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Sustaining Local and Organic farmers for 30 years
National Organic Month
Celebrating the Or ganic Har vest In Praise of the Organic Environment by Marion Nestle he benefit of eating organic food is not so much what it does for you, but what it does for the environment. Despite being a long-time analyst of the politics of nutrition, I must confess to a rather late interest in organic foods. Ironically, my epiphany came as a result of an encounter with General Mills, a Minneapolis-based leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. In 2003, I was invited to give a talk on my book, Food Politics, at a meeting of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) in Texas. With “organic” in the title, I assumed I would be speaking to an audience of counterculture farmers. Wrong. I was introduced by a vice-president of General Mills. At that moment, I understood that organic foods are no mere fad; they are big business.
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Just how big is a matter of debate. By some estimates organics brought in $20 billion in the United States alone in 2004. Corporations like General Mills know that organics constitute the fastest-growing segment of the food industry. Since 1990, sales have gone up by about 20% a year – a gigantic rate by industry standards. Organics may amount to just a tiny fraction of total food sales – estimates range from 1% to 8% – but that fraction is rising. Most important of all, Americans are willing to pay more for organic foods. No wonder every big food company wants to get into this business. To consider organics a passing fancy would be a serious error. Organic farming methods constitute a principled and fundamental critique of the current system of industrial agriculture. This system wastes resources, pollutes the environment, raises animals in unsanitary and inhumane conditions, externalizes every possible cost and is based on only one rationale — producing the largest amount of food possible at the lowest possible cost, regardless of consequences for health or the environment. At a time when rising rates of obesity are a worldwide public health problem, the accumulation of vast quantities of inexpensive, high-calorie foods may no longer be in any country’s best interest.
dards, think relentless. My take: if organic standards require eternal vigilance to protect, they must be good and worth defending. Given the potential size of the organic market, it is easy to understand why critics are enraged by the idea that producing foods organically might be better for you or the planet. They say that organic methods reduce productivity, are elitist, threaten food security, are an environmental disaster and are unsafe. Because research on these charges is limited, they are easy to make but hard to refute. Less is more But some questions about organics have been researched and do have clear answers. One is productivity. As early as the mid1970s, studies questioned the idea that agricultural efficiency depends on inputs of fertilizers and pesticides. In 1981, a careful review of such studies concluded that farmers who converted from conventional to organic methods experienced small declines in yields, but these losses were offset by lower fuel costs and better conserved soils. More recent studies confirm these results. Overall, investigations show that organic farms are nearly as productive, leave the soils healthier and use energy more efficiently than conventional methods. The productivity issue seems settled. Organics do less well, but the difference is small. If crops are grown without pesticides, you would expect fewer pesticides to get into the environment, foods to contain less of them, and adults and children who eat organic foods to have lower levels of pesti-
Overall, investigations show that organic farms are nearly as productive, leave the soils healthier and use energy more efficiently than conventional methods
or ganics are better!
Certified Organic The Certified Organic label on a food means that the producers of the food followed these rules: they did not use any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers to grow crops or feed for animals; they did not use crops or feed that had been genetically modified, fertilized with sewage sludge or irradiated; they did not feed animals the by-products of other animals; they gave animals access to the outdoors and treated them humanely; and they were inspected to make sure they followed the rules in letter and in spirit. Opponents of organic methods – and there are many – work hard to cast doubts on the reliability of organic certification, to weaken the standards (so there really will be something to doubt), and to make consumers question whether organics are better than industrially grown foods and worth a higher price. I cannot count the number of times I have been asked whether the “organic seal” really means anything. It does. Ask any organic inspector, produce manager, farmer, or meat, egg or strawberry producer, and you immediately realize how hard they work to adhere to standards. Trust is essential, and they earn it. As for attempts to weaken the organic stan-
cides in their bodies. Research confirms these connections. Pesticides are demonstrably harmful to farm workers and to “non-target” wildlife, and they accumulate in soils for ages. These are reasons enough to eat less of them. Critics question the safety of organic methods that use manure as fertilizer. But organic standards require farmers to treat manure to make sure harmful microbes are destroyed, and they are inspected to make sure they do so. Growers of conventional vegetables do not have to follow such rules, nor are they held to them. I am aware of only one study that compared levels of microbial contaminants on foods grown organically and not. This found evidence of fecal contaminants on 2% of conventionally grown produce, 4% of Certified Organic produce and 11% of produce said to be organic, but not certified. The difference between the first two was not significant. The higher levels on the third suggest that certification means something. I know of no reason why Certified Organic foods should be less safe, and several why they would be safer.
would expect them to be more nutritious, and you would be right. This is easily shown for minerals because plants take them up directly from the soil. But plants make their own vitamins and phytonutrients, and those levels depend on genetic strain or treatment post-harvest. The idea that organic soils improve nutritional values has much appeal, and organic producers would dearly love to prove it. I cannot think of any reason why organically grown foods would have fewer nutrients than conventionally grown foods, and I have no trouble thinking of several reasons why they might have more, but it is hard to demonstrate that the difference has any measurable effect on health.
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evertheless, a few intrepid investigators have compared the nutrient content of foods grown organically and conventionally. These show, as expected, that organic foods grown on good soils have more minerals than foods grown on poorer soils. They also show that organic peaches and pears have somewhat higher levels of vitamins C and E, and organic berries and corn have higher levels of protective antioxidants. In general, the studies all point to slightly higher levels of nutrients in organically grown foods. This may be helpful for marketing purposes, but is not really the reason why organics are important. Are foods better if they are organic? Of course they are, but not primarily because of nutrition. Their true value comes from what they do for farm workers in lower pesticide exposure, for soils in enrichment and conservation, for water supplies in less fertilizer runoff, for animals in protection against microbial diseases and mad cow disease, for fish in protection against contamination with organic hydrocarbons, and for other such environmental factors. My guess is that researchers will eventually be able to prove organic foods marginally more nutritious than those grown conventionally, and such findings might make it easier to sell them. In the meantime, there are plenty of other good reasons to choose organic foods, and I do. Marion Nestle Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, which she chaired from 1988-2003. She has been a member of the FDA Food Advisory Committee and Science Board, and American Cancer Society committee. Nestle is the author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (2002) and Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism (2003), both from University of California Press. Thanks to Global Agenda Magazine for reprint permission. Check out Global Agenda Magazine on the web at www.globalagenda.org
Better for you? Do organic methods confer special nutritional benefits? If organic foods are grown on better soils, you
YOUR CO-OP W ANTS YOU! La Montanita Co-op needs a few good people • Travel to various Co-op communities • meet interesting and interested people • help guide the growth of New Mexico’s Cooperative Economic Network. Run for your Co-op Board of Directors! Pick up a Board Candidate Packet at any of the four Coop locations. More info: contact Marshall at 256-1241 or bod@lamontanitacoop.com
Co-op chile
roast!
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Deadline for Submission of Candidacy
October 1, 2005
national organic month A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store La Montanita Cooperative Albuquerque/Nob Hill 3500 Central S.E. Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631 Albuquerque/Valley 2400 Rio Grande Blvd. Albuq., NM 87104 242-8800 Gallup 105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383 Santa Fe 913 West Alameda Santa Fe, NM 87501 984-2852 Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001 General Manager/C.E. Pugh x113 ce@lamontanitacoop.com Accounting/Toni Fragua x102 tonif@lamontanitacoop.com Business Development/Steve Watts x114 Computers/Info Technology/Mark Bieri x108 computers@lamontanitacoop.com Human Resources/Sharret Rose x107 hr@lamontanitacoop.com Marketing/Edite Cates x104 editec@lamontanitacoop.com Membership/Robyn Seydel x105 memb@lamontanitacoop.com Store Team Leaders: Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631 mf@lamontanitacoop.com John Mulle/Valley 242-8800 jm@lamontanitacoop.com William Prokopiack/Santa Fe 984-2852 willpro@lamontanitacoop.com Tim Hankins/Gallup 863-5383 th@lamontanitacoop.com Co-op Board of Directors: email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com President: Martha Whitman Vice President: Marshall Kovitz Treasurer: Ken O’Brien Secretary: Julie Hicks Roger Eldridge John Kwait Tamara Saimons Andrew Stone Tom Hammer Membership Costs: $15 for 1 year $200 Lifetime Membership Co-op Connection Staff: Managing Editor: Robyn Seydel memb@lamontanitacoop.com Layout and Design: foxyrock inc Covers and Centerfold: Edite Cates Advertising: Robyn Seydel Printing: Vanguard Press Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 217-2027 email: memb@lamontanitacoop.com Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, memb@lamontanitacoop.com website: www.lamontanitacoop.org Copyright © 2005 La Montanita Co-op Supermarket Reprints by prior permission. The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.
Food, Oil and Sustainable Solutions by Danielle Murray rom farm to plate, the modern food system relies heavily on cheap oil. Threats to our oil supply are also threats to our food supply. As food undergoes more processing and travels farther, the food system consumes ever more energy each year.
