ISSUE #421
MARCH/APRIL 2018
THE BEGIN ISSUE
HWFC's Earth Day Mark Your Calendar!
The Rise of CBD
Cannabis Goes Mainstream
What is Wabi-Sabi? And What it Can Teach Us
"The best time to plant a fruit tree is fifteen years ago. The second best time is right now." Pick up a pen. Dig a spade into cold soil. Rise half an hour earlier. Open the book. Register for the class. Begin again something that’s fallen by the wayside. Begin to make time for the things you've been meaning to do. You probably won't make it to the Olympics. The beginning may turn out to also be the middle and end. But here's hoping that you find yourself left feeling extra limber and ready-for-anything.
There is an old adage I love: The best time to plant a fruit tree is fifteen years ago. The second best time is right now.
Georgia Julius began editing the Coop Scoop over two years ago, and after a brief hiatus, is apparently back at it.
As you read this issue of the Coop Scoop, we hope you'll appreciate
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100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany, NY 12206 (518) 482-2667 [COOP]
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my neck and nothing pressing on the docket. This morning, I did another one, premeditated this time. Is this the beginning of a regular yoga practice for me? If history is any indication, the answer is no. But, at this point, I have, technically, begun something. Or at least, I've begun to begin. And whether I continue to regularly set my alarm 30 minutes earlier and stretch out the kinks before work, the next time will be less mysterious and
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On Saturday morning, as soon as I woke up, I did a YouTube yoga class. I had a crick in
the introductions, the endingsas-beginnings, the stories and voices of members of our Co-op.
In February, the world turned its attention to the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. We watched, mouths hanging open (mine, anyway), as young people in extremely impressive physical shape and with incredible dedication to their craft completed feats of strength, speed, balance, and grace. Each Olympian began at some point, trying it for the first time (likely not yet having started kindergarten), long before they'd even close to mastered it.
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Marketing & Digital Coordinator
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Georgia Julius
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our Editor
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Letter from
more easy. Beginning anything is often much of the battle. Plus, right now, I’m feeling rather good here at my desk. Limber and ready-for-anything.
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8am TO 10pm EVERY DAY
Honest Weight Food Co-op is a member- ecologically sustainable ways of living. owned and -operated consumer Honest weight is open to the public, cooperative that is committed seven days a week. The Coop to providing the community Scoop is produced bimonthly with affordable, high by our Education Department quality natural foods and and offered free of charge products for healthy living. as part of our mission. Our mission is to promote to view online, Please visit more equitable, participatory, and www.honestweight.coop/coopscoop.
Contributors
Associate EDITOR:
Ben Goldberg is retired from a 40+ year career in behavioral health care in the nonprofit sector. He is currently an active volunteer and a freelance writer and editor.
Assistant EDITORs:
Tara Herrick Brown is a holistic health practitioner and offers emotional and spiritual wellness at Elevate Albany Wellness (five minutes from Honest Weight). To learn more about Brown and her practice, INUR Wellness, LLC, please visit www.inur.com. Carol Reid is a retired cataloger at the New York State Library, where she worked for over 35 years. She has edited newsletters on librarianship, intellectual freedom, and social responsibilities, done scads of proofreading in her time, and maintained a 10-year blog called “Typo of the Day for Librarians.� A total nitpicking word nerd, Reid has been a member of Honest Weight since the 1980s.
WriteRS:
Tim Corrigan, Ben Goldberg, Sarah Goldberg, Karla Guererri, Steve Holmes, Rebecca Angel Maxwell, Melanie Pores, Pat Sahr
Designers:
Georgia Julius & Mathew Bradley
DISTRIBUTION AssistantS:
Donna Eastman, Ellen Falls, Bonnie Betz
interested in CONTRIBUTing TO THE COOP SCOOP? Contact:
georgiaj@ honestweight.coop
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ISSN 2473-6155 (print) ISSN 2473-6163 (online)
Contact: Kim Morton (518) 330-3262 kim.a.morton@gmail.com
The Coop Scoop is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider. We are not responsible for errors or omissions. Honest Weight is not responsible for, and does not necessarily agree with, our guest writers' articles.
Printed with soy ink on recycled paper in Albany, NY
Cover photo by Kathleen Gray Farrar
Begin 2 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
MARCH/APRIL 2018
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6 PRODUCER PROFILES by Pat Sahr
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A DIFFERENT KIND OF DOULA by Karla Guererri
10 REVERING THE AUTHENTIC AND THE SIMPLE WITH WABI-SABI
by Ben Goldberg
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12 HWFC'S COFFEEHOUSE OPEN MIC
by Steve Holmes
13 AN INTRODUCTION TO ARTICHOKES
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by Rebecca Angel Maxwell
14 ELECTRIC VEHICLES MEET REALITY IN CENTRAL NEW YORK by Tim Corrigan
16 HOUSEPLANTS: A LOVE STORY by Sarah Goldberg
18 RECIPE CORNER: CAROB CHIP SQUASH BLONDIES by Melanie Pores
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16 COOP SCOOP
FULL PAGE EARTH DAY AD TO COME!!!
