). It is open from 10am-5pm every day except Monday. To learn more about Cibola Arts, visit their website at: www.cibolaarts.com or call 847-0324.

To learn more about the Manzano Mountain Art Council, go to: www.mountainairarts.org.

BACKYARD

CHICKEN

KEEPERS

CELEBRATING Backyard Urban Farming!

COOP AND GARDEN

TOUR

sented, too. The owners are eager to share their skill and insight, offering tips for the experienced chicken keeper as well as those new to animal husbandry.

BY GRETCHEN BEAUBIER rganizers are delighted to announce the Fifth Annual Coop Tour will take place June 9 and 10 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This event is a free, family-oriented tour celebrating local backyard chicken keepers, many of whom also have vegetable and ornamental gardens. Some also feature other livestock, such as ducks or goats. On a few of the stops, you will even find eggs, fruits or vegetables for sale or barter.

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This year, the Tour will feature chicken coops on the north of Central Avenue (part of the famous Route 66) on Saturday, June 9, followed by stops south of Central Avenue on Sunday. The Tour takes place from 10am to 2pm both days.

A map for all stops, with a brief description of each, will be posted online on Wednesday, June 6, at www.albuquerque cooptour.com. For additional information, please visit that site or contact Jennifer Dwyer at scouty_d@yahoo.com or 505-508-0131.

The Tour is a great way to see what is possible in urban backyard farming; it features coops of all shapes and sizes, often displaying excellent use of recycled materials. Many poultry breeds are repre-

RESTORE

protect, enhance wetlands

THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO: The Friends of Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area: Supporting conservation of wildlife and habitats through environmental education, research, and restoration.

IN APRIL your bag credit donations totaling $2,017.10 were given to Quivira Coalition. Thank you!!!!

CO-OP PROGRAM

DONATE YOUR BAG CREDIT! BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME!

YOU OWN IT 2

June 2012

local power FRIENDS OF WHITFIELD WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

AREA

by ???? n central New Mexico, the Rio Grande supports a cottonwood-willow riparian forest (commonly referred to by its Spanish name, bosque) and associated wetlands that are invaluable for sustaining wildlife and a supply of good quality water. In the past, many wetlands were converted to agricultural use and, more recently, impacted by urbanization.

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servation Area. The Friends of the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area is an independent, non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area in the conservation of wildlife and habitats through environmental education, research, and restoration.

FOOD MARKET

The Friends promote the preservation of the natural and historical resources of the area, foster use and enjoyment by the public consistent with the protection and preservation of its environment and wildlife, and engage in such educational, scientific, and civic activities as well as assist the management of the area in carrying out its mandates.

To contact the Friends e-mail: friends ofwhitfield@live.com

The Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area attracts a diverse group of tourists, birdwatchers, hikers, and students who want to learn about wetlands ecology in an otherwise arid RESTORE place. Constructed in 2009, the Education Center building serves as a A large piece of farmland, the Whitfield-Trammel P R E S E RV E visitors center and environmental Tract of 97 acres near Belen and Tomé, was deededucation facility providing learning ed to the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation opportunities to local school children District in 2003. The land was placed into a permanent and sponsors teacher workshops, a lecture series, adult education conservation easement with the USDA National Resource programs, special events, and other programs.

Conservation Services Wetlands Reserve Program. This program is a voluntary program offering landowners the The Visitors' Center is open from 8am to 2pm on Fridays and opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on Saturdays. Prior arrangements have to be made for access to the their property.

Visitors' Center at other times. The grounds are open during the To reverse the decline and degradation of the valuable Middle Rio Grande Bosque and its wetlands, the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District embarked on a cooperative conservation project, the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area.

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In collaboration with dedicated local, state, and national agencies and volunteers, the District is constructing moist meadow units and new wetlands, protecting existing wetlands, planting food plots for migrating and resident birds and wildlife, and restoring native vegetation in riparian buffer zones for food and shelter for wildlife.

You can be a part of helping Whitfield grow as a refuge for wildlife and as a center for community by becoming a member of the Friends of the Whitfield Wildlife Con-

SUPPORT WILDLIFE AND

Visitors' Center hours and whenever the gates are open.

DIRECTIONS: From Belen's HWY 314 (Main St.), turn onto East Reinken Ave. Drive east all the way across the Rio Grande.

Turn north on HWY 47. The Visitors’ Center will be one mile farther on your left. For more information go to: www.whitfield wildlife.org. Donations to support this wildlife and conservation area can be sent to: The Friends of Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, P.O. Box 170, Belen, NM 87002.

HABITAT

WE THE PEOPLE Growing a NEW Backbone

BY JUDITH

LAWSON here's a grassroots progressive real time movement happening in U.S. villages, towns and cities, as well as other countries that include Ecuador, Italy, Nepal, and Bolivia. This movement has gained a fast hold in New Mexico, thanks to the people of Las Vegas and Mora, and though still tiny, is rapidly growing in Santa Fe.

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Formally known as Community Rights and Self Governance Ordinances, these new laws are being initiated by communities threatened by corporate drilling, fracking, industrial farming, sewage dumping and other hazards to their water, land, air and the health of their people, ecosystems and watersheds.

Think of this movement as a positive therapeutic irritation within the body of law, that bony framework of democracy, whose purpose is nothing less than to build a new backbone for democracy. You may believe that the Declaration of Independence with its eloquent beginning, “We the people,” along with the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, determined the shape of the US legal system: our legal system is in fact based on English Common Law, a system of jurisprudence designed to protect the rights of property and property owners before the rights of people, let alone the rights of other living beings or Nature. These “old bones” of property law have allowed corporations, primary amassers of financial and real property (to the point that the thirteen largest corporations in the world have economies larger than those of many countries) to trump the rights of people.

Law for the People Aware that natural gas companies had targeted pockets of gas in Mora and San Miguel counties for “fracking,” a technique of injecting water and toxic chemicals under high pressure into bedrock to release trapped gas, activists in Mora started the work of passing a law to ban fracking. It's been a long, difficult process of education, but slowly Mora County's citizens, fewer than 5,000 all counted, have come to understand the dangerous downside of fracking to their rural and very

June 2012

beautiful county, and have weighed it against the lure of money from leases and commerce. Once drilling and fracking begin, water purity ends.

The old saying that you don't appreciate what you have until you lose it spurred the people of Las Vegas (capital of San Miguel County), who experienced the drying of their primary water source, the Gallenas River, last summer, to jumpstart a community rights ordinance. Their city of 16,000 was forced to truck in costly tanks of precious water and Las Vegans were not about to countenance fracking with its threats to water purity.

Led by City Councilman and Luna College Professor Andrew Feldman, (a geologist who knows how foolish it would be to allow gas companies to drill for what amounts to three days worth of power from Las Vegas' pockets of natural gas), and supported by an amazing group of activist citizens led by Miguel Pacheco, on April 2, 2012, the City Council passed the Las Vegas Community Water Rights and Local SelfGovernment Ordinance; the first of its kind to be passed anywhere in the Southwest.

Las Vegas' Mayor refused to sign the ordinance, and deferred to the City Attorney whose egregiously inaccurate interpretations of both the ordinance and the US and New Mexican constitutions were met with shouts of “Resign!

Resign!” Within minutes of the Council's 3 to 1 “yes” vote, the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association told the City of Las Vegas they intend to sue. By the terms of Las Vegas' city charter the community rights ordinance became law on the books five days after its passage. And now the real work begins.

All who take on the work of restoring control over our lives and community expect dissent, threats and opposition. These are essential to building a new framework of laws for our body politic. It is not a struggle to be undertaken lightly. As Thomas Linzey, founding partner of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, the public interest law firm working with nearly 150 municipalities across the country to drive community rights into law and dismantle the old bones of “settled” law, says, “This is definitely not for everyone.” Citizens need to champion the work. For New Mexicans the work of rebuilding democracy's legal system has just begun. Resources including Democracy School can be found at www.CELDF.org. Hear Thomas Linzey on June 2nd, at 7pm in the Conference Room, Luna Community College, Las Vegas. Sponsored by Citizens for Community Rights. For information on Santa Fe's ordinance contact Judith Lawson at jwzcls@gmail.com.