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The U.S. food system uses over 10 quadrillion Btu (10,551 quadrillion Joules) of energy each year, as much as France’s total annual energy consumption. Growing food accounts for only one fifth of this. The other four fifths is used to move, process, package, sell, and store food after it leaves the farm. Some 28 percent of energy used in agriculture goes to fertilizer manufacturing, 7 percent goes to irrigation, and 34 percent is consumed as diesel and gasoline by farm vehicles used to plant, till, and harvest crops. The rest goes to pesticide production, grain drying, and facility operations. The past half-century has witnessed a tripling in world grain production—from 631 million tons in 1950 to 2,029 million tons in 2004. While 80 percent of the increase is due to population growth raising demand, the remainder can be attrib-
increased farm energy use, allowed larger water withdrawals, and contributed to aquifer depletion worldwide. As water tables drop, ever more powerful pumps must be used, perpetuating and increasing the oil requirements for irrigation. More-efficient irrigation systems, such as low-pressure and drip irrigation, and precision soil moisture testing could reduce agricultural water and energy needs. But in many countries, government subsidies keep water artificially cheap and readily available. Countering the historical trend toward more energy-intensive farm mechanization has been the adoption of conservation tillage methods—leaving crop residues on the ground to minimize wind and water erosion and soil moisture loss. Soil quality is improved through this technique, while farm fuel use and irrigation needs are lowered. Zero-till farming is practiced on 90 million hectares worldwide, over half of which are in the United States and Brazil. Reduced tillage is now used on 41 percent of U.S. cropland. Although agriculture is finding ways to use less energy, the amount consumed between the farm gate and the kitchen table continues to rise. While 21 percent of overall food system energy is used in agricultural production, another 14 percent goes to food transport, 16 percent to processing, 7 percent to packaging, 4 percent to food retailing, 7 percent to restaurants and caterers, and 32 percent to home refrigeration and preparation. Food today travels farther than ever, with fruits and vegetables in western industrial countries often logging 2,500–4,000 kilometers from farm to store. Increasingly open world markets combined with low fuel prices allow the import of fresh produce year-round, regardless of season or location. But as food travels farther, energy use soars. Trucking accounts for the majority of food transport, though it is nearly 10 times more energy-intensive than moving goods by rail or barge. Refrigerated jumbo jets—60 times more energy-intensive than sea transport—constitute a small but growing sector of food transport, helping supply northern hemisphere markets with fresh produce from places like Chile, South Africa, and New Zealand.
sustainable solutions for
food security uted to more people eating higher up the food chain, increasing per capita grain consumption by 24 percent. New grain demand has been met primarily by raising land productivity through higher-yielding crop varieties in conjunction with more oil-intensive mechanization, irrigation, and fertilizer use, rather than by expanding cropland. Crop production now relies on fertilizers to replace soil nutrients, and therefore on the oil needed to mine, manufacture, and transport these fertilizers around the world. Rock deposits in the United States, Morocco, China, and Russia meet two thirds of world phosphate demand, while Canada, Russia, and Belarus account for half of potash mine production. Nitrogen fertilizer production, which relies heavily on natural gas to synthesize atmospheric nitrogen, is much more widely dispersed. World fertilizer use has increased dramatically since the 1950s. China is now the top consumer with use rising beyond 40 million tons in 2004. Fertilizer use has leveled off in the United States, staying near 19 million tons per year since 1984. India’s use also has stabilized at around 16 million tons per year since 1998. More energy-efficient fertilizer production technology and precision monitoring of soil nutrient needs have cut the amount of energy needed to fertilize crops, but there is still more room for improvement. As oil prices increase and the price of fertilizer rises, there will be a premium on closing the nutrient cycle and replacing synthetic fertilizer with organic waste. The use of mechanical pumps to irrigate crops has allowed farms to prosper in the middle of the desert. It also has
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rocessed foods now make up threefourths of total world food sales. One pound (0.45 kilograms) of frozen fruits or vegetables requires 825 kilocalories of energy for processing and 559 kilocalories for packaging, plus energy for refrigeration during transport, at the store, and in homes. Processing a one-pound can of fruits or vegetables takes an average 261 kilocalories, and packaging adds 1,006 kilocalories, thanks to the high energy intensity of mining and manufacturing steel. Processing breakfast cereals requires 7,125 kilocalories per pound—easily five times as much energy as is contained in the cereal itself. Most fresh produce and minimally processed grains, legumes, and sugars require very little packaging, particularly if bought in bulk. Processed foods, on the other hand, are often individually wrapped, bagged and boxed, or similarly over-packaged. This flashy packaging requires large amounts of energy and raw materials to produce yet almost all of it ends up in our landfills. Food retail operations, such as supermarkets and restaurants, require massive amounts of energy for refrigeration and food preparation. The replacement of neighborhood shops by “super” stores means consumers must drive farther to buy their food and rely more heavily on refrigeration to store food between shopping trips. Due to their preference for large contracts and homogenous supply, most grocery chains are reluctant to buy from local or small farms. Instead, food is shipped from distant large-scale farms and distributors—adding again to transport, packaging, and refrigeration energy needs. Sustainable Solutions Rather than propping up fossil-fuel-intensive, long-distance food systems through oil, irrigation, and transport subsidies, governments could promote sustainable agriculture, locally grown foods, and energy-efficient transportation. Incentives to use environmentally friendly farming methods such as conservation tillage, organic fertilizer application, and integrated pest management could reduce farm energy use significantly. Rebate programs for energy-efficient appliances and machinery for homes, retail establishments, processors, Continued on page 12
New Member Appreciation Special!
CO-OP
YOU OWN IT All new and renew members (Lifetime members too!) get three $5 gift certificates to enjoy lunch or dinner at Scalo’s. One set of coupons per household membership, and one coupon ($5) per outing to Scalos please. Check out their seasonally changing menus with lots of local, organic produce at www.scalonobhill.com.
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become a member or renew! september 2005
national organic month To Bash or Not to Bash by Brett Bakker, Chief Inspector, NM Organic Commodities Commission f you’ve followed my rants and raves here with any regularity (poor you!) you may have noticed a fair amount of bashing of the organic certification process and the organic industry in general. Well, things aren’t as bad as all that, not really.
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what they make per hour. They don’t want to know. I mean, you give the cable guy more money than the farmer can expect to make. Don’t forget too that farms pay to be certified organic with cold cash as well as time and effort spent on paperwork that they’d rather use weeding or fixing that broken spring tooth harrow. There are farmers and ranchers in New Mexico who’ve told me that without certification, they’d have to shut the operation down and maybe even sell the farm. And yes, I’ve seen it happen.
Any of us who’ve been involved with growing, buying, selling or certifying organic food for any length of time (over two decades sure makes me feel old!) never envisioned the organic industry as it exists today.
Second is the GMO question. It’s a tricky one but since most of agribusiness is opposed to labeling food products with genetically modified ingredients at all, an organic certification is still the best What were we thinking?! Idealists, we bet you have. Keep in mind that imagined there would be food co-ops in contrary to popular belief, organic each section of town supplied by nearby certification is process-based rather farms with plenty to go around. That dethan a guarantee of purity. That is, centralization model certainly hasn’t itchy green the cert process verifies that the taken hold since no matter how dedicatfarm in question has done everyed your local co-op is to supporting local producers, thing right, that no GMOs were used in the production of the food there just aren’t the farms here to supply, say, organ- whether seed, fertilization or pest control. ic garbanzo beans year round or dairies of organic milk or even the infrastructure (or climate!) to supontamination by cross-pollination or accidental mixing at the port grain silos, rice paddies or what have you. So if silo can and does occur. If certifiers are doing their job correctyou want organic bananas and organic half-and-half ly, they make sure that testing occurs as needed. Since New available year round (if sales are any indication, most Mexico hasn’t any large corn or soy production, we have little to worry of you do), the “food industry” must be involved. about. But for instance, I’ve inspected an organic corn chip processor in TX that tests each and every truckload of corn for GMO content as Which brings me back to that bashing thing. No mat- it rolls in, a time consuming and costly process for all involved: first the ter the irregularities, inanity and minutiae of the truck has to be stopped to take the sample that enters the lab and goes organic regulations, it’s what we’ve got to work with through tests while the truck and trucker wait to unload the corn. An and it works better than I might’ve led you to believe. idle truck always loses money for somebody somewhere. In an hour or Even the most die-hard keep-government-out-of- two, if the corn is clean, its dumped into the organic silo. If its not, it organic-certification people I know still buy certified goes into the non-organic bin where the organic price premium to the organic food. supplier is lost. Or the load may be refused altogether and sent back. Then the tracking process begins to find out just where the GMO conI’ve gone on long enough about the system’s flaws tamination took place: truck, railyard, silo, farm? Good thing we policy (I’ll be back with more later on, believe me) but what wanks insisted on all that darn paperwork all along, eh? Again, someare its strengths? body’s picking up the tab for all this which makes them in turn raise their prices to cover such unexpected costs. First (don’t kid yourself) is the bottom line. Organic farmers can make a better living than the non-organ- I guess I’ve gone on about economic considerations here so long I’ve ic farmer—and besides the dollar aspect, you can run out of room. But a cleaner healthier environment is a given as the count clean land and not poisoning your farm work- basis for organic farming. But since the organic method runs counter ers, your kids, yourself and your community as a to every bit of conventional wisdom in agribusiness, costs skyrocket. bonus. But generally speaking, although farming is a Maybe it shouldn’t be that way. Maybe farms should instead be certigreat way to make a true and clean living, it’s a mis- fied to allow the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and erable way to make a living wage. Never ask a farmer GMOs… but I guess I’m just being idealistic again.
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Gallup
Will Pesticide Use Implode?
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he real reason the majority of people in this country are still eating pesticides is not because the effects of pesticides on health have not been clearly documented but because power has been wielded over mass food production in the interests of corporate gain. The vast majority of conventionally grown food is produced by huge farm operations, many of which are under the influence (and/or ownership) of large chemical corporations. These huge corporations have considerable lobbying power, and the government heavily subsidizes their operations. The cheap food you see in supermarkets is in fact artificially underpriced—food is actually more expensive to grow than most people are aware. Yet the consequences of long term pesticide use are cumulative in their effects not only on the health of mankind, but also, ironically, on the underpinnings of the profits that pesticide use attempts to perpetuate. The current almond shortage is one example of how continued pesticide use year after year may eventually create more problems than it ‘controls.’
their having developed resistance to chemical treatments (i.e. pesticides) which beekeepers have used to control them. This evolution of insects with highly developed defenses has far-reaching impacts. What will happen not only to commercial but also to organic crops once we have created super-bugs and super-weeds that are resistant to more and more toxic chemicals? What will happen to the health of people who ingest more and more toxic chemicals in produce? And while scientists are cooking up these more potent brews to combat the varoa mite infestation, what will happen to the approximately one third of the human diet that is derived directly or indirectly from insect-pollinated plants (80% of which is accomplished by honey bees)? Pollination shortages will impact the quantity and quality of many fruits, vegetables, berries, tree nuts, oil seeds and legumes. There will be less produce available and it will cost more. This cost will be born by farmers as well Continued on page 4
The majority of the world’s almond supply is produced in California. Findings in recent years that show that consumption of almonds may lower cholesterol levels have led to greatly increased demand for almonds, making them California’s most financially successful crop. As a result, the number of acres planted in almonds has grown yearly in the past decade. Almond blossoms, to fruit, must be pollinated by bees during a brief window of time; thus many bees are needed. To meet the current demand for polliWhat will happen not nation of trees in California, almost half the bees must be trucked in only to commercial but from other states. In the past year, the bee population available to also to organic crops California farmers has been significantly reduced due to various faconce we have created tors: wild fires in California wiped out 30,000 colonies; high honey super-bugs and super-weeds prices have caused out-of-state beekeepers to keep their bees at that are resistant to more home making honey; the increased number of acres in almonds has and more toxic chemicals? caused increased need for bees; infestations of red fire ants have affected bees in other states. But most seriously, an explosion of What will happen to varoa mites has left dead or severely weakened approximately 50% the health of people of California’s bee colonies. who ingest more and more toxic chemicals Varoa mites, like other insects, overgrow to some extent cyclicalin produce? ly. However, at this time their exponential reproduction is due to
september 2005
Co-op Values Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Co-op Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control. 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5. Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food, health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.