Producer Profiles
words by Pat Sahr
We truly value the small businesses and dedicated individuals who work hard to create the exceptional goods and products we carry here at Honest Weight Food Co-op. We think these inspirational stories demonstrate the importance of supporting local, and why we’re so committed to it!
SOLIGHT DESIGN
In this time of climate crisis, scientists and entrepreneurs are finding ways to move away from fossil fuels and harness the sun’s energy. For example, solar installations now power residential and commercial buildings, benefiting individual homes and businesses. There are also increasingly more “solar farms,” large solar installations that have the potential to provide power to whole communities. On a smaller scale, solar energy runs everyday items like radios, lamps, flashlights, chargers, etc. Honest Weight is now carrying one such small solar device called Solar Helix, a lightweight, foldable lantern created by inventor Alice Chun who is also the CEO of Solight Design. This company manufactures beautiful, sustainable solar lighting products that appeal to the environmentally conscious consumer while delivering 6
GIFTS AND HOUSEWARES
affordable solar lighting and power solutions to the world. The portable Helix folds into a shape roughly the size of a number 10 envelope. It is made of PVC-free, recyclable PET material that is completely waterproof. The lantern can be fully charged with 8 hours of sunlight and will provide up to 8 to 12 hours of light on a full charge. Ten bright-white/ warm-white LEDs produce the illumination. Honest Weight Housewares Manager, Emily Collins, is very enthusiastic about the Helix. “With so many natural disasters these days, I think the need for lights like these is growing. They are solar and earth friendly. They are also great for camping!”
As the company states, “It is still astounding that 1.6 billion people today do not have access to safe and sustainable lighting and rely on kerosene to light their world at night.” Accordingly, Solight donates 10% of the profit from each lantern sold online to people in need.
“I love This product! It has a great design, runs on solar, and they give back to communities in need.” - Emily Collins, Housewares Buyer The Solar Helix would be of interest to those who are putting together emergency preparedness kits, to campers, and to those who are concerned about the millions of people around the world who struggle in darkness.
On a global scale, the mission of Solight Design is to provide clean, renewable light and power to those who need them most. COOP SCOOP
GREEN MOUNTAIN CBD “The number of customers we’ve had asking about CBD this past year is tremendous," says Alex Mytelka, Honest Weight’s Center Store Manager. "People are coming in with a variety of issues, from anxiety, inflammation, and restlessness, to epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and depression—customers read or hear about CBD and its benefits, come into the Co-op, and are typically surprised to see that we have such a great selection. Then, they keep coming back. We’ve also had more and more customers tell us that their physicians or therapists have sent them in for CBD. It’s great to see traditional healthcare practitioners stepping outside of their comfort zones and pointing their patients toward alternative methods!”
WELLNESS DEPARTMENT the nervous system, epilepsy, oxidative stress (disturbances in the balance between free radicals and antioxidant defenses), vomiting and nausea, anxiety, and perhaps even some forms of psychosis. As the national CBD market booms, Honest Weight’s wellness team is approached by a new CBD company with a sales pitch nearly weekly. They are proud to report that they’ve turned dozens away for subpar quality and testing, amongst other reasons. We couldn’t be more thrilled to carry Green Mountain CBD, a locally, just north of us in Hardwick, Vermont. According to Mytelka, the biggest question he hears from shoppers about our CBD products is: ‘Will it get me high?’ All CBD products sold at Honest Weight are third party tested and must contain under 0.05% THC. Green Mountain, for instance, has a CBD to THC ratio of 24.8:1. Green Mountain CBD is made from the organic, Vermont-grown hemp extracted with organic extra virgin coconut oil. According to the company, “Our simple extraction process maintains the purity and quality of our CBD oil, capturing the essence of our hemp plants. You will see and smell the difference the moment you open a container of our products.” The Wellness Department at Honest Weight offers Green Mountain CBD in vegetarian capsules and in edible salve, but Green Mountain is releasing CBD liquid extracts in the next few months, which will make for an exciting addition to Honest Weight’s CBD offerings!