Co-op Values Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, selfresponsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Co-op Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5 Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Coop Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.

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pollinator special!

June 2012 4

PLANTING FOR NATIVE POLLINATORS

Make your Garden a

P O L L I N AT O R HAVEN

Every garden, a pollinator

garden!

BY LAURIE LANGE ummertime is upon us now, and your garden is probably completely in. But wait! Did you put in plants for the pollinators? Every garden can be a pollinator garden, so now that the summer vegetables are up, take steps to create pollinator habitat there. Doing so takes little additional effort, because some of the things you’ve already planted, like cucurbits, sunflowers, and tomatoes are desirable plants for pollinators.

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Food for Them, Food for Us First off, consider making a second planting of fast-maturing summer squash about a month after your first sowing, to keep squash blossoms coming for native squash bees and fruit coming on for you. There’s a whole subset of native bees whose lives depend on squash.

Squash plants are so prone to powdery mildew and squash bug infestations though that after a while it can be helpful to just pull out the first plants of the season and let fresh plants take over.

Alternatively, plant buffalo gourds, a.k.a. coyote melons, in a wild garden corner. Squash bees sleep overnight in both cultivated and wild squash blossoms, and with plenty of squash bees around you’ll be assured of a bumper yield of squash and pumpkins. Buffalo gourd seed waits to germinate until the ground is hot, so this a great time to get some of this plant going. With its golden blossoms and spread of greygreen arrow shaped leaves radiating in all directions from a big tough taproot, buffalo gourd is an overlooked xeriscape plant, especially handsome draped over a terrace.

Another summer pollinator plant you can still get going now if you haven’t already is sweet basil. Here in New Mexico it’s been found that sweet basil blossoms attract many pollinators. So grow a whole row of it, pick leaves for pesto, and let the bees rummage in the blossoms.

You can also prepare to support late fall honeybee forage by planting wild arugula. This spicy, nutty arugula is a different plant entirely than the white-flowered annual garden arugula that’s already gone to seed. A cosmopolitan perennial known in Europe as wall rocket, wild arugula is unfazeable. It self-sows. It’s highly drought tolerant. And it puts on a flower show with a bevy of lemon yellow flowers for as long as 6 months straight. This is the plant honeybees find still blooming even into late November as they venture out of the hive.

We can expect summer monsoons soon, so don’t forget to plant some of the wildflowers bees like that appear with the rains. As with basil, it’s been found that native plants like golden crownbeard and dancing Bahia daisies attract many kinds of bees. These wildflowers are easy from seed, as is the buffalo gourd, as long as they’re planted during the seasonal conditions they’ve evolved to germinate with.

Cover Crops Then there are the cover crops that have now become more available to home gardeners. I especially encourage use of cover crops because using them is sustainable garden practice in multiple ways. They fix nitrogen in the soil, improve soil structure, smother weeds and provide plentiful nectar for bees. Traditionally used by farmers on large acreage, many cover crops are now available in small quantities. Even balcony gardeners can

Bagrada Bug: EMERGING THREAT to

GROWERS

BY DR. TESS GRASSWITZ, NMSU ew insect pests accidentally introduced from elsewhere pose a constant threat to US agriculture. Such species may enter the country as contaminants in trade materials from overseas, and if they arrive in an area with a suitable climate and host plants, they can rapidly reach very high population levels because there are often few native predators adapted to feed on them. In some cases, predatory or parasitic insects can be introduced from the country of origin and in time can exert a high degree of biological control. However, such strategies take time: both to search for, collect and test suitable predators, and to rear them in sufficient quantities for release in the US. Hence new exotic pests often leave entomologists scrambling to find effective control measures and can be a significant problem for growers.

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One such pest was found in high numbers in the Albuquerque area last summer: the Bagrada bug (Bagrada hilaris), which first appeared in California in 2008 and then spread eastwards through Arizona to New Mexico. The Bagrada bug is a type of stink bug (family Pentatomidae) that is thought to have originated in east and south Africa, although it is now also found in parts of south Asia, the Middle East and Southern Europe. In New Mexico, it was first found by New Mexico State University entomologist Dr. Scott Bundy in Las Cruces in the late summer of 2010. But last summer, it appeared in very high numbers in the demonstration vegetable plantings at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas, and was also recorded in several other parts of Valencia County, as well as Luna, Socorro and Otero counties.

get packet-sized quantities. Keeping your soil planted with cover crops is a way to increase soil fertility without artificial or imported fertilizers.

The use of cover crops in home gardens is on the new side. The nitrogen fixing legumes like hairy vetch and crimson clover are cool season plants to sow beginning in August or September. They’ll grow into the fall, and depending on the weather, can winter over and put on colorful shows of purple, pink and crimson bloom in the spring.

Then there are the warm season cover plants like cowpeas and buckwheat. Plant these this summer in any garden space you don’t have in vegetables.

Then turn them under to compost the soil.

Buckwheat is the one plant mentioned here that’s not a nitrogen fixer. It’s the most unassumingly beautiful plant I know: brilliant green foliage on slender stems with white blooms perched above.

Bees love buckwheat blossoms, and honeybees will turn the nectar into dark, flavorful honey.

Individually, buckwheat looks like a frail plant, but sow it en masse and it defeats any weeds that try to pop up in its turf.

with overwintering spots for their pupal stages by collecting branches and rocks. Put these in piles or cairns as refuges where the quiescent phases of butterfly metamorphosis can safely take place. You can also plant annual and perennial aromatic herbs such as rue, fennel, parsley and dill for caterpillars. In my garden, rue seems to be irresistible to Monarch caterpillars; I’ve had to add more rue plants because it gets so heavily devoured.

Given the problems Monarchs are having with shrinking habitat, if they come to your garden, it’s worthwhile supporting them by giving a bit more space to the caterpillars’ preferred plants.

Cosmos is another plant for Monarchs; butterflies visit the flowers and are especially well set off against the white variety “Purity.” Dill, parsley and coriander will overwinter if planted in August. You can harvest fresh, pungent coriander until December or even later. Dill will go down a bit sooner in the cold; parsley will winter over, and in the spring offer you fresh sprigs sweeter than any parsley you’ve ever tasted from the store, because enduring cold produces sugars in parsley leaves.

For our other flashy pollinators, the hummingbirds, plant scarlet runner beans now. Hummers seek out orange flowers. Another great flower for hummers is the brilliant vermillion flowered sunflower relative Tithonia.

Whatever steps you take this summer for pollinators, go out frequently to see who’s there. Park a lawn chair in front of the sunflowers and head out first thing in the morning to see who’s sleeping in the squash. Catching glimpses of the affairs between pollinators and their flowers is the reward for offering safe haven in your garden for pollinators.

As you’ll see, it really is true that every garden can be a pollinator garden. Start with just one of the above strategies or plantings and increase your support for our pollinators from there.

FIND SEEDS, BEE HOUSES, A POLLINATOR PLANTING CHART, INFO AND RESOURCES for creating your pollinator garden at www.pollinatornation.com

Don’t forget the butterflies and moths! Get ready this summer to provide these colorful flutterers

POLLINATOR

HAPPENINGS ON J U N E 2 3 June 23: 10am-2pm Pollinator Day at the Botanic Gardens, Albuquerque 2601 Central NW. Check out the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s collection of native pollinators, get a free pollinator poster and all the information you need to conserve pollinators from an area biologist who will answer your questions while enjoying the beauty of our Botanic Gardens. MORE INFORMATION: Julie_ McIntyre@fws.gov, www.cabq.gov/biopark/

Bagrada bug has a distinct preference for plants in the Brassica family – which includes oilseed crops such as canola, as well as a variety of vegetables, including various Asian salad greens, mustard greens, arugula, turnips, kale, and broccoli. Even ornamentals and weeds in the same family (such as sweet alyssum, pepperweed and spectacle pod) are attacked. Vegetable plants are most vulnerable in the seedling stage – Bagrada bug can kill newly emerged seedlings or young transplants, and crops such as cauliflower can develop multiple, branched terminals instead of a single head. Leafy greens like arugula – a popular crop amongst New Mexico’s smallscale and organic growers – take on a scorched appearance because feeding by the bug causes areas of leaf tissue to turn brown, desiccate, and die.

