January 2015 Green Fire Times by Sun Publishing

News & Views

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S u s t a i n a bl e S o u t h w e s t

Creative

Approaches

for Economies, Ecology and Life

R egional E conomic D evelopment NM’ s E conomic D evelopment P uzzle P ublic B anking • I mpact I nvesting

“H omegrown ” C ould B oost NM’ s E conomy January 2015

Northern New Mexico’s Largest Circulation Newspaper

Vol. 7 No. 1

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Vol. 7, No. 1 • January 2015 Issue No. 69 Publisher Green Fire Publishing, LLC

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Contents

New Mexico’s Economic Development Puzzle . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 7 Foggy Forecast: A Practitioner’s Point of View . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 9 LANL Major Subcontractors Consortium Fund Grants . . .. . .. . .. . .. 10 The Local Voice: The New Regional-Local Mindset . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 11 Rural Economic Development, Leakage and Entrepreneurs . . .. . .. . .. . . 14 Could Cottage Industries and Cooperatives Be the Answer?. . .. . .. . .. . 15 Op-Ed: Airport or Agriculture for Taos?. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 16 ‘Homegrown’ Could Be a Powerful Boost for New Mexico’s Economy . . . 19 Impact Investing: Putting Community Assets to Work . . .. . .. . .. . .. . 20 Impact Network Santa Fe: Place-Sourced Impact Investing . . .. . .. . .. . 20 Creative Approaches for Economies, Ecology and Life . . .. . .. . .. . .. . 24 New Mexico’s Creative Economy. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 26 Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 27 Book Review: Sustainable Cultural Tourism – Small-Scale Solutions. . .. . 27 Op-Ed: The Time Has Come for a Public Bank . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 30 Santa Fe Time Bank: Mobilizing the Currency of Human Value . . .. . .. . . 31 Newsbites . . .. . .. . .. . .. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 12, 21, 31, 37 What’s Going On. . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 38

Anna C. Hansen 505.982.0155 dakinidesign@newmexico.com Robyn Montoya 505.692.4477 robyn.greenfiretimes@gmail.com

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c/o The Sun Companies P.O. Box 5588, SF, NM 87502-5588 505.471.5177 • info@greenfiretimes.com © 2015 Green Fire Publishing, LLC Green Fire Times provides useful information for community members, business people, students and visitors—anyone interested in discovering the wealth of opportunities and resources in the Southwest. In support of a more sustainable planet, topics covered range from green businesses, jobs, products, services, entrepreneurship, investing, design, building and energy—to native perspectives on history, arts & culture, ecotourism, education, sustainable agriculture, regional cuisine, water issues and the healing arts. To our publisher, a more sustainable planet also means maximizing environmental as well as personal health by minimizing consumption of meat and alcohol. Green Fire Times is widely distributed throughout north-central New Mexico. Feedback, announcements, event listings, advertising and article submissions to be considered for publication are welcome.

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COVER: Kalee García works for Tierra Wools, a studio/showroom for

local weavers in Los Ojos, New Mexico, that is over 100 years-old. 575.588.7231, tierrawools@windstream.net • Photo by Anna C. Hansen Green Fire Times • January 2015

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New Mexico’s Economic Development Puzzle

Todd López

Rural economic development is an incredibly complex issue, one that occupies entire federal departments, thousands of employees and consumes millions of dollars annually, and I am certainly not going to suggest that I have discovered a radical new solution or developed a brilliantly innovative approach that will singlehandedly crack the code. In fact, I would like to suggest just the opposite and propose that, rather than looking to someone or something to guide us, we should simply rely on our greatest assets—the strength, creativity and resilience of our communities. Working together is, in and of itself, the answer to the problem. My name is Todd López, and it is my privilege to administer Siete del Norte, CDC, one of 38 independent community-development corporations originally funded under the Title VII Act to combat poverty. Siete has been working for over 40 years to improve the economic well-being of low-income residents of northern New Mexico while seeking to preserve the area’s unique cultural, historical and social traditions and ways of life. Siete provides services in economic and business development, affordable housing, health care, programs for the elderly, youth education and workforce training, land and water preservation, and community ownership of local

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Muralist photo © Alejandro López

Siete is currently engaged in a variety of projects, but for purposes of this article I will focus on the Northern New Mexico Food Hub (NNMFH), a regional partnership designed to support rural agricultural entrepreneurs and the development of our local food industry. The United States is experiencing an exponentially expanding market for local food—an industry that has grown f rom $1 billion to nearly $40 billion in the last 20 years. In New Mexico, 97 percent of our food is currently imported, and local food sales constitute less than 1 percent of the value of food purchased. An increase in overall sales to 10 percent would equal nearly $1 billion in new wealth for the state, and it is our intention to aggressively support this growth in the local food market.

We must be prepared to make meaningful investments in our entrepreneurs.

resources. Under the leadership of my mentor and predecessor, Amos Atencio, Siete’s programs and investments have resulted in the creation of more than 1,000 jobs and provision of services and training to over 15,000 low-income residents of rural New Mexico.

The following strategies are being implemented as part of the NNMFH project and associated regional economic-development initiatives: 1) public-private partnerships; 2) cooperative businesses; and 3) capital investments. P u b li c - pr i vat e pa r t n er s h i p s . None of our work would be possible without the widespread collaboration of partners across sectors, across issue areas and even across state lines. Siete’s primary affiliate in all activities is Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC), the nation’s third-largest Hispanicowned nonprofit, with a broad array of programs that serve more than 190,000 clients on an annual basis in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. With CPLC’s support, Siete secured a five-year, $759,374 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Community Services (OCS) to establish the NNMFH. In the last 18 months, Siete has leveraged a public-private partnership in furtherance of this effort, gained the direct support of more than 40 agencies and organizations across 10 northern New Mexico counties, attracted over

ow do we solve the economicdevelopment puzzle in New Mexico? Some say it can’t be done, comparing our situation to that of the Third World and arguing that federal dollars are all that we can ultimately rely upon to fuel the state’s economy. Others claim that breaking our cycle of poverty is nearly impossible when families and children are confronted with economic burdens, barriers to educational success and few prospects for high-paying jobs. As a native New Mexican, I must disagree. However, solving this riddle comprises cultural, historical and social variables that may be unique to New Mexico alone.

Mural project in Española; Española Farmers’ Market; Nick Morrow of La Sierra Farm in Mora County, preparing for production; annual Solar Fiesta at Santa Fe Community College

$600,000 in additional resources, provided more than $100,000 in small-business loans and supported the creation of over 20 jobs including 10 small agricultural enterprises. Strong relationships with the public sector and our elected representatives are absolutely essential to the success of our economic-development efforts, and the leadership and staff at the city of Española and the county of Río Arriba have been instrumental in attracting partners, redeveloping community assets, equipping facilities with necessary inf rastructure and generally moving this initiative forward. With the support of its

public partners, Siete has acquired a long-term lease of the Hunter facility on Main Street in Española and a lease of the former Sostenga commercial kitchen at Northern New Mexico College in order to house a central aggregation and distribution center for local produce and to provide opportunities for our farmers and ranchers to manufacture value-added products. Siete is actively partnering with organizations across issue areas in order to bring diverse perspectives and capacities to bear on a common project. For example, Siete will continued on page 10

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Foggy Forecast A Practitioner’s POV

REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Duncan Sill

orking with sustainable community and economic development in northern New Mexico, I notice interwoven environmental, economic and community issues impacting the built and natural environments in ways that will require changes and long-term investments in public policy, land use, and resource management. It will be equally important to work collaboratively, instead of in the usual relentless, competitive manner. On the surface, the regional issues reflect the macro challenges with stagnant employment and wages, decreasing access to financing, struggling housing recovery and increasing stress on local governments to sustain public services with decreasing state and federal support. While recent news informed us about indications of “recovery,” the lives of most average people have not improved. New predicaments such as the volatile decline in crude-oil prices—a double-edged sword impacting state tax revenue while reducing energy costs for producers and consumers—on the macro level will affect conditions locally. The world stage is impacting local regions at an accelerated pace. On a deeper level, key concerns are rooted in the following issues:

Economic

The conventional economic base approach—maximizing financial profits and being dependent mostly on external resources—has not resulted in stability, as much regional economic equity continues to leak outside, leaving inadequate resources for local sustainability. This approach Severe drought conditions, Río Grande, 2011 lacks integrated solutions that actively involve ongoing collaborations with the natural and built environments and the inherent values of local cultural capital. Northern New Mexico is excessively reliant on only a few sectors—government, education, health and hospitality—to generate primary economic opportunities. Balancing the economic base with local communitybased development will be critical. The foundation of the region’s infrastructure—civil, social and financial—is deteriorating, outdated and ill-equipped to meet current demands and sustain growth that can maintain healthy environments. Basic economic, environmental and community equities are gradually and chronically depleting. This issue is perhaps the most daunting due to its scope. Compounding the problem is the approach and lack of coordination deployed in dealing with these issues. Infrastructure investments in the region have been piecemealed and mostly lack integration and appropriate sequencing. As a result, resources are scarce for capital improvements, as well as ongoing operations and maintenance. The region is notably deficient in telecommunication, water and energy infrastructures critical for regional sustainability, including the effects on already vulnerable food security.

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Environmental

Climate change challenges—increasing droughts, fires and floods—further complicate conditions as environmental costs are becoming more expensive to address. The region not long ago experienced a series of record fires—the worst in New Mexico history— including Las Conchas, which burned more than 156,000 acres. The full impact is still undetermined. Concurrently, severe drought conditions plaguing the area affect soil conditions, food production and other longLas Conchas fire, 2011 term ecological concerns.

Community

Social inequality is often based on economics. The region’s poverty rate has climbed, with over 30 percent of children living under the poverty level. This parallels the fact that we are the worst state in the nation for child hunger. Recognizing that each of our communities may be different requires solutions that reflect diverse environmental, social and cultural issues. Imperative to achieving a sustainable local economy, the region increasingly has to focus on and adapt to macroeconomic changes while balancing its regenerative capacities to better address and mitigate issues such as food insecurity, adequate affordable housing, youth opportunities and risk of loss to local culture. OK, so what are we to do? It is one thing to try to figure out what went right or wrong; it’s another to adopt actions and invest in support of establishing economic and community resiliency. Given that I am unable to predict the future or in any manner affect it, all I can suggest here is a navigation tool-set partly based on recommendations from NADO (National Association of Development Organizations) that may be useful in maintaining a level of poise in a “foggy” environment.

Balancing the economic base with local community-based development will be critical. First, we should address the question “Where are we now?” by using the relevant data and background information to help identify the critical internal and external factors that speak to the region’s unique assets and competitive positioning. This is the basic SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. Second, we should answer the questions “Where do we want to go?” and “How are we going to get there?” by leveraging this analysis. The strategy and action plan should logically flow from the critical internal and external factors that speak to the region’s assets and limitations and its role in capacity-building. The strategy continued on page 12

Green Fire Times • January 2015

Puzzle

continued from page 7

Los Alamos National Laboratories Major Subcontractors Consortium Fund Grants

Los Alamos National Laboratory Major Subcontractors Consortium (LANL MSC), in partnership with New Mexico Community Foundation, Los Alamos National Security and the Regional Development Corporation, has awarded eight economic-development grants to regional nonprofit organizations and government and tribal entities. Projects and initiatives funded include smallbusiness incubators, formalized cluster groups or cluster associations, smallbusiness technical-assistance providers, microlenders and/or commercial kitchens.

Value-added agricultural training with Sam Aragón of Las Nueve Ninas Vineyards

establish the Hunter facility as a community center for the arts and agriculture and, more specifically, is supporting Moving Arts Española in its expansion of a preprofessional training and performing arts school; creating a centrally located storefront for the Española Community Market; developing a year-round indoor/ outdoor mercado, providing a venue for sales of locally grown produce and crafts; providing a site for community events, workshops and educational outreach; and acting as a catalyst for the economic mobilization and revitalization of Española’s Main Street corridor. C ooperat ives . In order for any economic-development strategy to be effective, we must develop cooperative approaches to management of local resources in furtherance of collective return. Roger Gonzales and the members of Los de Mora Local Growers’ Cooperative are actively demonstrating this methodology through a highly organized and mutually supportive agricultural cooperative that promotes collaborative practices like succession planting and encourages resource conservation through drip irrigation and season extension as ways of generating consistent supplies of produce and maximizing yields from smallacreage operations. After only two years in operation, the members of Los de Mora

Local agricultural entrepreneurs learn about soil quality

are proving that small-scale agricultural enterprises can be financially viable, whether through vineyards, alpacas, free-range eggs or gourmet greens. By coordinating local resources, knowledge and expertise, members work together for a common purpose and share in the fruits of their labor. Capital. We want to give our families a hand up, not a hand-out, and in order to accomplish this we must be prepared to make meaningful investments in our entrepreneurs by providing access to capital and leveraging sufficient financial resources to develop the infrastructure, equipment and programming necessary to incubate successful ventures. Many thanks to organizations like OCS, USDA, McCune Foundation, New Mexico Community Foundation, Regional Development Corporation, L os Alamos National Laboratory Major Subcontractors Consortium (LANL MSC), LANL Community Programs, Northern Río Grande Heritage Area, Río Grande CDC, and Delicious New Mexico for committing capital contributions and for making an investment in our rural communities. There is much work to be done, and our progress will continue to be measured and hard-fought. But if we continue to work together we will certainly succeed. i Todd López, a practicing attorney, is president of Siete del Norte CDC and New Mexico area manager for Chicanos por la Causa, both nonprofit organizations dedicated to the longterm st rengthening of rural New Mexico communities through education, advocacy, leadership and economic development.

Green Fire Times • January 2015

The LANL MSC is a collaborative of the 35 largest LANL subcontractors who pool and designate their corporate resources toward diversifying northern New Mexico’s economy. The consortium’s Economic Development Grant pool, established in 2006, provides LANL subcontractors a direct mechanism by which to make highimpact investments, collectively, towards the region’s economic development. The fund is held and managed by New Mexico Community Foundation. The grants, totaling $95,000, were given to the following recipients: •E spañola Valley Fiber Arts Center will upgrade its facility, so that the operation can function with greater efficiency and strengthen its assets to broaden the fiber-arts services offered. EVFAC will also develop a bulk buying program to create economies of scale that enable more cost-effective fiber-art production. • Mora County Entrepreneurial Network will work to improve income levels and access to resources and capital for entrepreneurs in Mora County by providing one-on-one coaching, networking and helping business owners access resources and services using a growing community network. • Picuris Pueblo will revive its charcoal-production business to create a viable business that will contribute to the integration of forest restoration and the profitable use and management of Picuris Pueblo forest slash and biomass resources, as well as create jobs for tribal members and expand business and income to the tribe from charcoal sales. •R í o A rr i b a C o u n t y w i l l provide direct technical and resource support to agricultural entrepreneurs with emphasis to clients operating out of the S ostenga local commercial kitchen in order to bring in revenue for self-sustainability and to maintain the operation of the kitchen. Support will come from Northern New Mexico College students and in-kind support from Río Arriba County Economic Development Office.

