Holistic Management Internationaladds Animal Husbandry toTRAINING PROGRAMBY FRANK ARAGONA, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS, HMI

Holistic Management International (HMI) is current-ly working with La Montanita Co-op to expandthe Co-op’s highly successful Veteran Farmer

Project (VFP) training program. Past sessions of the programhave focused on vegetable crop production and participatingveterans requested training in animal husbandry. When RobinSeydel of La Montanita approached us about adding a live-stock and ranching component, we were excited about theopportunity.The VFP program is designed to achieve three primaryobjectives:1. To get veterans involved in agriculture2. To give veterans an introduction to basic farming skills3. To provide healing opportunities for veterans

HMI is a non-profit organization based in Albuquerque whosemission is to educate people to manage land for a sustainablefuture. For over three decades we have worked with agricultur-al producers on various land management challenges. In thepast, HMI was primarily focused on ranching, sustainable graz-ing practices, and livestock management. The new HMI honorsour tradition of land restoration through grazing management,but we have come to recognize the importance of offering busi-ness management training to small and medium-sized agricul-tural producers, regardless of their production model.

With this in mind, HMI is working with La Montanita and thelocal Veteran’s Administration office to put together a programfor veterans that has elements of business planning and live-

stock production. This program will combine hands-onfield-day training and classroom business managementlearning.

The field-day trainings consist of fivesessions on local ranches that willcommence in September and end inlate October. The local ranchingcommunity has embraced this pro-gram and graciously offered theirfacilities to serve as local learningsites. For example, we will be visitingthe Old Windmill Dairy to learnabout the management of smallstock, in this case goats. The LoneMountain Ranch in Golden, NM,has offered their facility so partici-pants can learn how to assess avail-able grazing forage and then build a grazing plan based onforage information. Other trainings will focus on monitoringthe condition of the land and low-stress livestock handling.Trainings will be facilitated by Dr. Ann Adams, HMI’sDirector of Community Services, whose past participation inVeteran Farmer Project trainings was greatly appreciated byveteran participants.

Classroom sessions will begin in mid-January 2014 andwill wrap up by the end of February. The classroom ses-sions will focus on the essentials of Whole Farm BusinessPlanning, including how to set a Whole Farm Goal, Effec-tive On-Farm Decision-Making, Record Keeping, FinancialPlanning, and Enterprise Analysis.

If you have participated in the Veteran Farmer Project orare a local veteran interested in participating, please pre-

BY MARSHALL KOVITZ, VICE PRESIDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

This is the first of two articles about proposedbylaw amendments that owners will beasked to vote on this November. We will

offer a relatively general overview now, while anOctober article will containmore detail.

The Bylaws Amendments Com-mittee along with the Board’slegal advisors periodically re-view our bylaws and proposeamendments in order to alignthem with the changing needs ofboth the owners and the Co-op’s operations. We may alsorecommend amending the by-laws to include procedures and guidelines we havealready been following as a matter of course. This year,the Board is proposing two very detailed amendmentsand we would like to start explaining them now so thatowners have time to ask questions.

The first amendment deals with lifetime membershipsand how requests for refunds are handled. The currentlanguage, Section 1.2.5, allows for a full refund aftertwo years. The proposed new wording calls for refundsto include a deduction of $15 dollars per year for everyyear the lifetime membership was in effect. The Boardfeels this is fairer to the Co-op, since the owner will haveenjoyed membership benefits such as patronage divi-dends and discount shopping for those years and theCo-op would have borne the associated costs. The

idend is proportionate to the owner’s business with the Co-op during the previous year and must include a cash pay-ment of at least 20% of the owner’s total dividend. Theother 80% can be placed in member capital accounts andused by the Co-op to build needed equity. The advantage ofthis arrangement is that the IRS considers the entireamount—20% cash and 80% retained—to be nontaxablefor the Co-op. By the way, both the 20% cash payment andthe 80% retained are also considered nontaxable income tothe owner as long as the owner purchased the groceries forordinary household use.

The Co-op has never refunded the retained portion of thepatronage dividend and has no plans to do so. That’s becausethe Co-op really needs this capital to continue doing its goodwork. However, the Board does retain the authority to refundthis equity and in the unlikely event it chooses to do so, thenew language clarifies how it would happen.

Find the full proposal on the Co-op’s website at www.lamontanita.coop. As required by the bylaws, we will also sendout a formal notice to all owners by October 1, includingthe full wording of the proposed amendments along with anexplanation/justification. As mentioned earlier, the Octobernewsletter will have a second article, explaining in greaterdetail what we propose and why. The November newsletterwill contain the full proposal along with the list of boardcandidates running for election. For the second year, we willoffer electronic voting through VoteNet and a summary ofthe proposals will be posted there as well.

You can view the current bylaws here, www.lamontanita.coop/index.php/directors/bylaws, or you can go to theinformation desk of any store to view a paper copy. And Inthe meantime, if you have questions or comments,CONTACT MARSHALL KOVITZ, Bylaws AmendmentsCommittee, at 256-1241 or marshall@swcp.com.

BYLAWAMENDMENTSAn Introduction to the Board’s Proposed

Veteran Farmer Project UpdateCO-OP COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

register to be included in the program. TheVFP program is open to all veterans and activeservice personnel in all branches of service. Topre-register, please contact Robin Seydel atLa Montanita Co-op by email at robins@lamontanita.coop or by telephone at505-217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667or John Shields at john.shields2@va.gov orcall him at 505-256-6499, ext. 5638.

We look forward to working with our localranching and veteran communities as part ofthis exciting program. FOR MORE IN-FORMATION ABOUT HMI, our programsor to make a donation, please go to www.holisticmanagement.org.

AT THE CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER• Tour the Foodshed Warehouse • Experience the MoGro truck(open for shopping) • Enjoy delicious Co-op picnic foods, vegetarian,vegan and fresh Co-op smoked and grilled local meat options •Participate in family fun including: A jolly jumper, art projects, scavenger hunts and more • Enjoy music from Wildewood Band • Hear state of your Co-op reports, meet Board of Directors candidates!

amendment would apply only to thoseowners who purchase a lifetime mem-bership after this proposal is approved.Those who purchased a lifetime mem-bership previously, will be entitled tothe full refund. To gain perspective on

the proposed change, since thisprogram was created in the late1990s, the Co-op has collectedabout 520 lifetime membershipsand has had a total of about 10requests for refunds.

An additional proposed change is who decideswhether to refund the lifetime membership.Currently, the decision rests with the Board. Theproposed amendment states that the general man-ager, in consultation with the Board President, will

make the decision. This delegation is consistent with thefact that the Board relies on the general manager to rec-ommend the appropriate level of capitalization.

The second proposed amendment deals with changes toArticle IX, Capitalization. One change involves substi-tuting the term “Patronage Dividend,” for the current,“Patronage Refund.” This new language results in nooperational change, but more accurately reflects theownership aspect of membership.

To understand the many details in the rest of this pro-posed amendment, we need to grasp the fundamentals ofpatronage dividends. When the Co-op has a profitableyear—which is most of the time—it sets aside part ofthat profit as a patronage dividend for owners. The div-

La Montanita Co-op is pleasedTO ANNOUNCE THEOPENINGOF IT’S NEWWESTSIDE LOCATION!in mid-October!3601 Old Airport Rd.

IN THE COTTONWOODCOMMONS SHOPPING CENTER

CO-OP HARVESTPICNIC andMEMBERSHIP GATHERING

Sat.OOcctt..111122221111--22ppmm

SAVETHEDATE!

TRAININGSbegin inSeptember

www.lamontanita.coopIT’S YOUR CO-OP!

celebrate fall! September 2013 2

La Montanita CooperativeA Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

Nob Hill/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun.3500 Central SE Abq., NM 87106 265-4631

Valley/ 7am-10pm M-Sun.2400 Rio Grande Blvd. NWAbq., NM 87104 242-8800

Gallup/ 10am-7pm M-S, 11am-6pm Sun.105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383

Santa Fe/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun.913 West Alameda Santa Fe, NM 87501 984-2852

UNM Co-op ’N Go/ 7am-6pm M-F, 10-4pm Sat.Closed Sun., 2301 Central Ave. SE Abq., NM 87131 277-9586

Cooperative Distribution Center 901 Menual NE, Abq., NM 87107 217-2010

Administrative Staff: 217-2001TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP)• General Manager/Terry Bowling 217-2020terryb@lamontanita.coop• Controller/John Heckes 217-2029johnh@lamontanita.coop• Computers/Info Technology/David Varela 217-2011 tech@lamontanita.coop• Operations Manager/Bob Tero 217-2028bobt@lamontanita.coop• Human Resources/Sharret Rose 217-2023hr@lamontanita.coop• Marketing/Edite Cates 217-2024editec@lamontanita.coop• Membership/Robin Seydel 217-2027robins@lamontanita.coop• CDC/MichelleFranklin 217-2010mf@lamontanita.coop

Store Team Leaders: • Valerie Smith/Nob Hill 265-4631valeries@lamontanita.coop• John Mulle/Valley 242-8800jm@lamontanita.coop• William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852willpro@lamontanita.coop• Michael Smith/Gallup 575-863-5383michaels@lamontanita.coop

Co-op Board of Directors:email: bod@lamontanita.coop• President: Martha Whitman• Vice President: Marshall Kovitz• Secretary: Ariana Marchello• Treasurer: Susan McAllister• Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn• Kristy Decker• Jake Garrity• Jessica Rowland• Betsy VanLeit

Membership Costs:$15 for 1 year/ $200 Lifetime Membership

Co-op Connection Staff:• Managing Editor: Robin Seydelrobins@lamontanita.coop 217-2027• Layout and Design: foxyrock inc• Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept.• Advertising: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher • Editorial Assistant: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher sarahwf@lamontanita.coop 217-2016• Printing: Vanguard Press

Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 217-2027 or 877-775-2667email: robins@lamontanita.coopwebsite: www.lamontanita.coop

Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop

Copyright ©2013La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled

CELEBRATEOPEN SPACE6th Annual Urban Farm and Harvest FestivalSunday, September 15, 10am-4pm

BY KENT SWANSON, ASSOCIATE PLANNER/OPEN SPACE

The City of Albuquerque Open Space Division man-ages over 366 acres of farmland both for food pro-duction and wildlife habitat. We’re proudto be a part of Albuquerque’s agricultural her-itage, and for the sixth consecutive year we’recelebrating with a unique event for the wholefamily. This year we’ve joined forces with localfarmers, businesses, and conservation organi-zations to bring attention to the drought andto help you learn techniques that will improveyour gardening or farming techniques duringthis time of water scarcity.

Author Baker Morrow will be on hand to pres-ent information from his book New Mexico’sFavorite Plants Over 1,000 Years. Other highlights atthis year’s festival include: seed saving workshop byIsuara Andaluz of Save New Mexico Seeds and work-shops on “Food Forest Gardening” for gardens that takeless work, less water and create more possibilities.

