TN! May-June 2009 - 3rd Year Anniversary!

That’s Natural!

A guide to Sustainable Products & Services in Southern Colorado

FREE“Only the educated are free.” - Epictetus

May/June 2009

Breaking Through the Barriers

Food Matters - Book Review Educating the reader on individual choices. An easy and positive read with recipes.

Volume 6, Issue 3

University of Colorado At Colorado Springs - Sustainable Campus News LEED Projects, a Minor in Sustainable Development, Clean Energy on Campus

The Frustrated Recycler YMCA Opens in Pueblo A state of the art facility now open in Pueblo, check out the new amenities!

That’s Natural! is putting together the pieces for Recycling in Southern Colorado. The latest updates from all groups involved.

A Probiotics Primer Desert Sage Elementary School Makes an Impact Teachers educating students about waste while using art what a concept!

Journalist Bob Weinhold with an in-depth look at using “friendly bacteria” for digestive issues.

Restaurant Review Coyote Coffee Den Kimberly Schaub takes you on a journey to the Nature & Raptor Center of Pueblo.

Happy 3rd Year Anniversary!!!

Thanks to YOU the Community and OUR Grass-Roots Efforts, we are Stronger than Ever

Count-Down for Loco for Local Evening Farmers’ Market at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center. Page 3

We Are in the Business of $elling Social Change.

That’s Natural! is a free news-magazine serving Southern Colorado. It is published bi-monthly, 4,000 + copies are circulated to over 170 locations in Pueblo, Fremont, Huerfano, Otero, 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.

The POWER is in YOUR Hands

Thanks to our readership and fabulous advertisers we have been able to secure our stand at Vitamin Cottage-Pueblo. THANK YOU to all of you who wrote to Vitamin Cottage to tell them about how you support your community’s local independent news-sources. When corporate-level managers told our local manager to remove our That’s Natural! Stand, there was quite an uproar with our supporters and followers. THAT is the reason that WE, as CONSUMERS, won that fight. We are excited because this is a small illustration of how we really DO make a difference, Thank you for your support, your voices, and voting with your dollar. Cheers!

Three Years & Counting

We started out three years ago this month as a four-page publication with 50 copies printed and distributed to several small businesses in Pueblo.

Thanks to our advertisers, readers, and active community members, we are breaking down the barriers to live a sustainable lifestyle in Southern Colorado.

We are Good Americans

If you have been reading the publication, I hope that you have got a strong sense that we support our Country, our Economy, and our Community.

I love my Country and I know that it is up to us, the American citizens and the American consumers to demand products and services that are beneficial to our health, our environment, and our local economies. I believe in you, I believe in what we have done the past three years, and it has inspired us to start another publication focused on some of the issues pertinent to our existence as citizens and consumers. If you are interested in writing, advertising, or reading this, stay tuned. We are changing the world in Southern Colorado - thanks to people like you.

Tisha T. Casida, Publisher

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!

May/June 2009

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Meet the Team Jessica Lundie Editor Kimberly Schaub Food & Nutrition

Thomas Rupprecht Energy

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!

Contributors Local Food Systems

Tisha Casida................................................................3,15 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Linda Kogan ...................................................................5 Restaurant Review, Coyote Coffee Den

Kimberly Schaub..............................................................6 Probiotics Primer

Bob Weinhold...............................................................7,9 YMCA is more than Gym

Kimberly Schaub..............................................................8 Pueblo Children’s Chorale..............................................................8 The Frustrated Recycler

Tiffany Barr...............................................................10,13 The Main Event Returns

Pueblo Performing Arts Guild.......................................11 Book Review -Food Matters

Susan Fries......................................................................12 Students, Recycling, & Art

Jennifer Gale..................................................................14

Local Food Systems By Tisha Casida I just got back from a trip to a big box store. I will refrain from the name, however it is a large one with a blue-color scheme. This was the first time I was in there in about three years, I felt like I should do some investigative journalism, reconnaissance, if you will.

And that I did, because I realized several things as I paced the isles.

First of all, many people in our society are eating a lot of foods that could be potentially detrimental to their health and well-being. I am no doctor. I am not a nutritionist.

But I do know that white bread, diet soda, and chips are no substitute for a “complete” meal – one that would contain some high-quality proteins and some complex carbohydrates (not to mention some locally-grown produce). And that the young girl whose father had that particular shopping cart would suffer from these choices at some point in time.

Food is our fuel, folks, take note.

