ISSUE #419
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
THE GATHER ISSUE
Fermenting 101: Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Gleanings on Gleaning Reducing Waste & Creating Abundance
Mindfulness at Home Family Gathering and Connection
Foraging, the gathering of food, was originally practiced by the nomadic hunter-gatherer populations. At this time, gathering was a systematic task developed around agriculture. As the industrial era flourished, harvesting became an economic activity and, Suzanne Martin later in the 19th century, with the Education Coordinator appearance of allotments, the science of botany was developed. This science aided in transforming the gathering of food into a leisurely activity. As it did in the 1960s, harvesting today symbolizes a return to nature and social engagement as well as a battle against materialism, mass consumption, and a polluted earth. Citizens have come to recognize that the mass production of food sacrifices its quality in nutritional value, taste, and life force. In the words of Hippocrates, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." The processes of mass production, packaging, and shipping can destroy our bodies and the earth. The ideals of being kind to the earth and creating peaceful collaboration with our neighbors are exemplified by initiatives such as community gardens, which have sprouted up all over the Capital Region. In
these community gardens, citizens gather to create urban vegetable gardens for everyone to use. Such collaboration is the backbone of cooperation and the foundation of Honest Weight’s mission. At HWFC we care about where our food comes from, whether it's local, and that the practices surrounding the food are sustainable. As I sifted on this issue, it was clear that the writers were harkening back on the “hippie” ideals of gathering. I found articles on collecting in the literal sense, such as gleaning and mosaic art, but more importantly, I found that there was an underlying desire to highlight the quality of our experience together. What is the quality of your mind, of your heart, when you show up at work, in school, or at home? Are you present? Mindfulness is an underlying theme in this issue. From mindfulness in schools, to being mindful of what you waste, and of course how to be mindful when you gather at home with your family. This fall, join us in celebrating the harvest season and our community with Honest Weight's second annual Homegrown Happening. The festivities will take place indoors and outdoors on October 21st from noon til 4:00.
INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE COOP SCOOP? Contact our editor, Tara Herrick Brown: tara@inur.com
you don't have to be a member to shop! EVER ETT R D
WA TE RV LIE TA
INDUST RIAL PA RK RD
VE
N G
AT E W
W
N VI LI
RV
GR
LIE
AN
VE
TA
TA
LA
N O ST
AV E
RA
NG
NT
VE
VE EX T
CE
WE’RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
90
E AV
KI
100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany, NY 12206 (518) 482-2667 [COOP]
E S
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 non-profit sector. He is currently an active volunteer and a freelance writer and editor.
Assistant EDITOR Tara Herrick Brown, M.S. is a holistic health practitioner at Elevate Albany Wellness on Albany Shaker Road and has offered Resonance Repatterning® sessions at the Co-op. 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.
DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTs
Donna Eastman, Ellen Falls,
Bonnie Betz, Julie Harrell
Writers
Pat Sahr, Rebecca Angel Maxwell, Carol Reid, Raya Ioffe, Tara Herrick Brown, Sarah Goldberg, Ben Goldberg
Advertise with us! Contact: Kim Morton (518) 330-3262 kim.a.morton@gmail.com Printed with soy ink on recycled paper in Albany, NY
CHECK OUT Honest Weight’s FREE CLASSES! • cOOKING CLASSES • NUTRITION AND WELLNEss WORKSHOPS • MUSIC LESSONS • ENERGY HEALING • AND MORE! To learn more... Grab a brochure in store or check out our online calendar at
www.honestweight.coop Register online to reserve your spot at:
www.hwfc.eventbrite.com ISSN 2473-6155 (print) ISSN 2473-6163 (online) 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.
GATHER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
2 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR by Suzanne Martin
6 PRODUCER PROFILES by Pat Sahr
5 HONEST ARTS: COLLABORATIVE MOSAICS WITH SUSAN RUSCITTO
11
by Rebecca Angel Maxwell
8 CONSCIOUS KIDS by Ben Goldberg, et. al.
11 THE CASE FOR E-BIKES by Ben Goldberg
14
14 GLEANINGS ON GLEANING by Carol Reid
18 FERMENTING 101 by Raya Ioffe
19 RECIPE FOR SPICY TURMERIC KRAUT by Raya Ioffe
21 FAMILY GATHERING & CONNECTION
18
by Tara Herrick Brown
23 C0-OP KIDS: BOOK REVIEW by Sarah Goldberg & Ben Goldberg
21 4
COOP SCOOP
Honest Arts:
Collaborative Mosaics with Susan Ruscitto
Something Broken Made Whole
by Rebecca Angel Maxwell
Hopefully you are enjoying the art show on the walls of our Co-op—what a talented community of visual artists! Within this eye-catching presentation is a collection that literally stands out: Susan Krane Ruscitto’s mosaics. Containing different sources of material, they flow together in one creation. Each shard of glass is hand—cut and lovingly presented. The colors and textures offered by her designs create a visual journey. It is hard not to touch them! Ruscitto didn’t start in mosaics, but moved towards this medium in 2009. She is an award-winning floral designer as well. Besides being a working artist, she is also an educator offering her talents to community organizations like HopeClub, for people dealing with cancer, and classes at The Albany Art Room. “My passion and joy has turned into collaborative art. Empowering those who didn’t think they were artistic and showing them that a creative spirit lives in everyone. With people who have faced adversity in life I help them use mosaics as a metaphor for taking something broken and making it whole again.” -Susan Krane Ruscitto See more of her work at http://s673227311.initial-website.com
check out our new gallery, coordinated by honest arts!
Producer Profiles
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. These inspirational stories illustrate the importance of supporting local businesses—that's why we’re so committed to it!
BEE BEVY HAPPY BEE FARM
FOUND IN OUR WELLNESS DEPARTMENT
Carl LoPresti and Patricia Kennedy began beekeeping as a hobby in 2016. They were driven by concern about the decimation of bee populations around the world and wanted to do what they could to save the bees. They began with three hives at their South Westerlo location, but quickly expanded their operation to 12 hives. The original three hives are inhabited by Russian honeybees, which are highly resistant to mite infestation, while the remaining 12 house the more common Italian bees. The hives are all custom-made and hand-painted.