CO-OP
YOU OWN IT 3
celebrating the local
harvest
Local Pr oduct Spotlight Resting in the River: Spiritual Agriculture Healing Herbal Products hough most of us know four-time Oscar-nominated, twotime Golden Globe winner, Marsha Mason as an actress, she has moved far beyond cathartic effect to a deeper physical and spiritual healing. Ms. Mason is currently the Chairperson of the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, our state organic certification agency and her farm and company are committed to restoring the health of New Mexican land, rivers and the wild critters and people that live here.
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Ms. Mason’s commitment to growing the most potent and vital herbs has taken her farm, Resting in the River, beyond their organic certification, beyond the biodynamic principles they employ, to a level of farming she calls “Spiritual Agriculture”— where prayer, intention and ritual play a vital role in everything they do and everything they grow. The results are a bounty of plants that are bursting with life force and energy. The recent star of Broadway’s Steel Magnolias now brings her form of “Spiritual Agriculture” to our Coop locations with her line of Resting in the River® Herbal Wellness Sprays ™ and body and bath products. All her products contain only the most carefully chosen certified organic herbs and flowers grown at her farm in Abiquiu. Processed in Albuquerque, these unique formulations never contain parabens, sodium lauryl, laureth sulfate, petrochemicals, artificial colors or preservatives and are fragrance-free. “Spiritual Agriculture” (SA) emphasizes the integrity of Nature and the health of soil, water, air, and all living creatures. Farmers who practice SA are connected to the land by recognizing spirit in them-
selves as well as in nature. They embrace the spiritual qualities and sacredness of growing medicinal plants for all fellow human beings. According to Ms. Mason, “Everything we do is predicated on the idea that everything is interconnected. The earth, planets, wind, water, seeds, even rocks, and human beings and all the critters of the planet and therefore everything must be respected, prayed over and worked with the holy or holistic attitude of the Golden Rule. Treat everything the way you want to be treated because God, Divine Consciousness, Spirit, exists within everything and everyone.” Together with Resting in the River’s master herbalists, they have turned their harvest into an entire line of products including healing salves, herbal medicinal remedies, bath and body care products that rejuvenate, invigorate and heal. Their Resting in the River Restoratives body care collection is an earthy blend of organic herbs from the farm that bring skin care to a whole new level. This radical restoration for dry, irritated skin includes body lotion, salve, body butter, body wash, sugar salt scrub and Healing Highdration Mist ™. For inner health and wellbeing, Resting in the River has introduced Wellness Sprays, a
Will Pesticide Use Implode? Continued from page 3 as consumers, with doubled prices for renting beehives, increased cost of water and gas, etc. Then if the price of, for example, almonds goes too high, demand could as much as disappear. Thus, one eventual effect of long-term pesticide use could be to dry up the markets for the very crops the pesticides are used on. The effects of chemical use in agriculture are not something that will remain on some quasi- moderate level consistently. Increased lethality of chemical pesticides, increased potency of insects destructive to crops, and steadily decreasing nutrition in food grown in soils depleted and contaminated by chemicals, all point to the urgency of returning—worldwide—to ways of growing food that are in harmony with nature and the earth’s cycles. Only when we work cooperatively with all that nature offers will she be able to produce and sustain our children as she has in preceding generations. Change on a large scale in support of the health of the earth and mankind will likely involve intensive and committed efforts by those who care. It will involve grassroots and political action to resist the domination of our culture by mega-
corporations (such as Monsanto), which are quietly growing larger and larger each year, and are positioning to come into more and more power over governing forces. It will involve directing funding toward studies that observe and document the long term consequences of the use of
emphasizing the
integrity of nature potent new way to get all the health benefits of herbal extracts without the inconvenience or unpleasant taste. They are offered in four, pleasant-tasting herbal blends: Boost Juice, an immune system booster; Chill Factor, a natural herbal stress reliever; Superior Support, an immunity defense spray; and Throat Therapy Spray, a highly-effective throat remedy. La Montanita Co-op is pleased to be able to offer these locally grown, locally processed, totally pure products at Coop locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Gallup members can special order any of these fine products.
involve communities coming together to resist encroachment of what is detrimental to the environment and the health of the people. This is why, if you read in an article in this newsletter a request that letters be sent to congressmen about issues which you believe are important, it is a significant contribution on your part to write that letter. If you keep aware of what is happening in your community, if you
Change on a large scale in support of the health of the earth and mankind will likely involve intensive and committed efforts by those who care. pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, etc. not only on isolated aspects of food production (as has been carried out by scientists in the employ of agribusiness), but also on the holistic functioning of the entire ecosystem that agriculture is part of, as well as on human health. It will involve monitoring of mineral levels in soils where food is grown, of sediment contaminants in water used in agriculture, etc., because the nutritive value in food grown commercially has steadily decreased, unchecked. It will involve education to increase public awareness about what is really happening to our food, and about the value and significance of organic and fresh food to our health. It will
stay informed about how your food is grown, if you vote for what you believe in: those are significant contributions. Agribusiness would have the American public know little and accept that what food looks like is basis enough on which to buy it. Individual awareness and input are essential to the groundwork for ensuring the health of our food. And of course, buying organic and locally grown food conveys your economic support of organic principles, and sustains the source of the food that sustains us. by Mary Grube
ORGANIC PRODUCTS FOR ORGANIC LIFE
Creating natural prescriptions for healthier plant life and a cleaner Earth.
Los Poblanos Organics www.LosPoblanosOrganics.com
681-4060
FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL 505.907.9070 OR 505.321.3717 OR EMAIL US AT environmentalenhancers@hotmail.com OR webehumus@hotmail.com
KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME 4
september 2005
celebrating the organic
harvest
Regional Product Spotlight
Or ganic Valley Dair y Cooperating for Regionally Produced Milk rganic Valley (OV) began in 1988 with just seven farmers who shared a love of the land and a belief that a new, sustainable approach to agriculture was needed for family farms and rural communities to survive. With more and more family farms threatened with extinction, these farmers set out to create a solution.
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That solution has grown into the largest, organic, farmer-owned cooperative in North America and one of the largest organic brands in the nation. Over the years, those first founding farmers have been joined by over six hundred others, in states from California to Maine. Now farmers in Texas, New Mexico and southern Colorado have joined the OV “Family of Farmers” to produce fresh milk for La Montanita’s New Mexican network of consumer-owned co-ops. Like our Co-op, though growing at a rapid pace, Organic Valley remains true to its roots. They are the only organic brand to be solely owned and operated by organic farmers. Much like La Montanita Co-op pays workers a living wage, and for nearly 15 yeas has returned patronage refunds to community owners, part of OV success is due to the fact that the farmer-owners pay themselves a stable, equitable and sustainable pay price. In an era of rising and falling agricultural prices, the family farmers who produce Organic Valley organic milk, juice, eggs, meat, and produce can rely on that stable, living wage to stay in business in their home regions. Farmers from all over the world trek regularly to their headquarters in rural La Farge, Wisconsin, to learn what makes the OV cooperative model work. Being farmer-owned and independent has also allowed them to stay true to their mission – keeping family farmers farming. Sharing the vision of a truly sustainable agriculture, OV farmers go beyond organic standards with their stewardship of the earth. They are at the heart of the organic revolution. The mile high, Colorado farm of Dr. Meg Cattell and Dr. Arden Nelson's is not a typical dairy, yet it is a classic example of what makes the OV cooperative and products so special.
Rocky Mountain Pastures When Meg and Arden met in 1993, it was at a dairy science conference. Love was in the air: "We hit it off right away, comparing notes on our research and experiences with farming," Meg recalled. "We got married in 1999, and started consulting together, formulating rations and preventative medicine programs for dairy farms around the country. In 2000, we settled in Windsor." The dairy Meg and Arden purchased was a conventional farm, but they didn't want to run an operation that used pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. With a desire to go organic and an interest in leveraging the Rocky Mountain river valley's ideal farming environment, they began transitioning the farm to organic and planting pastures of native perennial grasses. The couple's 400 cows thrive by grazing 1,048 acres of seasonal grass and crops which are carefully tended by the two veterinarians who share a love of agriculture, science and organic living. Rotational grazing is one of many ways that the good doctors have applied their scientific knowhow to improve the production and health of their cows, which produce organic milk sold in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico under the new Organic Valley Rocky Mountain Pastures™ label.
herd will graze on sorghum and alfalfa and then move to native perennial grass in fall and spring, and to fields of wheat, rye or triticale in winter. "If we take care of cows and feed them correctly, they are healthier so are the consumers of their dairy products," Meg explained. Meg and Arden's choice to be organic farmers has as much—if not more—to do with their passionate commitment to caring for the environment and producing nutritious food for their young family. “We never have used herbicides or pesticides or harsh chemicals around our children," Meg said. "And we have the luxury of raising or trading for almost all of our own organic food. Our children are robust, but sheltered from harmful exposures."
Y
ou can taste the difference in OV Rocky Mountain Pastures’ milk. Less traveled, this organic milk is truly fresh with the added bonus of knowing that it is part of a nation wide cooperative that provides an alternative to the corporate model. But it’s the taste of true quality in OV Rocky Mountain Pastures Milk that leads Meg and Arden’s four-year-old, Fiona, to exclaim, "The milk is so good, you take one sip, and then you have to take another sip... and another." La Montanita Coop is pleased to carry Organic Valley Co-op products at all our locations.