I also realized that the store’s name brand, “Great Value”, was a large space-holder in all of the categories of products – especially meats, packaged produce and packaged dry goods. As far as the supply-chain

Williams Seed 2154 East Hwy 50 Pueblo, CO (719) 544-6697 Thank You from That’s Natural! for your generous donation of seeds for the Farm-to-Fork Grant!

or value-chain for this store, they have cut out the beginning-man and the middle-man. Their Great Value brand is a great value because this store is making a pretty significant cut of the profits (and as a capitalist myself, I understand why). But please note, that no local farmer or producer benefitted from that “great value”, and therefore, depending upon what you consider “value” and what you deem as “great” - that perhaps paying a little more for something would actually yield a greater value – these are the social and environmental costs that have not been accounted for in the price of these items that you buy “discounted” at big box stores.

This is economics – it is looking at a food supply and figuring out how we got into the situation that we are in.

I, and others much more educated than myself, could give you thousands of resources about the history, economics, political justifications, etc. of our food supply. But we don’t have time for that folks.

We must start acting more locally and supporting our local businesses.

Today you can make the commit Continued Page 15

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May/June 2009

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Ranch Foods Direct Home Service What if you were able to save time, save money, and support local producers of natural and organic food products – all at the same time?

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In fact, in most cases we can reduce what you are currently spending. The food budgets that we help people analyze can be for single adults, couples, or families with children – we have options for various amounts and types of diets.

According to the USDA, 81% of your grocery dollar goes towards retail overhead and marketing. Ranch Foods Direct Home Service eliminates a huge portion of those costs by bringing the products directly from the producer to you. That means that your dollar pays for good food and that’s it! We connect farmers and ranchers to consumers - allowing more of your dollar to go towards the food and the producer – not

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Our food is all 100% natural, free from antibiotics, hormones and steroids. Our menu includes: beef, chicken, pork, buffalo, lamb, fish, deli meats, sausage, specialty items, organic fruits and vegetables.

We tailor the menu to you – the foods and types of produce that you like – and nothing else. Ranch Foods Direct Home Service is dedicated to your natural foods diet and natural foods budgeting.

We invite our customers to come in and visit our market and tour our plant, we want you to see and meet the people putting food on your table. We have a lot to share with you and want to show-off the many local producers that we represent.

Come in for a free Eating & Budget Analysis, or call for a consultant to visit your home. Be sure to mention that you read That’s Natural!

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That’s Natural!

May/June 2009

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A recent survey by the Princeton Review indicated that 66% of high schoolers value information on college and universities’ environmental commitment. Increasingly parents and students would like to know about their potential school’s environmental practices including energy, water, and recycling among others.

We are in an era requiring leadership and innovative approaches to prepare our graduates for a rapidly changing global environment. UCCS seeks to play a pivotal role in creating a culture of sustainability, providing both knowledge and practical experience students can carry with them into their lives after college.

Sustainability at UCCS started as a grass roots effort. A group of dedicated and passionate students, faculty, and staff advocated for the university to provide leadership, academic instruction, and a built environment to prepare our future leaders to approach the sustainability challenges the world currently faces. The campus Office of Sustainability was created in 2005 and was one of only 50 or so offices of its kind at universities in the country.

The 2007 Sustainability Strategic Plan was the first step in our commitment to campuswide sustainability. This plan laid out 5-year goals and actions for the campus in the areas of leadership, education, and operations.

Sustainability was subsequently adopted as a formal goal for the university.

• With great support from students and staff, in 2007, UCCS implemented a comprehensive recycling program. In 2009 the school transitioned to single stream recycling.

Here’s a highlight of a few UCCS sustainability successes to date: • Faculty created an innovative Minor in Sustainable Development program that includes coursework in multiple departments and across colleges.

• UCCS is the leading institution in sustainable building in the region with four Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects completed or in progress.

• The new Recreation Center includes a solar thermal system that provides approximately two thirds of the energy for heating the swimming pool.

• Students embraced sustainable energy by overwhelmingly supporting a $5 per semester fee for the installation of photovoltaic panels on campus buildings.

In a few short years, UCCS has established a strong foundation for greater sustainability through strategic plans, and public commitments. The more difficult, yet exciting part of our journey starts now as we strive to transform our plans into measurable actions, incorporate sustainability consistently in our decision-making processes, and extend the reach of ecological literacy to all of our students.

Sustainability is a dynamic engaging issue on the UCCS campus. We are excited to contribute to That’s Natural and share details of our progress.

Learn more about sustainability at UCCS at www.uccs.edu/sustain

“Sustainable economic development means protecting future standards of living and addressing the lack of substitution possibilities for life-supporting aspects of the natural world including air, atmosphere, and waste absorption.”

- Daphne Greenwood, UCCS Faculty member and co-author of upcoming book, Local Economic Development: Quality of Life and Sustainability LEED Gold Recreation Center with solar thermal panels to heat swimming pool.

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May/June 2009

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Coyote Coffee Den By Kimberly Schaub Down the dusty road to the Nature and Raptor Center of Pueblo, awaits a revitalized location and a decent lunch. By special request by a reader, my friend, Kelly, and I recently checked out the relatively new Coyote Coffee Den this week, and we were pleasantly pleased at the selection and freshness of ingredients. Kelly sampled the Quiche lunch special ($6.25), a green chili quiche served with a generous spinach salad, and I drank a Mexican cocoa ($2.60).