Enjoy live music by the Happy Gland Band, Pawn Driveand others on a shaded patio overlooking a 24-acreworking farm/wildlife preserve, straw bale rides, liveraptor display with Wildlife Rescue, beekeeping demon-strations, kids art table and entertainment, gourmet foodcart and a self guided tour of the “Traditions Garden”and land art sculptures. Please see www.cabq.gov/openspace for up to date information on workshop and enter-tainment schedules.

Don’t forget to bring a shopping bag and purchase localfood and produce while you visit booths by farmers,artisans, businesses and non-profits working to protectagriculture and Open Space!

Open Space Visitor Center, 6500 Coors Blvd. NW. Formore information on this FREE fun family event goto www.cabq.gov/openspace or call 505-897-8831.

CARBON ECONOMYSERIES CONTINUES BY IGINIA BOCCALANDRO

For the third year in a row The CarbonEconomy comes to Santa Fe and for the firsttime will cater to the Albuquerque audience

with a big event, a three-day “Clean EconomyConference” focusing on sustainable living prac-tices in January 2014. Given the changing climate,the tough economy, the ravaged environment andthe rapid transition we are being asked to make,the theme of the 2013-2014 series is building resiliency in ourpersonal lives and in our community and world. Huge changescall for new growth, increased strength, perseverance andtenacity; all of which will be present in our series. Learn howto apply the triple bottom line: that which is good for the plan-et, good for people and good for profit.

Renowned experts will come to Santa Fe and Albuquerque toteach sustainable tools to become more resilient in regards tofood, health, water, energy, business, soil and climate change. InOctober, Matthew Brummett returns to teach aboriginal livingskills with a one-day fire building course, ideal for youth andadults alike.

Corporations and businesses can be green, they can be sociallyresponsible and employees can be healthy, fulfilled and produc-tive. Bea Boccalandro, owner of Veraworks who teaches atBoston College and Georgetown University, will explain how

TIME HHAAPPPPEENNIINNGGSS!!HARVEST

FALL FFFFUUUUNNNN

SUSTAINABILITYEDUCATION FOR

FAMILY FUN AT OPEN SPACELEARNINGFREE BERNALILLO County workshops

September 7/Food Preservation Methods This much loved workshop is back again! Find out how to put foodup for the winter with methods such as hot bath canning, pressure

canning and lacto-fermentations. SpeakersKim Pophal and Sofia Rose will elaborateon food preservation techniques, appropri-ate equipment and troubleshooting. Bringyour favorite recipes to sample and share!From 9am-12:30pm at the Gutierrez-Hubbell House (6029 Isleta Blvd. SW).

September 13/Stargazing and JazzBernalillo County Open Space presents aStar Party featuring the Albuquerque As-tronomical Society and the Oasis 103.7.Bring your picnic basket and blanket toenjoy a wide array of outdoor activities

including a live broadcast by the Oasis, solar scopes, presentationsand stargazing with TAAS, live acoustic jazz performance, kids activ-ities, and free giveaways. From 6-10:30pm at Bachechi Open Space(9521 Rio Grande Blvd. NW).

September 21/Seed SavingSeed saving is both art and science, but anyone can learn the basicson saving common veggie and herb seeds. See how saving gardenfavorites can ensure a more adaptable crop for the future in thisinformative workshop. Participants will practice harvesting home-grown tomato seeds as well as other commonly saved seeds. Thisworkshop will be presented by expert Joshua Cravens of Save NewMexico Seeds and Arid Seed Cache. From 9am-12:30pm at theGutierrez-Hubbell House (6029 Isleta Blvd. SW)

September 28/Forest Ecology in the East MountainsLearn about the history and complex nature of our dryland forestsand best management practices used by professional land managersto promote biodiversity while preventing forest fires in times ofdrought. Sue Hansen Putze, district manager of Ciudad Soil andWater Conservation District, will present a fuelwood thinning proj-ect at Ojito de San Antonio, discussing the process, applied tech-niques and end result. From 10am-12pm at Ojito de San Antonio.

To register and for more information: www.bernco.gov/openspace or call 505-314-0398.

high impact corporate community involvement isdoing societal good and how Santa Fe can be thebeneficiary of that good. Yes, she is my awesome lit-tle sister! In February 2014 we will have a moduleon wise water management. It just rained. Were youprepared? Find out how you can benefit from theserains. In March we will have a workshop on the soilfood web: biological solutions for increasing fertili-ty, reducing water usage and growing healthy crops.

Our BIG event in January will be the CarbonEconomy Series summit in Albuquerque where JoelSalatin of Polyface Farms will be a keynote speaker

and teach an intensive seminar on integrated farming for food produc-tion and the power of mentoring at a pre-conference event. Two days ofshort, powerful plenary sessions with local experts will cover a myriadof sustainable subjects such as: bees, seeds, wise water management, soilfood web, permaculture design, energy efficiency, Pueblo agriculture,zero waste and a sustainability trade show. Attention all foodies, therewill be a delicious, farm to table, gourmet chef Steward’s dinner withJoel Salatin. Funds raised from the event will provide scholarships fordeserving participants. La Montanita Co-op, the Inn of Governors,Sweet Water Harvest Kitchen, Joe’s Diner, Santa Fe Community College,Arete Consulting Group, Los Alamos National Bank, Green Fire Times,and Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute will all be our sponsors this year.The one-day workshops have been reduced in price to $145 and we nowhave a NEW Season Pass (sign up and prepay for three or more work-shops and you will enjoy big savings). As a Season Pass holder you willhave access to workshops for $99 each, for you and as many friends andfamily as you would like to invite.

IGINIA BOCCALANDRO is the founder of Carbon Economy Series, aNew Mexico non-profit dedicated to education on shrinking our carbonfootprint. She lives in Santa Fe, grows strawberries and dahlias forFarmers’ Markets and has a private practice in Rolfing: StructuralIntegration Therapy on Luisa St. For more information: www.carboneconomyseries.com or call 505-819-3828.

our children our future September 2013 3

Co-op ValuesCooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidar-ity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative mem-bers believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness,social responsibility and caring for others.

Co-op Principles 1 Voluntary and Open Membership 2 Democratic Member Control 3 Member Economic Participation 4 Autonomy and Independence 5 Education, Training and Information 6 Cooperation among Cooperatives 7 Concern for Community

The Co-op Connection is published by La Montanita Co-op Supermarket to provide information on La MontanitaCo-op Supermarket, the cooperative movement, and thelinks between food, health, environment and communi-ty issues. Opinions expressed herein are of the authorsand are not necessarily those of the Co-op.

REVOLUTION through entrepreneurial Models¡YouthWorks! is a new model for youth developmentthrough sustainable partnerships and community reinvest-ment. They engage marginalized youth in the Santa Fe area whohave been excluded from traditional edu-cational contexts and who may be at riskof criminal and gang activity. ¡Youth-Works! provides free life skills and lead-ership development training along withjob training, experience in environmen-tally based work crews and apprentice-ships with local businesses to build jobskills and self esteem. ¡YouthWorks! isdedicated to entrepreneurial models foryouth workforce development that willposition Santa Fe's youth at the forefrontof revolutions in energy efficiency and alternative energy fields.

Formed in 2001 to address the lack of meaningful alternativeeducation, a lack of employment opportunities for disconnectedyouth in Santa Fe and to provide prevention education andcounseling services to the large numbers of youth in need; theorganization began by launching education and employmenttraining through the creation of the Santa Fe Youth Corps pro-gram. Collaborating with NM Youth Conservation Corps, andLifeskills Training and Counseling for youth in the Santa FePublic Schools, ¡YouthWorks! has grown since its inception tohave many partners. It has served thousands of youth whileexpanding youth development opportunities that include highimpact interventions, youth advocacy, alternative education,leadership training and employment connections for youth and

young adults; critically improving the health of the communi-ty and the positive youth outcomes.

¡Youthwork!’s Alternative Education program is an innova-tive, social services rich, educational program that addressesthe problem of high school dropouts as well as school "push-

outs" in their transition to meaningful work andhigher education. Through daily GED preparato-ry instruction, tutoring, job training, college prepinstruction, and counseling, youth develop criticalwork habits and basic educational aptitude.¡YouthWorks!’s educational programming iswoven together with job training and skills build-ing in an integrated approach to positive youthdevelopment.

A central goal of ¡YouthWorks! has always been tocreate the types of jobs for young people that pro-

vide career training in fields that address both the needs of theyouth community as well as those of the local economy. For tenyears, ¡YouthWorks! crew members have been working oncommunity improvement and environmental restoration proj-ects. In the beginning, for a variety of reasons, these crew mem-bers often had no food for lunch. The YW Culinary Programwas born out of the need to ensure that these young workershad access to hot meals to power them through the work day.

¡YouthWorks! receives 100% of its funding from privatedonations and grants from local and state governmentalagencies and private foundations. To directly supportyouth in our community, donate your bag credit todayor donate online at www.santfeyouthworks.org.

WORKING FOR POSITIVE FUTURES

SANTAFE YOUTHWORKS!

CO-OP PROGRAM DONATE YOUR BAG CREDIT!

BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME!

THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO:¡Youthworks!: Engaging marginalized youth in entrepreneurialmodels and sustainable partnerships through life skills training andcommunity reinvestment.

IN JULY your bag credit donations totaling $2,122.30 were given toAnimal Protection of New Mexico. Thank you!!!!

TELL EPA TO PROTECT INFANTS AND CHILDREN!ACTIONalert!BY STEPHANIE DAVIO, BEYOND PESTICIDES

During the most recent legisla-tive session, there have beenseveral attempts by Congress

to strip the US Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) of its regulatoryauthority to phase out the toxic fumi-gant sulfuryl fluoride. A 2006 National Research Council(NRC) report found that aggregate exposure to fluoride forinfants and children under the age of seven years old exceedsits safe reference dose level. EPA, with pressure from envi-ronmental groups, proposed to eliminate all agricultural usesof sulfuryl fluoride. Exposure to sulfuryl fluoride can causeadverse health effects such as bone fractures, pre-clinicalskeletal fluorosis, and severe dental fluorosis.

In June, a rider was inserted into the House of Re-presentatives 2014 Interior, Environment, and RelatedAgencies Appropriations Bill that would not allow EPA touse any funds it received through this appropriations act torevoke tolerances for sulfuryl fluoride. The US House ofRepresentatives Committee deliberations will continue whenCongress reconvenes on September 6th after the Augustrecess. The Senate’s draft version of their Interior, En-vironment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which

was published in late July, does not contain similarlanguage that would limit EPA’s regulatory author-ity. However, the bill still has to make it throughcommittee and a floor vote where it will haveopportunity to be amended.