The practice also is a symbol of Meg and Arden's eclectic combination of careers in farming and science, their commitment to sustainable agriculture, and their desire to feed their children, Fiona, four, and Sam, two—as well as other families—delicious organic food. With careful management of their seasonal rotational grazing system their cows will have access to pasture year-round and will only be confined to buildings in extreme weather. In the summer, the
National Organic Month Special Report:
Free-range eggs are more nutritious!
N
ew research by Mother Earth News magazine provides more evidence that industrial agriculture is producing inferior food. Tests of eggs from four free-range flocks found that, compared to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for eggs from confinement production systems, the eggs from chickens raised on free range were much more nutritious — up to twice as rich in vitamin E, up to six times richer in beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) and four times richer in essential omega-3 fatty acids. And, the free-range eggs averaged only half as much cholesterol as the USDA data indicates for confinement-system eggs. Mother Earth News magazine, a leader of the “Real Food Revival,” initiated tests which were conducted by Skaggs Nutrition Laboratory at Utah State University and Food Products Laboratory in Portland, OR; data and
graphs are available in the August/September 2005 issue of the magazine or at the Mother Earth News Web site, www.MotherEarthNews.com/eggs. “Other studies also have shown similar results for some of these nutrients, but the industry actively denies that free-range systems produce better eggs,” says Mother Earth News editor-in-chief Cheryl Long. The Mother Earth News article reports that the American Egg Board Web site (www.aeb.org) claims that free-range conditions do not result in a better diet for the hens and more nutritious eggs: “But we have assembled evidence that this claim is untrue, and we’ve asked the Egg Board to correct the statement on their Web site.” “Inferior eggs are not the only problem that has developed because the push for cheap food has gone too
The eggs from chickens raised on free range were much more nutritious — up to twice as rich in vitamin E, up to six times richer in beta carotene.
get local, free range eggs at your
CO-OP
september 2005
far,” Long says. “A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition has revealed that the nutrient content of conventionally grown vegetables and fruits has declined over the past 50 years. The study compared USDA data from 1950 and 1999 for 13 nutrients in 43 crops. After rigorous statistical analysis, the researchers found that, on average, all three minerals evaluated have declined; two of five vitamins have declined; and protein content has dropped by 6 percent.” Also, there is growing evidence that produce grown with synthetic fertilizers is less nutritious, mainly because it tends to contain more water than produce grown with natural, organic fertilizers. For more information see the June/July 2004 arti-
cle at www.MotherEarthNews.com/Whole_Foods_ and_Cooking/ 2004_June_July/Is_Agribusiness_Making_Food_Less_Nutritious_. Meat and dairy products show nutrient differences similar to those reported above for eggs. Products from animals raised on natural pasture diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and higher in vitamins and other essential nutrients than products from animals raised in confinement on high-grain diets. For more information see the April/May 2002 article at www.MotherEarthNews.com/Whole_ Foods_and_Cooking/2002_April_May/Pasture_Perfect. Both mad cow disease and E. Coli food poisoning problems are consequences of intensive confinement beef production systems. Mad cow disease is the result of mixing infected animal “by-products” into feed given to feedlot cattle. And the emergence of highly toxic forms of e. coli bacteria has been linked to the practice of feeding cattle unnatural high-grain diets. This accumulating evidence that intensive industrial agriculture is delivering inferior food is pushing many consumers to seek local, organic, grass-fed and free-range products. The USDA reports farmers’ markets have increased more than 80 percent from 1994. “There’s a Real Food Revival underway in the U.S. and it’s providing safer, more nutritious and better tasting food to consumers and new opportunities for small farmers,” Long says. The August/September 2005 issue of Mother Earth News features the cover story, “Join the Real Food Revival.” To read this article, go to www.MotherEarthNews.com/library/2005_August_September/ Join_the_Real_Food_Revival. Since 1970, Mother Earth News magazine, the original guide to living wisely, has inspired millions of consumers with ideas and information on real food and the lifestyle of green living. Mother Earth News is owned by Ogden Publications, who publishes eight other magazine titles in Topeka, Kansas. Mother Earth News is available on magazine racks at your Coop in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Contact them at 785-274-4319 clong@MotherEarthNews.com, or 785-274-4320 unewbury@ Mother EarthNews.com Mother Earth News: 1503 SW 42nd, Topeka, KS 66609 (866) 600-4588.
5
co-op news LOCAL SALE ITEMS SHOP LOCAL & SAVE Tamale Molly Santa Fe, NM Gourmet Vegetarian Tamales, 3 pack, Assorted varieties, Sale $3.49
Tijeras Organic Alchemy Albuquerque, NM Crimson Clove Revitalizer, 4 oz, Sale $8.99 and 12 oz, Sale $16.99
505 Organics Albuquerque, NM Organic Green Chile Enchilada Sauce or Salsa 16oz, Assorted varieties, Sale $2.99
Bite Size Bakery Santa Fe, NM Bite Sized Cookies, 6.5 oz, Assorted varieties, Sale 2/$6 VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 8/31-10/4, 2005: Not
all items available at all stores.
CO-OP SPECIALS BUY LOCAL SAVE $$$$ WANT TO SEE YOUR LOCAL PRODUCT ADVERTISED HERE? Contact Angela at angela@lamontanitacoop.com.
New Member Appreciation Special!
Beginning Aug. 15th all new and renew members (Lifetime members too!) get three $5 gift certificates to enjoy lunch or dinner at Scalo’s. One set of coupons per household membership, and one coupon per outing to Scalos please. Check out their seasonally changing menus with lots of local, organic produce at www.scalonobhill.com.
september 2005 6
Annual Membership Meeting
Kicking Off Our 30th Year! Sunday October 23, 2005 3-6PM his coming fiscal year marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of La Montanita Co-op. Back in 1976 three hundred families pooled their resources to bring natural foods to their neighborhood. Today we have nearly 12,000 member/owner households, centered around two communities in Albuquerque, one in Santa Fe and in one Gallup.
T
We are tremendously grateful to the many members who over the decades have supported and continue to support a consumer owned alternative to conventional and in recent years natural food corporate chain stores. The economic democracy inherent in the cooperative principles and values has been and remains our guiding light. To celebrate the beginning of our 30th anniversary we wanted to do something special at this year’s Annual Membership meeting. This year’s gathering will be held at Los Poblanos Conference Center at 4803 Rio Grande Blvd N.W. Listed on both the New Mexican and National Register of Historic Places, the Center and the 25 acres surrounding it are home to one of the oldest continuously working farms in the Albuquerque area. Famous for their lavender fields and historic gardens as well as home to Los Poblanos Farms Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and erda Gardens (CSA), the Center’s setting represents the kind of ongoing sustainable agricultural activity the Co-op holds as one of its principles. Built in the 1930’s by famous architect John Gaw Meem the Center with its art collection as well as the gardens will be open for Co-op guests.
As always our Board of Directors and our General Manager will both give their state of our Co-op reports. We will give out several awards to dedicated members of our cooperative community and members will get to hear from and have dialogue with the candidates for our upcoming Board election. To mark the beginning of this year with a little more celebration, the Co-op will be serving a New Mexican dinner to our guests. We ask that all members interested in joining us for this year’s Annual Membership Meeting Celebration please RSVP so we know how much food to prepare and also because space is somewhat limited at the Los Poblanos Center. Please call in your reservation to me, Robyn, at 505217-2001 x105 or e-mail me at memb@lamontanita coop.com.
annual member
meeting
Local Pr oduct Spotight Co-op Annual Organic Green Chile Roasting Days! GREEN CHILE FIELD REPORT or many years traditional green chile growers Albert and Connie Bustamante of Ranchos de las Rosas near Socorro have, with the help of Christina and Arnold Mazotti of M Mountain Farm, been bringing the most delicious home-grown, certified organic chile to the Co-op for our Annual Chile Roasting Days. And despite a tough agricultural year both families still hope they will be bringing some chile to the Co-op. But as I write this in mid-late August its just too early to tell.
F
This year’s story of what the Bustamentes have been though is a classic example of the many challenges farmers face as they work to bring in their crop. First, unusually cool weather late into the spring delayed the planting of the fields. Then some strange malady wiped out their whole first planting. Many farmers in the Socorro area who irrigate off the Rio Grande had the same experience. They feel their losses might have been caused by unusually high levels of alkalinity in
the water and are working with State water officials to figure out if indeed it was some water related issue. Salt of the earth that they are, the Bustamantes replanted their fields, and we are now waiting, hoping that crop will mature before the cold weather sets in. As of this writing we cannot say exactly when our annual green chile roast will be. The Bustamantes and the Mazottis are both hopeful (as are we) that our Annual Green Chile Roast will just happen a little later in the season than usual. Check with produce department staff at both Albuquerque locations, and as soon as they know they will let you know the dates of our Green Chile Roast. Watch for sign-up sheets at the info desks as well. Christina Mazotti said in mid August, “We are hopeful that it will come in late September or early October. But the chiles are just too small at this point to say for sure.” by Robyn Seydel
Interested in Social Change? Think Cooperative economics have a role to play? Want to share dialogue with other interested Coop Members? COOPERATIVE SOCIAL CHANGE READING and DISCUSSION GROUP FORMING We have gotten a number of calls and comments on Gar Aplerovitz’s article on Ecological Sustainability and the role of cooperatives in long term social change, published in the July 2005 issue of the Coop Connection.
In an effort to further dialogue on these issues, if there is sufficient interest, the Coop is willing to host a reading/discussion/action group on related topics. Using the book America Beyond Capitalism and other suggested readings to build a framework for our social change discussions. If you are interested please contact Robyn at 2172001 x105 (or direct line at 217-2027)or e-mail her at memb@lamontanitacoop.com.
co-op news
september 2005 7
the inside scoop
by C.E. PUGH
General Manager’s Column formance in key areas over previous years. Your satisfaction with our staff and store cleanliness improved this year and our positive ratings on competitive pricing declined. If you would like a copy of the complete survey results, please let me know. We are now reviewing and sorting by topic the many written comments we received and I will be sharing these with you over the next few months.
