That’s Natural! A Guide to Sustainable Products & Services
FREE
Southern Colorado
Resilient!
Summer 2010
Volume 7, Issue 2
A Very Happy Birthday to That’s Natural!
Sustainability CEO
Award-Recipient: Patty Pettus Farm to Fork Restaurants & Local Food
Balancing Baby Food & Budget 10-Question Self-Assessment for Sustainability
*Nominations for Sustainability CEO Award
NAIS, Codex Alimentarius, Bill S.510 & Other Bedtime Stories to Guarantee Nightmares
Farm Tour A Wren’s Nest Farm
Green Guide The Best Sustainable Businesses in Colorado
We Are in the Business of $elling Social Change. That’s Natural! Expands to Northern Colorado
After four great years of growing our company and publication in Southern Colorado, we are expanding to offer our services to the thousands of clients and readers at targeted locations in Northern Colorado. Our mission is to educate consumers and promote products and services that are sustainable! Sustainability means: good for people, planet, and profit!
Consumption Revolution Sitting at Wireworks Coffeehouse, chatting with Paul and Tammy Alhadef of A Wren’s Nest Farm, Paul exclaims to me, “We don’t need a political revolution; what we need is a consumption revolution!”. And in these trying economic and political times, he is exactly right. We can all agree that we should buy goods and services locally because of how that impacts our local economy. Those decisions are what make us stronger, as individuals, families, and a community. I believe in our constitution, the liberties it protects, and the free-market that allows me to print this publication. That means that I love my country and I love capitalism and I am not ashamed of that; I also love being a “greeny” if it means that I am doing good things for my community. My goal, as a publisher and a small-business-owner is to make a living by educating our communities about sustainable products and services. In my opinion, it is completely possible to fuel the “Consumption Revolution” by making sure our communities know what it means to “buy local” and “vote with your dollar”. That is what we are here to do. Politically, we may disagree with our fellow countrymen. In the words of Ronald Reagan, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20 percent traitor.” Let’s agree to disagree on certain things, but NOT on the Consumption Revolution that will protect our People, Planet, and Profits.
- Tisha T. Casida, Publisher
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For Subscriptions, please send $20 to PO Box above. *You will receive 4 editions per year - every three months. (Please include your address and contact information) ** Make Checks Payable to “That’s Natural!” That’s Natural! is a free marketing-magazine serving Southern Colorado. It is published bi-monthly, over 7,500 copies are circulated to more than 200 locations in Pueblo, Fremont, Huerfano, Otero, Las Animas, Teller, and El Paso counties. We serve small businesses with their marketing needs and specialize in marketing programs that capitalize on Sustainability - products and services that help people, the environment, and the community.
The nutritional, health, environmental, and political information in this publication are based on personal experiences and research by the author(s). The author(s), editor, and publisher do not offer medical advice or prescribe the use of diet as a form of treatment for sickness without the approval of a health professional, nor do they accept any responsibility for your viewpoints being expanded or changed. If you do use the information contained in this publication without the approval of a health professional, an attorney, or a mentor that you deem worthy of your consciousness, you are prescribing and directing yourself, which is your constitutional right to pursue such activities (that we encourage you to exercise), but the author(s), editor, and publisher assume no responsibility.
Contributors
Nicole Kochis, Editor Sustainability CEO Interview with Patty Pettus......3,13 Sunflower Valley Goatmilk Nicole Pope... ..........................5 Sustainability From the Start Angela Beery........................... 6 Book Review - Eating Animals Susan Fries.........................7
Photograph by Paul Alhadef Photography
10-Question Self-Assessment TN! Contest...................................................................7
NAIS, Codex Alimentarius, Bill S510 and Other Bedtime Stories to Guarantee Nightmares Tamrah Jo Ortiz.............................................................8,10 Holistic Art Program & Alternative Health Care Carl Borden ..................................................................10 Blueberries Marcia Beachy ..............................................................12 Tour of A Wren’s Nest Farm Tisha Casida..................................................................13
MAJOR DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS
Distributed to hundreds of small businesses, here is where you can be sure to pick up your copy, or feel free to subscribe (information in box to left). Mountain Mama Natural Foods - 1625 West Uintah Street Colorado Springs Ranch Foods Direct - 2901 North El Paso Street Colorado Springs Pikes Perk - 14 South Tejon St., Colorado Springs The Acupuncture Clinic - 2020 W. Colorado Blvd., Suite B-204, Colorado City Vitamin Cottage - 101 West 29th St., Pueblo Wireworks - 103 South Union Ave., Pueblo Rawlings Library - 100 East Abriendo Ave., Pueblo Pueblo West Library - 298 S. Joe Martinez Blvd., Pueblo West Supernova Fitness Center - 346 Orchard Springs Drive Pueblo West, CO Pinon Truck Stop - I-25 & Exit 110, Pinon
We believe that every human being has a right to health, education, the arts, and to be a part of the local economy. We believe that entities and products that encourage this should be promoted. We believe that educating the public about the inherent truths of our health, our education, our culture, and our economy is paramount to our rights as citizens. We believe in hope, change, and the power of a free market economy. We believe in the power of a consumer. And we believe all of THAT is very NATURAL! That’s Natural!
