That's Natural! July-August 2009

That’s Natural!

A Guide to Sustainable Products & Services in Southern Colorado

FREE “Only the educated are free.” - Epictetus

July/August 2009

Volume 6, Issue 4

Southern Colorado is on the Forefront of Sustainabilty

And We Want to Show You How

Evening Farmers’ Market at the

Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center &

Southern Colorado Sustainable Communities Conference at the Pueblo Convention Center

Meet the Team

We Are in the Business of $elling Social Change.

Jessica Lundie Editor

That’s Natural! is a free news-magazine serving Southern Colorado. It is published bi-monthly, 7,500 copies are circulated to over 200 locations in Pueblo, Fremont, Huerfano, Otero, Las Animas, Teller, and El Paso counties. We serve small businesses with their marketing needs and specialize in marketing programs that capitalize on Sustainability - products and services that help people, the environment, and the community.

Kimberly Schaub Food & Nutrition

7,500 Copies Means People are Making a Difference

We have reached our next goal of increased circulation here at That’s Natural!, and let me tell you, it has been a long-time coming. It is just amazing to be able to work with people from the community, the wonderful advertisers you will see in here, as well as professors, teachers, and representatives from many amazing organizations dedicated to Sustainability in Southern Colorado. Our growth is because of these people and because of YOU, the reader. Thank you for your eyes and ears - we couldn’t do it without you!

Thomas Rupprecht Energy

Correction From/About “The City Recycle Committee”

Clifton Casida Video Production 719-252-1377

Vinny Accounts Receivable & Loss Prevention Tisha T. Casida Publisher

We believe that every human being has a right to health, education, the arts, and to be a part of the local economy. We believe that entities and products that encourage this should be promoted. We believe that educating the public about the inherent truths of our health, our education, our culture, and our economy is paramount to our rights as citizens.

We believe in hope, change, and the power of a free market economy. We believe in the power of a consumer. And we believe all of THAT is very NATURAL! That’s Natural!

That’s Natural! Marketing & Consulting PO Box 1476 Pueblo, CO 81002 (719) 210-8273 www.ThatsNatural.info Information: Thats.Natural.Info@gmail.com For Subscriptions, please send $15 to PO Box above. *You will receive 6 editions per year - every two months.

(Please include your address and contact information) ** Make Checks Payable to “That’s Natural!”

The nutritional, health, environmental, and political information in this newsletter are based on personal experiences and research by the author(s). The author(s), editor, and publisher do not offer medical advice or prescribe the use of diet as a form of treatment for sickness without the approval of a health professional, nor do they accept any responsibility for your viewpoints being expanded or changed. If you do use the information contained in this newsletter without the approval of a health professional, an attorney, or a mentor that you deem worthy of your consciousness, you are prescribing and directing yourself, which is your constitutional right to pursue such activities (that we encourage you to exercise), but the author(s), editor, and publisher assume no responsibility.

That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

Page 2

Below is a brief clarification of points in response to the article ‘The Frustrated Recycler’, that ran in the May/June 2009 issue of That’s Natural! Volume 6, Issue 3 The article mistakenly cites The City Recycle Committee was ‘selected’ by the Pueblo City Council. This group presently does not have a name. Individuals were not ‘selected’ by anyone, nor is it exclusive. It is simply a voluntary group of approximately 8 ordinary citizens: two married couples, one high school student, a Nurse/Mom from Pueblo West and a sustainability/recycling specialist from Ft. Carson/Colorado Springs. Second, this group is not working to help the City of Pueblo create a mandatory recycling program.

The group has been meeting once a month to look at all possible solutions to the City’s lack of adequate recycling. This includes but is not limited to the feasibility of curbside, drop-off, compulsory and/or voluntary programs etc. The group has no specific agenda regarding mandatory recycling and is not working for any personal gain or with or on-behalf of any company. Third, the group supports the best comprehensive recycling program in Pueblo that would be determined through a RFP (request for proposal) process thereby giving all businesses a fair and equal opportunity to participate. Our agenda is simply to examine options with open minds and to support what is best for the Pueblo Community as a whole by supporting a city-wide recycling program that will benefit the most citizens. Our main goal, like the other recycling groups, is for Pueblo take a positive step toward establishing a sustainable plan for managing its recycled materials.

Evening Farmers’ Market & Premier of The Good American Post

You are in for a treat! A new publication has hit the Southern Colorado Market - The Good American Post. We look forward to continuing to support our local communities and economies through more media!

