La Montanita Coop Connection May, 2012

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

m a y 2 012

connection

free

˜ 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!

In honor of the Year of the Co-op, our New Member Coupon Books are now available during May 2012 ONLY. Enjoy a full year of savings with two or more generous coupons a month for the entire year...until April 2013!!

Join the over 17,000 La Montañita owner families in support of our regional food-shed and local food producers. Help us build a better world! As a community-owned business, La Montañita partners with a variety of organizations to benefit our communities and creates a sustainable future for us all.

Plus, YOU OWN IT! At the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, patronage dividends are refunded to members in amounts based on member household purchases. It pays to be a Co-op member!

A YEAR OF CO-OP OWNER SAVINGS COUPON BOOK

-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.

NE W ME MBE RS! RE CE IVE A YE AR O F CO -O P O WNE R SAVINGS - ON L Y D U R I N G MAY 2 0 1 2

USDA’S NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD MEETING Public HEARING

Consumer Comments Encouraged!

ALBUQUERQUE/May 21-25

BY LIANA HOODES AND ROBIN SEYDEL he National Organic Coalition (NOC) and La Montanita Co-op encourage all consumers to communicate to USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) about organic issues of importance.

While this is strictly a meeting of the citizen appointees of the NOSB, USDA National Organic Program (NOP) staff will be present, and it is explicitly the purview of both the Board and the staff at the NOP to hear from citizens at these meetings—about all organic topics. All meetings are free and open to the public.

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The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a Federal Advisory Committee, with members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture (head of the USDA). It typically meets twice per year in various locations around the United States. During meetings, the NOSB listens to public comments, discusses their agenda items, and then votes in a public forum. Information on past and future meeting agendas, locations, recommendations, and public comments is available at www.ams.usda.gov.

The NOSB’s six committees, which include: Crops; Livestock; Handling; Materials; Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification; and Policy, meet between national public meetings to develop recommendations for the full NOSB’s consideration.

The Organic Foods Production Act grants the NOSB sole authority to recommend adding materials to or removing materials from the National List of approved substances for organic production. In general, synthetic substances are prohibited unless specifically allowed (e.g. vaccines) and non-synthetic substances are allowed unless specifically prohibited (e.g., arsenic).

In addition to petitioned materials, the NOSB must review all materials every five years and recommend renewing, removing, or changing each listing.

The NOSB also makes recommendations on a wide variety of subjects including organic pet food standards and organic inspector qualifications. NOSB Committees first publish proposals with request for public comments. During meetings, the NOSB listens to public comments, discusses agenda items, and then votes in a public forum. The NOSB then submits its final recommendations to the USDA.

action

ALERT the state of

ORGANICS

PUBLIC COMMENTS

ENCOURAGED

May 22-25 at Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town

AT THE NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 1801 MOUNTAIN RD., ALBUQUERQUE, HOSTED BY LA MONTANITA CO-OP.

NOW is your chance to give comments to the NOSB and the staff of the NOP. Once the comment period opens (approximately six weeks before each meeting), you may submit written comments or sign up to make a short oral presentation at the meeting.

WITH: Mark Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute; JoAnn Baumgartner, The Wild Farm Alliance; Liana Hoodes, The National Organic Coalition; Patty Lovera, Food and Water; Michal Sligh, RAFI; and Lisa Bunin, Center for Food Safety.

If you wish to speak about GMO contamination, sign up for the public comment period on Tuesday as that NOSB committee will be meeting later that afternoon. Also, as most of us are not steeped in NOSB issues, signing up for the general comment period on Tuesday, May 22, is organic consumers’ best bet.

Thanks to the National Organic Standards Board Meeting a cadre of the most dedicated and experienced grassroots leaders in the organic foods movement will be with us in Albuquerque.

at the National Organic Standards Board

Meet and talk with national activists dedicated to keeping organic regulations strong and to the integrity of organic food! FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Dialogue with these hardworking, dedicated national organic food advocates! For more information contact Robin at 505-2172027 or toll free at 877-775-2667 or robins@lamon tanita.coop.

To sign up for a 3-minute slot, go to the bottom of www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0. For help in learning about the topics to be covered at the NOSB meeting, including accreditation certification, sanitization, GMOs, the use of solvents in organic processing and the utilization of “inert” ingredients in substances approved for use in organic production, go to: www.cornucopia.org or call 608-625-2042, www.nationalorganiccoalition.org or call 914-443-5759.

A COMMUNITY DIALOGUE MAY 23

5:30-7:30pm

Growing the Regional FOOD SYSTEM

mixed vegetables into production for the 2012 season, help bring electricity to the center of the farm, prepare the soil in the new half acre and install a 30’x96’ high tunnel hoop house for multiple season production.

LA MONTANITA

FUND

Work in Beauty CSA, Amy Halliday, Gallup, N.M. A therapist with the Gallup School district, Amy and her farming partner Tom sold $12,000 in produce from their first 1/2 acre last year though the Farmers’ Market, the Work in Beauty CSA, to local restaurants and at the Gallup Co-op location. The loan will provide the start up money for adding another 10,000 square feet of growing space, irrigation supplies, fencing, seed, row cover and plastic.

CO-OP Investors Loan $81,000 The La Montanita Fund (LaM FUND) has begun its second year of operation and though still a relatively new project has garnered much attention both locally and nationally. Co-ops around the nation are looking at the LaM FUND as a model, and Michael Shuman has included a section on it in his new book, Local Dollars, Local Sense, published by Chelsea Green Publishing (look for it at your Co-op).

In this its second year of operation, with $100,000 in Co-op owner investments, the LaM FUND has made over $81,000 in loans to food producers throughout the state. On February 21, 2012, our La Montanita Board of Directors approved our first Investor Income payment of a 2.1% return on investment, which, given the current economic environment, is a respectable return for our first year of operation.

While we understand that for most, if not all of our Co-op investors, these are values-based investments that speak to their commitment to building a regional food system and local economy, it is still great fun to have been able to pay a return on investment during our first year of operation.

In 2012 the N.M. Securities Division approved an increased total aggregate investment amount of $150,000 (up $50,000 from 2011) and unsold Interests will become available again beginning October 2012 for the 2013 LaM FUND year. We continue to promote our loans wherever and whenever possible to have the greatest positive impact for food producers and for our Investors.

Your Support GROWS the Regional Food System We are pleased to announce a few of the fine farmers and food businesses who have most recently received loans from the LaM FUND and ask that you support them by purchasing their products when you see them on La Montanita and other retail store shelves, at farmers’ markets and other food outlets. Your purchase of these products helps grow the regional food system.

Old Windmill Dairy, McIntosh, N.M. Michael and Ed Loubaugh are long time Co-op partners as we work to build the regional food system. Their business has expanded over the years in tandem with our Co-op Distribution Center, which has become their sole distributor, aside from visits to their favorite farmers’ markets. For the full story on Old Windmill Dairy, see the March issue of the Co-op Connection at www.lamontanita.coop.

Maynard Cattle Company, Las Cruces, N.M. Jim and Kate Maynard created the Maynard Cattle Company in 1999 with the purchase of their first cow herd, incorporated in 2002, and began selling in retail markets in June of 2006. Their motto, “Healthy land provides healthy food, which creates healthy people,” is in keeping with our shared values. The loan is to expand their herd to continue their 100% grass fed beef operation in Luna County.

Nolina’s Heavenly Organics, Lemitar, N.M Nolina Bryan, winner of the 2010 NMDA Good Earth Farming Award, has been selling to the Co-op, farmers’ markets and at other retail outlets and has been certified organic since 2004. The loan is to put another 1/2 acre of

Pollo Real, Socorro, N.M Pollo Real has a long history with La Montanita Co-op.

This loan is to add 2,000 new birds to their flock and for spring season start up costs.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR

OF THE

CO-OP!

YEAR OF SAVINGS Owner Coupon Books. It’s a Great Time to BECOME A CO-OP OWNER! In honor of the International Year of the Co-op help your friends and neighbors enjoy the many benefits of Co-op membership—and encourage them to become Co-op owners.

Become one of the over 100 MILLION People in the U.S. who are Co-op Owners!

This month ALL NEW MEMBERS get a Year of Savings Coupon books. Already a member? Bring in a friend who joins the Co-op and get a Year of Savings Coupon Book for yourself as well. These coupon books offer deep savings and special product offers.

spring happenings BURQUE BIONEERS 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.

FILM SERIES

winning Carole Hart and Bruce Hart (Sesame Street, Free to Be...You and Me) and narrated by Ashley Judd, For the Next 7 Generations weaves a beautiful tapestry of tribal traditions and hope for the future. Watch and be inspired by their bravery, audacity, and wisdom.

MAY 29 FOR

THE

NEXT 7 GENERATIONS

Thirteen brave women. One powerful message.