EPA first allowed sulfuryl fluoride to be used as adirect fumigant on various grains and dried fruitsin 2004 because it was viewed as a possible alter-native to methyl bromide. The US, under theMontreal protocol, is obligated to phase out alluses of methyl bromide due to its contribution to

ozone depletion. In 2011, EPA revised its sulfuryl fluoridehuman health risk assessment and came to a similar conclu-sion as the NRC report. As a result of this finding EPA pro-posed an order to cancel all allowable pesticide residue lev-els (tolerances) and phase out all food-related uses for sul-furyl fluoride over a three-year period.

We need your help to make sure EPA is not handcuffedby an out of touch Congress. Please contact Senator Udalland to tell him not to add similar language to the Senate ver-sion of the bill and to make sure that this attempt to limitEPA’s authority is not allowed in the eventual conferencebill. More information can be found at www.beyondpesticides.org. Call Senator Udall at 505-346-6791 or505-988-6511.

FOR THE NEXT GENERATION: REGULATE SULFURYL FLOURIDE!

!

is pleased TO ANNOUNCEIT’S NEW WESTSIDE LOCATION! Opening in mid-October!

BY MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS

On September 10, 2013, the Water Quality ControlCommission (WQCC) was scheduled to hear a petitionfrom the dairy industry to make significant modifications

to the Dairy Rule. Instead, the WQCC announced that the originalpetition is on hold while the WQCC considers a new petition fromindustry that completely guts the Dairy Rule which protects preciousgroundwater that people fought so hard for a few years back.

It is critically important that as many people as possible come to thehearing and make a brief comment opposing the new petition. If peo-ple cannot come—or even if they can—it is also vital that they writea comment to the WQCC [more info below].

The Dairy RuleIn 2009, the Legislature passed a bill requiring the New MexicoEnvironment Department (NMED) write wastewater rules specifically forthe dairy and copper mining industries. The industries believed they couldcontrol the process, but under the Richardson administration, the NMEDopened up the process to the public and stakeholder groups, includingAmigos Bravos and the Sierra Club, who created a Citizens Group repre-senting people in areas impacted by dairies.

After nearly two years of public and stakeholder meetings, a Dairy Rulewas approved by the WQCC in December 2010. However, in the first weekof Governor Martinez’ administration, she pressured a state agency toblock implementation of the new Rule. Amigos Bravos and others took herto the New Mexico Supreme Court, where she lost, and the Rule was setto go into effect.

At this point, the dairy industry sued to block the rule. The stakeholders—industry, NMED, and the Citizens Group—spent many months re-negoti-ating the Rule and at the end of 2011, all three stakeholder groups signedan agreement stating that they approved the new (new) Dairy Rule; theWQCC approved it and the Dairy Rule went into effect in January 2012.

Watching the WatchersWe eventually learned that within a few months (maybe even a few weeks)the dairy industry had been in private discussions with the NMED aboutmaking significant changes to the Rule. We also learned that the NMEDwas starting to write draft permits and permit modifications that clearlyand blatantly violated the terms of the new Rule. Despite a challenge fromAmigos Bravos over the draft permit for the largest dairy in the state, the

food& environment September 2013 4

NMED has apparently continued to issue permits anddraft permits that do not meet the requirements of thenew Dairy Rule.

It is almost impossible to challenge the flood of permitscoming out now that there is a Dairy Rule. The NMEDissues draft permit documents in large batches every

few months. There is only a 30-day period to file achallenge requesting a hearing on a draft permit. Inorder to make an effective challenge, it is necessary tolook at the file for each dairy with possible problemswith their permit. The NMED, claiming that they needto review every file for confidential material, can takeseveral weeks to clear just one dairy’s file. Clearly, theprocess makes it almost impossible to review and chal-lenge permits without significantly greater resources.

(Un)Documented PollutionThe NMED has documented that about 65% of alldairies in the state have already contaminated thegroundwater with nitrates. If other regulated contami-nants are included, the percentage is higher.

The problem is almost without a doubt even worse.Most dairies do not have reliable information ongroundwater flow direction (that is, the direction thewater under the dairy moves and would carry pollu-tion). That means that it is very difficult to put moni-toring wells in the right locations to detect under-ground contamination. On top of that, many dairies donot have enough wells to cover all the potential sourcesof contaminants and most dairies have monitoringwells that have never been evaluated for whether theywere installed correctly and producing reliable data.

In addition, many dairies do not have adequate (or evenany) monitoring of the waste application areas they useto dispose of their lagoon wastewater. Many dairies alsodo not have adequate measures of how much waste-water they apply, what the quantity of nutrients (nitro-gen compounds) the wastewater contains, or how nutri-ents are taken up by the crops and therefore prevented

from running off the fields or percolating into thegroundwater.

Gutting the RuleEarlier this year, the industry submitted a petitionto change the Rule. The areas they wantedchanged involved several issues that the industryopposed but which they signed onto in 2012 andwhich the WQCC in both 2010 and 2011approved. These included requirements that theCitizens Group won for monitoring wells andflow meters (necessary to assess whether the dairywas complying with their discharge limits and alsoto assess the application of wastewater to crops).

Now, the industry has submitted a new petition to fun-damentally alter or eliminate every section of the DairyRule that involves monitoring and data collection. It isa naked attempt to gut the entire Rule.

SAVEDairyREGULATION!PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, ENSURE FOOD SAFETY

WASTE WATER RULE PROTECTS PRECIOUS RESOURCES!

For distributors of all sorts of goods, including gro-ceries, unless they can fill a truck, and unless a storeis on a regular route off a major transportation cor-ridor, they won’t make a deliv-ery. Small grocers, particularlyin rural areas, struggle to makeorders large enough to meetminimum requirements fordelivery through providers likeSysco or UNFI. Often, it is onlyonce a month, and sometimesless frequently, that this sizegrocery store will make anorder through one of thesecompanies. Perishable itemsusually only last for a short period at the beginningof the month, if they get ordered at all. Products arehighly processed, shelf-stable goods, frequentlywith low nutritional value, meaning these are thefoods rural New Mexicans have access to if theyshopped at their local grocery store.

The CDC provides access to natural foods and per-ishable items for small grocers on a more regularbasis than larger distrubtors. Currently, the CDCcan make weekly deliveries to stores like the SilverCity Co-op, Dixon Co-op, Mountain View Co-op,Los Alamos Co-op, Gallup Co-op, Tesuque VillageMarket, Sol Foods in Arroyo Seco, The Bodega in

BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER

In this third installment on the Co-op Distribution Center, we’ll lookat how the CDC helps small, rural co-ops and mom-and-pop gro-cery stores keep healthy and clean food on their shelves, and howthey, in turn help our rural neighbors have access to good food. Unlikeconventional distributors, the CDC’s size and scale accommodate serviceto more remote locations and to smaller stores throughout New Mexico.

Taos, the Inn and Mercantile in Ojo Caliente, andKaune’s Neighborhood Market in Santa Fe, if theyneed to make an order. In addition, the CDC

can deliver locally sourced items, like Estancia beans or Freeana Yoghurt, notavailable through other distributors.

For New Mexicans living in rural com-munities, this translates into healthier andmore locally sourced food in stores closerto home. Rather than having to drive toSanta Fe or Albuquerque to shop for gro-ceries and to find items like fresh veggies,real cheese or brown rice, they can shop atthe small grocer down the road.

Rather than having to load up at Costco or Sam’sClub once a month when they journey to town,they can shop more frequently for fresher items.By providing access for smaller grocers, the CDChelps green the immense food deserts created bythe limitations of more conventional food distri-bution systems.

MOM AND POPGETTING THE

GOOD FOOD

C O - O P T R A D E F O O D S H E D I N I T I AT I V E

Local Food:CCCCLLLLOOOOSSSSEEEERRRR

to home!

A C T I O N A L E RT! D A I RY R U L EP U B L I C H E A R I N G SEPT. 10

• COME TO THE WQCC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 10THInformation about the hearing is available here: www.nmenv.state.nm.us/wqcc/• PREPARE PUBLIC COMMENT AND/OR WRITTEN TESTI-MONY FOR THE HEARING. Amigos Bravos and our allies arestill planning our response and will have talking points and adraft letter at least a week before the hearing. Visit theAmigos Bravos web site for more information: www.amigosbravos.org/; become a member of Amigos Bravos or SierraClub (or both!) and receive action alerts and updates.• BE PREPARED FOR AN EFFORT BY INDUSTRY TO GET THELEGISLATURE TO ELIMINATE OR DRASTICALLY CHANGETHE REGULATION OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. Also look for anew effort to pass anti-“nuisance” legislation, which wouldmake it impossible for anyone to hold a farm operationresponsible for dust, flies, public health impacts, or any otherform of “nuisance” due to “normal” operations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Michael Jensenmjensen@amigosbravos.org.

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fair trade cooperation September 2013 5

BY MICHELLE FRANKLIN, CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER MANAGER

Ten years ago, Equal Exchange, a worker owned coopera-tive focused on importing Fair Trade goods, invited me togo to Peru to visit their coffee growers. It was an amazing expe-

rience. To my surprise I was invited back this summer on a reunionvisit to explore what has changed. I will be reporting over the nextfew months about my trip and what I have learned, starting withsome basics on what goes into the coffee crop at the farm level.

Cooperative Coffee Our trip was focused on production in the region of Piura, Peru,which is at the northern part of the country bordering on Ecuador.The capital city, also named Piura, is a hustling commercial center ofabout 400,000 people. Traveling from Piura, about five hours onfour-wheel-drive roads into the mountains, is Coyona, a small puebloof 650. This is the home of the Cooperativa Jose GabrielCondorcanqui, one of the 90 farmer co-ops that own the second levelCo-op NORANDINO. The population of the pueblo has notchanged since my visit ten years ago but the number of farmers whoare now co-op members has risen from 200 to 250. A lot of workgoes into producing our morning cup of Joe, so it is amazing thatmore farmers are coming on board; It is a testament to Fair Tradepractices in the region, a strong supportive second level co-op, andindividuals’ commitment to an agrarian lifestyle.

A hectare is roughly 2.5 acres and is the standard measure for farmsin this part of the world. The production goal for a hectare is 1,500pounds of coffee beans. What follows is a rough schedule of the sea-sonal work that the farmer will follow for each hectare in production.

1. Choose seed from best performing trees, looking for disease resist-ance, growth pattern and productivity. 2. In January, prepare a 3 x 1 meter seedling bed to hold 4,000seedlings that germinate in 60 days.3. Transplant 4,000 seedlings into transplant bags where they stayuntil about one foot tall.4. Prepare soil, dig hole and plant transplants. One worker can do

about 100 per day. If all goes well, no sickness orfamily needs, the farmer can get these all planted inabout six weeks of daily work. Stone walls are main-tained on the steep hillsides to prevent erosion.5. April should bring plenty of rain. One month aftertransplant, trees are weeded and fertilized, usingcompost from the prior harvest cherries and manure. 6. Every year there will be three fertilizations andthree weedings. Three years later there will be coffee to harvest sometime between May andSeptember. 7. The coffee harvest requires several passesthrough the trees to collect berries as they ripen. 8. On each harvest day fresh picked cherries are de-pulped or pitted, and the bean is fermented, cleanedand set out to dry. This happens at the Co-op’s ben-eficio with the now electric de-pulper. 9. The beans are dryed and then packed to worktheir way to market. All dropped cherries must becleaned off the ground around the trees because thecoffee bore will hatch from the litter and damage thetrees. Also, the coffee trees are pruned along with theshade trees that are mixed in the planting.