Contributors

Tisha T. Casida, Publisher

Recycling - Session at SCSC Conference

Alicia Archibald...........................................................3,6 Changing the World - One Yard at a Time

Jess Lundie .....................................................................3 Jewelry for a Better World

Marc Choyt.....................................................................4 Procurement Policies Affecting Sustainable Change

Tisha Casida, et. al.....................................................8, 10 Enjoying Nature’s Bounty

Kimberly Schaub.............................................................9 The Main Event Returns

Pueblo Performing Arts Guild.......................................11 Book Review -A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes

Susan Fries......................................................................12 Not Your Grandma’s Cloth Diaper

Angela Beery...................................................................13 The Abundance Foundation

Tami Schwerin................................................................14 Local Food Systems

Tisha Casida...................................................................15

Community Sustainability through Recycling By: Alicia Archibald Why should we recycle? What’s the big deal? If we don’t want something anymore, then surely it has no value! If each person operated in a vacuum, without any impact on anyone else, maybe that thought could be true. Everyone in the community is impacted when items are disposed of in a trash can, picked up by multiple trash trucks that travel through a neighborhood, and hauled to landfills where hazardous air emissions, windblown litter, and loss of otherwise useful resources are the end result. Value is determined by need and desire. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

The reasons to recycle are numerous. They include a broad range of environmental stewardship concerns as well as a practical interest in local economic opportunities, which include: cost savings, extended landfill lifespan, resource conservation, energy conservation, economic development, pollution prevention, greenhouse gas and methane gas emissions reductions, and fostering a sense of community involvement and responsibility. Recycling also addresses the overall need for community development and collaboration. The need to dispose of unwanted materials by one stakeholder can meet the needs of another stakeholder when proper collaboration and education take place.

Economic development can be enhanced by the opportunity to find a new use for products beyond their initial purpose. Jobs are created when we collect, store, separate, transport, and process materials into their second life. One example is glass. Brown wine and beer bottles have significant value, as they are needed to remake the same brown glass products. After enjoying their contents, brown bottles can be collected and sent to the plant that initially manufactured them, creating a closed loop system – no waste. However, environmental benefits and recycling cost efficiencies are lost when recycling points are far from manufacturing centers. Recycling challenges local entrepreneurs to come up with creative solutions to logistics issues. For instance, there are a variety of reuse opportunities for glass. Glasphalt is a product that takes crushed glass and mixes it with asphalt to create roads.

You are probably now thinking about who is going to collect all the glass, where will it be stored, who will crush it, and who will transport the crushed glass. We have just identified at least four jobs from one waste-stream that would otherwise have no value.

Imagine plastics being heated and molded into blocks for building homes, paper mixed with concrete to make Papercrete and shredding cardboard to make animal bedding!

Why isn’t recycling free? Why is there an extra cost? As we just identified, there is a lot of work created by recycling and, therefore, associated costs. But that shouldn’t be a limiting factor. The money gained in recycling returns to the community through the jobs created and new products sold. It is a systematic approach. Thinking systematically, the individual seeking the recycling service should be able to control their “disposal” costs by decreasing their trash fees, thus eliminating the “extra cost for recycling.”

Consider this example: Weekly curbside Continued Page 6

Changing the World - One Yard At A Time By: Jess Lundie Have you ever wished you could eat home grown food, but you just don’t have the time?

Are you an apartmentdweller tired of being limited to countertop herb gardens? Or are you like me – a big yard, large beds to plant in, and absolutely no clue how to tell a baby bean from a baby thistle? They both just look like little green things to me! If so, there may be hope.

Hope for local, healthy eating. Hope for strong, resilient communities. And hope for a growing separation between the food chain and the fossil fuels that now shape them. Hyperlocavorism is here, and it’s here to stay.

A growing number of people are finding food sourcing alternatives through Hyperlocavore.com, a free online community dedicated to uniting gardens and gardeners all over the world.

Through the online community interface, users are able to organize and coordinate “yardsharing” groups within their area. Yardsharing groups are a way for people with yards, people with tools, people with knowledge, and people with time to join forces to grow shared food in a shared space. An alternative and complement to community gardens (many of which have very long wait lists!), yardsharing makes use of existing space that has tremendous, but unutilized, productive potential – our yards. At the same time, yardsharing brings people together and builds communities in an increasingly isolated urban and suburban world.

So if rising food prices are hitting your pockets a little too hard; if you want to eat healthy, affordable, organic food; if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, and the miles your food travels from farm to fork; if you want to be not just a locavore, but a hyperlocavore; then maybe yardsharing could be for you. Go find out at Hyperlocavore.com.

Jess Lundie grew up in Boulder, CO, a community with a strong commitment to green living. After obtaining degrees in Political Science and Spanish, she recently landed in Olympia, WA (via several years in Los Angeles and Washington, DC), where she is devoted to finding outside-the-box solutions to the challenges of living sustainably in a modern world. She is thrilled to be working with the That’s Natural! team to develop a growing collection of resources on the internet.

That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

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Jewelry for a Better World - By Marc Choyt Last October, in Boston, I met Shamsa Diwani, from the Tanzania Women Miners Association. She opened a small paper wrapping, showing me exquisite tanzanite that sparkled like the afternoon sky.

Tanzanite is a gem I’ve shied away from. Too many people have died in the large tanzanite mines, some of which employ child labor. Yet the pieces I saw and purchased were from small, safe claims. They were mined and polished through a program designed to alleviate economic hardship and support the “sheer entrepreneurial drive” of Tanzanian women.

As an activist in the jewelry sector, Diwani’s ethically sourced stones were exactly what I was looking for.

But if you are the average person walking into a jewelry store, seduced by the bling in the case, you probably don’t consider sourcing issues. Yet what you support with your jewelry dollars has a profound effect.

An average wedding ring, which represents love and commitment, could in its making, yield twenty tons mercury sludge into the watersheds of Peru.