There are over 113 compounds in the Cannabis sativa plant called cannabinoids—of those, CBD and THC are found in the highest concentrations. Over thousands of years, farmers have bred Cannabis sativa into two different strains. The hemp plant contains low amounts of THC (the source of the psychotropic effects of marijuana) and high amounts of CBD. It’s historically more popular sister is the cannabis plant, which has been bred over the years to have high levels of THC.
Pat Sahr has been a member of the Co-op since 2005. She contributes to the Coop Scoop as the writer of the Producer Profiles. Sahr says, “It’s a pleasure being part of the Honest Weight family, and I’ve especially enjoyed communicating with the various producers whose products are sold at the Co-op!”
Over the past few years, CBD is finding a place in the spotlight. According to many experts, the benefits of CBD include acting as an anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, antianxiety, and antipsychotic agent. It is, therefore, a potential medicine for the treatment of inflammation of MARCH/APRIL 2018
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A Different Kind of Doula
words by Karla Guererri
When you hear the word doula,
you probably think of a person, traditionally a woman, who is professionally trained and skilled at supporting the mother and baby through the birth process. However, just as we may appreciate assistance and encouragement as the curtain rises on life’s performance, many might wish for another kind of comfort and help as the curtain drops on the final act. A growing profession provides just that service: the end of life doula or death doula. There are currently no government agencies in any of the fifty states that regulate or professionally license death doulas. However, there are organizations that exist to establish professional standards, provide training, and grant certification for this very sensitive work. One such institution is the nonprofit International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). According to INELDA’s vice president, Jeri Glatter, over 700 doulas have completed INELDA’s death doula training so far, and 200 are working towards certification, and 10 are already certified. INELDA advances a protocol for providing comfort and meaning for the best possible end-of-life experience for people who are dying, in which the dying person has the experience of finishing up and
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planning their transition. This three-part model includes activities such as summing up and planning, conducting a vigil, reprocessing the dying and death, and early grief, which happens in the time immediately after death. Another organization that grants death doula certification is the Lifespan Doula Association. Like INELDA, the LDA has established standards, and they provide training, evaluation, and certification. INELDA conducts training and continuing education for both aspiring and professional doulas, and for hospice, hospitals, and community organizations. Local yoga teacher Tamara Cookingham first became interested in training as a death doula when she attended a conference at the New York Open Center, a holistically based educational institution. There she learned of Henry Fersko-Weiss, one of the founders of INELDA, and became interested in his work and in the organization. Cookingham lost her mother when she was a small child and had already been involved with family members’ and friends’ transitions. After a long career with the New York State Police, she was no stranger to both lingering and sudden death. Something Fersko-Weiss said must have resonated with Cookingham’s consciousness because she signed up for the INELDA three-day training weekend in Chicago. There she explored and considered topics COOP SCOOP
from deep active listening to vigil planning, signs and symptoms of the dying process, and much more. The next logical step for Cookingham might seem like certification, but when she returned home, she found herself temporarily stalled by other obligations. She did, however, find the opportunity to apply her new learning and principles from the training to her interactions with a family member who was resisting physical decline and was faced with feelings and attitudes about mortality. Cookingham says, “The key to doula work is to ease the fear of transition.” "As a society, we have become increasingly desensitized to killing and death on the movie, TV, and computer screens, as well as in the news. Still, we seem increasingly ambivalent, if not blatantly uncomfortable, with sharing the death experience of our family members and loved ones, sending them off to the hospital or hospice rather than sharing the death vigil at home."
So who needs a Doula of Death anyway? Sooner or later, any or all of us may. As a society, we have become increasingly desensitized to killing and death on the movie, TV, and computer screens, as well as in the news. Still, we seem increasingly ambivalent, if not blatantly uncomfortable, with sharing the death experience of our family members and loved ones, sending them off to the hospital or hospice rather than sharing the death vigil at home. This is where the professional or volunteer services of the death doula come in. When an individual has an impending terminal prognosis or just knows that their time is near, they may want to enlist doula services. But where to search? In New York City, the nonprofit organization Doula Program to Accompany and Comfort has been in operation for almost twenty years. They have an internet presence and potential clients can request a doula electronically. Many hospitals and hospice programs can also point an interested person in the right direction. INELDA’s pioneering efforts extend to outreach practices. They maintain the first end-oflife doula directory, aptly named the Doula Directory, which has a search engine based on location. 138 doulas are currently listed there. MARCH/APRIL 2018
INELDA'S Glatter sees value in death doula work for all concerned. According to her, “This work can be transformative for the dying, the people who love them, and for the doulas who serve the dying. Death has the ability to bring deeper meaning to relationships and to our own understanding of how we live our lives. The impact on the living is as powerful as the impact on the dying.” Karla Guererri lives in Troy and is a semi-retired educator with a public school background. She has published articles in iSante and Sante' Magazine and a short story under a pen name in a little known journal, Adventures for the Average Woman.