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n recognition of mothers, grandmothers and our Mother Earth, Carole Hart’s Award-winning film, For the Next 7 Generations, will be featured at the May Burque Bioneers Monthly Film Screening. This free event will be held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM, on Tuesday, May 29, at 7pm. The Burque Bioneers Monthly Film Screenings are generously sponsored by the National Hispanic Cultural Center, La Montanita Co-op, and KUNM 89.9 FM.

For more information on For the Next 7 Generations, including the film trailer, screening dates, DVD sales and more, please visit www.forthenext7generations.com and to support the Grandmothers’ mission, please visit www.grand motherscouncil.org.

7pm free

Brought together by a common vision of peace, thirteen tribal elders, all grandmothers from across the globe, travel to eight different countries to share a powerful message of hope.

Five years in the making and shot on location from the remote villages of the Amazon to the steps of the Vatican, this awardwinning film follows these amazing women as they face a world in crisis. Produced and directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to see For the Next 7 Generations if you have not yet seen it, or come be inspired once again by our world’s Grandmothers in this brilliant and moving film.

May 29th at 7pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in the Bank of America Theatre, 1701 4th Street. Sponsored

by National Hispanic Cultural Center, La Montanita Co-op and KUNM 89.9 FM. This screening is FREE and open to the public; donations for the Grandmothers and Burque Bioneers gratefully accepted. For more information visit bbabq.wordpress.com.

A CO-OP

COLLABORATION

Boots and Roots: VETERAN FARMER

TRAINING PROJECTcontinues

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he Veteran Farmer project continues its series of classes in Albuquerque at the Downtown Action Team office at 117 Gold Street and our gardens at the Alvarado Urban Farm on Second and Silver are doing well.

Each class, while building on the knowledge of previous classes, is also a stand-alone opportunity to learn some aspect of farming, gardening or animal husbandry.

We have a variety of cold weather crops growing well at the time of this writing, including lettuce, collards, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, onions and more. By the time you read this we will have planted our tomato, pepper, eggplant, basil, sunflowers, corn and other hot weather crops, and then in late June and early July our squash and melons. Help with weeding and continued cultivation of the raised beds, donated most graciously by Albuquerque’s Downtown Action Team, would be most appreciated. The Downtown Action Team is also in need of volunteers to help get our fencing up and other infrastructure built on this urban community garden site.

Boot and Roots: Veteran Farmer Project classes are FREE to active service or veterans of all branches of the military and the National Guard. For more information or to volunteer at the gardens contact Robin at 217-2027.

MAY 5/3: Animal Protein Production for Small Farms with an emphasis on Poultry Production with Tom Delehanty of Pollo Real 5/10: Feed the Family, Feed the Neighbors, Feed your Wallet: Selling at the Growers’ Markets with John Garlish, (BCES) and Bob Tero, Perishables Manager, La Montanita Co-op

JUNE 6/14: Dealing with Pests: Integrated Pest Management with Tess Grasswitz, N.M. State University 6/7: Weed Management with Joran Viers, (BCES) 6/21: Season Extension, Continued with Joran Viers (BCES)

GROWING LOCAL MIXERS: GROWERS AND BUYERS COME TOGETHER! FARM to RESTAURANT Wednesday, May 30, 4-7pm Calling all farmers, market gardeners, chefs, restaurant owners, caterers, and others interested in farm to restaurant activities!

Find a buyer for your produce. Find a grower who might have that one specialty item you've been looking to put on your menu.

Come mix and mingle to form relationships that can lead to new sales, creative business endeavors, and more.

MIXERS ARE FREE, but an RSVP is required* The Source Community Room & Garden, 1111 Carlisle Blvd. SE, in Albuquerque FOOD AND BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED! *to RSVP for mixers, visit www.abqmarkets.org, select "Vendor Resources" from the drop-down menu, and then select "Workshops" For more information, call 505-7243619. Check www.abqmarkets.org or www.localfood nm.org or email localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov.

MAY 5 VALLEY

GARDEN party!

2400 Rio Grande Blvd. NW

Meet LOCAL

AUTHORS!

Farming and gardening infor-

mation, plants, good music and more! Meet LOCAL authors Zoe Wilcox and Melanie Ruben, authors of The Home Farming Revolution for Drylands at the garden party or GO TO THEIR BOOK SIGNING AT BOOKWORKS, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, MAY 5TH. Call 344-8139 for more information on the

CO-OP

YOU OWN IT 2

book signing. For information on the Garden Party call Robin at 217-2027, or toll free at 877-775-2667 or e-mail robins@lamontanita.coop.

10am-3pm MAY 2012

mother’s day special S.A.F.E. House New Mexico:

Women’s Community Foundation ROBIN SEYDEL .A.F.E. House grew out of an informal collaboration of community women who saw the need for physical safety for women who were being battered. This group developed a network of volunteers who offered their homes as “safe” houses.

Battered women were sheltered in private homes, and referred to other community resources for help. In 1976, that energy and commitment paid off in the formation of a new non-profit agency known as the Women’s Community Foundation (WCF). It was dedicated to and designed specifically to meet the unique needs of battered women. Between 1976 and 1981 shelter and services were provided in first one, then two and then three large houses.

In 1986 they opened their current location, one of the largest in the nation, which can shelter 85 adults and children each night. They serve over 35,000 meals and snacks a year. Residents receive three meals per day that have been designed by a nutritionist.

BY

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WCF’s mission is to shelter and empower survivors of intimate partner domestic violence, to improve the way New Mexico responds to this violence and to live in a community that is free from all forms of oppression and violence. They provide emergency shelter, helping to keep families fleeing domestic violence off the streets and out of danger’s way.

Over 1,000 families go through their S.A.F.E. House program annually. S.A.F.E. House provides programming aimed at healing the wounds, breaking the cycle, and improving the lives of families in our community.

Today, they offer a wide range of services to both women and men and their children who aren’t safe in their own homes, offering a comprehensive array of services and resources critical in helping people successfully establish violence-free lives.

Their resale shop, located at 1301 San Mateo NE, near Lomas, accepts donations of all kinds. Donations are used both at the shelter and by participants to help them establish violence-free lives. Items not needed by

Walk for

survivors are sold at the thrift store and all proceeds are used to support their programs. For more information call the thrift store at 265-9233.

Programs that Help Heal WCF provides children’s programs aimed at improving the parent/ child bond and teaching children the 3-C s (can’t Change it, can’t Control it, didn’t Cause it). Their Families in Transition (FIT) Program helps non-abusive parents and children recover from the effects of violence and their support groups offer guidance in understanding and moving past the violence.

Family-centered activities for parents and children to help them learn safe and healthy ways of being a family and the R.I.S.E. Program provide long-term support for survivors building violence-free homes. The primary goal is to help survivors acquire permanent housing while working on educational, employment, and financial goals.

Resident Advocates maintain the statewide, 24-hour crisis hotline, offering support and referring callers to additional resources. They meet and greet new residents and assist them in settling into the shelter. Case Managers assist residents by advocating and coordinating services, assess needs and program-related goals for each resident, and are knowledgeable in the domestic violence legal process providing information upon request. Therapists provide crisis interventions and trauma reduction for children by using Sand Tray, Art, Play and Animal Assisted Therapy. Research studies demonstrate that witnessing violence severely affects childrens’ well-being. Family Coaches assist families to reestablish healthy family roles, structure and routines, as well as rebuild parent-child relationships, which are disrupted by domestic violence.

For an easy, confidential way to receive immediate assistance: CALL THE S.A.F.E. HOUSE 24-HR STATEWIDE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE at 1-800-773-3645, or the S.A.F.E. House office/crisis line at 505-247-4219. For more info call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Contact them at PO Box 25363, Albuquerque, NM 87125, or call the office at 505-247-4219.

may5th

MID WIFERY NOW Needed More than Ever: MIDWIVES! BY

KATRINA NARDINI, ALBUQUERQUE MIDWIFE

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ike La Montanita and other Co-ops, midwives are an important part of our community and offer us healthy choices that respect the natural and nurturing forces of our earth. Some of you may have had a midwife for the birth of your children, or maybe your relatives or friends have experienced the supportive care of bringing a child into the world with a midwife by their side.

Unfortunately, many women and families do not have access to midwives. For some, this means missing out on the joys of a midwife-attended birth, but for many it can mean the difference between life and death. Over 340,000 women and over 5 million infants around the world die each year as a result of preventable pregnancy and childbirth complications. The World Health Organization, UN agencies, and other global partners have identified that midwives are the key to achieving reductions in maternal and newborn deaths and disabilities globally.