In New Mexico, Bagrada bug has so far only been recorded on plants in the Brassica family; in California, however, where the bug has been present for nearly four years, a worrying trend is becoming apparent – the bug appears to be expanding its host range, and large aggregations can be found on very different plants, including ornamental shade trees such as sycamore. More worrying still is the difficulty growers have encountered in trying to control this pest.

In the principal vegetable growing areas of California and Arizona, some growers reported having to spray at 3- day intervals for 2-3 weeks to protect emerging

June 23: 10am-5pm City of Albuquerque, Open Space Division 6500 Coors Blvd NW Albuquerque. Special presentations on beekeeping and local native pollinators, ask local beekeepers your how-to questions, see beekeeping equipment, taste local honey. The film Queen of the Sun will be shown in conjunction with Burque Bioneers, KUNM and La Montanita Coop. MORE INFORMATION: Jodi at jhedderig@ cabq.gov or go towww.cabq.gov/openspace

seedlings – and that’s with conventional insecticides.

Organic growers may have even more difficulty in achieving control, since insecticides approved for organic production are generally less potent than their more powerful conventional counterparts.

Greenhouse trials conducted by Dr. Tess Grasswitz at the Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas last summer confirmed this fear: a product based on neem (an Indian plant with insecticidal properties) killed less than 10% of treated adults and only about 30% of the immature stages (nymphs). An organicallyapproved insecticidal soap gave slightly better results, killing approximately 60% of the nymphs - but only about 30% of adults. In the field, control is made more difficult by the Bagrada bug’s tendency to rapidly disperse from plants when disturbed; unlike most stink bugs, they will hide in cracks and crevices in soil, where it is hard to reach them with insecticides – adding to the difficulty of achieving control.

Research on potential US predators of the Bagrada bug is still very much in its infancy. At Los Lunas last year, the only predator observed feeding on this pest was a species of soft-winged flower beetle, although other potential predators (such as big-eyed bugs) were also present in high numbers on infested plants.

Further research on Bagrada bug is planned at NMSU this summer.

IF ANYONE FINDS ANY BAGRADAS: PLEASE LET TESS GRASSWITZ KNOW as she is trying to track its distribution in New Mexico. Tess can be contacted at: tgrasswi@nmsu.edu.

pollinator special!

June 2012 5 THE COEVOLUTION OF HUMANS AND HONEYBEES

THE BLESSINGS OF BEES AND OTHER

POLLINATOR

ALLIES

By Loretta McGrath umankind has had a long and gifted relationship with the honeybee, dating back 13,000 years as recorded in cave paintings such as “Cueva de la Arana,” the Cave of the Spider, in Valencia, Spain. The painting depicts a human figure perched on a long ladder with a vessel in one hand while surrounded by flying insects. Images found in South Africa and other regions of the world depict a similar relationship.

of ensuring the fertility of fruits, vegetables and grains that provide humans and other creatures of the food web with sustenance to exist and prosper.

Nearly 70% of the current global agricultural system

H

To this day honey hunters, such as the Gurung tribesmen from Nepal, pilgrimage on two honey hunts a year into the Himalayan foothills to partake in the harvest ritual of extracting honey from the hives of the largest honeybees in the world. The honey shamans recite prayers as they prepare for the arduous steep climb up long ladders, perching on high cliff faces, enduring numerous bee stings while balancing a basket to gather the freshly cut oval shaped comb, its hexagonal wax cells full of the rich deep nectar of Himalayan jungle flowers. Smoke clouds the air as the tribesmen, like their more domesticated counterparts in the Western world, try to calm the bees as they rob the food supply of these ferociously stinging creatures.

The ritual proceeds over many days and if the tribesmen are fortunate, their feat of sacrifice and tenacity will be rewarded with gallons of honey which they will share with family and barter for goods and services when they return to the village.

Other humans have sought to “coevolve” with the honeybee in a domesticated dance by building structures made from reeds, wood, earthen clays and stone and in different shapes and sizes—all to lure the honeybee to settle in and provide precious gifts of honey, beeswax, pollen and propolis. The healing benefits of these substances have been recognized for thousands of years and command high value in markets today.

While these tangible gifts benefit humans, the true work of the honeybee often goes unnoticed; the work

is dependent upon pollination. It is only in the last one hundred years or so that humans have begun to place these beneficial insects, and our own existence, into peril. Silently, and somewhat invisibly, other pollinators are facing a similar demise.

What Are the Bees Telling Us? Since 2006, one third of domesticated honeybee populations in the US have died or declined due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a phenomenon in which bees fail to return to the hive, leaving the queen and a handful of worker bees alone. CCD has occurred worldwide, predominately in places where industrial agriculture has taken hold. While a single cause of CCD remains unidentified, neonicotinoids, a class of systemic pesticides found in many household garden and industrial agriculture products, have been documented as highly toxic to honeybees and implicated as having a central role in honeybee decline.

In beekeeping lore, it is told that when a beekeeper dies, someone in the immediate family must go to the beehives and tell the bees that their “person” has

passed on. In some places in Europe and the US, hives were covered in black cloth while the family mourned their lost loved one. Now the situation has reversed, and honeybees are dying in large numbers worldwide; we the beekeepers are grieving and the entire plant and food web is at stake. If we are to continue our coevolutionary dance with the honeybees, we must evolve as human beings to reciprocate the blessings we receive from the bees.

We must evaluate our personal ethics and explore what it means to be kind and considerate with the bees and pollinators in mind. And we can do this in celebration! This crisis affords us the opportunity to act in service to these creatures, with respect and gratitude for the bounty they have provided since our time on this earth. It is often said by beekeepers that they get “chosen” by the bees to steward them and they fall in love with the bees. Beekeepers will say that there is something so alluring about working with honeybees. Now is the time for all of us to consider the plight of these creatures and to notice all the other beneficial insects that exist along with them. The good news is there is much we can do on their behalf. In turn, we, and many other creatures, as well as the land, will benefit by our efforts.

The Pollinator Partners Project: A Project of Farm to Table The key aim of the Pollinator Partners Project (PPP) is to support the creation of pollinator friendly habitat in New Mexico to enhance and regenerate the ecological, agricultural, economic and cultural health, vitality and well-being of people, pollinators and places. We focus on educational outreach through gardening, land stewardship, and beekeeping with presentations, film events, age-appropriate dialogue, and web-based resources to support school and community-based projects.

The Pollinator Partners Project shares the story of the honeybees with communities around New Mexico so all citizens, especially farmers, beekeepers, backyard, school and community gardeners, and public land managers are aware of the plight of the honeybee and can engage their communities to promote biodiversity, pesticide-free land stewardship, and the creation of a healthy and vital sustainable agricultural food system. In order to build appreciation and care for pollinators, PPP provides outreach to children and youth through FTT’s Farm to School educational activities, teaching how to create healthy garden environments beneficial to insects and plants while encouraging libraries and others to highlight pollinators through their out-of-school and after school activities.

Tell us about and send photos of pollinator gardens or habitat in your home or community for our Pollinator Partners website. For more information or to promote pollinators in your organization, business, school, neighborhood or community, contact Loretta McGrath at loremc grath@gmail.com. Donations to the Pollinator Partners Project can be made to Farm to Table @ www.farmtotablenm.org.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED...

GMO NOTES

trated “feedlot” style hog raising (I hate to call it farming) makes a useful byproduct (manure) into an environmental hazard. Why not fund a hog manure composting project instead? Heck, you could even sell the stuff. Or better yet, reduce the size of hog operations but make more of them all around the country, give them pasture to root around in and turn the stuff back into the soil.