LoPresti and Kennedy call their business Bee Bevy Happy Bee Farm because, as they say, they are very happy working with their large “family” of over 500,000 bees. The farm’s main product is honey, which is sold in four, eight, and 16-oz. bottles that can be found at Stanton's Farm Market stands in New Scotland and Greenville, Jake Moon in Clarksville, Becker's Farm in East Greenbush, Kelly's Pharmacy in Greenville, and Honey Hollow Farm Brewery in Earlton. LoPresti and Kennedy use the beeswax, a by-product of the hives, to make soap, candles, and lip balm. Their soap contains honey, wax, essential oils, and natural colorants, and their lip balm is also made up of beeswax and honey. Bee Bevy unscented candles are made of beeswax and come in three shapes and sizes. Honest Weight carries four different soaps and all flavors of lip balm with the Bee Bevy Happy Bee Farm label. Recently Kennedy was at the Co-op handing out samples of soap and lip balm. She says she encountered many shoppers at the Co-op who are interested in bees and beekeeping, and she enjoyed sharing her passion for bees with them. See more on Bee Bevy Happy Bee Farm's Facebook. 6
COOP SCOOP
SAMASCOTT APPLES
FOUND IN OUR PRODUCE DEPARTMENT
Samascott Orchards, which was established in the early 1900s, is a family-owned and -operated business located in Kinderhook, New York. In the beginning the primary emphasis of the business was on dairy farming, but many vegetable crops were also produced. At that time the farm covered 180 acres. However, in the 20 years between 1940 and 1960, Oliver Samascott, the secondgeneration owner, bought 800 additional acres, much of which included existing apple orchards. By 1970 the focus had switched from dairy to apples. Since that time apple production has grown tremendously, and today the Orchards offer 72 varieties of apples. Currently Oliver's grandchildren, led by Jake and Bryan Samascott, oversee the running of the business. The apples from Samascott Orchards are grown using various Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. The University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources describes IPM as “an ecosystembased strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties.” Accordingly, the Samascotts minimize the need for chemical spraying by growing disease-resistant apples. They also practice pruning in such a way that trees receive abundant fresh air and sunlight, thereby deterring pest infestation and ensuring ideal conditions for the ripening of fruit. The Samascotts also maintain 20 beehives on-site so that the trees will be broadly and naturally pollinated early in the spring by SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
both wind and bees, thereby benefiting the apple trees, the bees, and you and me. Honest Weight has been selling Samascott apples since the 1970s when it was a small store on Quail St. in Albany. At that time Samascott cider was also available, and it was the job of a member-worker to travel to the orchard for a cider run and some tasting. This fall, when you come to the Co-op, look for the selection of apples Samascott Orchards will be offering. (And don’t forget to thank the bees!) More information at www.samascott.com.
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!” 7
Conscious Kids
by Ben Goldberg, et al.
photo by Megan Soule
The buzz on mindfulness and its role in education in the Capital Region
“When you sit, sit. When you stand, stand. Don’t wobble.” Zen saying
What's mindfulness and why has it caught on? The practice of mindfulness has grown steadily during the past 40 years in the U.S. The cover story in the February 3, 2014 issue of Time Magazine was “The Mindful Revolution: The Science of Finding Focus in a Stressed-out, Multitasking Culture.”1 It seems that during the past two years or so, virtually every mainstream publication and website in the U.S. has done major features on mindfulness. Additionally, during the past 30 years the practice of mindfulness has been adopted by corporations, professional sports teams, the medical and behavioral health care fields, and, increasingly during the past decade, in schools. To ensure understanding of terminology, this article will deal with the practice of secular mindfulness as defined by mindfulness pioneer and founder of the Mindfulness8
Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Jon KabatZinn. In 1994 Kabat-Zinn wrote: “Mindfulness involves learning to direct our attention to our experience as it unfolds, moment by moment, with open-minded curiosity and acceptance. Rather than worrying about what has happened or might happen, it trains us to respond skillfully to whatever is happening right now, be that good or bad.”2 Most approaches to learning mindfulness utilize structured exercises such as sitting and walking meditation, focused breathing, body awareness scans, concentration, tension release and relaxation, and yoga. Another key element in most mindfulness models is compassion for oneself and for others. This element appears to be associated with being able to move beyond COOP SCOOP
the confining boundaries of self and ego to a realization or experience of our connectedness with other living entities. Finally, it is important to note that mindfulness, which has its roots in practices and disciplines that are thousands of years old, has been recognized and scientifically validated over more than 30 years as a beneficial secular practice for overall health, personal development, self-regulation, stress reduction, and even interpersonal relationships. Research on the positive effects and effectiveness of mindfulness for many people is extensive and conclusive.3,4,5,6 Mindfulness has been shown to be a beneficial, efficacious, evidence-based practice for many people, and it is particularly relevant at this current time—as the Time cover story points out—when so many of us feel stressed out, overworked, hectic, too busy, when we all, to some extent, engage in almost constant multitasking, when we feel tied to our electronic devices, and when stress, anxiety and the deleterious and sometimes disabling combination of anxiety and depression are so prevalent. In summary, mindfulness has “caught on” because it so often works for so many people with a range of self-developmental and therapeutic wants and needs. It is not a silver bullet and it takes work, but it very often pays off.