We received over 1,300 completed member surveys and we have finished processing your responses. About 40% of those responding indicated that most of their food is purchased at the Co-op and over 60% found the cleanliness of our stores to be excellent. Our Produce, Bulk, and Cheese departments continue to be areas of strength and the feedback on the quality of our meat department enjoyed significant improvement this year. 30% of respondents believe our pricing is competitive and 55% feel that our prices are a little high. We received very positive feedback on our staff with high percentages finding excellent in the areas of staff friendliness, knowledge, and professionalism. Product quality, support of local products, and support of community business were the three most important reasons indicated for choosing the Co-op. In ranking your satisfaction with La Montanita, approximately 45% indicated delighted, 50% satisfied, and 5% not satisfied.
9/12 9/14 9/18 9/20 TBA
Social Responsibility Research Committee, 5:30pm Nob Hill Annex Member Linkage, 5:30pm Valley Coop Coffee with the Board, 10am-12pm Valley location Board of Directors Meeting, 5:30pm Immanuel Presbyterian Church 114 Carlisle SE Finance Committee Meeting, 5pm 303 San Mateo NE
Please pick up a Board member candidate packet at your store’s information desk if you have any interest in serving in this capacity. Our elections are in November and we hope you will consider running for a Board seat. Your Board meets the third Tuesday of each month and we encourage everyone to attend anytime your schedule permits.
La Montanita is your Co-op and we greatly appreciate your input and feedback. We are grateful for your support and hope to see you soon. C.E. Pugh
Several of our survey questions remain the same each year permitting us to compare our per-
Member to Member Community Resource Guide: Who’s List Ar e You On? Build our local economy with like-minded people who share your cooperative values and love of local organic food.
• Share your skills, products or services with our nearly 12,000 member households in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Gallup
The 2005-2006 edition of the Co-op’s Member to Member Community Resource Guide will be printed as a special pullout section in the October 2005 Coop Connection News.
SIGN UP Today Mail or e-mail your name, Co-op membership number (for verification purposes only) business name, address, contact information and what special discount or consideration you are willing to share with other members.
List your business and or professional skill, in the Member to Member Co-op Community Resource Guide. • Keep your dollars circulating in the cooperative community, enriching our local economy as you build your personal one • Give and receive discounts and other special considerations to fellow Co-op members • Get your FREE, yes FREE listing in the Member to Member Co-op Guide and on our web site
Board Brief:
Calendar of Events
Classical Homeopathy Visceral Manipulation Craniosacral Therapy
MARY ALICE COOPER, MD St. Raphael Medical Center 204 Carlisle NE Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-266-6522
Deadline for inclusion is Mon. September 12th! Send to the Membership Department c/o La Montanita Co-op, 303 San Mateo NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108. Attention Robyn. Or email to memb@lamontanitacoop.com. Need more info call Robyn at 217- 2001 ext105. You must be a Co-op member to participate.
Meeting of June 21, 2005
The La Montanita Co-op Board of Directors voted to add its name and support to a petition sponsored by the Los Alamos Study Group, joining more than 175 businesses, 29 nonprofit organizations, and roughly 1,400 individual New Mexicans who are calling for: nuclear disarmament pursuant to existing treaties, a ban to end nuclear weapons production, a stop to nuclear waste disposal at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and investment in people and families — as opposed to preparations for nuclear war.
Board members also shared their impressions from attendance at recent meetings in Tucson and the CCMA conference in Albuquerque. Ideas shared include: selfmonitoring by the board of its adherence to the mission statement and long-range plan, sponsoring farmers' markets, providing childcare to encourage parents to join the board, simpler forms of parliamentary procedure such as a "consent agenda," automatic membership for staff, requiring first-year board members to be on the finance committee, etc.
New Board member nominations and elections were discussed. New ballot boxes will be created for member voting. Board members will lend carpentry skills.
The General Manager reported on a recent anonymous yearly staff survey. He also reported that staff feedback sessions would occur.
YOUR CO-OP
The Board of Directors has begun using coffee sessions at stores to encourage outreach and invite discussion on policy governance with members. The first coffee saw much discussion, but not discussion specific to governance. Coffees will continue as a way to encourage board/member interaction.
This represents a summary of what was discussed at the monthly board meeting; the full minutes may be found at stores' info desks. Visitors are welcome to attend board meetings. They are held the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 5:30pm at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Carlisle and Silver Avenues, in Albuquerque.
La Montanita Co-op needs a few good people to travel to Co-op communities, meet interesting
The board also discussed the need to conduct quarterly self evaluation of the board.
by Julie Hicks, Board Secetary jhicksnm@gmail.com
OOOPS!
Paying Attention??
Well if you were paying attention, really paying attention you would have noticed that in our September centerfold the Know your Co-op Board of Directors Quiz had Board Secretary Julie Hicks’ husband, City Councilman Martin Heinrich, married to Coop Board Member Andrew Stone. Well we’d like to set the record straight—Julie is indeed married to Martin and Martin to Julie, while Andrew is married to Katie, a past Co-op staff/Board member. Photo: Julie Hicks and son Carter Hicks
WANTS YOU! and interested people and help guide the growth of New Mexico’s Cooperative Economic Network.
Run for your Co-op Board of Directors! Pick up a Board Candidate Packet at any of the four Coop locations. More info: contact Marshall at 256-1241 or email: bod@lamontanitacoop.com Deadline for Submission of Candidacy
Oct. 1, 2005
organic Organic agriculture is an agricultural system that promotes environmentally, environmentally, socially, socially, and economically sound production of food, fiber, fiber, timber, timber, etc. In this system, soil fertility is seen as the key to successful production. W orking with the natural properties of plants, animals, and the landscape, organic farmers aim to optimize quality in all aspects of agriculture and the environment . The flashy annual growth rates of organic food sales currently 15-20% or more compared to 4-5% growth in the food industry overall have attracted multinational food corporations. They have acquired organic brand lead ers, established partnerships with organic companies, and developed their own organic product lines. Acquisitions of primary inter est occur when conventional sector leaders gain significant holdings in the organic brands in the same sector. sector. For examexample, French-based Groupe Danone has purchased a 40% share in Stoneyfield, the fourth largest yogurt maker in the United States with $85 million in sales. Danone will buy up to 75% of the compa ny in 2004 and the remainder in 2016. Is concentration and acquisi tion a necessary cost of growth of the organic market? Concentration in the conven tional food industry has creat ed a handful of giant corpora tions with such enormous buying power that they are able to set prices, limit farm ers' return, and control market access.
It has also had several other negative effects effects less often discussed: an accelerated loss of genetic diversity, diversity, reduced innovation , less responsiveness to consumer and social interests, and fewer decision-makers in the industry Such trends, if applied to organic agriculture, would surely transform its character and affect affect its future. If prices fall to conventional levels, production systems will have changed to exclude the small farmers who were organic pioneers. Organic agriculture was developed in a small-scale, niche market with an open structure. Markets were local or regional, and farmers had access to a variety of wholesale and retail buyers who were willing to pay a fair price for their products. “Who owns organic?� W e all do. Let us hold on to its potential to enhance environmental and social sustainability. sustainability.
- excerpt from Who Owns Organic? The Global Status, Prospects, and Challenges of a Changing Organic Market By Michael Sligh and Carolyn Christman The Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA is a nonprofit, non governmental organization which promotes sustainabili ty, ty, equity,and equity,and diversity in agriculture through policy changes, practical assis tance, market opportunities, and access to resources.
Our forks are powerful agents of change. The food we choose to put on them can positively transform us, our local communities, and our planet.
local
La Montanita Co-op is the only consumer owned natural food store in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Gallup. W e are governed by a Board of Directors elected by our membership. Annual profits in excess of what is needed for fiscal stability are returned to the membership based on their patronage of the business they own. Close to 2 million dollar s have been returned to our owners over the past 15 y ear s . Our commitment to locally produced foods is unparralled. W e have tracked our local pur chases over the past few years. The following percent ages document the increase of food purchases from local producers: 2002 - 16% 2003 - 18% 2004 - 20% This represents Millions of Dollar s of support for our local economy.
The Co-op’ s goal is to continually increase purchases of local products. Moving this number up continues to be a challenge. Currently we pur chase over 1,500 items from 400 local pr oducer s . The budget for this coming year commits a substantial amount of resources to this ef fort. Many of our local producers are strug gling and we have lost some over past few years. Co-op loans have been extended to several of our local producers. Our work with the Beneficial Farm group in Santa Fe continues to be pro ductive. Several meetings are planned with local producers to find ways to increase the value of the Co-op Buy Local Initia ti ve .
Co-op members/owners at the August Board Meeting at Cloud Cliff Bakery in Santa Fe.
it’s time for
chili
september 2005 10
ture into prepared pie plate; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes, until filling is set and top is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into quarters. Serves 4.
Hearty & Hot
Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa
September in New Mexico and the smell of green chile roasting is wafting through the air. It’s chile time again and I can’t wait to taste this year’s crop. Whether you like them so hot you break out in a sweat or just enough to savor the full flavor of the chile there is a batch of chile out there just waiting for you. There is nothing like the flavor of New Mexico.
2 large avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into medium dice 1 tsp diced red bell pepper 1 sp diced green bell pepper 1 Tbsp diced scallion 4 ea tomatillos husked, rinsed and diced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp cilantro leaves 2 ea serrano or green chiles, seeded and diced 2 tsp fresh lime juice 3 Tbsp olive oil salt to taste
Adapted and reprinted from the following websites: www.villagegourmetrecipes.com www.gourmetcookery.com www.onriverstreet.com www.gourmetgarden.com www.allrecipes.com www.pepprfool.com
Combine the avocados, bell peppers, scallion and half of the tomatillos in a large mixing bowl. Place the garlic, cilantro, serranos, lime juice and remaining tomatillos into a blender, and purée until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil. Pour the purée into the mixing bowl, combine thoroughly, and season with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes. Yield: 3 cups.