“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Sustainability CEO
Our Interview with Award-Winner Patty Pettus
Every issue we will be awarding a Sustainability CEO (Community & Environment Organizer). Nominate yourself, or a friend with the 10-Question Self-Assessment located on page 7 Editor’s Note: Patty is a Colorado Springs resident who was nominated to be our first “Sustainability CEO”. You can find out more about the contest and application on Page 7. TN: Why are you interested in Sustainability? PATTY: My e-mail signature at work says, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It’s The Right Thing To Do”. This epitomizes by philosophy about sustainability. A big reason I am motivated about sustainability is because of my children and grandchildren. I want to leave a legacy for them of clean air, unspoiled nature, and appreciation for our planet. I have always had a “green” streak in me to some extent but didn’t realize how much there is to do until I began to really get involved. I found out there is more to it than recycling aluminum cans, plastic, and newspapers. In the last 3 years since Governor Ritter began the “Greening of Government” program, I started a recycling program at work. In November of 2008 I started a cardboard recycling program. Our bin was being emptied once a month. At about the same time, our break room was remodeled. Part of that remodel included a small recycling area specifically for aluminum cans, paper, and plastic. By
May, 2009 we had single stream recycling and the bin was being emptied twice a month which is how it remains today. I have held 4 electronics recycling fairs collecting over 10 tons. I am in my third year as a volunteer for Pikes Peak Earth Day. I am one of the original members of the Green Cities Coalition Recycling Group. I am also a member of the Governor’s Greening Council, which consists of representatives from each State agency who meet 6 times a year to discuss energy issues, sustainability being one of them. I recently joined the U. S. Green Building Council and am on the Education Committee. This committee plans monthly programs for the local USGBC members to attend. On a more personal note, when my husband and I take a walk, we always bring a bag with us to pick up trash. In a recent 6 mile hike, we collected 20 lbs. of which probably 95% of it was recyclable. We have the “Pay As You Throw” plan with our waste hauler and usually have one small bag a month for them to pick up. The remainder is taken to Recycle America about twice a month. Through these activities and affiliations, my eyes have been opened to the possibilities and I am very excited and proud to be part of
the “Green” movement. I truly have earned the nickname of “Dumpster Diving Diva”. TN: What are your current projects that you would like to tell people about? PATTY: Currently I am working on 4 projects, 2 for Pikes Peak Earth Day and 2 are work-related. My two projects at work are a waste audit of my building which houses the Colorado Department of Corrections Headquarters. The other is an electronics recycling fair to be held in the fall at our facilities in Canon City, CO. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment offers waste audits at no cost to other State agencies. I just received approval by the DOC
Enjoy some of the best varietal organic garlic grown anywhere in the country! Please see details on our website or call 719-250-9835.
HOB B S FAMILY F A R M
PO Box 411 Avondale, CO 81022
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That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
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New Business
Sunflower Valley Goatmilk By: Nicole Pope Growing up on a small family farm I drank goat’s milk as a child, and having been raised in the northwest I learned to appreciate fresh fruits and home grown vegetables. When I became a mother I knew I wanted the best health and food for our children. After an enormous amount of research on milk products, and associated potential allergens in children, I decided on raw goat milk for my daughter. The difficulty was finding a source that I felt was clean and safe enough to give to my infant. Driving around several counties and visiting many farms I could not find a source for the raw milk with which I felt comfortable. So, after much deliberation my husband and I decided to purchase a few dairy goats.
that he had a cow dairy protein allergen. Although we were grateful that we had the goat milk already available, we knew that that wouldn’t be enough. So began the hunt for alternative food sources such as cheese and butter. Again not finding a local source we were comfortable with, or that we could afford with any longevity, we decided to start making our own. The more involved we got, the more we learned that we were not alone in this situation. In fact, far from it. As it turns out, many infants, children and adults have difficulty digesting the proteins in cow’s milk; and a large percentage of the world’s population drinks goat’s milk. This milk is easier to digest, and has many nutritional and health advantages. I realized that there are others out there, like myself, who want goat milk for their children or themselves; however do not have the ability to have their own farm.
Starting with just three goats, my husband and I began. The three goats provided us with enough milk for our oldest child -- for a while. As our family grew so did our dairy goat herd.
My husband and I believe in a whole health approach to our dairy goat “girls”. This means we do not give them anything that we don’t want in our children. Absolutely no hormones, no antibiotics, no soy or corn are given to our dairy goats.
Soon after our son came along, we were informed
The only exception to our stance on the use of
antibiotics is a life-saving situation to one of our does, at which time the doe is removed from our production line. The “girls”, as we like to call them, are out to pasture grazing on our native grasses and are also given additional alfalfa hay and a natural mineral supplement. All of the girls have been tested, passed and we now have a herd health certificate. Anytime the soils are disturbed in our valley we have an abundance of wild sunflowers erupt. As you might guess, the does love to eat the flowers off the stalks, thus our name was found, Sunflower Valley LLC. We are in the very difficult process of becoming a Grade A dairy. Currently we have limited goat shares available that provide raw milk, while in the near future we will have gourmet fresh goat cheeses available. The hope is to bring fresh goat butter and hard cheese to the community in the near future. We will be participating in the Loco for Local Evening Farmers Market at The Sangre De Cristo Arts Center every Thursday evening from 5:00PM8:30PM starting July 15, 2010.