Thousands of people are wearing engagement diamonds that funded conflicts resulting in the deaths of about four million Africans. The very people who have been responsible for these environmental and social atrocities are still doing business as usual, relying on an ignorant public.

My goal is to make it socially unacceptable for any jewelry to be made that is not from ecologically and socially responsible sources. But in order to change, I need your help.

Artisan Jewelry From Mine To Market - To have jewelry that truly does support the world we want to see, we must begin to think about jewelry the way a

shopper at the Santa Fe Farmers Market thinks about food. Instead of from market to table, we talk about what happens from mine to market.

When people think of mining, they generally consider large operations with giant earth moving equipment. In fact, in the jewelry sector, there are between fifteen and twenty million small scale “artisan” miners.

According to the World Bank, with families and communities, over 100 million people depend upon small scale mining for survival. These artisanal miners produce more raw materials and benefit more people than all the large scale multinational operations combined. Yet it is often the small producer who benefits least from their resources.

The chaotic nature of small-scale mining districts can lead to unsafe and unfair working conditions and environmental damage. Artisanal mining can be a beneficial contributor to economic growth in the developing world only when principals of sustainability are introduced.

A small group of jewelers and manufacturers within the jewelry sector are working hard to bring more of the wealth generated in the jewelry store back to producer communities. The customer then gets jewelry worthy of its talismanic value.

Indeed, jewelry is a fundamental repository of culture and art and human beings have been adorning themselves for over seventy-five thousand years.

Traditionally, the sourcing of the material and soul of the maker was essential to the actual piece which was worn as an object of power.

When you combine artisanal production with responsible sourcing, including recycled precious metal, then you begin to have a piece with spiritual sparkle.

What You Need To Know - The jewelry sector is not going to change without market incentives.

If you want to purchase jewelry that is responsibly sourced, you only need to know one question: Can you trace all the components of this piece of jewelry from mine, through production, to market?

Spring Lamb

Do not expect perfection. The supply chain for ethical sourcing is still spotty and the information you want may not be available even to the jeweler. But here are some basic tips.

About 20% of the precious metal from all jewelry comes directly from mines.

Ask for jewelry made with 100% recycled gold. If it is not available, assume the precious metal is from untraceable international sources, which means, “Dirty Gold.”

Second, ask if fair trade gemstones are available. A jeweler who cares about these ethical sourcing issues will know where at least some of his gemstones are actually sourced.

Finally, find out about who is making the jewelry. We have no idea what is taking place in the jewelry manufacturing plants of China, which is where many commercial stores source from. With so many excellent jewelers in Santa Fe, there is no reason why you cannot find a piece that is made here made with recycled precious metal.

With this information, you have all the basics. If just five percent of people walking into a jewelry store asked for recycled precious metal jewelry and gems that could be traced to their fair trade source, the industry would change.

About the author: Marc Choyt is President of Reflective Images, a designer jewelry studio located at 912 Baca Street - Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also publishes the internets leading blog on ethical sourcing: www.fairjewelry.org.

Reflective Images

912 Baca Street, Santa Fe, NM 87505 888-733-5238

carouselbeads.com celticjewelry.com

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That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

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That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

Page 5

Community Sustainability Through Recycling, Continued pickup of a 96 gallon trash can costs $16 per month. Bi-weekly collection of single-stream recycling costs $7 per month. As I reduce my trash volume by the amount recycled, my trash service frequency and bill should decrease as well. I now have half the trash service, which should equate to half the trash cost – $8.

With the combination of trash and recycling services, each collected bi-weekly, I now pay $15 a month to manage my discards. I just saved money!

Environmental stewardship is also a driver for the sustainable management of unwanted materials. When products are reused, energy, land, and water consumption are reduced, decreasing the mining of virgin materials from often-distant lands. For example, the aluminum can manufacturing process is very resource intensive. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a laptop for 11hrs. According to the Aluminum Association, the aluminum can recycling process saves 95 percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite ore as well as precious natural resources. Along with energy conservation, our natural resources are also in need of conservation. Water, soil, and air contamination occur when items containing hazardous materials are deposited into landfills. Air

emissions from landfills carry toxins and other unwanted gases into the atmosphere, which are deposited into local streams and other bodies of water. This contaminated water is concentrated when applied to crops and water systems. Consider who drinks the water and eats the crops – we do.

Community collaboration is the key to successful recycling. When stakeholders with different expertise and areas of interest work together, nothing can stop their progress. Recycling provides the opportunity for constituents that otherwise wouldn’t associate with one another to actually work together and change the economic and social climate of an entire community. One group may be the expert on composting organic materials, while another has the market on curbside pickup. Together they can build a system that will provide the collection of food and yard waste from homeowners. This, in turn, could be used in the local community gardens, which could provide organic foods to the low-income community at a “work to eat” premium. If the income level prohibits the ability to purchase the foods, then the opportunity could be made to work in the garden to earn the purchase. What an idea! It is almost as if we must go back to the days of taking only what we need and then

making sure our neighbor has what they need.

As we take care of our neighbors and ourselves, our whole community benefits.

Recycling also begins at the purchase point, so it is important to limit your purchase to only what you need – reduce your consumption.