Polenta Chile Triangles 3 c cold water 1/2 c whole kernel corn 1 c coarse yellow cornmeal 1/2 c Red pepper, roasted and 1 package onion soup mix 2-3 Finely chopped Mild green chilies, 2-4 1/2 c Sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
BUY BULK & SAVE
Marinated Bean Salad 3/4 Cup black turtle beans, soaked overnight and drained 3/4 Cup pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained 3/4 Cup white navy beans, soaked overnight and drained 2 Quarts Ham Hock broth or water with Braggs aminos 1 large sweet onion, (as thinly sliced as possible) 1/4 Cup cider vinegar 1-2 seeded roasted chopped green chile 2 Tsp sugar (optional) 1/2 Tsp salt, plus extra to taste 1 red bell pepper (roasted, peeled, seeded and diced) 1 yellow bell pepper (roasted, peeled, seeded and diced) 1 large ripe tomato (blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped) 1/2 Cup chopped pitted ripe black olives 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro 3/4 Cup favorite savory Vinaigrette dressing 1 1/2 Cups roasted garlic croutons 5 to 6 ounces) assorted young lettuce leaves, romaine or chicory (rinsed and dried)
Bring the water to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. With a wire whisk, stir in the cornmeal and onion soup mix. Simmer uncovered, stirring constantly, for 25 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the chilies, corn and roasted red peppers. Spread the mixture in a lightly greased 9inch-square baking pan and sprinkle with the cheese. Let stand for 20 minutes, or until firm. Cut. Serves 8 Crustless Chili Quiche
SHOP SOUPS to NUTS, GRAINS and BEANS...
CO-OP!
PRICES THAT CAN’T BE BEAT! Balancing Hormones Naturally
Specializing in Consulting Mid-Life Women
4 Eggs 1 c Nonfat cottage cheese 3 tb Flour 1 1/2 oz Shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 tb +2 ts Earth Balance spread or other non-hydrogenated spread, 1/4 c Chopped green chilies roasted and peeled 1 tb Grated Parmesan cheese 1 tb Dijon mustard 1/4 c Drained chopped roasted red 1/4 ts Salt, pepper or to taste 3 drops Red pepper sauce
Place the drained beans in separate pans and cover each with ham hock broth or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let the beans simmer until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain the beans completely in a large colander, reserving the broth for further use.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9" pie plate. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Whisk in flour, margarine, mustard, salt and pepper sauce. Stir in cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, chilies, and red pepper. Spoon mix-
Mix the beans together in a large bowl and refrigerate until cool. In another bowl, toss the onion with the vinegar, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and reserve. When the beans are chilled, add
Upcoming
HERB & MEDICINE
Joanne Williams, CNP co-creator of Feminine Balance® Progesterone Gel
(Pre-registration required)
Saliva Testing Available
Sat. - Sept. 24th 10 AM-12 Noon Presenter: Bert Norgorden, Herbalist & Plant Pornographer BOTANICAL SLIDE SHOW: Basic Botany & Plant Identification $20 Sat. - Oct. 1st 1-4 PM Presenter: Dr. Raza Lila, Naturopathic Physician CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF HOMEOPATHY $25 For more information and entire 2005 schedule, visit : www.herbnerds.com
For Appointments: (505) 797-1944
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Women’s Health Concepts,
Registration & Information
Rancho Seco St.
joanne@womenshealthconcepts.com
CLASSES
Sat. - Sept. 17th 10 AM-12 Noon Presenter: Dr. Deborahlise Mota, DOM INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS $25
19th St.
Anti-Aging Therapy PMS Through Menopause Natural Hormone Choices Holistic Lifestyle Choices Osteoporosis Prevention & Treatment Stress & Nutrition Management Unique Weight Loss Program
Body-Centered Counseling
NW
247-4372
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ORMULATIONS Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic
1816-B Lomas NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Integrated Counseling, Therapeutic Bodywork and Movement
Penny Holland M.A., L.P.C.C, L.M.T.
505-265-2256 LPCC Lic. 0494, LMT Lic. 1074
it’s time for
chili
the bell peppers, tomato, olives and cilantro. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette, toss well, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator, add the croutons, season with salt, and toss thoroughly. In another bowl, toss the lettuces with the remaining 1/4 cup of vinaigrette. Arrange the lettuces around the edge of a large platter and mound the bean salad in the middle. Garnish with the reserved sliced onions. To make this a quick fix recipe used canned beans. Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Southwestern Pasta 14 oz. bag Pasta 2 T. olive oil 3 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 3 c. cooked fresh or frozen corn 1 yellow pepper, diced 1/2 red onion, chopped 1/2 c. real, light or vegan mayonnaise 2 T. Dijon mustard 2 T. fresh lime juice 2-4 chopped seeded roasted green chiles 1 1/4 t. ground cumin 1/2 c. chopped cilantro 1 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper
september 2005 11
Frijole Mole Chili 2 c Coarsely chopped onions 3 Cloves garlic, minced 2 Tb Vegetable oil 1 can Dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained 1 can Black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can Pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 pound fresh tomatoes coarsely chopped 1 Large green pepper - cut into 1/2-in pieces 1-1 1/2 cups of chopped green chile 2 Tb Unsweetened cocoa 2 ts Ground cumin 1 ts Oregano leaves, crushed 1/2 ts Salt 1/8 ts Ground nutmeg 1/8 ts Ground allspice Dash of ground cloves (opt) OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: Sour cream, Chopped cilantro, Shredded monterey jack Cook onion and garlic in oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven until onion is tender but not brown. Add remaining ingredients except optional toppings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover; continue to simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls; garnish as desired and serve with additional picante sauce. Makes 6 servings, about 8 cups chili.
Cook pasta in gently boiling water for approx. 6 minutes, until tender but firm. Drain and rinse with cold water. Lightly coat with olive oil. Combine pasta, tomatoes, corn, yellow pepper, and onion in a bowl. For dressing, mix mayo, mustard, lime juice, jalapeno peppers, chili powder, and cumin in a small bowl. Toss dressing with pasta and veggies, add chopped cilantro and salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot or cold. Posole Verde 1/2 cup hulled, raw pumpkin seeds, toasted 2 cups tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, quartered 10 large sorrel leaves, rinsed, stemmed 2 serrano chile peppers, seeded, quartered or 2 tablespoons oil 3-1/2 cups cooked hominy/posole 4 cups chicken broth 1 large epazote stem Salt, to taste Grind the pumpkin seeds in a food processor finely; set aside. Place the chopped tomatillos in a saucepan covered with 1/2 cup water. cook until soft and mushy - about 15 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a blender jar. Add the sorrel, serrano chiles, and 1 cup of water. Puree until smooth. Heat oil in a skillet. Add blended ingredients and fry over fairly high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the ground seeds and cook 10 minutes longer. Add the hominy, broth, and epazote. Simmer for 15 minutes, then season with salt.
New Mexican Pasta Salad with Red Chile Pesto 1 lb fusilli pasta, cooked, rinsed in cold water and drained Red Chile Pesto (below) 4 large leaves red leaf lettuce kalamata olives 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, julienned Mix the Red Chile Pesto and the cold pasta in a medium bowl. Serve the salad on top of the lettuce leaf, garnish w/ the pepper and olives. Red Chile Pesto 3 clove garlic 1/8 c pine nuts (or substitute almonds) 1/8 c parmesan cheese 1/4 bunch cilantro 1/4 bunch fresh basil 1/8 c red chile powder 1/8 c chile caribe (crushed red chiles) 1 tsp ground cumin salt to taste 1 c olive oil Puree all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Slowly add the olive oil while the processor is still running. Serves about 4.
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Eco Versity: Going Gr easel! by Heather Gaudet riving to work is painful these days, watching the fuel gauge descend into the depths of empty… It is hard to think of driving as a means to any sort of valuable end. Our world turns on this dependency that I share for oil and all its products.
D
I’ve decided to buy a diesel and convert it to run on vegetable oil, otherwise known as greasel. Yes, converting to vegetable oil seems very simple; and in some ways it is, and in some ways it isn’t. First and foremost it means buying a diesel car. I’ve started to surf the Thrifty Nickel in hopes of finding a wonderful old diesel truck waiting to have a RUNNING ON GREASEL bumper sticker slathered to its bumper. Then it is up to me to buy the conversion kit, have it installed or try to install it myself (a task I would undoubtedly fail at miserably). The whole kit plus conversion costs anywhere from $2400 to $4000, a small price to pay when I think about how much money is poured into my tank each week with gas. I am very happy to be pursuing this avenue of liberation from my participation in the politics and persuasions of oil. I feel very strongly that I no longer wish to support the way of life that has built up around this commodity, and that there is no good reason
not to convert to this abundant waste product. I admit that I am looking for immediate gratification in my efforts to alleviate my gas guzzling guilt. Throwing the plastic container into the recycling doesn’t do it for me anymore, nor does farming organically or building naturally. My organic farm still feels like the right livelihood and my straw bale house is as sacred to me as a church, but these things feel small in this time of global conflict. I want to smell the fries in my exhaust and glide past gas stations for the rest of my life,
knowing that I am no longer contributing to the justifications for war. Today I heard a newscaster postulating that China might be the next foe on the front of oil acquisition. I shook my head in grief and felt sure that greasel would be my next personal tool for peace.
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you as much as it did me. If you’d like to meet them and hear more, you can find them in Santa Fe at EcoVersity doing a conversion (hopefully on my diesel car). Maybe we’ll see you there. Greasel Conversion Clinic with Charles Anderson October 31-November 5, 8am-5pm At EcoVersity, 2639 Agua Fria Street, Santa Fe 424-9797, info@ecoversity.org Get your diesel vehicle converted to run on Straight Vegetable Oil during a week-long Conversion Clinic at EcoVersity – Instead of the fuel pump, visit the waste oil bins of Santa Fe restaurants for fuel. EcoVersity has five slots available. Registration is due on or before September 30. The cost for a conversion kit ranges from $600-$1900, depending on the make of the vehicle. Installation cost is an additional $1200. The Permaculture Credit Union offers financing options towards vehicles and conversions. Call EcoVersity Today.
EcoVersity is a school offering community classes and certificate programs in sustainability. Its focus is learning from the land with a hands-on curriculum promoting permaculture and its ethics. For more information call 505-424-9797 or info@ ecoversity.org. To see their campus and read more about their certificate programs go to www.ecoversity.org.