Sunflower Valley LLC sunflowervalley@ghvalley.net/719-432-8730
Cattlemen’s Choice Beef Even Cowboys want all naturally finished beef, FREE OF GROWTH HORMONES AND ANTIBIOTICS. This is Cattlemen’s Choice Beef Policy, here at THE MOUNTAIN FRONT RANCH, located at the base of the WET MOUNTAINS, (Fremont County Colorado).
Cattlemen’s Choice Beef cares about what your family eats. This is why our cattle are grown on native grasses and finished with native grasses, premium grass hay and oat hay. Our goal is to produce a beef product that is beneficial to your health without sacrificing what you expect from a cut of beef. Cattlemen’s Choice Beef has a distinct delicious flavor and tenderness that is unsurpassed that will please your palate. You will taste the difference at the dinner table with your family. Source Identified Cattle - Humane and Sanitary handling of our cattle is top priority along with No Factory Farming on the Mountain Front Ranch. Diets that are natural to cattle produce healthy and happy cattle without the use of antibiotics and chemicals, which is better for the cattle and you.
Call for Co-Op Hours & Check Website for Days for Pick-Up Truckload Specials Home-Delivery Available www.tolstores.com Dates & Locations Keith: 719-924-8532 www.cattlemenschoicebeef.com That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
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Sustainability From the Start - The Simplicity of Sustainability By: Angela Beery
Now that the spring season is upon us, it is the perfect time to talk about fresh, local produce! Many exciting opportunities are ahead of us in the coming months. I am looking forward to taking a stroll down to the farmer’s market, grilling locally grown vegetables and picking my own strawberries at a local farm. As part one in a series of articles addressing the three ways toxins enter our children’s bodies, this month we will be addressing the issue of sustainable consumption. Selecting the foods our babies and children eat is a huge issue that cannot be addressed in one article, which is why I have provided links that I hope will inspire further research. When feeding a family the rule is as simple and as obvious as this – if it’s not food, don’t eat it. When it comes to feeding ourselves and our children, food full of harmful chemicals found in pesticides, hormones and antibiotics are simply not an option. Refined and processed foods, too, are of little to no nutritional value. During this tough economic time, many families who normally buy solely organic are finding it more difficult to do so. Although it is always best to buy organic (for the sake of the soil and the farm workers), for many this is just not possible right now. So, how can we balance the undeniable need to eat right with the financial pressures we are facing as a society? Most likely you are familiar with the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of the twelve most highly contaminated fruits and vegetables put out by the Environmental Working Group. The produce on the “Dirty Dozen” list have thin skins, which provide little or no barrier to pesticides entering into the food itself. Much emphasis has been put on the “Dirty Dozen” in the media lately, but very few people have heard of what is called the “Clean Fifteen.” The items on the “Clean Fifteen” list are those with thick, protective skins that are the least susceptible to pesticides. The “Clean Fifteen” include: Onions, Avocados, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Broccoli, Mango, Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Kiwi, Tomato, Cabbage, Eggplant, Papaya, Watermelon and Sweet Potato. According to the Environmental Working That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
Group (www.ewg.org), families can reduce their intake of pesticides by 80% by eating fruits and vegetables on “the Clean Fifteen” list and only organic versions of “the Dirty Dozen.” There are also safe, non-organic, alternatives to the “Dirty Dozen.” Listed below are the “Dirty Dozen” and their alternatives. If you cannot afford to buy these items in organic form, try substituting with the following: Peaches - watermelon, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit Apples - watermelon, bananas and tangerines Sweet Bell Peppers - green peas, broccoli and cabbage Celery - broccoli, radishes and onions Nectarines - watermelon, papaya and mango Strawberries - blueberries, kiwi and pineapples Cherries - blueberries, raspberries and cranberries Kale -cabbage, asparagus and broccoli Leafy Greens - cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts Grapes - blueberries, kiwi and raspberries Carrots - sweet corn, sweet peas and broccoli Pears -grapefruit, honeydew melon and mangos Potatoes - eggplant, cabbage and earthy mushrooms
It is important to note that there are a few food items that are just not safe unless in organic form. Among the produce listed on the “Dirty Dozen,” the Environmental Working Group also recommends organic, hormone and antibiotic free milk, coffee (although this would not be given to babies and children) and meat products. We are blessed, in Southern Colorado, to have a wealth of resources at our fingertips when it comes to organic food. Feeding organic food to your babies and children truly can be affordable. Here are ten tips that will help you make it happen: 1. Commit to buying organic versions of those foods with the highest levels of pesticides and hormones. This includes milk, meat and produce items found on “the Dirty Dozen” list. 2. Buy in season. Seasonal fruits and vegetables usually cost less. For a list of seasonal foods in Southern Colorado, check out Sustainable Table (www.sustainabletable.org/shop/ eatseasonal). 3. Shop the sales. Base your meal plans off of what is on sale and buy in bulk when items you use frequently are on sale. 4. Buy local. Purchasing locally grown food cuts down on transportation costs and supports the local economy. 5. Pick your own produce. For a list of local farms where you can pick your own produce visit www.pickyourown.org. Picking your own Page 6
food can save you money and it’s fun, especially for kids! 6. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). It’s local, it’s healthier and you get a TON of produce for your money – what more could you ask for? Check out Pueblo’s Country Roots Farm (www.countryrootsfarm.org). 7. Shop the Farmer’s Market. Check out the ads in this issue of That’s Natural! For dates and times. Buying directly from the farmer saves you money and you have the added benefit of knowing exactly who your food comes from. 8. Grow Your Own Organic Garden. Visit the Colorado State University Extension office (http://www.ext.colostate.edu/index.html) for information on how to grow your own garden. Master Gardener classes are also available. 9. Try Freezing and Canning. Freeze bulk items from the farm stand or home garden to last throughout the winter months. The best resource available on freezing baby foods is Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It is available at the local library. 10. Commit to buying only whole, unprocessed and unrefined foods. Highly processed and refined foods provide little nutritional value and are very expensive. Eating whole foods means your child will consume less, maintain a healthier body weight, and have a higher resistance to illness, more energy and better moods. By eliminating processed and refined foods from your grocery list, you will find that you have more money to spend on whole/organic food. Once you’ve started putting these tips into practice, take the kids for a walk to the library and check out Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. Super Baby Food absolutely is a must-read for all parents seeking to feed their families organic foods. You will find hundreds of tried-and-true recipes using only wholesome foods. In the months to come we will be looking at the two other ways toxins enter our children’s bodies, through absorption (focusing on hygiene and beauty products) and inhalation (environmental pollution). I look forward to learning together! -Angela Beery is a freelance writer who is committed to sustainability in Southern Colorado. You can read more about her journey in motherhood and sustainable living (as well as her free one-size cloth diaper pattern) at her blog, http:// domestic-godliness.blogspot.com.
