february 2013
connection
free
MEMBERS! Get your Volume Discount Savings ... shop all month long ... Not a member? It's a great month to ioin. Special savings ... check us out! CO-OP ROCKS! Youth Event • Saturday,
2013 • llam-9pm • Warehouse 21 • Santa Fe
CO- OPROCKS! FREE &ART EVENT!
MUSIC
FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS
BY SANDRA WEST, LOS ALAMOS CO-OP ou’ve heard co-ops are “stronger together” and “My Co-op Rocks,” but now the Los Alamos Co-op Market and La Montanita Co-op are working with Warehouse 21 to show teens and young adults how a Co-opROCKS! This music and artbased event brings cooperative values to light through community involvement, cooperative partnerships, and creating opportunities for education while promoting local talent.
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Co-opROCKS! will be held on Saturday, February 16, from 11am to 9pm at Warehouse 21 (1614 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe). Attendance for teens and young adults is free. Help us Dream, Create, and CO-OPerate while enjoying workshops, local music and local art in a fun and safe environment for teens and young adults. This year, Co-opROCKS! includes local bands and DJs including Choking on Air, Holiday and more! Workshops take place between 11am and 3:30pm, and are free for teens and young adults on a first-come first-
served basis. At Co-opROCKS! you can listen to local musicians, participate in live free-form art, vote for the Co-opROCKS! logo, and sample quality food from La Montanita and the Los Alamos Co-op Market. Co-opROCKS! originated in Las Cruces, NM, in 2003, when Steve Watts, currently the manager of the Los Alamos Co-op, was the Mountain View Market general manager. Last May the Los Alamos Co-op held its first Co-opROCKS! event in Los Alamos. This year, in conjunction with Co-op principle 6: Cooperation among co-ops, the event is a community collaboration between both Los Alamos and La Montanita Co-ops and Warehouse 21. Dream, Create and CO-OPERATE! Participate in Co-opROCKS! For more information on Co-opROCKS! please see the event page on Facebook (http://on.fb.me.U9c9jy). For more information visit www.losalamos.coop or www.lamontanita.coop.
Co-op ROCKS! FEB. 16
Beyond Pesticides: the National Conference Coming to Albuquerque!
SAVE THE DATE! APRIL 5-6 ROBIN SEYDEL ast May I had the great pleasure of meeting Jay Feldman at the National Organic Standards Board meeting that the USDA held for the first time in Albuquerque. As a member of the NOSB, Jay works hard and long to maintain the integrity of organic standards in organic certification. But even before his stint on the NOSB, I had been a fan of Jay’s work as the executive director of Beyond Pesticides.
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Almost twenty years ago, when information about the health and environmental effects of the nearly 80,000 chemicals that lace consumer products was harder to find than it is today, Jay and the Beyond Pesticide folks were a voice in the wilderness for those of us seeking that information. I still have a thick file of their quarterly publication, Pesticides and You, and though they are yellowed with age and the information is available now in electronic formats,
I enjoy looking back at those early issues as much for their lovely original art as for their cutting edge information. Topics like biological control of noxious weeds, pesticides in the schools, Integrated Pest Management, using catnip for mosquito repellent and other solutions-based information is as relevant today—due to the expanded chemical onslaught and resulting public health issues we now experience—as it was when first published. Jay and Beyond Pesticides folks were in the vanguard of the environmental, public health and environmental safety movement and continue to be on the cutting edge still today. Fill Your Mind When Jay suggested at an after NOSB meeting dinner gathering last May that that we host the Beyond Pesticides Conference in 2013—despite my already full plate (both literally and figuratively) I jumped at the chance!
UPDATE! LA MONTANITA : MOVING INTO OUR THIRD YEAR! FUND
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n 2013 La Montanita Fund (LaM FUND) moves into its third year of offering our Co-op community members a way to put their money where their mouths are—literally! We continue to refine our grassroots local investing and micro-lending project for the benefit of both investors and local food producers. The GROWTH Continues Last year we tweaked our investment and loan repayment terms so that our investors could better meet the needs of our food producing community. That change allowed us to make $97,600 in loans during 2011-2012. In early 2012 we were pleased to be able to pay our first return on investment income to our investors of 2.1% on their investment, which was respectable given the state of the economy. This year, as we continue to refine the LaM FUND, our 3rd approval from the New Mexico Securities Division for the 2013 Offering provides for an increase in our total aggregate investment amount to $200,000, the ability to make loans to other cooperative businesses in the State of New Mexico and an extended investment enrollment period running from January 1 through March 30, 2013. This year, thanks to our LaM FUND investors, we have a total of $122,000 in investments to circulate in the N.M. community to capitalize our food producers and grow the local food system and economy. The Co-op’s commitment of $25,000 to the project is a testament to our unwavering dedication to growing both the local economy and the regional food system and provides a degree of risk reduction for the many grassroots Co-op member investors.
We would like to take this opportunity to THANK ALL OUR CO-OP MEMBER INVESTORS. Many, if not all of our investors, are invested in the LaM Fund mainly to support a cooperative investment vehicle that provides capital to grow the regional food system and build the local economy. 2013 The LaM FUND Loans: HERE TO HELP GROW! From the very beginning of the LaM FUND it was our intention to provide capital to food producers throughout our foodshed region. LaM FUND loans are open to all New Mexican food producers, without the requirement of selling at a particular growers’ market, to La Montanita Coop or through the Co-op Distribution Center. Additionally veterans who attend our FREE Farming Skills Basic Trainings as part of the Veteran Farmer Project, that hopes to help veterans get started producing food for their families and/or for income, are also eligible for LaM FUND to help them get started producing food. Please read more about the Veteran Farmer Project in this issue. Putting Land Back into Production In early December we made a loan to the new Ancient Waters Farm, located three miles from Ojo Caliente, run by Alcides and Erin Lloyd-Ortigoza. Alcides has extensive experience in farming both in his native Paraguay and as farm manager for Skarsgard Farms here in New Mexico. Erin is a landscape architect. This loan exemplifies the goals of the FUND. It will bring farmland that has been fallow back into production, get next generation farmers out on the land and help expand local food production. The Ancient Waters Farm loan is helping them put up deer proof fencing around their seven acres, put up a hoop house, buy seed and
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Make life easier. Get yours today!
Beyond Pesticides Conferences are usually held at a local college or university, (last year’s conference was held at Yale University) and an email to Dr. Bruce Milne and Terry Horger of the Sustainability Studies Program at UNM, subsequent meetings, and thanks to these dedicated educators, UNM was on board as a co-sponsor and venue. The annual Beyond Pesticides Conference brings together top national scientists with local and national activists and concerned citizens to share information on the issues local communities are facing, craft solutions and catalyze networks to manifest positive health and environmental policy and change. And this year’s conference is shaping up to be no different! Mark your calendars, for the annual, national Beyond Pesticides Conference in Albuquerque, NM, at the UNM Campus on April 5-6. Hosted by Beyond Pesticides, UNM’s Sustainability Studies Program and La Montanita Co-op, other sponsors include: the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Organic Program, Farm to Table, Our Endangered Aquifer, Working Group, Amigos Bravos, Holistic Management International and others. Watch for more detailed information in next month’s Co-op Connection news and our web page at www.lamontanita.coop. Or go to www.beyondpesticides.org for more conference information and registration.
LA MONTANITA FUND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS! GRASSROOTS INVESTING TO: • HELP GROW THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM • HELP STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL ECONOMY
Extended Enrollment Period Open until March 30, 2013 LOAN PROGRAM • Quick and easy application process • Loans from $250 to $15,000, or more in exceptional cases • Repayment terms tailored to the needs of our community of food producers • Applications taken on an ongoing basis To set up a meeting to learn more or for a Memorandum, Investor Agreement or Loan Application, call or e-mail Robin at: 505- 217-2027, toll free outside of Albuquerque at 877-775-2667 or robins@lamontanita.coop or go to www.lamontanita.coop.
get started. We look forward to seeing their produce on Co-op shelves and at farmers’ markets. Please let your food producing friends and neighbors know about the LaM FUND Loan Program. LaM Fund loan applications are available on line at www.lamontanita.coop, click on the La Montanita Fund logo on the right side of the home page. Co-op members who wish to become investors can also find the Memoradum (our version of a prospectus) and the Investor Agreement at the above website. For more information call 505-217-2027, toll free outside of Albuquerque, 877-775-2667 or email: robins@lamontanita.coop. As always, we are most grateful for your continued support of the LaM FUND’s mission to provide capital to help grow our local food system and build the local and cooperative economy.
winter skills building La Montanita Cooperative A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store 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
February 2013 2
NEW MEXICO’S
ORGANIC FARMING
CONFERENCE
February15-16 HEATHER ESQUEDA, NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ORGANIC PROGRAM Join the gathering of organic producers, researchers, and those who help move food from farm to fork for the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid, February 15-16. This two-day event will offer practical information for farmers, ranchers, and market gardeners on topics ranging from organic weed management to marketing, and fruit production to livestock health. BY
UNM Co-op ’N Go/ 7am-6pm M-F, 10-4pm Sat. Closed Sun., 2301 Central Ave. SE Abq., NM 87131 277-9586
On Saturday, participants will feast on local and organic food at a luncheon where the New Mexico Organic Farmer of the Year will be recognized. Farm to Table, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, and New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service are organizing the event. La Montanita Co-op Natural Foods Market, Skarsgard Farms, Rio Grande Community Farm, and the Silver City Food Coop are sponsoring the gathering.
Cooperative Distribution Center 901 Menual NE, Abq., NM 87107 217-2010 Administrative Staff: 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 • Perishables Coordinator/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 • Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn • Kristy Decker • Jake Garrity • Susan McAllister • Betsy VanLeit Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year/ $200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: • Managing Editor: Robin Seydel robins@lamontanita.coop 217-2027 • Layout and Design: foxyrock inc • Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept. • Advertising: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher • Editorial Assistant: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher sarahwf@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 website: www.lamontanita.coop Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop Copyright ©2013 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.
In addition 36 workshop sessions will cover a wide range of topics. Highlights include: Nature’s Chicken Soup: Compost Tea Production; Drought in the Southwest: The Outlook; Holistic Orchard Management with famous local orchardist, Gordon Tooley, 2008 Organic Farming Educator of the Year; Using Organic Insecticides: When and How with NMSU’s Dr. Tess Grasswitz, 2012 Organic Farming Educator; Spice It Up—Organic Herb Production; and a incredibly diverse selection of other workshops that provide information on just about anything and everything an arid lands farmer or gardener wants to know.