Why teach mindfulness in schools? The skills and discipline of mindfulness can be helpful to many children and youth, and it can be particularly helpful to students who have difficulties with concentration, attention, self-regulation, and/or anxiety. Teaching mindfulness skills may be viewed as being similar to teaching students study skills and test taking skills. Some students learn these essential academic skills easily, and sometimes on their own by discovery/trial and error and use them regularly. Other students need assistance and support to learn and practice these skills. Research has shown mindfulness, and/or mindfulness practices combined with yoga or tai chi, to be helpful to students in a variety of ways, including:
• improved attention; • improved social skills; • decreased test anxiety; • increased sense of calm; • improved sleep; • improved self-regulatory abilities. In a 2016 review of research literature pertaining to mindfulness programs in schools, researchers concluded: “Empirical evidence reporting improvements in adolescent attention skills … emotional arousal … and academic achievement … following the implementation of a mindfulness curriculum favors the systematic integration of mindfulness training in educational settings.”8
LOCAL Mindfulness-based Education programs
Holistic Youth Project (HYP) brings yoga, mindfulness, and self-care practices to youth in the Capital Region. HYP’s mission is to empower and enlighten youth and educators with tools to help them reduce stress so that they can reach their greatest potential. Programs include a class in human values, an enviro-friendly after-school program, summer wellness programs, respite and training for educators, mindful moments, and a bridge program in mindful learning and teaching for college students. This fall HYP is partnering with Sienna College, The Hot Yoga Spot, Shambhala Meditation Center, and the Center for Disability Services to offer more programming to the Capital Region's youth. We want to help the children of our region feel confident, joyful, and healthy. We want to see them thrive. To learn more about the Holistic Youth Project or to bring it to your school/wellness center please visit www.holisticyouthproject.com or contact us at info@holisticyouthproject.com. Laurel Englesson, Director of Youth Development and Research, The Holistic Youth Project, Albany
8-week Business Planning Course starting Saturday, January 28th 9:00 am to Noon 920 Albany Street, Schenectady
Give yourself or a loved one the gift of entrepreneurship for the New Year! 255 Orange St., Albany, NY 12210 ◆ 920 Albany St., Schenectady (518) 436-8586 ◆ www.mycommunityloanfund.org
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Connecting
socially concerned investors with local micro and social
entrepreneurs since 1985
9
American Meditation Institute (AMI) has worked with school teachers providing them an understanding of why stress occurs and what changes can be made to decrease stress. They learned practical tools and structures, all part of the core AMI Yoga Science curriculum, to help them deal with the ever-increasing mental, emotional, and physical challenges all teachers (and people) are facing today. The tools of this well-rounded health and wellness program include: meditation and breathing techniques, and Easy Gentle Yoga (physical exercises and stretches). We have found that many of the teachers who have taken the AMI Comprehensive Course have experienced, even within the first weeks of taking the class, improvements in sleep, and decreases in stress, worry, and anger. A number of them have shared the simpler meditation practices with their students and have noticed positive changes in their classrooms. Selfcare is such an important ingredient for a healthy, happy life. The educational community, the caregivers for our children, need to receive care as well—and that includes their self-care and support throughout the school day. Our experience at AMI is that meditation and userfriendly tools learned here can and do help the teachers as well as their students be calmer, more focused, and have increased stamina. Beth Netter, M.D., Chair, The Department of Medical Education, American Meditation Center, Averill Park Schenyoga creates an unstoppable, resilient, empowered community through the practices of mindfulness and yoga. During the 2016-2017 school year, our mission was to share yoga with all students, teachers and staff in the Shenendehowa Central School District. After school programs were held at each school throughout the district with more than 500 students, teachers and staff participating. Planning is underway for the 20172018 school year and we are excited to continue growing this community. Tanya MacLeod, President, Schenyoga, Schenectady Mindful Educators of the Capital Region meets monthly to share mindfulness practices that we use in our classrooms, schools, and school districts. We are
committed to sharing classroom mindfulness practices with a wider circle of people, and thus are generating a list of resources and data to share with whomever may be interested. We have found that the use of mindfulness in schools can increase concentration and focus, increase time on task, decrease off–task behaviors, encourage attendance and participation in school activities, and lower the rates of truancy in our schools. We would love to hear about your experience with mindfulness, and we invite you to share your knowledge and utilize our resources to help spread the word about the power of this practice. Please contact Susan DeLukes for more info: delukes@mail.strose.edu. Cynthia Clo, Member, Mindful Educators of the Capital Region, Albany References:1.
Time Magazine, The Mindful Revolution, Feb. 3, 2014
2. Kabat-Zinn J. Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. New York: Hyperion, 1994. 3. Keng, Shian-Ling, Moria J. Smoski, and Clive J. Robins. "Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A review of empirical studies." Clinical Psychology Review 31, no. 6 (2011): 1041-056. doi:10.1016/j. cpr.2011.04.006. 4. Raab, Kelley. "Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Empathy Among Health Care Professionals: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 20, no. 3 (2014): 95-108. doi:10.1080/08854726.2014 .913876. 5. Hofmann, Stefan G., Alice T. Sawyer, Ashley A. Witt, and Diana Oh. "The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-analytic Review." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 78, no. 2 (2010): 169-83. doi:10.1037/a0018555.. 6. Flaxman, Greg. Flook, Lisa. “Brief Summary of Mindfulness Research.” UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. Presented at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society 6th Annual Conference, Worcester, MA.. 2008 http://marc.ucla.edu/workfiles/pdfs/MARC-mindfulness-researchsummary.pdf 7. Flaxman, Greg; Flook, Lisa. “Brief Summary of Mindfulness Research”. UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. Presented at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society 6th AnnualConference, Worcester, MA., 2008 http://marc.ucla.edu/workfiles/pdfs/MARC-mindfulness-researchsummary.pdf 8. Eklund, Katie, Meagan O'Malley, and Lauren Meyer. "Gauging Mindfulness in Children and Youth: School-Based Applications." Psychology in the Schools 54, no. 1 (2016): 101-14. doi:10.1002/pits.21983.
Please Join Us For Our
Fall Family Fun Day Saturday, October 14 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. $5 per person
Games, Touch-a-Truck, arts and crafts, and food. Sponsored by
Friends of
100 Montessori Place • north Greenbush • woodlandhill.orG 10
COOP SCOOP
The Case for E-Bikes
by Ben Goldberg
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And (unlike subsequent inventions for man's convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man's brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle.” Elizabeth West, Hovel in the Hills: An Account of the Simple Life
photo by Diego Duarte Cereceda
The Nationwide Household Travel Survey (NHTS) conducted in the U.S. in 2009 found that almost 60 percent of daily automobile trips are less than five miles long.1 In other words, a perfect length for a trip by bicycle, if one is physically capable of riding such a distance, and taking into consideration potential barriers such as hills, the safety of the route for a biker, etc. But, if a rider were able to mitigate some or even all of these barriers by having some assistance on the ride, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
thousands or even millions more cars might disappear from the roads of America, and waves of cyclists of all ages and physical capabilities might go rolling quietly and “fumelessly” along. And that’s where the electric bicycle (a.k.a. e-bike, motor-assisted bicycle, electric-power-assisted cycle or EPAC, etc.) comes in! China already has more than 120 million e-bikes on the road. The purchase and use of e-bikes have been growing rapidly in Europe, which like the U.S. has a burgeoning aging
population. However, while more than a million e-bikes were sold in Europe in 2014, the sale of e-bikes in the U.S. in the same period was only about 250,000.2
MEET THE E-BIKE The differences between e-bikes and totally motorized two-wheelers (e.g., scooters or motorcycles) would be meaty enough to merit a separate article. Suffice it to say that e-bikes are a distinct class both practically and legally. Although there are wide variations in e-bikes around the 11
requirements for helmets are the same as for non-motorized bikes. Finally, regarding the rechargeable battery, they have not yet produced a system by which the bike being pedaled or the wheel rolling can recharge the battery. At this point, the battery must be plugged into an electrical outlet. However, any regular outlet will do, and many battery packs can easily be removed from the bike and conveniently recharged.7 A full recharge can take an average of four hours, which will give the rider 10 to 40 miles, depending on a variety of factors.