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Little Brown and Company, 2009
A BOOK REVIEW by Susan Fries Alarmingly, this title, Eating Animals shocked me from my bedside table every time I read the title. What would Jonathan Safran Foer’s take on this subject reveal? Would it be another reading of The Jungle (Sinclair, 1906), Fast Food Nation (Schlosser, 2001), or Omnivore’s Dilemma (Pollan, 2006)? And just how much more convincing of the ills of “Eating Animals” did I need or could I take? But I found Foer’s talented philosophical style of presenting “the food case” especially unique and compelling. Eating Animals does not begin by pushing a hard sell for being a vegetarian. Instead, Foer explores the challenging reasons of what food means to our characters, our family histories, and our cultures? For a vegetarian, like me (yes, truly revealed), it’s a meaningful exploration of what might be
omy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium having an lost by not following family traditions of food and the risk of losing our cultural heritage. This exhibit dedicated to the consumption of fish or a zoo café serving buffalo burgers? is certainly a diversion from books on similar subject. Foer draws the reader in during the first Foer’s writing is powerful because it puts into chapter by relating the meaning of food through words the thoughts about our relationship to our his grandmother who, though starving, survived food that are usually more convenient to ignore. in the woods of Europe during the Holocaust. His description of his favorite meal, chicken and It’s easier to disassociate ourselves from what we carrots, prepared by his grandmother made me laugh and, …we don’t want to make the connection by the end, tear up. About this that the chicken we are typically served “culinary heritage” he writes, “her lives its life in the space the size of this piece chicken and carrots probably was the most delicious thing I’ve ever of paper. eaten. But that had little to do with how it was prepared, or even eat, we don’t want to make the connection that how it tasted. Her food was delicious because we believed it was delicious.” the chicken we are typically served lives its life in the space the size of this piece of paper. When we confront our reality our only recourse is to make Although Eating Animals has plenty of alarmingly excuses (deny) or conveniently forget. After readrealistic descriptions of slaughterhouse butchery, industrial chicken farming, and pig waste lagoons, ing Eating Animals, I know my personal reasoning for being a vegetarian is confirmed. For readers no author has gone so far as to shock us with a that are omnivores or “convenient vegetarians” “Stewed Dog” recipe! Foer, challenges the reader Foer will inject you with some realism and you’ll to confront our food phobias and again to look at be challenged, but in a very amusing way. eating from a cultural perspective. His question to us is what makes it alright in our minds to eat Susan Fries is the Executive Director of the Pueblo a chicken, cow, or pig but not our family dog? Performing Arts Guild, and avid traveler, bookWith a lot of wit and satire Foer leads the reader worm, gardener, and cook. through this philosophical dilemma. Which makes me wonder if anyone else sees the dichot-
10 Question Self-Assessment/Sustainability CEO Nominations If you or someone you know is a Sustainability CEO, we want to know! CEO stands for Community & Environment Organizer – someone who is doing great things for Southern Colorado! We feature winners every quarter, with all of our applicants and what they are working on – online. Tell the community what you are doing! We, the people in our communities, are who make the difference when it comes to taking care of our families, our community, and our planet.
That’s Natural! is dedicated to educating and informing Colorado about sustainable people, products, and services. Please answer these questions (type on a separate piece of paper), send us back this form, then you will be notified if you are our next Sustainability CEO, and you will be added to our data-base of positive-change-makers in Colorado.
Name:____________________ Email: ____________________
Q1: TN: Why are you interested in Sustainability? Q2: What are your current projects that you would like to tell people about? Q3: If you could tackle one issue with $1,000,000 in the bank, what would it be and why? Q4: What is the best thing you see going on in your community with sustainability? Q5: Do you eat local food? Explain. Q6: Do you conserve energy? Explain. Mail to: Q7: Do you compost your food waste? That’s Natural! Q8: Do you recycle? Where/How? PO Box 1476 Q9: Do you support local retailers? Which Ones? Pueblo, CO 81002 Q10: Do you give back to the community? Explain.