Before purchasing, consider the second life of your purchase– is there a reuse when the initial use is complete? Lastly, find out if your desired products are made from recycled content – close the loop. We recycle to extend resources, reduce waste, and minimize upstream and downstream impacts.

Please join us at the Southern Colorado Sustainable Communities Technology Conference and Expo, July 31-August 1, at the Pueblo Convention Center to learn more about how your community can better engage recycling and improve your community. Check out http://www.southerncoloradosustainability. net/ for more details and to register!

Alicia Archibald is President of BETTR Recycling, Inc., a corporation that provides education and consulting services in the areas of recycling, alternative fuels and sustainability planning. One of Alicia’s biggest commitments is to educate communities about the importance of recycling and the role it plays in community sustainability.

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That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

Page 7

Procurement Policies Affecting Sustainable Change

By: Tisha Casida with Contributions from Alicia Archibald, Arleen Kinder, and Frank Kinder A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit down with several folks involved with sustainable procurement in the federal government. Arleen Kinder, the Customer Service Director for the General Services Administration (GSA), shared information concerning the changing purchasing options of this organization, which acts as the Federal Government’s procurement vehicle. Fort Carson Sustainability Planners Alicia Archibald and Frank Kinder (no relation) provided details on the installation’s procurement actions and discussed how those actions benefit the whole community.

Alicia summarized the background of the government’s green purchasing initiatives. There are three main drivers supporting sustainable procurement. The first is the Executive Order 13423, which sets the environmental and socio-economic goals via Federal Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program (EPP). The second is the Department of Defense, which makes its own rules and guidelines based on these goals. The third is the local installation, in this case, Fort Carson, which has gone above and beyond these guidelines, and is making an incredible difference for our communities and economies.

The GSA provides a variety of products to all governmental agencies in an attempt to meet these goals.

Modern green cleaning systems work effectively and are safer for users, building occupants and our environment. Recycled content and recyclable items help close the lifecycle loop and support recycling industries.

Highly efficient appliances and other products ensure lower operating costs and smarter governmental fiscal

stewardship. Bio-based products made from natural sources reduce dependencies on limited resources and biodegrade easier. These various products offer benefits to the consumer, the environment, and the local economies in which they are created and/or recycled.

During searches, GSA websites provide the most sustainable solutions to users first and require extra effort to purchase lesser-rated and lower-performing products. This overt favoritism and ranking helps ensure GSA users meet the federal and military procurement objectives while driving the market for better products and practices.

GSA itself leads by example and helps federal agencies meet environmental goals by using green products and services daily. From purchasing recycled paper and managing office waste, to buying renewable power and managing energy efficient buildings, GSA uses green solutions to operate efficiently. GSA helps federal agencies buy energy-efficient and recycled-content products through streamlined contracting vehicles on www.

GSAAdvantage.gov. From waste management services to hazardous material management to NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) analysis, GSA offers to help agencies meet their environmental needs.

GSA helps federal agencies maintain cost-effective waste prevention and recycling programs including waste collection, reuse assessments, disposal of excess inventory, and more. Check out these websites: www.

GSAXcess.gov and www.GSAAuctions.gov to locate previously owned property items, ready to be reused/

recycled by the government and/or community citizens.

In discussing the ways and product types that are being purchased, I noted that both big and small businesses can benefit from the military’s dedication to sustainability. Commodity products, like paper, benefit larger companies with access to distribution channels that supply a large volume of recycled content paper to the various branches and bases of the military. Services, like construction, benefit smaller businesses that have the local resources and knowledge to effectively create sustainable development at or near their local branches of the military.

Construction and design highlight these systemic impacts. Fort Carson is growing to accommodate current and future troops. Its buildings exemplify the adoption of sustainable products and concepts. Using the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria, many of its new structures include innovative building techniques. On the interior, water and energy-efficient systems, recycled content, recyclable, and low volatile organic compound (VOC) products all provide safer conditions for building occupants while reducing environmental impacts and operating costs. LEED’s landscaping and construction techniques make smarter, more durable buildings that drive the contracting and product markets to support more sustainable designs and concepts. Businesses Continued Page 10

Photo courtesy of Seth Roberts, Weathervane Farm

Photo courtesy of Impact Images Photography www.images4impact.com

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That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

Page 8

Enjoying Nature’s Bounty By: Kimberly Schaub What a great time of year the summer is! Farmers’ markets allow the consumer – that’s you and me – to meet the farmers and ranchers who work so hard to raise delicious, healthy food for us. Pueblo has the distinct advantage of hosting several farmers’ markets all year, including the Loco For Local Farmer’s Market brought to you by this news-magazine! Artists, farmers, businesspeople, and performers gather each week to share in the abundance of our region, and you will have the pleasure of finding plenty of tasty and novel fruits and vegetables to bring home.

If you’re like me, you might like to explore a new food but might be unsure of how to prepare the item. Don’t let that prevent you from taking advantage of our local variety. It’s easy to find ways to use those ingredients. The best way to get to know a new food is to ask the farmer who is selling it. How does he or she prepare it at home? What are some tricks the farmer has learned? Another way is to check a website for recipes using those ingredients, such as www.Allrecipes.com or other communitybased recipe sharing websites. My blog has recipes – check it out at www.jkschaub.blogspot.com. But to save you some time, here is a sure-fire way to use ingredients.

