TO QUALIFY AS A CANDIDATE, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN AMEMBER FOR AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO THESTART OF ELECTIONS, (THAT MEANS BEING A MEMBERSINCE JULY 1), AND YOU MUST RETURN YOUR COM-PLETED APPLICATION BY AUGUST 20.

Board elections will be held from November 1 through 14.Our annual meeting and celebration will be held on Saturday,October 18, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Candidatesare encouraged to attend this meeting to have the opportu-nity to address members regarding their candidacy.

As we have done in the last few years, the board will offera list of candidates it feels are qualified to serve. Fullinformation about this process is included in the candi-date packet. For more information contact bod@lamontanita.coop.

sive policies and the management reportingthat is required for them allow the board tosimultaneously ensure successful Co-op per-formance and still focus on the bigger picturementioned earlier). To help keep the board onthis path, HERE’S WHAT WE ARE LOOKINGFOR IN A CANDIDATE:

• First and foremost, be dedicated to thewell-being of the Co-op and its owners. • Have a propensity to think in terms of sys-tems and context.• Be honest and have independent judgment,courage, and good faith.• Be able and eager to deal with values,vision and the long term.• Be willing and able to participate assertively in discussions andabide by board decisions and the intent of established policies.• Be comfortable operating in a group decision-making environ-ment, sharing power in a group process, and delegating areas ofdecision making to others.

To better understand how these characteristics play out, we encour-age prospective candidates to attend monthly board meetings. Theyare always on the third Tuesday of each month, starting at 5:30pm.Location is the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, across Silver andeast of the Nob Hill store. Dinner is served to all attending, starting alittle before 5:30pm.

Nominations start July 20, 2014, and end on August 20. Candidateapplication packets will be available soon, as paper copies fromthe information desk and online at the Co-op’s website, lamontanita.coop/run.

BY ARIANA MARCHELLO, BOARD NOMINATIONS

AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR

It’s almost time to file board candidate nomination applicationsand those of us who work on new Board member recruitmenthave noticed a recurring theme in our solicitations: La Montañita

Board service is not what you may think. Consider the words of MarthaWhitman, current board president: “I've loved my Co-op for decadesand deciding to run for the board was a natural extension of wantingto be more involved. What I didn't know going in was how inspiring itwould be to learn cooperative governance. Our board role is groundedin the international cooperative principles and values that speak to thebest in humanity. La Montañita is not just a store, it's a movement.Who wouldn't want to play a part in that?”

Each year the Co-op holds elections for three of its nine directors, withterms running for three years. This year there is an additional openseat for a one-year term. As elected representatives of the 17,000member/owners, the board’s job is to provide strategic vision andensure the Co-op’s long-term stability and success. The board’s workrequires discipline and creativity. We govern by means of a frameworkcalled Policy Governance. At our monthly meetings, the board reviewsmanagement’s work by examining performance reports and compar-ing them to established policy standards. The board governs bydeclaring, through its policies, the results it wants and the actions itwants the general manager to avoid while achieving those results. Onlyby reviewing and adjusting these boundaries do we affect the directionof the Co-op. We leave day-to-day operational details to the generalmanager and his team (those are the people you see every day as ashopper). We spend almost half our meeting time studying our world,learning about our owners’ needs, and imagining the future.

While it is customary for boards to attract prospective members withmanagement related skills, our approach is different. (Our comprehen-

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

The Veteran Farmer Project urban farm is filled with allsorts of delicious vegetables and bee food—otherwiseknown as flowers, that feed our two bee-

hives. Although we are not USDA certified organ-ic, we grow our produce utilizing organic princi-ples. Veteran growers sell a wide variety of veg-gies at both the Wednesday morning Growers’Market at the Veterans Administration Hospital,and also on Sundays every other week at theRailyard Market just a few blocks from our down-town urban farm. You can also find our vegeta-bles in the produce departments at the Nob Hilland Rio Grande stores. Look for the VeteranFarmer Project signs in the produce cases.

Two of our core VFP people have really taken on moving theproject forward and deserve big kudos: farm co-managersGretchen Rieck and Jeff Thomas. We are most pleased to havea number of newly dedicated veterans working with us andsome who are returning to the gardens. We are also pleasedto have veterans involved in the Albuquerque Heading Homeproject as dedicated core team members.

SPECIAL THANKSThe VFP would like to thank the many generous people whohave donated to the project. As always, a big thanks goes outto Rick Renne of the Downtown Action Team for his ongoingsupport. Our thanks to the New Mexico Department ofAgriculture for their grant support. Other community supporthas come from Gift Givers Anonymous.

La Montañita FUND and Nolina’s Heavenly OrganicsBY NOLINA BRYANT

IIII wish to express my gratitude to the La Montañita FUND loan formy farm. Thanks to the loan I could manage the cash flow toaccomplish the expansion project. Voila! Half an acre in cover

crop and a giant greenhouse filled with greens.

The intent was to add half an acre to the petite organic artisan farm.Mission accomplished! And, the two-year loan payments are on thedownhill slope.

The project consisted of renting an excavator (lots of fun!), I called it“the claw,” to remove the salt cedar and brush, then we hauled that off,hiring a tractor to move the dirt around and level it, renting a trencher

to run underground irrigation to the field,installing a drip irrigation system, planting acover crop, tilling it in, planting a cover crop,tilling it in, and planting a cover crop again. Theonce paltry dirt is looking more and more likedark rich soil! Now that’s the stuff of life. Wespoil our soil and it spoils us back!

The second part of the two-year project was to build a sea-sonal high tunnel or SHT. We aren’t too keen on that acronym,so we call it the Giant Greenhouse and renamed her Gigi. Webuilt the frame in October of 2013 and finished in November,it was a big job, 30’ by 72’. We had to wait a bit to get thecover on due to the winds; so what’s new in New Mexico, eh?!Then, trench and run a water line (since it was in a differentspot than originally planned, so we missed it on the firsttrench), move compost inside to create soil. Fortunately, therewas an old pile from 2009; thanks Mother Nature.

GROWING THE LOCAL FOODSYSTEM

SHARING SEEDLINGSWe are also honored to be working with two professionalfarmers, themselves veterans, Ron Jobe (and his lovely wife

Mary) and Tom Keene of Bethany Farm. Theyhave donated numerous seedlings and starterplants to the project and are our treasuredfriends. Also treasured are the relationshipswith Stephanie Cameron of edible communi-ties magazine and Karen Beamish of the OasisGarden Learning Center, located at Albu-querque Academy; the plants they donatedare deeply appreciated.

As the plants these generous folks donated,as well as the many saved seeds, plants that volunteeredfrom last year’s crops, and new varieties of seeds we plantedfilled our 80 raised beds to the brim, we were most pleasedto be able to share many tomatoes, peppers, and other plantswith the in-treatment veterans who are gardening behindBuilding 11 on the VA campus.

A special thanks to the Wednesday morning produce staffat the Nob Hill location for allowing us to invade theirspace to wash veggies before we set up at the WednesdayVA Growers’ Market.

The VFP meets at the Alvarado Urban Farm on Tuesday andThursday mornings from 8 to 10am over the summer and in thewinter from 3 to 5pm. The farm is located in DowntownAlbuquerque, across from the bus/train station between Firstand Second Streets at Silver. For more information or to vol-unteer call 505-217-2027 or email robins@lamontanita.coop

RUN for theBOARD!Co-op Board of Directors Elections

The more you SPENDthe more youSAVE!