ITCHY GREEN THUMB, by Brett Bakker

I

t’s no secret even among the Genetic Engineering corporations—euphemistically called the Bio Tech industry—that the great RoundUp Ready experiment (indeed it is an experiment no matter what they say) is failing. Rather than reducing the use of herbicide, the target weeds are developing glyphosate resistance. The industry’s answer? More crops resistant to other herbicides! Dow AgroScience is introducing GM corn that is resistant to 2,4-D, one half of the infamous defoliant Agent Orange that was dumped by the millions of gallons over Vietnam during that war.

RoundUp is not innocuous but is certainly “safer” than 2,4-D, which is partially to blame for millions of birth defects throughout Vietnam and is linked to cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, nerve damage, and hormone disruption. It is volatile—meaning 2,4-D changes from a liquid to gas rapidly and can therefore spread long distances after spraying and affect non-target crops. There is no evidence that weeds will not also develop long-term resistance to 2,4-D. But RoundUp is losing its efficacy so scientific wisdom says why not instead use this more dangerous chemical. Me, I don’t get it, but as the old Thomas Dolby song goes, I’m “blinded with science”.

FDA Flunks Remedial Math The web organization http://justlabelit.org/ reports that one million people signed onto the Just Label It petition campaign calling for the FDA to require GMO food labeling. This is a record for any petition sent to FDA…but… the FDA counters that these only count as 394 responses because the rest signed identical forms and therefore 999,606 signatures count as one. I’ve never been a math whiz but last time I heard, two plus two still equaled four.

And (will wonders never cease) bipartisan support could be a reality. A Just Label It poll of one thousand general election voters found that those in favor of mandatory GMO labeling crossed party lines: 93% Democrat, 90% Independent and 89% Republican. Overall only 5% opposed GMO labeling and 5% are undecided.

Compare this to other recent polls by Thomson Reuters Pulse Healthcare Survey, MSNBC, The Consumers Union, The Washington Post and ABC News. The results?

All are 93% or above in favor of labeling. Or what of the fact that forty countries worldwide mandate GMO labeling? Dear FDA: Stay after class and do your times tables on the blackboard one hundred times.

I Pledge Allegiance. Sometimes.

As the Federal Government continues to founder on GMO label laws, Vermont is the latest state to attempt its own. Sadly it’s a rather weak bill that only takes effect if California and two other northeast states do the same. This is partly because Governor Peter Shumlin is “gun shy” about passing such a law because he fears a lawsuit that was threatened by the GMO Industry. These GMO corporations are the type that fly the flag proudly and claim their allegiance to the founding fathers as well as State’s rights ... unless it interferes with business. Don’t tread on me, indeed.

Oink.

Because the Canadian hog industry has cut its funding, Canada’s University of Guelph has scrapped its research program for GMO pigs. Dubbed “Enviropig,” the hogs were engineered with genetic material from mice in order to reduce phosphorus in pig manure. This was supposed to reverse environmental contamination from an excess of the stuff. Of course no one has questioned the fact that concen-

No offense to my scientifically minded friends but solutions don’t necessarily have to involve cutting edge lab experiments and test tubes. Plain ol’ dirt works pretty well in many cases.

S U P P O RT H O N E Y B E E S A N D O T H E R P O L L I N AT O R S :

BE A BEE PARTNER Here’s what YOU can do:

Plant a Pollinator Garden: Go to the NMSU Los Lunas Plant Center and download the pollinator plant recommendations and booklet recently published at http://aces.nmsu. edu/ipm/documents/benefical-insectsbooklet-final.pdf Avoid the Use of Chemicals: especially neo nicotinoid pesticides-two of these systemic pesticides with the active ingredients of imidacloprid and clothianidin are especially harmful to bees and pollinators. Also avoid the commonly used glyphosate (RoundUp).

Provide Water Habitat: Place a shallow basin of water filled with stones in several places in your garden to give the bees a place to land and drink without drowning.

Become a Backyard Beekeeper or Support Local Beekeepers: Check out the New Mexico State Beekeepers Association website, the Sangre de Cristo Beekeepers Group in Santa Fe and the Albuquerque Beekeepers Group. Purchase local honey and bee products at farmers’ markets throughout the state and at La Montanita Co-op.

Support ORGANIC farmers and gardeners and learn to grow food without chemicals!

Host a Bee Party Film Event or Honey Dessert: Celebrate the bounty of the bees by hosting gatherings to view one of several bee films that highlight bee issues. Some films to consider include: Vanishing of the Bees, Queen of the Sun, Nicotine Bees and The Strange Disappearance of the Honeybees.

Sample honey!

Encourage your Local Library to Carry Bee Films and Books: Make suggestions to your local library to purchase the above mentioned films and explore books about pollinators.

Create Art that Celebrates Bees, Butterflies, Birds and Bats: Get children involved and create art in public and private spaces.

Do Bug Counts in your Garden: Hone your observation skills and do bug counts, take photos, keep a bug journal with sketches and document the pollinator party!

Provide Nesting Sites for Native Bees: Some native bees that dig into the ground prefer undisturbed soil, other native bees prefer wood to build cavities to lay their eggs. Build your own wood or bamboo bee boxes to attract native bees who will work alongside honeybees to pollinate your garden.

Use your Power to Impact Policy: Pressure the EPA and Congress to take action to protect pollinators!

co-op news BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS!

YOUR CO-OP

NEEDS YOU! Y

CO-OP BOARD OF DIRECTORS our Co-op needs you! The nominations process for La Montanita’s Board of Directors elections will be starting soon, and we want to let you know how you can participate.

Each year the Co-op holds elections for 3 of its 9 directors, with terms running for 3 years. As elected representatives of the 17,000 plus member/owners, the board’s job is to provide strategic vision and ensure the Co-op’s long-term stability and success. The work is exciting, challenging, and rewarding.

BY THE

June 2012 6

DIRECTORS PROVIDE

VISION STABILITY SUCCESS

Overall, board members are expected to spend the equivalent of about three hours a week on board duties, including committee work, trainings, workshops and other meetings and activities. In exchange, board members are compensated with an annual stipend of $1,800.

The Secretary receives $2,700 and the President receives $3,600. Board members are expected to serve the full three-year term to which they are elected.

YOUR co-op...

AND, you can VOTE Electronically THIS YEAR! The Co-op is a 28.8 million dollar operation. We have five stores: three in Albuquerque, one in Gallup and one in Santa Fe. Albuquerque is also the site of the Cooperative Distribution Center (CDC), which is our Foodshed warehouse, serving producers, processors and retailers throughout our region. In 2010, under the board’s direction, we opened a store on the UNM campus, and all of the Co-op’s locations and programs continued to grow and improve in performance. Finally, our many public outreach programs bring people together and strengthen our communities.

This year we will be utilizing electronic voting instead of mailing out paper ballots. Primary members who are interested in voting electronically should provide an email address to the info desk at any of our stores in order to receive election login information. Email addresses will remain confidential and only be used for election purposes, unless members wish to receive additional Co-op information electronically. Primary members who wish to fill out paper ballots may obtain them from the info desk at our store locations between November 1 and November 14.

Why Run for the Board?

The board’s work requires discipline and creativity. We govern by means of a framework called Policy Governance. At our monthly meetings, the board reviews management’s work by examining performance reports and comparing them to policy standards we have established. The board governs by declaring, through its policies, the results it wants and the actions it wants the general manager to avoid while achieving those results. Only by reviewing and adjusting these boundaries do we adjust the direction of the Co-op.

We leave day-to-day operational details to the general manager and his team (those are the people you see every day as a shopper); we keep tabs on the stores on a monthly basis through formal reporting. Very importantly, we spend almost half our meeting time studying our world, learning about our owners’ needs, and imagining the future.

CO-OP STUDY CIRCLES: PROVOCATIVE IDEAS,

DEEP DISCUSSIONS

BY MARSHALL KOVITZ n Thursday, April 12, members of the Co-op and members of the Co-op board gathered for their second in a series of study circles based on the book, A Discussion Course on Cooperatives. This month we examined co-op principles and values, talked about why they are important and how they impact our lives. For those not familiar with them, the seven principles can be found on page 3 of this newsletter. In addition to these seven principles we looked at the co-operative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, solidarity, honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.