Registration for the conference, including Saturday’s luncheon, is $100. For more information call 505-8899921, or look for conference brochures at the Co-op. Hope to see you there! The keynote address, “Will Organic Farming Save Pollinators or Will Pollinators Save Organic Farming?” will be delivered by Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Program Director of the Xerces Society, and Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist for NRCS West National Technology Support Center in Portland, Oregon. In this talk, he will provide the latest information on the importance and decline of pollinators, and how habitat on and around farms is critical to saving these important animals. We are honored to have Dr. Temple Grandin for a morning workshop on Low-Stress Livestock Handling. Temple Grandin is a doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, best-selling author, and consultant on animal behavior. If you are a livestock producer, this session is a must.
VETERANFARMER PROJECT
ROOTS
BOOTS
AND
CLASSES CONTINUE The 2013 Veteran Farmer Project classes began in late January and go through March. All veterans, active service and National Guard people are welcome to come to these FREE farming and gardening skills classes. This year you don’t have to be a Veteran to join us at these classes; we are pleased to welcome community members interested in learning new farming and gardening skills as well. All classes will take place at the New Mexico State University, Albuquerque campus, at 4501 Indian School Road NE, Albuquerque, downstairs in room G106 from 3:30-5pm. The campus is west of San Mateo. The VA van will be offering rides to both the classes and garden site from the Albuquerque VA Campus. For more information contact Robin Seydel at 505-217-2027, toll free at 877-775-2667 or e-mail her at robins@lamontanita.coop or contact John Shields at the VA at 505-256-6499 ext.5638 or email him John.Shields2@va.gov. Please RSVP to Robin at 505-217-2027, toll free at 877775-2667 or email at robins@lamontanita.coop.
18TH ANNUAL WATER CONSERVATION AND
XERISCAPE EXPO FEBRUARY
28-MARCH 1
The 18th annual water conservation conference is hosted by the Xeriscape Council of New Mexico and Arid Lands LID and attracts more than 250 land and water use professionals. The agenda will feature expert speakers, networking opportunities, a catered lunch, and more. The Xeriscape Council of New Mexico was formed in 1986/87 and its primary project is the annual conference on topics in water conservation and landscape. The Council brings high-level globally oriented experts and speakers to Albuquerque for the two-day conference and free public seminars that are held at a two-day Expo following the conference. The public sessions focus on more practical “how to” seminars on design, plant selection, irrigation and maintenance. The Council also produces books, materials and reports, and conducts other general consulting activities on the topic of conservation to fulfill their main goal of educating New Mexicans and others about water conservation, and promoting native, low-water plants and landscaping/irrigation methods as a means of water conservation. For more information and to register go to: www.xeriscapenm.com.
WATER CONSERVATION
EXPO FREE
Saturday and Sunday, March 2-3, at the Creative Arts Building at Expo N.M. Fairgrounds! Over 200 Exhibitors! Special FREE seminars on drip irrigation, appropriate plant selection, xeriscape principles, soil, tour of the EXPO fairgrounds landscape and more... EXHIBITS INCLUDE: Nurseries, Landscape Design, Gravel, Mulch, Yard Art, Irrigation, Local Food Producers, Environmental Non-Profits, Rain Barrels, Hardscape, Pavers, Solar Information! CONTINUOUS SEMINARS–3 TRACKS BOTH DAYS! Don’t miss this exciting conference and Expo! Visit xeriscapenm.com for registration information.
Feb. 7/LandLINK—Finding a Place to Grow, Tiffany Terry, MRCoG’s Ag Collaborative Feb. 14/Growing Good Soil, Joran Viers, Bernalillo County Extension Service Feb. 21/Organic Approaches to Pest Management, Dr. Tess Grasswitz, NMSU Feb. 28/Organic Production: The Hows and Whys! Joanie Quinn, NMDA Organic Program March 7/Succession Planting for Marketing Success, Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, La Montanita Co-op/edible Santa Fe March14/Intro to Biodynamics and Wholistic Farming, Amanda Rich, Erda Gardens
PROJECT CLASSES
ALL CLASSES ARE FROM 3:30-5PM AT 4501 INDIAN SCHOOL RD NE., RM G106
sustaining new mexico
February 2013 3
RIGHT TO KNOW AMENDMENT LABEL GE FOOD IN NEW MEXICO!
BY CARMEN STONE, FOOD FOR THOUGHT n late December, State Senator Peter Wirth (DSanta Fe) pre-filed a proposed amendment to the New Mexico Food Act to require the labeling of genetically engineered food and feed. The amendment (SB 18) was drafted with support from the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch and is strongly supported by many national and local organizations and individuals, including food cooperatives, organic farmers, environmentalists and food justice proponents.
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“The premise of this amendment is simple— New Mexicans deserve the right to know what’s in the food they are eating and feeding to their families,” said Senator Wirth. “Labeling GE foods and feed will empower consumers with basic information to help them decide for themselves the types of food they want to buy.” Multiple public opinion polls show that the vast majority of American consumers want food derived from genetically engineered crops—plants altered in a laboratory with foreign genetic material to create novel genetic combinations and exhibit traits that do not occur in nature—to be labeled. GE foods have not been tested for long-term impacts on human and environmental health and safety and over 40 countries have mandatory GE food labels, including Europeon nations, Japan, China and Russia. “Giving foods with GE ingredients a label will only improve and expand independent health and scientific knowledge about genetic engineering,” said Food & Water Watch’s New Mexico Organizer Eleanor Bravo. “We need the research of genetic engineering to be expanded beyond the companies who own the seeds and stand to profit, and labeling will allow this to happen.”
PROTECTING our
DRINKIN G WATER Bag Credit Donation Organization of the Month BY JANET GREENWALD ur Endangered Aquifer Working Group (the Working Group) is a three year old mostly volunteer organization which formed to address contamination of Albuquerque’s drinking water aquifer by Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL).
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The Working Group was alerted to aquifer contamination by SNL through the research and assessment of Paul Robinson, research director of Southwest Research and Information Center, and Dave McCoy, director of Citizen Action. (These reports can be found on the respective group’s web sites.) Their research shows that trichloroethane (TCE) is already present in Albuquerque’s drinking water aquifer due to SNL contamination. TCE can cause liver, heart and kidney damage as well as birth defects. Plutonium, buried in the SNL’s Mixed Waste Landfill in unlined trenches, is a potential aquifer contaminant as well. The SNL contamination plume, which is over a billion gallons in volume, is only one quarter mile from the Eubank well fields which provide tap water to the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque. Contamination of the aquifer by KAFB is well known through local media outlets. The aviation and jet fuel spill which is now in our aquifer was first recognized by the Air Force in 1999. The liquid spill is estimated by the New Mexico Environmental Department to be twenty four million gallons in volume and is a mile long and one
CO-OP PROGRAM
DONATE your BAG CREDIT!
This amendment would change the law to include a label on genetically modified food and feed products that are composed of more than 1 percent genetically engineered material. Since most processed foods and feed products contain some derivative of GE corn, soybean or cotton, they would need to be labeled under this amendment. Additionally, foods that include alfalfa, canola, papaya, squash, sugar beet and sweet corn would also need to be labeled. A food or feed product containing GE material that is not labeled would be considered “misbranding” under this new amendment, and violations would be dealt with the same way as current labeling violations are handled. New Mexico’s Environmental Improvement Board would be charged with establishing standards for measuring and quantifying the amount of GE material in food. There is no specific requirement for where the label should be on the package as long as it is “conspicuous and easily understandable to consumers.” This amendment will be Senator Wirth’s first filing of his second term as a State Senator. During his two terms in the State House, Senator Wirth carried a variety of legislation signed by the Governor. Some of his successful legislation includes laws to expand an open space tax credit, to restrict the use of eminent domain for private economic development, to allow local governments to enact water conservation ordinances and to better protect homeowners from property damage caused by government action. SB 18 will be taken up by the legislature when the session begins on January 15 and can be viewed at: www.nmlegis.gov/ For more information or to volunteer, contact: Eleanor Bravo, Food and Water Watch, 505-730-8474 or email her at bravo @fwwatch.org. Please call Senator Wirth to thank him for his support of consumer right to know at 505-988-1668 ext. 104. For more information or to read the amendment go to www.foodandwater watch.org or www.senatorpeterwirth.com for updates and information on how you can support this effort during the lesiglative session.
our endangered aquifer
WORKINGGROUP half mile wide. The plume contains large amounts of Ethylene Dibromide (EDB), a suspected human carcinogen, plus other carcinogenic chemicals. The plume is traveling toward the Ridgecrest Well field where Albuquerque’s highest producing tap water wells are located. The New Mexico Environment Department estimates that the plume could reach the Ridgecrest wells within five years. Unfortunately KAFB has done very little to ameliorate the contamination of our drinking water aquifer. KAFB has only put in four vapor extracting wells (the New Mexico Environment Department suggested many more), which deal with the source of the contamination but not the contaminant plume in the aquifer. As for the Environment Department, though their suggestions and their analysis of the extent of the spill has been helpful, they have not exercised their prerogative to fine KAFB for the slow response of the military base to an emergency situation. The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority has committed to putting in a well at the Utility’s expense in order to locate the leading edge of the plume. The Working Group has been working with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority to make clean up of SNL contamination a legislative priority and for the Water Authority to take independent action concerning the Kirtland plume. The Working Group is now working with the state legislature to bring quicker clean up of both contamination plumes. For more information or to join: contactus@cardnm.org, 505-242-5511.
BAG CREDIT ORGANIZATION OF THE MONTH!
FEBRUARY
Our Endangered Aquifer Working Group: Protecting OUR drinking water! Your DECEMBER Bag Credit Donations of $1,641.50 went to Pegasus Legal Services for Children. THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED!
Co-op Values Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, selfresponsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Co-op Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5 Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Coop Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.
GE food in the news THE
GENETICALLY engineered SALMON BY ARI LEVAUX f you want to bury an unsavory news story, the afternoon before Christmas vacation is a good time to break it. The FDA chose December 21 to release its long awaited Environmental Assessment (EA) of the genetically modified "AquAdvantage" salmon. This move quietly slid the fish closer to making history as the first GM animal approved for human consumption. The public was given 60 days to comment, beginning winter solstice, 2012, on a farmed salmon that salmon farmers won't be allowed to raise in the U.S., but Americans would nonetheless be OKAY allowed to eat.
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S C I E N C E IS NOT IN AGREEMENT!
The Christmas EA predicts "an extremely low likelihood" that AquAdvantage salmon will affect "the environment of the United States." This conclusion spares FDA and AquaBounty the significantly more rigorous, expensive, and time consuming process of conducting a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which would include a comprehensive failure analysis investigating the possible outcomes of worst-case scenarios at every link in the process.
GROW!