Since 1991, the International Day of the Midwife (IDM) on May 5 has provided an annual focal point for midwives, midwifery associations, mothers, and other supporters of midwifery practices around the world. The day helps raise awareness of midwifery and promotes advocacy for policy changes relating to maternal, newborn, and reproductive healthcare locally, nationally, and internationally.

Walk the Bosque for and with New Mexico Midwives on May 5 and: • Let people know that adequately resourced and educated midwives are crucial to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, and substantially improve the experience of childbearing women before, during, and after childbirth.

• Lobby for more resources for midwifery, midwifery education, and recognition of the unique professional role of midwives.

• Celebrate the achievements of midwives and highlight progress made in improving maternal and neonatal care and midwifery services.

THE WALK starts and ends at Dar a Luz Birth Center, 7708 4th St. NW, Los Ranchos. Pre-registration 3-3:30pm; walk starts at 4pm, music and potluck (bring a dish to share) at 5pm.

Online registration at www.active.com: $20 pre-reg, $25 day of the walk, proceeds go towards midwifery legislative advocacy in New Mexico. For more information: http://idm5kwalk nm.blogspot.com/

THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO: S.A.F.E. House New Mexico: Providing shelter from domestic violence, counseling and working to establish healthy families.

In March your bag credit donations of $1987.60 were given to Youth Food Action Project. Thank you!!!

CO-OP PROGRAM

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

MAY 2012

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

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

3

gardening ORGANICS

farming &

May 2012 4

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL ORGANICS:

rule!

the RIGHT

DIRECTION

BRETT BAKKER he USDA/National Organic Program might move slowly (as any bureaucracy does. Believe me; I’ve been with state government since 1990), but it is moving in the right direction.

BY

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The latest news is an EU-USA organic equivalency agreement. This is valuable because although they are similar, there are many organic standards throughout the world that are not identical: US, EU, Canada, Japan, Korea, etc.

This has been a barrier to trade of products and a barrier to food processors needing to import, say, organic anatanul for Ayurvedic preparations or wanting to export US organic peanut butter (a huge seller in Japan).

itchy green

thumb

This is because each country says, “well, you don’t follow our organic rules so you can’t play in our organic sandbox.” Products labeled USDA Organic can’t be shipped to Japan without lots of paperwork duplicating what’s already been done, or US food processors can’t use some high quality EU organic ingredient because it is not USDA Organic. There are US-Canada agreements but not a full equivalency. It appears Canada is next in line but it could be a couple of years yet.

Most of the differences in the EU-US rules are minor but one is pretty big.

For example, the EU allows antibiotics in organic meat production; the US doesn’t. The US allows antibiotics for fire blight control in pear orchards; the EU doesn’t. Neither has budged an inch here and so these products cannot be freely traded unless it can be verified that the meat/pear was produced antibiotic free.

YARDBIRD

extravaganza!

5th Annual Albuquerque

COOP TOUR! June 9-10

chicken

BY JENNIFER DWYER he time is getting closer for that once a year yard/bird extravaganza – I speak, of course, of the Albuquerque Coop Tour! If you haven’t had a chance to attend the tour in years past, we hope you will consider visiting some of the stops this year. There are a variety of coops to be seen on the tour as well as wonderful gardens and great neighbors. If you have been thinking of bringing chickens into your garden, the Coop Tour is the perfect place to start!

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Otherwise, long story short: with only a few minor bits of required paperwork (sigh), organic products certified under each system can now freely cross international borders. Me, I’m not a big fan of counting on energy-intensive international trade to save farms but it’s not gonna stop. And if a few extra pallets of NM organic raspberry jam can go overseas, that’s a few more bucks in the wallet of the jam processor who also happens to be the berry farmer.

In other news, the NOP will soon require Organic Certifiers to test organic produce and products for pesticide residue. It may be hard to believe but such tests have never been required before. Organic

ORGANIC PROGRAM

Certification is process-based. That is, the practices and plan of the farm is what is verified: is this farm meeting the NOP Organic rules?

Routine auditing and inspection have apprehended fraudulent farmers nationwide and residue testing will catch a few more but the real intent is to see how much accidental contamination occurs from pesticide drift. Mind you, for now, only the final product will be tested, not the farm itself. Still, this will be extremely valuable.

If someone is growing organic cotton in a nonorganic cotton growing region, you might expect to see inadvertent residue of cotton pesticides drifting from nearby farms. If so, then the farmers plan and the organic certifiers technique need to be improved to find that weak link (called a Critical Control Point) in preventing contamination. But if cotton pesticide residue is found on organic cotton raised outside of cotton country, then it’s obvious something is amiss and the organic claim may be fraudulent.

Finally, the NOP Organic Program is ten years old in 2012. The NOP will be conducting on-site audits of all NOP-accredited organic certifiers on their ten-year anniversary to see how effective they have been, how effective they are and what their prospects are for remaining so. This decade is a significant reminder that the Program is merely a baby after all and there is a way to go to perfect the system which is growing, changing and adapting, as every such Program must.

Stay tuned for more fun and games.

For many people, building housing for their birds is an insurmountable hurdle - however there are some great alternatives to actually building a structure. The idea of a chicken tractor appeals to folks who would like to have their chickens working in their yard. For those who don’t already know, a chicken tractor is a mobile chicken hut made of lightweight materials – the tractor can be moved to a weedy part of the yard or garden bed where the chickens turn the soil, look for bugs, and eat anything green! Another great chicken house can be made from an old shed – cutting out chicken-sized holes for an entrance and adding nesting boxes make this an easy way to use neglected yard buildings.

The majority of chicken keepers are also fantastic gardeners – and how can one help but be successful in a garden that has such great manure fueling it? Keeping chickens and creating great gardens go hand in hand.

As a key part of our sustainable living goals, the chickens at our house are work partners in many aspects of our living cycle. For example, we put our chickens to work in temporary ‘stations’ on our garden beds in the fall. Once they have cleaned up the bed and turned

everything under we are ready to plant our fall garden.

We eat the food out of our fall garden through the winter, and share some with the chickens. The chickens give us eggs as well as manure that we add to our compost pile. By spring the oldest part of the compost pile is ready to add to the garden. The chickens get another turn on the garden bed and the cycle continues.

The Albuquerque Coop Tour is celebrating its 5th year in 2012. We’ve had a great time over the past few years inspiring new coops and helping people learn about chickens and gardening. Our tour this year takes place Saturday, June 9th, and Sunday, June 10th.

The tour is 10-2 both days and is FREE. Saturday will include all stops North of Central, and Sunday includes all stops South of Central. Maps will be available a couple of days before the tour online at www.albuquer quecooptour.com. We will not have paper maps this year. SEE YOU ON THE TOUR!

See urban egg

production & great gardens

RIO GRANDE COMMUNITY FARM CHILDREN’S

CAMP

BY JULIE HIRSHFIELD, EDUCATION DIRECTOR, RIO GRANDE COMMUNITY FARM The Rio Grande Community Farm is pleased to partner with the Village of Los Ranchos to provide the 2012 Children’s Summer Farm Camp! Based out of the Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center on Rio Grande Blvd. NW, our five-day farm camps offer environmental literacy experiences through the exploration of a variety of habitats; by growing, harvesting, preparing and eating organic fruits and vegetables, and through nature-based art, using child-centered, fun activities. Our caring and qualified camp director and counselors have passed an FBI Background Check and are Red Cross CPR and First Aid certified, and are eager to ensure that your child has a fun and fulfilling experience at Farm Camp!

Camps are open to children ages 6-11. You may register for one, all, or a combination of sessions at riograndefarm.org. Please call the Education Director, Julie Hirshfield, during business hours at 453-9031 or email education@riograndefarm.org for additional information. The 2012 Children’s Summer Farm Camp offers four choices of camp themes, including the following:

June 4-8: PIZZA CAMP: Learn how every part of the pizza is made; we will grind wheat for the crust, harvest tomatoes, make homemade mozzarella cheese, and choose veggie and herb toppings while working in the fields.

June 11-15: LOTIONS AND POTIONS: Learn how natural materials, such as lavender and honey, can be used to make sweet-smelling lotions, potions, and candles! Campers take home a basket full of homemade goodies!

June 18-22: BIRDS, BEES & CREEPY CRAWLIES: Learn about birds, honey bees, and other interesting insects. Special guests and speakers will bring their giant birds and creepy crawlies to observe and touch!

June 25-29: FARM STAND CAMP: Learn what it takes to run a farmstand business, planting, cultivating, and harvesting vegetables. Fun and informative speakers will teach the marketing, advertising and general farm business skills. Proceeds from camper farmstands benefit the charity of their choice.

For more information: www.riograndecommu nityfarm.org, call: 505-345-4580 or email: info @riograndefarm.org.

gardening HEAT PROOFING

farming &

the GARDEN

BY ARI LEVAUX cross the Midwest, New England and Canada, high-temperature records are being broken by the thousands—3,350 between March 12-18 alone. Meteorologists are scrambling to find anything comparable to weather that has been dubbed Summer in March. Two days before the official end of winter, temperatures of 94 were recorded in South Dakota.