O

Our focus on the long term, on clear definitions of roles, and on respectful and productive dialogue has clearly paid off. Here’s what Board Member Kristy Decker says about her work on the board: “I find board work exciting and rewarding! I love volunteering my time for a business that does good for the community, the environment and for future generations. We have fun at meetings and we study interesting topics that help us to further understand how to keep our community healthy, co-op educated and socially responsible. I take great pride in being a part of an organization that is seen as a national leader in the co-op movement.”

An Exciting and Rewarding Opportunity We encourage prospective candidates to attend monthly board meetings so they can better understand how the board governs. Meetings are always on the third Tuesday of each month, starting at 5:30pm. Location is the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across Carlisle from the Nob Hill store’s back door. Dinner is served to all attending, starting a little before 5:30pm.

needs YOU!

While it is customary for boards to seek prospective members with management-related skills, our approach is different. Our comprehensive policies and the management reporting that is required for them allow the board to simultaneously ensure successful Co-op performance and still focus on the bigger picture we mentioned earlier.

To help keep the board on this path, here’s what we are looking for in a candidate: • First and foremost, be dedicated to the well-being of the Co-op and its owners.

• Have a propensity to think in terms of systems and context.

• Be honest and have independent judgment, courage, and good faith.

• Be able and eager to deal with values, vision and the long term.

• Be willing and able to participate assertively in discussions and abide by board decisions and the intent of established policies.

• Be comfortable operating in a group decision making environment, sharing power in a group process, and delegating areas of decision making to others.

Candidate Nominations start July 20 and end on August 20. Beginning on July 20, applications, containing complete instructions, will be available at the information desk of each store as well as on the Coop’s website, in the “Board of Directors” link.

TO QUALIFY AS A CANDIDATE, YOU MUST RETURN YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION BY AUGUST 20.

Board elections will be held from November 1st through November 14th. Our annual meeting and celebration will be held on Saturday, October 27, at Warehouse 21 in Santa Fe. Candidates are encouraged to attend this meeting to have the opportunity to address members regarding their candidacy. As we have done in the last few years, the board will offer a list of candidates it feels are qualified to serve. Full information about this process will be included in the candidate packet.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT US AT bod@lamontanita.coop, or contact Kristy Decker, Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee, at 280-9721.

membership is

O W N E R S H I P! We started by discussing how these principles and values form a solid foundation for what we do and how they provide a point of reference and a way to distinguish ourselves from other businesses. Given the wide variety of co-ops and the different ways they serve people, some of the participants noted that it was not always clear that they were part of a co-op even though they in fact were. Examples are electric co-ops—which may not appear to offer voluntary membership in an area where only the co-op serves people—and credit unions, which sometimes do not advertise themselves as co-operative financial institutions even though they are. One reason these issues can be important is because we want to understand why it is people support co-ops and what we can do to increase that support. Put another way, how are we different from other businesses? What is the “co-op advantage?”

To the last question, we received varied but familiar answers. For some, it was the knowledge that they were real owners, even if they did not always vote. For others, it was the patronage dividend, noting only those who do business with the co-op receive this benefit. Still others expressed feelings of trust for the co-op, since the primary purpose of the business is to meet their needs rather than earn a profit for investors. Not surprisingly, others talked about the sense of community and comfort they experience in co-op stores;

this sense of relatedness is something most felt was unique about the co-op model.

The issue of meeting people’s needs invariably turns to the question of what are real needs (as opposed to advertising-driven needs and desires based on convenience) and how does the Co-op decide what to stock.

Exhibit A for these kinds of discussions is often the large assortment of bottled waters we carry. Needless to say, there is no easy answer for this issue. Rather than trying to balance environmental protection with member requests at the policy level, the board delegates these decisions to management.

Finally, while our group did not have an opportunity to discuss the future of the co-operative principles, others have. Johnston Birchall, in his article, “Have The Principles Enabled A Co-operative Advantage?” discusses the possibility of some day defining, in operational terms, how co-ops live the principles.

The intent is to create an easily explained co-op difference—one that the public can see and one that coops could be held accountable for.

After several sessions it’s clear that participants enjoy and become quickly engaged in these provocative ideas. If you’d like to join the discussion, contact us at bod@lamontanita.coop.

A cookbook for people with food sensitivities by naturopathic physician and chef, Dr. Peggy Parker now on sale at three La Montanita Co-op locations. DR. PARKER WILL BE ON SITE FOR A BOOK SIGNING on June 9 at the Valley store from 11-1pm, at the Nob Hill store from 3-5pm; and at the Santa Fe store on June 10 from 3-5pm. The Deli department at each location will feature at least one signature dish from the cookbook.

Dr. Peggy Parker was a gourmet chef for 20 years before becoming a naturopathic physician. She found that many of her patients were wheat, gluten, sugar, dairy, or egg intolerant, and so began designing creative recipes to make their lives more manageable. In the process, her OMG! That's Allergy Free? cookbook was born. The cookbooks regularly retail for $43.95 and are on sale at 20% off for $35.99 while supplies last. Dr. Parker also offers more recipes, kitchen tips, product reviews, and answers to food allergy questions online at www.OMGAllergyFree.com and www.SimpleHealthNetwork.com.

6/9

VALLEY CO-OP

11-1PM,

NOB HILL CO-OP

BOOK SIGNING WITH DR. PEGGY PA R K E R

OMG!

3-5PM, 6/10

that’s allergy

FREE? S A N TA F E C O - O P

3-5PM

co-op news

June 2012 7

EAST MOUNTAINS After months of work reviewing all information available on a possible La Montanita Co-op location in the East Mountains, the decision has been made not to move forward at this time.

Looking at the numbers, this location was marginal at best; just hitting break even point if everything went as smoothly as possible. The investment required from the Co-op, including inventory, would be close to a million dollars and any construction overage or equipment problem could easily cause us to miss our financial target, threatening the stability of your Co-op organization as a whole.

Although we are continuously getting requests from many communities throughout the state; the biggest reasons not to move forward in the East Mountains at this time are our Warehouse/Foodshed Initiative and the Gallup location. While both of these are important community development projects and we are committed to both, neither one is profitable at

THE INSIDE

SCOOP

this time. While both projects have made good progress toward supporting themselves, they are still not quite there. Having another location in this position is just too much to risk for our Co-op as a whole and could deplete our resources quickly.

I am deeply disappointed the East Mountain store did not work out and I hope to be able to reconsider it at some point in the future. I have enjoyed working with Curtis and meeting many people from the community. My thanks to all who have called to voice support for this store and we sincerely appreciate your ongoing support of the Co-op.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with input or questions at terryb@lamontanita.coop or by phone at 505-217-2020.

-TERRY BOWLING GENERAL MANAGER, LA MONTANITA FOOD CO-OP

NOMADIC STATE OF MIND:

RECYCLED Plastic Sandals

BY DARLENE REYNOLDS omadic State of Mind is a small company dedicated to offering handmade footwear, accessories and organic cotton apparel. Thinking forward to future generations and also the need to make a product that is able to take a lot of wear and tear, Nomadic chooses to use reclaimed material as much as it can without sacrificing rope tensile strength. Currently, we use a partly reclaimed polypropylene cord. Using reclaimed material mixed with new material ensures that our products will last for a long time.

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Our sandals, purses, belts, bottle carriers, rugs and placemats are made with the rope produced at a material facility in the USA and are 100% VEGAN and animal friendly. Nomadic State of Mind products are eco-conscious, handcrafted and made of incredibly strong material.

The sandals are washable/dryable, colorfast, super soft, comfortable, adjustable, lightweight and have been known to mold to the shape of your feet. They are resistant to bacteria, mildew and fungus, allowing your feet to

FATHER’S DAY IS

breathe and stay dry. Soft but made to last, most of our sandals, designed in the style of the old prophets, are unisex with sizes from babies to “Big Foot” and new styles and colors are always being added.