SAVE UP TO 20% $0.00 - $74.99 GETS 10% $75.00 - $174.99 GETS 15% • $175.00 + GETS 20%Want to get your volume discount on larger quantities of products? Special order 25-50lb. sacks of bulk items or cases of your favorite products at least one week in advanceof the day you would like to shop using your Discount Coupon. Due to high sales dur-ing Volume Discount Month we cannot always provide larger quantities without a spe-cial order. To place orders call: Nob Hill, 505-265-4631; Valley, 505-242-8800; SantaFe, 505-984-2852; Gallup, 505-863-5383; Westside, 505-503-2550.

MEMBER AAPPPPRREECCIIAATTIIOONNVVOOLLUUMMEE DDIISSCCOOUUNNTT

DAYS!JULYis anEXTRA SPECIALVOLUME DISCOUNT MMOONNTTHHWE HEARD YOU!!!

Next we created raised beds, laid t-tape for drip irri-gation, planted seeds in January and February, thencrossed our fingers. It worked! In February the

weather was bipolar as usual with a high of 79 and a low of 14.Many of the seeds, cool weather crops, simply hung out and thengrew when the weather suited them.

So Gigi is now a marvel. In March she was filled with tasty greenery!And beginning in April the loan payments were made with LaMontañita produce sales income. How cool is that?!

My first delivery to La Montañita was April 3. Some feedbackfrom the produce departments:• From Ro, produce manager, Valley: “Your produce is AMAZING!!!!It all looked super nice Nolina!!!”• From Amanda, produce manger, Nob Hill: “I saw some of yourproduce at the Valley store and it is indeed beautiful. Thanks somuch for bringing it to the Hill! You do great work! Your produceIS just beautiful.”

The LaM Fund allowed the necessary cash flow to manage the projectand achieve these results. Thank you for conceptualizing and imple-menting the program. Thanks to all the members who invest, andthank you for allowing me to participate.

Kind Regards, Nolina of Nolina’s Heavenly Organics(See Nolina’s photo gallery on the Co-op website.)

co-op shoppers:L O O KL O O K F O RF O R N O L I N A’ SV E G G I E SW H AW H A TT AA T R E AT R E A TT !!

yyoouurr CCOO--OOPPwwaannttssYYYYOOOOUUUU!!!!

Good GROWING!VETERAN FARMER PROJECT UPDATE

out and about July 2014 2

La Montanita CooperativeA Community-Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

Nob Hill 7am – 10pm M – Sa, 8am – 10pm Su3500 Central SE, ABQ, NM 87106505-265-4631

Valley 7am – 10pm M – Su2400 Rio Grande NW, ABQ, NM 87104505-242-8800

Gallup 8am – 8pm M – Sa, 11am – 8pm Su105 E Coal, Gallup, NM 87301505-863-5383

Santa Fe 7am – 10pm M – Sa, 8am – 10pm Su913 West Alameda, Santa Fe, NM 87501505-984-2852

Grab n’ Go 8am – 6pm M – F, 11am – 4pm SaUNM Bookstore, 2301 Central SW, ABQ, NM 87131505-277-9586

Westside 7am – 10pm M – Su 3601 Old Airport Ave, ABQ, NM 87114505-503-2550

Cooperative Distribution Center9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107505-217-2010

Administration Offices9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107505-217-2001

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 TechnologyDavid 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• Joe Phy/Westside 505-503-2550josephp@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• Jake Garrity• Leah Rocco• 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. Email the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop

Copyright ©2014La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycledpaper. It is recyclable.

2014 SummerSERIESBY BILL PENTLER, OPEN SPACE DIVISION

This year is the 30th Anniversary ofthe Open Space Division. To cele-brate we cordially invite you to a sum-

mer of family-friendly events during our OpenSpace Summer Series. All the Saturday eventsbegin at 7pm. All talks and performances arefree with a $2 entry fee per vehicle to the ElenaGallegos Park, which is located at the end ofSimms Park Road, east of Tramway Boulevard,just north of Academy. All Saturday SunsetSeries programs take place at the ElenaGallegos Double Shelter Amphitheater, withthe exception of Flamenco that will be at thenearby Kiwanis Shelter.

To add to our celebratory year, our Sunday Hikes willexplore the earliest purchases of Open Space’s outlyingproperties in the East Mountains and elsewhere. Pleasecheck our website, www.cabq. gov/openspace underOpen Space Events for more information on details anddirections to the individual events or call Bill Pentler at452-5222 for pre-registration or other questions.

Come enjoy the Summer Series, expand your views and begin a life-long ritual of returning to your newly discovered favorite Open

Spaces. We hope you experience new wonders,enjoy old favorites, discover information thatwill widen your perspective of the worldaround you, and entice you to explore the ben-efits of 30 years of Open Space.

Saturday SUNSET SERIES at Elena GallegosPicnic Area, Saturday Evenings at 7pm

July 5: The Nahalat Shalom CommunityKlezmer Band with Rikud Dance Troupe—asmall orchestra playing Eastern European musicfor an evening of sensory joy and dancing. Findout more about them at bit.ly/1n473kK.

July 12: Flamenco at the Kiwanis Shelter—a Flamenco performanceby the Students of Casa Flamenca under the direction of Jesus Muñoz.Find out more about them at www.casaflamenca.org.July 19: Meet the Birds of Avian Ambassadors—a talk and display ofbirds by Sid Price of Avian Ambassadors. Find out more about themat www.avianambassadors.com.July 26: Strange But True Tales of New Mexico—an evening of sto-ries and tales by talented Storyteller Mary Diecker.

897-0415, moemackey@comcast.net. Meet at 6:50am for a 7am departurefrom the west side of the Four Hills Shopping Village on Central Avenuebetween Juan Tabo and Tramway Boulevard. The park is 65 miles east on I-40 and 20 miles north on NM 3. There is a $5 entrance fee per car if onedoes not have a State Parks Pass. Bring lunch. The trip should end in mid-afternoon. Call for carpooling info.

JULY 24: Visit the Balsam Glade Picnic Area and Capulin Springs in theSandia Mountains with Donna Royer: 505-463-7380, pumaroja@hotmail.com. Meet at 7:50am for an 8am departure from thewest side of the Four Hills Shopping Village on Central Avenuebetween Juan Tabo and Tramway Boulevard. The group willwalk a half mile in the Balsam Glade area. The trip will endbefore noon.

AUGUST 7: Walk around the Tingley bosque ponds with LeahHenzler: 505-293-0191, lfcairns@gmail. com. Meet at 8am in theTingley Ponds main parking lot by the Concession Building. Takethe first right turn from Tingley Drive, south of Central AvenueSW. The walk will end before noon.

For more information, to join the Audubon Society, or tosubscribe to the “Burrowing Owl,” the newsletter of the

Central New Mexico Chapter of the National Audubon Society, pleasego to www.cnmas.newmexicoaudubon.org.

SANTA FE/SANGRE DE CRISTO Chapter EventsSATURDAY, JULY 19: HIGH MOUNTAIN SPECIES with Wyatt Egelhoff:redknot42@gmail.com. This trip will be to the high elevation habitats ofTaos and Mora counties. We will spend the morning birding the higher ele-vation forests and meadows. Contact leader for meeting time and place.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24: JEMEZ MOUNTAIN LOOP with Gail Szpatura:gailsz@earthlink.net and Lonnie Howard: 505-995-9799, lonnieh@cybermesa.com. Look for mountain species, especially warblers, above LosAlamos. There may be lots of walking if the group hikes the AmericanSprings Road washout or up Water Canyon. Trip should end mid-afternoon.Bring a lunch and call leaders for meeting time and place.