Solid Ground Center for a Balanced Life
Offering mindfulness-based solutions for Stress Management Caregiving and Compassion Fatigue Grief and Loss Weight Management ADHD Relapse Prevention Individual and group services 148 Central Avenue, Albany 518-339-9443 www.solidgroundny.org Check our website for class schedule
2018 Capital Region
Homebuyer Fair
FREE
Saturday, April 14 • 10AM to 2PM
Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Ave Everything you need to know about buying a home. Credit report and review on site. Talk with lenders, Realtors®, home inspectors, non-profits, attorneys & more.
Homeownership Center
Meet with an expert housing advisor. On-site pre-qualification for financing. Seminars for home buyers.
Call 434-1730 or www.ahphome.org
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reach across and just lightly touch, pat or stroke an arm or shoulder. Not so much me— more the shirt: it invites touch. Weathered, distressed wood. A splash of multicolored autumn leaves. The patina on an old bronze singing bowl. The crackled glaze on a broken pottery shard. Certain types of human-scaled, gently welcoming architecture. The transitory installations-in-nature of sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. A worn leather portfolio, lightly oiled by years of use human handling. The lined face of a beloved elder. The one-of-a kind heirloom tomato. The unique root system of a fallen tree. An old unpainted brick wall. Lichen on wood. Moss on stone. I’ve been drawn to these types of things since I was very young, but I didn’t know quite how to categorize the “sensibility”, the “style”, the “aesthetic” until I stumbled across the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi.
Revering the Authentic and the Simple with Wabi-Sabi words by Ben Goldberg
I have an old blue shirt that I wear often. It’s a weatheredsoft corduroy, soothing and deep to touch that feels and looks better every year. Real. Genuine. Authentic. When it was new the fine lines on the corduroy almost shined. Now, tempered by years, the fabric shows just a soft glow when the light is right. Occasionally someone I’m talking with will—seemingly without realizing it— 10
Wabi-sabi, which has its origins in in 16th century Japan, is often associated with the Japanese tea ceremony and with Zen Buddhism, but the essence of Wabi-sabi has a universal quality that transcends temporal and cultural boundaries. The term wabi applies to both natural and human-made things. It implies profound simplicity; the unpretentious and ordinary; humble imperfection; a rustic, understated and modest but unique elegance. Sabi (in Japanese, “rust”), meanwhile, suggests qualities of serenity and beauty related to maturation or age often expressed as patina or wear and even repair. The “bloom of time”, someone wrote; a concrete expression of the cycle of birth and death. Wabi-sabi, then, implies and embodies foundational Eastern philosophical concepts of impermanence, transience, imperfection, simplicity, modesty, asymmetry, a unique and sometimes even quirky idiosyncrasy, and, most of all, authenticity. Wabi-sabi, someone wrote, is both “purposeful and spontaneous”. It stands in stark contrast to Western (Greco-Roman) philosophy and aesthetics that idealize the hyperbolic—grandeur and the monumental, magnificence, perfection, symmetry, beauty and permanence, even immortality. Think rustic outhouse compared with a palace. Think the Honest Weight Food Co-op versus Wal-mart or Trump Towers… In Wabi Sabi Simple, Richard R. Powell writes, “…Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." Here, I think, Powell captures the sense of melancholy and acceptance—but not pessimism or nihilism— inherent in Wabi-Sabi and in Eastern philosophy, perhaps particularly in Buddhism. Authenticity necessarily encompasses, reflects and ungrudgingly accepts life’s inherent imperfection and impermanence. While wabi-sabi can be as basic as a style or taste, when COOP SCOOP
There is a crack, a crack, in everything / That’s how the light gets in.
Does Your Social Impact Investment Earn Interest? “I invest in the Community Loan Fund because it helps the local businesses in my neighborhood.
Leonard Cohen, Anthem
I got an old guitar / it won’t ever stay in tune. / I like the way it sounds / in A dark and empty room.
And I can earn interest on my investment.” Louise McNeilly 11-year Investor
Guy Clark, Stuff That Works 255 Orange St., Albany, NY 12210 920 Albany St., Schenectady www.mycommunityloanfund.org
comprehended and accepted more completely, it can be the foundation for a valuable and meaningful world view, a philosophy of life, a way of being in the world and with one another in relationship. It can be particularly valuable and meaningful in a culture that has been sold on the arguable merits of excess, speed and manic busyness, alternative facts, addictive technology and slick, shiny glitz, and perhaps most of all, on the idolatry of (slave-based) consumerism and empty celebrity. I don’t know which “designer”— if any—designed my old well-worn blue shirt. She or he may be long gone by now, but I still look forward to finding that shirt hanging in my closet, cracks and all, letting the light in and out as well.