Sostenga Kitchen

• Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute will promote the livelihoods of local farmers to supply an abundant, healthy supply of local food to the region’s communities by providing access to the Micro Loan Fund and the Farmers’ Professional Development Program to strengthen and increase the capacity of local farmers. • Siete del Norte will build its capacity to support agricultural entrepreneurs in northern New Mexico through an aggregating, processing, marketing and valueadded distribution center for local produce at the newly developed Northern New Mexico Food Hub (NNMFH). Siete will provide technical assistance, operational support and professional services to agricultural entrepreneurs and support the programmatic and operational needs of the project. • Taos Entrepreneurial Network will offer entrepreneurial business and strategic-planning support to leaders of the Village of Questa, after the Chevron mine, which employed over 300 people, permanently closed in June. The network will also be spearheading Taos youth-entrepreneurship initiatives and business education in Taos County. • WESST will provide for its project participants online marketing expertise with targeted services, including regular access to high-speed Internet and access to product development and web marketing. Project services will be targeted to women-owned and minority-owned product-based businesses that have the commitment to incorporate marketing and technology tools into their business as a means of growing business revenues beyond the borders of New Mexico.

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The Local Voice

The New Regional-Local Mindset

ack when I was running the Santa Fe Alliance for locally owned independent businesses, we had this membership rule: 51 percent or more of the business had to be owned by the person living in Santa Fe. Every now and then we’d get a call from a business owner from Bernalillo County or Río Arriba County asking if they could join the Alliance. And, always, our answer was yes, if the business was 51 percent or more owned by a person living in Santa Fe County. And every time we answered that question I challenged the board and staff to think about this a little more. What if the business was a farm in Río Arriba that sold goods in Santa Fe? Isn’t that OK? What if the business owner lives in Albuquerque now but still has the business in Santa Fe? Doesn’t the business tax get paid to the city of Santa Fe, making it a viable member for its contributions to our town? Who cares where its owner is located, as long as the owner is the majority shareholder or owner and resides in our state? When the economy hit bottom in 2009, I pushed hard and suggested that perhaps we needed to think about a regional economy that would help grow not only our city but also the small towns around northern New Mexico. Sure, that made sense for farmers and food producers because Santa Fe is not exactly the urban farming center of New Mexico; we need the Española Valley farmers, who transport and sell their goods in our city. But what about manufacturing of other items? Couldn’t we think of a linked regional economy that kept money in our state,

Los Ojo, NM, a village in Rio Arriba

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not just in our county? Shouldn’t we be thinking of our rural neighbors who are desperate for jobs and resources? If we could grow the pie statewide, wouldn’t that help everyone?

A regional economy will help grow not only our city but also the small towns around New Mexico. Let me tell you what regionalism is not. It is not a big business or corporation creating a widget that is sold out of the state for some other big company or consumer. It is not a corporation, the headquarters of which is in another state, and whose basic, back-office services are performed in other cities (think accounting, marketing, web and graphic design). Those things are like strip mining a community, that is, paying a basic wage, a basic tax to our city, county or state, but offering no returns to the community it is positioned in. Regionalism is a method of production and distribution that is geographically localized, rather than national or international. However, because there is no universally agreed-upon definition for the geographic component of what “local” or “regional” means, consumers are left to decide what local and regional means to them. Even government departments and organizations I work with cannot seem to define regional. I offer this definition of “regionalism” as a system that:

• s upports and grows its locally owned businesses, s o t h a t better, more meaningful jobs are provided • g ives back to the community in the form of New Mexico food products at the Santa Fe School of Cooking contr ibutions was being grown before we could to our nonprofits, tax base and think about how to fix the problem volunteerism of not having access to it in Lincoln • is equitable, engages in fair trade Park. Imagine a wheel with a hub in and decentralization of power, and the center and spokes coming from supports the theory that “we all do it connected to the big outside wheel. better, when we all do better” That is how we envision Lincoln • supports choosing local resources for Park’s local food economy: its social supply chains enterprise will be at its core, connected • respects our most precious natural to the other businesses, organizations, resources • c onsiders a geographic region, schools, urban farms and other entities and the businesses, supply chain, that are already doing the work of growing or educating or purchasing. residents and labor within that Next, we had to think through what geographic area is truly needed in Lincoln Park. Is it a In Newark, N.J., I’m fortunate to hub in a bricks-and-mortar building be involved in a project in an urban that aggregates product to be packed neighborhood that is addressing its and sent out to markets like restaurants own food-desert issue and access to and anchor institutions and schools? healthy food and jobs. The Lincoln Park Is it a commercial kitchen incubator Coast Cultural District is a nine-acre where local businesses can plant their urban neighborhood with a beautiful seeds and grow, creating jobs of their green park in its community’s heart, own? Is it a marketing campaign to with newly retrofitted and renovated educate the producers and the eaters? green buildings for artists and business Is it a trucking and distribution system owners to live in and work from. The to get the food physically from one neighborhood lacks a grocery store, a place to another? We held community farmers’ market or any other way to convenings in Lincoln Park to discuss purchase local food. There are plenty this regional system because we know of fast-food restaurants, ethnic eateries that the participants in this system and local restaurants. But it’s easier to already have within them the wisdom buy a bottle of scotch and a pack of and creativity to confront even the cigarettes than it is to by a fresh apple most difficult challenges. in this historic urban neighborhood What is truly needed is a regional just blocks from downtown. economy where all the players are My consulting partner and I first valued for what they contribute, where looked at the region, asking what is all the jobs they create at good wages happening in the area, starting with are counted as part of the pie. It is a neighboring districts, then going regional economy that is anchored by outward from there to the areas outside a social enterprise deeply rooted in its the downtown core, then even further place—a neighborhood with residents, to the neighboring cities, then into artists, businesses, churches, schools— the region. We needed to know what that services itself and the greater city. was happening and what local food continued on page 13

Green Fire Times • January 2015

Vicki Pozzebon

Foggy Forecast

continued from page 9

should evolve from a clearly defined vision with prioritized goals and measurable objectives. Third, the question “What do we need to do to get there?” is based primarily on the prioritized goals and objectives. A successful action plan should then focus on those regionally driven strategic priorities that will be undertaken to bring the prosperity aspirations of the region’s stakeholders to fruition. Fourth, we should ask, “How are we doing?” and “What can we do better?” These form the evaluation framework, with its associated measures and timelines and should cascade from the strategy and action plan, which, in turn, flow from the SWOT analysis. Performance measures are key to demonstrate accountability and, in some way, force us to be honest about our progress. Finally, keep “resiliency” in mind. In this way, the objective is to build equity— economic social and environmental—for the region through appropriate investments, risk management and value propositions.

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Economic resilience can be realized using examples such as these: • Efforts to broaden the industrial base with diversification initiatives such as targeting the development of emerging clusters or industries that (a) build on the region’s unique assets and competitive strengths, and (b) provide stability during downturns that disproportionately impact any single cluster or industry; • Enhancement of business retention and expansion programs; • Promotion of business continuity and preparedness; • E m p l o y m e n t o f s a f e development practices in business districts and surrounding communities such as locating structures outside of flood plains, preserving natural lands that act as buffers from storms, and protecting downtowns and other existing development from the impacts of extreme weather; and • Comprehensive planning efforts that involve extensive engagement from the community to define and implement a collective vision for resilience. continued on page 33

New Mexico Leverages $8.6 Million to Help Small Businesses

On Dec. 23, 2014, New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela announced that New Mexico’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) has disbursed $8,605,922 to help small businesses grow and create jobs. New Mexico has $4,562,428 available to New Mexico companies until July 2015. “Creating new jobs and helping small business grow remains a top priority in New Mexico because small, private businesses help diversify our economy,” said Barela. “These funds go a long way toward helping small-business owners secure the capital they need to move forward in building their business.” In Albuquerque, the Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity (GAHH) was able to use SSBCI funds when it wanted to move to a more prominent location to increase visibility throughout the community and expand operations. GAHH sought financing but did not meet the bank’s loan-to-value requirements. Using SSBCI funds, the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) provided a $241,000 subordinate loan participation, enabling Wells Fargo Bank to extend a $1.6 million loan to purchase and renovate the new GAHH headquarters and Habitat ReStore. SSBCI is designed to help spur new private-sector lending or investment in small companies by leveraging private capital along with the federal support offered by the program. SSBCI funding is not repaid by participating states to the federal government. Instead, to help even more small businesses, repaid loans and investments remain with the participating states to be redeployed locally. For more information on New Mexico’s SSBCI Program, visit www.nmfa.net and www.gonm.biz

Green Fire Times • January 2015

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Local Voice continued from page 11

And in Albuquerque, through the Living Cities Innovation Central Integration Initiative project to create jobs and economic mobility through innovation and entrepreneurship for the city’s most underserved residents, we are looking at the same things. How do you help a local business owner best serve the needs of the community neighborhood she is based in while being connected to the greater city and its services? International neighborhoods, traditional neighborhoods, downtown urban neighborhoods all need the same thing, that is, to be places of community for their residents and business owners while thinking and being a part of a larger city and county and statewide economy.

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Regional-local. It ’s a new economic system mindset. It’s one that needs to be thought through, so that all neighborhoods are connected to each other, not competing for city, county, or state funds for this redevelopment or that revitalization project. W hat if we considered regionalism to be about the trade of goods and services within your neighborhood, your district, your city, your county, your state, your bioregion? If we grow the economic pie for a region, we’ll all do better because we’ll all do better. i Vicki Pozzebon is the owner of Prospera Partners, a consulting company practicing bold localism. Pozzebon is a BALLE Fellow and the author of the forthcoming book For the Love of Local: Confessions from the Heart of Community. Read her blog The Local Voice at www.prosperapartners.org and follow her on Twitter: @vickipozzebon

Green Fire Times • January 2015

Rural Economic Development, Leakage and Entrepreneurs

or a variety of reasons, rural communities face much greater challenges when it comes to economic development, as evidenced by key economic indicators. For example, urban employment now exceeds prerecession peaks, while rural America has yet to catch up to 2007 levels. And while it may appear that unemployment rates have improved in rural areas, a closer look reveals that a significant decline in labor participation explains this trend, more so than an increase in actual employment. As concerning, for the first time in our nation’s history, total rural population has begun to decline over the past several years. We continue to lose our best and brightest to the opportunities afforded by urban communities.

of addressing rural economic issues; indeed, they have instituted a variety of programs that work to confirm such relationships. Moreover, many members of our communities expect government to produce relatively instantaneous results—ironically, as confidence in government’s ability to execute as a whole resides at an all-time low. Yet, year-to-year, we continue to double down on an approach that has consistently failed to get us to where we would like to be, to where we need to be, if we are to provide our children the same opportunities we experienced.

As a matter of course, policy makers often tend to look outside of our rural areas for solutions. Somehow, federal and state governments have been delegated the primary responsibility

While Río Arriba County enjoys a unique history of living culture second to none, from a development perspective it bears severe structural challenges. Two counties and two pueblos carve

A strategy to address the plight of rural America

Christopher Madrid

Española, New Mexico

up the central city of Española, making comprehensive planning for infrastructure and development extremely difficult. Meanwhile, our three sovereign nations, along with federal and state agencies, take more than 75 percent of our countywide land mass out of play for purposes of private-sector development. As a consequence, the short supply of commercial space exacts a premium price, generating cost structures that take many otherwise positive business opportunities out of play and result in insufficient options to meet local demand. Unfortunately, this in turn causes our citizens to look outside of their local community for the goods and services they desire; in economic jargon, this is called leakage. Due to a significant deficiency of satisfactory retail options in Río Arriba County and the Española Valley, local consumers obtain nearly a third of their annual retail purchases outside of our community. The analysis indicates that our retail deficiency results in the loss of upwards of $171 million in economic activity, $13 million in gross receipts taxes and 850 jobs due to retail leakage alone. Otherwise stated, our challenged rural communities subsidize more affluent urban areas with our purchasing power. Retail leakage should represent a strategic economic focus and a priority for our region to address; a 25 percent improvement in retail sales would result in over 200 diversified local jobs. Importantly, retailers appreciate the unmet demand, high traffic counts and success of existing retail establishments. The main challenge remains the cost of commercial real estate, complexity of commercial development and shortage of optimal locations.

Green Fire Times • January 2015

In the end, unless we want to experiment with government-run businesses only the private business sector can create such economic wealth and growth. As profit-centered organizations, they will seek the path of least cost and resistance. Given the added challenges of conducting business in rural areas, we must somehow work smarter and more cohesively in encouraging their investment in our communities. Government’s optimal role should be to effectively support local business activity and/or get out of their way, short of reasonable regulatory requirements. Public buildings tend to be named after public officials, but the dollars that pay for government ultimately arise from taxes on the economic activity created by our entrepreneurs and business communities who commit significant resources and take on great risk for our eventual benefit. In the end, the future of rural America resides in the hands of entrepreneurs, along with government’s ability to finally realize it is not the answer and, all too often, it serves as the impediment. The simple strategy to turn around the plight of rural America first begins with prioritizing, supporting and celebrating our existing local entrepreneurs and businesses owners. i Christopher Madrid is Río Arriba County’s director of Economic Development. clmadrid@ rio-arriba.org

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Views from the field

Could Cottage Industries and Cooperatives be the Answer?

Alejandro López

This began when East Coast artists, who rented a casita (small cottage) on el Camino del Cañón in Santa Fe from a Nuevo Mexicano family in the early 1900s for $25 per month, created their art and then shipped their canvasses back East, where they fetched thousands of dollars. In time, the artists were able to buy out the families that rented to them and even change the name of the street to suit their own tastes. In this manner, one IndoHispano community after another lost most of its original inhabitants or, rather, the original inhabitants lost their economic clout and assets. Such is the story of the economic and demographic displacement that occurred in Santa Fe, Taos, Tesuque, La Ciénega, Dixon, Las Truchas and many other communities.

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Resources have been directed toward law enforcement rather than neighborhoods’ real needs such as job creation.