In 2002 Chris Anderson, owner and founder of Nomadic, taught a small Nicaraguan community how to make sandals in hopes of creating jobs and income for those who lost their coffee farm work. All of our artists are paid well and we hope to grow the sandal business, offering employment for more people.

Sandals may be washed and dried with your regular wash, in the sink or with a hose; then air dried. They are adjustable by sliding the back strap all the way up and under to create a slip-on sandal.

Nearly all our sandal scraps are used to make rugs, placemats, purses and bottle holders.

Though Nomadic State of Mind products are sold around the world, we are a grassroots company.

Nomadic State of Mind products can be found at the Albuquerque and Santa Fe Co-op stores.

JUNE 17

MAKE DAD GLAD!

BY ROB MOORE ou have to hand it to dad: absolutely one of the unique jobs in the world, filled with responsibility and demands, rich in returns and pride. This Father’s Day, why not reach a little further than the traditional ties or cologne and pick a few items that might give dad a surprise and earn you a smile.

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We dads tend to know either exactly what we want or have no preference at all, so gifts that are functional but that we wouldn’t get for ourselves can be a clever way of getting something cool for Dad and letting him know you are tuned in to all he does for you. Herewith are a few gift recommendations from your Co-op, along with a few suggestions from interested parties (cough).

Rainbow Light Men’s One Daily Multi-vitamin. Complete, food-based nutrition with energizing green foods and organic spirulina. Research-based Multivitamin Protection goes beyond minimal 100% Daily Values to deliver customized, protective nutrient potencies, high-potency zinc to support reproductive health, plus saw palmetto and 1,000 mcg lycopene and B-Complex promotes vigorous energy.

Heart Health & Immunity. Now with 25 million probiotic cultures and 800 IU vitamin D plus broadspectrum enzymes for daily digestive health and immune support.

Udder Delight Unscented Shave Soap. Udder Delight’s goat milk shaving soap will give you the clos-

est shave you've ever had! Their 3-inch round shaving soap also has Fullers Earth Clay to help your whiskers stand upright for a closer shave. Plus they also put a liquid Silk Protein in to give you a silky smooth shave.

Weleda Moisture Cream for Men helps dry, tough skin get hydrated and refined day or night. Marshmallow root extract soothes skin and calms irritation.

Sun Shield Hats. Get Dad outfitted with a nifty hat, to shield him from the sun and keep his freshly shaved pate smiling. You’ll find a variety of choices at your Co-op.

Other Great Dad Suggestions: Your Co-op can hook you up with a number of other good suggestions for masculine accessories that Dad will appreciate, including candles, books, or some great music from the folks at Putumayo, including new African music and Bluegrass releases, though some Dads (ahem!) still have a soft spot for the Cuban and Parisian Café titles.

Food for Father’s Day: Still stumped? The most popular response to “what would you like for Father’s Day” was “food.” Check this month’s recipe section for a tasty grill-minded selection. Try Sweet Grass beef from your La Montanita Co-op! Vegetarian dads need not be left out either: there are a plethora of excellent cheeses and wondrously special treats to fit any dietary preference. Ask any grocery or cheese counter staff for suggestions, and if you still can’t make up your mind, GIVE DAD A GIFT CERTIFICATE!

Calendar

of Events 6/19 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 6/23 Co-op sponsored showing of Queen of the Bees at the Open Space Visitor Center, see page 1.

6/25 Member Engagement Committe Meeting, 5:30pm, email: bod@lamontanita.coop for location.

CO-OPS: A Solution-Based System A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.

GRASS FED, GRASS FINISHED SWEETGRASS BEEF OR LOCAL KYZER PORK TO GRILL! FOR

DAD!

GET IT at your favorite

Sunday, June 17!

CO-OP! Father’s Day,

. . . and other Made from Scratch 101 | fresh, fair, and grown just for you

Blue Cheese Cabernet Hamburgers Ingredients 1 bottle 1/4 cup 1 tsp 1 TBSP 1 TBSP 2 tsps 2 lb 1 tsp 1/2 tsp

Directions

Red Wine Shallots, minced * Thyme, minced * Rosemary, minced * Organic Valley® Unsalted Butter, softened Golden Brown Sugar * Sweet Grass Co-op Ground Beef Salt * Ground Black Pepper * Organic Valley® Blue Cheese Rudi’s Organic Bakery® Hamburger Buns Organic Tomatoes, sliced Organic Arugula * Available in the bulk department

Boil wine, shallots, rosemary and thyme in a medium saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add butter and brown sugar; whisk until butter melts and sugar dissolves.

Mix beef, salt, and pepper, and 1/4 cup wine mixture in bowl. Form meat into four burgers.

Brush hot grill rack with oil. Grill burgers until cooked to desired doneness, brushing occasionally with wine mixture. Place blue cheese crumbles on burger after last turn and grill until cheese melts.

Top burgers with tomato slices and arugula.

Enjoy!

Courtesy of OrganicAuthority.com

sumptuo

ous

summertime recipes!

with the right combination - a gourmet meal!

early summer

flavors

June 2012 10

early summer: a

DELICATE

assortment of

fresh food Come check us out and see what we’re about!

N e w M e x i co ’ s

New Community Radio • Contemporary Jazz • Chill • Latin Guitar

!

N E L I ST

Also streaming online at...

1037theoasis.com Locally Programmed and Woman- Owned.

DEBORAH MADISON It may feel like summer, but June is still spring when it comes to the garden and the Co-op.

What’s in? Rhubarb. Radishes. Strawberries. Peas.

Asparagus, still. It’s limited compared to what’s coming, but it’s a really lovely, delicate assortment of vegetables. June also includes Father’s Day, the traditional time for a grilled, grassfed steak and perhaps a rhubarb pandowdy for dessert. And in between, radishes and peas, two ways.

BY

Radish Salad with Vella’s Dry Jack Cheese The Vella family’s Dry Jack cheese from Sonoma County in California is one of our national food treasures. It’s increasingly possible to find nationwide, but if you can’t get your hands on some, use Parmigiano-Reggiano or another hard cheese. This is a very pretty, bright, and lively little salad. You can stray from its utter simplicity by adding some freshly blanched and peeled fava beans, radish sprouts, or very small arugula leaves. Serves 6 2 bunches breakfast radishes or mixed varieties, including small daikon 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives Olive oil, as needed 2 to 4 ounces Dry Jack or ParmigianoReggiano Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Radish sprouts, leaves, or arugula greens, optional Set aside a handful of the most tender radish greens. Trim the radish roots, leaving just a bit of the stem, and wash them well. Wick up the

excess moisture with a towel, then thinly slice, either lengthwise or crosswise. Put them in a bowl and toss with the chives, radish greens, and enough oil to coat lightly. Put the radishes on a platter, shave the cheese over them, and add pepper and the optional greens, if using. From Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets.

Braised Red Radishes Radishes are lovely cooked as well as raw. The colors fade to delicate pastels, the heat is moderated, and they are surprisingly delicious. I often add other vegetables as well—spring peas, little turnips, asparagus tips and such.

And of course radish greens when tender and in good condition are good to eat too! Serves 4 20 plump radishes, red ones or multicolored 1 to 2 tablespoons butter 1 shallot, diced 1 teaspoon chopped thyme or several pinches dried Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Trim the leaves from the radishes, leaving a bit of the green stems, and wash them. If the leaves are tender and in good condition, wash them too and set them aside. Leave smaller radishes whole, and halve or quarter larger ones. Melt 2 to 3 teaspoons butter in a small sauté pan. Add the shallot and thyme and cook for 1 minute over medium heat.

Add the radishes, a little salt and a little pepper, and water just to cover. Simmer until the radishes are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the leaves if using and cook until they're wilted and tender, a minute more. Remove the radishes to a serving dish. Reduce the liquid, adding a teaspoon or two more butter if you like, until about 1/4 cup remains.