That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
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NAIS, Codex Alimentarius, Bill S. 510 and Other Bedtime Stories to Guarantee Nightmares By Tamrah Jo Ortiz Thanks to my good friends on Facebook, I was alerted that the ugly head of the government is once again poking its’ large and obnoxious nose into places it doesn’t belong. Yes, I realize this is a inflammatory statement, hence, my writing here, instead of posting this as a comment at the www.opencongress.org website. (which, if you’d like, you can visit and look at the hoopla going on over various bills.) So, let’s take a look at each of these and try to make sense of them. NAIS – The National Animal Identification System. In brief, this idea is supposedly born of the desire to quickly identify and destroy animals that pose a threat to both food supply and our existence. (mad cow disease, avian bird flu, anyone?) You can find much more information online about the NAIS that is being proposed. What is not so clear is how anyone thinks any of this will really work. First of all, the folks that want to implement this currently employ thousands to audit tax returns and apparently have not been successful in creating a database or secure electronic means of verifying taxes or conducting a paperless census (which, by the way, we filled out, returned and apparently was ‘lost’ as a census person showed up at my house saying they didn’t get ours. On the flip side, my mom got 2 censuses to fill out and a friend never received any….) Now, if these folks have not centralized, streamlined and made efficient the operations they have been in charge of for decades, how in the world are we to believe they can implement this kind of system and let us know about diseased food within 20 years of our consumption of it? Secondly, current figures show that given the ‘requirements’ of the system, most of the costs will fall on the small farmers and ranchers – courtesy of Wikipedia is the following: “The costs of becoming NAIS compliant for a U.S. beef producer were found to be a minimum of $2.08 a head for large producers and as much as $17.56 a head for smaller operations, with an estimated average cost to cow/calf producers of $6.26 per animal, according to research That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
by Christopher Raphael Crosby of Kansan State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics published in 2008.” Does anyone hear “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”? Number 3 – Historically, outbreaks of disease occur in close population, improperly nourished animals. Farmer John who has 15 head of cattle and 160 acres of pasture does not face the same challenges as Mr. Beef, who has crammed 5,000 cows into a feedlot the size of a Wal-mart parking lot, where calves play on hills of cow patties and drink milk produced from the ingestion of soybean and corn meal (when cows have evolved to do just fine, thank you very much, on grass.) Plus, Farmer John really depends on his herd for his food, to feed his family and perhaps a neighbor or two and to bring in some extra cash to pay the everincreasing cost of living expenses. So he has a HUGE investment in making sure his herd is healthy and well-nourished. The loss of even one cow can make or break him. Mr. Beef can depend on tax breaks, an adjustment of market prices, government bailouts, etc, if he somehow manages to lose his herd to disease. So who do you think takes better care of their herd? On to the next issue - Codex Alimentarius. Proponents will tell you it’s an international effort to ensure the safety of food for all – as well as to keep me from accidently killing myself from taking too much Vitamin C. Again, these efforts are brought to you by folks who can’t even balance their own budgets and settle disputes among themselves in a peaceful manner. Do you really think they know how much Vitamin C I can handle and furthermore, if I were receiving nutritious food, would I even need a supplement? If they are so invested in “Nutritious, Safe Food to further the health and well-being of the populace” then why did they ignore the published findings of biochemist Dr. Mary Enig in the 70’s, who warned of the dangers of trans-fats and hydrogenated fats to the human body? Um, no, took about 40 years before they figured that one out (if they even have yet……………) I also find it interesting that many Page 8
countries within the World Effort of this measure are ARDENTLY opposed to GMO foods and have been very insistent on pushing for foods containing those types of ingredients to be Labeled. Those who have a vested interest in controlling both seed and food supplies, by getting ‘patents’ on their genetically modified seeds and plants have kept up the pressure and keep taking a run at getting that ‘pesky little nuisance’ of required labeling for GMO foods buried under the rug. All in all, I cannot see the reasoning for extending all this effort on the Codex other than for countries who take their food and health seriously to put up a ‘fence’ to keep those exports out from countries that do not. (meaning, US) So with the history of these two longrunning dramas, I now come to the most recent – Senate Bill S510. Innocuously titled, “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act”, it lists high-sounding ideals and includes some of the following: - food facility re-inspection (um…I worked as a waitress for 12 years, I can tell you, restaurants get inspected every year) - food recalls (aren’t they already allowed to do that?) - a voluntary qualified importer program (have these people never heard of eating locally?) So those violently opposed to this bill read it and see how easily seed and food control could be placed in the hands of those who have no business telling us what we can grow or eat, share with our neighbors or sell at the local farmer’s market. And I agree with them to a point; while the bill does not specifically state any of these intents, the large generalized points of it are open to all kinds of interpretations. History tells me the interpreters will translate it for the benefit of themselves, their agency budget and their large campaign contributors (corporations) before they will for my health and well being. Again, if you look to history, deaths and illness related to the consumption of contaminated, diseased foods, has been linked to large corporate mono-culture farms, not the small local producers. Why? Well, because the small local producer not only feeds you, but their own
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Give Pueblo Pets a New Leash on Life.
Groundbreaking Design. Adoptable Residents.