One thing that I learned from Ferguson, Mo., from the protests that have been staged across the country in response to the recent grandjury verdict, and f rom the copious L-R: Adobe construction; northern New Mexico–style furniture; amounts of Santa Cruz garlic harvest; youth participant in a local cottage information industry experiential workshop ethnic populations (nearly half that have been generated regarding the of the state) and the morequality of life for black people in this recent, transplanted mainstream country is that our society is one of populations are about as dramatic as those tremendous disparities, not only in justice between black and white communities in but also in economics. More often than the United States. Although, if the truth not, the disparities in economics fuel the be told, there are some wealthy people in disparities in justice. In a recent article in the Indo-Hispano community, as well as a The Nation, Carl Hart, a neuroscientist semblance of a middle class. By and large, and writer, who is especially sensitive though, in the rural areas of northern to the situations of blacks and other New Mexico, there is little of a middle minorities, states the following regarding class and a dearth of wealthy individuals what has occurred in black communities arising from within these communities. and which could well apply to northern In general, New Mexico has one of the New Mexico Spanish-speaking highest indexes of poverty in the United communities: “Complex economic States, and it is entrenched in its original and social forces have been reduced to land-based ethnic communities. criminal justice problems; resources were directed toward law enforcement rather Due to the systematic dismantling of our than neighborhoods’ real needs such as former, local, land-based economy and job creation.” way of life, the imposition of a cutthroat, impersonal economy and a general lack Having spent nearly a lifetime in New of investment by capital-rich mainstream Mexico and seven years working in the entities in communities of color, a series African-American communities of of corrosive social problems have taken North Philadelphia and Washington, root in northern New Mexico. These D.C., I recognize that economic are problems wrought from a sense of disparities between New Mexico’s native

ike many people, due to necessity, I direct most of my time, energy and thought into making a living in northern New Mexico. Northern New Mexico is the place of my birth and probably one of the toughest and most economically dry places in the country. This may not be so for everyone, but it certainly is true for many native New Mexicans or those stubborn enough to stay in a place where the traffic is going the other way. For, as so often happens, many native New Mexicans have been forced to sell their land and homes and move out due to hardship and lack of employment or capital, while wealthy and not-so-wealthy immigrants from the other 49 states, and indeed from all over the world, move in, attracted by the region’s natural beauty and incomparable historical and cultural assets.

desperation that one cannot make ends meet, that one’s children have no future and that we are no longer of this place. Many northern New Mexicans continuously grapple with economic development for their households, as well as for their communities. Many would like to stay here, particularly those who have homes and property or, at least, an abiding love and devotion to homeland and family. For these people, who long for meaningful work but lack capital, an investment in their aspirations by those who have significantly more would be a viable way to counter the current social and economic miasma that undermines the health and integrity of our region. For all the talk that has gone on over the last several decades, it would seem reasonable that actively stimulating the development of cottage or cooperative industries throughout northern New continued on page 29

Green Fire Times • January 2015

OP-ED: Airport or Agriculture for Taos? © Anna C. Hansen

Seth Brown

any people in Taos see what the Taos Valley could be. Taos is a beautiful, old community with major untapped potential for growing enough food to feed a large local population. There are also people—fewer in number—who see how much quick money can be made by converting our valley into a city. A real economy is not dependent on a fraudulent, unstable financial system. Unfortunately, the Taos economy for the past 30 years has become dependent on this kind of development.

Go to taosnews.com and search “Pavel Lukes in support of airport expansion.” His message reveals quite a bit about what is going on.

Courtesy Altermann Gallery

A prominent real-estate agent in Taos claims that a larger airport is essential to building a city here. He

is right about that, but he is wrong in his claim that covering our farmland with buildings, roads and parking lots will restore hope for young people. It is our farmland and the water that flows through the acequias that are the real hope for our community. Thousands of acres of irrigated land in Taos could grow food every year as long as water flows from the mountains, but not if the land lies buried under a city. This seems obvious, but it is not something that developers want to think about as they envision their bank accounts filling with profits.

Painting by Joseph Fleck

Here are some development schemes of times past: Arthur Manby, who faked his death and moved to México when the people realized what he was planning; Indian Camp Dam in the late 1960s; the plan to spray Agent Orange on the acequias all over Taos county in 1979; and seven other major developments that were opposed by small groups

Talpa ridge of the Ranchos de Taos valley. Joseph Fleck’s house is in the foreground.

Green Fire Times • January 2015

of Taoseños. Since 1970, I have joined all of these efforts to stop harmful development. The opposition succeeded, except for two of them. The airport expansion isn’t decided yet, but it is a door to many schemes cooking in Taos, so it’s been the most difficult to stop. The success of all the previous efforts to thwart development, ironically, is part of the reason Taos is now a juicy target for developers.

us think will happen if the airport expansion succeeds: wherever there are rivers emerging from mountains in desert areas like Taos, cities are being built that bury under concrete the very farmland that gave birth to settlement. If this seems improbable, google “more accessible areas in western America where rivers emerge from

A funny story about stopping developers in Taos: The year I was born, 1951, Edward Abbey, author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, and his family moved into a little, dirt-roofed compound my family lived in on north Edith Blvd., in Albuquerque. We all returned to Taos in the mid1950s and shared to survive, until Ed left in the mid-1960s. Opposing de velopers in the Taos area in the 1950s Neighbors visit the Brown’s 10-acre homestead in went something like this: Arroyo Seco in 1956 a developer put up signs the mountains.” The farmland is advertising home sites in the Fort gone. Denver and Phoenix are cities Burgwin area, so Abbey, my dad where it was popular to cut down Malcolm, and John Depuy—who all the orchards for development. In told me this story—went there in the the 1950s and ’60s almost all of the middle of the night to cut down the fruit trees—even in privately owned signs. They heard someone else sawing yards—were cut down and replaced in the dark. Spud Johnson, Taos News with inedible ornamentals because no “Gadfly” columnist, was there doing the one was picking fruit, so it rotted and same thing. A week later, the developer made a mess. came into the newspaper office, where World War II marked a turning point Ed was editor, and asked Ed if anyone in northern New Mexico. Many had been caught cutting the signs. people stopped growing food. Now Ed said he hadn’t heard anything but in Taos, many dream of returning to a would look into it and let the developer life connected to growing food on the know. (Rent the video Lonely Are the land, and some of us are trying to find Brave with Kirk Douglas. Filmed ways to slow the destruction of the in the Albuquerque area in 1960, farmland. This is the heart of why we it was taken from a book by Abbey are opposing the airport expansion. It about development and government is a difficult effort because of the big officials.) money that can be made by converting Here’s one of the things many of the farm fields into a city.

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where 90 percent were opposed. Two of the five councilors, Fritz Hahn and Judy Cantú, attended and both voted their opposition. The three councilors who did not attend voted to continue the project. This shows that our system of government doesn’t work. Many people in Taos are tired of this, so now there is a lawsuit in support of giving the people a voice to express their thoughts and feelings to county officials who have the power to decide the future of our farmland and our native culture. What is the true cost of the kinds of jobs the airport supporters promise? It isn’t as simple as they claim. Hopefully, the county will notice when the people come to speak.

My family bought ir r ig a te d l a n d in Arroyo Seco in 1955, Seth Brown (center) on the family farm in 1956 at $200 per acre. That homestead was sold in 1973 to settle a One example of misinformation is divorce. I tried to reassemble the little the claim that Taos Pueblo approves farm beginning in 1975, building it up of the expansion. This is not the case, to 11 acres by 2006.The last little bit I even though our previous mayor did bought cost more than $120,000 per make a deal reversing the pueblo’s acre, 600 times the cost of what it was in long-standing resolution opposing the 1955. Bankrupt in 2008, I’m now starting airport, opening the door to expansion. Our group has found no one at the pueblo now supporting the airport. Another pro-airport statement that appears often is that “the opponents are a small group of radicals who don’t represent the majority.” Our petition effort revealed the opposite is true.

from scratch to create another farm in Arroyo Hondo where land costs less. Skilled labor in 1955 was $1 per hour in Taos; now it’s $20 per hour. It’s worse if minimumwage statistics are used; that wage increase from 1955 to 2006 is about 10 times as much. Picture the price of irrigated land in Taos rising twice as fast as wages that can be earned. That would be a problem but could be managed.The cost of irrigated land rising 30 times faster than wages is catastrophic for working people, and it is spelling extinction for what maybe the oldest agricultural community north of México. Councilor Judy Cantú, in reference to airport expansion, gave us a little bit of wisdom: “In Santa Fe, they kept the buildings and moved the people out.” Obviously, this does not bode well for working people, the environment or the native cultures in Taos. An expanded

As soon as the effort to oppose the airport started up again, when the new Taos City Council was elected in the spring of 2014, a war of words started, with each side trying to educate people about what the future holds with the airport plan. It is a complicated situation to decipher, but at least there is discussion now, owing to the efforts to make the deliberations public instead of being done behind closed doors, as the developers wanted.

Ranchos de Taos farmland

airport to attract as much wealth as possible would not be good for Taos. i Seth Brown’s family moved to Taos in 1945. For further information, google “Seth Brown My Turn Taos News.” Email sethb777@ gmail.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: On Dec. 23, acting Taos County Planning Director Edward Vigil approved the permit application for the $24 million airport expansion. The airport is owned and operated by the Town of Taos. Vigil’s approval means the town can technically break ground on the project now. Most of the project’s cost is to be covered by the state and federal governments.

It is our farmland and the water that flows through the acequias that are the real hope for our community. There always was a simple, inexpensive way for town and county officials to decide the airport issue and avoid all the money that has been wasted in the effort to force the expansion on an unwilling population. Just pay close attention to the rooms packed full of people protesting the expansion for 28 years, content throughout the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and now as seen at the recent forum in the City Council chamber,

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Green Fire Times • January 2015

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‘Homegrown’ Could Be a Powerful Boost for New Mexico’s Economy Pam Roy and Mark Winne

ew Mexico has rich agricultural traditions, but when you add the output of its farms and ranches, agriculture is also the state’s fourthlargest economic sector. Dairy and cattle production make up the largest components, and pecan and alfalfa production have surpassed NM’s favorite traditional food—chile. But about 98 percent of this agricultural production is exported out of state at wholesale or commodity prices. If you want to look at an opportunity for real economic growth, you should turn to the state’s consumers, who must purchase 98 percent of their food from out-of-state sources. In a report commissioned by the New Mexico Acequia Association, NM family farmers and ranchers would increase their annual income by $392 million if the state’s consumers purchased 15 percent of their food either directly or indirectly from the state’s producers. As most everyone knows, “local food” is a hot item. Retail stores, restaurants, farmers’ markets and private and public institutions are jumping on the bandwagon. Much of this momentum has been driven by the growth of smallscale agriculture. In the early 1990s, farmers’ markets became a place for NM’s fruit and vegetable producers to develop economic opportunities. For many producers the impetus was to save the family farm.

Over the last two decades, the number of farmers’ markets in NM has tripled to more than 70. They now provide important outlets for 1,000 mostly small-scale producers. These producers have benefited from the addition of public programs such as the Women, Infant and Children Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP), Senior FMNP and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These mostly federally funded programs provide critical nutritional assistance to some of NM’s most vulnerable citizens. Combined, these programs have added more than $582,000 to the $8.46 million in farmers’ market sales in 2012—up from $1.4 million in 1998.

Initiatives pending in the State Legislature would benefit farmers while providing students with healthy local options. In what amounts to a market diversification strategy, farmers have begun selling their fresh products to NM’s public schools. This effort has been aided by a partnership between Farm to Table and the NM Cooperative Extension Service, which provides quality management training to farmers that is designed to meet the schools’ stringent food safety requirements.

A 2014 report, “The Power of Local Procurement,” completed by Farm to Table and New Mexico State University, documented the burgeoning institutional markets and farmer interest in supplying those markets. The report found that the state’s public institutions serve 60 million meals annually through schools, senior centers, corrections facilities and staterun hospitals. Of those, 45 million are served in public schools. Previous research has found that every dollar spent on food produced in NM adds $1.87 to the economy. One way to capture more of the value and generate

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Campos family farm, Embudo, New Mexico

higher returns for producers would be converting land from its current cropping patterns to the production of fruits and vegetables that are in high demand at public institutions. For example, in 2012, more than 300,000 acres were planted in hay, compared to 16,470 acres in fruits and vegetables. The average amount of money the farmer sees for an acre of hay is $1,545. For an acre of selected fruits, it is $7,071, and $7,387 for vegetables. More than a decade ago, a group of organizations and agencies began to anticipate this institutional market potential for small- to medium-

scale farmers in NM. Through the NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council (NMFAP) and its public- and private-sector members, the school setting became a major focus, both to enhance the nutritional opportunities for students and to create new markets for local farmers. This led to the inception of the Farm to Cafeteria Program and legislative initiatives to eliminate competitive foods from NM schools. Simultaneously, the council began to integrate NM-grown produce in school meal programs through appropriations by the state Legislature’s recurring investment of continued on page 22

Events for NM Food and Farm Enthusiasts Wednesday, Jan. 14, 11 am–1 pm NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council Meeting Mid-Region Council of Governments, 809 Copper NW, Albuquerque This meeting will focus on priority legislation and highlights of the legislative session, including the “3rd Annual NM Food and Farms Day.” For details, contact Pam Roy: 505.660.8403, pam@farmtotablenm.org. To participate in the Policy Council on a regular basis and receive news updates, sign up on the Farm to Table website: www.farmtotablenm.org Wednesday, Jan. 28, 8 am–2 pm New Mexico Food and Farms Day State Capitol, Santa Fe 9 a.m. press conference. Display tables by New Mexico food and farm groups, presentations to the full House and Senate. For information, contact Pam Roy: 505.660.8403 or pam@farmtotablenm.org Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6–9 pm Ag Fest Santa Fe Community Convention Center A legislative event showcasing the diversity of agriculture in New Mexico. Learn about farm and ranch-related organizations and agencies. Mingle with legislators.

Green Fire Times • January 2015

Impact Investing Putting Community Assets to Work Nicholas Mang

Investment strategies aimed at growing social and environmental as well as financial capital

he greater Santa Fe region, like most communities today, faces a growing need to develop a healthy and resilient economy, address social inequality and achieve environmental sustainability—needs that have been exacerbated by recession-driven constraints on public and philanthropic funds. The concept of impact investment—affirmative investment strategies aimed at growing social and environmental as well as financial capital—holds great potential for addressing many of these funding challenges. Until recently, much of the focus in this field has been at the national and global levels and not specifically on developing comprehensive local community strategies and infrastructure for impact investment. But that focus is shifting as interest in and the need for local economic-development strategies grow. This increased interest in local economic-development models is producing an outpouring of new initiatives, programs, literature and techniques around the country. The number of local investment funds has jumped in Santa Fe, and enthusiasm about the promise of impact investment is growing. At the same time, however, those involved locally have reported challenges that are potentially

limiting the effectiveness and growth of programs and inhibiting the possible entry of important new players: On the demand side: a need for developing more—and more viable— local social enterprises that can be invested in, as well as building entrepreneurial capacity to successfully drive them. On the supply side: a need for greater education and capacity building among potential investors to support wise and measured investments that create early successes, develop a base of knowledge and experience and build investors’ confidence.

Connective capacity: an overall need for greater infrastructural and shared capacity to leverage resources and increase connectivity between demand and supply-side entities and all other stakeholders. This could include the development of information-sharing networks, local social-enterprise networks, policy and regulatory innovations, shared metric systems, new investment-pooling vehicles, investment intermediaries and other connective mechanisms. i Nicholas Mang is executive director of the nonprofit Story of Place Institute. He has facilitated community redevelopment initiatives in communities across North America.

Impact Network Santa Fe Place-Sourced Impact Investing Seth Roffman

uilding upon the unique qualities inherent in north-central New Mexico, in 2012 the Impact Network Santa Fe (IN Santa Fe) initiative was launched by the interdisciplinary design team of Regenesis, the Story of Place Institute, Santa Fe Innovation Park and a pair of local funders. Their intent was to foster the emergence of an impact investing ecosystem for growing diversified “community wealth” in the region. The project’s directors, David Breecker and Nicholas Mang, define community wealth through the “five capitals” lens, in which five forms of capital (financial, human, social, built, and ecological) are grown simultaneously from each investment, without any capital being diminished over the long term. Through a collaborative process, a set of metrics is being developed to assess community-scale impact across the multiple capitals. IN Santa Fe’s cross-sector, systemic approach was developed through a series of dialogues involving the public, private and philanthropic sectors. The participants offered several local-impact investment ideas. An organizing team was then formed to identify governing principles and next steps forward. Its intent was to establish a network of

partners who could foster development of a vibrant community ecosystem for local-impact investing that could leverage social, environmental and economic benefits. Besides building a network of potential social investors who are interested in companies that do social good as well as providing shareholder value, IN Santa Fe is helping launch business startups that engage local values and resources.