Other drink options include Oregon Chai, espresso drinks, and blended frappes and smoothies. We were in the mood for a light lunch. The crisp, dark green spinach was laden with sweet mandarin oranges, crunchy red onions, and homemade herbed croutons. In addition to the fresh ingredients, real bacon crumbles accented the salty-sweetness of the homestyle honey mustard dressing. The quiche, a generous 1/6 slice of pie, was filled with diced green chili and cheese, and Kelly commented that the heat was a “spicy-mild” type of heat, the one that grasps the tip of your tongue and warms your insides without a painful burning sensation that could have

overwhelmed the gentle flavors of egg and flaky crust.

less indulgent. Their taco salad comes served in a tortilla bowl.

The cocoa that I enjoyed was a sweet and spicy mix that I had come to love, and it was just the thing I needed to bask in slightly cool spring morning. Breakfast is served until 10:30, and an assortment of fresh pastries, croissants, bagels, breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, and yogurt with granola or fruit are offered to satisfy any size breakfast craving. The lunch offerings include gourmet sandwiches – hot and cool, soup, and a variety of salads. Gluten-free versions of the six different salads ($4.59-7.79) are offered, mostly sans croutons and served with the naturally wheat-free honey mustard dressing.

The location can seem out of the way, but it is a nice escape into nature to enjoy a cup of coffee, a bite of lunch, and a view of the river. It’s quiet location with plenty of tables for lunch meetings and spacious enough to provide some alone time. Coyote Coffee Den is open Tuesday through Friday, 8-4, Saturday and Sunday 8-5. They’re closed on Mondays.

Wireless Internet is coming soon. Call them at 719-549-2230 for their daily lunch specials.

Vegetarians can customize their own sandwiches for $6.95, or they can feast on the Roasted Pepper Baguette for $7.95. Half-bowl of Soup and Sandwich or Salad combos are available starting at $6.75, and the homemade apple balsamic dressing is sweet and tangy. The chicken salad croissant is decadent but the large chunks of apples and creamy, but not overlymayonnaise-y filling will make you feel a little

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May/June 2009

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A Probiotics Primer

By Bob Weinhold

About 1 of every 5 Americans has a significant digestive problem he or she must must cope with. To help deal with this, some health care practitioners have for many years included probiotics, also known as friendly bacteria, as part of a treatment package. However, the latest science on probiotics suggests that the specific probiotic used for any particular health problem is likely very critical, since there can be large differences in outcomes with various species of probiotics used, and even between strains of the same species.

On the other hand, the total body of probiotics research remains very limited, making it difficult to know what to try, and how to use it.

In order to provide a little guidance, here’s some of the latest information, along with a number of resources you can use to find out more. As one note of encouragement regarding the use of probiotics, doctors and researchers at many prominent medical and university centers, such as Johns Hopkins, Harvard, the University of Michigan, and Baylor, are aggressively pursuing knowledge in the field, and are working with probiotics with their patients in one way or another.

Some of the interest in probiotics has been spurred by the relatively recent discoveries that foods that have been consumed for centuries, in places where residents tend to live long, relatively health lives, contain various friendly

bacteria. Among these are yogurt, kefir, certain cheeses, kimchi, miso, and sauerkraut and pickles fermented the old fashioned way (compared to the way almost all sauerkraut and pickles are made today). If you can tolerate any or all of these, they can potentially be a modern source of a diverse, though poorly documented, range of probiotics.

So far, about 400 species of microbes such as bacteria and yeasts are known to exist in the human digestive system, and some experts estimate their total population in a person could be about 100 trillion organisms. Many more could readily be discovered through projects such as the Human Microbiome Project, which is just getting underway (http://nihroadmap. nih.gov/hmp). The project was inspired in large part by the realization that the composition of the microorganisms in the body is extremely important, and poorly understood. The HMP will take many years to generate helpful information, but it may be useful to check in on it regularly as information unfolds.

Of the species that we know about so far, only one-quarter or so can be grown outside the body using current techniques, and of these, only some can be created to successfully make their way through the digestive system and grow as they normally would. The bottom line for now is that most of the probiotics on shelves are either of the Bifidobacterium or Lactobacil-

lus genus, with a few options from other genera such as Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus.

The standard labeling protocol is to list a probiotic by its genus, species, and possibly strain. For instance - Lactobacillus reuteri RC14. Upon second reference, the genus is usually shortened to just its first letter, if it’s clear which genus is being referred to; say, L. reuteri. On many products on the shelves, if the genus is just B. species, you can usually assume it’s Bifidobacterium. If it’s something like Bacillus, it’ll likely be spelled out. The same principle applies to other letters of the alphabet.