During the Bush II era the FDA announced it would regulate AquAdvantage salmon as an “animal drug” rather than food, perhaps in hopes of expediting the process. More recently, according to a hypothesis espoused by Jon Entine in Slate, officials in President Obama's inner circle conspired to delay the salmon's approval for political gain. Its application in bureaucratic purgatory for decades, AquaBounty leaked money, sold assets, was often without a clear idea of where the process was going, and flirted with bankruptcy. The tide began turning in November, 2012, when biotech giant Intrexon began acquiring AquaBounty shares (ABTX), triggering what has become a 400 percent run-up of the stock— most of the gain since the FDA's solstice announcement. Meanwhile, many are still wondering how a salmon steak could be considered a drug. According to FDA logic, the drug per se is AquaBounty's patented genetic construct, made of genes from two other fish inserted into Atlantic salmon DNA. Inserted at the animal's one-cell stage, the gene sequence exists in every cell of the adult fish's body. The company claims this cluster of genes, aka the drug, makes AquAdvantage salmon grow faster than its non-GM, farm-raised counterparts, and it hopes to sell that claim, and lots of AquAdvantage salmon eggs, to fish farmers around the world. But unlike most other so-called animal drugs, this one inhabits an animal that can do very well for itself in the wild. It can swim across oceans, up rivers, mate with wild fish, and pass along its drugs to the next generation. Given precedent that will be set in approving the first GM animal for human consumption, it's understandable that the review process might take some time. Unfortunately, the FDA has spent most of its time figuring out how to avoid asking some tough but very important questions.
ACTION ALERT!
GE SALMON
T E L L T H E F D A W H AT Y O U T H I N K
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n December 21, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) released an Environmental Assessment (EA) with a “Finding of No Significant Impact” on the controversial AquaBounty AquaAdvantage transgenic salmon. The FDA action is widely viewed as confirmation that the Obama Administration is prepared to approve the first genetically engineered (GE) animal intended for human consumption despite widespread opposition.
LA MONTANITA FUND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS! GRASSROOTS INVESTING TO: • HELP GROW THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM • HELP STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL ECONOMY
plained to the New York Times, "Shit always happens. If shit happens and they end up somehow in the ocean ... maybe it's hypothetical to the FDA, but people would like to know what happens." In fact, shit did happen at AquaBounty's Panama location in 2008, when a storm swamped the facility. As AquaBounty reported to investors, the largest batch of salmon in company history was lost. According to the Christmas EA, meanwhile, "no serious damage was incurred by this event, and no problems of significance to aquaculture operations occurred." Dartmouth sustainability science professor Anne Kapuscinski addressed the committee as well. Like the rest of the public, Kapuscinski had barely two weeks to review the hundreds of pages of documents released Friday before Labor Day.
TO EAT, BUT NOT TO
If the announcement's timing suggests FDA wants the application to flow smoothly, also consider that it has been 17 years since AquaBounty first applied for permission to sell its recombinant Atlantic salmon in the U.S. The company has paid a heavy regulatory price for trying to be first.
February 2013 4
Dr. Kapuscinski recently led a team of 53 scientists in writing a book about how to conduct scientifically credible risk assessment of genetically modified fish, and her lab has done ecological-risk research with GM fish. Kapuscinski was one of the most qualified people in the room, VMAC members included, to comment on the ecological risks posed by AquAdvantage salmon. Her oral comments were cut short due to time; she submitted a written transcript of those comments, but I was not able to find it on the FDA website.
Such hassle was largely avoided by simply stipulating that no AquAdvantage salmon shall be raised in the U.S., and no live AquAdvantage fish will even enter U.S. territory. AquAdvantage eggs are to be produced in a facility on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and shipped to a facility in Panama to be raised in tanks to marketable size. In the future, AquaBounty hopes to ship eggs worldwide from Prince Edward Island—but not to the U.S., or any other country, apparently, with sturdy environmental laws. A key step in the AquAdvantage approval process came in September 2010, when FDA held a public meeting of its Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee (VMAC) to review what was then the draft EA. Jon Entine, of the Team Obama interference hypothesis, assumes the VMAC committee "unanimously endorsed the FDA's findings that the salmon was safe. " But the meeting transcript paints a more nuanced picture. VMAC member Dr. James McKean noted, in his final remarks, of AquAdvantage salmon, "It appears to be safe, but that loop has not, in my mind, been closed." Purdue biologist Bill Muir commented at the VMAC that he has looked extensively at risk associated with GM fish, and believes AquAdvantage salmon don't pose much of an ecological threat. Nonetheless, as he ex-
A copy of her oral comments that Kapuscinski forwarded to me stated: "The Environmental Assessment does not adequately consider the growing body of research on genetic and ecological risks of transgenic fish." The EA, she wrote, lacked the basic quantitative information necessary to verify its conclusions. The statistical methods were outdated, and sample sizes too small or not reported. Kapuscinski called for "a transparent Environmental Impact Statement that completes genetic and ecological risk assessment." In person, according to the VMAC transcript, Kapuscinski advised the committee, "FDA should require a quantitative failure mode analysis for all the confinement methods. Failure mode analysis is standard practice for technology assessment." The Christmas EA, in explaining its decision to not follow Kapuscinski's recommendations, cited her work 14 times. An EIS would be a sensible if, less convenient, alternative to approving an EA that depends on exporting fish farming to other people's backyards, and sending U.S. agents to the ends of the earth to inspect the facilities of fish farms that want to raise AquAdvantage salmon and sell it to the U.S. To claim that AquAdvantage salmon is safe to produce, while at the same time circumventing the process of regulating its production at home, sends a mixed message to consumers, environmentalists, and industry. It also reeks of colonialism, and serves as a reminder of why "animal drug" might not be the most productive way to describe this fish.
The GE Atlantic salmon being considered was developed by AquaBounty Technologies. It is genetically engineered to produce are entirely unknown, but some scientific growth hormones year-round, creresearch raises cause for alarm: for examating a fish the company claims ple, some scientists have asserted that forgrows at twice the normal rate. eign growth hormones in transgenic fish FDA says escape is unlikely and may increase production of other comthat the fish pose “no impact” to pounds such as insulin in the fish. the environment. But each year Additionally, FDA has recognized that a millions of farmed salmon escape, transgene cannot be “turned off” once it is Public outcompeting wild populations inserted in the organism, and will therecomment for resources and straining ecosysfore have effects that are uncontrollable. NEEDED! tems. Any approval of GE salmon would represent a serious threat to Tell the Food and Drug Administration the survival of native salmon popnot to approve GE salmon AND, if the Obama ulations, many of which have already suffered Administration insists on approving these genetically severe declines related to salmon farms and engineered fish despite public opposition, it must other man-made impacts. Research published in require the fish to be labeled when marketed to fish the Proceedings of the National Academy of farmers, fish retailers and food companies, restauSciences notes that a release of just sixty GE rants, and when marketed to consumers. salmon into a wild population of 60,000 could lead to the extinction of the wild population in THE PUBLIC HAS ONLY 60 DAYS, which began on less than 40 fish generations. Wild salmon popDecember 21, to comment on this misguided and ulations are already on the Endangered Species dangerous action. PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE List; approving these GE salmon could be the IS FEBRUARY 21. Please call or write the Obama final blow to these wild stocks. Administration today, and sign the petition at The human health impacts of eating GE fish, which would be the first-ever GE food animal,
www.centerforfoodsafety.org
Extended Enrollment Period Open until March 30, 2013 LOAN PROGRAM • Quick and easy application process • Loans from $250 to $15,000, or more in exceptional cases • Repayment terms tailored to the needs of our community of food producers • Applications taken in an ongoing basis To set up a meeting to learn more or for a Memorandum, Investor Agreement or Loan Application call or e-mail Robin at: 505- 217-2027, toll free outside of Albuquerque at 877-775-2667 or robins@lamontanita.coop.
SHOP
CO-OP!
F E B R U A RY
is MEMBER A P P R E C I AT I O N
VOLUME
D i s count
SHOPPING MONTH!
farming & GARDENING
February 2013 5
Restoring land with...
SEEDBALLS!
our very relationship with Nature. The closer we live to Nature, the more sensitivity we bring to our natural farming or ranching.
BY ANN ADAMS first read Masanobu Fukuoka’s international bestseller, The One-Straw Revolution, back in the late ‘80s. Fukuoka’s work is focused on crops like rice and orchards and vegetables, so I assumed Fukuoka’s work was most relevant to less-brittle areas of the world and small-scale agriculture/landscapes. So it was with great interest that I read the recent book release, Sowing Seeds in the Desert: Natural Farming, Global Restoration, and Ultimate Food Security, and learned how he had been traveling around the world (including the western arid U.S. like New Mexico) exploring ways to take his ideas of natural farming to a global level, particularly in arid environments of the world to help stop desertification. Larry Korn (one of Fukuoka’s students) edits this treatise which was published after Fukuoka’s death in 2008.
I
SOWING seeds
Fukuoka’s focus in this book is to achieve global food security by using the techniques of natural farming across the globe so that the tools for improved land health and growing food are in the hands of all producers and pastoralists. He makes it clear from his early mistrials that natural farming is not about neglect or letting Nature take its course. It is about agricultural production that requires as little intervention as possible so that Nature can do the work. This type of agricultural production requires a profound paradigm shift, or as Fukuoka put it, “a philosophy.” He wrote: “If you do not understand the philosophy, the rest [farming] becomes empty activity.” In other words, we must view Nature as a partner and recognize we are a part of Nature in order to make the effort to change our farming practices and
MUSINGS ON
After reading this book, I decided to experiment with making my own seedballs. The basic recipe for a seedball is to divide in volume: 1 part powdered clay (you can get at a pottery store or harvest your own). 1 part compost 1 part seeds (mix of perennials, annuals, vegetables, flowers—more diversity the better)
WINTER, GARDENS AND
COMMUNITY
I
We garden our communities just as we garden our souls. There is the time and the input that we must put forth. Then there is the letting go. Not every crop makes it. Not every relationship comes to fruition. Hopefully we find our best matches and keep working to make the world a better place. The garden changes you. Watch a city being built in a season only to dissolve into dust and shatter after one night of low temperature. A whole summer to grow towers of sunflowers, song birds swinging on their branches, hanging upside down to mine the seeds from their blank faces. And then it is all gone.
It used to be that communities had to depend on each other. We were, by necessity, interdependent. My grandmother rode a horse seven miles to share a sewing needle. The harvest rotated between farms and families so that everyone got their crops in. We shared skills: carpentry, midwifery, blacksmithing, bread making. We shared harvests ensuring every family got the food they needed. If we had to grow food for our families to make it through the winter, could we do it? Could we do it alone? What skills do we have readily honed and what skills do we have left to rekindle?
What sustains us? The hope of another season? That some seeds will drop in the sloppy feast and grow again next year? That we can count on the sun and the worms and the spirit to make the magic happen again in six months? Where are you and what are you doing this winter?