An impact investing ecosystem for growing diversified “community wealth” in the region

“Social entrepreneurship encompasses ideas from triple-bottom-line businesses to nonprofits, from environmentally conscious products to new sustainable methods of production,” said Sean O’Shea, program director at the Santa Fe Business Incubator and co-organizer of Santa Fe Startup Weekend. Startup Weekend is a nonprofit global network where, for 54 hours, developers, designers, marketers, product managers and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams and build products. In September 2014, IN Santa Fe partnered

Green Fire Times • January 2015

with Santa Fe Startup Weekend to offer a social enterprise component to the intensive entrepreneurial brainstorming.

Impact Santa Fe Challenge Fellowship

IN Santa Fe’s Challenge Fellowship provides opportunities for visionary entrepreneurs from all areas of the social venture spectrum to seed their projects, learn, grow and develop their enterprises into investor-worthy businesses. Chosen by a panel of judges through a competitive challenge, the selected entrepreneurs work with a team of topical experts and resource networks to develop integrated business plans that can increase the systemic impact of their startup ventures. Beyond the fivemonth “challenge” period, IN Santa Fe provides ongoing networking, resource support and promotional assistance. A “collaboratory” open-web platform to support ongoing development of innovation capacity and other relevant projects, events, information and resources is being developed. Breecker and Mang intend to make IN Santa Fe’s process and infrastructure available to other regions that may want to adopt this place-sourced impact investing model throughout New Mexico and beyond.

The first generation of IN Santa Fe’s Fellowship pilot projects: Awesome Harvest—An innovative Santa Fe-based manufacturing company that makes recyclable, biodegradable pots for transplanting and growing plants.The pots are currently available at Costco and other retailers. Comida de Campos—An Embudo, New Mexico, family farm, seeking to keep local farming sustainable and alive as a family tradition, is launching an innovative, farm-to-vending-machine venture that delivers fresh, healthy food products directly to work places. Tall Foods—A new startup company that seeks to bolster sustainable ranching through farming and marketing of tasty tall foods (aka ostrich). Wildfire Network—A nonprofit startup that is developing an innovative social entrepreneurial model for developing capacity to address the Southwest’s looming wildfire-mitigation and forest-resiliency hazards. For more information on Impact Network Santa Fe, email info@sfimpact.org or visit www.sfimpact.org

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NEWSBITEs ABQid: A New Business Accelerator

ABQid (www.abqid.com), Albuquerque’s first business startup accelerator, raised $1.8 million in city funds for startup-related programs in 2014. It also raised $220,000 in private capital to invest in 11 firms that joined the program. Eighty diverse companies— some established and some just getting started—applied, and 45 presented a pitch. ABQid’s board identified 18 teams. Of those, six were found to have nonviable company ideas but were allowed to audit the program. In exchange for a 6 percent stake, each of the 11 companies chosen received a $20,000 stipend to join the accelerator’s 90-day crash course. The following 11 companies were selected: • AttachedApps: delivers cloud-based contact and sales-management software • Blackfish, Inc.: specializes in developing games and interactive book apps • InnoBright: makes an accelerator for animation rendering that could speed up the process of making animated film projects • Itsums: collects images for the client’s latest project and organizes them to save time and money • NuAira: makes a pneumatic booster for bicycles and mobility solutions for personal, public and military transportation • Nuvos: makes a universal software-development kit that allows developers to avoid having to rewrite applications to support different devices • Peptineo: is developing a fully enabled, nano-based therapeutic-delivery platform for antibiotics and vaccines •P iFi: makes a hardware and software cloud platform that enables parents to easily manage when, and for how long, their children use the Internet • Plug.Solar: designs, manufactures and distributes the SunPort plug-and-play solar-access point and delivers pre-purchased solar electricity to mobile devices •S portXast: makes a smartphone app that enables the user to easily capture and share game highlights • ToroFish: developed an affiliate program for students, teachers and study groups

Bernalillo County and Río Grande Community Development CORP Collaborate

The South Valley Economic Development Center (SVEDC) is a collaborative effort between Bernalillo County and the Río Grande Community Development Corporation (RGCDC). SVEDC serves as both a business incubator for clients using the facility, and as an economic-development catalyst for the unincorporated area of the South Valley. The nonprofit RGCDC is currently working to help focus a vision for the South Valley and promote entrepreneurial enterprise. Guided by a mission to support community-wide economic and social development that enriches traditional cultural values and historical uses of the land, with a budget of $2 million per year, the organization runs 16 projects. They range from the kitchen incubator at the SVEDC to the Generation Justice project, the Ciclovia bicycling event, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm and several rural projects with farmers and entrepreneurs. 505.217.2473, www.rgcdc.org

WESST Enterprise Centers

WESST (Women’s Economic Self Sufficiency Team) is a 25-year-old Albuquerquebased small business development organization that works to help create new jobs and build a strong economic climate in the New Mexico communities it serves. WESST’s regional enterprise centers can be found in Río Rancho, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Roswell and Farmington. Each hosts a Women’s Business Center Program, funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The WBC program was founded to foster the growth of woman-owned businesses by providing access to education, mentoring, training, business development and financing opportunities. WESST offers long-term, comprehensive business consulting and SBA micro-loans. While a large percentage of the organization’s clients are women and minorities, WESST provides services to any New Mexico resident interested in launching a new business or expanding an existing one. www.wesst.org

Keshet Ideas and Innovation Center

The nonprofit Keshet Ideas and Innovation Center, with support from the federal Economic Development Administration, opened in July 2014 as an incubator and resource center for arts entrepreneurs. The Albuquerque-based center offers workshops on topics such as budgeting and human resource issues, provides oneon-one coaching and helps pair clients with professionals who can mentor them in specific business-related areas. On Jan. 13, a panel of local experts will present a workshop on creating a marketing plan. 505.224.9808, www.keshetdance.org/ keshet-ideas-and-innovation-center-kiic/

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Acción Receives Grant for Northern New Mexico Entrepreneurs

The Santa Fe Community Foundation has given Acción New Mexico a $250,000 grant to expand the nonprofit organization’s ability to provide loans to emerging entrepreneurs and existing small businesses in Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe and Taos counties. The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded $270,000 to Acción’s loan program in October 2014. Between January and November 2014, Acción provided $715,690 through 35 loans to small businesses, helping create or sustain 68 jobs. The organization offers business loans up to $750,000, along with training, networking and other support services to business owners or those who want to start a business. Eight-six percent of the small business loans issued by Acción in 2014 went to lowincome, minority and/or women entrepreneurs.

City of Santa Fe Launches Ignite Entrepreneurship Request for Proposals Kickoff to a conversation with local businesses and entrepreneurs

The city of Santa Fe’s Economic Development Division has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) with the goal of igniting the entrepreneurial economy in Santa Fe. The RFP asks, among other things: • What needs to be done to ignite Santa Fe’s entrepreneurial economy? •H ow will you light up the entrepreneurial network, i.e., facilitate or create connections, collaboration, co-learning, mentoring, problem solving or other useful interaction among entrepreneurs in Santa Fe? •H ow will you raise the level of business savvy and skills among entrepreneurs, e.g., knowledge of business basics such as accounting, legal structures, getting through permits and regulations, managing staff, market research, marketing to target audiences and more? • What will you do to create excitement and buzz around entrepreneurship in Santa Fe? •H ow will you create awareness of and connections to existing resources for business development, e.g., Santa Fe Business Incubator, SCORE, Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Richard Feynmann Center, workforce placement and training programs, and more? Kate Noble, with the city’s Economic Development Division, said, “This effort is about throwing open the doors and making powerful collaborations happen. We have incredible, diverse assets and projects already in place, from the Santa Fe Business Incubator to MIX Santa Fe and our Nighttime Economy Task Force, but we want to broaden our horizons and bring in those who are already working to innovate in this community.” Proposals are due promptly by 2 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the city’s Purchasing Office on Siringo Road. The full RFP and details are available at www.santafenm.gov/ bids_rfps/detail/1521p

Santa Fe Business Incubator Connects Nonprofits with Community Problem Solvers

The Santa Fe Business Incubator, currently home to more than 19 client companies and three partner organizations, has helped more than 125 companies create over 1,000 jobs. In addition to SFBI’s ever-expanding core group of programs and services, in partnership with the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the incubator has launched an innovative new program called SOLVE. The program’s aim is to connect area nonprofits with community members to help solve challenges and create opportunities in the Santa Fe area. SOLVE is a two-part event where selected nonprofits pitch problems to a group of community members interested in becoming solvers. The format mimics the process of a startup company pitching to investors, with the problem taking the place of the product and time taking the place of investment capital. Solutions are then pitched and a winner chosen. The nonprofit that has its problem solved in the most innovative and creative way receives a $2,500 grant from the foundation. Prizes are also awarded to the winning solver. Nonprofits interested in applying should visit SFBI’s website at www.sfbi.net. For more information about the program, requirements and qualifications, contact Sean O’Shea at 505.424.1140 or soshea@sfbi.net

Green Fire Times • January 2015

Homegrown continued from page 19

$85,000 (specific to the Albuquerque area) and $240,000 (statewide). An additional appropriation of $100,000 was made available for one year in 2013.

Through a concerted effort by Farm to Table, NMFAP Council, the NM Cooperative Extension Service, NM Department of Agriculture, NM School Nutrition Association and NM Food and Nutrition Services (NMFNS), the “farm-to-school” program has demonstrated considerable potential to develop and expand market opportunities for the state’s farmers, while keeping more of its food dollars in-state. Kids Benefit from Local Food Betsy Cull, assistant director for Student Nutrition for the Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS), has been cultivating the fine art of farm-toschool for 13 years. The Santa Fe School District refined the process to the point where it has special bid procedures in place just for farmers. For the second year in a row, Cull has secured proposals from six area farmers for such items as apples, melons, and, for the first time, pinto beans. “We purchased $45,000 of local farm produce in the 2013-14 school year,” she says, “and that was without the benefit of apples, most of which were wiped out by late spring freezes in 2013. I’m confident we’ll be buying over $50,000 in 2014-15.” She had to find solutions to obstacles that farmers faced in selling their goods to a large public institution. With one central warehouse, SFPS gives farmers the ease of delivering to a single location rather than dozens of individual schools. Making timely deliveries, given the vagaries of harvest

schedules and driving times, had been a problem for farmers. But that became part of the training process, you might say, as farmers soon learned to comply with the school’s expectations.

And Now a Word from Our Farmer

With demand growing for local food— and the potential within NM’s schools being a large part of that demand—the question must be asked if there are enough NM farmers. As Cull sees it, there are not enough farmers to go around, both now and in the future. This suggests an opportunity—as well as a major challenge—one that will be resolved only as schools learn the valuable lessons acquired over 13 years in Santa Fe, and as farmers recognize that institutional markets are opening up for them.

La Montañita Co-op’s Distribution Supports New Mexico Agriculture

The Albuquerque-based La Montañita Co-op’s distribution center, which was started eight years ago to support local agricultural producers who want to expand their market, has become a source for higher-volume customers such as restaurants across the state who want to serve and sell local food. The center has become an economic engine for some 300 New Mexico ranchers, farmers and other food producers, whose products make up at least 20 percent of the center’s $5.5 million annual sales.

The school segment of their market has seen explosive growth. In 2010, the first year the Wagners sold to schools, they grossed all of $800. But by the close of the 2013-14 school year, Wagner Farm had grossed $85,000. Wagner sets a price for his goods that he thinks is fair and he only recalls one occasion when one of his bids was rejected.

A way for the community to get involved is to support the Legislature’s initiatives such as the “NM-Grown Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for School Meals,” a $1.44-million request to help support schools in the purchasing of farmers’ produce, economically

Farming is a tricky proposition under the best of circumstances. The vagaries of nature, an irregular labor supply and the fickleness of the market often push farmers to the breaking point. And of course there’s the need for land and water, neither of which anyone is making more of these days. As Anthony Wagner sees it, if you want to buy NM-grown food, he’ll grow it. Wagner is a 55-year-old farmer who, with his two brothers and their father, runs the Wagner Farm, founded in Corrales in 1910. On 100 acres in Corrales, 120 acres in Los Lunas and 200 acres in Socorro, the Wagners are hard at work growing apples, sweet corn, chile, melons and alfalfa. With the exception of the alfalfa, all of those products are sold at five farmers’ markets, the Wagner’s farm stand and to several school districts including Albuquerque.

Anthony Wagner at the Santa Fe School District distribution warehouse

Part of the process has become easier and more efficient for farmers due to the central warehouse operated by the NMFNS. Like the warehouse in Santa Fe, the FANS facility receives local produce and distributes to multiple schools and school districts. Working with Farm to Table has also made the dealings between farmers and schools a friendlier exchange. The nonprofit’s training and brokerage services, as well as its vigorous advocacy efforts at the state Legislature, have facilitated farmers’ dealings with schools.

The potential for growth in farmto-school sales is strong. As this connection is nurtured, it will, of course, be the children who benefit. “My kids go to the local high school and eat local food, and it’s good for them!” Wagner unabashedly proclaimed. “The apples are coming straight from my trees and not traveling more than 50 miles. My melons are picked ripe and ready. Everything going to the schools is harvested the day before delivery.

If the schools want to buy more, I’ll grow more.”

Green Fire Times • January 2015

benefiting farmers while providing students with healthy local options. In addition, the Farmers’ Market Double Bucks Program appropriation request could provide additional resources for low-income New Mexicans and provide them an opportunity to shop at farmers’ markets, again stimulating local dollars in our local food and farming economy. For more information call Pam Roy at 505.660.8403 or email pam@farmtotablenm.org i Pam Roy is executive director of Farm to Table. Mark Winne is a Santa Fe-based food-policy consultant.

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Green Fire Times â&#x20AC;˘ January 2015

Excerpts from a thought-provoking roundtable discussion

Presented by Axle Contemporary at the Santa Fe Art Institute, Aug. 27, 2014 Moderated by Mary-Charlotte Domandi of KSFR’s Santa Fe Radio Café L-R: Axel Contemporary co-founder Jerry Wellman, Mary-Charlotte Domandi, Bianca Sopoci-Belknap, Sanjit Sethi, Carmen J. López, Wayne Muller, Margaret Kuhlen

Panelists:

Craig Conley teaches environmental science, resource economics, soils and hydrology at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Margaret Kuhlen is with the Santa Fe Time Bank (“Matching Unmet Needs with Untapped Resources”). Carmen J. López is with We Are People Here, which is working to start public banks in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Her career has been focused around building community and fostering democracy. Wayne Muller, author of A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough, started Bread for the Journey 27 years ago to give seed grants to social service agencies. Sanjit Sethi, executive director of the Santa Fe Art Institute, sees art and creativity as a tool for social change and community development. Bianca Sopoci-Belknap, director of Earth Care (“Youth Leadership for Community Change”), also works for New Energy Economy on climate change and energy issues.

ary-Charlotte: It seems that one of the things that brings us all together here is this sense that we’re living at or right before a time of crisis. The presenters will be discussing food systems, energy, inequality, democracy, time, money and art. How is art part of the essential nature of this discussion?