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cover as much

ground as possible

Straw, leaves, grass clippings, pulled weeds, compost, and other organic materials are typically used for mulch, as are living plants such as vetch between cornrows, or clover in the orchard. Such living mulch, aka green mulch, can do everything a layer of straw can, and often more. Most green mulches are legumes that add nitrogen to the soil as they protect and stabilize it, but edible living mulches can be employed as well, with obvious benefits.

Over the years, my garlic patch has functioned as a laboratory for edible mulch research. I used to mulch with straw, but I began seeing all that covered area between plants as wasted space.

I began experimenting with a proprietary technique I call "hurling random vegetable seeds at the garlic patch." I mixed together all the leftover seeds from pre-

EAT YOUR GREEN

MULCH!

whole garlic patch to themselves. As soon as the leaves reach edible size I start harvesting them—just the leaves, not the whole plants.

The other category is carrots, planted at the same time as the greens.

During the early season, the fast-growing greens tend to crowd and shade the carrots (though not the garlic, which is usually about six inches taller). By June, most of the leafy plants will have run their course and gone to seed.

As the greens fade, the carrots begin to take over between the garlic plants. Carrot and garlic will grow side by side, rarely getting in each other's way. Underground, carrot and garlic don't butt roots, while above ground the bushy carrot tops guard the soil surface. Once the garlic is harvested, in July, the carrots have the whole patch to themselves, and can stretch out comfortably into their expanded space.

If we're having summer in March, what can we expect in July? Even in a normal summer, the process of mulching should be on every gardener's mind as we say "good morning" to our gardens.

But this year, the idea of heat-proofing the garden is especially timely.

Mulching (covering the soil) helps regulate soil temperature and moisture while keeping the soil from blowing away in the wind. In addition to deflecting sun and wind, mulching can also block weed growth and prevent runoff from heavy rains, which many regions can expect more of in a warming climate.

Mulching encourages a moist, healthy, garden ecosystem, which is vital for healthy plant growth.

May 2012 5

By the time the carrots are dug, I'll have harvested three different crops in one season from the same piece of dirt: garlic, greens and carrots. The living mulch will have done a service for my topsoil by protecting it from the elements. And for what it's worth, the extra biomass will have sucked up considerably more carbon dioxide than a dead layer of straw. That makes my living mulch garlic patch, by my calculation, a win-win-win-win-win situation. vious gardens that I had saved in various baggies and crumpled envelopes. I threw handfuls of mixed seeds into the garlic to see what grew, how well it did, and if it adversely affected the garlic.

Bushy plants like tomatoes began swallowing garlic plants in late June, and had to be pulled before they could produce. Plants in the mustard family, like broccoli and kale, grew poorly, perhaps victims of garlic's well-known allelopathic behavior. Allelopathy is the ability of some plants to secrete substances into the soil, via the roots, which inhibit the growth of neighboring plants.

Eventually two categories emerged as edible green mulches for the garlic patch.

One category, the early-season greens, includes lettuce, radicchio, escarole, endive, spinach and other leafy greens outside of the mustard family. During the early stages of the season, when the young garlic plants are just a few inches tall, these greens basically have the

This kind of diversity-focused gardening falls into the broad category of agroecology, the practice of building diverse, sustainable agriculture systems based on ecological principles.

While dismissed as non-scientific woo-woo by many who favor industrial-style farming, the discipline of agroecology is currently being taught at about 20 universities worldwide, including UC-Santa Cruz, Iowa State and Penn State. A December 2010 report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council examined hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific papers and concluded that agroecology has the potential to double food production in marginally productive areas. These areas are often at risk of desertification, which happens when the soil is overexposed. Activities that stall or reverse desertification, such as planting trees, are like mulching on a grand scale. Reclaiming desert facilitates the absorption of carbon dioxide via the new topsoil, flush with microbes and plant roots.

Even if you're not a garlic grower, the principles behind my thrice-harvested patch can be applied to whatever you do grow. Given that this year is shaping up to be a hot one—with more likely to follow—now is a great time for this kind of mulchy thinking. Whatever you grow, and whatever you mulch with—living or dead—the game is essentially the same: cover as much ground as possible. If an edible mulch can do the job, all the better.

co-op news PAMPER your MOM!

Great Co-op Ideas

OUR WONDERFUL HBA TEAM LEADERS offer some great suggestions for pampering MOM!

May 2012 6

MOTHER’S DAY

STAFF PICKS!

line more affordable. Pangea Organics products are skillfully formulated to amplify hydration and support cellular regeneration by feeding the skin with the highest quality antioxidant nutrients, EFA-rich oils, and nourishing plant botanicals that nature has to offer. Their mission is to create products that are “Always Beneficial, Never Artificial.”

SANTA FE’S Cynthia Behrens Suggests: ✿ Prenatal One™ Multivitamin - this once-daily prenatal provides potent vitamins and minerals in a base of superfood extracts that promotes baby's healthy development, and supports Mom's nutrition and energy, in just one tablet a day. Plantsource enzymes, ginger juice and probiotics support digestion and absorption, for no stomach upset. Prenatal One™ is 100% natural, vegetarian and vegan, and is guaranteed to be free of animal ingredients throughout every stage of the production process. It is wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairyfree and yeast-free. It is also lactose-free and contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or additives. g re a t Come in and register to win a deluxe diaper bag filled with g ifts!

Rainbow Light products! ✿ Face and Skin care product perfect for pampering Mom.

Acure Organics is a family owned and operated company founded on sustainable principles to provide the highest quality fair trade, natural and certified organic personal care products. Acure products are created with great care and are a reflection of their core values. Each of their products is free from animal testing, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, harmful preservatives and artificial colors. Acure travels the globe to find the most potent certified organic ingredients that meet their high standards of efficacy and purity. ✿ Grateful Body: Grateful Body’s founder lost two of her young and

beautiful sisters to cancer within a year of each other while she was in college. After many years of musing on the possible causes it occurred to her that every day, every morning, millions of woman were applying dangerous chemicals to their faces! The Grateful Body team found women who had small gardens to grow comfrey, yarrow and sage and found intrepid wayfarers to ethically wildcraft echinacea from Montana, chaparral from New Mexico, St. John's Wort from the wine country in Northern California and witch hazel beside the forest paths in Vermont. ✿ Pangea Organics is another skin care line we have recently re-intro-

duced to our shelves. Pangea lowered their prices making this awesome

NOB HILL’S Chris Hartsock suggests: Moms of all ages will benefit from the products on my list, chosen for their excellence in promoting healthy skin and their contribution to overall health, longevity, hormonal balance, and energy. ✿ Omega 7 by New Chapter contains sea buckthorn oil, rosemary and calendula. Sea buckthorn has been used for centuries for skin and is an excellent antioxidant for prevention of aging. It is also beneficial for the sensitive mucous membranes in the digestive, urogenital and respiratory systems. My own mother loves this product and the many ways this supplement assists in healthy aging. ✿ Evan Healy’s Pomegranate Repair Serum contains fruits, berry and seed oils which are able to penetrate deep under the skin and keep the oil and water levels balanced. It is especially healing for skin which has suffered sun damage. This serum helps to decongest pores and minimize scars and wrinkles. ✿ Lumina Cellfood Oxygen Gel is an amazing com-

bination of 17 amino acids, 34 enzymes and 78 trace minerals dissolved in oxygen which, if applied to the face twice a day, helps to rejuvenate the skin and minimize fine lines. It’s a clear gel with an aloe base, which can be applied to a clean face before bed and under a moisturizer during the day. We bet Mom has never experienced so wonderful a skin product.

✿ Health Force Nutritional Vitamineral Green is

one of the most popular green supplements we sell at the Nob Hill Co-op. This alkalinizing, green superfood powder benefits organs, blood, bones, muscles and endocrine systems, while stimulating detoxification and promoting regularity and energy.

Add it to a morning smoothie, or stir the powder into juice or water. This is a great gift for a Mom who has grown weary of being sick and tired. ✿ Whole World Botanicals Royal Maca is my last

pick for Mom. Maca is a cruciferous vegetable grown in the Andes mountains and used by the people living there as a medicinal food. It is thought to promote libido, fertility and hormonal balance for both men and women. It may also be used to alleviate symptoms of PMS and menopause, and provides energy when taken regularly.