MARCH/APRIL 2018
Call us at (518) 436-8586 x806 to learn how you can align your money with your values – while earning interest!
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words by Steve Holmes
On the third Saturday of every month, the Honest Weight Food Co-op’s Community Room is filled with a blend of familyfriendly song, poetry, music, and even stand-up comedy, manifested through an age-old tradition: a coffee house. The Coffee House Open Mic was conceived by a number of member owners, including Honest Weight’s Membership Committee, which sponsors the event. The ongoing operations are organized by four HWFC member-owners, all motivated by their love of performance shared in an intimate setting with friends: (L-R) Roger Allen, Joe Zoske, Cynthia Mulford, and Steve Holmes. The Coffee House Open Mic, which is free for co-op members and the general public alike, premiered in October. So far, there have been four well-attended and otherwise successful Open Mics, held on Saturday evenings. When we all come together with music, song, stories, and fun, we reflect and regenerate our connectedness, our unity, and our capacity to create a space in which expressions of our talents, soulfulness and unique vision are supported and valued—something that is badly needed in our lives, our community and our world. 12
PLEASE JOIN US ON SATURDAY, MARCH 17TH AND SATURDAY, APRIL 21ST FROM 7 TO 9 PM AT HONEST WEIGHT FOR A FREE EVENING FEATURING LOCAL PERFORMERS AND ARTISTS. Please note that performer sign-up starts at 6:30 pm. Virtually all types of family-friendly performances are welcome! Steve Holmes is a longtime Co-op member and active participant of its Membership Committee. He has spent the last 49 years helping people with developmental disabilities live and work in their communities and advocate for themselves. COOP SCOOP
An Introduction to Artichokes
words by Rebecca Angel Maxwell
A friend of mine tells a story of her trip to France: The first morning, the cook brought her a whole artichoke. once She learned how to eat it, she loved it and raved about it all day. The next morning, and every morning of her visit, the cook brought another artichoke. She was thrilled. Julia Child's "big, bad artichoke" can be intimidating to those who have not grown up with the delicious vegetable. My Italian grandmothers made it a staple. For kids, it's a joy to watch everyone playing with their food. No way to use anything but your fingers. I would proclaim that the artichoke is the ultimate in mindful eating because you have to pay attention and be a little more aware. But how do you cook one? And is there really a choke? Let's get started.
BUY: Bigger is not necessarily better with artichokes.
You are looking for a solid specimen with bright green, thick, tightly closed leaves. The artichoke is a flower, and you don't want it to look "open." If you're not sure, put it by your ear and squeeze. The leaves will squeak if fresh. Some artichokes are round, some are more angular, that's ok. Generally one per person, unless they are smaller than your palm.
PREPARE: Rinse the artichokes, nothing fancy. Use stainless steel knives and pots. Chop the stems almost to the base (don't throw them away!) and not too close or you risk having it fall apart during cooking. Slice off about an inch of the top. Rubbing it with lemon will keep it looking pretty. Finely dice the stems to use for the stuffing. STUFF:
For two artichokes, sauté 2 TBS butter with 3 cloves minced garlic. Add ¼ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, the diced stems, salt and pepper.
COOK: Bring an inch of water to boil in a pot and place each artichoke inside, stem side down. Pull the leaves apart enough to shove the stuffing mix in all around. Save extra stuffing to use at the table. Cover pot and steam over medium heat for 20–60 minutes, depending on how big they are. Use tongs to pick up and poke the stems with a fork to test for doneness. The fork should go in very easily. Err on the side of overcooking it. EAT:
Now comes the fun part. Artichokes are wonderful at any meal, usually as a first course. Be sure to have a big plate or a separate bowl for the leaves. The edible part of each leaf is on the inside, near the stem. Pull a leaf off the artichoke, place the edible side on your tongue and scrape the "meat" MARCH/APRIL 2018
off with your bottom teeth. Toss the rest. Enjoy and repeat. The closer you get to the inside of the artichoke (or "heart") the more edible the leaves become. At some point, you can eat almost the entire leaf. But then comes the "choke." It's the fuzzy part. Don't eat it. Scrape it off with a spoon or your finger. What you have left is a small bowl shape called the "heart." (Yes, this is what you see marinated in the jars, also delicious!) This is the best part. Whatever stuffing you have left, smother the heart with it and eat the whole thing.