Sanjit Sethi: We live in a time where you see artists and designers being really invested in driving change and creating potential solutions. Here at SFAI we talk about creative practitioners instead of artists. Today the person that’s identified as an artist may very well have a degree in architecture or industrial design and may be just as interested in rapid prototyping as they are in printmaking. Craig Conley: I think that you don’t have real scientific innovation unless you have that artist’s mind. Linking that with ecological knowledge and community organization skills drives cultural change. You can’t have that without that art innovation, without ecology, which sets the context, and without community or economy. We’ve gotten further away from economy being community. What I find so fascinating about traditional agricultural systems is, you can’t separate the Craig Conley

Green Fire Times • January 2015

art from the science, from the community or the economy. They all have to work together for the system to work. Mary-Charlotte: Carmen, you say you’re working for democracy. Carmen J. López: I’ll talk about creating democracy in the context of creating a public bank. In the current banking system, there’s nothing about it that’s interactive… When you are trying to get a loan, there aren’t extra points for moral value for what you’re trying to do with the money… You don’t get extra points for getting a line of credit when you’re a small business so that you can employ more people and meet the needs of your customers… There’s no attention paid to what the needs are of individuals or of the community to live in a healthy way. A public bank would have the money from Santa Fe that would otherwise be in a bunch of different banks, not helping Santa Fe or earning Santa Fe any interest. Santa Fe would be able to hold its own money and would be able to metaphorically lock away a chunk of that money and then lend out money in order to serve the community. The process of democratization comes in at the point at which we start having conversations with the community about what the needs are here. I suspect that what we will hear is that people are concerned about education, affordable housing, lack of access to line of credit for small businesses…I imagine that we will hear some things that we’re not expecting. And then we use that to build what the mission about this public bank could be. Why are we not all holding our money? Why are we not lending our own money? Why are we sending all of our money to big banks that are doing who knows what with it all over the planet that we may or may not be morally comfortable with? Those banks are not keeping money flowing locally. Why are we not investing in the infrastructure of our community and meeting the needs of the people in our community? The process itself of building a public bank is a democratizing force, as is how the public bank then runs. Its job is to serve the public interest. The purpose of the bank is not to make money for people who serve on the board; the purpose is to make Santa Fe better. Mary-Charlotte: Bianca, that sounds like what you talk about in relation to creating a public utility.

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Photos © Seth Roffman

Creative Approaches for Economies, Ecology and Life

Bianca Sopoci-Belknap: We all know about the local dollar multiplier effect; when we keep money in the local economy, it makes its way around to many of us. A municipal utility would serve in much the same way, unlike a regulated monopoly utility, as we have now. A municipal utility would have values defined by the community. We did a poll and found that 80 percent of the public in Santa Fe is strongly in support of greater renewables. Right now we have no option to pursue that. Our energy dollars are being used in ways that are contrary to our values. So it’s an opportunity for communities to define what it is that we value and then make sure that the economic investments that are being made—particularly by large entities like our city—actually reflect the things that we hold in common as a vision for our future. And so, the municipal utility would be limited in some ways in terms of what the revenue that is generated would have to be used for, for instance, energy-efficiency programs or renewableenergy acquisition. But we know that these things would directly benefit residents in Santa Fe. And by benefiting residents, what you’re doing is you’re putting more money in the pockets of people who live here so that they can spend their money in ways that are conscientious, and you just see that multiply over and over again. These ways of developing local economic self-reliance are really going to shift the dynamic of community action in the next decade. We’ve seen it in other places. Communities that have had their economies devastated around the world have been doing amazing things with cooperatives and local banking and running their own infrastructure needs. We can learn from those global examples, but here in the U.S. we have had a lot of legal and political limitations put upon us. And so, it’s really important that Santa Fe take the opportunity because we have such a creative community, and that’s something we pride ourselves on. It puts an onus on us to be the generators of creative solutions so that other communities could look to us and say, “Wow, in Santa Fe they figured out a way to do it differently.” Then we could really live that line, “The City Different,” in a way that is more meaningful than just a cultural depiction of who we are. We want to live out those values in ways that are reflected in our economy and in our social structures as well.

Everything we’re talking about has very scary implications to the system as it exists now. Mary-Charlotte: When you talk about a municipal utility—as compared to a private utility—a private utility makes its money by selling energy, and the more they sell, the more money they make, and they don’t have any inherent motivation for conservation… A public utility just needs to survive, not get rich. That brings up questions of what is appropriate to be public, what is appropriate to be private. It brings up questions about the whole system. Wayne Muller: Bread for the Journey presumes that the people closest to the ground already know all the answers. They already know why they want to make their community better and in service to what. What do they want to do with the water? Do you want to cool a nuclear reactor? Do you want to create an acequia system so that the whole village can have water for 400 years? You want to talk sustainability? This is 400 years of water through droughts and floods. People on the ground really do know what they need; they know how to make it better, but they’re usually not granted the presumption of being smart enough to know what they need. Mary-Charlotte: The time bank is such an interesting example of equalizing of peoples’ value in a very unequal society where a lawyer might be paid $300 an hour and a landscaper might be paid $15an hour, and yet they’re trading hour-for-hour.

Margaret Kuhlen: When people come in to the orientation—they’re doctors, say, or a high-paid professional person—they come to find out how time banking works because they want to participate in this community of values. They often have enough money to take care of all of their needs, but that doesn’t mean that they have enough community or sense of self-worth from giving out of their surplus. People need to give and people need to receive. If you do an hour of service for one person in the network you earn a time dollar. You can take that time dollar, which is a virtual currency of time, and spend it anywhere in the network… You can get gardening; you can get cooking, dog walking… Everybody’s life force is of equal value… People’s experience of the time bank has been transformative. Enhanced self-esteem has had a multiplier effect in their lives. Mary-Charlotte: It seems to me that that if we were to live healthy lives and have a healthy society, the economy we have could collapse in a really scary way. So, let’s say that we were to really promote organic farming and regional food systems: Big Ag would pretty much go out of business, the fertilizer industry would go out of business, the fast food people would go out of business. These are all publicly traded companies. What if we were to eat healthy food, exercise and use preventive alternative medicine? There wouldn’t be nearly as much illness, and a lot of these gigantic medical industries…the diabetes industry makes a lot of money, and yes, they’re doing a service, but if we didn’t eat such unhealthy diets, we wouldn’t have so much diabetes, and those people would go out of business too. And so, I can imagine Wall Street crumbling. The banking, the utilities; everything that we’re talking about has very scary implications to the system as it exists now. What do you do with that? Sanjit Sethi: Nature abhors a vacuum. It’s not like these things crumble and all of a sudden a gigantic black hole opens up. Other economic enterprises develop. Even right now, you see the evolution of Etsy and 3-D printing and all of these other things that actually create incredible opportunities for different models. Different models already exist that are kind of chiseling at those very rigid and empirical systems that, maybe 30 or 40 years, ago we thought were never questionable. So I don’t think that everything falls into the abyss. Change is a time for incredible growth. Bianca Sopoci-Belknap: If publicly traded utilities have to file for bankruptcy, it will send shocks through our economy in very serious ways. That’s why investing now in self-reliance at the community scale—not as individuals, but as a community and bioregionally, and also building community resilience to changes—is so critical. The truth of the matter is that those shocks—whether we help instigate them or wait for inflated bubble systems to collapse—are going to collapse if we really believe our analysis of how unsustainable they are. The ecology is sort of our standard of observation; it gives us a pretty good assessment. Ultimately, what we’re trying to do is to push a system to look at itself honestly in the mirror and really grapple with the fact that we are going down an unsustainable path. And so, yes, we want to build alternatives ASAP, but we should also recognize that isn’t necessarily going to be totally smooth and fluid and without sacrifice. Carmen López: The economy as it works right now doesn’t work for a whole lot of people. There’s not an inherent value, or any kind of natural equity, or even any kind of extended care for the majority of the population. Having large companies that suck tremendous resources from the population at large and then redistribute those to very small groups of people is not democratic, it’s not healthy, it’s not natural and it wasn’t designed to be that way. In fact, we had laws at one point that were followed and that the government felt responsible for, for keeping monopolies from taking over large industries. The power of the agencies responsible for enforcing that is practically nil now because of the influx of money in politics. A lot of the inequality that we see now is very clearly driven by inequity. continued on page 28

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Green Fire Times • January 2015

New Mexico’s Creative Economy

new study by UNM’s Bureau of Business and Economy Research (BBER) found that arts and culture, including humanities education and cultural tourism, support nearly 77,000 jobs in New Mexico, 9.8 percent of the total workforce, more than manufacturing and construction combined. The state’s museums, art galleries, libraries, performance spaces, festivals and farmers’ markets have a combined economic impact of about $5.6 billion. The report also found that the arts and culture industries have provided a lifeline for rural communities.

Creative Startups

The full economic potential of New Mexico’s arts-andculture sector has not yet been realized.

A thriving arts-and-culture sector attracts people and business investment. Jeffrey Mitchell, director of BBER and co-author of the study, in a speech last month to the Economic Forum, said that the full economic potential of New Mexico’s artsand-culture sector has not yet been realized. The study offers 12 recommendations for making the state more competitive in the global market.

Buyers at Santa Fe Indian Market

While New Mexico ranks above national averages in culturalgoods production and distribution employment, the state lags in creative fields such as media, design, advertising and software publishing. Mitchell said that the state is failing to leverage the opportunities those fields offer to create higher-paying, rapidly growing industries. Business-related training and education, he suggested, would be one way to impact this. He also recommended assisting arts entrepreneurs and investing in “things that are local, already existing here and looking at the opportunities for homegrown development.”

dedicated to the success of creative and cultural entrepreneurs Creative Startups (www.creativestartups.org), led by Tom Aageson of the Santa Fe–based Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship, is a business accelerator targeted at those who blur the lines between technolog y and the creative industries and are ready to grow their businesses.

Last year 12 people—about 20 percent of the applicants—were chosen for the first 90-day class, half from New Mexico and half from around the countr y and around the world. More than 90 percent of the participants’ fees are covered through grants provided by the National Science Foundation, New Mexico’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NMEPSCoR) and the Fleischaker Women’s Legacy Fund.

The state Cultural Affairs Department, in partnership with the McCune Charitable Foundation, is working to address some of those issues. The department is starting to create a “virtual social network” to help New Mexicans in the arts-and-culture industries share ideas and link to business professionals with experience in technology, marketing, tourism and other areas.

Young fashion designer at the IAIA’s Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe. The curriculum was conducted online for its first three weeks. The entire approach reflects the creative process, design thinking and a passion for creativity. Aligned with mentors, aspiring entrepreneurs develop their branding, storytelling and leadership skills. They learn how to market, sell and test their products and look at various forms of potential financing, from venture capital to loans. In October 2014, the group met in Albuquerque for a rigorous, five-day boot camp. Media kits were created for the entrepreneurs to help them grow and promote their startup. A pitch day brought together the program’s team, creative economy leaders and investors. The accelerator raised $50,000 in startup funds and expects to produce at least two more classes.

Green Fire Times • January 2015

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Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority National Award-Winning Treasure Hidden in Northern New Mexico Announces Launch of Tax Credit Donation Program Drew Tulchin

orth of Santa Fe, there are many wonders and marvels. Some are well known in tourism and even on the national stage: Taos and Bandelier National Monument, to name a few. Others are just as monumental, important and historic in their contribution to culture and identity—but little known. Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, with its historic plaza, is one such example. What is challenging to consider for most Americans is that this pueblo—along with several northern New Mexico Pueblo communities—is one of the longest continually inhabited communities in North America. Locals say people have lived there for nearly 800 years.The community saw much early history of New Mexico, such as the first capital to be located in the United States.

Renovated housing at the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh

Tomasita Duran accepts first donation

The plaza is an important setting for key from Eric Schmeider, MFA Indian community events, such as ceremonial dances. Housing Initiative program manager But, over time, many of the houses needed work. Work has been ongoing for decades through the Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority (OOHA), the tribe’s entity for advancing housing for its people. Renovation and preservation work specifically on the pueblo’s historic plaza has been a focus for nine years. This project, called Owe’neh Bupingeh (o-WEH-neh Boo-peen-geh), has already rehabbed more than 34 homes.This is not just any housing program; it is cultural preservation, fostering sovereign independence. The U.S. federal government has been a primary funder for Indian Country for many years. Programs like HUD have funded many homes in New Mexican pueblos—but according to their rules. Tomasita Duran, executive director of OOHA: “We’ve built hundreds of new homes over the years to house our people, but they have taken us away from the center of our pueblo. Owe’neh Bupingeh brings families back to instill life in our plaza, which is the soul of our community.”

BOOK REVIEW:

Cultural sensitivities had to be navigated by the tribe before any construction could be done. So, a number of innovations were developed, such as establishing a spiritual committee of tribal members to ensure the sanctity and viability of any construction. A short video that describes the great complexities of the project, with interviews and visuals of the homes and work being done on the adobe, can be viewed at: www.seedocs. org/projects/oweneh-bupingeh/ Many tribal members had lost the art of the old ways of working together and repairing adobe walls. Adobe is very strong but, if it is not cared for, the thick walls literally melt away. Construction has involved hiring local youth to be a part of the work crew. A local, Native women-owned company, Avanyu (www.avanyullc.com), developed a mentor program to ensure tribal participation and expertise. continued on page 28

Sustainable Cultural Tourism—Small-Scale Solutions by Susan M. Guyette, Ph.D.

In her award-winning book, Sustainable Cultural Tourism, Small-Scale Solutions, author Susan M. Guyette, Ph.D., of Santa Fe, casts a new light on the tourist industry. She assigns a constellation of interesting, helpful and well-conceived cultural, social and economic terms and definitions that call for a more sensitive, responsible and enriching experience for both the tourist and the host community. Best of all, the book’s content is useful, clearly written and within the grasp of a professional or layperson. In a region such as northern New Mexico, where tourism is one of the leading industries

Sustainable tourism is built on sound economic principles and deep social and cultural understandings. and a central part of many cultural activities, this 300-plus-page book is a must for anyone wishing to do a superb job in the field. Filled with easy-to-understand tools for inventorying assets, planning strategically and assessing outcomes, Sustainable Cultural Tourism ought to find its way to any educational institution that prepares people for this industry. Agencies from across the world, especially in developing nations, whose mission is to create sustainable tourism built on sound economic principles and deep social and cultural understandings, would do well to use it as their guide. The book is an innovative tool for both communities and sustainable-development assistance providers. It includes a step-by-step approach for cultural-tourism planning and sustainable community development. Additionally, the book offers compelling arguments for adopting a regional and collaborative approach to hosting people who

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OOHA has recently been recognized for two national awards.The tribe received highest honors from the Harvard Project on the American Indian Economic Development for this project and its impact on tribal people. From more than 60 applicants nationwide, OOHA was one of the top three. For more on this award, check out hpaied.org. This month, the Historic Preservation Trust will also feature OOHA and Ohkay Owingeh on the national stage.

come from near or far, given that international tourism is growing by leaps and bounds. The book also contains strategies for cultural retention and teaching programs, as well as guidelines for culturally based entrepreneurial programs and small-enterprise development. Guyette shares a process for developing a cultural center and techniques for writing a business plan and starting a culturally based tour enterprise. With her over 25 years of experience in planning for the tourist industry, especially in the Pueblo Indian communities of New Mexico, Guyette succeeds in addressing practically every important concern that has a bearing on the success of tourist initiatives that depend on regional and culturally specific communities. She recognizes that many communities need to make the most of their cultural and natural assets to create spaces, places, products and activities that enrich their lives and the lives of others who are willing to pay for such experiences. Due to her unique knowledge, Guyette’s book breaks new and important ground in the understanding of tourism as well as in understanding and experiencing Native and ethnic communities across the country. This book was awarded the first-place New Mexico and Arizona Book Award in the anthropology category.