VALLEY CO-OP’S Lisa Rae Lindsay ✿ Sunday Afternoon Sun Hats and other great

Gifts for Mom. Give Mom the gift of protection for fun in the sun. Choose from a wide variety of great styles or check out their Gypsy Style colorful clutch bags made from recycled plastic. ✿ Rainbow Thread locally tie-dyed socks, made

from bamboo fiber. So comfy, wash well and add a dash of fun color to Mom’s feet. ✿ Bodyceutical Spabody Calendula Body Butter is

a most amazing healer for extreme TLC for skin.

Use it all over your body or watch it work its fabulous miracles on the face. ✿ Natural Organics Bubble Bath products can

provide that sweet relaxation and rejuvenating moments every Mom treasures. Choose from Orchard Pear and Fig or Sweet Cherry and Almond flavors or try Gimme A Break Bath Salts by Little Moon Essentials for a detoxifying soak. ✿ Co-op Label Relax Herbal Tincture or Natural Factors Serenity Formula capsules give Mom "serenity now!” or try Plum Flower brand Women's Precious Pills for a truly nourishing formula.

13

MAY MOTHER’S DAY

Flowers for Mom: BEAUTIFUL AND

FAIR... TRADE

BY TANYA COLE, VALLEY FLOWER PURCHASER other's Day is Sunday, May 13th. It is one of the most popular cut flower and plant holidays of the year. The Coop will be well prepared with a bounty of flowering plants like geraniums, verbenas, daisies, and ivy geraniums, which are locally grown by ARCA, the non-profit organization which helps children and adults with developmental disabilities live great lives.

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We will also have plenty of green plants and unique succulents that require very little water, ideal for our desert climate. And if Mom is a gardener look for our fine selection of organic vegetable and herb starts.

One World Flowers is a locally owned company that imports Fair Trade Certified Flowers from South America, where the majority of floral industry roses are grown. Fair Trade certification supports sustainable, environmental, economic, and social development. A portion of each purchase goes directly to a community development fund for workers, who collectively decide how to use the funds. Projects include scholarships for children, housing, or microenterprises. Fair Trade Certified growers are careful stewards of the land, increasing the use of natural pest controls and reducing water and energy use.

Women represent the majority of flower workers around the world. In addition to fair wages, Fair Trade Certification supports the funding of basic

employee benefits such as paid maternity leave and childcare. The Fair Trade Certified label represents a better way of life for the farmers and workers around the world who produce these flowers.

There will be plenty of Fair Trade roses as well as Fair Trade rose bouquets, tulips, alstroemeria, mini-carnations, mixed bouquets, lilies, delphinium, and more. Thanks to your patronage our Valley store location has experienced a notable increase in flower sales in the past year which has helped increase our ability to carry larger quantities and a bigger selection.

It is a little known fact that at our Valley and Santa Fe locations, customers can order vase arrangements ahead of time to be picked up just in time for that lunch or dinner with Mom. Just ask someone in Produce. At the Nob Hill location, you will find beautiful pre-made bouquets and other lovely flower choices.

It is always a good idea to plan ahead for those busy flower holidays so expect to see a lot of flowers and plants starting around May 7th and 8th. If you are interested in a custom arrangement, order early! Find your flowers for Mother’s Day at your favorite Co-op location!

Don't forget our Moms! BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, NONE OF US WOULD BE HERE!

co-op news GENERAL MANAGERS COLUMN

MUCH TO DO! Spring is always BUSY at La Montanita!

Thanks for supporting our Earth Day events at Nob Hill and Santa Fe. And we hope to see you this month at the last of our spring events, the North Valley’s 12th Annual Garden Party on May 5th.

These events provide a great opportunity for us and our Board of Directors to talk to and get to know you, our member/owners, better.

We were pleased to host 125 general managers from Co-ops affiliated with the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) in Albuquerque the week of April 16 for a national meeting. They were excited to see our new warehouse location and tour some of our stores. This organization is a prime example of the cooperative principle among co-ops as it enables co-ops

May 2012 7

THE INSIDE

SCOOP

nationwide to group purchase to get better pricing from national distributors, thus helping to keep us competitive in our communities.

Mo-Gro (Mobile Grocery Store) is slated to be back on the road in early June. The new trailer has been ordered and will be delivered soon.

We look forward to working with all of our partners in this worthy and much needed project. It will be a great day when we see the new truck leave our warehouse to serve people in food deserts around the state.

5/5 Valley Garden Party, 2400 Rio Grande Blvd., 10-3pm 5/15 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm 5/22-25 National Organic Standards Board Meeting (see page 1) 5/23 The State of Organics Community Dialogue (see page 1) 5:30-7:30pm New Mexico Museum of Natural History

As always, thanks for your continued support of your Co-op; none of this is possible without you.

Please contact me anytime at terryb@lamontani ta.coop or by phone at 505-217-2020.

-TERRY BOWLING

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.

G O O D D I S C U S S I O N S I N A N I N T I M AT E S E T T I N G

CO-OP STUDY

CIRCLES

BY ARIANA MARCHELLO, SANTA FE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER ood things come in small packages! The Santa Fe branch of your Board of Directors sponsored study circle on co-ops held its first session right in the Santa Fe store, the second Monday of March. That was us having a lively discussion in the alcove seating area over by the bulletin boards. There are four of us as of now. That’s the small part. But, there’s nothing small about the discussion that’s taking place. That’s the good part.

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The study circle uses a book put together by the East End Food Co-op of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Co-op Origins and History” was the theme of the first chapter. Its articles covered modern cooperative history from Rochdale through the 1970s. Not just consumer co-ops but worker and producer co-ops as well.

Co-op history shows that people banding together to start businesses that fulfill their needs can create businesses that thrive. That justice and fairness can be as much a motivator as price or profit. The direct descendant of the Rochdale Co-op is Great Britain’s

largest retailer today. Rural electric co-ops formed in the US in the ’30s are still providing power today, 19 of them in New Mexico.

Many of those electric co-ops gave birth to telecom co-ops; there are 8 in New Mexico right now.

One hundred million Americans are members of some kind of coop. That’s one third of our nation’s population! It was a proud moment for one of the participants in our discussion when she realized she belongs to four different coops. When we thought about it, we found we all belonged to more than one co-op and expressed our appreciation of the benefits we derive from membership and the benefits co-ops confer on their communities.

The historical foundation carries us into the next chapter on co-op philosophy, values and principles. By the time you read this we’ll be ready for the chapter on co-operative models. Pick up a book and stop by the discussion, the second Monday of each month at 7pm, at the Santa Fe store. For more information on the STUDY CIRCLES in Albuquerque and Santa Fe email bod@ lam ontanita.coop.

Local, Handcrafted, Artisan ALL NATURAL Co-op Sausage!

NEW Foodshed Product

BY BOB TERO, PERISHABLE FOODS COORDINATOR n the Co-op’s continuing efforts to build the local food system, develop a community of food producers, create a full local nutritional palette and replace foods imported from afar with local production; we are pleased to announce our locally grown, locally handcrafted, artisanal pork sausage; just in time for outdoor grilling season.

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For the past few months our stores have been carrying local, all natural pork products from the Kyzer Family Farm in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Robert Kyzer’s family has been raising livestock in New Mexico since 1970 and heirloom pigs since 1997. Raised in a humane, sustainable and caring way, his hogs are gentle contented animals, never given hormones and fed a fully vegetarian diet supplemented with grains and whey. You can really taste the difference in all the Kyzer pork products. For the past several months we have been working to bring Robert’s delicious fresh cut pork not only to Co-op meat departments but to restaurants throughout the state.

To expand our pork product offerings and develop additional income streams for Robert and the other pork producers in New Mexico that we have come to know

Calendar of Events

through our partnership with him, we are buying hogs specifically for sausage production.

Unlike most conventional sausage, Co-op Sausage is NOT made from pork by-products, but from top quality cuts of meat. NO nitrites or nitrates are ever added and only top quality spices are used to create the variety of pork sausage offerings you will find at your Co-op meat departments. Unlike any other sausage available at stores throughout the state, these sausages are the only USDA inspected, LOCALLY grown, harvested and processed sausage product in New Mexico.

Varieties include: Breakfast Sausage, Sweet Italian, Hot Italian and the New Mexico specialty, Green Chile Sausage. These products are available in links and one pound bulk packages. If you were lucky enough to sample them at one or more of our spring festivals you will agree when we say that the quality and taste differential is clearly evident.

This outdoor cooking season, be sure to give these amazingly delicious, artisan pork sausages, produced with local pork, a try. Ask at your favorite meat department for more information or to special order larger quantities for your summer celebrations.

Celebrate Spring with Your Co-op!