As we layer our soil with compost, we rely on beings and forces to break down the matter and make it into soil. It's a miracle that useless matter can become the force that grows our food. Insects, worms, bacteria,
MONSANTO AND SEMINIS:
CONTROLLI NG TH E
SEED SUPPLY
enue source comes from tomato and peppers seeds, followed by cucumbers and beans.” Many large seed companies source their seeds from Seminis. While not all the seeds Seminis produces are GE seeds, by supporting Seminis, you are supporting Monsanto and the development of GE seed. FROM THE SEMINIS WEBSITE: these brands at right market seed to home gardeners.
SPRING BREAK KIDS Rio Grande Community Farm and the Village of Los Ranchos will host a Spring Break Farm Camp for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade, March 11-15th from 9am to 3pm. Campers will cook food, make crafts, play games, learn about farm animals, and work in the greenhouse, hoop house, and vegetable production fields to learn how food is grown. The activities will focus on soil, sun, water, and pollinators. The camp includes visitors from City of Albuquerque Open Space, Ber-
AT THE
You then spread the seedballs at a rate of 10-20 per square yard (experiment to see what works best). For big projects, they use a cement mixer to mix the balls and then drop them from airplanes. But, I’m starting small with a 100’ X 50’ area. This year I’m experimenting with some buffalograss, grama grass, skyrockets, wild tomato, Indian corn, oats, rye, basil, dill, arugula, Mexican hat, and sunflowers. We’ll find out what does well with the rainfall we get and how they do in an irrigated area. Seedballs are a great project to do with kids and it helps you tune into what plants do well in your area as a vegetable garden or to reclaim that bare batch of vacant lot that is always catching your eye. ANN ADAMS homesteads in the Manzano Mountains with a small herd of goats and a flock of chickens.
micro-flora, heat, condensation, decomposition are all influences in this process. People, with all our ego, just layer the matter and leave the rest to the earth and nature. What a lot of faith! What interdependence we have on the natural world around us. The world is constantly trying to feed us, to help us along—the tomato or bean or squash that lays down its life after producing a sweet fruit for us to eat.
BY AMANDA RICH, ERDA GARDENS t takes time to build community. It takes trust. It takes breaking down all our capitalist conditioning on competition. In the winter we take time to nurture our soil, adding manure, leaves and the dried bits of the garden that have been killed by the first hard frost. In the winter, we also nurture ourselves. This is the quiet inward time that takes us over the edge into the spirit world. The dead come walking in October. They offer us ghost stories; wisdom and the old ways revisited in our dreams.
In 2005, Monsanto purchased Seminis Seed Company. According to an online article published by the Organic Seed Alliance (seedalliance.org), “It is estimated that Seminis controls 40 percent of the U.S. vegetable seed market and 20 percent of the world market—supplying the genetics for 55 percent of the lettuce on U.S. supermarket shelves, 75 percent of the tomatoes, and 85 percent of the peppers, with strong holdings in beans, cucumbers, squash, melons, broccoli, cabbage, spinach and peas. The company’s biggest rev-
Fukuoka’s idea is that you learn over time which seeds take well in your area. The clay protects the seeds from birds and insects until the seeds have enough water to germinate and then they get a little boost from the compost. You throw the seedballs out at the time of year when the plants would naturally be throwing their seed (fall and winter). Once you’ve mixed the 3 parts together dry, slowly add water until the seedballs start to form—about the size of a large marble. You can form them bigger if you want.
CAMP!
nalillo County Master Composters, and Valley Flowers Farm. This affordable camp is available at a reduced price to families who qualify for free or reduced lunch at APS. The camp will be held at Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center at 4920 Rio Grande Blvd NW. For more info e-mail education@riogrande farm.org, or visit www.rio grandecommu nityfarm.org to enroll your child.
RIO GRANDE COMMUNITY
FARM
THE SEED COMPANIES BELOW BUY THEIR SEEDS FROM SEMINIS
H O W T O AV O I D
MONSANTO SEED American Meadows Anderson’s Seed & Garden, Inc. Audubon Workshop Ball Horticultural Company Breck’s Bulbs Bunton Seed Burpee Cook’s Garden Corona Seeds DeBruyn Seed Company, Inc. Dege Garden Center Dixondale Farms/The Onion Patch Earl May Seed Early’s Farm & Garden Centre E & R Seed Co El Seed Farmer Seed & Nursery Flower of the Month Club Ferry Morse Fukuda Seed Store Gardens Alive Germania Seed Co Garden Trends, Inc. (d/b/a Harris Seeds) Germania Seed Company Grimes Horticulture H.F. Michell Company HPS Jungs Lindenberg Seeds McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers Meyer Seed Co of Baltimore, Inc. Mountain Valley Seed Ontario Seed
Ornamental Edibles Osborne Otis S. Twilley Seed Co., Inc. Park Seed Park Bulbs Park’s Countryside Garden P. L. Rohrer & Bro., Inc. Pinetree R.H. Shumway Rocky Mountain Seed Co. Roots and Rhizomes Rupp Seeds for the World Seminova Seymour’s Selected Seeds Snow Southern States Cooperative, Incorporated Stokes Spring Hill Nurseries Totally Tomato T&T Seeds Tomato Growers Supply The Page Seed Company The Vermont Bean Seed Company Tomato Growers Supply Company Vesey’s Seeds Vis Seed Company, Inc. Wayside Gardens Willhite Seed Co. William Dam Seeds
SAY NO TO MONSANTO
www.garden-of-eatin.com/how-to-avoid-monsanto For more information check out these articles online: Seminis’ home garden dealer list: www.seminis.com/global/us/products/Pages/Home-Garden.aspx Monsanto Purchases World’s Largest Vegetable Seed Company: www.seedalliance.org/seed_news/seminismonsanto
co-op news
February 2013 6
Cooperative Education for a COOPERATIVE
FUTURE THE WORK
CONTINUES!
BY MARTHA WHITMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS ach monthly board meeting is made up of business sections and an additional study hour. The business portion is the general work of accepting (or not) the general manager’s reports, various meeting minutes, and proposals. The study hour, on the other hand, is the work of exploring the world around us. We often prepare by doing advanced reading, with one board member responsible for guiding the conversation, or we watch videos and invite guest speakers.
E
For December’s study hour we delved into the question, Can New Mexico Feed New Mexicans? To prepare, we read a report by Michael Shuman, the director of research and economic development at the BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies). According to the report New Mexico exports approximately 97% of what we produce; ranging from beef and dairy to cotton, pecans, chile
and onions. Over the centuries our agriculture evolved to a commodities industry and would now require a major shift in our infrastructure to re-focus the goal to New Mexico feeding New Mexicans. There are many compelling reasons to move in that direction and Shuman’s report highlighted various paths to a more sustainable solution for our secured future. Our local foodshed program is one of Shuman’s examples for reaching this goal. For our part the board recognized once again the need for more cooperative education throughout the state, and that government policy will have to shift to better support efforts such as ours. To help persuade public officials and New Mexican communities of the potential and advantage of cooperatives, the board recognizes great value in identifying the multiplier effects of our endeavors as well as of others who are working to strengthen the local economy. The work continues… As always, MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND OUR MEETINGS. Come by at 5:30pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month to the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across Carlisle at Silver near the Nob Hill store.
FEBRUARY
VOLUME DISCOUNT is
month!
Member Appreciation
DISCOUNT DAYS! Watch Your Home Mailbox for your VOLUME DISCOUNT SHOPPING COUPON. Bring it to any Co-op location during the month of February and get up to 20% off one shopping trip at your local community owned Co-op.
The more you SPEND the more you SAVE Up to 20%! CANNOT BE ADDED TO OTHER DISCOUNTS $0.00-$74.99/ Gets 10% • $75-$149.99/ Gets 15% $150 +/ Gets 20% Want to get your volume discount on larger quantities of things? Special order 25-50lb. sacks of bulk items or cases of your favorite products at least one week in advance of the day you would like to shop using your Discount Coupon. Due to high sales during Volume Discount Month we cannot always provide larger quantities without a special order. To place your orders call: Nob Hill, 505-265-4631; Valley, 505-242-8800; Santa Fe, 505-984-2852; Gallup, 505-863-5383.
CO-OP PRINCIPLE
6:
SUPPORTING CO-OPS!
FAMILY FARM SEED CO-OP LUIS SIERRA s people around the country embrace the concept of eating within their foodshed and adopt a farm-to-table attitude, we think more and more about what makes up our foodshed. We have no shortage of commitment and thankfulness for the people who grow our food and passion for the flavor and vitality local foods bring us, but as we work to make our foodshed stronger, more resilient and healthful for producers, environment and consumers, there’s a piece that we overlook: The Seed.
BY
A
Family Farm Seed Co-op came together in 2008 to bring organic seed production back to the hands of organic farmers. Members work at the intersection of organic, heirloom, open pollination, cooperation, and community food security to provide an antidote to the centralized control that corporate interests have over the seed options for farmers and gardeners. The benefits of using FFSC seed for home gardeners are based on the fact that these open pollinated seeds have been grown on organic farms—they’ve been selected to work on land that’s using compost and organic sources of nutrients, they are able to deter or tolerate pest pressure, and they prioritize flavor. Compare this to commercial conventional seed, grown under idealized conditions, getting maximum nutrients through chemical fertilizers, and artificially protected by pesticides. Not the best match for growing organically.
FFSC seeds are based on heirloom, open pollinated varieties, but it still takes skill to continually improve them—better flavor, better germination, and increased pest and disease resistance. The genetic foundations of these varieties can be traced back 150 years or more, but they’re being improved by FFSC farmers every year. And new varieties are save coming out of FFSC members’ your improvements, too—see Uncle David’s Dakota Desert Squash, developed by the Podolls, and Dark Star zucchini squash developed by Bill Reynolds. With later assistance from Organic Seed Alliance, Dark Star has developed into one of the finest open pollinated zucchini seeds available.
seed!
Using the cooperative business model, they’ve created a structure they mutually benefit from—some are breeders who select for traits that work in organic systems; others in turn grow these out for sale. “I’m a better farmer with FFSC than I am alone; I work at a higher capacity, and I’m stronger in the market” says member Woody Derry of his involvement with FFSC. FFSC wants you to save seed, too, to make it better for your foodshed and micro-climate. This is a core principle of the cooperative. You’ll want to come back for FFSC seed to benefit from their improvements, but you’re encouraged to make them your own, too, and make your contribution to food security and seed sovereignty.