THE COST OF E-BIKES: PURCHASE, OPERATION, & ENVIRONMENTAL
photo by Seth Doyle
world, the e-bike is basically a bicycle (road, mountain, or other type) with a small motor—typically about one horse power—that augments the biker’s pedaling; a lithium ion battery (as are used in a wide range of tools, computers, and cell phones) that can be recharged; and some type of controller to activate and regulate the assistance of the motor. Some e-bikes utilize a rider-regulated throttle, similar to a motorcycle or scooter, but most are pedal-assist or “pedelec.”4 This means that the motor only provides assistance when the rider is pedaling. Many riders prefer pedelec bikes because these extend the battery life and provide more exercise. As with conventional bikes, a variety of bike frame types (e.g., city bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes, fat bikes, folding bikes) are on the market to meet a broad range of needs and wants. Also, kits are currently available for converting a standard bike into an e-bike. According to choosewheels.com: “The key defining feature that sets an electric bicycle apart from all 12
other similar vehicles is this ‘electricassistance.’ The engine does not drive the bicycle gears on its own, but only assists gears that are already turning under normal pedal-power.”5 In pedal-assist e-bikes, which are most common in the U.S., there is fairly wide variation in the types of features (e.g., lights, power-assist brakes, throttles) that are powered by the battery. Most of the e-bikes sold today come equipped with an LCD or LED display that shows data the rider may want to monitor, such as speed, battery power level, total and trip mileage, and level of electric assistance. Of course, the displays on more advanced models can read out even more data than the average rider cares about or needs. Most commercially sold e-bikes weigh less than 100 pounds, with the majority weighing in at between 40 and 70 lbs. More lightweight models are being developed for the growing ranks of aging riders and those with physical challenges. In the U.S., at this point, neither registration nor insurance is necessary, and
Keeping in mind that there is wide variation among brands, designs, technology, accessories, and all that, an e-bike can generally be purchased for between $1,000 and $8,000.9 However, as battery and motor technologies improve, as more companies enter the production network, such as auto giants like BMW are now doing, and as efficiencies mount, prices will drop. Even now, though, the average price of an e-bike in Europe is about $2,700.10 So purchase is pricey in this approximately $11 billion dollar industry,11 but it is important to factor in that the average operating cost of an e-bike is less than three cents per mile, versus the cost for cars at between 30 cents and 55 cents per mile.12 And the latter figure may not take into account all additional associated costs for cars such as parking and insurance. E-bikes are also far better for the environment than cars, even hybrid and electric cars, and even taking into consideration the use of batteries and the associated consumption of electric energy.
LEGAL STATUS OF E-BIKES IN NEW YORK STATE As the cycling advocacy website COOP SCOOP
PeopleForBikes points out: “It is legal to sell e-bikes in all 50 states + D.C., but technically illegal to ride them in 29 states because the operation of an e-bike is governed by state law. In other words, a shop can sell an e-bike totally legally, but in many states, people can’t legally ride it out of the store.”14 Unfortunately, New York State is one of those states. Under current NYS law and DMV regulations, despite blossoming sales and hundreds of thousands of e-bike riding citizens, particularly in New York City where e-bikes are everywhere, e-bikes cannot be registered in the state, but neither can they, as “motorized vehicles”, be ridden… because they cannot be registered... because they are not motorcycles, or scooters, or mopeds.15 There are currently bills pending in both New York State legislative houses, however, that relate directly to e-bikes: NYS Assembly Bill A1018 requires persons 16 years of age or older to wear a helmet when operating an electric assisted bicycle. This bill focuses on non-throttle e-pedal assist bikes, with motor assistance only when the rider is pedaling and with a motorized maximum of 20 mph.17 NYS Senate Bill S6029A “clarifies the vehicle and traffic law to define electric assisted bicycles; establish that electric assisted bicycles, as defined, are bicycles, not motor vehicles; and establish safety and operation criteria for their use.”18 Advocates are cautiously optimistic about some reasonable form of
legislation being adopted and hundreds of thousands of “outlaw e-bikers” thereby being redeemed in the eyes of the law. Legal clarity and the development of bike-friendly infrastructure will almost surely contribute to a spike in the use of e-bikes, with all of its personal, social, and environmental benefits.