TREATY FOR MIGRATORY

BIRDS

As announced in the Central New MexicoAudubon Society’s (CNMAS) Summer 2014“Burrowing Owl” newsletter, Albuquerque

has just been named as the latest partner city in theUS Fish and Wildlife Service’s Urban ConservationTreaty for Migratory Birds. The program works withcities and partners to conserve migratory birds

through education, hazard reductions, citizen science,conservation actions, and conservation and habitatimprovement strategies in urban/suburban areas.

The goals of the Urban Conservation Treaty forMigratory Birds are to:• Protect, restore, and enhance urban/suburban habi-tats for birds;• Reduce hazards to birds;• Educate and engage citizens in monitoring, caringabout, and advocating for birds and their conservation;• Foster youth environmental education with a focuson birds;• Manage invasive species to benefit and protectbirds;• Increase awareness of the value of migratory birdsand their habitats, especially for their intrinsic, eco-logical, recreational, and economic. For more information, carpooling, and to reserveyour place, contact the event leaders list-ed below.

Central New Mexico AUDUBONSOCIETY EVENTSJULY 10: Walk among the Tijeras PuebloRuins at the Sandia District Ranger Stationwith Barbara Hussey: 505-385-1165, brhussey@flash.net. Meet at 8am in the parking lot ofthe ranger station located half of a mile fromexit 175 from I-40 on NM 337. We will walkabout 1/3 of a mile along the interpretive trailand the outing will end by 11am.

JULY 17: Travel to Villaneuva State Park onthe Pecos River with Maurice Mackey: 505-

BBIIRRDDIINNGGUURRBBAANNCONSERVATION

SUMMER FUN TOEXPAND YOUR VIEWS

IN NEWMEXICO

JOIN THE NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE JULY 12on a hike in the Columbine Hondo Wilderness Study Area(WSA). The hike will begin at the Columbine Campground in theCarson National Forest and go up Columbine Canyon. Elevationchange will be from 7,800 feet to approximately 8,800 feet.Bring your walking shoes and plenty of water and join usfor this fabulous outing.

DIRECTIONS: From Questa, take NM 38 east 5.1 miles toColumbine Campground. Turn right into the campground and goto the Columbine Canyon Trailhead. For information go to:www.nmwild.org or contact John Olivas at john@nmwild.org.

COLUMBINECANYONHHIIKKEE

AADDVVOOCCAATTEEffoorrBBIIRRDDSS!!

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

health and environment July 2014 3

The retreats also provide participants with the opportunity to spendtime with each other in informal sessions, speaking with and learningfrom others who are coping with some of the same issues. Supervisedchildcare and recreational activities are provided for children andteens during the educational sessions so that parents can give their fullattention to the program.

In 2014 CSNM will hold its second retreat on September 12-14. Theretreat will be held at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North.Applications for the fall program are coming soon to oncology clin-ics and other cancer service providers throughout New Mexico. If youhave any questions or would like more information, please contactMike at 505-239-4239 or mike@cancerservicesnm.org.

LIPA: Legal, Insurance, and Paperwork Assistance Many cancer patients and their loved ones are overwhelmedby the complex legal and insurance issues associated with thetreatment and survival process. They also need better tools formanaging the huge volume of medical and insurance paper-work associated with a cancer diagnosis.

Cancer Services of New Mexico's free Legal, Insurance, &Paperwork Assistance (LIPA) Program is the only program inNew Mexico providing comprehensive assistance with cancer-related legal, insurance, and paperwork issues, and is one offew programs in the US focused on these issues. Services areavailable at no charge to any New Mexican coping with can-cer who needs assistance.

The LIPA program has four major elements: clinics for personal con-sultations in-person or by phone; referrals to a variety of other groupsthat assist cancer patients; Cancer Treatment Organizers, a free 13-pocket organizing tool designed by a New Mexican cancer survivorto help you organize all of your cancer-related paperwork; the web-site: www.nmcancerhelp.org, with links to a wealth of resources.

CSNM created the Family Cancer Resource Bag Program, designed toprovide New Mexican parents coping with cancer and their lovedones with some tools and information that can assist them during thischallenging time. The kits contain suggestions for talking with chil-dren about cancer, books for families to read together, and materialstargeted specifically at children aged 4-12 and at teenagers. For moreinfo on CSNM go to www.nmcancerhelp.org, call 505-821-6697,or email: Kathy@cancerservicesnm.org.

BY KATHLEEN KREIDER

CSNM's Family Cancer Retreat focuses on educat-ing adult cancer patients/survivors and theirprimary caregivers on the process of surviving;

from the difficulties of handling the initial diagnosis,through coping with therapy, to a variety of medical andsocial challenges relating to at-home care and the emo-tional issues associated with surviving. In addition to pro-viding a temporary escape from the day-to-day challenges

of living with cancer, the retreat fosters development ofsupportive relationships between participants that cancontinue in the months and years ahead. There is no otherprogram like this in New Mexico.

Launched in 2002, the Family Cancer Retreat is now thelargest general cancer education program in NM and thelargest program of its type in the US.

The program is held twice each year. During each three-day program, over 250 people from 100-120 NewMexican families coping with cancer attend sessions led bya variety of the state's leading cancer specialists. Typicalsessions include: choosing the most appropriate treatment,new developments in cancer treatment, “Ask theOncologist" panels, coping with treatment-related sideeffects, accessing cancer-related information on the inter-net, patient and family communication, caring for thecaregiver, talking with kids about cancer, complementary,alternative and integrative therapies, and more!

CCOO--OOPPPPRROOGGRRAAMM

DONATEyour BAG CCRREEDDIITT!

STOP THE BAYER/SYNGENTA LAWSUIT

Bayer is suing the European Commission tooverturn a ban on the pesticides that kill mil-lions of bees around the world. A huge public

push won this landmark ban but Bayer and Syngenta,two of the world's largest chemical corporations, claimthat the ban is "unjustified" and "disproportionate." Butclear scientific evidence shows their products are behindthe massive bee die-off that puts our entire food chain in peril.

This last summer, 37 million bees were discovered dead on a sin-gle Canadian farm. And unless we act now, the bees will keepdying if these giant corporations manage to bully the EuropeanCommission into submission. The dangerous chemical Bayermakes is a neonicotinoid, or neonic. Neonics are soaked intoseeds, spreading through the plant. These pesticides can easily bereplaced by other chemicals, which don’t have such a devastatingeffect on the food chain. But companies like Bayer and Syngentamake a fortune from selling neonics—so they’ll do everything theycan to protect their profits.

The EU banned these bee-killers last May, after a massive publiccampaign and a clear scientific finding from the European Food

Safety Authority that neonics pose huge risks to bee popula-tions. Bayer fought against the ban every step of the way, using

tactics taken from Big Tobacco—pouringmillions into lobbying and fake science tostop decision-makers from taking action.