A dose of a probiotic is usually based on the number of colony forming units, or CFU. If a product lists only the weight of a dose, such as grams, it’s probably best to avoid it, since such a measurement is a meaningless way of assessing how useful it may be.

There are no fixed rules about what amount is effective for a given condition or person. However, there seems to be somewhat of a consensus that anything less than 1 billion CFU per day may not do much. From that point upward, a few rules of thumb that may be worth starting with are provided by Gary Huffnagle, author of the very reader-friendly 2007 book The Probiotics Revolution, and a professor of internal medicine, immunology, and Continued Page 9

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YMCA is More than a Gym, It’s a Community Builder April 20, 2009, heralded the opening of a grand community center that represents the collaboration of several community and medical organizations with the YMCA. Although some smaller businesses may see “the Y” as competing with the smaller gyms, Janelle Markert explains that there is so much more than “just” fitness training here. And she’s right. As soon as I walk in the door, I am greeted by a 12-foot bouldering and climbing wall and can catch a glimpse of the 11,068 square foot aquatics indoor pool and activity area. This pool area features a zero-entry toddler pool, a handicap lift, miniature obstacle course, water volleyball and water basketball play area, and a lazy river for inner tube floating. Oh, and did I mention the huge pirate ship that sprays water? Just to the side of the main pool lies a rehab pool and an

adjacent Parkview therapy office. In addition, there is a twocourt gymnasium large enough to host open gym play times and intramural games simultaneously. State-of-the-art fitness equipment, weights, and cardiovascular fitness machines are arranged to maximize the exerciser’s experience. Various community programs beyond fitness will also find a home at the new location, and upcoming projects include teen recreation areas, a Pueblo City Library extension, and snack bar. The child watch center’s elaborate fortress jungle gym looks fun enough to make me wish I were young again... almost. Instead, I’m heading over to the double aerobics room to check out one of the classes. Drop in for a visit or call (719) 543-5151. To get a full report of the new YMCA campus, visit our website at www.ThatsNatural.info.

The Whole World Sings The Pueblo Children’s Chorale will hold its 13th Season Spring Concert, The Whole World Sings, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 9th, 2009 in Hoag Hall at Colorado State University – Pueblo.

The spring concert is sure to please those of all ages with a variety of lively music from all over the world. Selections will include: “Dansi Na Kuimba”, “Obwisana”, “Shake the Papaya Down” and “Hashi Venu”. Both choirs will combine to take you “Across America in about 3 minutes” and for the touching finale “Children of the World”.

The Chorale will welcome two Guest Artist dance groups to the stage to round out their trip around the World. The Okolitza Tamburitzans will take the audience to Croatia and Slovenia and Tabitha Rooney (former Chorale member) will dance and sing through Ireland.

The Pueblo Children’s Chorale has delighted local and national audiences through its musical talent and disciplined ensemble during its 13 years of operation. The Pueblo Children’s Chorale consists of two choirs, and both will perform at the concert. The Concert Choir features fifth through eighth graders and the Apprentice Choir features second through fourth grade singers. Both groups

are under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Shadle-Peters and accompanied by Lori Judkins.

Tickets for the concert cost $5.00 for all seats and will be available at the door the day of the performance or at The Loft Coffeehouse, 119 Broadway. For more information call 546-2309.

KIDS join the Children’s Chorale for Summer Sing 2009 August 4-7th AGE REQUIREMENT: 2nd to 7th grade.

TUITION: $50.00, or for those that register by July 1st $40.00

Register or for Questions?

Call Christina Anderson at (719)546-2309

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May/June 2009

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Probiotics Primer, Continued

microbiology at the University of Michigan. He says that about 3-5 billion CFU per day may be a good guideline for a relatively healthy person wanting to maintain his or her health. If you’re trying to improve a moderate health problem, you might bump that up to 6-10 billion CFU/ day. If you have a more serious health problem, he recommends about 20-30 billion CFU/day.

But he says most people can go much higher than that if need be, even into the range of a trillion or more CFU per day, since the great majority of the scientific evidence shows little harm from ingesting probiotics. However, it’s probably very wise to start at the low end of these ranges, then work your way up if you want to. For many peoople, there will be some dieoff of bad bacteria, which can cause either minor or major symptoms, so you’ll want to work through those slowly.

Some genera of probiotics remain largely untested, and are suspected by many experts to pose some potential for harm, in part because quality control is not assured in these products (as with all supplements), and any impurities, such as a related strain that may be in the product, can cause serious harm. Among these genera are Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Escherichia (which is the E in E. Coli, strains of which can be either beneficial or dangerous). Another caveat is that one probiotic for which there has been significant evidence of good outcomes,

Saccharomyces boulardii, is derived from a yeast (one of the few like this). If you can’t handle yeasts in general, you may want to be very wary of this one.