– Alejandro López

Green Fire Times • January 2015

Ohkay Owingeh continued from page 27

Creative Approaches

OOHA is seeking to upgrade the final 14 homes on the plaza, pending funding. It has already used many federal resources, bringing more than $9 million to the tribe. It is now seeking to diversify the funding. OOHA recently became the second organization in New Mexico to be granted credits from the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA). Five hundred thousand dollars in state taxes was authorized for deductions for donors who make a contribution to the project through the New Mexico Affordable Housing Charitable Trust, which is administered by the MFA. Donors get 50 percent off any state tax liability. If you pay any state taxes over the next five years, the tax credit is applicable. In addition, donors still get their federal tax deduction.

We live in an incredibly poor state, and we live in a country where, in theory, there are plenty of resources for everyone, and yet we have incredible poverty; we have an incredible infant mortality rate in New Mexico. The challenges that we have are huge. It would be a fantastic opportunity to begin to look past sickness and suffering as drivers of the economy and to begin to look at what we can provide to each other that’s meaningful and sustainable, where we can have a conversation about how we take care of the land in ways that will support us for 400 years and how we build democratic structures around acequia associations that honor old knowledge. Acequia systems are fascinating. We in northern New Mexico have these democratic institutions that are built around the sharing of water. There aren’t very many places on the planet that can say that democracy is being built through continual sustained access to water that supports life. And that’s healthy, that’s good, that’s sustainable.

For more information about Owe’neh Bupingeh, see a case study by the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative: www.sustainablenativecommunities.org/ fieldnews/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/130611_16_CS-HUD-OweNehBupingeh.pdf The staff of OOHA invites visitors to see the pueblo and learn about the community. With advance notice, group visits including tours, a traditional meal and dances can be arranged. Contact Jodie Martinez at jodie_martinez@ohkayowingeh-nsn.gov or visit www.ohkayowingehhousingauthority.org i Drew Tulchin is managing partner of Upspring (formerly Social Enterprise Associates), a New Mexico–based consulting firm that uses the power of the marketplace for good. www. upspringassociates.com

There are so many opportunities for us to move in that direction in all of the ways that we’re talking about: by thinking about how we use our time, by thinking about our land, art, honoring the knowledge in our communities, by talking about public utilities and the creation of energy. We do not have to have an economy that’s based on disaster and inequity. These kinds of conversations are great because we cross different policy platforms and think about how all of these things interconnect and how we can support each other’s work and find confluences that move things forward. Wayne Muller: One of the things I’m witnessing almost everywhere I go is that there is a collision of two stories. It’s sort of like what happened when Galileo confronted one story where the Earth was the center of the universe, and he said, “Well, that doesn’t really work.” And so, there was a terrible upheaval about having to change the story at the root and what that meant for everybody and who we were in terms of our value to the Divine. It sent people into a lot of suffering. With the collision of those two stories, the center won’t hold; it will, at some point, fall apart. One is the metric story; that if we have enough technology and we have enough basic big data, we can

Green Fire Times • January 2015

continued from page 25

create a certain kind of world. The other is a more ancient, human story, driven by the heart that takes the time it needs to know what’s true, which is a different kind of knowing than the big-data metric story. We’ve been consumers of stories in the tech world. We used to be tellers of stories. We are relearning how to become tellers of stories, the human stories. The acequia is a human story. My wife and I use horses to help people remember what it’s like to be a human being on the Earth living in time. In the human story, certain beautiful things, like love and trust and collaboration and children and wonder, all need time.The metric story parses time into such small bits that we forget that we have any wisdom at all. So, in the end, what the shift is that I see everywhere is that reclaiming the slower, quieter things that have always been true is the place where we begin to share. Like what we’re doing here. Craig Conley: One of the ways that we’ve fallen off from reality is we’ve exchanged the word money for value or value for money; that we measure all of our value in terms of money. When I teach economics, I don’t let the word money be spoken for the first eight weeks so that we can truly talk about value and what it means to have an exchange of value, which is really what economy is about. It’s not just an exchange of money.

One of the ways that we’ve fallen off from reality is that we measure all of our value in terms of money.

That is extremely uncomfortable for my students to do because they want to get into money and profit. I say, “If you want to talk about those, go over to the business school.” But if you want to talk about value, and we talk a lot about ecosystem services that may have measures in terms of money or not, but they are still important for sustaining life… Getting out of that mindset and stepping out of that comfort zone is really hard. And I think in all of these areas, we’re stepping out of comfort zones in terms of thinking about time and banking and money and utility systems. Not only are we privileged, we are very comfortable in our little zones, and it does require becoming a little uncomfortable with ideas, physically and mentally, with how we live. i

To hear the full recording of this discussion, go to www.santaferadiocafe.org

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Cottage Industries Mexico, especially in the Indo-Hispano community, is still viable for many reasons. Perhaps the most compelling reason is that northern New Mexico is a greatly historical and culturally rich area that deserves to be cultivated in other than cookie-cutter approaches that ruin the land and divest the community of its traditional land base, the possibility of growing food, and the ability to create beautiful and useful items. The paradigm of a northern New Mexico bedroom community, whose labor force commutes each day to Los Alamos or Santa Fe, is not sustainable over generations. A trip that today takes 40 minutes will likely, as the population increases, take an hour and a half. New Mexico is one of the five fastest-growing states. Already, the commuter traffic on our most traveled highways has become frightfully dangerous and has resulted in a significant loss of lives. And how vital are bedroom communities, anyway? A third rationale for investing in cottage industries has to do with both the current ease of shipping locally produced items to other parts of the country and the world, as well as the accessibility of once-distant locations that previously prohibited visitation by potential buyers of products or experiences. For those who generate information or literature, the Internet has become an efficient medium for getting work out into the world. It may be that creating think tanks combining local people with people and institutions willing to invest in this alternative way of enhancing our communities and transforming them into vital places is a sensible place to start. The creation of many models of viable cottage industries and

continued from page 15

cooperatives might be a good second step in this community-strengthening process. An apprenticeship system might be built into the design. In this way, this approach would also fill the bill of community learning centers, few of which now exist. Because much of northern New Mexico’s tourist industry—one of the largest and most lucrative in the state—relies on endless interpretation of the past and the region’s cultural assets, which year after year are eroded, inventing and creating a living environment that employs the revered elements of the past would infuse local communities and those who would visit them with vibrancy and authenticity. Certainly, the idea of developing such a plan and the teams of people to build state-of-the-art adobe buildings capable of standing up for the next 400 years is a worthy one. So might be the creation of utilitarian ceramics, textiles and pine furniture-making industries. Undoubtedly, the reclamation of farmlands for the production of food and the channeling of available human resources toward this end are wise moves in a region where the population is increasing and where, concurrently, young people, all too often, end up in far less noble pursuits. i Alejandro López is a northern New Mexico writer, artist, photographer and educator. As a former director of New Mexico’s largest AmeriCorps program, Learning While Serving, for Siete del Norte, he helped create 12 youth mentorship programs and community gardens throughout northern New Mexico.

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OP-ED: The Time Has Come for a Public Bank

Craig Barnes

If we create our own source of economic power, we can combine both prosperity and morality. Perhaps most fundamentally for the years since the Goldwater campaign of 1964, the conservative right wing has been developing justifications for dismantling the New Deal, privatizing Social Security, disabling unions and destroying the safety net for those whom they call “takers.” In a stunning, audacious effort to justify greed, they have hired actors and media personalities to spread the propaganda of self-interest that should, they believe, trump the general welfare. Unfortunately, the bottom line of capitalism is not the common good, is not the general welfare, and is not the

hen we began pulling together the pieces for We Are People Here! in 2011, we were motivated by the evidence of growing inequality and increasing powerlessness of the American middle class, poor, elderly, students, and Af rican-Americans and Latinos. Nearly everyone in our society was feeling the negative effects that extreme concentrations of wealth have on our political system. There was no escaping that democracy was being intentionally dismantled by the persistent, systematic efforts of a few extremely wealthy individuals who were—and are—gaining control of the courts, Congress and media.

L-R: Mike Krauss, Dr. Tomas Keidel and former Santa Fe City Councilor Chris Calvert; conference organizers Ada Browne, Mary Wilczynski and Janiece Jonsin; Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales, Agnes Noonan, Alan Weber; Craig Barnes

advance of public health or education, but is merely short-term profit. Profit is neither moral nor immoral; it is amoral. In this sense, it was more than Lehman Brothers or Bear Stearns that went bankrupt in 2008; it was the moral authority of Wall Street, of the financial industry and of the plutocracy. Ultimately and at bottom, all power stems from moral authority and, in the buildup to 2008 and its aftermath, the financial industry forfeited that moral authority. While our efforts to bring notice to plutocracy joined with that of many others around the country, a simple awareness of the problem did not

Green Fire Times • January 2015

suggest a solution. The deeper we looked at the whole apparatus of America and, indeed, global capitalism, the more it became apparent that as few as five or six American banks substantially directed the American economy and made decisions about investment, foreign markets, mortgage foreclosures, student debt, credit-card debt and new business loans. In effect, these banks had a stranglehold on the American economy. Not only that, they had engineered bankruptcy laws to place their riskiest derivative debts above all others and engineered bank regulations emanating from Basel, Switzerland, to provide them with access to all our deposits in the event of insufficient capital for themselves. Rather than asking the government for a bailout in the next financial crisis, they will now “bail-in” all the deposits of all the governments, all the major corporations and all individuals and use these

deposits to balance their own books. That is the way the situation now stands and, as Elizabeth Warren says, “It is rigged for the bankers and against the people.” Combine these two observations: First, billionaires are using the doctrine of laissez-faire capitalism—with the help of the Supreme Court—to destroy American democracy. Second, the engine of capitalism is banking, and the banking industry is taking control of the global economy. Therefore, for us, in We Are People Here!, seeing that banking was at the heart of the problem, it became clear that we needed to understand this engine, how it works, and how we could create an engine of our own. If we could create our own source of economic power, our own bank, putting profits to work locally, we could combine both prosperity and morality. Banking is not, therefore, a sideshow for those of us who are interested in democracy. The global banking networks are vacuum cleaners designed to pull from every city and town all the debt of the middle class and put this money to work in derivatives, foreign investments and even in the political efforts to bring down government responsive to all the people. (According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the financial industry in 2014 fielded 2,283 lobbyists to work the Congress.) continued on page 33

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Santa Fe Time Bank: Mobilizing the Currency of Human Value

Earl James and Susan Waterman

hen a community builds itself around the intrinsic value of the people living together in the community, it’s a likely bet that the place will be buzzing with enthusiasm and a sense of well-being. When we acknowledge that everyone has something of value to contribute, each person becomes an asset. As we learn to share in the community network of friendship, support, strength and trust, neighborhoods grow from strong roots, and networks will expand. The Santa Fe Time Bank (SFTB) has been a quiet and effective facilitator of such vital community relationships since 2009. How does a time bank work, and how does it build community? SFTB is a reciprocal service exchange that uses time as currency—one hour of service earns one time dollar. All services are equal; one hour is always equal to one hour, regardless of whether you are providing dentistry services or landscape services or driving someone to the airport. SFTB is working to bring dozens of alternative, complementary currency opportunities into our community awareness. Everyone has a skill to offer or needs assistance at some time, whether it is getting your office organized, sharing or needing advice on how to care for a beloved dog with cancer, learning to navigate Excel spreadsheets, house painting and many other possibilities. If you can think of it, someone needs it, and another one can do it. While time banking facilitates exchanges like money, it is designed to facilitate community building in ways that money cannot. It rekindles timeless patterns of

give and take to reweave healthy families and communities that everything else depends on. New Mexico boasts a rich history of indigenous and Hispanic agrarian and subsistence cultures that have thrived for many generations on cooperative relationships within communities and with nature as well. Some of these practices have survived the crushing weight of so-called democratic capitalism. And a new tide of collaborative community endeavors is rolling in, often in little-noticed ways and ignored by the mainstream media. David Bollier, author of Think Like a Commoner: A Short Introduction to the Life of the Commons, writes “…the story of our time is the rise of the commons as a new way to emancipate oneself from predatory markets and to collaborate with peers to protect and expand one’s shared wealth [which] can be seen…in the growth of alternative currencies, in many land trusts and cooperatives, and in seed-sharing collectives and countless natural resource commons.” Here’s an example of alternative currency at work: writing this article will “bank” an hour or so of my time that I am using to trade for hours given to me by a web builder. I have also installed a basketball goal for a teen and given advice to a nonprofit startup. All of these services have equal value as “time dollars.” And I am interacting positively with others in my community in ways I might not have the opportunity otherwise. How does that compare, in your mind, to the strictly monetary economy, where you often have to put yourself into a box that works for

Wall Street but ignores your many skills and interests?

Each person is an asset with something of value to contribute.

Now in its fifth year of operations, SFTB has provided nonmonetary access to opportunities to hundreds of neighbors across Santa Fe. Now, SFTB is planning a major initiative to build upon its successes—21,223 hours exchanged, so far—and to demonstrate a new twist on the traditional time-bank model. Time Bank Coordinator Margaret Kuhlen and the SFTB board have inaugurated The Children’s Art Space, an arts-enrichment program designed to expand the education opportunities for learners and teachers of all ages. The intergenerational environment will stress the reciprocity and creativity in all aspects of the play and learning experience. The program comprises opportunities for preschool children accompanied by a parent, home-school groups, afterschool activities for ages 5 to 9 and 10

to 16, service-learning opportunities for college interns, and a variety of workshops for adults. The intention is to support lifelong learning in the arts. Children will receive instruction in drawing, painting, collage, book arts, bead-stringing jewelry, fabric arts and puppets, and parents will know their child is in a safe, creative environment. Completing the circle of community value, art students at local colleges gain service-learning credits, SFTB members assist—and earn time dollars—and local families have a lowcost after-school alternative for their children. SFTB raises modest funds to support its operations. Becoming a member is easy, and SFTB has sponsor- and business-membership opportunities, as well. If you log on to the SFTB website, you can get started “reweaving community one hour at a time”: http://www.santafetimebank. org/ i Earl James is nonprofit fundraising consultant and the author of the award-winning econovel Bella Coola: The Rainforest Brought Them Home. www.earldjames.com. Susan Waterman is the executive administrator for the New Mexico Book Association. www. nmbook.org

Taos Trade Exchange: A New Way to Buy, Sell and Trade

A new website provides Taoseños with a local community trading network—a cashless, online trading platform for goods and services. The Taos Trade Exchange allows users to post photos of items and set a price for them. The site’s currency is digital “tokens.” One token equals one dollar. When a user posts a bid, the system emails the seller, setting up a dialogue between the two to facilitate a sale or trade. If both parties agree, the buyer transfers tokens to the seller’s account. The seller can then use those tokens to shop for other things on the site. Users can meet each other to conduct transactions instead of having to package and ship items. The Taos Trade Exchange charges 5 percent. Users can also advertise services in exchange for a certain number of tokens per hour. If someone has items for sale on the exchange, he or she could sell those items and use the tokens earned without ever dealing with cash. For items worth more than $100, sellers can ask for a combination of tokens and cash. The exchange was launched by Taos resident Jodie Slack in July 2014. It is slowly building a community of users. If the site is successful, Slack hopes to set up trade exchanges for other communities. For more information, visit taostradex.com

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Public Banking continued from page 30

If, therefore, we can strike a blow for our own banking system, we can also be strengthening democracy. If we can create a public bank in Santa Fe, subject to our local control and local priorities, we can return to the public a measure of responsibility and empowerment.

tax dollars to support local priorities, local values and our own highest aspirations. Under the leadership of Mayor Gonzales, the city of Santa Fe has engaged a respected contractor to conduct a feasibility study, and we are at the beginning of a public process to

Foggy Forecast

continued from page 12

Conclusion and Continuum

Prior to the Comics Code Authority (late 1954) coming into existence, a recognized psychiatrist named Fredric Wertham dealt with the mental examination of convicted felons. As he examined the younger felons, he soon found out that they most fancied reading comic books. Wertham then started to study comics and concluded that they were violent, filled with sex and drugs, and basically a danger for the mental stability of America’s youth. In 1954, he published Seduction of the Innocent, condemning comic books and superheroes. The book received the attention of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. Senate hearings on the damaging influence of comics on America’s youth were held and gained much media attention.