Growing the CooperativeThe farmers continue to benefit from agronomist

attention provided through Co-opNORANDINO and Cepicafe, its non-profit sister organization. Since my lastvisit the composting process has beenimproved and all the water from the de-pulping process is cleaned before runningback into the river. There seems to be amore complete understanding of organicpractices and the holistic approach that thefarmers are so proud to be participating in.

Three years ago electricity finally becameavailable to Coyona. Most homes in thepueblo now have at least a few light bulbs

and outlets. This also allowed the Co-op to switchthe de-pulping machinery from diesel to electric,which runs cleaner and is more quiet to operate.

The most obvious change I saw as soon as we droveinto Coyona was the Co-op warehouse building. Theold building was dark and deteriorating. This newbuilding has good light, storage, meeting space andan office. There are a few small rooms with beds andseveral bathrooms with showers that the farmers andother farm guests use. The Co-op financed thisbuilding using a loan through Cepicafe and each co-op member volunteered seven days of labor duringthe construction phase! Evidently some memberswere so excited and invested in the new building thatthey volunteered several weeks of extra time. Itseems that whether a co-op associate or not, every-one in town takes an interest in the Co-op and isproud of the new building. NEXT MONTH: PartTwo of Michelle’s report from Peru.

IN PERU:FAIRTRADE cooperative

Equal Exchange was founded in 1986, tochallenge the existing large scale corporatetrade model, support small farmers and

connect consumers and producers through informa-tion, education and the exchangeof products in the marketplace.Joining a growing movement ofsmall farmers, alternative traders(ATOs), religious organizationsand non-profits throughout theworld with the shared belief thatonly through organization cansmall farmers survive and thrive;Equal Exchange believes that thecooperative model is essential for building economicjustice and change.

Equal Exchange is a for-profit worker cooperativewhose structure is based on standard democraticprinciples. It is not designed to maximize profits, norreturns to investors, but rather to bring to the work-place many of the rights and responsibilities that wehold as citizens in our communities. These principlesinclude one-person/one-vote equality; open access toinformation (i.e., open-book management); freespeech; and the equitable distribution of resources(such as income.)

Fair Trade is a way of doing business with the goalof keeping for small farmers an active part of theworld marketplace and empowering consumers tomake purchases that support their values. Fair Tradeis a set of business practices voluntarily adopted bythe producers and buyers of agricultural commodi-ties and handmade crafts, and designed to advancemany economic, social and environmental goals,including:• Raising and stabilizing the incomes of small-scalefarmers, farm workers and artisans;

• More equitably distributing the economicgains, opportunities and risks associated withthe production and sale of these goods;• Increasing the organizational and commer-cial capacities of producer groups;• Supporting democratically owned and con-trolled producer organizations;• Promoting labor rights and the right of

workers to organize;• Promoting safe and sustainablefarming methods and working con-ditions;• Connecting consumers and pro-ducers and increasing consumerawareness and engagement withissues affecting producers.

THE FAIR TRADE PRACTICES thatadvance these goals typically, but notalways, include:• Direct trade relationships and long-termcontracts between importers and producergroups,• Sourcing from small-farmer or artisan co-operatives and providing higher than conven-tional market prices, providing affordableaccess to capital, adherence to the policies ofthe International Labor Organization, espe-cially those concerning child and forced labor,and the right to collective bargaining.

Fair Trade organizations utilize third-partyindependent external audits and certificationof organic practices that prohibit the use ofdangerous pesticides and herbicides and pro-vide substantial price premiums for the pro-duction of certified organic crops.

Look for a wide variety of Equal Ex-change fairly traded products at all Co-oplocations. Learn more at:www.equalexchange.coop

OUR GRASSROOTS INVESTING and micro-loan FUND is currentlymaking loans to FOOD PRODUCERS of all sizes. CONTACT Robin at 877-775-2667 orrobins@lamontanita.coop.

LA MONTANITAFUND

FAIRLY TRADED WORKPLACE JUSTICE

EEQQUUAALLEXCHANGE

AADDVVEENNTTUURREE

GO GREEN !Get your locally grown GREEN VEGGIESat any Co-op location. Fresh, fair, organic...

at yourCO-OP

EQUAL EXCHANGE REUNION, PPAARRTT II

Other participants include those who provide essen-tial support to the Board. Jennifer Cornish, long-timevolunteer, facilitates our meetings, keeping the Boardon track. Deborah Good, administrative assistant,takes minutes and keeps our important documents up

to date. To assist the Board with its visioning work,Sarah Skenazy, the Board’s research assistant, pre-pares our monthly study sessions. Those sessions mayinclude guest speakers who also join us. Finally, otherCo-op staff as well as owners sometimes attend andare always welcome.

A substantial part of the agenda is driven by ourannual planning calendar, a document we createdthat lists month by month the issues we need toaddress. The calendar is essential to getting ourwork done in a timely manner.

Our meetings always start with a delicious meal pre-pared by the Nob Hill store’s deli, and all those attend-ing are welcome to join in. Following dinner and a go-around of introductions, we review the evening’sagenda and make any needed changes. The agenda,detailed proposals, and all supporting documents aremade available one week in advance, so everyone cancome prepared and ready to make decisions.

Before the Board gets to work, we allow a briefperiod for owners’ comments. This is the time forvisitors to discuss their concerns; we also review anyemails, letters or phone calls we’ve received. This isone of the many ways the Board keeps in touch with owners.

Next, we take up the consent agenda, a handydevice for quickly dealing with non-controversialissues that we must nevertheless act upon. All suchissues—approval of meeting minutes, for example—are lumped together and voted on with little or nodiscussion. But in case there are concerns, any boardmember may request a consent agenda item bepulled and be subject to more detailed review.

The general manager’s monitoring report comesnext. Each month Terry submits a report dealingwith crucial aspects of the Co-op’s operations,explaining how he complies with Board policies onthose issues. For example, one month he mayreport on financial performance, other monthsreporting will discuss treatment of staff and treat-ment of consumers. And once a year Terry reportson the Co-op’s accomplishments of the Board’sEnds policies—the policies that describe the bene-fits the Co-op creates for its owners and for thelarger community. The Board’s reporting require-ments are comprehensive, describing all the Co-op’s essential functions so reports of compliance byour general manager allow us assure our ownersthat we are succeeding.

After voting on the general manager’s report, theBoard turns to any proposals from its committees.Such proposals often require discussion and aretaken up one at a time. For example, each springthe Nominations and Elections Committee willproduce a proposal for running the Board election.The Finance Committee writes a proposal eachyear which defines the scope of the Co-op’s annualfinancial review.

Discussion of the above matters is generally sched-uled to be completed within one hour. During thesecond hour we do our visioning work, examiningstrategic issues which are likely to shape our worldand require an appropriate response if we are toremain relevant to our owners’ lives. For example,we recently studied the youthful generation knownas Millennials, their concerns, values and how theyimpact the world. Other monthly topics haveincluded: 1. The long-term water shortage in NewMexico and its implications for agriculture. 2.Various models of cooperation worldwide. 3.Understanding financial statements. In the nearfuture, we will be posting our study materials onLa Montanita’s web site, including an invitation toowners to join us for conversation and desert.

We wrap things up with a few housekeeping choresand then adjourn our regular meeting. If needed,we then meet in executive session.

Our meeting process has evolved over the years andwe feel it serves us well. As always, you are invitedto join us and to let us know what you think.Meetings start at 5:30pm and are on the thirdTuesday of each month. Location is ImmanuelPresbyterian Church, across Carlisle from the NobHill store. Enter through the more northern of thetwo doors facing Carlisle. Come a few minutes earlyand join us for dinner. SEE YOU THERE!

BY MARSHALL KOVITZ, VICE-PRESIDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Over the years, we’ve described how the Board governs onbehalf of you, the owners. This month we’d like to gointo a little more detail, explaining how our

monthly agenda works and who the participants are.

The Board has created a standard agenda whose detailschange with each meeting but whose overall structure remainsthe same, allowing us to do our job efficiently and effectively.And that job can be divided into four categories: 1. Assureorganizational success; 2. Self-perpetuation; 3. Create astrategic vision born of an understanding of the world aroundus; 4. Linkage with the owners. As we review our agendaprocess we’ll see how it allows us to accomplish these tasks,but first, let’s look at who the players are.

Your Board of Directors consists of nine members, elected at large forthree-year terms. Realizing that not all Board members may be presentfor every meeting, the authors of our bylaws defined a quorum as sixmembers. Further, a Board member may participate remotely, callinginto our telephone conferencing system or Skyping in.

Terry Bowling, our general manager, is nearly always present, preparedto present his monthly report to us. The general manager is critical tothe success of the Co-op. Recognizing this, Board policies require thatTerry appoint at least two other senior staff people to be familiarenough with his job so that they can step in should he be unable towork. These senior staff people usually attend as well.

MEMBERSHIP IS OWNERSHIPco-op news September 2013 6

WHAT HAPPENS ATBOARD MEETINGS?

efficientcooperation

For the seventh year, La Montanita Co-ophas funded the Cooking with Kids programat our neighborhood school, Gonzales Ele-

mentary in Santa Fe. The pro-gram provides a healthy foodcooking experience for everychild in the school. The curricu-lum incorporates math, science,geography and cultural tradi-tions as well as the joys of eatingwhat students have themselvesprepared.

Our deepest thanks to Lynn Walters, Deb Barbeand the Cooking with Kids faculty and staff fortheir ongoing efforts to inspire our communitykids to enjoy good healthy food in a fun and edu-cational way.

Compliments of Cooking with Kids, please enjoythis delicious paella recipe.

Vegetable Paella with Flatbread andGreen Salad

Many people recognize paella as a rice andseafood dish from Spain, but there are many dif-ferent kinds of paella. There are seafood paellas,meat paellas, vegetable paellas, and a famous onecalled arroz negro, made with squid “ink”!Centuries ago, the Moors brought rice and the spe-

cial crocus plant that produces saffron from theMiddle East to Spain.