SAVOR: Afterwards, sit for a minute with the umami flavor—that is, a taste that is neither sweet, sour, salt, nor bitter. Artichokes are full of it. (Some people say sipping milk brings out the taste; try it if you like.) QUICK ALTERNATIVE: You can skip the stuffing part and just steam till done. Then let them cool and eat with balsamic dressing, dipping the leaves before you scrape. So yummy!
Rebecca Angel Maxwell has been a member of Honest Weight for fourteen years, bringing her family along for the ride. In addition to being part of the Nutrition and Education Committee, she teaches classes on gluten-free cooking, tea, and utilizing the Bulk Department. When she’s not at the Co-op, Maxwell is a music teacher, writer for GeekMom.com, and publisher of TeaPunk Tales. 13
Electric Vehicles Meet Reality in Central New York words by Tim Corrigan
Honest Weight Member Tim Corrigan has been the owner of an electric car, a Chevy Bolt, since Halloween. He writes, "The $7,500 electric car tax credit has apparently survived, at least for now, so I provide this account of driving an electric car in Albany winter on a long daily commute for Scoop readers who might be interested. Enjoy!"
I considered buying a BBC for a long time before I took the plunge. I live in Cobleskill
and work in Clifton Park so my daily round trip is 112 miles. Older electric cars (e.g., the Nissan Leaf) couldn’t make this daily commute, but there are now a few reasonably priced cars that can pull this off. After looking at the available EVs I decided on the Bolt, in part because it is made in a union factory.
Fully electric, battery-based cars (BBCs) are different from plug-in hybrids (e.g., the Prius) or gas generator-electric cars (e.g., the Chevy Volt— Yes! They really have two totally different kinds of cars that rhyme!) in that the battery range for the BBC is much higher. But that’s all you’ve got– a battery. You can’t add gas to get extra miles, so the main consideration with a BBC is range. While there’s a huge long-term maintenance advantage in having far fewer moving parts and lower complexity (e.g., there’s no transmission; the only fluids the Bolt has are brake and windshield cleaner) you are also introduced to the wonderful world of Range Anxiety. The nominal range of the Bolt is 235 miles, and that's valid when you don't need either AC or heat. However the actual range for an electric car is particularly dependent on driving style and conditions. Currently, when the temperature is -5 F, I start with a fully charged range of 135 miles, which factors in my using the heat, doing 75 mph for a lot of the drive, and making the 1200 foot climb at the end of my drive. If I get nervous about range I can dial my speed back to 65 mph and get another 20 miles. BBCs were originally designed for milder climates, but the Bolt seems to do fairly well in upstate New York, even though the car must use some power to heat the battery if the temperature is near zero. So walking into work I may have 88 miles of range remaining, but that may drop to 81 miles by 5 p.m. 14
when I leave. I also recently changed from the stock tires to studded snow tires. I live on top of a mountain and wrapping the $42,000 car around a tree before I pay it off seems like a bad idea. Thankfully, the tire change seems to have had no impact on my range, so this car is ready for a long commute in the worst real world Albany area conditions. The Bolt comes with a 120V plug (for level 1 charging), but it would take 53 hours to recharge the battery from 0 kilowatt hours, so that's really only a backup plan for a true emergency, or power to keep the battery warm in freezing temperatures. My commute would require a recharge that would take about 24 hours, which is impractical. The key to surviving with an electric car is having a level 2 charger at home, and I'd strongly recommend at least getting this work quoted before buying a BBC. Mine ran about $800 in total, but the job required other electrical upgrades. Level 2 means 240V and about 32 amps, which is a pretty big circuit for a house, but it will give a full charge in about 8 hours. There's also an option on the Bolt for level 3 charging, a fast DC charger that will achieve an 80% COOP SCOOP
es er charg A shopp ry-based e tt a t their b vehicle a electric t's h ig e W Honest tion, one sta charging 00 across ,6 of over 1 rk State. New Yo
Top 5 reasons your next car shoulD be electric With more than 1,600 charging stations and up to a $2,000 rebate, it's a great time to become an electric car owner in New York State.
cars EXHILARATING Electric deliver fast
and smooth acceleration. For pickup that is intuitive and responsive to the driver, the electric car can’t be beat.
range in less than an hour. Unfortunately, for cars other than Teslas, there is only one level 3 charging station in Albany, at a non-Co-op supermarket. The Co-op's chargers are non-networked level 2 chargers. That is, they can’t be reserved. They are also duplex, so the charging rate goes to half if another car is plugged in, increasing full charge time from 8 to 16 hours.