CO-OPS: A Solution-Based System

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For Your Party! Celebrate the Merry Month of May with

Party Platters, Entrees, salads & desserts from your Co-op Deli.

it’s

the

o c k k k k k k k k k k k k PARTY PLATTERS Crudites · $3.29 per person Only the freshest seasonal vegetables for our platters. Selections may include: red and yellow peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, radish, carrot, celery and cucumber. This platter is served with your choice of ranch or bleu cheese dip Deli Party Platter · $4.59 per person Freshly sliced roast beef, roast turkey, smoked turkey, black forrest ham, and salami are presented with cheddar, swiss and monterrey jack cheeses Meat Platter · $4.99 per person Our deli meats will satisfy even the most discriminating palate.Our chefs will display your choices from freshly sliced roast beef, roast turkey, smoked turkey, black forrest ham, salami and roast chicken breast Condiment Platter · $1.59 per person The perfect addition to any meat or deli platter!

Fresh green leaf lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, pickle, pepperoncini peppers, sprouts, flavored mayo and mustard Antipasto Platter · $6.99 per person This platter boasts a medley of Italian flavors.

Featured items; provolone, salami, ham, assorted marinated olives, artichoke hearts and mushrooms, hearts of palm, roasted red peppers and crostini Mediterranean Platter · $5.99 per person For any occasion; this platter features dolmas, freshly prepared hummus, marinated artichoke hearts, heart of palm, pitted kalamata olives, babaganoush, tabouli, feta cheese and pita bread BREAKFAST PLATTERS Continental Breakfast Tray · $4.99 per person Yogurt, granola, muffins, scones, seasonal fruit, coffee and juice Co-op Bagel Platter · $2.99 per person An assortment of freshly baked bagels, split and served with cream cheese, sliced tomato, sweet red onion and fresh cucumber Breakfast Tray · $2.49 per person Assorted muffins, scones and sweet breads, freshly baked and elegantly plated by our pastry chefs

freshFAIRLOCALOrganic

SANDWICH AND WRAP PLATTERS Meat Sandwich/Wrap Platters · $6.99 per person A selection of fresh breads, tortillas and baguettes with your choice of roast turkey, smoked turkey, ham, salami, tuna salad, chicken salad, roast beef, provolone, swiss, and cheddar. Sandwiches are garnished with crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, red onion, and sprouts.

Veggie Sandwich/Wrap Platters · $5.99 per person A selection of fresh breads, tortillas and baguettes with your choice of crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, cucumber, red onion, carrots, sprouts, green chile, roasted red pepper, hummus and abouli Vegan Sandwich/Wrap Platters · $ 5.99 per person Assortment of fresh breads, tortillas and baguettes with your choice of: • Crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, cucumber, red onion, carrots, sprouts, green chile and roasted red pepper • Hummus, tabouli • Falafel and tahini sauce • Vegan cheese, setan Condiment options for all sandwich and wrap platters: Mayo, vegenaise, mustard, whole grain mustard, salsa, tahini dressing COOP SPECIALTY SALADS (by the pound) Mediterranean Pasta · $9.49 per pound Pesto Pasta · $8.99 per pound Fresh Cole Slaw · $6.99 per pound Potato Salad · $7.49 per pound Carrot & Raisin · $7.49 per pound Tabouli · $9.49 per pound Tuna Salad · $11.49 per pound Mango Chicken · $10.49 per pound Tarragon Chicken · $10.49 per pound Quinoa & Cashew · $8.99 per pound Classic Garden Salad · $2.99 per person Field greens & romaine tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and carrots. Served with choice of dressing Southwestern Cobb · $4.99 per person grilled chicken breast over crisp romaine, mixed bell peppers, black beans, shredded cheddar and tomatoes, served with balsamic vinaigrette Salads not listed can be made upon request

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CO-OP ENTREES Chicken Enchiladas · $5.99 per person Veggie Enchiladas · $5.99 per person Traditional Lasagna · $5.99 per person Veggie Lasagna · $5.99 per person Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan · $6.99 per person Lightly breaded chicken with herbs, parmesan and provolone cheese served with pasta tossed in a marinara sauce Crab Cakes · $3.99 per person Our lightly breaded crab cakes are filled with sweet crab meat and served with a tangy sauce Poached Salmon · Market price Wild caught alaskan salmon, poached in white wine, lemon & herbs served with capers and sour cream dill sauce QUICHES Southwest · $3.29 per person Green chile, black bean, tomato, avocado, and Cheddar cheese Spinach & Feta · $3.29 per person Fresh spinach, caramelized onion & feta cheese in a savory custard Co-op Lorraine · $3.29 per person Sausage, crisp bacon, carmelized onion and cheddar cheese in a savory custard DESSERT PLATTERS Co-op Cookie Platter · $13.99 per dozen A variety of freshly baked made from scratch cookies decoratively plattered. Check with deli staff on available varieties.

Brownie Platter · $2.99 per person A variety of freshly baked made from scratch brownies. Check with deli staff on available varieties.

Cupcake Platter · $2.79 per person An assortment of freshly baked made from scratch cupcakes. Check with deli staff on available varieties.

Vegan and gluten-free varieties also available! Don’t forget to ask about our whole cakes and pies!

The Co-op Deli uses the freshest natural, local and organic ingredients available. A smart choice!

Let our chefs make your next event a success!

Nob Hill 3500 Central Ave SE 505.265.4631 • Valley 2400 Rio Grande Blvd NW 505.242.8800 Santa Fe 913 West Alameda 505.984.2852 • www.lamontanita.coop

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Only at the Co-op!

All Natural! All Organic! from your Co-op Deli...

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Design your own! or try one of our signature smoothies or juices.

smoothies

signature smoothies 16 oz, 22 oz

ABQ deli

classic - strawberry, banana, yogurt, apple juice & honey very berry - strawberry,raspberry, blueberry & apple juice mango lasi - mango, yogurt, milk of choice, cardamom & honey banana split - banana, cherry, yogurt, cocoa & honey pb & j - peanut butter, banana, strawberry & yogurt road runner - peach, blueberry, mango, orange juice & honey monster mash - strawberry, mango, banana,apple juice & protein powder hawaiian Tropic - pineapple, strawberry, honey & rice milk

design your own smoothies 16 oz, 22 oz

choose from: strawberry, banana, mango, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, pineapple, apple juice, yogurt, milk (2%, whole, skim), rice milk, soy milk, cocoa, honey, sugar

juices

signature juices 16 oz, 22 oz

wheat grass 1oz, 2 oz ginger slammer - apple, carrot & ginger red wine - apple, clery, beet, spinach & parsley lemony lizard - carrot, celery, beet, lemon& parsley field of green - cucumber, kale, apple, celery, parsley & wheat grass superjuice - kale, carrot, bell pepper, beet & garlic summertime - celery, cucumber, apple, basil & ginger

design your juice 16 oz, 22 oz

juice base: carrot or celery add to that: parley, bell pepper, beet, spinach, cucumber, kale, apple, basil, garlic, ginger, lemon

smoothies

signature smoothies 16 oz

Santa Fe deli

instant breakfast - strawberry, banana, orange juice,

& protein powder very berry - strawberry,raspberry, blueberry & apple juice mango lasi - mango, yogurt, milk of choice, cardamom & honey banana split - banana, strawberry, chocolate syrup, milk of choice blue raspberry - blueberry, raspberry, banan, orange juice road runner - peach, blueberry, mango, banana, orange juice & honey blue’s buster - blueberry, lecithin, flax oil, yogurt, apple juice three’s company - strawberry, banana, apple juice

design your own smoothies 16 oz

choose up to 3: strawberry, banana, mango, blueberry, raspberry, peach choose juice or milk: apple, orange, yogurt, rice milk, soy milk, milk (2%, whole, skim) chocolate, honey extras: protein powder, lecithin, bee pollen, peanut butter

juices

signature juices 12 oz, 16 oz

wheat grass 1 oz, 2 oz ginger slammer - apple, carrot & ginger red wine - apple, clery, beet, spinach & parsley lemony lizard - carrot, celery, beet, lemon& parsley field of green - cucumber, kale, apple, celery, parsley & wheat grass

superjuice - kale, carrot, bell pepper, beet & garlic summertime - celery, cucumber, apple, basil & ginger

design your juice 12 oz, 16 oz

juice base: carrot or celery add to that: parley, bell pepper, beet, spinach, cucumber, kale, apple, basil, garlic, ginger, lemon

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Buy one, Get one for half price!

Get a little extra from your Co-op deli! fresh squeezed organic juices and rich, refreshing smoothies. Mention the Co-op newsletter when you buy one and the second is yours for half price. Good only for the month of May 2012.

picnic time

May 2012 10

MAY means

PICNIC! Ratatouille with Feta, Green Olives, and Almonds 1 cup whole almonds 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 1 teaspoon red chili flakes 3 cloves garlic, chopped Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound feta cheese, crumbled 1 cup pitted green olives 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves hand-torn 1 medium onion, chopped 5 medium Japanese eggplant, chopped 3 medium zucchini, chopped 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon capers, drained 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand crushed 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Put the almonds into a large skillet over medium heat.