L O O K F O R F A M I LY F A R M E R S E E D C O - O P S E E D S AT Y O U R C O - O P
AT T W O A L B U Q U E R Q U E C O - O P S : T H E R E A D T O M E
BOOK DRIVE
M
embers are invited to participate in this year’s Read to Me Book Drive by bringing new and gently used children’s books to any Albuquerque La Montanita Co-op. The Book Drive runs February 15th through March 31. The goal of the Book Drive is to get books into the hands of children in our community whose parents do not have the means to supply books to their children, making it more difficult for them to read to their children. Statistics show that children who are read to at an early age will have an easier time learning to read and will enjoy reading more. We want all of our children to read well and enjoy reading.
Last year, before school was out for the summer, the community collected and distributed some 44,000 new or gently used children’s books. The books were distributed to children through some 90 different schools, preschools and community groups. Last year WE COLLECTED OVER 500 BOOKS. We hope to INCREASE that this year. Please drop your new or gently used children’s books off at in the Read to Me Book Bins at the Nob Hill Co-op and the North Valley Co-op. Thanks for your participation. Any questions, please call Paula at 848-1334.
co-op news
February 2013 7
FIND YOUR HAPPINESS
THE INSIDE
Erwin, Tennessee, is a small town of 4,000 people located in what the locals call the “Valley Beautiful,” about 50 miles from Asheville, North Carolina. I spent two years as store manager of the Whites Fresh Foods grocery store in Erwin. Most small towns have their characters and Erwin was no exception. Ours was Manes Johnson. Manes rode his bicycle to my store almost every day, weather permitting. He would spend hours pushing in carts from the parking lot. He never wanted any money or a job, his only request was for a cup of coffee and piece of apple pie from the deli. To fully appreciate Manes you need to know his story. He was born and raised in Erwin, Tennessee, lived with parents until they passed, then lived with his sister. Manes never had a job, had never driven a car, never been on a date and was only outside Erwin two times in his life. The first time was to have heart surgery at a nearby hospital twenty minutes away. The second time was a trip to the small local airport just to visit. Manes made the trip to the airport ten years before I came to Erwin to work. He would tell of this trip with excitement in his voice and a gleam in his eyes even many years later.
SCOOP
My last Christmas Eve as manager of this store was busy; many customers coming and going, the usual holiday rush that all who have worked in retail experience. Manes had already put in a couple of hours bringing in carts and was sitting on the bench in front of the store drinking his coffee and eating his pie. I was bringing in carts and stopped for a moment to speak with him. I asked him how he was, and he looked up and told he had never been happier. I received an email a few weeks ago from the current store manager there. She told me Manes had passed at 82 but he had continued to ride his bike to the store, bringing in carts and enjoying coffee and apple pie as long as his health had allowed. My wish is that all will find your happiness during 2013. It’s probably not a cup of coffee and a piece of apple pie but whatever it is, I hope we all can take time to enjoy what we have. I will miss my friend but always keep the lesson he taught me in my memory and pull it out on the days when it seems life has presented many challenges. The life lesson Manes shared with me has served me well. -TERRY B
Super Salve COMPANY
MID-WINTER SKIN CARE BY DENISE TRACY was introduced to the plant world at the age of ten by my mother, Phyllis Hogan, noted ethnobotantist. She would take my sister and I to the Gila River outside of Coolidge, Arizona, where we would search for medicinal plants. I remember that my favorite medicinal plant was Canegre because it grew in deep, sandy soil and had giant tubers like a sweet potato. During childhood, I also spent a great deal of time visiting the Hopi and Navajo Reservations with my family. I especially liked going out with the Grandmothers to herd sheep and look for dye plants for their beautiful Navajo rugs. On the Hopi mesas, I attended Kachina dances and learned about plants used in basket making.
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February Calendar
of Events FEBRUARY is Volume Discount SHOPPING MONTH! See page 8! THE MORE YOU SHOP THE MORE YOU SAVE! 2/15-16 N.M. Farming Conference 2/16 Co-opROCKS! Youth event 2/19 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm Veteran Farming Project CLASSES EVERY THURSDAY! See the schedule on page 2.
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.
FRESH DELICIOUS ORGANIC The CO-OP Foodshed P roject: Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in FRESH, FAIR AND LOCAL FOOD.
In 1990 my late husband Randy Fabreze, a Grand Canyon river guide, asked me to formulate a salve to heal the debilitating foot fungus that affected crew and passengers on extended river trips. The results were amazing and the Super Salve Company was born. The Super Salve company has grown over the years, but I still use only responsible sources of organically farmed herbs, oils, essential oils, butters and waxes. The Super Salve Company's goal is to produce the highest quality products with the finest ingredients at a reasonable price, using only recyclable, earth-friendly packaging. The Super Salve Company products are manufactured and packaged by our staff near the ghost town of Mogollon, New Mexico; this ensures the highest degree of quality control.
HEALING herbs
At nineteen, I apprenticed with my Mother in her herb store, the Winter Sun Trading Company, Inc., (an herb store and art gallery now in business for over 30 years) located in Flagstaff, Arizona. Working in the shop with her, I would hear the people come in and describe their problems. I listened carefully as she recommended herbs or the customers requested them. More and more, she trusted me to prepare mixtures for people. After three years I felt I was ready to attend Michael Moore's Southwest School of Botanical Medicine and graduate, in 1988 as a Clinical Herbologist.
Though our original Super Salve remains one of our best selling products, we have expanded our product line over the years to include lip balms, body butters, creams and more. Look for a wide variety of our products at all Co-op locations, including Mimosa Blossom Face Cream, Coconut Body Cream, Sierra Madra Sun Screen, Calendula Salve, and more.
THE CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER BRINGS YOU
MAPLE VALLEY Oh, the sweetness...
O
Appalachian region of the United States with a maple processing plant in Cashton, Wisconsin. We believe in family-scale farming, fair wages for producers and employees, transparency, accountability and sustainable fair business practices.
ne of the co-op principles is supporting other cooperative businesses. La Montanita and our Co-op DisThe Maple Co-op tribution Center have recently partMAPLE “In 2007 we created a co-op with four classnered with Maple Valley, a cooperative VALLEY es of membership: Producers, Customers, maple products company based in Investors and Employees, representing all of Cashton, Wisconsin. La Montanita will our stakeholders as a way to leverage the carry their grade B maple syrup and strength of our producer base, our outstandmaple candy. In addition to being a ing employee knowledge and our strong cuscooperative, Maple Valley prides itself tomer following, and to represent investors on its sustainable and fair trade busiwho believe in cooperatives as a socially ness practices. You can find these sweet responsible investment vehicle. treats on special at our stores in the month of February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. “We select those maple producers who pay great attention to the fine science of making maple syrup. When In the producer’s own words … Mother Nature says it’s time to let the sap flow, a pro“Maple Valley, a pioneer in organic and fair practices for ducer may spend weeks nonstop collecting, dumping, maple production, became a cooperative in 2007 and filtering and boiling the sap, measuring brix (sugar) continues to produce 100% pure and organic maple content, rotating pans, checking and double checking products. This means not only offering a non-artificial, temperature, draining off different grades, cleaning additive and preservative free product with NO equipment, packaging syrup into containers, and many FORMALDEHYDE, but also bringing you a socially other tasks!” responsible commodity. “Great effort has gone into selecting responsible, organically certified woodland farmers whose standards represent stewardship to the environment and our planet. Our farmer base encompasses the Great Lakes and the
Look for Maple Valley Co-op maple products at all La Montanita Co-op locations.
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 L o c a l l y P ro g ra m m e d a n d Wo m a n - O w n e d .
february is!
volume
discount month
SAVE UP TO
20%
shop & save
THE MORE YOU SPEND THE GREATER THE DISCOUNT.
S P E N D...
$0.00 - $74.99 and receive a 10% Discount $75.00 - $174.99 and receive a 15% Discount $175 + and receive a 20% Discount The Volume Discount cannot be added to any other membership participation discount, special order discount, or any other discount. Your membership must be current to take advantage of this discount.
LOCAL KYZER FARM, ABQ, NEW MEXICO
The Kyzer Family has been raising livestock in New Mexico since 1970 and heirloom pigs since ‘97. Our animals stay on the farm from birth to market and the exceptional flavor comes from raising them in an old world style with a vegetarian diet.
GROWN
JUST FOR YOU!
Kyzer Farm, knows that slow, natural growth produces solid, quality meat. The animals raised at Kyzer Farm are gentle and contented. There are no hormones or chemicals used on our farm, and our livestock are grain-fed, supplemented with local vegetables and, occasionally, whey.
You can tell the difference!
FOX DEN FARM, OLATHE, COLORADO Fox Den Farm is tucked below the San Juan Mountains in western Colorado. The cool nights and bright, sunny days provide an ideal climate for growing dry beans and other crops. In producing premium organic pinto beans, 100% of Fox Den Farm’s electricity comes from solar power. Growing in harmony with nature helps save habitat for numerous song birds, deer, and one very active fox den!
Fox Den Farm specializing in Certified Organic Sunflowers & Pinto Beans!
FRESH
JUST FOR YOU!
food for
love
COOKING with your whole heart
INTRODUCTION BY HEATHER MCGINN RECIPES BY SOFIA ELEFTHERIOU
A
ptly described by one commenter on her blog as a culinary siren, Sofia has a magical power that can take away your fear of baking. She connects people and creates community with her cooking and intuitively understands that the culinary language is one that everyone speaks; that no matter how different we are, we can all meet in that place on our tongues where the salty and the sweet intermingle, where something familiar and something new coexists. Recognizing that the kitchen is the room where people naturally gravitate, she has over the years converted nearly all useable square feet of her house to kitchen. You walk through the front door, you see kitchen. You walk through the back door, kitchen again. You peek out of the bathroom, hallway actually, but you get the idea. To drop by her house unexpectedly is to find her with various visitors experimenting with a new recipe. Her kitchen is a place where you can get arms-length deep in sausage casing with someone you’ve just meet.
February 2013 10
Sofia’s passion for food is rooted in family tradition. She grew up in Corrales where her uncle grows organic produce and her mother heads a thriving raspberry jam business. Her brothers have both pursued culinary careers at one time or another. Her relationship to good food and good people making good food has traveled with her throughout her life. This tradition she continues and continues to adapt in her own way. Her grounded culinary background does not constrain her because she knows that to live and cook with your whole heart means that you often take risks, braving and changing recipes that would make seasoned bakers shutter. To follow her future adventures, from sausage parties to fine art and beyond, visit her blog at www.sofiaeleftheriou.com. Easy Whole Roast Chicken This is quickly becoming one of my favorite recipes because not only is it so simple to make, but the end product is delicious. The meat from this chicken, whether you like the dark or the light, is moist and flavorful. One of the best parts about cooking a whole chicken is the chicken stock that you can make from the carcass once you have enjoyed all the tasty meat!
en along with fresh ground pepper and plenty of salt. You can season it however you want at this point, sometimes I will sprinkle oregano and squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the chicken.
a great compliment to this stew, in true Russian style!