Vegetable Paella1 tablespoon olive oil1/2 medium white onion, chopped up1/2 red or green bell pepper, washed and

diced1 cup medium-grain white rice, such as

Cal Rose or Arborio1/8 teaspoon turmeric2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable2 medium tomatoes, washed and diced

or 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon paprika1/8 teaspoon dried thyme3 saffron threads, optional1 cup frozen peas1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a large skillet or paella pan, heat the olive oilover medium-high heat. Add the onion and bellpepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring oftenuntil the vegetables have softened. Stir in the riceand turmeric and cook 1 minute more. Add thebroth, tomatoes, salt, paprika, thyme and saffron,if using. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reducethe heat to low. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, untilall the liquid has been absorbed. Add the peas andparsley. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered,for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

CO-OP COLLABORATION: COOKINGWITH KIDS! AT GONZALES ELEMENTARY

Come check usout and see what

we’re about!

co-op news September 2013 7

One of my favorite activities is riding mymotorcycle. When I was eleven years old I threwmy leg across a Honda 50 mini bike and I washooked for life. I love all motorcycles; Idon’t care if it is a Harley or a moped, aslong as it has two wheels and a motor, I’min. I’ve ridden them all, during my life so far,and never had a bike I didn’t like. It hard toexplain the pleasure of riding to those whodon’t ride but it is my way of relaxing.

One of the best parts of riding a motorcy-cle is seeing other motorcyclists as youride. Most motorcyclists will acknowledge eachother with the motorcycle rider wave which isbasically just extending your arm out, but this ismore than saying hello, it says I understand yourpassion for riding and it’s great to have you aspart of the community.

Most of us belong to some unofficial communityor several “official” communities that formbecause of common interest. La Montanita is verymuch a community of people with a commoninterest in good food.

The Co-op welcomes all! We can have differentopinions and not always agree on everything butthat’s okay. I believe most of us agree that the

work our Co-op does to supportour New Mexico communitiesand co-ops throughout thecountry is very much worth theeffort. Every time you shop atLa Montanita you are support-ing New Mexicans, our localeconomy and the cooperativecommunity ownership businessmodel. None of our corporate

competitors can make this claim.

Thank you for your support of our Co-op andhelp in our efforts to let others in our communityknow how great it is to be part of the cooperativecommunity. We don’t have a co-op wave butmaybe we should think of one, a wave that says Iunderstand. Please let me know if I can be of serv-ice, my e-mail is terryb@lamontanita.coop or byphone at 505-217-2020. -TERRY B.

COMMUNITIES THE INSIDE SCOOP

G E N E R A L M A N A G E R’S C O L U M N

CO-OPS: A Solution-Based System A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons

united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social andcultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and

democratically-controlled enterprise.

9/17 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

9/23 Member Engagement Meeting

VETERAN FARMER PROJECT ANIMALHUSBANDRY TRAININGS BEGIN IN SEPT.October 12! SAVE THE DATE!Annual Membership Gathering, Co-op Harvest Picnic. See page 1.

septemberCalendarof Events

BY AMYLEE UDELL

Ihave a secret. I don't like apples; at least notraw. Even I am tempted by the sound of someonebiting into one and the satisfy-

ing munching that follows. Therest of my family loves them. "Wemust always have apples in thehouse" is an unspoken rule, evenif I say, "but they're not in seasonright now." My family does adance of pure delight when the B'sUnpasteurized Apple Cider makesits annual debut at the Co-op.Apples can be enjoyed so manyways and with a little planning,can last quite awhile.

The best and easiest thing to do with an abundance ofapples is share them! They make a great classroom oroffice snack. Other ideas for enjoying apples right noware: switching to PB&A sandwiches; adding them to brus-sels sprouts or winter squash (just try it); including themin a sausage and egg bake; adding them to coleslaws, sal-sas and green salads; or baking them whole (I do this inthe crockpot) for a delicious breakfast or dessert.

An Apple for All SeaonsOne way to preserve apples that can be fairly quick isfreezing. You can freeze them in any state of prepara-tion, starting with whole apples. Just wash them andfreeze them on a tray before before transferring to freez-er bags. You'll lose the crispness but can use the applesfor sauces and baking. If you have a little more time,peel, cut and core the apples before freezing on trays.You can take it a step further by adding sugar and spicesto get it ready for pie filling. You'll be able to take outthe filling and just add it to your crust, adding a littleextra baking time if the fruit is still frozen.

If you are a canner, you can stock up on applesand make the abundance last until next season.Many people do this in the form of apple jams,

butters and jellies that can be used in piesand other baked goods, but also in smooth-ies, oatmeal, chutneys, yogurt, fried forbreakfast or dinner and even ice cream.

For non-canners, how else can you preservefresh apples for as long as possible? Tartapples with thick skins are best for this. Donot wash the apples, choose apples that haveno soft spots, bruises or holes. "One badapple spoils the whole lot," as they say. Thenwrap each one in black and white print news-

paper, twisting at the top into a little autumn gift.Store them in a cool, dry place, away from pota-toes. A cardboard box works well to hold them.According to Preserving Food without Freezing orCanning, storing apples in elderberry flowers givesthem a pineapple flavor over time. I would love totry that!

You can also dehydrate your fresh apples, using adehydrator or oven. Also consider string dryingover gentle heat source. The Preserving Foodbook suggests taking your wrapped apples wellinto winter, then as they begin to wrinkle, drythem. Dehydrated apples can also be stored withelderberry flowers for the above mentionedpineapple effect. Dehydrated apples make greatsnacks, as well as additions to breakfast grains,yogurt, granola, cookies, breads, teas and otherwarm beverages.

Apple sauce is a staple in many households. Imake mine in a crockpot and often don't peel theapples, giving the sauce a pinkish hue (if using red

EATINGanAPPLE A DAY?

apples). The crockpot allows me to keep an eye on it from a distanceand to make a big batch. I may add cinnamon but even adding nothingyields a just-sweet-enough sauce that can be used plain, added to yogurt,coated on nuts or granola, baked into cookies and cakes, put into pop-sicles, served with pork chops or more. You can also take your sauceand dehydrate it for a fruit roll snack that travels well.

Fermenting apples can give you some variety in your usual apple boun-ty. Try a chutney or relish with apple in it. Or add them to your sauer-kraut. While sweet, the fermentation still gives a nice, unexpected flavorkick. Or you can take it to the wild side and look at hard cider, applemead, apple wine! How about apple-infused vodka?

Finally, try making apple cider vinegar! I tried this last year. It appealedto me (I almost wrote a-peeled) because I could use the scraps and cores!I was making other apple goodies and I took the peels and cores, putthem in jars, added water and waited. That's basically it! It's a greatfamily project and an example of waste not, want not.

Embrace the cooler weather, the bountiful harvest and all the gifts of theversatile apple. FOR MORE INFORMATION contact Amylee atwww.InspiredABQ.com or www.facebook.com/inspiredbirth.

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Rio Grande Community FarmNorth Valley, Albuquerque

Rio Grande Community Farm is a 50-acre, non-profit urban farm located in the Los Poblanos Fields Open Space in the North Valley of ABQ. Providing healthy, organic food for local schools, restaurants, and stores, they also offer membership in a thriving community garden, support local food networks, and maintain wildlife habitat. The education department provides fun-filled, farm visits and specialized workshops for children and adults.

Rio Grande Community Farm is home to coyotes, hawks, many species of song birds, and hundreds of migrating Sandhill Cranes and Canadian Geese. Since its inception in 1997, RGCF has contracted with the City of Albuquerque to farm 52.5 acres of Los Poblanos Open Space, and plants 25% of their acreage in wildlife crops, including corn, sunflowers and grains such as sorghum. These crops are left in the fields for migrating birds and local wildlife.

Rio Grande CF is committed to the future of organic farming and good agricultural practices (GAP).

Rancho DuraznoPalisade, Colorado

PEACHES Are Here! from Palisade, ColoradoDurazno’s organically grown peaches are nourished with compost and flowering cover crops and warmed by Colorado’s desert sun. Fruit that ripens in these conditions has a concentration of sugars that makes them amazingly delicious. They are “Peaches to Remember!” Look for Durazno’s other tree fruits: apricots, sweet cherries, plums and nectarines.

W e S T- S i D e C O u N T D O W N . . . O c t O b e R 2 0 1 3 !freshFAIRLOCAL We are gearing up to open our new West side location in October! You can follow the progress of the new store on our FaceBook page. Sign up for e-news to learn about special events at the new store, and at existing locations.www.lamontanita.coop

Vida Verde FarmNorth Valley, Albuquerque

Get Exotic withFairy tale EggplantShishito PeppersSweet PotatoesDelicata SquashBig Doris Pumpkin

Seth Matlick, originally from New York City, did his internship at Skarsgard Farms, and has been farming as Vida Verde for five years. Apart from running the farm, Seth spends his time giving farm tours and talking to local chefs. This year, he asked restaurants: What is your surplus vegetable? The answer: zucchini. So he planted cucumber, melons, fairytale eggplant, exotic Delicata winter squash and the Big Doris pumpkin instead. Sweet potato is another vegetable that is in short supply. A section of his farm is now devoted to sweet potatoes! Another current favorite of our local chefs, is the shishito chile, a Japanese mild pepper.

The farm currently has relationships with 10-15 restaurants and their chefs, in addition to Co-op locations. Seth is passionate about supplying to local restaurants because he likes working with the unique and exciting ingredients that go into creative cooking. You can plan to include these unique culinary items in your own winter menu!

W e S T- S i D e C O u N T D O W N . . . O c t O b e R 2 0 1 3 !

Seco Spice OrganicsHatch, New Mexico

Seco Spice has consistently delivered outstanding chile peppers for the past three generations. Their family farm values and traditions continueto be at the forefront of the Chile industry.

Now Roasting LOCAL Organic GREEN CHILE from SECO SPICE inHatch, New Mexico!

fall flavors September 2013 10

Recently, digging through the Co-op archives, acookbook published in 1993 by La Montanitasurfaced. This amazing article of memorabiliaoffered up amazing pictures of long-time co-opemployees, and stimulated a wave of nostalgiathroughout the office. But, perhaps most impor-tant, was the wealth of really great recipes! Findthe entire cookbook on our website, or, sample afew of the amazing fall recipes below.

Oatmeal Griddle Scones

1 cup flour1 cup oatmeal1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon soda1 teaspoon cream of tartar1 tablespoon sugar1/2 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes1/2 cup buttermilk

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients until wellcombined. Cut in cold butter with a butter or pas-try knife, until the butter is pea sized or smaller.Fold in buttermilk. Put dough in the fridge for atleast 15 minutes to set. While the dough sets,place a medium or large cast iron skillet in theoven and preheat to 425° F. Roll out dough toabout 1-inch thickness, and cut into 3-inch trian-

gles. Place as many into hot skillet as will fit with-out crowding. Bake for about 15 minutes or untillightly brown. Serve hot with butter and jam.

Apple-Zucchini Soup

Apples and zucchini are both great fall crops grownin New Mexico. Pick your favorite regional bean,and you’re ready for a delicious warm dinner on acool fall evening.