Spoon the sauce over the radishes and serve. From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

An Assemblage of Peas Since shelling peas and edible pod peas cook quickly and June is when we’re likely to find ourselves with some of this kind and a few of another, I simply cook them together. They look marvelous and taste just fine! Serves 2 to 4 1 pound peas, different varieties or all one kind Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper Butter to taste Chopped mint, basil, chives, or dill String the snow peas and edible-pod peas; shuck any shelling peas. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and drop in the peas. Boil until they’re bright green and tender, a minute or two. Drain, shake dry, then return to the empty pan where they’ll finish drying in its heat. Stir in a small piece of butter, a little pepper, and whatever fresh herb appeals to you. If you have pea shoots, cook them with the peas.

FRESH

FAIR LOCAL... CO-OP

early summer

flavors

Strip Steaks with Caramelized Shallot Butter Fine steaks from the short loin, such as strip steaks, need little advance seasoning. Sometimes labeled “Kansas City,” “New York,” or “Delmonico,” strips are both tender and hearty in flavor. For a festive finish, serve these with a flourish of butter loaded with caramelized shallots.

For everyday eating, we often split a steak, but for Father's Day, Dad may want to splurge.

Serves 6 or more Six 12- to 14-ounce boneless strip steaks, about 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick 1 tablespoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt, or more to taste 1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper Caramelized Shallot Butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3/4 cup chopped shallots 1/2 teaspoon sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons snipped chives Stir together the salt and pepper and then rub over the steaks on all surfaces. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Prepare the butter. Warm the oil in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the shallots and sauté for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue cooking for about 10 more minutes, until the shallots are very soft and toasty brown. Add the butter and stir occasionally, until melted. Keep warm.

Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the "hand test" where, with your hand several inches above the cooking grate, you have to pull it away from the heat within 1 to 2 seconds ) and then on medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).

Grill the steaks over high heat for 2 1/2 minutes per side. Move the steaks to medium heat, turning them again, and continue grilling for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness. Turn the steaks a minimum of three times, but more

June 2012 11

the Best

PRODUCE! SHOP

CO-OP! often if juice begins to form on the surface. Rotate a half-turn each time for crisscross grill marks.

Plate the steaks, spoon the melted butter over them, and serve.

Courtesy of Cheryl Alters Jamison, adapted from The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking & Entertaining (HarperCollins) 2008, Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

Sugar Snap Peas with Scallions and Dill This basic dish is easy to vary: Use shallots instead of scallions, or if new fresh onions have come into the market, add some, thinly sliced. A handful of peeled fava beans, pea shoots, and slivered asparagus tips added to the peas turns it into a spring vegetable sauté. Serves 4 1 pound sugar snap peas, strung, or winged peas 6 scallions, including a few inches of the greens, finely sliced Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped dill or another favored herb Put the peas in a skillet with the scallions, a few pinches of salt, the butter if using, and enough water to just cover the bottom. Cook until bright green and tender. After a minute or two—taste one to be sure. If using olive oil, add a little to the pan now. Taste for salt, season with a little pepper, and add the dill.

Mary Alice Cooper, MD Classical Homeopathy in Albuquerque since 1992.

Specializing in Visceral Manipulation & Lab Analysis.

204 Carlisle Blvd. NE Albuquerque NM 87106 (505)266-6522 info@drmaryalicecooper.com

CO-OP FOODSHED

PROJECT

Bringing together local farmers and Co-op shoppers for the best in FRESH, FAIR AND LOCAL FOOD!

GO GREEN !

agua es vida

KIRTLAND

LARGEST AQUIFER CONTAMINATION

IN HISTORY!

June 2012 12

The ABCWUA should use its authority to DEMAND the Air Force do the following: • PAY for an independent expert to review the flawed remediation plans for the jet fuel and dissolved fuel and offer recommendations/guidance to the WUA Board regarding what the WUA Board can do to minimize the impact.

• PROVIDE funding for an appropriate water treatment plant —providing immediate design and construction costs.

• PROVIDE WUA with money for contingency planning for shutdown and relocation of the Ridgecrest municipal wells.

AIR FORCE PLUME

BY DAVE MCCOY, CITIZEN ACTION NEW MEXICO n 8,000,000-gallon, highly toxic plume of jet fuel has reached the Albuquerque aquifer. Part of the plume is dissolved and part is floating 510 feet below us. The dissolved plume has moved off of Kirtland Air Force Base into the surrounding ecosystem and is being drawn toward wells in Albuquerque’s Ridgecrest neighborhood and more than 40 other municipal drinking water wells.

A

In 2011 the EDB moved 1,200 feet closer to Ridgecrest municipal wells in only seven months. At a March 13, 2012, meeting, Colonel Conley said Kirtland had no plan in place should the dissolved plume hit the City’s wells—only shutdown of the well and treatment at the wellhead. No planning is being done for water treatment or well relocation.

CONTACT the Water Utility Authority BOARD Members listed here!

The Air Force and its contractor, Shaw Environmental, are pushing to use Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) for the liquid portion of the plume, but according to the EPA, that approach won't remove liquid jet fuel. Shaw and the Air Force also want to use pump and treat “containment wells,” but the National Academies of Science rejects that technology as ineffective, too costly and notes that millions of gallons of “treated” waste water may be put back in the ground, accelerating the plume’s movement toward Albuquerque’s wells.

ASK the WUA Board members to issue a resolution that the Air Force must address this impending environmental catastrophe with an aggressive cleanup plan NOW. The Air Force must find the extent of the plume using the most sensitive technology available and not depend on Shaw Environmental’s information that was gathered using less sensitive equipment.

CONTACT THESE OFFICIALS AND DEMAND ACTION TO PROTECT OUR AQUIFER! • Mayor Richard J. Berry/Phone: 505-768-3000 Email: mayorberry@cabq.gov • Ken Sanchez, Chair/Phone: 505-768-3183 Email: eromero @cabq.gov • Wayne A. Johnson, Vice-Chair/Phone: 505-468-7212 Email: kbrown@bernco.gov • Art De La Cruz/Phone: 505-468-7448/Fax: 505-462-9819 Email: dherrera@bernco.gov • Rey Garduno/Phone: 505-768-3152/Fax: 505-768-3227 Email: julianmoya@cabq.gov • Trudy E. Jones/Phone: 505-768-3106/Fax: 505-768-3227 Email: azizachavez@cabq.gov • Maggie Hart Stebbins/Phone: 505-468-7108 Fax: 505-462-9818/Email: wobrien@bernco.gov • Pablo R. Rael Ex-Officio/Phone: 505-344-6582 Email: pablor@abastoutility.com • Senator Cisco McSorley/Phone: 505-266-0588 Email: cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov • Representative Henry Saavedra/Phone: 505-350-0486 • Senator Udall/ /Phone: 505-346-6791 E-mail: bill_woldman@tomudall.senate.gov

The Air Force, NOT Water Utility ratepayers, should pay the coming costs for lost water production and expensive Water Treatment Plant construction.

DEMAND that the Air Force begin remediation of the liquid plume NOW.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact Dave McCoy at Citizen Action: dave@radfreenm.org, or call 505-262-1862.

Kirtland officials have acknowledged that all its groundwater monitoring wells are contaminated with the chemical ethylene dibromide, (EDB), a carcinogen that is deadly in parts per trillion. The EPA recommends zero exposure to EDB in drinking water.

ACTION ALERT WHAT

YOU

CAN

DO

!

CONCERNED CITIZENS for NUCLEAR SAFETY

will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary throughout 2012. Check out the details for upcoming events on our website, www.nuclearactive.org. Please sign up there to receive Action Alerts and weekly Updates. Email your favorite CCNS story to ccns@nuclearactive.org.

FREE CLASS ON DRIP IRRIGATION Saturday, June 23, 2012 10am-2pm • Learn the basics of how to install or update your watering system • Help renovate the gardens of the homeless men’s shelter

Meet at the Albuquerque Opportunity Center 715 Candelaria NE Bring: gloves, water, sunblock, hats, your energy

Please RSVP to: Triple Drip 268-1315

consumer news Early Season keepers

BY ARI LEVAUX ogs bury bones. Squirrels hide acorns. Farmers make hay when the sun shines. Seasonal rhythms of scarcity and abundance are responsible for many such animal behaviors and human clichés, because stashing food when the stashing’s good is as natural as sleep, love, and running from wild animals. A stockpile of grub provides a sense of security like having money in the bank.