There is little agreement on what time of day to take probiotics, or whether they should be taken with or without food. It may be best to simply comply with what the label on each product says. If you’re taking higher doses, it’s likely to be better to spread consumption of multiple doses throughout the day, so you can keep some friendly bacteria in the system as long as possible.

A nuance that Huffnagle recommends is to take a probiotic with calcium, since calcium helps the good bacteria stick to intestinal walls, and helps block bad bacteria from doing likewise. However, he recommends avoiding calcium carbonate, since this reduces acidity in the stomach. Normal acidity typically kills bad bacteria, and doesn’t impede good bacteria.

Huffnagle says you should give a particular probiotic product about two weeks to see if it works. If it doesn’t, you could either increase the dose or try something else. Overall, he says you should notice some health improvements within anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, if you’re on the right trail.

Scientific evaluation of probiotics usually involves assessing just one strain at a time.

In some instances, a mix of anywhere from

5-10 probiotics has been tested. Most studies are very limited in the number of people studied, seriously limiting conclusions that can be drawn about a study. Studies typically cover only a relatively short time period, such as several months, or maybe up to a year or so.

Most also have other complicating factors, such as concurrent use of drugs for the same health problem being investigated, or a limited range of ages covered, or a slant toward one sex, race, or geographic location. All these limitations make it impossible to accurately predict how a probiotic will work for you. As with many medical treatments, trial and error remains the main approach, though one prominent benefit is the relatively low risk and cost involved, compared to drugs used to treat the same conditions.

Despite all these limitations, you may be able to identify some good starting points, based on the science, and a limited number of independent reviews of aspects such as quality control of products. Please visit www.ThatsNatural.info for the second half of this article.

Bob Weinhold is a freelance journalist who focuses on health and environmental issues. His clients include the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and their journal Environmental Health Perspectives, and the American Chemical Society, and their journal Environmental Science & Technology.

The Restorative Power of Nature

It’s that time of year when we are drawn outdoors by the greening of the earth, and the emergence of light and warmth.

We have broken through the seed coat and the soil--into the light. This Yang season—of light, warmth, and movement--is our natural time of blossoming, unfurling, and moving out into the world.

Studies have shown that being outside on warm and sunny days improves mood and memory. Contact with nature relieves anxiety and stress, and restores our ability to focus and concentrate.

So—let’s head outside and enjoy Nature!!

AND--leave the DEET at home!!!!! No one needs more carcinogens! I recommend using therapeutic grade essential oil mixtures as insect repellants. This way you get the added benefit of immune support and detoxification—without harmful effects. Therapeutic essential oils are also anti-viral—and therefore protective against West Nile.

Please call for recipes and therapeutic guidelines.

Dr. Donna J Hinders has been practicing integrated natural health care for over 24 years. She is a licensed chiropractor and acupuncture diplomate, with a focus on restoring health through functional medicine and the principles of Nature.

719-583-8258

Mention That’s Natural! for a $40 discount on a comprehensive treatment. Health restoration with Nature!

That’s Natural!

May/June 2009

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The Frustrated Recycler By Tiffany Barr

Approximately 60% of our trash thrown away today could be recycled. A survey was done and 9 out of 10 people surveyed said they would recycle more if it was easier. - Environment-Green Judging by the number of committees, groups and businesses in Pueblo that are trying to help provide and support recycling in Pueblo, it is obvious that Pueblo’s inability to get comprehensive recycling is not due to lack of interested individuals and organizations. In fact it becomes very tiring and confusing trying to understand what they all do and keeping them all straight. Below are a few of the recycling groups that are dedicated to increasing recycling awareness and convenience in Pueblo.

The Pueblo Recycling Coalition – A new organization led by Mary Oreskovich and Renae Moreschini with the intent “to take existing knowledge and programs and combine

them with community support and feedback to implement a citywide recycling program.”

Meetings are held every 2 weeks with different speakers at each meeting. They are also very focused on setting goals and acting toward accomplishing them at each meeting. Contact: Renae 369-9495, Mary 542-4467, pueblorecyclingcoalition@gmail.com. You can also join the group on facebook, on which they have a contact list of city/county officials and a form letter to send them about the urgency of a recycling program in Pueblo.

The City Recycle Committee is a group of individuals in the community that were selected by the City Council to help come up with and set into action a recycling program. From what I can tell, their main focus at the moment is working with Waste Connections. Their desire is to require an ordinance by the City Council that will mandate curbside recycling for the

residential community. This payment could be assessed through the property tax and collected with the water bill. The dollar amount that would be imposed on the residence is around $7 per month, the ordinance would require that everyone pay this fee whether they choose to recycle or not. This would not be assessed on commercial accounts, as that is not allowable by law. Apartment complexes fall in the commercial business structure, so they would not be included either. The two problems that I see with this plan are: making things mandatory, especially without education scares people away and the other concern is it would allow Waste Connection to gain further customers resulting in more local trash haulers going out of business. The company claims that they would not be competing with other trash haulers because people could use their recycling but still use a separate trash service. Continued Page 13

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ABOVE: Photos of several of our projects in Southern Colorado That’s Natural!