Pesto sauce can help you use basil, tomatoes, cheese, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, corn, and homemade pasta. The only foods that would taste odd with pesto sauce would be fruit. Adjust the ratios

of the ingredients to emphasize a flavor as desired.

Spinach can be used in place of some of the basil, and walnuts can be used to replace the pine nuts, if desired. The oil amount is optional, because it’s meant to make the sauce spreadable. Chicken stock can be substituted for half of the oil to control the fat content, but omit the salt if you use it.

ratios, if needed. It should taste bright, zippy, and fresh. Add a dash of salt, if you desire.

4) If you’re not using all of the pesto sauce right away, it can be stored in a tightly-sealed container for 3 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can divide it up into small zipper bags and freeze it.

Simple Pesto

(based on recipe from Pampered Chef ) 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 1 oz grated fresh Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1/8 tsp sea salt, optional 1) Place the garlic and pine nuts in the bottom of the food processor. Loosely tear half of the basil and add to the garlic and pine nuts.

2) Pulse the food processor until the garlic has been minced. Add the remaining basil, loosely torn, and the Parmesan cheese.

Pulse until all ingredients are chopped.

3) Using the small feed tube in the top of the food processor, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, pulsing while you blend. Pour in just enough oil to make a paste. The pesto sauce should be thick but definitely spreadable. Taste it for flavor and adjust ingredient

That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

Page 9

Procurement, Continued capable of using these products and providing these services have a competitive advantage that supports Department of Defense and Army building goals.

These actions capture upstream and downstream benefits of better products that ultimately benefit our community and those producing safer, more sustainable products overall. Knowing how to install, use, and repair these solutions helps local business compete and contribute to sustainable endeavors on local installations and eventually, in their own communities.

After construction, companies that use green cleaning products and sustainable landscaping practices help ensure the performance and impacts of these ‘green’ buildings, supporting similar adoption of better practices by those providing ongoing maintenance that continue contributing to Fort Carson, Department of Defense, Federal Government, and ultimately our local community goals.

These examples demonstrate how our very own Army post has many opportunities for our small businesses and our community to benefit from the positive influences of their procurement policies. I encourage you to look at these opportunities more, if you are involved with sustainability and green products, visit http://sems.carson.army.mil/ and www.usgbc.org for more information.

In summary, the government and entities operating with it have the buying power to affect the marketplace in a positive manner when they choose to support environmental and socio-economic goals. The quality, supply, and prices of these sustainable goods are improving due to the positive demand actions of Fort Carson, other bases, and branches of the military and federal government. As the availability of these items increases, and as greater demand spurs new economic development – new businesses and new value chains to satisfy the consumers’ demand provides opportunities for us to create new and innovative

solutions. I encourage you to look for and try these new products in your personal and business life, and support this business evolution.

You can see many products, ideas, and learn more at the upcoming Southern Colorado Sustainable Communities Technologies Conference and Expo to held at the Pueblo Convention Center on July 31 and August 1, 2009. Join us Friday for the Sustainable Business and Economic Development session “The Competitive Advantage of a Sustainable Business”.

I welcome you to take part and learn more about what’s available in our region and how to be more involved in sustainable procurement. See www.southerncoloradosustainability.net for event details. Hope to see you there!

For more specifics, contact the authors at : Alicia@bettrrecycling.com Arleen.Kinder@gsa.gov FrankKinder@gmail.com

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The Main Event Returns!

PUEBLO- The performance line up for The Main Event @ First Friday Art Walk will keep your attention in July and August, where performers will be showcased on an outdoor stair at Art on South Main, 205 S. Main St, on July 3rd and August 7th from 5-8pm. What better way to spend a Friday summer evening than strolling Pueblo’s downtown area, popping into a few art galleries to meet new artists, having dinner with friends and family at your favorite local restaurant, and being entertained by singers, musicians, dancers and more.

On July 3rd, The Main Event @ First Friday Art Walk will entertain with a set of performances including excepts from the Beulah Arts Council’s summer melodrama. The Aymoray School of Dance will liven up the activities with folkórico dance, and Chrisanne Galvez will sing. You’ll hear her perform everything from the Beatles to John Prine, and crowd participation is encouraged! You’ll want to include this activity on your slate of Independence Day Weekend highlights.

The first Friday of August is power-packed with great performers. Beginning in the evening

will be the Pueblo Children’s Chorale “Summer Sing” performers, under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Peters. These young performers will impress you with their enthusiasm and talent as they perform some fun summer selections.

More young performers, this time dancers from Sarah Shaw Dance Studio, will show you their tap and jazz talents. These students are always ready for a large crowd, and they always deliver a terrific performance. And ending this summer’s evening performance will be the magic of “Mr. E”. He always amazes and amuses audiences of all ages.

performing arts in Pueblo, while increasing public awareness of downtown business offerings. With the help of our sponsors, Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, Pueblo Bank & Trust, Pueblo Greater Chamber of Commerce, and Pueblo Downtown Association, these events are presented free for the public to enjoy.