The current European ban only lasts fortwo years before it's up for review, and if they are allowed to intimidate theEuropean authorities with impunity, thenthe pressure to overturn the ban will behuge. This will be a massive victory for thepesticide industry, and a devastating lossfor the bees, and all of us. It will make

every environmental regulation more difficult, because compa-nies that can't win on the facts can use their enormous profitsto fund expensive, baseless lawsuits. Bayer is an enormous com-pany with many public brands. Neonics are a big part of its bot-tom line, but it can't afford poor publicity on a global scale. Ifword gets out that Bayer is wrecking our ecosystem and threat-ening a creature responsible for pollinating a third of all ourcrops, the company will have to back down.

SumOfUS.org has been at the forefront of the global campaignto save the bees. Go to www.sumofus.org to sign the peti-tion to tell Bayer and Syngenta to drop their bee-killinglawsuit now. Let's build on this landmark victory and take thebee-killing pesticide ban global.

SumOfUS: SUING EUROPE OVER BEE SAVINGPESTICIDE BAN

BRING A BAG...DONATE THE DIMETHIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO:Cancer Services of New Mexico: providing services toassist cancer survivors and their families.

Your MAY Bag Credit Donations of $2,492.90 weregiven to the New Mexico Rape Crisis Center. THANKSTO ALL WHO DONATED!

J U LY ’ S B A G C R E D I T D O N AT I O N O R G A N I Z AT I O N

CANCER CENTEROF NEW MEXICO

LINKING HEALTH ANDENVIRONMENT

Co-op ValuesCooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility,democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of theirfounders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of hon-esty, 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-opSupermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-opSupermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food,health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed here-in are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.

WESTSIDE3601 Old Airport Ave. NW

505-503-2550

Alameda Blvd.

Old Airport Ave.

Coors

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Old

Airport

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DDOONNAATTEETTHHEEDDIIMMEE!!

BY ELEANOR BRAVO, SOUTHWEST ORGANIZER FOOD AND

WATER WATCH

On May 19, the Albuquerque City Councilvoted unanimously in favor of a city memo-rial calling for the mandatory labeling of

genetically engineered (GMO) foods. AlbuquerqueCity Councilman Isaac Benton, District 2, and co-sponsorDiane Gibson, District 7, introduced the memorial in theAlbuquerque City Council that supports labeling ofGMOs on a statewide and national level.

GMOs are plants altered in a laboratory with foreign genetic materi-al to create novel genetic combinations. They exhibit traits that do notoccur in nature. Although health risks associated with eating GMOsare not fully understood, these altered foods have become pervasivewithin our food system since they first became available in 1996.Companies conduct their own safety testing. Independent research islimited because biotechnology companies prohibit cultivation forresearch purposes.

Labeling GMOs is not a novel idea. Statewide movements to labelGMOs are active throughout the nation, and Vermont recently becamethe first state to require GMO labeling. National polls consistentlyshow that more than 90% of Americans favor GMO labeling laws.More than 60 other countries—including the entire European Union,

food & environment July 2014 4

China, Japan and Russia—already require GMOlabeling.

Albuquerque joins the City of Santa Fe in sup-porting giving people more transparency aboutwhether or not their food contains GMOs. Sincemost processed foods contain some derivative of GMO corn, soybean, canola or cotton, theCity of Albuquerque supports labeling underthis memorial.

“Labeling will give us the data we need to drawsolid conclusions about GE foods, and it willgive consumers the ability to make fullyinformed decisions about what we are eating andfeeding our families,” said memorial co-sponsorBenton. “Right now, the companies that stand to

ALBUQUERQUE APPROVES MEMORIAL FOR GMO LABELING

profit from genetic engineering are making thosedecisions for us.”

“It’s our right as citizens to know what is in ourfood,” said memorial co-sponsor Gibson. “In ademocracy, corporations should not have specialprivileges that make it difficult for the average con-sumer to have transparency in what they consume.

The impact of genetically engineered foods goesbeyond consumer health. It also threatens the liveli-hood of farmers that grow non-GMO crops sinceGMO seed and the GMO-related pesticides can con-taminate neighboring fields. Consumers should beable to decide for themselves if genetically engi-neered foods should be fed to their families.

A community-wide thanks to Benton andGibson for their courageous introduction of theMemorial and the City Council for their unani-mous approval. For more information contact:Eleanor Bravo, ebravo@fwwatch.org.

LLAABBEELLIINNGGGGGGMMMMOOOOssss iiiinnnn AAAABBBBQQQQ!!!!

Handling Building until July 15 in response to DOE’srequest to allow them to stay for a year (with exten-

sions possible). Before that date, DOE shoulddevelop a proposal on what to do with thesewastes; but NMED could force them to go backto the sites, rather than leave them at WIPPindefinitely. (Leaving waste in the WIPP surfacebuilding is not a safe idea as the building wasnever meant to contain drum explosions.) DOEplans to make other investigations undergroundafter they change the HEPA filters on the surface,which could take several weeks.

In Washington, DC, Congress is consideringhow much funding to add to the normal annu-

al $220 million WIPP budget, although it is unknownhow much it will cost to clean up the contaminationand make improvements to the site.

What YOU Can DoAn independent investigation by technical experts isneeded to determine the cause of the release, howfuture releases will be prevented, options for decont-amination of the underground and surface, and med-ical treatment needs of contaminated workers.

BY DON HANCOCK AND JANET GREENWALD

BackgroundAfter 11pm on Valentine’s Day, the onlyoperating underground air monitor at theWaste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) identi-fied a radiation leak. Radionuclides from theleak were detected days later on the surface,more than a mile and a half from the releaselocation. Such a radiation release was neversupposed to happen, according to theDepartment of Energy (DOE). The cause ofthe leak and the amount of radioactive andtoxic chemicals released are unknown, but atleast 22 workers have internal radiation contamination. There are nostandards for the complete cleanup of the contamination and how longthe facility will be closed is undetermined.

UpdateThe DOE told the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) thatsome wastes that were supposed to be at WIPP by June 30 must remainat LANL. The NMED issued orders to LANL requiring special handlingof wastes similar to those that may have exploded and requiring WIPPto close underground rooms that have wastes similar to those that mayhave exploded. NMED has said that wastes can stay in the Waste

To support an independent investigation,contact the elected officials that canmake it happen and sign the petition:

Sen. Tom Udall110 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510 202-224-6621505-346-6791 – Albuquerque505-988-6511 – Santa Fe575-234-0366 – Carlsbadsenator_tom_udall@tomudall.senate.gov

Sen. Martin Heinrich702 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510 202-224-5521505-346-6601 – Albuquerque505-988-6647 – Santa Fe575-622-7113 – Roswellsenator_heinrich@heinrich.senate.gov

Gov. Susana MartinezState Capitol, Room 400, 490 Old Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe, NM 87501 505-476-2200governor.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Governor.aspx

For more information: www.sric.org 505-262-1862www.nukewatch.org 505-989-7342www.nuclearactive.org 505-986-1973contactus@cardnm.org 505-242-5511

SIGN THE PETITION DEMANDING AN INDEPENDANT INVESTIGATION OF WIPP!GO ONLINE TO WWW.CVNM.ORG (SEARCH WIPP) OR IN PERSON AT THE ABQ CENTER FOR PEACE AND

JUSTICE AT 202 HARVARD SE OR E-MAIL CONTACTUS@CARDNM.ORG.

WIPPupdateaction YOU CAN TAKE!

BY FOOD DEMOCRACY NOW STAFF

Let’s take the fight to Monsantowhere it hurts—their wallet! Inearly May Vermont Governor PeterShumlin signed the first-in-the-nation no-strings-attached law re-quiring mandatory labeling ofgenetically engineered (GMO) food in the nation. Ittook only a couple of days for the GroceryManufacturers Association (GMA) and Monsanto toannounce that they will be suing Vermont to stop thebill from being implemented.