May/June 2009

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The Main Event Returns!

The Pueblo Performing Arts Guild (PPAG) returns The Main Event to downtown Pueblo during First Friday Art Walks, beginning May 1st. Once a month, The Main Event will showcase the local performing arts on an outdoor stage from 5pm to 8pm at Art on South Main, 205 S. Main Street.

PPAG anticipates complimenting the visual artist’s activities during the First Friday Art Walks by increasing the attendance to the galleries with the performing arts audience.

“For some years, PPAG has been looking for the right connection to support the First Friday Art Walk, and now we’ve found it with the Art

on South Main folks,” says Susan Fries, Executive Director of PPAG. Typically, The Main Event brings several hundred people each night to watch local performances of theater, music, and dance.

In conjunction with First Friday Art Walk, Art on South Main will have their Opening Reception for featured artist(s) and new work on display. Art fans are invited to visit with the artists and enjoy hor d’ourves and refreshments.

The Pueblo Performing Arts Guild (PPAG) presents The Main Event to draw attention to the diversity, quality and abundance of performing arts in Pueblo while increasing public awareness of downtown business offerings. PPAG’s mission is to promote the production, enjoyment, and collaboration

of the arts for the purposes of economic development and an enriched quality of life in Pueblo. The Main Event will bring together the best of both the arts and business to produce an impressive event for the Pueblo community.

A schedule of performers for The Main Event and a local arts calendar can be found at www.PuebloPAG.org.

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That’s Natural!

May/June 2009

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Food Matters: A guide to Conscious Eating with more than 75

Recipes, by Mark Bittman, Simon & Schuster, 2009 After a decade of books that horrified us with the evils of fast food, processed food, and mystery food, authors are taking us in a more positive direction. Mark Bittman’s book Food Matters educates the reader about the possibility of individual choices; making a difference to the world’s environment and to our own health.

Bittman’s writing in his New York Times column, TV shows, and recipe books led him to the conclusion that a change in his diet could both solve his chronic health problems and make a substantial impact on the world’s environment. Although Bittman is neither a trained chef nor a dietitian, his highly popular cookbooks and investigative journalism, make his conclusions very convincing. Food Matters is divided into two sections, the first Food Matters, focuses on food production, government regulations, diet change, and

All the books reviewed for That’s 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!

energy consumption. The second section is dedicated to over 75 recipes that reinforce Bittman’s diet theory.

The Food Matters section is reminiscent of Michael Pollan’s latest book, In Defense of Food, by blaming the woeful history of food regulation in this country on our current corrupted food values. Interestingly, Bittman gives the reader statistics on the energy needed to produce the common foods we eat. For example, a family that drives 12,000 miles per year would save the equivalent of 760 miles by eating one less meal of meat a week. While a vegetarian family reduces its “food mileage” to only 3,900 a year. The conclusion: consider your diet as a means of reducing your carbon footprint; just like saving energy by turning off the lights or riding your bike to the library.

Then Bittman relates how he lost weight, and improved his cholesterol and blood sugar levels by excluding meat and dairy from his first two meals, and eating anything he chooses for dinner. (The reverse of the “Supersize It” menu!) Although I’m less inclined to be interested in or act upon this diet idea, fearing the dreaded fad diet craze, it makes sense for Bittman.

The recipe section offers mostly vegetarian ideas for menus and meals. And maybe be-

R

cause Bittman is a self proclaimed, foodie, I think it is fair to point out that the recipes are vague. Whereas I as a self proclaimed “cookbook snob” am not very inspired by the recipes (but, yes, I do like pictures). Still, for those who are new to vegetarian cooking, these recipes would certainly spice up your menus.

Food Matters is at the same time an easy read and a positive way to change eating habits; putting the power of environmental health on the plates of the consumer.