This year, in addition to each month’s performances, The Main Event will feature the antics of Mrs. Brown’s Clowns on stage. You may have seen them tying balloons in funny shapes and creating face painting masterpieces,but have you seen them on stage? You’re in for a treat! And watch out. In September, they’re inviting you to a special party right at The Main Event.

So show off Pueblo to your summer visitors and create lasting memories with your family by making The Main Event @ First Friday Art Walk a part of your fun summer activities! You’ll find more great summer performances and events at the Pueblo Performing Arts Guild’s arts calendar at www.PuebloPAG.org.

The Pueblo Performing Arts Guild (PPAG) presents The Main Event to draw attention to the diversity, quality and abundance of

Project r P e h A t Ano UR Fe Ave se on Sante Former ice house warehou oject,” complete e Pr will become the “Ice Hous mercial space. com d with residential an

better Making Pueblo a RK, , place to LIVE, WO and PLAY!

PROJECT AREAS:

Lake Minnequa South Santa Fe Ave. North Pueblo Thunder Village St. Charles Industrial Park Downtown Pueblo

PROPOSED PROJECT AREAS: East Side Union Ave.

URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY OF PUEBLO OFFICE

126 N. MECHANIC ST.

PUEBLO, CO 81003

719.542.2577

That’s Natural!

WWW.PUELOURBANRENEWAL.ORG

July/August 2009

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A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis, Artisan, 2008 By: Susan Fries

Sublime. A recipe with two ingredients: garden, sun ripened, heirloom tomatoes and sea salt. It’s utterly flawless. The collection of menus in A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes communicates the simplicity of well deserved food. David Tanis is a culinary artist who lives for the ingredients that are combined to be placed before a table of companions.

Panisse Cookbook that my mother gave to me years ago still gathers dust on the upper shelf in my kitchen, and never have its beautiful pages inspired even one meal. That cookbook has always been on the periphery of my cooking skills, and the ingredients are nothing I can find in a Pueblo farmers’ market. But figs are one of my new favorite foods and the cover made this book irresistible.

I approached this cookbook with some trepidation when I discovered that David Tanis is a Chez Panisse chef. The Chez

It turns out that David Tanis came up with a sweet arrangement with Alice Waters – he works six months of the year in Berkeley, and lives the other six months in Paris.

While in Paris, he and his partner run a All the books reviewed for That’s dinner salon in their apartment.

Natural! can be found in the Pueblo City­County Library collection. Susan encourages you to walk or ride your bike to the library and check out a book.

Now that’s sustainable!

At the introduction to each menu we are treated to a story of food; the discovery of ingredients, the gathering of food, the making of recipes, or the imbibing with friends. Many of these stories come from his time spent in Europe.

To my relief the recipes are attainable for mere mortals.

Tanis’ style evolves from the simplicity of the ingredients. No, I can’t find the exact ingredients that Tanis uncovers in the Parisian markets, but his recipes encourage me to find my own alternatives. I’ll be at the Loco for Local market picking out the purple eggplants to go along with my gardens’ sun ripened, heirloom tomatoes, and I’ll be inspired to make my own menu with clues from Tanis. Oh, I find I’ve neglected to gush over the photos—sublime!

Susan Fries is the Executive Director of the Pueblo Performing Arts Guild, and avid traveler, bookworm, gardener, and cook.

Come to Green Drinks!

Every last Thursday of the month - Various Speakers on Topics of Sustainability while networking with people in the industry! Always at the Cock N’ Bull Tavern (325 S Union Ave. Pueblo, CO 81003), between 5:00 and 5:30. Please Call Dena Stevens, Eco-Broker to RSVP at 719-369-9087

R

ELIABLE Home Inspections, LLC

“Services for Buyers, Sellers, & Home Owners”

Robert W. Johnson rwj@ghvalley.net

Mrs. Brown’s Clowns

719-251-8841 Family Entertainment for Any Event Birthday Parties, Grand Openings, Festivals

-Your Home Energy Tune-up SpecialistLearn more about Reducing Your Energy Bill at: www.hometuneup.com

719-369-7213

www.mrsbrownsclowns.com mrsbrownsclowns@yahoo.com

Now accepting VISA & Mastercard

That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

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Not Your Grandma’s Cloth Diaper By: Angela Beery Ask the average parent if they would consider using cloth diapers as an alternative to disposables and you’re likely to hear, “Are you crazy?” Let’s face it - cloth diapers have a bad reputation. Most of us have heard of the endless hours mom or grandma spent soaking, scrubbing, and air-drying what seemed like an endless pile of diapers that were not only uncomfortable for their babies to wear, but that leaked on a regular basis!

Despite their former fall from grace, cloth diapers have made a comeback and they are not your grandma’s diaper! Cloth is becoming increasingly popular again as parents are becoming more environmentally conscious and as families are looking for practical ways to reduce their spending. Modern styles are surprisingly simple to use, environmentally responsible and significantly more affordable than disposables.

Modern cloth diapers are designed to be as easy to use as a disposable diaper! They have the same features parents are looking for when they chose a disposable diaper – super absorbency, flexibility, and comfort! In fact, I have found that cloth diapers are more absorbent than disposables, which means fewer accidents. Rinsing is easy and there is no soaking involved in most modern styles.