Food Democracy Now (FDN) acted almost as quick-ly as Monsanto to pull together their dump Monsantocampaign. They are targeting Fidelity, one of the topmutual funds with 20 million customers. Are you oneof them? If so, you could be profiting fromMonsanto's toxic legacy of Agent Orange, DDT,PCBs and now GMOs. FDN is asking all investors inFidelity mutual funds to dump their Monsanto stock.

Participate in the "I'M DUMPINGMONSANTO CAMPAIGN!" at www.food democracy now.org.

HERE ARE EASY WAYS YOU CAN JOINTHE PROTEST:1. MAKE A CALL TO THE FIDELITYINVESTMENTS OFFICE NEAR YOU.Tell them that as they own 5.3% of

Monsanto stock they are profiting fromMonsanto’s toxic legacy. Call Fidelity at: 1-800-343-3548. To make the call local, find an officenear you: www.fidelity.com/branchlocator.

2. DOWNLOAD THE "I'M DUMPINGMONSANTO - YOU IN?" sign, print it andtake a “selfie.” Post it on Twitter and Facebookwith your friends and use the #DivestMonsantohashtag, so we can share it with others. You canalso send a photo or video of your action toDivestMON@fooddemocracy.now.

MONSANTO SUES VERMONT OVER LABELING: I’M DUMPING MONSANTOCAMPAIGN

Most PROCESSED FOODScontain some DERIVITIVE ofGMO CORN, SOYBEAN, CANOLAor COTTON.

DUMPMONSANTO

YOU IN?

DUMP

aaaaccccttttiiiioooonnnn ALERT!

COOPERATIVA JOSÉ GABRIEL CONDORCANQUÍ OF

COYONA, PERU

BY TOM WILDE, EQUAL EXCHANGE

O ver the years visiting thefarmer owners of the Coop-erativa José Gabriel Condor-

canquí, one can’t help but notice thegrowers drink a different coffee at homethan what they export. Throughout theCo-op there is a strong understanding ofcoffee quality and the process of de-pulp-ing coffee beans to create the washed arabica that is theworldwide standard for green coffee. The washed cof-fee that arrives to us from Coyona is as near perfect ascan be. Why then do those farmers hold aside a differ-ent inventory to roast for home use?

The coffee that growers keep for themselves is natu-ral dried coffee. The special location of this region of

Coyona, just on the edge of the jungle and the desert,means the beans can dry quickly and uniformly, keep-

ing the juicy sweetness of the coffeecherry. The beans offer a stronger, deep-er flavor. Natural dried coffees fromEqual Exchange’s partners in Ethiopiaare widely enjoyed for their more devel-oped fruit flavors and a richer body.When we visited Coyona this past har-vest, thoughtful Co-op leaders like JoeDamiano of Greenstar, Michelle Frank-

lin of La Montanita, and Kim Hash of Lakewindsexpressed an interest in bringing the bold-flavoredPeru Naturals to their customers to enjoy.

For that reason, Equal Exchange imported a limitedsupply of a few hundred pounds of Peru Naturals.These coffees are organically farmed like all the othercoffee from Cooperativa José Gabriel Condorcanquí,

summer eating July 2014 5

Cook ThoroughlyTo gauge the temperature of a grill without a thermometer, placeyour open palm about five inches above the grill rack; the fire ishigh if you have to move your hand in two seconds, medium ifyou have to move your hand in five seconds and low if you haveto move your hand in 10 seconds. To gauge if your meat isdone, the best method is to check its internal temperature

with an instant-read thermometer.

DE-FLAME – For the best grilling you typically wantcoals, not flames. Use a spray bottle with water todouse flames, but not to extinguish coals. Cook foodto a safe minimum internal temperature (see below)to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultrycooked on a grill often browns very fast on the out-side. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food hasreached a safe minimum internal temperature.

SAFE MINIMUM INTERNAL TEMPERATURESMEATS – Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, chops,and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of

145°F. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least threeminutes before carving or consuming.

GROUND MEATS – Cook all raw ground beef, pork, and lambto an internal temperature of 160°F.

POULTRY – Cook all ground poultry to a safe minimum internaltemperature of 165°F.

Serving the FoodAfter cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot untilserved at 140°F or warmer. Keep cooked meats hot by settingthem to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals wherethey could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hotin an oven set at approximately 200°F, in a chafing dish or slowcooker, or on a warming tray.

When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don’t putcooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry.Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could con-taminate safely cooked food.

LeftoversRefrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discardany food left out more than two hours (one hour if temperaturesare above 90°F). Always refrigerate perishable food within twohours. Refrigerate within one hour when the temperature is above90°F. Enjoy your summer meals SAFELY!

BY BOB TERO, PERISHABLES MANAGER

Summer is a terrific time to enjoy cooking andeating outdoors. Warm weather means spe-cial care when preparing and serving foods,

so here are some important food safety tips to keep in mind when enjoying your al frescorepasts…

Home FirstWhen shopping at your Co-op, pick out your coldfood, like meat and poultry, last, right before checkout.Separate raw meat and poultry from other food in yourshopping cart to guard against cross-contamination,which can happen when raw meat or poultry juicesdrip on other food. Put packages of raw meat and poul-try into separate plastic or paper bags for the trip home.

Plan to drive directly home from the store. Alwaysrefrigerate perishable food within two hours, or with-in one hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Oncehome, place any meat or poultry in the refrigeratorimmediately, and freeze poultry and ground meat thatwon’t be used in one or two days.

Thaw SafelyCompletely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so itcooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safethawing or thaw sealed packages in running cold water.For quicker thawing, you can microwave defrost if thefood will be placed immediately on the grill.

Keep Cold Food ColdKeep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use.Take meat and poultry out and immediately place onthe grill. When using a cooler, keep it out of the directsun and avoid opening the lid too often, which letscold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in onecooler and perishable food in a separate cooler.

Keep EverythingCLEANBe sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters.To prevent food borne illnesses DO NOT use thesame platter and utensils for raw and cooked meatand poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meatand poultry and their juices can contaminate safelycooked food. If you’re eating away from home, at apark or campsite, find out if there’s a source of cleanwater. If not, bring water for preparation and clean-ing. Or pack clean cloths, and moist towelettes forcleaning surfaces and hands.

PREP what you will cook on the grill ahead of time.Have clean serving dishes ready to catch what comesoff the grill. Avoid cross-contamination by using sep-arate cutting boards, utensils and platters for raw andcooked foods; refrigerate foods while marinating; andnever baste with the marinating liquid. (Make extramarinade just for basting or boil your marinating liq-uid first.)

MARINATE your meat for at least an hour beforegrilling in vinegars, herbs, and spices high in antioxi-dants to curb the formation of heterocyclic amines, ahighly carcinogenic compound which forms in meatcooked at high temps.

PERU NATURALSBRINGING THE COFFEE FARMERS’P R I VAT E R E S E RV E B E A N S T O C O-O P S H O P P E R S!

GREAT GRILLING:HOT WEATHER FOOD SAFETY

TIPS!!tastySAFETY

but because of the small lot size, no organic certification paper-work was filed for this micro-lot. We roasted the beans in our verypopular French Roast style, which caramelized the sweetness andbrought out the fruit and deep earth flavors.