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

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May/June 2009

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The Frustrated Recycler, Continued They also state they would allow the other trash companies to use their recycling center. However, Waste Connections would be bringing in a company called Recycle Bank which would provide coupons and money for their customers to recycle. If the other trash companies cannot offer a comparable incentive then they would most likely lose customers to Waste Connections. Contact: Alicia Archibald, President, BETTR Recycling, Inc., alicia@bettrrecycling.com We Recycle – Owned by Justin and Giana Parker; this a privately owned and operated co-op intending to offer curbside single-stream recycling to all of Pueblo. They will be working with Recycle America which has a transfer station in Colorado Springs and can track everything that you recycle so that you can be confident that it is not simply being transferred to another landfill, third world country or ocean somewhere. Woohoo right?!! This organization had great hopes of being the answer to many of our requests (and still has that potential eventually) but has been thwarted by zoning issues, legalities and resistance from certain “higher ups”. They will be opening a Pueblo West drop off location in July to start off with. At the location members can drop off co-mingled recyclables including paper products, plastics, glass and aluminum. Members pay a small monthly fee to use the facility. As the business grows they hope to expand to other locations, offer curbside pickup and possibly also offer trash collection. www.werecyclecoop.com The Happy Worm Herders and Gaia Health Institute – Local non-profit organization providing composting, vermicomposting and recycling. The Worm Herders will be able collect grass clippings, leaves and tree waste, agricultural waste, source-separated food and paper waste, coffee grounds, organic cloth, and other organic waste. These ingredients are mixed with biosolids, commonly known as sewer sludge, and inorganic materials, such as sifted street sweeping material and create a wonderful gourmet diet for worms. Once the worms have done their work, the final product, known as castings, will be dried, tested, and sold or distributed through programming. Worm castings, another name for worm manure, are considered to be nature’s superior single-ingredient fertilizer and soil amendment.

The castings provide naturally time released nutrients and trace minerals, help soils retain moisture, and enhance root production and root strength thereby helping prevent soil erosion. Contact: 719-320-5080 Pueblo City-County Health Department – Offer occasional, always crowded, one day recycling drop-off events, usually at the State

Fair Grounds and offering recycling of things is not made soon. If the Pueblo government such as: old electronics, paint, tires, hazardous is not going to step up then it is going to be waste, Christmas trees, etc. The Health Deup to the citizens of Pueblo to pull together, partment also has 3 recycling drop off sites in show respect and pride for our community and Pueblo West and one in Bessemer. These drop get involved. As you can see there are several off centers have bins for different colored glass, groups with which you can become involved aluminum/tin and newspaper. It is nice to have and help bring change to our community. the locations but is certainly not the best way Recycling is not about the over marketed to get the majority of Pueblo convinced to start “going green” movement, hippies, tree/bunny recycling, simply not convenient enough and huggers or over-the-top activists, it is about still nowhere to take plastic. Contact: www. survival and being able to manage our waste in pueblohealthdept.org, Recycling Hotline 583a way that is healthy for us and generations to 4924 follow.

Green Drinks - This is a local chapter of a national organization dedicated to getting folks Events: out of the house of the last Tuesday of every month to talk “Sustainability”. This group is Pueblo Recycling Coalition Meeting – May currently meeting at the Cock N’ Bull tavern 6th, Contact for time and place: Renae 719in Pueblo, at 5:30 - the May meeting is on the 369-9495, Mary 719-542-4467 26th and the June meeting is on the 30th. To Green Drinks – May 26th 5:30pm at Cock N’ attend or speak, call Dena Stevens for more Bull. Speakers will be Tiffany Barr and Tisha information: 719-369-9087.

Casida to give information about the Loco for Heck, I’m just a veterinarian and by no Local Farmer’s Market. June topic will be anmeans an expert on politics or starting a city/ nounced. county wide recycling program but seems like Health Department – Recycling Drop Off too many cooks in the kitchen to me. It’s upat the Colorado State Fairgrounds - May 9th lifting and hopeful to see that so many different 8am-1pm people are excited about recycling but can this SCSC Sustainability Conference and Expo many recycling committees, organizations and will be held July 31 - August 1; Pueblo Conprograms actually work at the same time? We vention Center. The focus of the conference need something or someone to unite our efis, “Sustainability - Empowering the Future”. forts, which is what the intention of the Pueblo There will be further education for community Recycling Coalition is… but it appears that it leaders to identify how to implement a sucmay not be enough. As with any change there cessful recycling program for their communiis always resistance and always a ton of politics ties as well as the region. Please contact Alicia and bureaucracy which are very hard for grass Archibald at for information on becoming a roots organizations to break through. vendor, sponsor or speaker at the conference We need someone within the Pueblo govalicia@bettrrecycling.com ernment to step up and make everyone work together. Perhaps what we need is a non-bias Tiffany Barr is a graduate from Colorado State University and currently a Veterinarian at Mesa mayor position which would focus the City Vet Clinic in Pueblo County. She is dedicated to Council, County Council, Health DepartSouthern Colorado’s sustainable development and ment and all of these smaller grass roots groups can be found hiking, biking, boarding and climbing to come to one collective solution instead of throughout the beautiful landscapes competing against each other. that she seeks to preserve.

Going to all of these meetings and trying to figure out the tangled web of Pueblo Recycling efforts and groups is very exhausting, especially while having a 50 hour + work week. As passionate as I am about this issue I, along with several other frustrated recyclers are Mountain Park Environmental Center near breaking point and www.hikeandlearn.org on the verge of throwing in the towel or raging against the machine if some forward progress

Summer camps for kids~ adult programs Guided hikes ~ pavillion rentals for groups That’s Natural!