Be sure to follow the washing instructions carefully to prolong the life of your diaper.

Your washer and dryer will do the rest for you! Dads and baby-sitters find them easy to use, too! Since they come in thousands of different colors and patterns (anything from

hearts and bears to biker baby), cloth makes every little one look even more adorable!

Families will find cloth diapering to be easy and fun, but also rewarding as cloth diapering is an investment in the future health of our planet. Baby Cotton Bottoms (babycottonbottoms.com), a supplier of cloth diapering supplies based in Colorado Springs, estimates that the average infant will need approximately 9,000 diapers before they are potty trained. It is not known how long it takes for a diaper to decompose, but it is estimated that it could take 250-300 years. Most parents are aware of the negative impact this is having on our earth. Cloth diapering offers a simple solution to this problem.

Besides being environmentally friendly, cloth diapering is also a huge money saver! The 9,000 diapers per child aforementioned will be used at a rate of 8-12 diapers per day and an average of $.24 per diaper. This would cost $2160 over a period of 30 months (2 1/2 years). Taking into account the additional cost of disposable wipes (an average of 84 wipes/ week at 4.4 cents per wipe = $480.00), the average family will spend a whopping $2365, per child, on disposable diapering supplies!

It is estimated that a family using cloth diapers will spend somewhere between $150 and $1000 per child depending on the type of cloth diapers you chose. This means that even if you chose the most expensive cloth diaper available, you will still cut your cost in half!

To help keep alive in Pueblo’s youth dreams of singing and music education, you can support them with a donation that would keep the organization afloat and the children experiencing the wonders of music.

Become a “Friend of the Chorale”

For contributions up to $50.00 you will receive 2 tickets to the fall 2009 performance.

If you contribute over $100.00 you will receive season tickets for the 2009 - 2010 concert season.

Call Christina Anderson at 719-320-0922

The cost of cloth diapers vary because they are made in many different styles and fabrics. I prefer the One-Size diaper from Bum Genius (www.bumgenius.com), which adjusts in size so that the same diapers can be used from birth to 35 pounds. I spent under $250 on cloth diapers up front and I am done – I will never have to buy diapers for my daughter again! As a stay-at-home mom I am able to launder every 1-2 days, so I bought fewer diapers than someone who would prefer to launder less frequently. If I take good care of my diapers, it is likely that I will be able to use the same diapers with a second child and maybe even a third child! This would double and even triple my savings! I also save by making wipes at home using baby washcloths and a few ingredients I already had on hand.

They are extremely easy to make and more sensitive to my baby’s bottom!

If a family is not ready to switch over completely to cloth, a good option is to start by using cloth for a nighttime diaper. Swim diapers and training pants are also available.

If you are looking for ways to buy local, handmade or through a home-based or small business, why not shop Etsy (etsy.com) for cloth diapers? There are literally thousands of different styles often available at unbeatable prices. For more information check out some local online stores such as Pueblo West based Rocky Mountain Baby (rockymountainbaby. com) or Canon City based A Diaper Change (adiaperchange.com).

Pueblo Performing Arts Guild Invites you to....

Community After-Hours With the Artists!

Come join us on July 15th at Art on South Main 5:30 PM (205 S Main St. Pueblo, CO 81003) Visit www.PuebloPAG.org Call: 719-242-6652 Looking for more Performing Artists!

That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

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The Abundance Foundation By: Tami Schwerin, Executive Director

We human beings need a reminder of how to eat, how to conserve resources and how to live in community like our grandparents and great-grandparents did. The human brain is just a little too big and we always figure out new and exciting technological advances in processed food, in electric gadgets, in medicines and in petroleum based stuff that may or may not be good for the planet as a whole.

The Abundance Foundation is a non-profit focused on local food, renewable energy and community in Chatham County, North Carolina. This mission seemed a bit bizarre just a few years ago. Now, it seems right on target as our economy is in chaos, and our environment is at risk. We need solutions quickly and immediately.

That’s Natural!

Our philosophy is that we need to educate the public on how to eat local and whole foods from the small sustainable farmer and we need to conserve energy and resources.

We need to support our community and they need to support us. This is how we are going to survive as a species.

And it all needs to be really, really fun.

One way that we accomplish this is by holding workshops in which people get to come out to a beautiful “eco-industrial” site on the edge of our small rural town. We house a community based biodiesel plant, an organic farm and seed saving operation, a local food distributor, an organic pesticide & herbicide manufacturer and a few other symbiotic businesses and organizations.

Our location is bright, beautiful, and has a positive energy that you can feel as you enter the gate. We sometimes

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call it the “bubble”. The workshop attendees hang out for a day learning about topics such as vermiculture, seed saving, compost tea, herbal wellness, sweet potato cooking, wilderness survival, etc. They eat local foods, watch the birds, bees and butterflies in the biodiversity gardens and go home to make some changes in their lives.

We also hold monthly tours for adults as well as a children’s sustainability and energy tour which is becoming increasingly popular. Environmental studies is creeping ever so slowly into the school systems.

Beyond that, we collaborate with other like-minded organizations on renewable energy projects, public art, community events and random things that pop up.