CAPTIVATING
Electric cars offer a technology-rich experience. Whether it’s to preheat your car without garage emissions, or to turn up the bass on your speakers without engine distortions, electric cars are at the
Most public charging networks can be found and accessed with the app, Chargepoint, which will map out your closest chargers and their status, and which you can reserve a slot before driving there. Electric charging stations may charge for electricity, but so far I've never used one that does. Other than Range Anxiety, the Bolt is very easy to drive. It’s simpler in most ways than a gas car, and it can quickly become something you don't think much about at all – except when it's 15 degrees and all of the other cars are puffing out clouds of visible exhaust, or when you put the car in Sport mode and blow the doors off of the other cars leaving a traffic light. Happy (battery based electric) motoring! Tim Corrigan lives in Cobleskill, and he was a member of the HWFC Board from 2016 to 2017. He is an electrical engineer working in the power substation and renewable energy field, with a strong interest in sustainability issues like passive solar houses and off-grid renewable energy systems.
cars keep Satisfying Electric saving you time
and money, because you'll take fewer or no trips to the gas station. Electric motors also don’t need oil changes, so they require less maintenance than conventional gas-powered cars.
still Inspiring Transportation accounts for 42%
of NYS’ greenhouse gas emissions today, so each electric car that replaces a gas vehicle will make a positive difference. York's rewarding WithDriveNewClean
Rebate, you can get a point-of-sale rebate of up to $2,000 on your new electric car. Combine that with a Federal Tax Credit of up to $7,500, and it’s a very rewarding time to be an electric car owner.
LEARN MORE: nyserda.ny.gov/Drive-Clean-Rebate
MARCH/APRIL 2018
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Houseplants: A Love Story
words by Sarah Goldberg
I love all things green, but I often have a hard
time keeping green things alive. I don’t seem to be blessed with the same type of green thumb my father has. I’ve tried planting things outside in our small backyard, but I often seem to make a mistake between seed spreading and tilling. Houseplants are easy and can survive in most household climates. I began to be interested in houseplants a couple of years ago when I was a senior in college. I had opted out of having a roommate that year, but my concrete block dorm felt lonely without another life inside of it. That’s when my parents took me to Walgreens, and I picked out my new roommate, Ransom Roscoe, the ball cactus. Ransom remained by my side for more than a year before it perished from overwatering. In the stretch of time that I cared for Ransom, I learned a lot about taking care of succulents and cacti. Succulent plants, which include but are not limited to cacti, have fleshy leaves and stems because, in their natural warm and arid environment, they store water. I wound up taking in a few more plants and have always had at least two in my care ever since. A jade I bought a few months after adopting Ransom Roscoe is going on its third year of life. If you plan to adopt succulent plants, remember to get cactus soil instead of ordinary potting soil.
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Succulents can die from overwatering, so pot them in something that drains easily. These kinds of plants, which are easy to grow and vary widely in type and appearance, naturally push out the additional water they don’t need, and without proper drainage, their roots may rot. Adding different sized rocks to the bottom of your pot can also help with drainage, and sphagnum moss and activated charcoal can help with soil filtration. I find succulent-based plants to be the easiest to care for as they are the most predictable and need the least amount of care. Plants will only become bigger if you give them enough space to do so. It’s common for plants to get rid of their dead leaves, but it’s also helpful if you pinch off the dead bits that your plant hasn’t been able to get rid of just yet, like going to yoga after two weeks of binge-eating your family’s famous desserts. Wilted parts of a plant can lead to a plant feeling that it has to push more water toward the unrecoverable part of itself and neglect the growing parts. If you’re looking for a plant that does well when you treat it well, but that isn’t too fussy, there are many easy indoor plants that have various benefits. For example, English ivy can reduce the amount of airborne mold, while the snake plant and peace lily remove toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde COOP SCOOP
and benzene, before replacing them with oxygen. Aloe vera, a succulent, produces a jelly-like substance in its leaves that can be used on cuts and burns. All three of these plants need medium to bright indirect sunlight and watering every few weeks. Bromeliad and Christmas cacti both require scant watering, and can bring some beautiful colors and flowers to a space. Bromeliads prefer shadier spots and wouldn’t mind being pushed into a bathroom or even a windowless hallway. Spider plants, Peperomia, and Dieffenbachia can all be brought to the office or workspace as they prefer higher levels of humidity, can exist under fluorescent lights, and are able to get the sun they need filtered through shades. Dragon trees also flourish in low light, but they are toxic for cats and dogs and would need to be in a pet-free space. Being able to care for another thing, pet or a pet plant, can remind you of the kind of care that you need as well. In winter, it seems harder to remember to move our bodies when all we want to do is conserve heat. Get up, stretch, and water your plants. The two most common reasons a plant can start to die or wilt are from watering (i.e., too much or too little) and light. Experiment only a few times with a plant before finding a permanent place for it since, like people, plants can become stressed from moving too often. If like me, you need a schedule in order to remember anything outside of your immediate circle, put your plant care chores on your calendar or set some reminders on your phone. If you’re looking for more tips on indoor plant care, Veronica Peerless released a book this year called How Not to Kill Your Houseplant: Survival Tips for the Horticulturally Challenged. The book contains all of the information you’d ever need to know, and more, including what sorts of bugs like which types of plants, and classic signs of a dying plant with tricks to save it. urself or for someone else this season, remember that DIY is nothing to fear. Being incredibly creative and talented are not requirements for creating something on your own. Part of the point of doing it yourself is putting yourself into your craft in whatever way that may be. Giving someone something you’ve crafted yourself is like handing over a part of yourself—created with your thoughts, your hands, your materials, and your heart. Sarah Goldberg is an early childhood educator with a degree in Creative Writing from SUNY New Paltz. She lives in Albany with her dog, her parents, and her student loans. MARCH/APRIL 2018
Crafting with Kids! Make an Indoor Fairy Garden Create a succulent fairy terrarium with your children! 1. In a sealable glass container, layer
pebbles, then charcoal, cactus soil, and moss.