There is some poetry to having this natural processed coffee fromour farmer partners. It was a small shipment of natural processedcoffee that was the first export of the co-operative when they beganin 1997. Now is your chance to enjoy the coffee the way the farm-ers themselves think it is best. Look for Peru Naturals at yourfavorite Co-op, get it while you can at all La Montanita storesas supplies are limited.

FOLLOW THESE IMPORTANTFOOD SAFETY TIPS!

BY VALERIE SMITH, NOB HILL STORE TEAM LEADER

II ’m frequently told that I have beautiful skin–and while theflattery is nice, my skin looks like it does because I take careof it. In my years here at the Co-op

I’ve discovered a few fundamentals:1. EAT GOOD FOOD, five to nine serv-ings of fruits and vegetables every day!Limit processed foods.2. DRINK MORE WATER. Glowing skinis hydrated skin.3. AVOID TOXICS. Get a few house-plants to filter the air; use natural, non-toxic body care; quit smoking. 4. NOURISH AND PROTECT. Outer lay-ers can be damaged and worn away withrough treatment, so be kind!

Feed your SkinSome of my favorite skin secrets aren’t lotions or oils; they’refoods; and there are some foods that directly nourish it. The greatnews: they’re delicious, too! Here are a few of my favorites: • ALMONDS. One ounce contains 35% of the daily value of vitaminE, an important fat-soluble antioxidant. As it combats free radical dam-age, the monounsaturated fat in almonds helps the skin stay elastic andhydrated. All nuts are a good source of biotin, a B vitamin essential forhair and skin health. Olives and avocados are good alternatives.• RED BELL PEPPERS. Packed with vitamin C and bioflavonoids, redpeppers are good for the health of blood vessels that supply food andoxygen to the skin. Berries can be substituted here.• DARK SALAD GREENS. These bitter greens act as a digestive stim-ulant and gentle detoxifier. Skin is an organ of elimination, helping topush out toxins. Cleansing foods make the skin’s job easier.• EGGS. Their protein is high in sulfur, and this makes it perfect forfeeding the protein structure of the skin. Egg yolk is high in vitamin A,a critical skin vitamin. A vegan alternative might be beans with a sideof butternut squash or glazed carrots.

co-op news July 2014 6

• APRICOTS. Each one has over 15% of the dailyvalue for vitamin A. It comes as beta-carotene,which the body converts into vitamin A. Allcarotenes are antioxidants as well, and combatfree radical damage. Any vegetable that is brightred, orange or yellow will have a lot.• KIWI. There’s a full day’s supply of vitamin C ineach kiwi, as well as 250mg of potassium.

Potassium not only helps your energylevel, it combats the water retentioncaused by eating too much salt, thatcan cause your skin to look puffy anddull. Oranges can fill in here.

All these foods are great for snackingand adding to meals in salads andsides. They are also great for the heart,brain, and the immune system. Fosterbeautiful skin with these yummy foodsand your whole body will benefit.

SunscreensBecause in days past I spent so

much time helping customers select sun-screens, I spent a lot of time researching them.I also needed my own guidelines for pickingand using sunscreens. Here is what I came upwith:• VALUE OF FULL-SPECTRUM. Rememberwhen sunscreens were called “tanning lotions?”They protected from the UVB rays that cause sun-burn, not the UVA rays which cause prematureaging and increased risk of cancer. The only ingre-dients that protect from UVA rays, remain effec-tive over time, and aren’t considered health risks—are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.• APPLY ENOUGH. The SPF is rated for a 150-pound, 5’4”person wearing a swimsuit. That per-son would need to use 1 oz. of sunscreen. Youwon’t need as much if you wear long sleeves andpants, but don’t skimp on exposed skin.

NOURISH YOURSELF, NOURISH YOUR SKIN

• AVOID HARMFUL CHEMICALS. Look for prod-ucts without parabens, triethanolamine, or petroleumproducts. Likewise, learn and avoid your allergies.• APPLY APPROPRIATELY. Use a higher SPF forlong outdoor sessions than for the drive to work.Look for water-resistant options and re-apply oftenwhen swimming.• REMEMBER SUNSCREENS WON’T DO EVERY-THING. Wear a hat and loose, long-sleeve shirt whenyou’re outside. Eat in the shade, and avoid the 10amto 2pm sunlight.

My next move? Get the people in my family to usesunscreen more often, especially my son, who cansidestep a lifetime of problems by starting now.Children have very thin skin and are more prone toburns. Treat your child’s sunscreen like any medicineand keep it out of reach when not in use. Even thesafest sunscreen is potentially dangerous when ingest-ed. You can use the same sunscreen that you use foryourself on your children as long as it’s full-spectrum.Be diligent about applying it.

Is it safe to use a sunscreen with chemical ingredientsin it? Given that UVA and UVB rays are known car-cinogens, any effective, full-spectrum sunscreen is bet-ter than no protection. That said my preference iswith natural bases and zinc oxide.

I find summer skin more prone to hot irritations, likeathlete’s foot, heat rash and sunburn. Aloe vera is agreat summer companion. It’s cooling, soothing andmildly anti-fungal, and can be used internally and top-ically. I use it liberally on my skin after sun exposure orwhen it’s irritated. The Co-op stocks a good variety ofnatural sunscreens, and a variety of aloe products.

Come visit Jennifer at Nob Hill, Lisa Rae at theValley Co-op, Katherine at Westside or Michael inSanta Fe, any time for deeper explanations anddemos of some of our favorite skin care products!

are worse for you than possible exposure to UV rays. The fact is, high SPF or ease of application don’t nec-essarily mean you’re doing your skin any favors.According to EWG:

“Almost every American-marketed sunscreen with anSPF of 15 or higher meets the FDA’s rules for ‘broadspectrum protection,’ meaning that it can claim toprotect skin against both ultraviolet A and B rays. The catch is,the FDA has set a low bar. According to our modeling of sun-screen ingredients and their effectiveness, EWG estimates thathalf of the US sunscreens that meet the FDA rules would notmake it to store shelves in Europe, where, since 2006, sunscreenmakers have voluntarily complied with stricter European Unionstandards (European Commission 2006).”

The keys to keeping your skin healthy yearround in the New Mexico sun are 1. Keep your-self covered; 2. Avoid a sunburn; 3. Do yourhomework and make sure your sunscreen isn’t

more harmful than it is helpful.

TIPS for picking a good sunscreen

NO Spray SunscreensNO Super-High SPFs

NO Oxybenzone and OtherEndocrine Disrupting Chemicals

NO Retinyl PalmitateNO Combined Sunscreen/Bug

RepellentsNO Sunscreen Towelettes or powders

NO Tanning Oils

See how Co-op sunscreens measure up on theEWG SUNSCREEN DATABASE of over 700 sun-screens: bit.ly/1q0bboc. Read more about pro-tecting yourself from the sun: www.ewg.org/2014sunscreen.

SUN SAFETY: THE TRUTHABOUT SUNSCREEN

SummerSKIN CARE FROM YOURCO-OP

B E A U T I F U L S K I N S TA RT S O N T H E I N S I D E

L I T T L E S U B H E A D

BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER

Every year doctors diagnose more than two mil-lion Americans with skin cancer, and the rate ofmelanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer,

has tripled since the 1970s. Living in the land of per-petual sun, it’s important that New Mexicans get thestraight scoop on preventing excessive sun exposure andsunburns which, according to the CDC, increase your riskfor skin cancer.