For more information on The Abundance Foundation, check out: http://www.theabundancefoundation.org

Local Food Systems

By: Tisha Casida

I suppose the hardest thing to do, is take that first step towards change. The reason I became incredibly interested in our food supply was because my family and myself were personally affected. The reason why I decided to change how I eat, how I shop, and how I support businesses is because I got so sick. And I learned so much about how we affect our environment, our policies, and our world.

When someone tells you to “buy local”, that raises some very complex questions that must be addressed. What constitutes local? Is local natural? Is local as good as organic? Who sells local products? Where can I find local producers? How do I source my food from these local producers? Is it easy? If it is difficult, can I find some way to simplify the process?

Our food supply and food systems have become incredibly centralized and dependent upon large agribusiness with mono-crop mentalities. What this means is that there are more and more acres of farm-ground being planted with just one type of crop. In theory, this increases efficiency, and thanks to modern technology, there are several artificial inputs that can make for a greater yield, as well (also increase the efficiency of the land).

This theory makes sense, until you look at some of the costs that are not accounted for in our economic evaluation.

One cost, is the “loss” of jobs in agriculture. As more and more family farms are turned into large farms operated by a single entity, families must

still provide for each other and must seek occupations to maintain an income. This, in most cases, leads people away from the agricultural community and into a more urban setting.

Another cost is the depletion of the natural and beneficial nutrients (and insects, microbes, and organisms) found in the soil. Our ecosystems have been operating for thousands of years without man-made inputs, like artificial fertilizers, genetically-modified organisms, and harsh chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

There is room for argument that new technology will “save the planet and feed the hungry”, but there is also strong evidence, backed by thousands of years of research, that proves if the soil is nurtured, it will provide.

The last cost is the social cost, the fact that if at any time food could no longer be shipped or trucked into our communities, that most of us would starve. And to me, that is scary. So how do we change? How do we make sense of it?

How do we start taking these baby steps towards re-inventing a local, sustainable, and profitable food supply?

Simple - you come to the Southern Colorado Sustainable Communities Conference and hear about Local Food Systems, as this is the Session that is hosted by That’s Natural! We will be talking about all of the resources – people, businesses, books, etc. – that you need to start making decisions about where and how you purchase your food.

Our advertisers, readership, and community have come together in the past three years to start raising questions and building networks that are sustainable and support our local economy. At this conference, you will be able to learn and meet others that are integral in taking these babysteps to change.

Sometimes it is scary to try and take something simple and easy, like going to the grocery store, and instead make it a complex task that requires more time and more thought. But I can promise you, from first-hand experience, that if you just start with something small (like opening your ears to the discussion), that in no-time you will be able to source your food locally from the best producers in the world. How do I know they are the best? Because they are in fact people like you and me – they are your neighbors, your community, and the folks that will be here to feed you. And that is a smart and sustainable solution to our food supply.

Tisha Casida is the publisher of That’s Natural! and a determined citizen that believes that Southern Colorado is developing into a set of sustainable and economically prosperous communities. Her passion is marketing products and services that benefit these small communities.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the local food system and economically free from the constraints of the current food supply, please write to her and let her know you would like to be on our That’s Natural! email and mailing list at Thats.Natural.Info@gmail.com.

Country Roots Farm www.CountryRootsFarm.com Your Local Source For

- CSA Program (Community Supported Agriculture)

- Farm Stand (opens in June) Saturdays 8:30am - 1pm & Wednesdays from 1pm to 6pm - Certified Naturally-Grown Vegetables & Herbs (including Heirloom Varieties!)

- Free-Range Eggs: call for availability

719-948-2206

Golden Flower Health Clinic LOCO for LOCAL Exclusive Offer Reflexology mini-session 15 minutes $10 including use of a Young Living Essential Oil

That’s Natural!

July/August 2009

Page 15

Evening Farmers’ Market at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center

Every Thursday Evening from 4PM - 8PM Brought to you by: That’s Natural! Marketing

July 2nd - Kick Off with Fireweed &

Solar Roast

The Haunted Windchimes Coffee to showcase their July 9th - Canaan Vallejos & NEW Organic Mexican Blend Aymoray School of Dance Coffee July 16th - Blue Pepper Trio July 23rd -Nimble Fingers & Chrisanne Galvez July 30th -Silver Mountain Bluegrass Fiddlers & Dream Dancers August 6th - Fireweed & LIVE Music & Performances Pueblo Children’s Chorale Every Evening!

August 13th - Nimble Fingers & Sound brought to you by “Mr. E” Magic Venture August 20th - Blue Pepper Trio & Middle of Nowhere Event and Sound Sarah Shaw Dancers August 27th - Chrisanne & Friends, Pride City Marching Band Sustainability September 3rd - Tom Munch & Booth Mrs. Brown’s Clowns Sponsored September 10th - Nimble Fingers & by the Colorado Grupo Folklorico del Pueblo Carbon Fund September 17th - Rhythm Street presents Sam Cogburn & Erika Devins

Above events sponsored by:

ColoradoCarbonFund.org

Mrs. Brown’s Clowns

&

Aim High Entertainment

For More Information Call:

Tisha Casida, 719-252-1763