D

June 2012 13

honey, a potent antibiotic. Honey might seem like a surprising addition to something that’s already sweet, but fruits that carry a sour element, like apricots, cherries and even raspberries, tend to concentrate their tartness.

A Flash of Green Another early-season crop worth inserting into your winter diet is peas, both snap and shelling varieties.

You can scatter a handful of shelled peas into a potato salad like a magician saying “alacazam!” Snap peas will add flashes of green to a winter stir-fry, and you can almost taste the sunshine. The method of choice for preserving peas is to blanch and then freeze them.

Over the years, storing food has become as much about art as survival, as people have learned ways to maximize flavor and beauty as well as nutrition. Thus we can thank winter for pickles, prosciutto, kimchi, jam, jerky, sausage, fruit leather, and many other examples of delicious foods with long shelf-lives.

Now that the growing season is on, these farsighted gastronomic opportunities are available by the bushel. Most of the herd tends to wait until the traditional end-of-summer harvest season.

If you’re serious about stocking your pantry with an abundance and diversity of food, it pays to follow a season-wide strategy rather than put off your stashing until the end. Stocking up early and often will save you from being overwhelmed during harvest season, and peas, corn, apricots and cherries, for example, are long-gone by the time the frost is on the pumpkins, so you lose these treasures if you snooze.

Making Fruit Leather A fun way to put away cherries, apricots and other fruits and berries is to make fruit leather. This technique has a special place in my heart because I remember watching my parents make it from apricots during my formative years. The image of our neighbors’ pickle-packed pantry is nearly as vivid as the memory of their three cute blonde daughters as I followed them to school in my four-year-old birthday suit. But the sight of our backyard table full of cheesecloth-draped trays of sun-drying leather seared itself even more deeply into this dog’s bone-burying soul.

freezer paper, or plastic wrap. Let the leather dry outside in the sun over a few days, draped in cheesecloth to keep the flies off, and bring the trays in at night. Or you can do it in a dehydrator, especially if you have one with sliding trays.

Like leather-making, this technique requires no special gear, and is one that you can use again and again, as the season unfolds, to put away zucchini, corn, leeks, broccoli, collard greens and kale.

storing FOOD maximizing flavor, beauty and

nutrition

Wash, pit, core, cut and otherwise prepare whatever fruit or combination of fruit you like. Put the prepared fruit in a big pot with two inches of water on low heat and cover. Add more water as necessary until the fruit is obliterated into mush.

Stir often to prevent scalding. If it does scald, do not pretend it didn’t happen. Do not convince yourself you nipped it in the bud as you scrape the burnt bottom bits into your fruit. Don’t scrape, don’t stir, just pour the contents to an alternate vessel, clean your pot, and continue.

Fruit leather is fun, tasty, space-efficient, and can last longer than a Twinkie without spoiling. One misplaced sheet of mine was lost for years, having found its way behind a filing cabinet, until I did a deep cleaning. I gave my long-lost leather a thorough inspection, found no mold, picked out some dust and dog hairs, and gave it a taste. It hadn’t changed a bit.

When it’s fully cooked to mush, let the fruit cool and run it through a food mill. If you don’t have a food mill you can use a blender or food processor, which will produce a chunkier leather because those machines don’t filter.

This is partly due to the fruit’s concentrated sugars—it’s counterintuitive, but sugar discourages food spoilage—as well as the presence of

Stir in a cup of honey per gallon of fruit puree. Pour the mixture onto wax paper, or the shiny side of

Blanching, or briefly boiling, denatures plant enzymes that would otherwise spoil your frozen food. Blanching also softens and shrinks the food, making it easier to pack, kills bacteria on the food surface, and gives it a final rinse. Each vegetable will have a different blanch time, which you can find at The National Center for Home Food Preservation (www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/ freeze/blanching.html).

Peas should be blanched for two minutes, a pound at a time, in at least two gallons of boiling water. After blanching, immediately plunge them into ice water, which halts the cooking process and fixes the bright green color. After a few minutes in the ice bath, drain and pack the peas into quart bags, squeezing out as much air as you can before freezing.

This method, also called parboiling, is used in many recipes, like stir-fry. In these cases, the parboiling step is already out of the way when you thaw the peas.

As summer spins away on the seasonal carousel, salting away some sweet and savory stash is like grabbing a few brass rings along the way. If you start working on it soon, it will feel less like a chore and more like fun. You’ll enjoy the ride all winter long.

community

forum

June 2012 14

AMPERSAND

FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL

SUSTAINABLE LEARNING

OF ALBUQUERQUE

CENTER

EVENTS!

JUNE WORKSHOPS June 2nd, High Desert Gardening, 10am to 4pm Observe appropriate Permaculture strategies and discuss how to maximize small growing areas, soil preparation and water harvesting earthworks, rainwater harvesting, greywater, staged plantings, inter-cropping, and perennial plants.

T

he National Institute of Flamenco proudly announces the 25th Anniversary celebration of Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque, June 10-16, 2012.

Festival Flamenco Internacional is the grandest exposition of flamenco dance and music in the United States; with the most comprehensive learning experiences available. “This year’s performers include an all-star line-up of Spanish flamenco superstars representing a wide display of styles ranging from traditional flamenco to cutting edge performances. These artists embody the essence of 25 years of Festival Flamenco Internacional,” says Eva Encinias Sandoval, Festival Flamenco Founder and Artistic Director.

Performances will be held nightly at the University of New Mexico’s Rodey Theatre and at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Ticket prices range from $20$90, with ticket packages available for the general public and a New Mexico Pass available to residents. Festival Flamenco Internacional headliners include: Sevilla-born Pastora Galván, who comes from a distinguished flamenco family; and avant-garde brother and sister duo Adela and Rafael Campallo, with their stunning technical mastery combined with full vigor and a personification of the spirit of innovation. A rising flamenco star, Olga Pericet, will perform “Rosa, Metal y Ceniza,” an audacious display of athleticism and artistry, and Alfonso Losa is one of the most celebrated and highly decorated flamenco performers in the world.

Festival Flamenco Internacional workshops will be held at Carlisle Gym on the UNM campus. Registration is now open for more than 25 workshops, which offer students comprehensive flamenco-related study, with a number of options for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.

JUNE 1 0- 1 6

For more information about Festival Flamenco Internacional, June 10-16, 2012, or for a complete schedule of performances and workshops, as well as registration, contact the National Institute of Flamenco at 505-242-7600, or visit www.ffi25.org. Tickets may be purchased at the box office by calling 505-724-4771 or by visiting ticketmaster.com; UNM Rodey Theatre tickets may be purchased at the box office by calling 505-925-5858 or by visiting unmtickets.com.

June 24th, Wise Water Systems: Simple Rainwater and Greywater Techniques, 10am to 4pm Learn the basic elements of rain collection systems: sizing and citing your tank, gauges, first flush systems, and filters. We cover the essentials: NM code, gravity fed systems, mulch basins, infiltration chambers, and pumice wicks.

To register or for sliding scale fee schedule go to

www.ampersandproject.org

Saturday, June 16th, noon-9:30pm Downtown Albuquerque

New Mexico Centennial

SUMMERFEST! Come to the biggest birthday party in the state! Downtown Albuquerque will come alive with a massive party for New Mexico's 100th Birthday, and you're invited! Centennial Summerfest will feature a celebration of arts, dance, music, cuisine, science, technology, and the exciting atmosphere of old Route 66. The highlight of the event will be the Main Stage 9pm appearance of the award-winning group, Los Lobos.

All events are FREE and open to the public. To learn more, visit the City website at www.abqsummerfest.com or call 311.

co-op

comix

June 2012 15 STORY AND PENCILS BY RAS ELIJAH TAFARI, INKS AND LETTERS BY CHRISTOPH KNERR

TO BE CONTINUED

HASTA LA PROXIMA