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If you feel like I do, or maybe you are just curious and would like to save more than one buck, check out greasel.com. Nice guys doing good things. It is a great website too with lots of testimonials from happy folks and business owners who have crossed over to the other side. I hope it inspires
I want to smell the fries in my exhaust and glide past gas stations for the rest of my life, knowing that I am no longer contributing to the justifications for war.
I’m already cataloging good Asian restaurants in my mind and am eager to get out there and find the clearest amber fuel for my future car. I have yet to worry about the additional work it will take to
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fill up my tank. I imagine myself charming the kitchens of my favorite restaurants to save the oil for me in tidy buckets with easy access. I’ll bring gifts for veggie trash, and we will all be graced with love for the process of it. Naive? Perhaps. If it is dirtier or more difficult than I imagine, then I say bring on the suffering, as it will be a happy sacrifice for the sake of my earth-loving sanity.
Food, Oil and Sustainable
Solutions Continued from page 2 and farms would cut energy use throughout the food system. Legislation to minimize unnecessary packaging and promote recycling would decrease energy use and waste going to landfills. Direct farmer-to-consumer marketing, such as farmers’ markets, by-passes centralized distribution systems, cutting out unnecessary food travel and reducing packaging needs while improving local food security. Farmers’ markets are expanding across the United States, growing from 1,755 markets in 1993 to 3,100 in 2002, but still represent only 0.3 percent of food sales. The biggest political action individuals take each day is deciding what to buy and eat. Preferentially buying local foods that are in season can cut transport and farm energy use and can improve food safety and security. Buying fewer processed, heavily packaged, and frozen foods can
cut energy use and marketing costs, and using smaller refrigerators can slash household electricity bills. Eating lower on the food chain can reduce pressure on land, water, and energy supplies. Fossil fuel reliance may prove to be the Achilles heel of the modern food system. Oil supply fluctuations and disruptions could send food prices soaring overnight. Competition and conflict could quickly escalate. Decoupling the food system from the oil industry is key to improving food security.
This article reprinted with permission of the Earth Policy Institute. The Earth Policy Institute was founded by Lester Brown in 2001 to provide a vision of a sustainable future along with a roadmap of how to get from here to there. EPI works at the global level simply because no country can create an environmentally sustainable economy in isolation. Its publications are available for free downloading from its website so that anyone anywhere in the world can access the information and the plan for building a sustainable economy. Contributions are welcome. www.earth-policy.org.
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september 2005
health and healing Childr en’s Health: Homeopathy and Autism by Ethan Miller, DHHP, HD, DMH utism is now a full-blown epidemic. The prevalence of autism far exceeds that of the polio epidemics that struck fear into the parents of the 1940’s and 1950’s. But while it was eventually possible to devise fairly simple interventions for polio, autism has largely frustrated the attempts of both the conventional and alternative health communities to come up with satisfactory treatments. The difference in the outcomes between these two epidemics is due to the nature of the underlying condition. Polio is a relatively well defined infectious disease whose cause is well understood. Autism, on the other hand, is a complex condition whose etiology and genesis are still a subject of speculation. In fact, it is not a disease at all, in the same sense that polio is. Rather, it is a “spectrum� of disorders with relatively ill-defined diagnostic criteria.
A
Some of the causes that have been suggested for autism include heavy metal toxicity, food sensitivities, vaccine shock, genetic factors, nutrient deficiencies, and various immunological and autoimmune problems. Both the MMR and DPT vaccines have been implicated as causes of autism by researchers. While all of these factors (and more) can be definitively linked to autism, the challenge is to sort out the role of each. Some are true causes and others are really effects or symptoms, some more funda-
mental, while others are proximate causes or “triggers.� With this understanding, it is then possible to construct a therapy that systematically addresses these causes in a manner that opens the way to a cure. In their book Autism, The Journey Back homeopaths Patty Smith and Rudi Verspoor outline a
these causes are, in principle, fairly simple. The intelligence of the body will attempt to address each of these causative factors in turn and in a definite order. The role of homeopathy is simply to assist the body as it goes toward resolving each. The history of traumas, including vaccine trauma, must be systematically addressed with appropriate remedies. Then the inherited factors themselves can be treated.
If we start from the premise that every disease is ultimately a gift and a teacher, then we must conclude that autism is the bearer of some of the most profound lessons of our time. model of autism that is consistent with the traditional homeopathic understanding of chronic disease. This understanding then leads to a systematic and effective treatment for autism that addresses the various levels of causation. According to this view, a specific set of inherited disease factors not only create a disposition toward autistic conditions, but also makes the child particularly susceptible to certain types of shocks, vaccine shock in particular. It is then the interaction between the inherited predisposition, the heightened susceptibility to vaccine shock, and finally, the vaccine shock itself, which finally destabilizes the child sufficiently to create the condition we call autism. Other factors will necessarily affect this process in their turn, but this triad sits at the center of the process.
While this therapeutic process is simple in principle, it is not necessarily easy. Autism is a condition that reaches into the very depths of the child’s soul. The process of unwinding such a deep seated disorder is likely to be accompanied by some very challenging healing and detoxification reactions. If we start from the premise that every disease is ultimately a gift and a teacher, then we must conclude that autism is the bearer of some of the most profound lessons of our time. But for the parent the message of homeopathy is that there is hope for this most difficult of conditions when it is properly understood and treated according to natural healing principles. For more info contact Ethan Miller at 884-3997.
The destabilized vital energy of the autistic child can create a complex cascade of disorders and symptoms whose relationship to these fundamental causes is not always clear. However, the therapeutics to reverse
Chemical Used in Plastics Linked to Cancer As reported in Food Production daily.com a study published by Environmental Health Perspectives shows low doses of Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical widely used in plastic food containers, baby bottles, cans, toys and dental sealants could be a contributing factor to the development of breast cancer in women, and damaging to the genital development of unborn baby boys. Phthalates, including Bisphenol-A, are a chemical group used in plastic packaging, such as bags, to make products flexible and pliable. The BPA study reinforces previous studies on the chemical. Consumers and lawyers may conclude that the industry might have been negligent in ignoring the previous studies. In the new BPA study, three US scientists conclude that even low-level exposure to the chemical alters the mammary glands of female mice to grow in a way that makes them more likely to develop breast cancer and also to respond in unusual ways to estrogen. The study goes on to say, "These alterations, were they to take place in humans, could contribute to an increase in breast cancer risk." The scientists state, "Most, if not all, humans have relevant amounts of bisphenol-A in their bodies." Humans are exposed to BPA when it leaches from plastic food and beverage containers, dental materials and other products, they note. BPA is used in the production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. Such plastics are used in many food and drink packaging applications, while the resins are commonly used as lacquers to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops and water supply pipes. Some polymers used in dental treatment contain BPA. BPA was first identified in the 1930s. In the 1950s, chemists linked BPA together to create polycarbonates and companies began using the chemical in plastics production. BPA is now one of the top 50 chemicals being produced in the US. BPA was first shown to be estrogenic in 1938, in a study using rats. In a 1993 study BPA was found to be estrogenic in the human breast cancer cell. Another 1995 study found that the
september 2005
liquid in some cans of tinned vegetables have been found to contain both BPA and the related chemical dimethyl bisphenol-A. The highest levels of BPA were found in cans of peas. BPA was also found in the liquid from cans of artichokes, beans, mixed vegetables, corn and mushrooms. All liquids which contained BPA were found to be estrogenic to human breast cancer cells, the scientists reported.
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The current study is being published in the journal Endocrinology. The lead scientist in the study, Ana Soto, is a professor of cell biology at Tufts University School of Medicine. In 1997 researchers Fred Vom Saal and others at the University of Missouri-Columbia concluded that BPA was harmful to humans and that its use should be banned. They noted that BPA is also used in the manufacture of bottles, including baby bottles, from which it leaches at an increasing rate as the bottle ages. For the complete story go to www.organiccon sumers.com or www.foodproductiondaily.com.
Bisphenol-A used to make baby bottles and other consumer plastics linked to cancer and developmental disorders
13
community
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september 2005 14
Statewide
Meet Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biological Pioneers! Beaming Bioneers Conference: Oct. 14-16th
F
or 15 years, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been an unusual and amazing gathering each October in California known as the Bioneers Conference. While mainstream media focus on the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fossil fuel supply, a group of pioneers who work with nature to heal the earth and its inhabitants have been gathering annually to share their breakthroughs and discoveries. These globally recognized scientific and social innovators may not capture the headlines, but they carry on the work of developing visionary and practical solutions for restoring the Earth and solving environmental and social challenges. Now, for the first time, this crucial environmental conference is coming to New Mexico via satellite, and everyone who cares about a healthy and just planet is invited to participate. In order to reach
the broadest local community possible, the New Mexico Beaming Bioneers Conference is being held in both Taos and Albuquerque. On the first day, Fri., October 14th, attendees will gather in Taos at the Taos Convention Center. On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16, the
A group of pioneers who work with nature to heal the earth and its inhabitants have been meeting annually to share their breakthroughs and discoveries. Conference convenes at the UNM Main Campus in the Student Union Building in Albuquerque.
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planned for the 3-day conference. Conference organizers have met with environmental and social justice organizations as well as concerned citizens in a series of planning meetings this summer. Local programming brings together a wide array of local expertise that addresses such topics as organic farming, ecological design, youth leadership, wildland protection, ecological medicine, renewable energy, eco-literacy, indigenous knowledge, and more.
Programming begins each morning at 9:00 a.m. with the plenary speakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presentations beamed live from California. After a lunch break, the afternoon offers three hours of presentations and forums by local experts focusing on many of the issues most relevant to the environment, ecology and culture in New Mexico. Concurrent sessions will offer multiple options on different interest tracks. Who Are The Bioneers? Headquartered outside of Santa Fe and led by founder Kenny Ausubel, the Bioneers organization is an important environmental voice in the U.S. Bioneers are an inspiring collection of â&#x20AC;&#x153;biological pioneersâ&#x20AC;? with practical and visionary solutions for our environmental and social challenges, informed by nature's essential principles of interdependence, cooperation and community. Bioneers represent a culture of solutions and hope. They show how great a difference the actions of one person can make. How Is This Conference Organized? More than 25 local concurrent sessions are
The New Mexico Bioneers Conference is hosted by Sustain Taos and the University of New Mexico-Taos. Amy Pilling and Richard Kujawski, co-directors of the local conference, are seeking sponsors to offset the costs of organizing a statewide event. La Montanita Co-op has already stepped up to be a sponsor along with EcoVersity in Santa Fe, The Taos News, and KTAO solar radio in Taos. How Can I Register and Participate? In order to encourage broad participation, the cost has been kept at the moderate price of $35.00 for one day, and only $65 for all three days. Youth and seniors receive a discount. Early registration rates are available until September 30, and an estimated 400-500 people are expected each day. Register today by calling 505-758-2103, or visit the Sustain Taos website at www.sustaintaos.org and click on Bioneers to register online.