Gently toast the nuts, being careful not to let them burn, for about 3 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, 1 chopped garlic clove, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 3 minutes and transfer to a plate to cool. Crush the almonds roughly and put them into a bowl along with the feta cheese, olives, and 1/3 of the basil leaves. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.

Put 3 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes into the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, remaining garlic, and 1/3 of the basil leaves and cook until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Put in the eggplant and cook until it is soft, about 10 minutes, adding more olive oil if necessary. Add the zucchini, fresh tomatoes, and capers; season with salt and pepper.

Continue cooking until these vegetables are soft but still whole. Add the canned tomatoes, vinegar, and remaining basil leaves. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes; remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To serve, put the ratatouille into a bowl or platter and top with the feta, olive, and almond mixture. Serves 6 to 8.

Carrot Edamame Salad With Sweet Asian Vinaigrette 4 cups of shredded carrots 1/2 lb. of shelled edamame 1/2 cup raisins (soak in hot water if too dry) Dressing 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce Combine the carrots, edamame and raisins in a medium sized bowl. Combine ingredients for the dressing and let sit until the sugar dissolves. Add the dressing to the carrot mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving to allow the flavors to mingle. Serve chilled. Serves 4-6.

Roasted Asparagus 24 large asparagus spears (about 2 pounds), trimmed and peeled

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

spring This is a poem for spring, for clear, crisp mornings for the sun warming up the day as your coffee cup warms your hands; for budding tulips, small weeds sprouting from nooks and crannies for wind that blows warm but stirs up dust storms that color the sky light brown; for coming home and relishing even more hours of daylight to clean the garage, unkink the hoses, sweep out the fireplace; dust corners of the house that you just now noticed needed dusting; for spinach and cilantro that made it through the winter somehow (without your tender pruning or water), but now adds a bit of Spring to your cookinga bit hardier than last year's crop, but it's yours and you trim it into your pale hands the green lighting up the room as if it was a new color you'd never seen before.

Spring is here, you think, pulling it up to your nose, you breathe it in, turning the leaf over one more time.

Spring is here... By Don McIver

picnic time Extra-virgin olive oil Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Aged balsamic vinegar Parmesan, for shaving Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle oil over asparagus and turn to coat.

Season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and just tender, 18-20 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a platter.

To serve, drizzle vinegar over hot asparagus and use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmesan over the spears. Serves 4.

Baguette with Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Spread 8-oz. container vegan cream cheese, softened 17-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained well, finely chopped 3 Tbs. finely minced onion 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

2 18-inch French baguettes 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced 12 romaine lettuce leaves 2 cups thinly sliced radicchio Combine roasted red peppers, cream cheese, onion, and garlic in bowl. Cut each baguette into 3 6-inch pieces. Halve each piece lengthwise.

Tear out some of the center from bread to make space for fillings. Spread cream cheese mixture on bottom halves of bread. Top with cucumber, lettuce, and radicchio, and cover with top half of bread. Makes 6 sandwiches.

May 2012 11 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off. Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

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Brussels Sprouts Salad 1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 2-3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1 t fresh thyme leaves 1/3 cup fresh chives, minced 1 1/3 cups toasted, crushed hazelnuts 2 oz hard, salty, aged cheese, shaved (pecorino, dry aged jack, parmesan, etc.)

2-3 big pinches of salt Shred or julienne the Brussels sprouts into thin slim pieces. Five minutes before serving, place the shredded sprouts in a large mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, chives, salt and hazelnuts. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if needed, keeping in mind the cheese will bring a salty element to the salad. Add the cheese and toss once or twice to distribute it evenly throughout the salad. Serves 4–6.

Recipes adapted from: Foodnetwork.com, Food.com, Epicurious.com, Vegtariantimes.com and Allrecipes.com

Baba Ghanoush 1 eggplant 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup tahini 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

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May 2012 12

RIVERS RUN

THROUGH US

WALKING the S A N TA F E

In those days the Santa Fe River ran and sang. It’s true, you ask, staring at the empty bed, dust rising at the end of Avenida Cristobal Colon? There was water?

Now, we dream of winding blue way….

RIVER

BY VALERIE MARTINEZ rom May 17-20, a group of women will walk the length (46 miles) of the Santa Fe River. This four-day journey will serve as a deep exploration of our river and the Santa Fe Watershed and is designed to create art, promote awareness, engage community, and illuminate our relationship with river systems, earth and water. In 2007 the Santa Fe River was designated as the most endangered in the United States. Local environmental groups, concerned citizens, river enthusiasts and environmental artists along with the county and City of Santa Fe have worked to bring her back.

F

The Rivers Run Through Us project hopes to bring life to our river and to our communities through the act of walking, carrying water from the headwaters to the Rio Grande, and riverbank activities that communicate hope and possibility. As we walk a Littleglobe Choir will perform original river songs by Molly Sturges at San Isidro Crossing. Poets, artists, musicians, performers and members of the community will participate by performing and presenting River Art as we walk through Santa Fe as well as conservation and restoration projects and more. We will also conduct and record interviews, capture the sounds of the river, take photos, video, and write poetry and daily accounts. These will be posted on the “Rivers Run Through Us” website where you can track us along the way and experience the journey, wherever you are. After the walk we will create an interactive, virtual website where everyone can experience the river as a living system and an integral part of our identity: her history, reality, beauty, the interconnection and interdependence of our communities, and the delicate balance of forces that affect the river’s vitality, and ours.

In the months before the walk, we worked with community members, neighborhoods along the river, school groups, churches, environmental organizations, city and county entities and other individuals and organizations who are invited to meet us along the way— creating and presenting art, science activities and conservation/restoration projects.

We hope the project will bring: increased awareness and knowledge about the Santa Fe River, water conservation, river systems, and their rehabilitation and understanding of upstream and downstream use as interconnected and interdependent systems. We also seek to increase

VALERIE MARTINEZ

for a

living river social cohesion around the meaning of the Santa Fe River that will encourage more unified community action on behalf of water use and the river and help focus interest in the Santa Fe River watershed, as we communicate its beauty, document its importance in our daily lives and advocate for restoration projects and wiser community water use.

our ENDANGERED AQUIFER Dinner and Discussion

Bring YOUR ideas!

MAY 8th 6pm

United in our passion for the river and water are environmental artists Bobbe Besold and Dominique Mazeaud, and Valerie Martínez, poet and collaborative artist and former Poet Laureate for the City of Santa Fe. We invite other organizations to partner with us as the project unfolds. To learn more about the project go to www.little globe.org/rivers-run-through-us or to participate contact valerie@littleglobe.org. On May 18th from 1-2:30pm Let the River Run Through You, at the Rivers’ Reach across from the Santa Fe Co-op on West Alameda. ALL welcome!

EVERYONE is cordially invited to a dinner and panel discussion updating the actions of groups in Albuquerque who are working to protect our aquifer and current threats to our aquifer.

Bring your ideas and your willingness to participate in strategies to save our main source of drinking water. May 8 at 6pm, Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, 202 Harvard SE, sponsored by Agua es Vida Action Team, Citizen Action, Southwest Research and Information Center, and Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping.

MORE INFORMATION:

505-242-5511

A FREE EVENT! DONATIONS ARE WELCOME • contactus@cardnm.org

concerned

consumer

May 2012 13 information. As you leave, should your home be in danger, take the important documents (or their copies) you would need to re-establish yourself. This could include birth certificates, marriage license, deeds and titles and perhaps professional licenses. Also consider cash in small bills; should electricity be cut off, there will be no credit card processing and also no gas pumping.

FIRE SEASON IS HERE: BE PREPARED FOR

EMERGENCIES

Commit to having your gas tanks at least half full at all times.

Keep small quantities of gasoline at or near your home. These DO have a limited shelf life, but will not be wasted if you rotate through them on a regular basis.

BY AMYLEE UDELL n the February issue of the Co-op Connection, I discussed food storage and short term emergency readiness. Disasters and evacuations sound scary and unrealistic. While being hit by a tsunami or flood may not be something we need to worry about here, forest fires and chemical spills are not out of the realm of possibility. And these events are FAR scarier if you have not even considered them.

I

If you needed to leave your home quickly for an emergency, what are YOUR bare basics? Many in the preparedness movement discuss something called Bug Out Bags or 72 Hour Kits. These would contain what you would need to survive for that long OUTSIDE of your home. The size of such a bag or kit would vary on your family's size. You would probably put in DRY food (cans weigh a lot), water (also weighs a lot) or some way to clean water you can access, blankets, basic first aid supplies, medications and personal care products (sunscreen, contact lenses and supplies) and perhaps personal protections or utility tools.