Recently, the Environmental Working Group published aSun Safety public education campaign to help consumersget the straight dope on sunscreen. Over the past eightyears EWG has seen little improvement in conventionalsunscreens, and in some cases, the chemicals they contain

BY AMY LEE UDELL

Having spent several years living in the Deep South, I knowthat sweet tea is an institution. You can't get it just anywhere,which makes it more special than the sum of its qualities. Sun tea

is another institution in many households. There's just something aboutthat warm jug of water magically transformed by summer's rays. Youcan't get it in any restaurant. When it's hot, nothing refreshes quite likea glass of iced tea. But if the caffeine doesn't work for you or sweet tea isjust too sweet, there are many other ways to enjoy your iced tea.

You can buy decaf black tea to reduce your caffeine load. Or try a white,red or green tea. A jasmine green with a touch of honey is divine! Tomake just a glass, boil a small amount of water (less than half of yourglass size) and then steep your serving of tea. Don't let your green teasteep too long and get bitter! Remove your tea bag or ball and into thewarm water stir your honey. Fill your glass with lots of ice and then pourthe sweetened tea over it. You would just multiply this process for a bigpitcher or jug, the keys being a stronger brew, sweetening while warm,and icing to dilute.

For larger batches, I also love my French press! It's perfect for iced tea. Imake a double-strength batch and pour it over ice if I'm ready right away

for some sipping. The rest can cool inthe press (on the counter or in thefridge) or it can be mixed with honeyor sugar while warm and then icedand stored. The French press makesit easy to use loose teas and herbs.

That brings us to the fun of herbal blends. You canadd herbs into your traditional tea leaf brews or onlyuse herbs for completely caffeine-free and evenmedicinal blends. The variations are endless and canreally be tailored to what your family needs. Perhapsyou already have something in your garden or onyour shelf? Look around for these common herbs:Mint (a classic), Lemon balm (refreshing and calm-ing), Lavender (sophisticated), Chamomile (great forkids), Ginger (great for tummies), Orange zest (a lit-tle zing), Rose hips (vitamin C)

Try these individually to really appreciate each fla-vor, or combine them for fun, variety, or medicinalvalue. I really love hibiscus. It looks fruity and juicy

and is thirst quenching. I don't need tosweeten it, but love to add twists of lime.Sometimes I will mix it with juice beforegiving it to the kids to reduce the sugarcontent of the juice. Iced tea and lemon-ade is a classic, but you can experimentwith different combinations and makeyour own kid (or adult) friendly fruitjuice cocktail.

Here are two sugar-free ways of sweetening a tea or herbalblend. For the first, add green, whole leaf stevia to yourbrew. Let it steep with your leaves or flowers. You'll needto experiment to see what amount is best for you, but it'sa great way to try stevia in its natural form. Anothersweetening method is to add licorice root to your blends.Licorice lends enough sweetness to satisfy my kids. Trythat and you may not need any additional sugar.

Have extra tea? Or did you make it a little too sweet?Turn it into ACTUAL iced tea. That is, turn it into ice!You can freeze it into cubes so that you can ice futurebatches without diluting it. OR make iced tea popsfor a real summertime treat.

Get a Summertime Lift!

TEATIME!!!!COOLCOOL DOWNDOWN AATT

SUN TEA ttiimmee!!

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.

7/15 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

7/20 Board Elections CandidateNominations period OPENS

7/21 Member Engagement Committee

July is Volume Discount Shopping Month!THE MORE YOU SPEND THE MORE YOU SAVE!

JulyCalendarof Events

co-op news July 2014 7

BY LISA BANWARTH-KUHN

Our Global Ends Policystates: “A co-operativecommunity built on be-

neficial relationships based inhealthy food, sound environ-mental practices, and a stronglocal economy with results that justify the resources used.”There is an easy way to coopera-tively keep our Co-op on track with our ends poli-cy! Bet you didn’t even know you were doing it!

Have you ever wondered what happens to themoney donated at the register when you bring yourown grocery bag? La Montañita has a programcalled, “Donate-a-Dime.” When you bring yourown bag, you reduce your carbon footprint, and LaMontañita will donate a dime to a worthy organi-zation! Watch it all add up and work to the “Ends.”

Visit our new website filled with brilliantly coloredphotos and smiling faces that follow you as youexplore the Co-op online. At lamontanita. coop/dimeyou will find the recipients of our contributions fromthe last few years. It is an impressive list of local

organizations and programs and theamount of contributions that ourmember owners have provided justby shopping at the Co-op with theirown shopping bags!

This one little step covers the objec-tives of the Ends Policy; our memberowners purchase healthy food at our

food cooperative and using your own shoppingbag is a conscientious decision to honor a smallbut effective environmental practice. Donatingyour dime helps local organizations stay strongfinancially and focused on their contribution tothe community and with only a dime we canjustify the resources we use!

The Board of Directors may think in broaderterms when writing the ends policy but asmember/owners we can do our part everytime we shop. Take pride in yourself as yousupport your community!

I am pleased to announce that wewill offer a Volume Discount eventduring the month of July. We typi-cally just have two Volume Discountmonths, February and October, butthe available discounts are such avalue for our members I thought, whynot try a summer event.

I have wanted to add a VolumeDiscount month for several years; this year all thepieces fell into place to move forward. This is agreat opportunity to stock up on your summersupplies and save money in the process. We areexcited to offer this opportunity to save and hopeyou will take advantage.

The July Volume Discount will offer the same dis-counts as the February and October events. Whenyou spend up to $74.99 you receive a 10% dis-count, if you spend $75.00 to $174.99 you receivea 15% discount, and above $175 receives a 20%discount.

We have mailed each member house-hold the volume discount coup-on just like we always do. Look for itin your mailbox on July 1. Then comeon in to the Co-op and save on allyour summer healthy eating and bodycare needs.

Do you know someone in your neigh-borhood that doesn’t already shop at

the Co-op? This is a great month to introducethem to your Co-op as many new members savethe cost of their annual ownership in just one vol-ume discount shopping trip. Then the savings willreally add up again in October.

Please let me know if I can ever be of service. I canbe reached by e-mail at terryb@lamontanita.coop,or by phone at 505-217-2020. Thanks for yourcontinued support of the Co-op you own.

VOLUME DISCOUNT MONTH

THE INSIDE SCOOP

GENERAL MANAGER’S COLUMNt e r r y b @ l a m o n t a n i t a . c o o p

TO HONOR LA MONTANITA’S ENDS POLICY

DONATE-A-DIME!

FOODSHED UPDATE: AFFORDABLE AND LOCAL!AFFORDABLE AND LOCAL!

BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER

Recently the Co-op Distribution Center part-nered with Navajo Pride to bring affordablebulk items to our stores and our distribution

customers. Navajo Pride is a brand of the NavajoAgricultural Products Industry, oneof the largest agricultural producersin the Southwest. They employ 332employees year round to farm, har-vest, pack, and ship pumpkins, pop-corn, potatoes, beans, hay, and othergoods all over the country.

The Navajo Nation was awardedwater rights in 1868, and over theyears has installed 84 pumpingplants, 90 miles of concrete lined canals, and 13 miles oftunnels to pipe water to irrigate 110,630 acres of farm-land. Last year they planted 1,803 acres of table stockpotatoes to grow over 600,000 pounds of potatoes.