CONCLUSIONS At their core, e-bikes have a wide appeal around the world compared with other forms of motorized transportation because they are relatively simple and problem-free, require no more maintenance than the average bicycle, and are easy to fix. They offer a reasonable speed, have a fairly good range that matches typical transportation needs, are relatively inexpensive, and have a small carbon footprint. You can still get a good bit of exercise riding an e-bike—and tailored exercise at that—because, with most models, you’re still pedaling! And, research has shown that e-bike owners benefit physically from their use of the e-bike, almost regardless of their physical/fitness condition, and that they ultimately use their bikes even more than regular cyclists so that the benefits of bike usage— cardiovascular health, fitness, and aerobic capacity—are compounded.8 As PeopleForBikes explains: “We ride for fitness. We ride to get from here to there, to free ourselves from the daily grind, and to make our world a better place through bikes. Sometimes we ride for no reason at all…. But mostly, we ride because it’s fun.”20
References:
1. Macarthur, John, Jennifer Dill, and Mark Person. "Electric Bikes in North America." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2468 (2014): 123-30. doi:10.3141/2468-14. Submitted for presentation and publication to the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board January 12-16, 2014 Paper Forthcoming in 2014 Transportation Research Record March 13, 2014 2. "How do electric bicycles work?" Explain that Stuff. September 14, 2016. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/ electricbikes.html 3. "Electric Bikes vs. Mopeds." Optibike Electric Bicycles.https://optibike.com/ electric-bikes-vs-mopeds/ 4.“Understanding Electric Bike Modes: Throttle vs. Pedal Assist (Pedelec).” Electric Bike Report, MAY 8, 2013 BY PETE. https://electricbikereport.com/electricbike-throttle-pedal-assist-pedelec/ 5. "How Does an Electric Bicycle Work?" ChooseWheels.com. April 25, 2017. https://www.choosewheels.com/ electric-bicycle-work/ 6. "How Does an Electric Bicycle Work?" ChooseWheels.com. April 25, 2017.https://www.choosewheels.com/electricbicycle-work/ 7. Batteries 101 nycewheels.com/ battery-info.html 8. "13 Things You Need to Know About E-Bikes." Bicycling. October 04, 2016. bicycling.com/rides/beginners/13-things-youneed-to-know-about-e-bikes 9.Reynolds, Gretchen. "The Surprising Health Benefits of an Electric Bike." The New York Times. July 06, 2016. well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/the-surprisinghealth-benefits-of-an-electric-bike-2/ 10. "Life by Bike Magazine by COBI." Life by Bike Magazine by COBI. Accessed June 23, 2017. life.cobi.bike/ 11. Hakim, Danny. "E-Bike Sales Are Surging in Europe." The New York Times. August 18, 2014. nytimes.com/2014/08/19/business/e-bikesales-are-surging-in-europe.html 12. Reynolds, Gretchen. "The Surprising Health Benefits of an Electric Bike." The New York Times. July 06, 2016. well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/thesurprising-health-benefits-of-an-electric-bike-2/.13. Turner, Jim. The Electric Bike Book Oak Creek Publishing, LLC (January 28, 2013) PDF ebook. 14. "Are Electric Bicycles Legal?" ChooseWheels. com. April 25, 2017. choosewheels.com/electricbicycles-legal/ 15. "Clearing up e-bike legislation in the U.S." Clearing up e-bike legislation in the U.S. | PeopleForBikepeopleforbikes. org/blog/entry/clearing-up-e-bike-legislation-inthe-u.s.16. "Bills & Laws." NY State Senate. Accessed June 23, 2017. nysenate.gov/legislation/ bills/2017. 17. "Bills & Laws." NY State Senate. Accessed June 23, 2017. nysenate.gov/legislation/ bills/2017.18. Daniel Fitzsimmons | April 23, 2017. "Electric-fying: Newer bikes are passing on the left." The Daily Gazette. dailygazette.com/ article/2017/04/23/electric-fying-newer-bikes-arepassing-on-the-left. 20. "Why We Ride." Why We Ride | PeopleForBikes. peopleforbikes.org/pages/ why-we-ride
WHALEN AUTOMOTIVE
~Check engine light ~NYS inspection ~30K,60K,90K Services ~Cooling system repair ~Brake system repair and more.
Come experience: ~Quality repair from people who care ~Friendly polite service ~Dependability and integrity Get Acquainted Special - $49.95! WOW!
1003 Ninth Ave Watervliet, NY 12189 518-272-8601
3miles from route 9&155 intersection
-Synthetic engine oil and filter, top off fluids, set tire pressures-Check belts, hoses and coolant condition-
*Upto 5qts of oil. European cars & trucks extra.
BE KIND TO YOUR CAR AND THE ENVIROMENT TOO! A well maintained vehicle pollutes less and saves on gasoline cost.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
13
Gleanings on Gleaning
by Carol Reid
Harvest is approaching. Look around you. What can you recycle? What can you upcycle? Some ideas for abundance when things seem scarce.
'Tis the season to be gleaning. It's a practice as old as the hills. In a nutshell (apple peel, barley hull, corn husk), gleaning means the practice of freely helping oneself to ripened fruit, reaped grain, or other produce that's fallen to the ground and would otherwise go unsold or uneaten. (By people, that is.) On the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the wheat harvest in Israel, celebrants read aloud from the Book of Ruth, where Ruth is gleaning in the fields after the death of her husband. In Jennifer Koosed's book Gleaning Ruth (2011), we learn that the story is a metaphor for the "power to begin life anew, to gather what has been scattered, to glean what one needs." In Leviticus, we're told: "'Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger." Other Biblical references to gleaning can be found in Isaiah, Judges, Jeremiah, Micah, and Deuteronomy. A friend recalls seeing Jean-François Millet's seminal 1857 painting Des Glaneuses (The Gleaners) almost 20 years ago, while it was on loan to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown. The work shows a group of peasant women gleaning in the grain fields after a harvest. Initially controversial for its compassionate view toward gleaners, it was disdained by the French upper classes. Famous examples of gleaning in art also include Jules Breton's Le Rappel des Glaneuses (The Recall of the Gleaners) and Vincent Van Gogh's series of gleaning images.