2. Add your succulents. You can use a
spoon as a shovel and to help stabilize your plants. Be very careful with cacti! Make sure to wear a glove or wrap it in something so you aren’t poked.
3. Now you can decorate! Add pebbles from your yard, seashells, dollhouse accessories, toy animals, or other miniature figurines.
4. Terrariums only need a few drops of
water in order to get started. Once you seal them, they'll reuse the same water over and over.
5. Be sure to check on your terrarium
often! There should be slight condensation on the sides of the glass. If there isn’t, add the smallest drop more water. If you keep it in a sunny window, you may need to move it during the summer so it doesn't get too hot. Terrariums can be tricky, but they're fun and can introduce easy science conversations with kids. What are three things plants need to grow? How is a terrarium like a weather cycle? 17
Recipe Corner CAROB CHIP SQUASH BLONDIES Gluten-free
recipe by Melanie Pores, adapted from ChocolateCoveredKatie.com
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 28 minutes | Serves 10-12 | vegan and gluten-free
VEGAN
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
1½ cups cooked chickpeas (or one can, drained) ⅓ cup squash or sweet potatoes, canned or cooked & mashed ⅓ cup maple syrup or date sugar ⅓ cup gluten-free rolled oats ¼ cup almond butter ¾ tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon ⅛ tsp salt ⅛ tsp baking soda 2 tsp pure vanilla extract ½ cup carob chips
1. Preheat oven to 350°F 2. Line an 8-inch pan with parchment or grease well. 3. Drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas. 4. Process all ingredients except the carob chips in a food processor or blender until completely smooth, then stir in the carob chips. 5. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Press a few carob chips into the top if desired. 6. Bake on the center rack for 28 minutes. 7. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and removing from pan. Store these in the refrigerator. Notes: Except for the veggies, all of these ingredients, including almond butter, maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract, can be found in Honest Weight's Bulk Department.
WHAT IS CAROB? MILD SWEET CURRY SPICE BLEND:
Carob grows in pods, similar to cocoa pods, on trees in the Mediterranean. Once ripe, sweet pulp is harvested from the pods to be dried, roasted, and ground into a powder. The resulting carob powder is sold as is or made into chips. Carob isn't botanically related to chocolate, but it has a similar taste, and carob powder or chips can be used in place of cocoa powder or chocolate chips (though they won't melt). Carob is less bitter than chocolate and has a roasted, nutty, naturally sweet flavor, so carob chips aren't made with added sugar. Carob also happens to be free of caffeine and high in fiber.
photo by Melanie Pores 18
Melanie Pores has been an Honest Weight Food Co-op member since 1978. She runs a conversational Spanish group in the Co-op Cafe on Monday evenings. COOP SCOOP
Woodland Hill welcomes you to engineer, invent, tinker, and create! Become a master builder, explore your theatrical side, learn about creatures great and small, get hands-on with electronics, and explore the outdoors!
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2018 3-12 June 25- August 24
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Professional homebirth midwifery, Doulas, education and more! Locations in Albany & Saratoga Sunday, April 29, 2018 10:30am - 2:30pm FAIR LOCATION: Albany JCC • 340 Whitehall Road • Albany, NY 518-438-6651 x112 • www.albanyjcc.org
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340 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY 12208 www.albanyjcc.org
MARCH/APRIL 2018
Vaad Hakashruth
of the Capital District
Contact: Claire Sigal 518-438-6651 x112 ClaireS@albanyjcc.org
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