Tie the legs together with a bit of twine; I recently discovered a twisted up paper towel can work in a pinch. Put the chicken in the oven uncovered. It’s a good idea to put a cookie sheet under the pan to catch any fat that might drip and cause a smoky kitchen next time you bake. That’s it! Now all you have to do is wait. Cook the chicken for about an hour, depending on its size. The internal temperature should be 150165°F, but checking to see if there is any pink left is a fine indicator too.
I have the good fortune of having a mother who not only grows organic raspberries but also produces the most delicious raspberry jam in the world! No joke. Her jam, Heidi’s Raspberry Jam, can be found at the Co-op. It seems like every time I make a dessert I manage to include her jam, either as a filling or an ingredient.
Borscht (Russian Beet Stew) Though it is made of the best of winter root vegetables, the sweetness in this soup is reminiscent of summer. This time of year anything to remind me that spring is around the corner is welcome in my kitchen. 1 cup carrots shredded 1 cup onions shredded 4 beets (2 cups) chopped or shredded, just depends on how you want your stew 1/2 head cabbage finely chopped 2 tablespoons butter
1 whole chicken 4-5 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper, any other seasonings you desire
2 or 3 cups stock, I use chicken though beef is more traditional 1 tablespoon vinegar Shredded cucumber and Greek yogurt for a topping
Preheat the oven to 425-450°F. Wash the chicken to take the chill off, make sure to pat it dry as any water can dry the meat out. Put the chicken in a heavy skillet breast side up. I use a cast iron pan, but any oven-safe frying pan will work. Rub a few tablespoons of olive oil onto the chick-
Put the carrots, onions, beets and stock in a soup pot, simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage, butter and vinegar and simmer for another 15. Borscht is best if it sits for 30 minutes before you eat it. Reheat and top each bowl with shredded cucumbers and Greek yogurt. If you are drinking, beer is
Almond Shortbread Raspberry Linzer Torte Cookies
I do love a simple recipe, but every once and awhile a little extra labor is worth having a beautiful dessert. The assembly on these cookies takes a little more time, but they are delicious and beautiful. 1 cup cold unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 4 ounces finely ground almonds (blanched or without skin) Heidi’s Raspberry Jam 1/4 cup powdered sugar Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a mixer combine the butter, sugar and salt. Mix for a couple minutes until it is combined. Add the flour and almonds, mix on low speed for a few minutes until everything is combined, but don’t over mix it. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed. Roll the dough out 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick on a sheet of parchment or a slip mat. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out an even number of cookies, so you can make sandwiches. If you want the traditional window look, use a very small cookie cutter and cut a shape in the center of half of the cookies, leaving a nice wide border. Put them all on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 30 minutes or until they are golden on the bottom. Let cool before assembling.
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Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar using a sifter or fine sieve. Put a small dollop of jam in the center of each whole cookie and sandwich the two parts together. I love these cookies best on the second day when the jam has softened the shortbread. Smashed Potatoes The best potato recipes usually include cooking them twice, something about this process brings the yummy out of a potato. This is one of those recipes. Not to be confused with mashed potatoes, these are delicious crunchy little potatoes that are a handsome side to any dish. You won’t be able to resist picking them up and eating them with your fingers. 1 1/2 lbs of fingerling or any other small round potatoes 1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped thyme 1 teaspoon fresh finely chopped rosemary Olive oil Salt In a pot, cover the whole potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they are soft, about 15 minutes (more or less depending on their size). You want them soft enough to be able to smash, but don’t cook them so much that they will turn to mush. Drain, pat dry with a towel and let them cool a little so they are easier to handle. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper, brush a little olive oil on the parchment. Now is the time for smashing! You want to flatten each potato into a disk on the cookie sheet. You can cover the heel of your hand with a dish towel and smash each potato, or simply use the bottom of a glass or a jar. Spread them evenly on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt, thyme and rosemary. Drizzle enough oil to cover each one but not so much that it pools up. Cook for about 45 minutes, until they are crunchy around the edges. I take them out halfway through and flip each potato with a spatula and if they need it add a little more salt and olive oil. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread When we were kids Nutella was a treat my brothers and I coveted. Though you can get it almost anywhere now, back then it was something that was only brought back from Europe or found in specialty stores. This homemade version is pretty simple and easily rivals anything off the shelf.
February 2013 11
you’ll want to remove as much as possible, though they won’t all come off. Put all of the nuts into a food processor with a blade. First they will be coarsely chopped, and then they will turn to a thick chunky consistency and even form a ball around the blade. All may seem hopeless, but keep going. Suddenly they will go almost liquid! Scrape down the bowl a few times during this process. Add the sugar and cocoa. Taste as you go—you may like it more or less sweet. The heat from processing is keeping the spread liquid, so you’ll need to add the oil at this point. The spread will stay good in a jar in the fridge for one or two months, though I’ve never witnessed it lasting that long. Valentine’s Day February is marked with Valentine’s Day. Whether or not you subscribe to this holiday, it is a great opportunity to stay in and cook with friends or a lover. So while you can take the recipes I’ve included and create a beautiful meal, there is an endless variety of food that can be crafted to celebrate all types of love. I took a poll to see what foods people consider sexy; I was flooded with messages of sensual food. Here are some of my favorites and the ones that were named over and over. Foods to stimulate: dark chocolate with red chili, Chocolove because what says I love you more than cheesy poetry and chocolate, oysters on the half shell, asparagus and almonds for their said aphrodisiac ways. For their feminine shapes: oven roasted pears, butternut squash, tortellini (shaped with the navel in mind), Thai food for the fresh orchid, figs, eggplant, need I go on? Anything satiny that covers your tongue with a velvety feel: chocolate mousse, anything with pastry cream (éclairs, tiramisu), panna cotta, eggs in purgatory. Because they are fun to feed each other: grapes, cherries, spaghetti and meatballs, fondue, honey, not necessarily in that order. Food is at the heart of everything, apparently even love; there wasn’t a type of food that was left off the list. My friend and local foodologist Greg Gould put it best by pointing out that everybody has their own distinctive foods that contribute to well being, to feeling sexy, to feeling naughty, to feeling amorous. It's up to individuals to determine what works for them. Whether it is a steak dinner or strawberries and whipped cream, what makes you feel loved is the food you should create and share with the people in your life .
FOOD for
1/2 pound raw hazelnuts 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 cup safflower oil 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
LOVE !
Spread the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and roast in an oven at 350°F 15-20 minutes, until the meat is brown and the skins almost look burnt. To remove the skins rub the hazelnuts between two kitchen towels. The skins can be bitter so
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heart health
month
food for
LOVE
ROBIN SEYDEL he intricacies of a healthy heart have as much to do with giving and receiving love as with unclogged arteries and a good, strong, steady beat. For eons, in cultures around the planet, certain foods and herbs have been linked to love and procreation. And while science is catching up with folklore in explaining why certain things work, the magical chemistry of love still regularly confounds our rational, logical thoughts. It remains clear, that, to paraphrase the old song, “what the world needs now, is love, sweet love,” for it truly may be one of the things in our materialist culture that there “is just too little of.”
BY
T
Food has been used forever to create an atmosphere of romance. The old saying, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” and the prevalence of the “romantic candlelit dinner for two,” have long been held as truisms. In ancient times a distinction was made between foods and herbs that increased fertility or that only increased libido. Good nutrition was deemed as important then as now, and foods considered aphrodisiacs were documented by Pliny, Dioscordes, early Hindu, Islamic, Chinese and Aztec writers. Mucho Minerals Both garlic and onions are mentioned in the ancient literature. Garlic’s heat was thought to stir sexual desires, and today we know its high sulfur content is linked to the healthy production of numerous enzymes and hormones in the body. One caveat here is to be sure both partners eat of it at the same time. Oysters have a solid reputation with documented uses by Juvenal in the 2nd century AD. What we know today is that they are high in zinc, which among other benefits, like fighting off a cold and sore throat, has been shown by modern science to increase the production of testosterone, is important in healthy prostate gland function and is integral in the production of vaginal lubricant (menopausal women take note). Here in landlocked New Mexico, where oysters are an expensive rarity, other high zinc foods include nutritional yeast, egg yolks, poultry and seafood, sardines, lima beans, whole grains, pecans, mushrooms, pinenuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and soy beans and soy lecithin. Nuts and seeds have been a symbol of fertility throughout the ages. One of the most common is the almond, whose aroma was thought to induce passion in women. Aniseed was a popular aphrodisiac among Greeks and Romans who believed that sucking on the seeds increased desire. Pinenuts have been noted in Asia for their strong aphrodisiac quality for over 2,000 years. Here again, modern research points to an abundance of zinc. Ginkgo is another ancient Chinese remedy that improves circulation throughout the central nervous system, the brain as well as peripheral circulation. Chinese medicine uses the ginkgo seed to treat vaginal discharge, weak bladder and
PLANTS ARE OUR ALLIES
MATTERS OF THE HEART:
HA WTHORN
BY JESSE
EMERSON ebruary is the month when we think of love and the heart. I believe in thinking about the heart every month and am excited that this month the heart has a special focus in the larger society. Here again we can recognize that plants are our friends on the road to balanced health.
F
Hawthorn, crataegus oxyacantha, immediately comes to mind when thinking about plants that support our heart and circulatory system.