1 1/2 medium onions, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced1/4 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon curry powder2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee2 apples, cored and chopped1 1/2 pounds zucchini, chopped1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped16 ounces cooked tepary or pinto beans4 cups waterSalt and pepper to taste

In a medium stockpot, sauté onions, garlic andspices in olive oil over medium heat until the onionsare translucent. Add all additional ingredients andsimmer for about 15 minutes, or until the applesand zucchini are to your preferred firmness. Seasonto taste, then garnish with roasted green or redchile, yogurt and more parsley.

Green Chile Cheese Quiche

Quiche is a simple and versatile dish. A slice pro-vides veggies and protein, and can be enjoyed aseasily at a leisurely brunch as in a sack lunch.

3 eggs1 1/2 cups milk1/4 cup butter, melted1/4 cup unbleached flourPinch of nutmeg1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated1/2 cup green chile, roasted and chopped1/3 cup oyster mushrooms, chopped and sautéed

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a mixing bowl, whisktogether eggs, milk, butter, flour and nutmeg. In a 9-

from theCO-OPArchives!

TASTEco-optradition!

Mary Alice Cooper,MD

inch pie plate, layer mushrooms, chile and cheese.Pour egg mixture over the cheese and veggies. Ifyou want a crust, use a pre-made pastry shell to line your baking dish. Bake for about one houror until the center is firm and the top is browned.Let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Butternut Squash Tian

2 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1/2 cup flour1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated1 clove garlic, finely minced1/3 cup olive oilSalt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Put flour, a pinch ofsalt, and squash cubes into a bag and shake tocoat. Shake off excess flour, and place cubes ontoa buttered 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinklewith cheese, garlic and olive oil. Bake for 40 min-utes or until squash is soft.

Paul’s Roasted Chile Salsa

Fall is a great time for peppers of all types, andsalsa on everything!

2 large gold bells2 medium poblanos2 red or green chiles2 yellow hots2 jalepenos6 cloves garlic3 Roma tomatoesSalt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place garlic and chileson a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place inthe oven to roast. Cooking time will vary for eachvariety of chile, so begin pulling the smaller chilesout as soon as 15 minutes, and leave the largerones in up to 25 minutes. Chiles are ready whenthe skin browns and bubbles away from the fleshof the pepper. While still hot, place all peppersand garlic in a sealable container and close toallow the peppers to steam. Once cool enough totouch, remove the skins, seeds and veins from thepeppers, and the skins from the garlic. Put pep-pers, garlic and tomatoes in a blender or foodprocessor, and puree until the desired salsa tex-ture. Season to taste, and serve hot or cold. Willkeep in the refrigerator up to a week.

Vegetable Subji

1 cup sweet potatoes, diced1 cup summer squash, diced1/2 cup kale or collards, stems removed and

leaves chopped1/2 cup oyster mushrooms1/2 cup carrots, diced4 tablespoons olive oil1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds1/2 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds1/2 teaspoon turmeric1/4 cup cilantro, chopped2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced2 tablespoons fresh coconut, shredded

1/2 cup waterSalt and pepper to taste

In boiling water in a medium stockpot, blanchpotatoes, squash, collards and carrots for 3 to 5minutes, then drain off water. Rinse in cold waterand set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil on mediumheat, then add mustard and cumin seeds and cover.When the seeds pop, add the garlic, ginger, cilantro,coconut, turmeric and a pinch of salt and sauté forabout a minute. Add the veggies and sauté foranother 2 minutes. Deglaze by adding 1/2 cupwater, then simmer until veggies are tender. Serveover your favorite grain.

Calabacitas

4 cups summer squash, diced1 medium onion, diced1/2 cup green chile, roasted, cleaned and chopped2 cups sweet corn, cut from the cob1 large clove garlic, minced4 tablespoons olive oil3 tablespoons water1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

In a large skillet on medium heat, add oil. Whenhot, add squash, onion and garlic. Sauté until theonions are transparent and the squash softens. Addthe corn, chile, water and salt. Reduce heat to lowand continue to cook until all ingredients are tender,about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, sprinklewith cheese, and serve.

Corn Bread

1 cup corn meal (blue or yellow)1 cup flour4 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1 egg1/4 cup corn oil1 cup buttermilk

Place an 8-inch cast iron skillet with one tablespooncooking oil in the oven and preheat to 425° F. Mixall ingredients until well combined in a mediummixing bowl. Carefully pour batter into the hotskillet, and return to oven. Bake for 25 to 30 min-utes or until golden brown on top.

fall flavors September 2013 11

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BY BRETT BAKKER

Sigh! It seems to me I write this column toooften! No, not the “Itchy Green Thumb”column itself that you’ve been subjected

to for over a decade, but this specific IGT column.The one where I explain that drought is a cumulativeevent; that a few inches of rain which soak the surfacecan’t replace reserves of soil moisture that weredepleted over years; that it could rain for the prover-bial forty days and forty nights and we would still bein a drought situation. And that even though it’s beenraining of late (early August as I write), the droughtain’t over. Not by a long shot.

So, you may ask, why am I writing about this again?Because. With the news that New Mexico receivedrecord rains in July, all the drought headlines and gen-eral concern about our fragile desert ecosystem have all but evaporat-ed, just like the southwest phenomena of rain that evaporates before ithits the ground. The closures of most National Forests and public landshave been rescinded. Except for a few news items like bears wanderinginto neighborhoods looking for food (an event due to drought and lackof prey/vegetation), there’s little media evidence that the driest periodin New Mexico in over one hundred years just happened.

The Rio Grande is still at one of its lowest levels in recorded history.Many irrigation ditches are empty. Farms that depend only on rainfallare withered and many farmers and farm service businesses will be fac-ing bankruptcy and foreclosure. New Mexicans won’t starve because—sadly—we eat little food that is actually grown here (and don’t kidyourself, most of the green and red chile served in NM is raised inMexico, California and Texas). Housing development continues andgolf courses keep watering but the farm and ranch sector of the econ-omy will feel the pain deeper than the rest of us.

agua es vida September 2013 12

Well, actually our landscape will feel the pain deep-er than any. As vegetation diminishes, so do thepollinators (don’t forget that pollinators depend onplants for sustenance just as much as plants dependon the pollinators). Fewer insects mean less polli-

nation. Less pollination means fewer plants. Fewerplants means less food for rabbits, mice and othersmall mammals. Fewer small mammals means lessfood for predators like coyotes, bears and alreadyscarce pumas and bobcats. But it doesn’t stop there.When (if!) rains resume and we get back to “nor-mal” (whatever that is) the small mammals willexplode because they have new food to eat but itwill take a while for predator numbers to increasebecause most of them reproduce at a slower pacethan their prey. Lacking predators, small mammalswill then overrun and overeat the sparse recoveringvegetation which means there will again be less forthem to eat, the population crashes and the preyand predator die off cycle starts all over again.

A BIT OF RAIN DOES NOT A DROUGHT END!!!!DROUGHT: it’s not

OOOOVVVVEEEERRRR!!!!Nature is always shifting, finding balance, so thisis nothing new, but we’re at the point where notonly is small vegetation dying but trees and shrubsas well. Trees and shrubs obviously take longer togrow so their recovery/replacement in the land-scape will take longer. In the meantime, soilunprotected by vegetation is subject to mass ero-sion when the rains finally do come, furtherdestroying habitat for plants and animals. Erosionin the form of arroyos channels rain quickly awayfrom where it falls rather than letting it slowlysoak in to replenish soil moisture reserves.

So what’s the point of this month’s rant? The usualdrought solutions like backyard rainwater catch-ment or (my favorite) ripping up golf courses haveno effect on the wild landscape. But as the forestclosures are lifted and if you venture into ourmountains and deserts (and I’m betting plenty ofyou do), step lightly. Go easy on firewoodresources. It’s not as much fun but if you’re carcamping, scrounge up some scrap wood for firesinstead of using down and dead wood. That detri-tus is needed to replenish and hold the soil (espe-cially logs that are on a slope because they collectand hold soil moving downhill during rains).Don’t move or collect large rocks. They also holdsoil in place. Watch where you step! Be careful offragile young plants. And watch where youdrive/ride. Wheels (including mountain bikes) domore damage to trails than a pair of shoes.

I can hear what some of you may be thinking:I’m one person, what I do has little effect.Hogwash! Multiply your small step with thatof thousands of others. It can and will help.

BY ARI LEVAUX

Recent years have brought spikes in thefrequency of strange weather patternsand severe storms, with many blaming the

increase on human-caused climate change. If thisnew normal, as it's being called, is here to stay, itwill have profound implications on food produc-tion.

There are two basic ways that this threat to food production is beingaddressed. One is to develop new crops and agricultural methods tai-lored to withstand increased heat and water stresses. The otherapproach is to look to the past for solutions, in regions that have his-torically endured this kind of weather. A new book by agricultural ecol-ogist Gary Paul Nabhan, Growing Food in a Hotter, Drier Land, is acomprehensive exploration of this latter approach.

Nabhan lives in the Sonoran desert, along the Mexican border withsouthern Arizona, and his quest to understand the traditional farming

systems of the world's driest places has taken himto the Sahara, Gobi, Taklamakan and other greatdeserts of the world. His book documents manyfarmers’primitive and effective techniques for

blocking the hot wind, recovering fertile siltfrom storm runoff, shading dwellings andcapturing, storing and delivering rain water.

Crop diversity or polyculture is central toNabhan's concept of agricultural resilien-cy. One classic polyculture of the desertsouthwest, known as the "Three Sisters,"consists of corn, squash and beans. It'spossible there are other polycultures that

could prove valuable as well. "Few seed catalogsexplicitly tell us which heirloom varieties havebeen selected and adapted for inclusion in inter-crops or polycultures. We must do our own on-farm description, selection, and evaluation ofannual seed crops to determine how we can putthe pieces of the puzzle back together into afunctioning polyculture," Nabhan writes.

It is his reverence for diversity, rather than anydistrust of science, that makes Nabhan questionthe value of a modern agricultural science thatseems obsessed with polyculture's polar oppo-site: monoculture.

"We could evaluate adaptations and droughttolerance of 10,000 heirloom, open-pollinatedseed varieties for the price of developing andpatenting one new GM crop. I'll go with the for-mer; it's a better strategy for climate adaptationthan a $10 million investment in a single strain,"Nabhan told me by phone.

"In the last few years we've had drought disas-ter areas as far east as Illinois and Indiana,"

lessons from the

DESERTNabhan told me. "The agro-ecological techniquesI've gleaned from desert farmers around the worldare now applicable to two-thirds of the continent."

The book also contains actionable information forthose whose thumbs are no greener than the moneythey use to buy their food.

"Compared to the water each of us drinks eachday—1 to 1.3 gallons—there is 3,250 times theamount of water embedded in the food we eat,"Nabhan writes. For instance, there are 600 gallons ofwater embedded in a single feedlot-produced ham-burger. Since food accounts for such a large share ofthe water we use, our eating habits have a hugeimpact on the planet's available water. Consumerscan respond to this new normal by learning about theembedded water in the foods they buy, and purchas-ing accordingly.