14
The Gleaners by Jean-Francois Millet
Filmmaker Agnes Varda posing as a gleaner of wheat
AgnèsVarda's acclaimed documentary The Gleaners and I came out in 2000. Varda herself ("the grandmother of the French Nouvelle Vague," a group of New Wave filmmakers) had come to Albany in 1983 to take part in a college film seminar; a few of her films were shown at the 3rd Street Theater in Rensselaer. The Gleaners and I follows both "farm gleaners" and "urban gleaners"; artists who work with recycled materials; and the director's own serendipitous adventures with "found" objects (a clock without hands, a heart-shaped potato). Varda even applies the concept of gleaning to her own work: "You pick ideas, you pick images, you pick emotions from other people, and then you make it into a film."1
Gleaning can serve as a social safety net, moral hygiene lesson, and almost paganistic paean to Mother Earth and the Circle of Life. Share and share alike, it enjoins us. Waste not, want not. "Throwing away food," according to Pope Francis, "is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry." "One man gathers what another man spills," say the Grateful Dead in the song "St. COOP SCOOP
Gleaning Women in Italy, 1930
Stephen." Leonard Nimoy's inspiring last tweet was: "The more we share, the more we have." A woman I know from downstate New York used to walk her dog at a golf course that had, along its outer edges, a voluminous wild blackberry patch. She toted home pints upon pints of berries, an impressive score given how expensive the ones from the store can be. She did this routinely for several years, until one day making the sad discovery that all of the bushes had been heedlessly mowed down. But with unassailable logic— and homemade lemon-blackberry muffins in hand—she convinced the groundskeepers to let the broken bramble grow back. Voila! Less work for the groundskeepers, more berries for my friend, and balance in the universe restored. And then there was the acquaintance of another friend of mine, thoroughly entranced by all the mulberry trees around these parts. Mulberries themselves are pretty hard to collect (except for on the bottoms of shoes, the tops of cars, the tires to bikes, the droppings from birds) and they seem to try the patience of most Albanians. But this dauntless fan had hailed from Iran, a land long famous for its mulberries, and he blissfully gathered as many as he could for a precious gift to present to a girlfriend. Strictly speaking, neither of these activities really SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
qualifies as "gleaning" since the highly nutritious berries in question may not have been actually lying on the ground—if they had been, they most likely would have been past saving—but the spirit of the law is the same. The letter of gleaning laws, however, varies widely. Many European countries permitted gleaning by the poor well into modern times, while the USSR harshly criminalized it in 1932. Kathleen Maloney notes: "In the battle against food waste and hunger, the ancient tradition of gleaning is gaining new admirers around America.” The Society of St. Andrew, a national ecumenical, charitable organization in the U.S., currently supports a number of hunger initiatives, such as the Potato Project, the Gleaning Network, Harvest of Hope, and the Seed Potato Project, as do many other grassroots groups. The Gleaning Network in the United Kingdom performs a similar mission. If you want to pick a good cause to support this summer, and experience gleaning for yourself, as well as for the greater good, why not consider volunteering locally? Capital Roots, a regional food-security-oriented nonprofit organization, runs the Squash Hunger Project—a great solution to all that extra zucchini! Their website states: "Every year, Capital Roots arranges several field gleanings for volunteers to help comb our 15
GLEANING WINTER COATS by Karla Guerreri
He answered and said unto them, “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none. (Luke 3:11, KJ21) Was John the Baptist talking to people who were cleaning out their closets before the winter season? I doubt it, but his admonition still applies. If you need some information in order to get your donations to people in need, the following list of agencies and groups might help: 1. American Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces directs the Winter Warmth Project for the benefit of homeless and needy veterans. Donations of NEW coats, gloves, boots, blankets, and winter apparel are accepted from October 1st through March 31st at 33 Everett Road in Albany. 2. Joseph’s House and Shelter at 74 Ferry Street in Troy distributes new and gently used coats, gloves, and sweatshirts on an as-needed basis from November 15th to April 15th to guests at the shelter and to anyone else in need as part of the Street Outreach and Inn from the Cold programs. They have particular need for oversized men’s clothing. Donate at the shelter.
region's farmland for excess crops. Because produce has a short shelf life, farmers are usually only able to give us short notice. We rise to the occasion by taking a flash-mob approach to volunteerism and encouraging anyone, including kids, to join the tomato, cabbage, or apple picking fun! All the produce we glean is donated directly to local pantries and shelters within 24 hours of being picked."2 And so the harvest approaches, much more bountiful for some than for others, as it has always been. But, as Charlotte Brontë once wrote, "Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste." References 1. (Cineaste, 26.4 (2001): 24-7) 2. www.capitalroots.org/programs/squash-hunger/gleaning-services/
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 HWFC since the 1980s.
3. Schenectady City Mission managed the distribution of over a thousand coats last year to shelter and community residents, and partnered with the elementary schools at times. The effort continues. Men’s, women’s, and children’s new and used coats are accepted at 425 Hamilton Street, Schenectady, from 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, with a receipt provided. 4. Christ’s Church in Albany partners with thirty other agencies and coordinates the effort through the website servealbany.org. Their coat program will be featured there starting in October. Christ’s Church, at 25 South Allen Street, will serve as a drop-off center starting at an autumn TBD date. 5. Capital City Rescue Mission at Trinity Place in Albany collects and distributes coats as well as other articles of clothing for men, women, and children year-round. Donations are accepted at 127 Arch Street on Monday through Saturday from 8 AM until 4 PM. 6. Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region serves clients year-round at 15 Trinity Place in Albany. With ample storage, they can accept new and gently used clean coat donations in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes at any time. 16
COOP SCOOP
(518)465-0241 www.albanyfamilylifecenter.org
NEW NATURE PRESERVE:
The Fox Preserve in Colonie
Grand Opening: October 21st at 10 AM Free Guided Tours Scenic views of the Mohawk River Access to the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway Hiking and Birdwatching
CELEBRATING
25 YEARS
Hands-On, Hearts Open
Care During Your Entire Childbearing Year
! s u n i Jo
Betsy Mercogliano, CPM, LM (518)449-5759
Tisha Graham, CPM, CLC, Doula Rose Mitchell-Tenerowicz, Doula Laura Simpson, RN, NMT, Doula
Mohawk Hudson LAND CONSERVANCY
Professional homebirth midwifery, Doulas, education and more! Locations in Albany & Saratoga
Information & free registration:
www.mohawkhudson.org
LY AL TED! C LO OAS R
BULK
NUTS, SEEDS, GRANOLA, DRIED FRUIT, TRAIL MIX, NUT BUTTER, CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE. CHECK OUT OUR SALES IN THE BULK DEPARTMENT!