If you needed to evacuate quickly, previously discussing WHERE to go is important and having maps would

grow

your own!

help as you follow pre-planned routes and head to predetermined meeting points. You need to consider multiple plans for different scenarios. Or your family might not all be together when an emergency happens. Discuss where to go from school or work and how to get there.

Maybe older children need to meet with younger ones first to help them.

Before leaving, turn off the gas and electricity to your house. This is probably not common knowledge to everyone in your household, so consider reviewing this

GOOD RIDDANCE TO

PINK SLIME!

BY ROB MOORE ainstream media outlets were shocked (shocked?) to learn that beef processors had been taking hunks of fat and scraps of beef matter, grinding it with thickeners, spraying it with ammonia, and adding it to ground beef shipped to fast food chains, big-box grocers, and school lunch programs. The resulting public outrage over the “pink slime” has led to widespread demands for investigations and reforms, and most importantly of all a drop in the sales of ground beef containing this gross garbage. There may have been a good amount of disgust among folks in the natural foods world over this story, but very little surprise.

M

The company chiefly responsible for pink smile, Beef Products International, is spending lots of energy and money accusing news outlets of spreading fear and disinformation over the “beef trim” products they sell. BPI processes fat from beef trimmings and literally “spins off” the fat content and is then allowed to sell the remainder as lean beef.

All That’s WRONG With Industrial Food Interestingly enough, a number of beef processors (including BPI) are registered as “ground beef handlers” rather than “raw beef processors.” Raw beef processors are subject to USDA testing for salmonella and other contaminants, but ground beef handlers are not. BPI has been producing over 4 and a 1/2 million pounds of “lean textured beef,” as pink slime is officially known, per week. Over four million pounds of treated fat and sinew, doused with ammonia, pressed into bricks and sent out into our food supply, into our schools and mainstream supermarkets.

Americans are famous for our remove in understanding where our food comes from: we have tremendous material abundance when it comes to our shopping choices, but even the most ardent among us would be hard pressed to fully explain (or even fully understand) how what we eat is harvested, processed, packaged, and finally lands in our shopping baskets. So much of the American food system is devoted to processed and refined foods that what used to be a straightforward path from the field to packer to table can now involve literally dozens of extra steps, many using techniques (and chemical

additives) that would not have been possible as recently as 20 years ago. Food science advances rapidly and far too often so rapidly that the implications and wisdom of processing methods is too seldom questioned.

MOM!

What if an emergency has you quarantined or safest at home?

First, read February's article for short-term food storage (www.lam ontanita.coop). In addition to those strategies on a bigger scale, consider your ability to grow your own food. Basic knowledge of gardening will help you produce more when you really NEED to. Having viable seeds on hand would be important for this, as would the ability to PRESERVE what you grow. Also consider having seeds to sprout available. Sprouting is an easy, low-space, low energy way to provide fresh food in an emergency.

The same issues of cost, space and WHAT to store must be considered for both short- and long-term storage. And if long-term storage seems beyond you, do not get overwhelmed. Focus on the short-term storage needs of your family and the rest will slowly follow. Like insurance, you hope you never need it yet have some security knowing it is there if the unfortunate happens. So devote a little time now for peace of mind later.

There are numerous websites available (watch for various levels of doomsday-ness), as well as books. Just In Case: How to be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Happens, by Kathy Harrison, is available through the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System.

The conventional response to warnings about processed foods is usually dismissal. That the FDA/USDA says that the product is “safe” is offered as a full close to any argument. The difficulty is that even with the best of intentions, lawmakers and inspectors and scientists are working with limited resources and restricted access to processors. Studies are skewed or outdated, or production methods not fully disclosed, as they are considered trade secrets. In these circumstances, getting a clear picture of what is going on can be difficult, even for representatives of the agencies charged with protecting and inspecting our food supply.

The controversy around pink slime emerged because a plant supervisor expressed his concern that levels of bacteria were higher than allowed. The inspector was fired, shared his concerns with media outlets, and now we have a justly outraged public and a commercial-food system working damage control.

None of the meat that your Co-op sells contain antibiotics, hormones, fillers, extraneous chemical agents or pink slime. We can tell you where your meat was raised, who raised it, the name of the farm or ranch, the location and date of the processing, and the complete pathway from the field to your plate. If you want to eat meat, local, grass-fed, and organic are better for the animals, for you, for the environment… better in every way.

For more on protecting our food systems please visit foodwhistleblower.org, centerforfoodsafe ty.org and justlabelit.org. and shop YOUR Co-op for FRESH, FAIR AND LOCAL FOOD!

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What happens when you are all together? It will depend on your family and the situation. Emergencies might involve federal intervention. If you feel safest in government provided shelters, you should be able to locate those by following the crowds and queuing up. If not, put family addresses, directions and phone numbers in your bag so you know how to find them.

GET FAIR TRADE FLOWERS at your favorite Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13th

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QUIVIRA COALITION OUT ON THE LAND workshops

May 4-6, Rangeland Ecology on Red Canyon Reserve Location: Red Canyon Reserve, South of Socorro, off I-25 and State Road 107.

Participants in this FREE outdoor classroom will learn how flora and fauna in this area are responding to drought conditions from Mollie Walton and Cullen Hallmark. Participants will also assist in updating the species lists of the Reserve that were compiled in past years. Activities include: an early morning bird walk, night walks over the uplands and through the canyon to hear owl calls and see kangaroo rats, bats and other creatures, stargazing, rangeland plant identification, photographic monitoring and more! For information, contact Mollie at mwalton@quiviracoalition.org or register at www.quiviracoalition.org May 26-27, Land Stewardship and Erosion Control Location: Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center, Cerrillos This FREE workshop given by Steve Carson will provide participants with hands-on restoration skills at Ampersand, an off-grid demonstration site for sustainable living through permaculture, passive solar design, wise water systems and natural building. Participants will learn practical skills in the application and techniques of constructing hand-built erosion control structures such as One Rock Dams, Zuni Bowls, and Media Lunas. For more information and registration go to www.ampersandproject.org.

May 2012 14

OF RIVERS AND TRAILS:

TWO W AYS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL

PLACES

BY KENT SWANSON, ASSOCIATE PLANNER, ALBUQUERQUE OPEN SPACE ithin and around our rapidly growing desert city we are blessed with over 29,000 acres of Public Open Space. These lands serve to protect wildlife and the environment, define our urban boundary, and offer a variety of recreational activities. The City of Albuquerque Open Space Division, part of Parks and Recreation, is the agency charged with the duty of caring for these special places.

W

Although you can still feel miles away from the pressures of city life while wandering the bosque or exploring the Sandia foothills, the presence of trash, graffiti, or eroding trails can ruin your experience and remind you of the impacts of

WORKSHOPS

AMPERSAND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING CENTER

May 12th, Native Plant Hike, 4-6:30pm Get to know our local plants and enjoy the land while discussing natural history, medicinal uses, and tips for identification.

May 20th, Passive Solar Design and Solar Cooking, 10am to 4pm-please register early Spend the day cooking with the sun and learning to make best use of this amazing resource for heating and cooling buildings. The fundamentals of passive solar design for new structures and retrofit possibilities will be explained.

to register go to W W W . a m p e r s a n d p r o j e c t . o r g

urban growth. However, with your help we can protect and preserve these lands for generations to come.

Each spring and summer the Open Space Division, along with our non-profit partner the Open Space Alliance, REI and other local organizations, host two volunteer events that help honor and protect our city’s natural places.

National River Cleanup: May 19th, from 8am until 1pm. Volunteers meet on the northwest side of the Rio Grande off of the Central Avenue Bridge and Sunset. A limited number of spaces are available on rafts to help remove trash. For more details see www. cabq.gov/openspace. Volunteers must register with REI at www.rei.com/albuquerque or call 247-1191. All River Cleanup volunteers are treated to morning refreshments, a door prize drawing and a free after-event picnic. PLEASE CARPOOL, as parking is limited!

National Trails Day (NTD): June 2nd, from 8am. Trails Day takes place at the Elena Gallegos/Albert G. Simms Open Space in Albuquerque starting at 8am. Projects finish in the early afternoon, and we treat volunteers to a lunch at our covered picnic shelter. Elena Gallegos is located east of Tramway. Volunteers can sign up for the event with Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI). To register see www.rei.com/albuquerque, call 247-1191 or stop by their store located at 1550 Mercantile Ave. The first 100 people to register for NTD will receive a free commemorative T-shirt!

WHAT TO BRING: For both events, please bring work gloves, sturdy shoes, lots of water, and sun protection.

Prepare to get dirty!

FOR MORE INFORMATION on this or other volunteer opportunities with Open Space, call 505-452-5200 or visit www.cabq.gov/openspace.

co-op

comix

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

TO BE CONTINUED

HASTA LA PROXIMA