MATTERS OF THE
H E A RT
incontinence. Although walnuts have had the reputation of improving fertility since Roman times, no scientific proof supports this theory. Many medicines in ancient Egypt were based on honey, including cures for sterility and impotence. During medieval days lovers plied their partners with mead, a fermented honey drink, which was also drunk during weddings and on the “honeymoon” to sweeten the marriage. Peel Me a Grape Asparagus and bananas both have achieved mythic aphrodisiac proportions, in both cases due to their phallic shape. In the case of asparagus the Vegetarian Society recommends eating asparagus for three days for the most powerful effect. In the case of bananas, their flower has a beautiful phallic shape but more practically they are rich in potassium and B vitamins, necessities for sex hormone production. The Aztecs called the avocado tree “Ahuacuatl,” which some translate to “testicle tree” as the avocados hang in pairs on the tree; to the Aztecs the fruit resembled male testicles. The avocado’s smooth sensuous fruit is high in amino acids and essential fatty acids, both necessary to hormone health. Figs, served in Italy in a cool bowl of water, are thought to be a sexual stimulant, and to emulate the female sex organs. Pineapples are rich in Vitamin C and used in homeopathic remedies for impotence. Mae West’s famous line, “Peel me a grape,” has defined grapes and wine as one of the most recognized aphrodisiacs dating back at least to the Greek romantics. Raspberries and strawberries (aka, nipple fruit) add vitamin C and added to champagne (or fed to one another) are often the fruit of choice for a romantic evening. The Spice of Life It just might be the aromas of all that great food that touches the heart. Research from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago reported in 1998 that smell is a sure fire means to create desire. Our sense of smell is linked, along with our sexual instincts, to the primal “old brain” part of our brain; the limbic center. The research showed lavender, licorice and pumpkin pie spices—nutmeg, ginger, clove
February 2013 12
and cinnamon—all increased genital blood flow in men. All are spicy warming scents with energizing properties. Animals, insects and humans all use pheromones to attract mates. Scent is a simple way to set the mood; why not use essential oils rather than chemical perfumes and aftershave products, which can trigger allergies and when concocted with persistent organic pollutants (POPs), as many of them are, cause lowered sperm counts over a long period of time. Essential oils that have a long history of use as aprodisiacs include coriander, dating back to ancient Egypt with its light sweet edge or cardamom with its floral undertone. Use spices in cooking, in aromatherapy or on your skin. Other well known aphrodisiac scents include jasmine, ylang ylang, sweet orange or clary sage. Both neroli and rose have scents and effects that go deep, harmonizing, comforting and are believed to aid in creating stronger emotional sexual connections. Herbs Probably the most popular herbal aphrodisiac is damiana, which increases circulation, and contains testosterone-like alkaloids that act as a nerve stimulant for the sex organs, is a mild stimulant and antidepressant acting to lower inhibitions. Probably one of the safest and most sure ways to improve your love life is with green wild oats, or oat tops (avena sativa). Oats help release testosterone that has become bound to other compounds in the body. Unbound testosterone better stimulates centers in the brain that support sex drive and sexual activities. Research by the Institute of Advanced Study of Human Sexuality showed that 50% of women taking avena sativa experienced increased production of vaginal lubrication and experienced more orgasms. While yohimbe is one of the most popular herbs used, it can cause severe nausea and should not be used by anyone with heart problems, kidney trouble, low blood pressure, diabetes, or allergies, nor by pregnant woman or elders. Also it should not be taken with the amino acid tyramine, found in cheese, liver, red wine and a number of over the counter remedies, prescription drugs or alcohol. The FDA has approved yohimbe as a treatment for impotence but because of it’s many side affects, it is not widely used or recommended.
the magical chemistry of LOVE
antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are free radical scavengers. Free radicals come at us from many directions: naturally occurring in body, radiation, UV rays, cigarette smoke, air pollution, pollution in soil and water, chemicals in the environment, in our food and in our healthcare and beauty products. They contribute to the aging process and the development of many health problems, including heart disease.
Our European cousins have used it as a heart tonic for centuries. The Germans also used this thorny plant as a hedge separating their individual fields. “Hagedorn,” or hawthorn, with its sharp thorns did make an effective barrier to unwanted field guests. When it is in bloom in May, Two medical professionals, Dr. st rengthen its attractive flowers will pull you Andrew Weil and his colleague Dr. your toward it, only to have you exclaim, Tieraona Low Dog, at the Uni"Phew! What is that rotting smell?" versity of Arizona, concur that The pretty white flowers that grow in hawthorn can be taken long term clusters are pollinated mainly by carwithout adverse effects. However, if taken in large rion insects whom are drawn by the decaying odor, amounts or if a person has a low pulse or is on to them a delightful fragrance. digoxin, a former plant medicine that slows and
HEART
If you are hiking along rocky streams or in moist canyons in May, you cannot miss this plant as they grow in stands or close community. The white flowers are a standout against the fresh bright green leaves of spring. A grouping in your natural yard would provide spring beauty, bright red berries late summer/fall and be food for both birds and yourself. The flowers, leaves and berries contain B-complex, many minerals including magnesium, amino acids, essential fatty acids (known to nourish and protect the heart) as well as being high in vitamin C. For centuries in Europe, hawthorn has been widely used as a safe and effective remedy for the early stages of heart disease. It has a tonic effect on the heart and vascular system, lowers cholesterol and aids digestion. Another well documented action is its
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strengthens the heart, they should take hawthorn only under medical supervision. Making hawthorn part of your healthy body and mind program is a great idea. Make this tea twice a week for its antioxidant and heart tonic actions. It is a lovely warming tea for chilly mornings. 1. Mix together 1 cup hawthorn berries or flowers and leaves, with 1 cup rosehips. 2. Add 2 cups of water and gently simmer covered for 10-15 minutes. 3. Add 1-2 tsps. of cinnamon, let steep 5-10 minutes, add a natural sweetener to taste, and enjoy. Just think; this tea has more vitamin C than an orange!
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sustainable
living
the great diaper
D E B AT E ! CLOTH, DISPOSABLE GOING GREENER
OR
???
BY AMYLEE UDELL n parenting circles, the diaper debate has always existed. Today's choices are typically disposable, cloth or "better disposables," made without chemicals or bleaching. Even in the desert with its water needs, cloth is hands-down the best choice in terms of environmental and financial cost. But what about going even GREENER? What if you didn't need diapers at ALL? Sound impossible? Plain crazy? That was my initial thought until I remembered back to my trip to China. I remembered that babies and toddlers wore pants with holes in them. You could see bare bottoms as they were carried or toddled around. There were NO diapers, cloth or disposable. I didn't pay too much attention to the HOWS of this type of non-diapering. But just remembering that millions of people raise their children diaper-free was enough for me to realize it could be a real option.
February 2013 13
EC is a way to meet the baby’s needs and ENHANCE ATTACHMENT AND COMMUNICATION between baby and parents.
Q: Were there any unexpected benefits? A: I was surprised at how aware my infant was of her own elimination and how she was able to take responsibility of it from very early on. I found it really gave us an opportunity to bond and that was something that I hadn't expected. Q: What is your takeaway sentiment for any parent considering this? A: EC may seem daunting when you first think about it. It is so important to remember that it is not about potty training but about your little one becoming familiar with his or her own elimination and you learning to read the cues. It is about giving your children the option to eliminate somewhere besides their diaper, always remembering that it is the child’s choice. And keep in mind there is NO ONE RIGHT WAY!
I
This option is gaining popularity in the U.S. It's called Elimination Communication (EC) or sometimes Natural Infant Hygiene. It's basically allowing your infant the opportunity to eliminate some place besides a diaper. Parents observe their baby's timing, signs and signals to know when to expect elimination; give cue sounds during elimination; then use their experience and intuition to improve their ability to "catch" the eliminations. This can be done with or without diapers, some or all of the time. While I realized it was very real and possible, I didn't think I could do it. I thought it would be tricky and I thought it could only work with only children. Because how could anyone be able to be so constantly vigilant in watching for super-subtle cues as to when a baby would eliminate? Enter Nicole Dodson-Sands, owner of Travelin' Tots, who teaches an EC class locally. She now has five children. There went my only-child theory. I took an opportunity to chat with Nicole and find out how else my thinking on EC might expand. Q: Why would anyone want to "EC?" A: EC can be helpful in eliminating diaper rashes, discomfort, yeast, and many other issues. It helps children be more aware of their elimination, avoiding the common potty training battle that many face in the toddler years.
I found a list of “75 Benefits of Elimination Communication” at diaperfreebaby.org. They range from baby's skin health, emotional health, the environment, financial cost, convenience and bonding. Q: And why did YOU decide to EC? A: My third child had a lot of constipation issues and it was so obvious when he was having a bowel movement that I started holding him over the toilet. It went so well that I started reading more about it and realized that what I was doing had a name. When my 4th child was born I decided to start EC from the beginning and see how it went. We continued, as it helped so much to eliminate her diaper rash and yeast infections. Q: What was hardest? A: At first I found it very difficult to have so many "misses." I would count them and became frustrated. Things got much easier when I let go of that and was just appreciative that every "catch" was one that my baby didn't have to sit in.
I really like what Ingrid Bauer, author of Diaper Free! The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene, says. “EC is not a form of ‘training,’ but a way to meet the baby's immediate needs, whereby also enhancing attachment and communication in general. In that sense, EC is often likened to breastfeeding." If you'd like to learn more, join Nicole DodsonSands for her EC class on February 24. Bring your baby and try it while there! Learn more and register at www.InspiredABQ.com.
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winter
eating
STEAMING COMFORT
Vietnamese comfort food
ARI LEVAUX ho, a brothy Vietnamese rice noodle and beef soup, is usually mispronounced "faux." It's more like "fuuh," as if you were about to say a bad word and then realized you were in mixed company. However you pronounce it, this addictive bowl of steaming comfort food is grabbing the world by the bowls.
FOOD!
go straight for the pho—either classic beef, which can include tripe, tendon, meatballs, and slices of raw, tender steak that cook in your bowl at the table—or one of many similar soups that feature chicken, seafood, pork, duck, or vegetables.
BY
P
Pho is widely assumed to be a twist on the French feu, meaning fire—as in pot-au-feu, or "pot on the fire," a soup that influenced pho during France's colonization of Vietnam. It could also be derived from the Chinese "fun," meaning noodle.
Here's a basic recipe for a traditional pho of beef flank (or some other tough cut.) Those who want different meats or vegetarian options can modify; daikon is often used to make vegetarian pho broth.
MAKING
PHO at home
Either way, pho has good etymology. The benefits of fun are self explanatory, while its fiery nature makes pho ideal summertime food because it makes you sweat, which cools you down. The same warming effect is welcome in winter, too. Or when it's raining; or at night, or in the morning!
And for lunch, when you can't decide between soup, salad, and pasta, you can choose pho, and get it all in the same bowl. A defining characteristic of the modern, global pho-nomenon is the fragrant and often whopping side salads with which pho is served. These salads usually consist of a pile of bean sprouts, topped with one or more varieties of basil, and typically cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced jalapenos. You might also find minced garlic, chopped scallions, and an obscure southeast-Asian herb called razor leaf. Some purists from northern Vietnam, the birthplace of pho, consider the salad-in-your-soup thing something of a pho pas, since the practice was introduced when the dish migrated south. Another post-Hanoi improvement has been a growing body of condiments like hoisin sauce, spicy vinegar, chili sauce, chili powder, and fish sauce, all of which are served in a table-top condiment caddy alongside soup and salad. After pupating in Saigon for a spell, pho spread to nearby countries like Thailand where it's called guoi tiao, or "noodle soup." From there, it migrated with the Vietnamese diaspora, incorporating local ingredients wherever it landed—most notably the jalapeno pepper in North America. Many American pho houses, aka Vietnamese restaurants, have also latched onto Western humor, with names like "Pho King" and "What the Pho?" (proper pronunciation required for full comedic effect).