Among the most water-thrifty crops, according toNabhan's book, are beans, peas and cabbage.Melons are nearly as water-wise, despite their suc-culent flesh. Nabhan tells the story of a Mexicanfarmer who put three children through college bygrowing watermelons in the desert of northernChihuahua. The farmer irrigated his melons withhauled water that he used to fill buried, porous, claypots called ollas, which slowly release water to themelons' roots. A similar technique is used in thedeserts of Central Asia and Northern Africa.

Human ingenuity is as universal as the conditionsthat inspire it. In the face of an unpredictable newnormal, this ingenuity could be key to keeping usfed in our hotter, drier future. The examples in thisbook, beyond the specific information theyconvey, give reason to believe we can navigatethe tricky conditions that appear to be comingour way.

350 to 395 and going up?Earth Web and the Social Justice Committee at Albuquerque’s Unitarian UniversalistChurch are presenting the movie “Do the Math” on September 18. “Do the Math” wasproduced by Bill McKibben and 350.0rg. The film looks at the fossil fuel industry, itsmajor corporations, the tar sands/keystone pipeline issue and the effects of non-actionto curb our fossil fuel addiction on civilization as we know it. If you have not seen thispowerful film, now is your chance. Community dialogue for action follows.

There will be the opportunity for anyone interested in seeing the new sanctuary at5:30pm and the film screening begins at 6:30pm. Follow signs to the social hall at theUnitarian Universalist Church on the southwest corner of Carlisle and Comanche.

For more information contact: Tom Stark at 350-3839. Donations for the screen-ing gratefully accepted to cover costs. All welcome.

DO THE MAMATHTHCLIMATE CHANGEFILM SCREENING!

september18@ 6:30PM

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Reasonable rates.For a FREE estimate,

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farming & gardening September 2013 13

System. It is even more difficult to comprehend why a neighbor orcity officials would object to a project that could be seen as amodel of urban farming, one based on community cooperation,sustainable education, efficient irrigation practices and time-proven agricultural techniques.

Positive things have already arisen from GaiaGardens’ predicament and standoff with the city.Many neighbors have sent heart-warming letters ofencouragement, all stating that the farm has nevercreated any nuisance, parking or traffic issues. Theyhave unanimously expressed their support for afarm in their neighborhood. People have urged us tocarry on, believing that if we give up, no one willever attempt to start an urban farm within the citylimit. Many organizations and individuals haveoffered their assistance, including a team of talentedattorneys. A coalition has formed to tackle many ofthe issues the farm is facing.

We believe that hope resides in a community andneighborhood with the freedom to gather, co-create and educateitself and its children on the all-important topics of food produc-tion, herbal medicine and regenerative practices.

Changing any government controlled by business interests is adaunting task. We must rebuild our culture from where we live—in our backyards and our neighborhoods. We must hold city offi-cials to their oath to serve us, encourage them to learn from oursuccessful grassroots experiments and insist that our city makesustainable education its highest priority. If our city officials trulywish, as we do, to live in a city that could be an enlightened modelfor the rest of the country, this must take place.

Santa Fe is still a small town populated by many brilliant minds,creative spirits and well-intentioned citizens of many ethnic ori-gins. We live in relative peace compared to many troubled placesin the world where obtaining food is a daily struggle and keepingone’s children safe from rape or war is a daily mission.

We remain precariously fortunate to have all the opportunities wehave, and must reassert our sovereignty and rebuild our culturefrom the most fundamental foundations—the individual, the fam-ily, the neighborhood and the Earth.

POKI PIOTTIN is the founder with co-visionary partner,Dominique Pozo, and a large community of friends, of GaiaGardens, a non-profit urban farm in Santa Fe, fiscally-sponsored bythe New Mexico Community Foundation. For more information,visit www.thegaiagardens.org. Poki may be reached atpoki@nodilus.org or 505-796-6006.

BY POKI PIOTTIN

Last June Gaia Gardens, Santa Fe’s only certi-fied organic urban farm, received a notice ofviolations from the city’s Department of Land

Use. Among the issues cited were: using volunteers ina non-profit operation, hosting farm interns in a trail-er, having “too many” visitors, and building viola-tions. Since its inception two years ago, the farm hasbeen selling produce at the Farmers’ Market, offeringa CSA, hosting educational gatherings and welcomingsmall groups of school children during the school year.

Whatever the city’s motive was for coming down soheavily on a tiny farm along the Arroyo Chamisos,whether a response to a neighbor’s complaints aboutthe “scope of the farm” (1/3 acre of beautifullydesigned garden!), or whether a farm in a residentialzoning doesn’t fit in some city official’s plan for a wellgroomed Santa Fe, the timing of the city couldn’t havebeen more perfect.

A garden, especially in the desert, is very much like anewborn child. It requires constant attention. The suc-cess of Gaia Gardens is founded on an entire communi-ty loving and caring for the land. Denying the farm theuse of this community and these volunteers has beenvery damaging to a garden that many view as a sanctu-ary, for people of course, but also for a rich wildlifecommunity, including two pairs of Cooper’s hawks.

For many of the farm’s volunteers, from a 19-year-oldneighbor to a 72-year-old grandmother, Gaia Gardensbecame a place of refuge. Three mornings a week, vol-unteers find a second home to come to, to make friendsand to nourish on- going relationships. The farm is aplace to experience regenerative community in action,while learning from a creative experiment in high deserturban agriculture.

It is difficult to comprehend why a city, claiming to be“different” and “sustainable,” would use such aggres-sive tactics on a project that has not only receivedmuch praise from the press but has also been the recip-ient of two awards delivered by the Mayor: an awardfor Best Recycler; and another award for Best Food

plants utilize a narrow part of the light spectrumwhich the Swans are able to control using high-techLED lights. She says they don't use white, orange,yellow and red, which put off heat, so energy con-sumption remains low. With their conservation

efforts, and cleanliness of their operation, theSwans truly hope to be certified as organicgrowers, but they remain ahead of the curve,in a way, as there is no certification yet desig-nated for hydroponics. Although natural, thepure mineral solutions fed to the plants are aprocessed product, and therefore cannot becertified. From twice daily Ph readings tothorough accounting, the Swans keep meticu-lous records. Rena states that,“It's created a

lot of extra work along the way, but we're proud ofwhat we've done. We'd gladly talk anyone's ear offif they're looking to venture out to the countryside.”This season, Swan's Garden is only producing basil,

BY LEAH VIENS GORDON, NOB HILL

ASSISTANT PRODUCE TEAM LEADER

It was January and Rena Swan craved Italianfood. She tried the local grocery store inEdgewood three times before finally finding what

she was looking for: fresh basil. “It was the worstlooking basil I had ever seen,” Rena conjures up fromher memory. “That was a seed planted in our brains,and shortly after that, hydroponics became ourpath.” One year later, with business license andbuilding permit in hand, self-proclaimed mad scientist, Rena, along withher daughter Rachel, germinated their first precious basil seeds in fuzzy,floating Rockwool beds.

Hydroponics is a year round, soilless growing method in which plantsabsorb nutrients dissolved in the water supply. Their roots grow in thismineral solution or on an inert medium, in this case, a sponge-like medi-um of spun rock called Rockwool. In a well insulated growing roombehind their home, the Swans cultivate enough sweet Genovese basil tosupply two of La Montanita's stores as well as other groceries aroundAlbuquerque. “The only wall we've come up against is not being able togrow as much as we'd like,” Rachel confesses.

On a three-acre plot studded with native pinon trees, the Swans are keptcompany by their 13-year-old Basenji, a horse, a donkey and an extendedfamily of squirrels. Despite the scenic landscape, the Swans determinedthat turning their clay soil into a workable garden was beyond their abili-ty and opted for a clean, soilless growing approach. The poor condition oftheir soil wasn't the only factor that swayed them toward hydroponics.The Swans view their project as an opportunity to cast their vote for local,environmental stewardship. Hydroponic's low water usage is a great ben-efit, especially for New Mexico, amounting to about 10% of traditionalfarming use. Rachel boasts that the only water loss is what the plantsabsorb and when their system gets cleaned every six weeks.

Without soil to till, they avoid erosion problems and in turn, conservesoil. After many late night Google-ing sessions, Rachel discovered that

but this driven duo are looking to take on a partnerand expand their selection. They will continue togrow herbs that don't ship well, plugging themselvesinto the local food system and intentionally rejectingAmerica's costly food shipping industry. Rena likes tobe able to eat fresh basil in the winter and considerstheir system to be a gentle use of technology. Shewants her basil to be “healthful, promoting people'shealth,” just as she raised her own daughter to recog-nize the importance of food and what we take intoour bodies. “I taught Rachel not to even ask for acereal if sugar was one of the first three ingredients.”

The Swans sing praise to La Montanita having been“invaluable in market research and encouragementfor our business.” As diligent businesswomen,their plans to expand can only yield great ben-efits for our bellies.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN

THE CITYDIFFERENTGaiaGardens!

FAMILY FARMER SPOTLIGHT

SWAN GARDENS

at the Santa Fe Sustainable Plan (www.santafenm.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/702), approved by theSanta Fe City Council in 2008. If you like what youread, and wish to make Santa Fe the city that it couldbe, then get involved, help elect a visionary mayorand city councilors next year, and creatively con-tribute to making this city the thriving and sustain-able place you wish to live in.

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Rehearsals begin Sept. 9 at 6:30pmfor the fall seasonAlbuquerque Center for Spiritual Living2801 Louisiana Blvd., NEAlbuquerque www.nmgmc.org/join

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Topsoil Blend• Ready for planting in raised beds or flower pots!Mulch • A variety of decorative and functional mulches.Foodwaste Recycling• Albuquerque’s only restaurant foodwaste recycling pick up service Greenwaste Recycling• Bring your Yardwaste to us and keep it out of the Dump!

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GMO’s in the news September 2013 14

As reported by Allison Koplicki in the New York Times on July 27,“Americans overwhelmingly support labeling foods that have been geneti-cally modified or engineered.” This is according to a New York Times pollconducted this year, with “93 percent of respondents saying that foods con-

taining such ingredients should be identified.”

The New York Times poll results show:• Three-quarters of Americans expressed concern about geneti-cally modified organisms in their food, most were worried aboutthe health effects.• 37 percent of those said they feared that such foods causecancer or allergies.• Among those with concerns, 26 percent said these foods arenot safe to eat, or are toxic, while 13 percent were worried aboutenvironmental problems.• Nearly half of Americans said they were aware that a largeamount of the processed or packaged foods they now buy at thegrocery store contains genetically modified ingredients.

The phone poll was conducted in January 2012, and had 1,052respondents. It also showed that concern was higher among women who aremost often the principle grocery shopper in the family. About half of the respon-dents said they would not eat genetically modified vegetables, fruits and grains,but three quarters of respondents said they would not eat GMO fish, and two-thirds said they would not eat GMO meat. For the WHOLE STORY go towww.nytimes.com.