Wertham alleged that Batman and Robin were actually gay partners and promoted homosexuality. Wonder Woman also came under attack; her strength and independence made her a lesbian and thus not a positive role model for young girls. World’s Finest Comics issue #74 was the last comic before the adoption of the Comics Code, which prohibited, among other things, the presentation of “policemen, judges, government officials and respected institutions...in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.” But it added the requirements that “in every instance good shall triumph over evil” and discouraged “instances of law-enforcement officers dying as a result of a criminal’s activities.”

Over the last years, the plutocracy has spread its control through Congress, state legislatures and, finally now, the courts. The Koch brothers spent at least $250 million in the 2012 elections and $130 million in 2014. According to Politico, in this last election they hired 550 staff workers to carpet the country with detailed precinct records and Libertarian voting materials. As a result, under the leadership of the Kochs and Mitch McConnell, they will now rule Congress, and we will be relatively powerless, in 2015, to defeat them at the national level. But we can create a financing mechanism subject to our control and our own priorities and values. The way to do that is to create our own public bank, using our own fees and city

understand questions of governance and capitalization. This will not be a short fight, but it is a worthy fight, with the intention to achieve the highest public purposes. i Craig Barnes of Santa Fe is an author, playwright and founder of the nonprofit We Are People Here! that has spawned Banking on New Mexico, a project to create a public bank owned by the City of Santa Fe. For more information see www.bankingonnewmexico. org

Banking in the Public Interest what is a public bank? A public bank is owned by the people through their representative governments— tribe, city, county, state, or federal. Its mission is to serve the public interest. It is funded with public funds such as tax dollars, fees and penalties. The motivation behind public banking is to grow a democratic, sustainable local economy, services and projects. Public banking invests public funds safely and locally and ends the debt cycle. To learn more about public banking: The Public Banking Solution by Ellen Brown www.PublicBankingInstitute.org • www.BankingOnNewMexico.org

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So, why is this bit of “Americana” history important for regional economic development? First, even Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, with all their good intentions and superpowers, couldn’t save the nation and its people from distorted values and partial world views promoted by a few seeking to gain control and influence. The point here is that misguided policies and actions can lead to costly and damaging unintended consequences. If we are to truly participate in shaping a viable long-term community, we should take responsibility for the long haul to understand the issues and not defer to the few who may want to promote agendas for self-serving purposes. In conclusion, the notion of good triumphing over evil is somewhat self-defined and self-inflected to fit into a desired outcome of winners and losers. Breaking out of the impulse of “us” versus “them” is imperative for the well-being of our world. In doing so, perhaps we can reconsider how we collaborate and share the limited resources that sustain us. This is no easy journey to sustainable economic development, and many of us are perplexed by the myriad of challenges. It will take many trials and errors and commitment together for the long term. As being on a road with foggy conditions, it just makes sense to be slow and steady. i Duncan Sill works on community and economic-development issues in New Mexico and is involved with national and global activities related to addressing hunger, water sustainability and climate change. Sill is the Economic and Strategic Development director for the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District. He is also actively engaged in film production. His recent works include Drunktown’s Finest (Official Sundance Selection 2014, Robert Redford, executive producer) and Somebody Next Door (short documentary on New Mexico hunger). Sill can be contacted at duncans@ncnmedd.com or follow him on Twitter @InvictusDuncan

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NEWSBITEs PNM San Juan Replacement Power PRC Hearing

An advocacy group, New Energy Economy, called for two commissioners on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to recuse themselves from this month’s deliberations on the proposal for shutting down part of the aging coal-fired San Juan Generating Station. NEE said that ongoing regular social and professional contacts between the commissioners and PNM management have the appearance of a conflict of interest. Commissioner Pat Lyons has denied the allegation. The other commissioner NEE mentioned is Karen Montoya. Under what PNM terms the most cost-effective proposal, two units at the San Juan plant near Farmington would be closed and replaced with a mix of coal from another unit at San Juan, the Palo Verde nuclear plant, natural gas and a relatively small amount of solar. PNM is also asking the commission for approval of a 12 percent rate hike. Protesters will be out in force from 9-11 a.m. as the hearing starts on Jan. 5.

PNM’s Proposed Rooftop Solar Fees Protested

The group ProgressNow New Mexico says that PNM’s proposed interconnection fee amounts to a “fine” for new customers with rooftop solar. The utility has asked the Public Regulation Commission to approve a new monthly $6-per-kilowatt charge that would start in 2016 to help offset the costs of maintaining the electrical grid. “PNM wants to fine solar producers for helping them meet renewable energy goals and going all ‘green’ on their own,” says ProgressNow, a group that describes itself on its website as “New Mexico’s Progressive Headquarters.” PNM has encouraged rooftop solar since 2006, after the state imposed renewableenergy portfolio standards that mandate that part of the electricity the utility provides must come from distributed generation (DG) sources such as rooftop solar. PNM has paid $23 million to 4,400 DG customers whose power feeds into the grid. The utility is also waiting for the PRC to approve a new rooftop solar program.

Hotel Santa Fe Accesses Solar Energy

On Dec. 1, Hotel Santa Fe, without installing solar panels on-site, became the first hotel in the United States to power—indirectly— all of its guest rooms with solar energy, using proprietary smart-grid technology from Stay.Solar, an Albuquerque startup. Stay.Solar’s software platform matches the power used in the hotel’s 163 guest rooms with third-party-certified renewable energy that gets fed into the grid from solar installations. Data running along with the power on the nation’s smart grid makes it possible to access solar-generated electricity rather than other forms of power production like coal. The power going to the hotel rooms is still from PNM, but Stay.Solar uses a buy-one/get-one model, as well as solar credits. Hotel Santa Fe’s inclusion in Stay.Solar’s “Running on Sunshine” program is part of the hotel’s commitment to green initiatives that support environmental stewardship, according to Managing Partner Paul Margetson. The hotel’s partnership with Stay. Solar also supports solar development in Santa Fe. For every dollar paid for electricity at the property, an additional dollar goes to supply solar panels to be installed at a Santa Fe nonprofit. That is accomplished through Stay.Solar’s relationship with the nonprofit reChoice™. Stay.Solar also produces a device called Plug.Solar, which makes it possible for anyone anywhere to obtain solar power from an electrical outlet. For more information, visit www.stay.solar

Architecture 2030 Founder Honored with AIA Award

The board of the American Institute of Architects has honored Edward Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030, with AIA’s big annual industry award, the Edward C. Kemper Award. Mazria is a Santa Fe–based, internationally known architect, planner, author and educator who has reshaped the dialogue on how the building sector can reduce its carbon emissions. Albuquerque recently emerged as a 2030 District, joining public and private sectors in a number of cities across the country in adopting carbon emission reduction goals.

Upper Río Grande Basin Water Table Drops

Due to drought and pumping, groundwater levels in the upper Río Grande Basin, from southern Colorado to Hudspeth County in Texas, have dropped as much as 200 feet in the past 10 years. It is an area that recharges slowly. Given the decreasing flows, increasing demand and pumping in the basin, the groundwater has become “unsustainable,” according to Brian Hurd, a professor at New Mexico State University.

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Between 1980 and 2000, an unusually wet period, counties that are home to Albuquerque, El Paso and Las Cruces, together with Juárez, México, grew by 60 percent. During the dry years between 2000 and 2010, the region’s population grew another 17 percent. Surface water flowing into the Río Grande is predicted to become increasingly scarce, as snowpack, which supplies 70 percent of the basin’s water, declines and the Southwest become drier. By the end of the century, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, flows in the river will drop by a third. Irrigators and cities will likely tax the region’s groundwater more heavily. El Paso increased rates 8 percent in December and will begin recycling in 2018.

San Juan-Chama Water Shortage

After three consecutive years of inadequate snowpack, for the first time in 40 years, the San Juan-Chama Project has fallen short of the amount of Colorado River water it is supposed to deliver from the mountains of southwestern Colorado to Central New Mexico. Small diversion dams funnel water under the Continental Divide through tunnels into a tributary of the Río Chama that makes its way to the Río Grande. The supply had once been considered a dependable backup to Río Grande water. Albuquerque, the largest user of water from the San Juan-Chama diversion, currently has enough storage in upstream reservoirs to make up for the shortfall. The major impact of the shortage is on the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s ability to share with other users including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. San Juan-Chama water also provides a late-season supply for farmers.

NM Supreme Court Reverses Decision to Block AG from Water Hearings

Last month, the state Supreme Court unanimously struck down the Water Quality Control Commission hearing officer’s approval of a New Mexico Environment Department motion to block the New Mexico Attorney General from participating in the upcoming dairy hearing on the rule that protects NM’s water from industrial dairy waste. The Environment Department had also tried to bar Bill Olson, a former bureau chief, from participating at the hearing. Both will now be allowed to testify. The court also ruled that the commission could hold its only public hearing on the rule in Roswell. Ninety percent of the dairies in New Mexico are in the southern part of the state. The New Mexico Environmental Law Center and the Río Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club had argued that state law says the technical hearing must be in Santa Fe because it will affect dairies operating anywhere in the state. The dairy industry wants more than two dozen changes to the rule, which was approved in 2010. The commission will meet on Jan. 13, after which a hearing on the dairy rule amendments will be scheduled.

Refuge Seeks Producers for Cooperative Agriculture Program

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking one or two agricultural producers for a cooperative program at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in San Antonio, New Mexico. The producer(s), to be selected based on a sealed bidding process, will farm up to 1,026 acres of irrigated land on the refuge for a period of five years. They will be responsible for producing 1.5 million pounds of corn for the benefit of migratory birds on 300 acres in exchange for exclusive rights to produce and harvest crops within the refuge on the remaining 726 acres in an approved crop. The refuge only produces non-GMO crops and is currently experimenting and expanding production of heirloom varieties of corn. For information, call 575.835.1828 or visit www.fws.gov/refuge/bosque_del_apache/

Sustainable Native Plant Nurseries in Native Communities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Block Grant Program has awarded $46,658, authorized through the 2014 Farm Bill, for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to partner with the Río Puerco Alliance to increase economic opportunities for the pueblos of Zia and Laguna and the tri-chapter area of Eastern Navajo tribes. The state Agriculture Department will assist in developing sustainable nurseries that will provide local, culturally appropriate jobs by growing native plants that can be sold locally to larger nurseries.

Green Fire Times • January 2015

What's Going On! Events / Announcements 500 quilts will be on display and $50,000 in prizes will be awarded. Workshops, merchant mall of local and national vendors. Wed.-Fri: 10 am-6 pm; Sat.: 10 am-5 pm. $14/$11. Tickets and info: 270.898.7903, www.quiltweek.com/albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE

January 7, 5:30-7 pm Green Drinks Hotel Andaluz, 125 Second St. NW

Network with people interested in local business, clean energy and green opportunities in our communities. Presenter: Solar company owner Patrick J. Griebel. centralNM@ nmgreenchamber.com, www. greendrinks.org

Jan. 10, 6 pm The 1491s Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St. NW

A comedy sketch troupe self-described as a “gaggle of Indians chock full of cynicism, splashed with a dose of indigenous satire.” Doors open at 5 pm. Tickets: $25/$20/$10. Benefits educational programs of the Native American Community Academy and the IPCC. 505.259.0059, www.indianpueblo.org

Jan. 14-17 QuiltWeek ABQ Convention Center

American Quilters Society debut of this event in ABQ. Over 15,000 renowned artists, instructors and quilters are expected. Over

Clean Economy Summit Jan. 31–Feb. 1 in Albuquerque

This second annual conference will address issues related to climate change and sustainable living. In one weekend you can explore the diverse programming of the Carbon Economy Series, which, in recent years has brought many local and national experts to New Mexico to offer workshops. The conference, which will take place at Sandia Preparatory School (532 Osuna Road, NE), is geared for individuals, property owners, businesses, nonprofit groups, government and educational facilities that may want to shrink their carbon footprint and become more sustainable. A partial list of the seminars: regenerative agriculture, local farm-to-table food, greening the desert, aquaponics, zero-waste strategies, water stewardship, the genius grid and much more.The cost is $99/day. Scholarships are available. For more information, call 505.819.3828 or visit www.carboneconomyseries. com (See ad page 3)

Jan. 14, 9-11 am Farmer-to-Farmer Production Planning Meeting Mid-Region Council of Governments 809 Copper NW

Producer and chefs production planning for ABQ restaurants. Info: 505.660.8403, pam@ farmtotablenm.org, www.farmtotablenm.org

Jan. 15, 7:30-11:30 am 10th Annual Economic Outlook Conference Crowne Plaza ABQ 1901 University Blvd. NE

A morning devoted to providing business owners and executives with the latest information concerning the U.S. and N.M. economies. Presented by Albuquerque Business First. Tickets/registration: www.bizjou rnals.com/albuquerque/event/115851

Jan. 17-18 ABQ Home & Remodeling Show Expo NM - NM Fairgrounds

Green & Living Well featured area. www. Abqremodelingshow.com

Jan. 20, 9:30-11:30 am Home Composting Basics Highland Senior Activity Center 131 Monroe NE

Learn the science, materials and methods of drought-proofing your garden soil to be able to grow vegetables, fruit and berries. Registration: 505.256.2000 or register@nmcomposters.org

Jan. 31, 8 am-5 pm Off-Grid Solar Electricity Design and Installation CNM Workforce Training Center 5600 Eagle Rock Ave.