Parboil some beef bones for 10 minutes to release a shocking amount of scum and particles, then dump that water, rinse the bones in hot water and put them back in the pot in 6 quarts of clean water. We're going for a clear, subtle broth here. Venison bones make great broth, too. I like to oven roast the bones before adding them to the pot, which adds a level of richness and reduces the need for scum removal. Bring the water and bones to a simmer and turn the heat to the lowest setting. Add 8 star anise pods (either whole or in pieces), 1 tablespoon cardamom pods, a three-inch cinnamon stick, six cloves, 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, a half-cup of sugar (optional, but typical), and 1 pound of tough red meat cut into 2-inch chunks. Ideally, isolate the cloves, anise, and cardamom in cheesecloth or a food-safe mesh bag so they can be easily removed— one inadvertently chewed anise pod can overpower an otherwise splendid, nuanced mouthful.
February 2013 14
Next, slowly cook two medium yellow onions, sliced in half, and a 4-inch piece of ginger, sliced lengthwise, over a flame or in a dry pan, until charred, blistered and fragrant. Add them to the stock. When the meat is falling-apart tender—a matter of hours, depending on the cut of meat—remove the chunks with a slotted spoon, disturbing the broth as little as possible so it will remain clear (don't ever stir it.) Altogether the stock should simmer for at least three hours, with fat being carefully skimmed as it simmers—or make the broth a day before serving and cool it in the fridge, which will cause the fat to solidify for easy removal. Blanch some rice noodles for 20 seconds in boiling water. Rinse them in cold water to remove the starch, drain, and set aside. The noodles should be just a little soft, like an undercooked al dente. Assemble side salads on a plate, and make sure your condiments are in place, including hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and a red chili sauce such as the ubiquitous Sriracha. Place noodles in bowls, but not too many, as they will absorb broth; about a third of a bowl of noodles is good. Add a chopped scallion and some cubes of meat to each bowl atop the noodles, along with a shake or grind of black pepper and a tablespoon of soy sauce. Ladle hot broth into the bowls and serve. To eat, start by tearing off the herb leaves and adding them to your bowl along with a handful of sprouts and as many jalapeno slices as you dare—piquant heat being an essential part of the soup's warming effect, and you don't need to actually eat the jalapeno for it to soak into the soup. Adjust the flavor to your liking with condiments. If you did it right, you'll need a handkerchief on hand—or plenty of napkins—as you sip and sweat your way through the bowl. Whether it gives you a wintertime running nose or summertime sweats, pho is a fiery and fun phorce to be reckoned with.
These restaurants generally have large menus featuring a bewildering array of dishes, some of which will be dead-ends. So unless you're experienced,
Getting Comfortable
WITH
C R E AT I V I T Y
Kitchen PRACTICE BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER
A
The point of the game wasn’t to make something delicious—often the opposite was our aim—but rather to get comfortable with kitchen tools and to get creative with what was in the cupboard. While today I would be less inclined to mix something up for the sole purpose of grossing out my brother, I believe there was something fundamental about this game that gave me a foundation for a creative practice in the kitchen.
s a kid, one of my favorite games was called Concoction. To play this game, my best friend and I would be given an array of CONCOCT odds and ends from the pantry, several mixing bowls, When the weather is cold and the days SOMETHING measuring cups and spoons, whisks and spatulas, and still are not quite long enough to warrant free reign of the kitchen table. We would carefully evenings outside, I look for excuses to fire measure out and mix up magic potions that usually up the stove. Further, it’s a time when I ended up smelling like marshmallow pickle with a dash of cumin. like to go through my cupboards to see what I’ve got, see if I can’t get creative with the eclectic ingredients there, and clean out some of the odds and ends I find. How can I use the last of the summer’s pickles and canned tomatoes? What else goes with pintos or quinoa? What can I make with the last few tablespoons of cacao? My deeply rooted practice of kitchen experimentation kicks in and often I’m amazed with what comes together.
DELICIOUS
While not everyone is so comfortable throwing unusual ingredients together to see what emerges, early spring can be a great time to give it a try. Cleaning the cupboards is therapeutic. If what you make turns out to taste terrible, perhaps you learn something from the process, or at least have a good laugh. If it turns out to be delicious, now you have a new recipe to share and show off.
Most activities, if we don’t do them often, feel arduous the first few times. Think about getting back into an exercise routine, reading regularly, dancing, singing, playing music—all can be challenging when you’re out of practice, but can be fun, rewarding, and enlightening when you get in the swing of things. Cooking from scratch, and experimenting in the kitchen are no different. Trying new things in the kitchen can be intimidating, but with practice can get easier. If you don’t cook very often, consider making it a routine to prepare a recipe once a week. Pick something with fewer than 5 ingredients that has a short prep time. Getting in the practice of cooking for yourself or your family will get easier the more you do it. Further, you’ll discover recipes that you love and can begin to make from memory and with confidence. If you do cook often, but usually work from a recipe, consider making something once a week and commit to swapping out an ingredient or two. If a recipe calls for Swiss cheese, try cheddar; if it calls for pecans, try walnuts, almonds or pistachios. Start simply, then get more ambitious. These little substitutions often lead to something delicious, or give you valuable information about why a particular ingredient is so important in a recipe. Once you begin to experiment, you will have a richer understanding of how certain types of foods work or don’t work together. This will allow you to expand your kitchen experimentation and to craft your own recipes. So empty the cupboard, pull out those items you rarely use, and concoct something delicious, interesting, or at the very least, informative.
E M P T Y YOUR
DON’T MISS Rooted Lands! SCREENING Feb. 27 Held at the Farmers’ Market Railyard Pavillion, the films begin at 7pm on one Wednesday night a month from February thru May. FEBRUARY 27: ROOTED LANDS explores the citizen grassroots movement against gas and oil development tactics that include fracking and dramatic waste products. As mineral leases are bought by oil and gas speculators in rural counties like Mora and San Miguel, NM citizens are learning they must stand up to protect land and culture from suffering the Four Corners fate. For more information about the film series or sponsorship opportunities, contact Joanne Smogor at 303-895-5367 or joanne@farmersmarketinstitute.org.
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CARBON ECONOMY
series
GARY LISS AND IGINIA BOCCALANDRO arbage is manmade and stems from a design flaw. There are no dumps or incinerators in nature. The waste of one species becomes food or habitat for another species. Manmade waste is not only ugly, hazardous, smelly and unsightly but it is costly to the bottom line, people and the environment. One job at the landfill translates into four jobs when the same waste is recycled, 16 jobs if it is reused and over 270 jobs if what we call “waste” is redesigned and becomes a revenue stream.
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There are many “Cool Cities,” “Green Cities” and other sustainability programs developing now for local governmental participation. Over 900 communities worldwide are part of the ICLEI network of Local Governments for Sustainability. ICLEI in the United States is working with over 400 communities to
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ZERO WASTE COMMUNITIES Local governments around the world are embracing Zero Waste as a key tool for them to meet their goals for addressing climate change. The Zero Waste International Alliance has developed a list of these communities. Over two-thirds of New Zealand communities have adopted Zero Waste as a goal, and New Zealand is the first country on Earth to have adopted Zero Waste as a goal nationally. Large urban communities and small rural communities alike have adopted Zero Waste as a goal and are working to achieve that goal. In the U.S., California was the first state to adopt Zero Waste as 1 of 8 goals in the 2001 Strategic Plan of the CA Integrated Waste Management Board. As a result of that strong state support, over 20 communities in California have adopted Zero Waste as a goal, and most of them are working to develop and implement plans to reach that goal. The links between Zero Waste and climate change are significant. Solid wastes that are buried in landfills create methane gas in the anaerobic conditions of the landfill. Methane gas is 21 times as potent as carbon dioxide in changing the planet’s climate. And for every ton of waste that reaches municipal landfills, 71 tons have been created “upstream” from mining, manufacturing and distribution. Using the U.S. EPA WARM Model to calculate the effect of recycling and composting all the materials currently discarded in California, the Recyclers Global Warming Council calculated that it would be the equivalent of taking all the cars off the road in California. Therefore, it’s key to climate change to keep all organics out of landfills. In fact, Zero Waste or dramatically reduced local waste is one of the single most effective ways that local government can immediately address climate change.
Reducing waste is the SINGLE most effective way local government can immediately address climate change. address their solid waste issues as part of their sustainability planning. However, the only local sustainability program that has adopted Zero Waste as a goal so far is the United Nations Sponsored Urban Environmental Accords, which has been adopted by over 100 cities worldwide. ZERI trained System Designer Gary Liss & Associates (GLA) is working with many communities to develop plans for Zero Waste. ZERI stands for the Zero Emissions Research Initiative that was started by Gunter Pauli. Author of the book The Blue Economy, Pauli published the book with the twin aims of stimulating entrepreneurship while setting up new and higher standards towards sustainability. The Zero Waste International Alliance definition of Zero Waste is: “Zero Waste is a goal that is both pragmatic and visionary, to guide people to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes
to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.” GLA works with the community to involve all aspects of the public in developing ideas for what is needed to move forward to Zero Waste. Public participation processes have included Zero Waste Task Forces, public meetings, focus groups, individual interviews with stakeholders, house parties, residential and business surveys, service provider surveys, and media outreach. Communities including Los Angeles and Austin have issued a Zero Waste Challenge asking that everyone at home, school, work or their house of worship adopt Zero Waste as a goal, and begin working towards that goal. This generates its own creative energy that encourages everyone in the community to get involved. Communities can then establish short-term and long-term Zero Waste goals and a timetable to achieve those goals, usually timed to coincide with the end of existing contracts or life of existing facilities, so that the goals leverage real-world issues in the community to support this significant change. Samples of Zero Waste Community Plans include the Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan and the Oakland Zero Waste Strategic Plan. GLA highlights that communities only need as large a plan as required to get their elected officials to approve the program, policies and budget to move forward. The Carbon Economy Series offers the Santa Fe No More Garbage: ZERO Waste Workshop with Gary Liss at the SFCC in the Jemez Room on Thursday night February 21, 7-9pm, and all day Friday, February 22, 9:30am-4:30pm. For more information or to register, go to www.carboneconomyseries.com or call 505819-3828 or 505-913-2877. Please note that the schedule is subject to change.
Join La Montanita Co-op 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 Fun, free, artistic event for teens and young adults.
• You Vote! -with your dollars for a strong local economy
• You Participate! -providing d1rection 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,
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WAREHOUSE 21 ~ p 1614 PASEO DE PERALTA K E T SANTA FE NM
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Free All Day • Art &Music for
tEENS &YOUNG ADULTS!
llam- 9pm WAREHOUSE 21 • 1614 PASEO DE PERALTA • SANTA FE
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.