May/June 2009

Page 13

Students, Recycling & Art

By Jennifer Gale

The Desert Sage Elementary students in Pueblo West celebrated Earth Day together by staging a school wide demonstration to show how much trash is accumulated by lunch room beverages in one week.

The project was for each student to save their plastic juice or milk bottles that are served at lunch everyday for one week. At the end of the week the school held and Earth Day Parade in which students displayed the bottles in various ways.

Students had built everything from musical instrument to towering pyramids. At the end of the parade, all of the bottles were compiled into a heaping mound of an estimated two thousand bottles to show how much trash was made in one week

That’s Natural!

May/June 2009

with only milk bottles. The students then discussed and demonstrated how many milk or juice bottles would be accumulated in a month and a year, and how much space they would take up.

The big idea that the students took away from this is that these bottles will be in a landfill forever if we don’t make a change.

The teachers at Desert Sage came up with the idea because they thought that seeing the visual of how fast non-biodegradable trash accumulates would be profound. Volunteers offered to take the bottles used in the Earth Day parade to the nearest plastic recycling center.

Jennifer Gale is a second-grade teacher at Desert Sage Elementary School.

At That’s Natural!, we are pretty excited about this connection between recycled goods and art.

We have recently been to “The Living Room” a fabulous studio located inside of the Art on South Main building (Corner of D Street and Main Street

Page 14

- Pueblo, Colorado) to see their array of goods made in fine recycled fashion. We have also been in contact with Cynthia Ramu, from the Pueblo School for Arts & Sciences, who has been working on art from recycled goods as well.

Look for more in the next isse of That’s Natural!

Local Food Systems, Continued ment to support local producers at Farmers’ Markets taking place all over the region. Make a difference and an impact by supporting these “beginning-men” and these “middle-men” that do not deserve to be cut out of the supply chain in our food system.

That’s Natural! will host our very own Evening Farmers’ Market, where you can come on Thursday evenings and enjoy farm-fresh produce from local growers, blue-grass music, and artists from our own community as well as visiting artists from New Mexico. Our market is at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center – every Thursday evening from 4:00PM until 8:00 PM. This will start on July 2nd and run through September 17th.

Some previews of farmers who will be ready and available to sell you the most delicious local fare include Medina Farms, A Wren’s Nest Farm, Larga Vista Ranch, as well as some very well-known and Pueblo-staples from out “on the Mesa”. Medina Farms represents four generations of farmers/growers in southeastern Colorado. Coming from Olney Springs, Colorado, Joseph Medina, the fourth-generation owner and operator, is on the cutting-edge of sustainable agriculture by producing hydroponic lettuce, herbs, peppers, and more. Tammy Stuever-Alhadef, our former editor at That’s Natural! is bringing her and her husband’s wide

array of produce and other delectable goods from their Wren’s Nest Farm. Larga Vista Ranch will have a presence with their fine meat products, all-natural produce, and other offerings that you may be familiar with. And again, we are bringing out some of the best SouthernColorado names from the area where I actually grew up – these are folks in my generation that are taking over the family farm and represent our future in local, sustainable agriculture.

We are also exploring the opportunity of having local gardeners, who have over-abundances of their garden items, come to the market to sell – we would have space available for a small “entry fee”, and help give these very local growers, urban famers if you will, a chance to showcase some of their items and educate our community on how to grow their own garden.

That’s Natural! is dedicated to the education and promotion of producers and service-providers who are a part of our local food system.

Without these folks, our livelihoods and the land that we depend on becomes compromised. Are you a local farmer or producer of local goods? An urban gardener? A local performing or visual artist? If you would like to participate in our market this summer, please contact myself (Tisha) 719-252-1763 or Tiffany 719-251-6447. The sooner we have your information, the sooner we can start pro-

moting your products and services!

We will post updated information on the event on our website: www.

ThatsNatural.info and our blogs: blog.thatsnatural.info and http:// tnteam.us; there are also details on the back cover of this publication.

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.

That’s Natural!

May/June 2009

Page 15

LOCO for LOCAL 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 - Independence Day Kick-Off July 9th - Community Show-Case July 16th - Recycling July 23rd - Rodeo July 30th - Rodeo August 6th - Youth and the Arts August 13th - Visiting Artists from Santa Fe/Taos August 20th - Recycling August 27th - Outdoor Sports September 3rd - Visiting Artists from Santa Fe/Taos September 10th - Community Show-Case September 17th - Community Show-Case *All listed events tentative until June 20th, 2009 Above events sponsored by:

To be a Sponsor or Vendor, Please Contact:

Tiffany Barr - Market Manager, 719-251-6447 & Tisha Casida - Publisher, 719-252-1763