Center for Food SafetyGoes Head to Head with Monsanto

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) went headto head against agrochemical giantMonsanto in late July in the first-ever case

involving genetically engineered crops to be heardby the Supreme Court. CFS lawyers are representingseveral farmers and environmental groups. Thecase, which has major implications under theNational Environmental Policy Act, centers onMonsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa seed—geneti-cally engineered to tolerate increased application ofMonsanto's Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide.

CFS filed the suit after the USDA illegally deregulat-ed alfalfa, without first completing an Environ-mental Impact Statement (EIS). A federal judgeagreed that the potential for cross contaminationwith organic (non-GE) farmers’ alfalfa posed a graverisk of “irreparable damage” and placed a ban on allplanting and sale of GE alfalfa until the Departmentof Agriculture completed the EIS.

The decision was upheld twice after appeals byMonsanto, who claims that their product poses “norisk of harm whatsoever”—despite a 2009 studyshowing that GE crops have increased the use of pes-ticides by 383 million pounds over the last 13 years,despite their role in the creation of pesticide-resistant“superweeds,” and despite the fact that alfalfa standsa particularly high likelihood of GM contaminationbecause it is an open-pollinated crop that can becross-pollinated by bees with fields several milesaway. Alfalfa is the third most valuable and fourthmost widely grown crop in the US, but Japan and

South Korea, the largestcustomers of America’s $480 billion in alfalfa exportsmarket, have threatened to discontinue US alfalfaimports if the GE variety is approved.

According to CFS, seven separate amicus briefs havebeen filed in support of CFS by organic food com-panies, legal scholars, former governmentofficials, scientists and environmentalgroups, including one by the AttorneysGeneral of California, Oregon and Massa-chusetts, noting the "'immense' ramifica-tions for all environmental protectionshould Monsanto prevail."

The court's decision will have far reach-ing implications for both GE REGULA-TION as well as other cases under theNational Environmental Policy Act.

GOING HEAD TO HEAD WITH MONSANTO

GE ALFALFAAT THE SUPREME COURT!

BENEFIT CONCERT for the SANTA FE WATERSHEDASSOCIATIONYou won’t want to miss this fantastic evening with the alwaysprovocative, multi-platinum, Grammy-Award winning NatalieMaines, who is launching her solo career with a few specialshows at special places….and the Santa Fe Opera is JUST theplace! This is the 3rd Annual Benefit Concert for the Santa FeWatershed Association. Tickets can be purchased on-line at:www.santafewatershed.org/natalie or by calling the SantaFe Opera 505-986-5900.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS: www.santafewatershed.org/natalie OR CALL 505-986-5900

NEW YORK TIMES POLL: STRONG SUPPORT FORLABELING GMO FOODS

NNaattaalliieeMMAAIINNEESS

@@ TTHHEESSAANNTTAAFFEEOOPPEERRAA

FFAARRRREEAACCHHIINNGGIIMMPPAACCTTSS

BY CHUCK SCHULTZ

“Every week 330 farmers leave their land for good.” -Farm Aid

The documentary film The Last Crop tells the story of a fam-ily farm caught in the middle as urban growth threatensCalifornia’s fertile Central Valley. Jeff and Annie Main, like

many farming families, confront an uncertain future as developmentimpinges on rural areas and their children choose careers off the farm.It is a story that is echoed on farms across our nation. What sets theMains apart is their resolve to create an alternative for their farm’ssuccession that ensures its future—even at the risk of disinheritingtheir children. The film captures the intractable nature of sustaining asmall local farm and the stakes we all have in making certain they cansurvive and thrive.

The Last Crop is an intimate exploration into who grows what weeat. What does it take to be a farmer? At the heart of our story is onefamily’s attempt to address the critical issues facing farmers today: theaffordability of farmland, the fragile balance of farm succession, andultimately, the preservation of small organic farms.

The Last Crop merges cinema-verite, first person diaries of life on thefarm and on-camera interviews to create an intimate snapshot of theMains’ personal life, intercut with their 35-year history and contribu-tion to the local food movement. As they fight to save their farm’sfuture, the everyday chores and challenges of a small family farm arebeautifully captured utilizing only naturalistic light sources, inspired bythe earthy textures and colorful tones of the world of California’s

Central Valley. Readingsfrom weekly newsletters from the farm provide theopportunity to create cinematic sequences filledwith reflection, emotion and values, giving theMains a distinct vehicle to express themselves asfarmers, activists and parents.

We experience the many changes that affect theirfamily: their three children’s career choices; thedeath of Jeff’s father juxtaposed with the marriageof their son Zach, celebrated on the farm. We jour-ney with the Mains on their first trip together in 26years—Jeff’s first trip to New York City—to visittheir daughter Alison at Pratt Institute, where she isstudying graphic design. We sit in on community

meetings where farmers and neighbors debate thelaws and customs that will determine the fate of theirfarms. We learn that the Mains, true to their pioneer-ing spirit, have no plans to sell their farm to the high-

est bidder. Rather they are determinedto create an alternative conservationmodel that will not only save their landbut will become a model for small farmsto flourish.

The Last Crop is a story of one family’sstruggle to ensure their farm remainsaffordable and productive. On a nation-al scale, the Mains’ story challenges con-servation groups, their local communi-ties and some 500,000 aging US farmersto rethink what actions they are willingto undertake to transfer their land to anew generation of family farmers.

“When the Sacramento and Davis Food Co-ops said wewant to take this up because this is what our memberswant, it was just a giant sigh of relief that they could getbehind saving local farms and take it beyond us.”

-Jeff Main, Good Humus Produce

See the trailer at www.thelastcropfilm.com or formore information or to make a donation contactChuck at BluePrint Productions, or go to www.blueprintproductions.biz or call 212-563-4504.

La Montanita Co-op is pleased to have made adonation so this important film can reach audi-ences. Our donation was matched by The TwinPines Cooperative Development Foundation.

community forum September 2013 15

Jambo Café, Tune Up Café, Tesuque Village Market,Andiamo, Haagen Dazs, and Café FINA.

Solar on the Tesuque Fire Departmentwill eliminate an estimated 84,000pounds of carbon emissions annually,reduce thousands of gallons of waterusage, and will be cost effective.

“Solar power systems mitigate climatedisruption, save us money and reduceour collective dependence of fossilfuels, which leads to protection of airquality and conservation of water,”said Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director

of New Energy Economy. “Solar is a hedge against ris-ing electricity rates, and the very kind of investmentresponsive government must be undertaking.”

By exposing the vision of what’s possible, we are hop-ing that this will lead to the solarization of all govern-ment buildings in Santa Fe.

If you’d like to get involved please check out ourweb site at www.newenergyeconomy.org and bea part of the solution. Santa Fe has the potentialto be a clean energy leader—let’s actualize thatpotential.

Economy to table outside the Co-op on many occa-sions. The youth interns not only had the opportuni-ty to educate the general public around the effects of climate disruption and the solu-tions but also collected donations.Individual community members do-nated quarters, dollar bills andchecks. These added up!

Santa Fe County voted unanimouslyon a Resolution to partner with NewEnergy Economy to install solar pan-els that will provide electricity for theTesuque fire station and help reducereliance on dirty coal-fired electricity.Leading by example, the Santa Fe County Com-missioners are setting a new energy standard forSanta Fe County. By installing 6.12 kW of solar onthe Tesuque fire station, they are making prudentbudget decisions for the Santa Fe community.

New Energy Economy would not have been able tomake the Tesuque Fire Department solar installationa reality without the support of the La MontanitaCo-op and other local restaurants that donated hand-somely as well: Raaga Restaurant, Backroad Pizza,

BY DELANY COVELLI, NEW ENERGY ECONOMY

Nearly 200 people from Santa Fe County came togetherWednesday, July 31, to celebrate the first solar county fire sta-tion. The Tesuque Fire Department now operates 100% off of

solar. This will allow the volunteer firefighters and EMTs to redirectmoney previously allocated for utility bill payment towards safety equip-ment to protect firefighters on the front lines of mega wildfires.

The community solar installation was possible thanks to funds from NewEnergy Economy and Santa Fe County. New Energy Economy, a registered501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to creating economic opportuni-ty in New Mexico with less carbon pollution, raised its contribution fromthe gracious support of La Montanita Co-op, and many locally ownedrestaurants. La Montanita allowed youth interns from New Energy

NEW ENERGYNEW ENERGY

ECONOMY

NEW FILM EXPLORES theSURVIVAL of FAMILY FARMS

F I R S T S O L A R P O W E R E D C O U N T Y FFFF IIII RRRR EEEE SSSS TTTT AAAA TTTT IIII OOOO NNNN

BY CHUCK MALAGODI, CITY OF

ALBUQUERQUE

DDoes your bike have aflat? In need of repair?On March 8, 2013, the

City of Albuquerque opened itsfirst community bicycle shop.With over 4,000 square feet ofspace, the former Esperanza library became thehome for the Esperanza Community Bicycle Shop.The new facility also houses the Richard RivasCommunity Bike Recycle Program.

The new shop provides classes on safe cycling intraffic, Bike Mechanic classes, Earn-a-Bike pro-grams, work study for high school youth and ahome for people wishing to donate used bicyclesand related parts and equipment.

Esperanza is open to the general publicon Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8pm and from noon to 7pm onSundays. Everyone is welcome to visitthe shop and to work on personal bikeswith assistance from staff and volun-teers. Patrons may bring their ownparts, purchase parts from a bike shop,or used parts for their project may beavailable at the shop (depending onavailability).

For more information about the EsperanzaCommunity Bicycle Shop, call 505-224-6668. Tosign up for a Commuter Essential Class or a BikeMechanic Class go to www. nmbikehub.com.

You can also visit the shop’s website at:www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/recreation/bike/esperanza-community-bike-shop.

A RESOURCE FOR ALL THINGS BICYCLE: EXPERANZAbike shop!

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Your community-owned natural foods grocery store

Why Join? • You Care!

-about good food and how it is produced • You're Empowered!

-to help support the local/regional food-shed • You Support!

-Co-op principles & values & community ownership • You Vote!

-with your dollars for a strong local economy • You Participate!

-providing d1rection and energy to the Co-op • You Receive!

-member discounts, weekly specials & a patronage refund

• You Own It! -an economic alternative for a sustainable future

In so mony woys it poys to be o lo Montoiiito Co-op Member/Owner

• Pick up our monthly newsletter full of information on food, health, environment and your Co-op.

• Member refund program: at the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchases.

• Weekly member-only coupon specials as featured in our weekly sales flyer. Pick it up every week at any location to save more than your annual membership fee each week.

• Banking membership at the New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union.

• Member only discount days: take advantage of our special discount events throughout the year-for members only.

• Special Orders: order large quantities of hard-to-find items at a 10% discount for members.

• General membership meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations. Your participation is encouraged.