Participants will learn to identify resources available to assist with design, sizing and sourcing further assistance. $169. 505.224.5200, workforce@cnm.edu, www.cnm.edu

Jan. 31, 10:30 am-12:30 pm Eating for Your Health Highland Senior Activity Center 131 Monroe NE

Community-based workshop led by Susan Clair, covering elements of a healthy lifestyle, plant-based and animal proteins, organic vs. conventional, antioxidants and systemic alkalinity, herbs & spices, refined carbs and sweeteners, healthy fats. Free or by donation. 505.281.9888, clair@nmia.com

Feb. 7, 8 am-5 pm Advanced Photovoltaic Design CNM Workforce Training Center 5600 Eagle Rock Ave. NE

Participants will learn to apply National Electrical Code standards and industry best practices to design the best systems for your company. $169. 505.224.5200, workforce@ cnm.edu, www.cnm.edu

Through Feb. 9 Art in Public Places Submissions Central NM Community College

Artist or artist team sought to create site-specific

Green Fire Times • January 2015

commission project on the CNM campus, to be completed by Jan. 2016. $120,000 available for the project. https://www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=1491&sortby=fair_ name&apply=yes

Feb. 20-21 NM Organic Farming Conference Marriott ABQ Pyramid North

The SW’s premier conference for organic agriculture. Producers and researchers will share their experience and expertise. Mark Smallwood, executive director of the Rodale Institute is the keynote speaker. $100 includes Saturday’s luncheon. Organized by Farm to Table, the NM Dept. of Agriculture’s Organic Program and NMSU Cooperative Extension Service. 505.473.1004, ext. 10, le@farmtotable.org, www.farmto tablenm.org/programs/new-mexico-organicfarming-conference

Daily Degrees of Change: NM’s Climate Forecast NM Museum of Natural History & Science, 1801 Mountain Rd. NW

With a focus on NM and the SW, this exhibit reveals current and predicted impacts on humans, landscapes and ecosystems, and takes you back in time to discover past climates. Tickets: $7, $6, $4. Info: 505.841.2800, www. nmnaturalhistory.org

Through May 31, 2015 El Agua es Vida: Acequias in Northern New Mexico Maxwell Museum of Anthropology,UNM

Groundbreaking, multidisciplinary exhibit. Free. 505.277.4405, maxwellmuseum.unm.edu

SANTA FE

Jan. 1-31, 7:30 am-4 pm Tree Seedling Sales

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, in cooperation with the NM State Forestry Division will be offering applications for low-cost seedlings. Applicants must own one acre of land or more and plant seedlings for windbreaks, reforestation, Christmas tree sales or wildlife plantings. Sponsored by the Santa Fe-Pojoaque Soil and Water Conservation District. 505.471.0410, ext. 3

Through Jan. 3, 5-8 pm; Sat., 5-9 pm Glow SF Botanical Garden, Museum Hill

Winter lights event. Dazzling, extravagant displays, music, beverages. $8/$5, 12 & under free. 12/3, 5-8 pm preview party. 505.471.9103, info@santafebotanical garden.org, www.santafebotanicalgarden. org/events/glow/

Through Jan. 14 City of SF Recreation Center Memberships

20% discount for full facility membership at any city facility. 505.955.4013, sachavez@ santafenm.gov

Jan. 3-4, 8 am-4:45 pm Tire Amnesty Buckman Rd. Recycling and Transfer Station, 2600 Buckman Rd.

Dispose of tires for free. Limited to 8 per day. 505.820.0208,ext.420,www.SantaFeRecycling.org

Jan. 3-9, 6 pm IAIA Writers Festival IAIA Campus Auditorium 83 Avan Nu Po Road

The Institute of American Indian Arts third annual festival. Readings by noted authors including Sherman Alexie, Joy Harjo, Linda Hogan, Jess Walter, Claire Vaye Watkins and IAIA students. No charge. Support provided by the Lannan Foundation. 505.424.2365, jdavis@iaia.edu

Jan. 5, 9 am-5 pm PRC Hearing/Demonstration PERA Building, 1120 Paseo de Peralta

First day of NM Public Regulation Commission hearing on PNM’s San Juan Generating Station Power Replacement Plan. Occupy Santa Fe, Juntos NM, New Energy Economy and many other groups will stage a demonstration from 9-11 am to demand clean replacement power for New Mexico. 505.989.7262, newenergyeconomy.org

Jan. 8-9 Trends Tourism Conference Inn and Spa at Loretto

Hosted by the NM Hospitality Association. Features noted futurist David Houle, breakouts on travel trends and creating outdoor destinations. Registration: http://www. tanm.org/registration-rm-conference

Jan. 13, 6:30-9 pm An Inquiry into the Changing Nature of Leadership Academy for the Love of Learning, Seton Village

A series of group conversations with Aaron Stern and Patty Nagle. 505.955.1860, http://www.aloveoflearning.org/event_ detail/189/1212

Jan. 14, 1 pm Santa Fe Higher Education Center Grand Opening Celebration 1950 Siringo Road

Ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by tours and refreshments. Campus features stateof-the-art classrooms, geothermal heating and cooling and a solar PV array that generates an estimated 80% of the facility’s energy needs. Semester begins on Jan. 12 for NMHU, NMSU and UNM and Jan. 20 for IAIA and SFCC. Hec.sfcc.edu

Jan. 14, 5:30 pm Green Drinks Location TBA

Networking event for people interested in local business, clean energy and green opportunities. Presented by the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce. 505.428.9123, glenn@nmgreenchamber.com

Jan. 14, 6-8 pm Preserving Places New Mexicans Love Community Gallery, SF Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy

How can we cherish our unique, semi-arid landscapes while respecting the need for sustainable economic development and the rights of private property owners? A presentation by Beth Mills, Ph.D., conservation director of the NM Land Conservancy. In conjunction with the exhibit “End of Days.” 505.955.6705, rdlambert@santafenm.gov

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Jan. 17, 12 PM Souper Bowl SF Community Convention Center

Annual benefit held in support of The Food Depot. Features a soup competition among 29 local restaurants. Tickets start at $30. 505.988,1234, ticketssantafe.org

Jan. 17, 2-4 pm Lifestyles: From Mars to Earth Community Gallery, SF Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy

Hands-on workshop for children of all ages with Mollie Parsons, education director of the SF Botanical Garden. Build wondrous creations using recycled and natural materials that meet the challenges of future generations. In conjunction with the exhibit “End of Days.” 505.955.6705, rdlambert@santafenm.gov

Jan. 21, 6-8 pm The Environment-Fashion Nexus Community Gallery, SF Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy

Modern fashions and clothing are being created to adapt to the effects of global warming: from high-tech fabrics to innovative, cooling clothes. How much more can we adapt? What will it take for humans to balance their needs with those of the Earth’s eco-systems? Presentation by John Alejandro, renewable energy planner with the city of Santa Fe. In conjunction with the exhibit “End of Days.” 505.955.6705, rdlambert@santafenm.gov

Jan. 24, 10 am-12 pm Green Writers Circle

Writers engaged in sustainability, ecology, health and environmental issues meet for publication and information resources, discussion and training on self-editing. RSVP: sguyette@nets.com

Jan. 24, 6 pm Robert Burns Night Scottish Rite Center 463 Paseo de Peralta

Piping, Celtic dancing, readings and poems. Docent tours of the Scottish Rite Center. Buffet dinner. Tickets: $40 before Jan. 16, $45 after. Presented by Santa Fe Scottish Rite Order of the Thistle and Order of the Thistle Pipes & Drums. 505.982.4414, secretary@nmscottishrite.org

Jan. 28, 8 am–2 pm NM Food and Farms Day State Capitol, Santa Fe

9 a.m. press conference. Display tables by New Mexico food and farm groups, presentations to the full House and Senate. For information, contact Pam Roy: 505.660.8403 or pam@farmtotablenm.org

Feb. 5 Water Policy Day NM State Capitol

Join New Mexico First to advocate during the legislative session the recommendations from the 2014 statewide water town hall. The platform calls for commonsense changes to water funding and planning, watershed restoration including forest tree thinning, long-range drought planning, resolution of legal issues, protection of environmental resources and exploration of new water sources. http://nmfirst.org/_blog/Legisl ative_Updates/post/water2015/

Feb. 14, 1-4 pm; 2 pm tour Kindred Spirits Valentine’s Day Party 3749-A Highway 14

Animal sanctuary offers wellness care and hospice to senior animals. 505.471.5366, kindredspiritsnm@earthlink.net, www. kindredspiritsnm.org

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Feb. 20-21 ARTsmart New Mexico ARTfeast Art of Living Fundraisers

Appetizers, silent and live auctions. Also showcasing the work of fashion designer Patricia Michaels. 2/20, 6 pm at Peters Projects, 1011 Paseo de Peralta. Advance tickets: $75. Feb. 21, 6 pm: Gourmet dinner and auction at the SF Convention Center. Advance tickets: $175. Artfeast.org

Feb. 22-March 1 Santa Fe Restaurant Week

An extravaganza featuring 57 local restaurants; most present a prix-fixe dinner and a specially priced two-course lunch. Nmrestaurantweek.com

Feb. 27 Renewable Energy Day NM State Capitol

Celebrate the economic, environmental and social benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency. This family-friendly event will include an ecological art table, electric cars, solar ovens and hands-on electricity generation demonstrations. Press conference will feature legislators, youth and industry specialists who will share their policies and plans to help grow the renewable-energy industry in our state. Info: 505.310.4425, esha@gotsol.org

First Saturday of Each Month, 10 am-12 pm SF Citizens’ Climate Lobby Various Locations

“Creating political will for a livable world” santafe@citizensclimatelobby.org

Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8 am-1 pm Santa Fe Farmers’ Market 1607 Paseo de Peralta (& Guadalupe)

Northern NM farmers & ranchers offer fresh greenhouse tomatoes, greens, root veggies, cheese, teas, herbs, spices, honey, baked goods, body care products and much more. www.santafefarmersmarket.com

Sundays, 10 am-4 pm New Mexico Artisan Market Farmers’ Market Pavilion www.artmarketsantafe.com

Become a Site Steward Santa Fe National Forest

Monitor archeological and historical sites on a regular basis for evidence of natural deterioration or vandalism. www.sfnfsitestewards. org

Santa Fe Creative Tourism Workshops, Classes and Experiences http://santafecreativetourism.org/

Unwanted Mail and Phone Books

Opt-out of unwanted phone books, catalogs, credit-card solicitations. Free service will help SF shed thousands of pounds of waste and dollars in costs. http://santafe/ catalogchoice.org

Borrow a Kill-A-Watt Device Main Library and Southside Branch

Electricity Measuring Devices may be checked out for 28 days www.santafelibrary. org or call any reference desk.

Santa Fe Recycling

Make 2015 the year to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can. City residential curbside customers can recycle at no additional cost and drop by 1142 Siler Road, Building A, to pick up free recycling bins. At least 50

percent of curbside residential customers recycle now. Let’s take that number to 100 percent. For more information, visit http:// www.santafenm.gov/trash_and_recycling or call 505.955.2200 (city); 505.992.3010 (county); 505.424.1850 (SF Solid Waste Management Agency).

Sustainable Growth Management Plan for SF County

Hard copies $20, CDs $2. Contact Melissa Holmes, 505.995.2717 or msholmes@santa fecounty.org. The SGMP is also available on the county website: www.santafecounty.org/ growth_management/sgmp and can be reviewed at SF Public libraries and the County Administrative Building, 102 Grant Ave.

Española

Jan. 10-11, 17-18, 31-Feb. 1 Spanish Language Intensives Santa Cruz, NM

El Portal language intensive workshops with cultural component. Alejandro López: 505.410.0959

Feb. 14 One Billion Rising Espanola

Worldwide justice campaign to end violence against women and other societal injustice. 2015 will be in remembrance of Victor Villapando. Planning meeting on Jan. 7. 518.332.3156, fourbridges@live.com

Veterans Green Jobs Academy Northern NM College Española, NM

Workforce training and specific degree programs to support military veterans in fully accredited academic certificate and degree programs in areas of environmental science related to renewable energy, hazardous materials response, forestry, sustainable agriculture, wildland fire science, construction trades and others. A partnership with the NM Dept. of Veterans Services. For more info, call Dr. Biggs at 505.747.5453 or visit www.nnmc.edu/vetacademy.htm

TAOS

Jan. 6 Deer or Buffalo Dance Taos Pueblo

Three Kings Day. Cultural/religious ceremony/festive celebration. No photography. http://www.taospueblo.com/events-2

Through Feb. 28, 2015 Art through the Loom Weaving Guild Show Old Martina’s Hall, Ranchos de Taos www.artthroughtheloom.com

HERE & THERE

Jan. 12, 14, 25 Water Blues Green Solutions PBS Stations

1/12, 10 pm: KNME 5.1; 1/14, 5 am: KNME 5.1; 1/25, 9 pm: KNMD 9.1 Documentary film that presents U.S. cities that are using stormwater to generate resilient landscapes in public parks, schoolyards and along streets.

Jan. 15 Drawing Llama Rescue Adventure Raffle

5 day/4 night vacation package. Llama trek in NM wilderness. $100/ticket. 100 available. 800.758.LAMA. http://www.LlamaAdven tures.com/adventure-raffle.html

Jan. 16 application deadline USDA Resources for Farmers and Ranchers

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a cost-share program intended to encourage conservation practices and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers to produce for market. Info: 505.761.4419, Michael.Neubeiser@ nm.usda.gov, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ wps/portal/nrcs/detail/nm/programs/finan cial/eqip/?cid=nrcs144p2_068634

Jan. 31 Entry deadline NM Arts & Crafts Fair Seeks Artists Expo New Mexico (ABQ)

54th annual juried arts & crafts fair open only to NM residents. The fair will take place June 26-28 and will feature more than 220 booths. Applications must be submitted through zapplication.com. Info: 505.884.9043, info@ nmartsandcraftsfair.org

Feb. 7-8 Citizens Climate Lobby Regional Conference Denver, Colorado

Registration: $75. santafe@citizensclimatelobby.org

Feb. 17 Application Deadline Rural Broadband Grants

Grants from USDA Rural Development to establish broadband services in rural communities. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/ FR-2013-05-03/pdf/2013-10502.pdf

Feb. 19, 7 pm A Thousand Voices PBS-TV Network

Documentary film about New Mexico’s Native American women who are grounded in traditional values. Produced by Silver Bullet Productions.

Feb. 23-25 Solar Power Colorado Conference Broomfield, CO. (near Denver)

Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association annual conference. https://salsa3. salsalabs.com/o/50528/p/salsa/event/ common/public/?event_KEY=77454

Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-1 pm and Saturday Pajarito Environmental Education Center 3540 Orange St., Los Alamos, NM

Nature center and outdoor education programs. Exhibits of flora and fauna of the Pajarito Plateau; herbarium, live amphibians, butterfly and xeric gardens. TuesdaySaturday. Free. 505.662.0460, Programs@Paj aritoEEC.org, www.pajaritoeec.org

Chama Peak Land Alliance Benefit Raffle

Supports responsible land stewardship in the San Juan-Río Grande Watersheds of Colorado and New Mexico. Tickets: $100/$50. Drawing May 1, 2015. www.chamapeak.org/ raffle/

NM Green Chamber of Commerce

The NM Green Chamber of Commerce, with chapters around the state, has a business directory that is a great resource for conscious consumers looking for locally owned and environmentally friendly businesses in their area. Contribute to a sustainable future by supporting businesses in your city/town that are striving to be leaders in green business practices. Info: 505.859.3433, info@nmgreen chamber.com, http://nmgreenchamber. com/members?page=2

Green Fire Times • January 2015

Green Fire Times â&#x20AC;˘ January 2015