®
WWW.TIERRAFARM.COM
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Jess Hayek ,CE, Doula (518)727-8219
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
17
Fermenting 101 It is believed that vegetable fermentation technology is at least 2,000 years old. It began in Asia and the Middle East and has been practiced in Europe for over 500 years. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that the ancient traditions of fermenting vegetables are beneficial for the brain and for general health. In our current world of antibiotics and hypervigilant hygiene, we are less exposed to the benevolent bacteria and microorganisms that we are just beginning to learn about. There is a multitude of demonstrated and potential health benefits available from fermented vegetables, including rebuilt intestinal terrain, improved immunity, enhanced nutrient absorption, increased digestive enzymes, and the elimination of Candida overgrowth. They may also contribute to improved mood, increased energy, and even cancer prevention. In short, fermented vegetables are one way to provide essential nutrients and grow healthful microorganisms in the gut. In order for fermentation to take place, we need to create an anaerobic environment—that is, an environment free from oxygen. We create that with a saltwater brine. The bacteria responsible for the fermentation of vegetables, called lactobacillus, make energy and breathe without oxygen in your jar or crock. This creates the by-product lactic acid, something that also occurs in our muscles when we work out. At the beginning of the fermentation process, lactic acid bacteria do not proliferate. Have you heard of the term “succession” associated with forest growth? When there is a forest fire, the pH of the soil drastically changes, after which there is a particular order in which plants grow back and the forest ecology returns. Trees don’t just start
18
by Raya Ioffe
growing in the middle of this burnt clearing. First, there will be flowers and then shrubs. As the pH of the soil changes, red alders begin to grow. Then firs and other trees. Gradually the whole forest returns. During fermentation, a similar succession happens. Cabbage and other vegetables have very little of the lactic acid bacteria to start. When we make sauerkraut we are putting the microorganisms in just the situation where the lactic acid bacteria thrive, but the other organisms either cannot grow or they grow very slowly. This gives the lactic acid bacteria the opportunity to grow and expand. The lactic acid produced also helps protect the food from harmful bacteria. Over the course of the fermentation process, different microorganisms will grow when the conditions are right. These microorganisms will change their environment, usually in the direction of making things more acidic, and then they will be replaced by more acid tolerant microorganisms. Wild ferments, or those naturally occurring bacteria on the vegetables, are wonderful if tolerated because they ensure a diverse population of organisms that can come to the forefront at different points of the fermentation process. When making sauerkraut, it is important that the cabbage be completely submerged under the brine so that the bacteria that are present quickly use up all of the available oxygen, the liquid becomes anaerobic, and the oxygen–needing bacteria are quickly replaced with anaerobic microorganisms. As noted, there are amazing health benefits being found
COOP SCOOP
with the lactic acid bacteria species in vegetable ferments like kimchi and sauerkraut. For example, mice given probiotics (healthful live bacteria and yeasts) found in sauerkraut were able to resiliently withstand significant stressors. Other research appears to indicate that lactic acid bacteria have beneficial effects on elements in the central nervous system associated with the regulation of many physiological and psychological processes. Fermented foods may play a positive role in mitigating such conditions as depression, anxiety, and functional bowel disorders. Research on the “microbiota-gutbrain axis” appears to be very promising. Meanwhile, when you next have your hot dog (or tofu pup) at Yankee Stadium or Fenway, be sure to ask for extra kraut!
Recipe for Spicy Turmeric Kraut Ingredients:
3 lbs cabbage 1 cup radish 4 – 5 carrots 1 cup onion 4 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp chili pepper (adjust for spiciness) 4 Tbsp turmeric 4 Tbsp ginger 4 Tbsp sea salt
Method: 1. Slice the cabbage, radish, and carrots into about equal sized shreds. 2. Make a paste with garlic, onions, chili peppers, turmeric, and ginger in the food processor. 3. Add salt to veggies and massage them with your hands to mix. 4. Pack into a gallon-size crock or jar. Tamp down with your hands. 5. Important: Get all the air bubbles out as you pack it down – creates an oxygen-free environment for the veggies. 6. Push until the brine covers the top of the veggies. 7. Cover your veggies with a saucer or plate. Try to get one that fits as close to the edges as possible. 8. Weight your cover down with a clean weight (e.g., jar of water). 9. Cover with a cloth so no insects can get inside or use a lid with an airlock. 10. During the first week, check on your veggies to make sure they are staying under the brine. If necessary, push the veggies down. This will help prevent mold from forming. 11. I typically like anywhere between 2-4 weeks of fermentation time for small batches. If you harvest it when it’s too young, it may still be a bit bubbly feeling on your tongue. 12. The best temperature to ferment sauerkraut is 55-65 degrees. Put the container in a pantry, root cellar, cupboard, or on your kitchen counter. If it gets below or above this temperature it will be fine, but the best flavors develop within this range. 13. When you are ready to harvest, if necessary, scrape off the top layer, and enjoy the healthy cultured veggies. Note: If mold forms, scrape it off. If the sauerkraut underneath smells okay, taste it. If it doesn’t taste right, spit it out and throw the batch away! SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
DIY FERMENTATION TOOLS AT THE CO-OP! Check out these helpful fermentation tools sold at Honest Weight and try your hand at preserving veggies with just salt and water! In a rush? Check out our incredible selection of prepackaged fermented vegetables found in the dairy fridge on the right side.
KOMBUCHA STARTER CULTURE: Real Kombucha you can make at home. Comes with SCOBY culture and pH strips.
RECAP FERMENTER: Waterless airlock valve and stopper to let air out but not in of a jug for liquid ferments.
PICKLE PEBBLES: Beautiful glass fermentation weights for small- and largemouthed jars.
PICKLE PIPE: Silicone, waterless airlock for use with mason jars to keep mason . Comes in sets of three.
OHIO STONEWARE CROCK SET: Old-fashioned two-gallon crock with two-piece fermentation weight, made in the USA! 19
Photos by Caleb Jones, et. al.
Relish in Family Time
by Tara Herrick Brown
mindful/spiritual child can help my kids better navigate If you have a busy young family like mine, athemselves and the world, then I’m all for it. trying to carve out some time for self-care Here are some ideas for gathering with your loved ones and relishing in some connection time: amid the seemingly endless responsibilities Circle of thanks. of a running a household could strike chords I won’t pretend that we gather every night for dinner, we do make family dinners a priority. My favorite of anxiety or guilt in you, rather than the but pre-dinner ritual is our circle of thanks. We hold hands give thanks to each other, to the earth, to the rain, intended feelings of pleasure, calm, and peace. and to the farmers. It’s a very sweet way of teaching gratitude With childcare support, perhaps you can break away for a yoga class and shore up some quality “me time” here and there, but doing some daily centering activities together may be the best route—benefiting both you and your entire family. Kids typically provide great examples of mindfulness and being in the present moment. You can see this as they spend hours building blocks, playing with action figures, and lying in the grass watching busy bugs. Witnessing their total immersion in what they are doing is a great reminder of presence, the first step to mindfulness. As the kids get older, more distractions can lure them out of this state, and they can sometimes become less connected to themselves and the moment. Helping our children quiet their minds and become present can increase their self-awareness and also allow them to connect with something greater than themselves. By learning to transcend self-centeredness rather than clinging to ego, they can learn to feel part of something bigger (nature, the sacred, the universal life force). When we are calm and open, aware and fully present, we can experience the deep interconnectedness of all things. This connection can help to develop a sense of gratitude, contemplative skills, and a compassion for others. Lisa Miller, founder of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University, says, “While religion is the traditional way to cultivate this [interconnectedness], it can also be achieved with regular time spent in nature, in community service, or with family—it’s about fostering the framework, language, and practices for spiritual living. ” Taking a nature walk together, mindfully sitting in silence, or gathering at dinner, holding hands and giving thanks—each of these activities can help you connect to yourself, to your family, and to a greater sense of spirit, in whatever form it takes. If supporting the development of SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
for each other and for those that produced the food at our table.