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED for both pre-event coordination work and during the conference â&#x20AC;&#x201C; offering an opportunity for many to support the work of the Bioneers and earn admittance to the Conference. To find out more, call 505-758-2103 or send an email to info@sustaintaos.org.
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During this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Bioneers Conference in California, talks by the following plenary speakers will be beamed by satellite to New Mexico. (Visit www.bioneers.org for more details about the speakers.)
ANDY LIPKIS founded and is president of TreePeople and T.R.E.E.S. In 30 years, Andyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pathfinding efforts have resulted in the planting of two million trees and the education of one million schoolchildren.
MICHAEL ABLEMAN, farmer, author and founder/ Executive Director of the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, CA. He encourages using their farms for social and ecological change.
BILL MCKIBBEN is author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The End of Natureâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Age of Missing Information.â&#x20AC;? He writes about how global warming requires immediate technological and social responses on an unprecedented global scale.
WIL BULLOCK, a 24-year old community leader, has worked for 9 years with Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famed Food Project, a groundbreaking non-profit organization that is a model for integrating food and health, city and country, justice and access.
JEREMY NARBY, Ph.D., a Swiss-based anthropologist, is the author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Cosmic Serpent: DNAâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Intelligence in Nature: an Inquiry Into Knowledge.â&#x20AC;? Jeremy meets with shamans and scientists to explore how humanity can learn from nature.
OHKI SIMINE FOREST, of Canadian Mohawk descent, began her spiritual journey studying with Mongolian shamans. In Mexico, she was initiated into the world of Mayan healers, and works to help Mayan indigenous communities. OMAR FREILLA is former board chair of the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance. A dynamic, young leader, Omar launched the Green Worker Cooperatives to create workerowned, environmentally friendly manufacturing co-ops. RHA GODDESS is a hip-hop entrepreneur and social activist renowned for her spoken-word dexterity and political consciousness that explores how this generationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughters are branding their own movement of love, power and freedom. THOM HARTMANN is the bestselling author of 14 books, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlightâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;What Would Jefferson Do?â&#x20AC;?
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DAVID ORR is an award-winning scholar and leader, doing pioneering work on environmental literacy in higher education and ecological design. CAROLYN RAFFENSPERGER is a leader in discussing the Precautionary Principle and successfully applying it to governments, companies and communities. VYACHESLAV TRIGUBOVICH is one of Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-known anti-poaching rangers and protector of endangered species. He has led numerous field expeditions to identify the most important snow leopard breeding areas. DIANE WILSON is a 4-generation fisherman on the Texas Gulf Coast who used civil disobedience and nonviolent approaches to stop corporate chemical giants from polluting, and won â&#x20AC;&#x153;zero dischargeâ&#x20AC;? agreements from major corporations.
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september 2005 15
Central New Mexico
TEW A W omen United 9th Annual Gathering for Mother Earth Tewa Women United welcomes all communities to bring their families and friends to the 9th Annual Gathering for Mother Earth, on September 17 and 18 at Pojoaque Ben’s Gathering Grounds. The focus of this year’s gathering is on giving love and thanks to the spirit of water and is dedicated in loving memory of the 25th anniversary of the passing of Great, Great, Grandmother Maria Martinez. We encourage all cultures, all ages, schools, communities and families to bring intergenerational thinking to this wholistic event that will include: youthful activities, healing arts, ecological safety information, drumming circles, Tsankawi Relay Run, raffle prizes, solar cooking & produce, arts and crafts and off -grid energy demonstrations. The call for Grandmothers’ wisdom is being joined by many community-based organizations that recognize the effects of living around nuclear production cycle sites and seek to take action for healing. Afternoon workshops will allow those who come to the gathering to spend intimate time with national leaders such as: Corbin Harney, Western Shoshone Spiritual Leader, Wilbur Slockish , Klickitat traditional leader, Myrna Pagan from Vieques, Puerto Rico, Bruce Elijah founder of Native Lifeways, Inc. (Canada) a community based organizer for over 30 years. We will also be graced by the presence of Indigenous Grandmothers healing wisdom.
The Gathering will bring together a wide variety of natural healers and conventional and traditional practitioners. Good vibrations will comefrom many performing artists. Confirmed at press time are: The San Juan Tewa Choir, The Jemez Walatowa Flowers Choir, The Ice Mountain Dancers from San Juan Pueblo, The Danza Mexika Dancers, Native Spirits, and the Youthful Marimba Band. Alcohol and drugs will NOT be allowed. The 9th Annual Gathering for Mother Earth includes a 6:00 am Sunrise Ceremony on both Saturday and Sunday, and there will be a special closing on Sunday at 4:30pm.
Dragonfly Sanctuary is celebrating a day of peace on Sunday, September 11th from 11am to 1pm. Express your piece of peace in this beautiful garden setting at the foot of the Ortiz Mountains near Madrid. Great music, profound sharing, fun and kind community! And it's free. Potliuck afterwards. Questions, call Sheila at 440-5589.
The Gathering will be held at Pojoaque Ben’s Gathering Grounds on Highway 502 W, towards Los Alamos, NM (1.8 miles west of the interchange with Highway 285/84. Community information and education booths are free. Arts and crafts persons and food vendors are welcomed for a extremely reasonable fees. Volunteers are needed and donations are most gratefully appreciated.
For more information or to reserve your booth space contact Tewa Women United at 505- 747-7100 or at 505-747-3259 or e-mail them at wanpovi@hot mail.com.
Tomorrow’s Energy Today!
Solar Fiesta: Sept. 24-25 Albuquerque, NM: Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Biodiesel, Geothermal – all excite a vision of the futuristic societies we experience in the works of Asimov, Jules Verne and on screen in Star Wars. But that vision is snowballing out of the future and into our world as wind generators larger than the California redwoods dot the landscape of New Mexico. The 2005 Solar Fiesta, held by the New Mexico Solar Energy Association brings worlds of new possibilities to homeowners right here in Albuquerque. Over 100 exhibits, workshops and demonstrations produced at the Solar Fiesta include green building methods utilizing passive and active solar systems.
fy the practical – and fun – side of solar. You can eat food cooked using only sunlight, and see examples of many innovative products. The Solar Fiesta is held on September 24 & 25 from 10am to 5pm at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. For more information, workshop listings or to purchase tickets in advance contact the NMSEA office by calling 505-246-0400 or going to www.nmsea.org.
Be an Instrument of Peace Stand in Silent Vigil With Women in Black
Classes cover how to make Bio-Fuels for your car, solar cooking, wind energy systems, solar financing, solar water pumping, water harvesting and producing solar electricity that you can use to power your home or sell to the grid! Did you know that there are now federal and local solar rebate programs in effect?
Thursdays 12:00 - 1:00 300 Block of Lomas Blvd NW
One Hour per Week for Peace and Justice
The kids will enjoy an area where they can do hands on demonstrations that exempli-
ONE Campaign Collects Food for Locals Thursday, September 15, 8pm Albuquerque Hunger No More: An Interfaith Vigil. Gather in front of Tribute to Mother Earth Fountain (near Castetter Hall, Northrop Hall & the Art Building) UNM Campus. Friday, September 16, 6:30pm Albuquerque Involving Your Church in The ONE Campaign. La Mesa Presbyterian Church, 7401 Copper NE Albuquerque.
contact 573-1275 or 281-9787
Saturday, September 17, 2pm Santa Fe Involving Your Church in The ONE Campaign Santa Maria De La Paz Catholic Community, 11 College Ave Santa Fe. For more information or to get involved contact Carlos Navarro, State Coordinator, New Mexico Bread for the World carlos@breadnm.org. Local website: breadnm.org and national, bread.org.
Pearls of the Antilles Pan- African Artist collective September/October 2005 Wanted: Artists, Crafters, & Vendors forTri-centennial Pan-African Unity-day Fair. For more information contact: Ken Smith: 505-907-6927 or Emmanuelle Sainte: 505-315-5341
Corrales Astronomy Club holds 1st Meeting The Corrales Astronomy Club, a new organization dedicated to Corraleños interested in the sky and amateur astronomy, will hold its first public meeting September 11th, at 7PM at the Corrales Montessori school at 3896 Corrales Rd. The club will cater to everyone from beginners who have basic questions or want to interest their children in the sky, all the way to experienced amateurs, plus everyone in between. Access the on-line discussion group at groups.yahoo. com/group/ Corrales_Astronomy/ This discussion group is already operating. Contact Ed Isenberg at 922-1072, email astronomy@isenberg-family.net or go to www.corrales-astronomy.org
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2. Member Refund Program: At the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchases. 3. Pick-Up Our Monthly Newsletter full of information on food, health, environment and your Co-op. 4. Weekly Member-Only Coupon Specials as featured in our Weekly Sales Flyer. Pick it up every week at either location to save more than your annual membership fee each week. 5. Easy Check Writing AND CASH ($40) over purchase amount. We also accept ATM cards, VISA and MasterCard.
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6. Banking Membership at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union, with many Albuquerque branches to serve you. 7. Insurance and Financial Counseling: Call Robin Chall 823-9537 8. Free delivery for seniors, housebound and differently-abled people. 9. MEMBER- ONLY DISCOUNT DAYS: Take advantage of our special discount events for members only â&#x20AC;&#x201D; throughout the year! 10. Special Orders: You can special order large quantities or hard-to-find items, at a 10% discount for members. 11. General Membership Meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations; your participation is encouraged. 12. Membership Participation Program: Members can earn discount credit through our community outreach committees or skilled member participation program. Please ask at the Info Desk for details.
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