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This new, privately funded, 7.5 acre animal campus is designed to triple animal adoption rates. Phase 1 of the campus includes an environmentally advanced, sustainable 25,000 square-foot shelter, administration offices and kennels for 150 dogs and 60 cats. Future phases include a Bark Park, Agility Course, Doggie Day Care Center and EmergiCare Vet Clinic.
Stay. Sit. Give.
Your tax-deductible contribution for construction of the new campus will help improve quality of life for pets. Checks, MasterCard and Visa donations, as well as estate planning bequests, are accepted.
Donate online at PAWSitivelyPUEBLO.com, or by phone: 719 253-0428
PAWS for Life Animal Welfare & Protection Society 719 543.6464 800 N. Pueblo Blvd., Pueblo CO 81003
The Animal Welfare and Protection Society is a 30-year-old, 501( C ) 3, non-profit organization in Pueblo with a mission to take in lost or unwanted animals; return them to their owners whenever possible, or, after having them spayed or neutered to reduce over-population, place them in good homes; and to educate the public about intelligent and humane treatment of animals. We are focused on providing healthy, happy, adoptable pets for the people of southern Colorado.
That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
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Holistic Art Program & Alternative Health Care By: Carl Borden
Take a look at our health care system! It is focused on when we are sick, then letting someone else improve our health. That concept obviously does not work very well. It’s time we stand up and take care of ourselves and each other. Let’s get off the couch, go back to the classroom and learn better, more natural ways to improve and maintain our health and wellbeing. Let’s take matters into our own hands and learn more about alternative health care and what it can do for us. So where can we learn about alternative health care? Pueblo has a great source for this; the “Healing Arts Program” located in the Dorcy Cancer Center at St. Mary-Corwin Hospital. This program is a group of alternative health care practitioners
that volunteer time to help educate cancer patients and the community to the benefits of alternative health care. Although located in the Dorcy Cancer Center, to be close to those cancer patients as they begin their journey back to wellness, it is also open to the people in the community, in hopes of helping you maintain your health. Each month the Healing Arts Program offers classes at the Dorcy Cancer Center on different aspects of alternative health care and how it may benefit you in your life. Most of those classes are free or have only minimal charge. Examples of some of the classes offered are: laughter, art, massage, poetry, lymphatics, bio-feedback, dance, aerobics, acupressure, Tai Chi, cooking, nutrition, pet therapy, etc. Do you know all you need to know about these programs and the life changing benefits they could provide for you and your loved ones. The Healing Arts Program is dedicated to helping the community as a whole to truly improve and maintain your health and wellbeing by “bridging the gap between tradi-
tional medicine and holistic health”. If not, let’s get up and “walk the walk” and go to the classes through Healing Arts Program at Dorcy Cancer Center; use these resources to better yourself, to better the community as a whole. The more our community uses such resources the more they will grow and benefit all of us. I hope that each of you will attend these classes, so when they get the health care reform passed, we will not need to use it nearly as often. To obtain more information on the classes offered by the Healing Arts Program and to get on a mailing list to be notified of future classes, call 557-3738 or e-mail FrancesBrodin@centura.org and leave your mailing address or e-mail address. This story was sponsored by A Wellness Haven located at 126 West “D” Street, Suite 100 - Pueblo, CO 81003. Check out their Spring Specials online at: www.awellnessheaven.com, or call them at 719-544-0168.
NAIS, Codex Alimentarius, Bill S510 and Other Bedtime Stories to Guarantee Nightmares Continued From Page 8 family. They don’t have the time or the energy (or the insanity) to grow one garden with ‘good stuff’ for their family and another with ‘questionable stuff’ to sell at the local market. In addition, if I get ‘bad food’ at the local farmer’s market, I know exactly who to go to with my accusations. When large farms put out questionable produce, it has also traveled through one or more broker warehouses, a packaging plant or two, the transportation gamut….on and on and its’ so easy to pass the buck on who exactly is to blame. I’m also curious as to why Homeland Security is one of the committees listed on the bill’s information page. What, are they afraid terrorists are going to send us toxic bananas? Newsflash, if everyone ate organic and locally, this fear would be laughable. And I can tell you, any terrorist shows up at our local farmers market with evil intent on his mind, I can guarantee there are enough ‘rednecks’ around here that are just waiting for an opportunity to show the world what real Homeland Secu-
rity looks like. I also wonder just where they are going to get the money to implement all this when they are already crying about ‘deficits’ and ‘budget cuts’. To my mind, this has less to do with feeding the nation safely and more to do with feeding the oversized monster we call our government, as well as nudging out any competition to the large centralized food companies. Implementation, testing and compliance enforcement take money – and that money will come from those who want to ‘buy into the market’ (meaning smaller operations won’t be able to afford to be in the market) – but most of the money will come from you and me, the consumer. What? You don’t think so? Just who do you think is paying for the Tobacco Company Settlements? It isn’t the companies or the government, its’ the consumers. But I’ll leave that debate for another time. The legislations listed above can only make sense in a climate of fear. They can only pass when we blindly believe the government is really trying to protect
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us. When we believe that death is more heinous than liberty. (Oh where is Patrick Henry when you need him?) Quit looking to the government to save you from harm. Know those who grow your food. Have a relationship. Trust me, they are much more invested in your health and well being than the FDA is. Because without you, they don’t have a livelihood. The FDA and government don’t either, but they have forgotten. Remind them.