Breakfast date.
If your family’s schedule doesn’t allow a circle of thanks at dinner, then set your alarms a bit earlier and turn breakfast into that connection time. Talk about the day ahead and highlights from the day before.
Walk, glean, and honor.
Walk around your neighborhood or explore your favorite green locale. Have everyone find one special object on the walk. When you return home, gather together and have each person show their found treasure, and describe why they chose it and why it’s special to them. Then give the collection of newly found objects an honored place by grouping them on the mantle or on a table as an altar-of-sorts, and remember to give thanks to one another for making family time a priority.
Meditation station.
Inside, find a bench or stool, or outside, a fallen log or large rock. Together, sit in silence. The only instruction is to listen … to your breathing, the birds, the wind in the trees, ambient noises. Simply sit and listen. For toddlers and preschoolers, start with 60 seconds. Go up to five minutes (or longer) for grade-schoolers and beyond. Afterwards, talk about what each of you heard or the thoughts that arose while you quietly sat together.
Board the massage train.
Physical touch has many important benefits developmentally, physiologically, and emotionally. My youngest daughter loves lotion—a lot of lotion. I give her a bottle and let her go to town. She feels like she’s giving me layers of love and has fun doing it. In turn, I feel loved and reap the rewards of a silky-smooth back. 21
Strap on the apron.
Give everyone in your family one night each week to choose the entire dinner menu. Prepare the meal (or portions thereof) together, and celebrate the curious and atypical food pairings of the evening.
Be together without doing anything.
Stare off into space. Lie under the clouds. Look at the moon. Gaze at the stars, and discuss what you think lies beyond. View and appreciate the natural world and talk about its beauty. Give your loved ones your undivided attention, and show them how important they are in your world.
Family yoga.
Let’s be honest—to use the word ‘yoga’ is a stretch. (Pun intended.) Don’t expect to get an hour-long session, but practice a few cat/cow exercises, complete with moos and meows. It will make your little ones laugh, and you’ll get a nice back stretch to boot.
Choose your own adventure.
Sweet dreams. After books are read and lights are off, together with your child say thank you. Thank you for the day, thank you for your health, thank you for your family, thank you for the love in your heart. This is a great way to drift off to dreamland, experiencing gratitude and finding something good to focus on, no matter how the day went.
It’s easy to get caught up in the monotony of grocery shopping and driving the family taxi, but when you intentionally set aside time, and you’re present for your family, you begin to realize just how spiritual being a parent can be. Cultivating spirituality and mindful presence in yourself and in your children will make them and you stronger, more self-confident, and kinder human beings. So gather. Look into those precious eyes and hold those tiny hands. Listen to their stories. Relish in their innocence. Feel inspired by their imaginations. And give thanks for all that surrounds you. References: Miller, Lisa. “The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving.” (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2015).
Photo by Caroline Hernandez
Choose a few key weekends during the year, and decide that these are “family fun days.” Assign each person in your family one of the chosen days to create the entire day’s plans—from the breakfast menu to every detail of the adventure. It’s okay to lay down some ground rules, like the destination must be within a three-hour drive or sticking to a certain budget. Within these constraints, give your child a chance to feel empowered and manifest
their desires. It will give you something fun to talk about over dinner (or breakfast) and will give everyone something to look forward to.
22
COOP SCOOP
Co-op Kids!
READ!
Book Review: The Great Veggie Monster Mystery
1. Color 2. Cut 3. Read!
by Sarah Goldberg & Ben Goldberg
A classic parenting dilemma: how do you get kids to try vegetables? In this charming and engaging book by Joan Bender, the parents’ initial attempt at negative reinforcement doesn’t work, but it unintentionally leads to a mystery that the kids try to solve. In the meantime, they discover more than just the solution to the mystery: they discover that veggies are pretty darn tasty! Bender’s book is a gentle formulation of a common family dilemma. Highlighted by wonderful illustrations by Carol Coogan (which dog lovers in particular will appreciate), there is good, authentic family dialogue, and an accessible plot that moves along at a nice pace. The illustrations, which are a combination of complex and simple lines, allow children to put themselves inside the story. There are also occasional clues to the mystery in the text and illustrations that older kids may catch on to without spoiling the story. After the story is concluded, there is some advice for parents as well as a few good recipes in the back of the book that kids of all ages may enjoy. (Who doesn’t love milkshakes and smoothies?) Bender writes: “The character Sprout is like me when I was a kid. I didn't like vegetables and I was resistant to eating them. I figured there must be other kids out there who don't like vegetables too. Now I love vegetables and can't imagine my life without them. The character Sweet Pea is just like my dog Grace, who loves vegetables and will dance in front of the refrigerator when she wants carrots.” She adds: “Working with parents and their children as a play therapist and now as a coach, I am well aware of the power struggles that can come about. Often there is a clash of opinions and coaxing that turns into a digging in of wills before parents decide to choose their battles and find clever ways around the power struggle.” The Great Veggie Monster Mystery is a treat for kids 3-7, as well as for parents (including this rapidly aging father and his 24-year-old daughter!) or caregivers. The Great Veggie Monster Mystery is available at www.jbenderwellness.com and at amazon.com. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
B O O K W R M S
B
KS
23
Rain or s
hine!
AV E
T
G
RK RD
N W
N O ST G E AV
KI N
RIAL PA
AV E
LA VE
N
For details visit:
INDUST
EX
IET
RA
AV E
Only • while supplies last
NT
IET
VI
OCT
21 st
CE
RV L
RV L
ALL DAY LONG!
90 WA TE
LI
SAVINGS
• GROCERY • MEAT & SEAFOOD • PRODUCE • Specialty • BULK • DELI
open to the public!
TA VE
DOORBUSTER DEALS IN...
delicious samples!
we’re JUST MINUTES OFF EVERETT RD & CENTRAL AVE!
AN
free demos!
over 20 local vendors!
W AT E
Live music, games, face painting & fun for the whole family!
OUTDOOR MARKETPLACE Featuring local farmers and artisans!
GR
Free cooking classes and tasting samples!
LOCAL
D
FOOD
ETT R
FUN
100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY
EVER
12-4 PM
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 st
100 WATERVLIET AVE. ALBANY, NY PH: 518-482-2667
E S