Continue to follow these bills at:
www.blog.thatsnatural.info
That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
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Blueberries by Marcia Beachy So precise, deliberate and delicate. My grandson, Elias, sits unwavering in his focus. A oneyear-old Zen master whose meditation target rests lightly on his highchair tray before him. A food mantra that he comprehends completely.
Deep blue and succulent, the organic blueberries wait in stillness. Then small fingers form the thumb-to-forefinger blueberry pickup. Slowly and without hesitancy each blueberry is lifted carefully to his mouth as the most precious of nature’s bounty, created particularly for babies. With the aid of four teeth and empty gums, the blueberry is thoughtfully mooshed and disappears. Plump and succulent berry becomes plump and huggable baby. He zeros in on the next waiting morsel, like a fat baby bird learning the art of getting dinner down the hatch. What greater honor could be gifted the final moment of any blueberry? After traveling hundreds of miles from field to market, that blueberry has arrived at its final destiny.
and polished off with aplomb. I am thinking of my own blueberry childhood. I smell my Grandma Eva’s blueberry pies cooling on the window ledge beside the scarlet potted geranium. Perhaps blueberries from a can, but fresh and tasty to me—and my grandfather, who insisted on blueberry pie a la mode. About halfway through my pie-baking career, I remembered those Grandma Eva pies and began adding them to my holiday dinner options, feeling the circle come round. I am thinking of grocery shopping at Safeway yesterday. The organic produce section had— sure enough—more fresh blueberries, each small carton worth its weight in gold. I bought one, of course, wondering if blueberries in April will become my secret baby reminder and a must-have.
A sacred demise, not to be confused with the common bustle afforded restaurant berries or gobbled breakfast routines. No, here in our quiet dining room, each blueberry is lifted up as a gift from God, then savored, relished fully
I am thinking of Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn, who might hold up a blueberry and say something like, “In this blueberry is the whole world. In this blueberry is the soil from which it grew, the sun that shone on the mother plant, the rain that watered it, and the wind that blew through its leaves. In this blueberry are the hopes and dreams of the farmer and his family
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who grew this berry, and the hopes and dreams of the families who picked and processed it. In this blueberry are the truck drivers and the gas stations that got it to market and the grocery store personnel who put it out on the shelf. In this blueberry is the fascination of a small child picking it up like the first taste of forever.” Blueberries and grandmothers and kitchens and Zen masters and babies. Old fingers rolling out pie dough. Small fingers gathering up blue magic. In this baby-with-blueberry moment, the whole world comes in out of the cold and quietly finds a place by the fire. Over this treasured weekend with Elias, my daughter and son-in-law, blueberries have become woven into the sweet, fruity fabric of the generations wrapped in the essence of an intent small boy with only one thing on his mind. It looks like eating dinner, but I think it is actually the “Blueberry Meditation for Contented Living.” In this blueberry is the whole world…..
Tour of A Wren’s Nest Farm By: Tisha Casida Paul and Tammy Alhadef were awarded a “Tour Grant” from Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education). This grant is allowing Paul and Tammy to offer to the community a tour of A Wren’s Nest Farm in August. A Wren’s Nest Farm is a micro-farm, focused on niche products such as herbs and flowers, eggs sales, soap making and pork sausages. Visitors will not only see how diversification can be profitable, but will also glean from the tour ideas for creating an urban homestead. “Much of what we do here at A Wren’s Nest Farm could be accomplished on a city lot,” said Tammy Alhadef, who owns the farm with her husband Paul Alhadef. “Anyone can make soap in their garage, or raise an attractive vegetable garden that will fit seamlessly into their landscaping.”
Echinacea. Pumpkins ripen along the lane that leads to the house, decorating the road just in time for trick-or-treaters. Visitors will also meet a menagerie of chickens, ducks, turkeys, hogs and fiber animals. The community, farmers, and producers are all invited to join us on the farm on Saturday, August 7, 2010. We will start at 10:00 AM, have snacks, and plenty of time for Q&A at the end of the tour. This is a wonderful opportunity to empower yourself with information on starting your own operation, or just learning specific tools/ knowledge that will help you to become more sustainable. We look forward to having you there! Photos courtesy of Paul Alhadef Photography
Tour of A Wren’s Nest Farm Saturday, August 7th 2010 10:00AM-1:00PM
Edible landscaping is a feature at the five-acre farm, nestled in the crook of the Arkansas River. Heirloom French pickling cucumbers climb an arbor that leads to the front door of the house. White globes of flowering garlic sway along a picket fence, alongside wildflowers such as Cosmos, German chamomile and
Call Tisha Casida to RSVP 719-252-1763 This tour was made possible by Western SARE, please check out their website at: http://wsare.usu.edu/
Interview with Patty Pettus, Sustainability CEO of the Quarter, CONT. We are planning to hold our 5th electronics recycling fair in 3 years at our large prison complex in Canon City sometime in the early fall. In hopes of collecting more recyclables, we will be holding a competition amongst the facilities in Canon City and offering some kind of prize incentive. Bill Morris of Blue Star Recyclables is working with me on this project.
daughter epitomizes this philosophy. One day we were riding in the car and saw a bunch of trash in a ditch. She turned to me and said, “Grandma. I think everyone who litters should go to jail”. Well, this may be a little harsh, but she certainly has the right idea. I would like to think that I’ve had something to do with her awareness of the environment around her and how to take care of it.
TN: If you could choose one issue to tackle with $1,000,000 in the bank, what would it be and why?
With $1,000, 000 at my disposal, I would set up youth outreach programs to schools, organizations, and camps to name a few. Education is the key to changing mind sets and behaviors. Teaching children at a young age about the importance of taking care of our planet is essential if we are going to change the path we’re now going down. The future of this planet is in their hands and they need to understand the importance of taking care of it.
PATTY: In 1986 Whitney Houston had a hit song “The Greatest Love Of All”. The first two lines of the song are: “I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and they will lead the way”. So what would I do with my $1,000,000? I would teach the children so they could lead the way to a greener world. My 8 year old grand-
TN: What is the best thing you see going on in your community having to do with sustainability. PATTY: What I have seen in Colorado Springs is a lot of enthusiasm for sustainability but not much help from our City leaders. At the Sustainability Conference held in November, there was a round table discussion by 15 “green” groups in the area. What I noticed most was that they all had their own agenda and there didn’t seem to be much continuity or cohesiveness amongst them. I think events like “Pikes Peak Earth Day” help somewhat to bridge that gap. I would like to see these groups unite into one large entity. There is strength in numbers and perhaps if they were united, they could work with the City leadership on more green initiatives for Colorado Springs.
To Learn More About Being a Sustainability CEO, See Page 7!
That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
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That’s Natural! Green Guide
The Best Sustainable Businesses in Southern Colorado LOCAL FOOD, AGRICULTURE, & HORTICULTURE Mountain Mama Natural Foods 1625 West Uintah Street Colorado Springs 80904 www.mountainmamanaturalfoods.com Pizzeria Rustica - BEST NEW RESTAURANT 2009 – Authentic Neapolitan pizzeria with superb salads, antipasti, and wood-fired pizzas. Unique wines and brews. Local produce year-round and house-made fresh mozzarella. Third 3-Star Green Restaurant in the U.S. Huge patio. See www.pizzeriarustica.com for parking, hours, and menu. 2527 W. Colorado Ave. Reservations recommended. See Ad Page 4 Country Roots Farm: CSA Phone: 719-948-2206 Website: www.countryrootsfarm.com - See Ad Page 4 Cattlemen’s Choice Beef: All-Natural Local Beef Call: 719-924-8532 Visit: www.cattlemenschoicebeef.com - See Ad Page 5 Wireworks Coffeehouse: Vegetarian Menu featuring Local Producers 103 S. Union, Suite 110 - Pueblo 81003 719-543-3000 A Wren’s Nest Farm - Tour Our Farm on August 7th! See Story Page 13 Sunflower Valley Goat Milk sunflowervalley@ghvalley.net 719-432-8730 See Story Page 5 Hobbs Family Farm - Organic Garlic Offering 719-250-9835 www.coloradogarlic.com See Ad Page 4 Asian Market Pueblo - 947 W. US Hwy 50 (Behind Carl’s JR. in Pueblo) 719-253-7771 See Ad Page 3
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HOME-BUILDING & REAL ESTATE
Reliable Home Inspections & Energy Audits Call: 719-251-8841 www.hometuneup.com - See Ad Page 14 Dena Stevens, Eco-Broker “Do the Right Thing!” Call: 719 369-9087 http://www.activerain.com/dena
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
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NUTRITION
Jo Schrubbe, BS, BCN/Motivational Speaker - Health Educator Call: 719.485.3236 Email: jo@mynutritioncoach.us Healthy Coffee, Mary Waterman Call: 719-423-0068 Visit: www.reishi.com AND www.thepowerofearth.com
RECYCLING
BlueStar Recyclers Electronics Recycling 690 Elkton Dr., Unit B Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Call: 719-597-6119 Pueblo Recycling Park & Southern Colorado Recyclers 1710 West 16th St. Pueblo, CO 81003 Call: 719-546-3478 - See Ad Page 9
SOLAR/WIND/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
EcoSol: Complete solar panel design and installation Call: 719-485-6598 or Visit www.e-co-sol.com - See Ad Page 14 YES! Solar Solutions 609 E. Enterprise Drive, Unit 120 Pueblo West, CO 81007 Phone: (719) 547-2929
COMLIMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS
Carl & Paula Borden, RMTs Located at: A Wellness Haven 126 West “D” Street #100 Pueblo, CO 81003 - See Ad Page 14 Golden Flower Health Clinic *Reflexology by Wendie* 251 S. Santa Fe, Pueblo 719-542-9210 wiseowl@daeo.net The Acupuncture Clinic, Na Zhai, L.Ac., 2020 W. Colorado Blvd., Suite B-204, Colorado Springs, Colorado, www.NasAcupuncture.com, 719-634-1669
ARTS & CULTURE
The Irish Club of Pueblo, Frank Kipple 719-225-6071 Cup & Bowl Gallery 719-404-3469 www.cupandbowl.org. See Story Page 13 KittenBritches Dolls ‘N Stuff Kid friendly, Earth approved! Eco-conscious! 719.651.9114 www.misskitty0218.etsy.com Pueblo Performing Arts Guild - A Voice for the Arts in Pueblo! www.pueblopag.org - See Ad Page 12 That’s Natural! Quarter 3, 2010
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