While historically Navajo Pride has sold their goodsinto national markets, recently, they have recognizedthe need to feed their neighbors. In collaboration withthe Co-op Distribution Center, Navajo Pride flour andbeans will now be available in Co-op stores and toCDC customers. These non-GMO conventional prod-ucts offer an incredibly affordable option to stock yourpantry with local staples.

The CDC’s mission is to build a stronger regional foodsystem by creating and sustaining markets for producers

F O R A S T R O N G F O O D S H E D

NAVAJO PRIDE of a variety of sizes. Working with large producerslike Navajo Pride enables the Co-op to bring ownersand shoppers affordable products from a localsource. Partnerships with larger, more establishedagricultural producers like Navajo Pride enables usto foster relationships with smaller producers build-ing their businesses and their brands.

A strong foodshed works when producersat all scales can successfully do business—from the farmers’ market to commoditymarkets—and when shoppers of manyincome levels can afford to participate.Navajo Pride represents a scale of produc-tion, in our region, that can feed familieson a tight budget.

While the Co-op often has a reputation forhigh prices, the reality is, we work hard to giveeveryone involved a more fair piece of the pie. Westrive for fair wages for our workers, and to payour producers a fair price for their goods. Thisoften means we have to charge a price that is morethan a conventional grocery store would charge.That said we recognize that shoppers often have toweigh the cost of high quality local food against thelimits of their pocketbooks.

Working with Navajo Pride is an opportunityto bring affordable, quality local bulk items toour shoppers.

The more you SPENDthe more youSAVE!

SAVE UP TO 20% $0.00 - $74.99 GETS 10% $75.00 - $174.99 GETS 15% • $175.00 + GETS 20%Want to get your volume discount on larger quantities of products? Special order 25-50lb. sacks of bulk items or cases of your favorite products at least one week in advanceof the day you would like to shop using your Discount Coupon. Due to high sales dur-ing Volume Discount Month we cannot always provide larger quantities without a spe-cial order. To place orders call: Nob Hill, 505-265-4631; Valley, 505-242-8800; SantaFe, 505-984-2852; Gallup, 505-863-5383; Westside, 505-503-2550.

MEMBER AAPPPPRREECCIIAATTIIOONNVOLUME DDIISSCCOOUUNNTT

DAYS!JULYis anEXTRA SPECIALVOLUME DISCOUNT MMOONNTTHHWE HEARD YOU!!!

SHOPSHOP

By Jennifer Quinn, Nob Hill Purchaser• Emily Bharatiya makes SUNSHINE GARDEN LOTIONS locally,with evening primrose oil, macadamia, and jojoba oil. • SUPER SALVE COCONUT CREAM is super-luscious and mois-turizing by the Super Salve Company in Mogollon, NM, SuperSalve also makes the amazing SIERRA MADRE SUN CREAM!! • ELEMENTAL HERBS SPORT SPF 33 SUNSCREEN is myfavorite sunscreen. It has no chemicals, goes on clear, is oceanfriendly, gluten free, vegan and biodegradable with zinc oxide asthe active sunscreen ingredient!!

JENNIFER’S FAVES FORSUMMER skin care

GOco-op

SANDIA SOAP KYZER FARM

We are independent! True independence comes from

vibrant connections to our community, environment, and

economy. As a Co-op, we rely on our neighbor farmers,

ranchers and artisans to provide our stores with fresh,

healthy food and products. These partnerships mean we

are independent from many of the unsustainable systems

required to bring us food from far off places. Through

interdependence, community-oriented entrepreneurs

can be independent businesses and

can prioritize the environment, animal

welfare, and public health. This way we

celebrate abundance today without

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

AGAPAO COFFEE

“Soap making is a beautiful art. My soaps are colorful creations that come into this world in small, handmade batches. Bars cured in this magical arid land are naturally harder. Along with my famous silky formula this creates a sudsy, moisturizing soap that lasts forever.”

The high quality of the soap is one of the reasons Sandia Soap is the largest natural soap company in New Mexico, pouring over 20,000 pounds a year. Since 1999, Chris mixes and pours every bar himself. He credits our own Valerie Smith of Nob Hill as his inspiration. She was his first customer and through her encouragement, the rest is history!

NOLINAS PRODUCE

LEMITAR, NEW MEXICO

“We were born to raise animals —we take care of them and they take care of us.” Robert Kyzer, knows that slow, natural growth produces solid, quality meat. The animals raised at Kyzer Farm are gentle and contented. The animals stay on the farm from birth to market and the Kyzers

see them every day. That familiarity fosters a gentle, contented animal. They are never grazed on chemically sprayed land and are never given hormones or antibiotics. These heirloom breeds are grain-fed, supplemented with local vegetables and, occasionally, whey. This New Mexico pork has exceptional mouth-watering flavor, texture and juiciness.

Nolina’s Heavenly Organics is a petite artisan farm, purchased in 2004 when several small gardens were started. Organic certification was applied for right away, probably the smallest farm ever inspected! Since the land was pristine, the farm became Certified Organic.

They continually sell greens: rainbow chard, spinach, kale, mustard greens, turnips. Garlic is their specialty! Currently 69 varieties are grown on the farm. Many of the garlics are unique, heirloom varieties, both domestic and international in origin. The remaining garlic crop is of the hardneck variety, displaying a range of colors from reds to purples to stripes.

“It’s a family based business and life is fun.” Dave, the bean man, owner of Agapao Coffee is dedicated to the good things in life; his family, the love of coffee and giving back to the com-munity. His organic coffees come straight from the farmers and a portion of the money goes

directly back to the farmers. Currently, Agapao is helping to rebuild a school and delivering the equipment personally. Agapao roasts over 25 varieties of coffee from Costa Rica, to Sumatra to Kenya and has a range of unique proprietary blends. Under the passionate guidance of their master roaster, only the absolute finest coffees on the globe are selected to create signature single origin coffees.

LUQUE(Lou-Kay)

MEAT SAUCE

Fresh tomatoes, fresh green bell peppers,onions, celery and the perfect

blend of seasoning!

Made with

VEGETARIAN

+

LUQUE(Lou-Kay)

MEAT SAUCE

New Mexico green chile,fresh tomatoes & the

perfect blend ofseasoning!

PoundNutritiousBISON!*

Made with

+ +

SPICIN ’

BISO

N

LUQUE(Lou-Kay)

MEAT SAUCE

+

Fresh tomatoes, peppers and the perfect blend

of seasoning!

PoundNutritiousBISON!*

Made with

On burger bun & eat like a (gourmet) sloppy joeBread like french, italian, sourdough, or tortilla to soak up the sauceCompliments all pasta dishesUse over rice (white, brown, coconut)Eggs for a hearty breakfast — mix itOver squash — like spaghetti & acorn in with scrambled, or top it with a poached, basted or fried eggMake Nachos with itStuff a bell pepperOver polentaOver quinoaOver noodles

.

.

.

.

..

..

.

.. .............. .

.

.

.

.

.

...

.

.

.

Mix it with greens like spinach & kaleOver potatoes or mashing potatoes (fingerling) and mixing together with meat sauceInside or over a baked potatoWith cornbreadTop a burger with itStuff a burger with itOn top of bruschettaSpoon it on crackersWith tortilla chipsOver french friesOver gnocchiOn a hot dogZucchini boatAvocado boat, etc., etc.

Vegetarian SauceServe it with meatless chickenServe it with straight veggiesYou can cook with the sauceIt’s the perfect pasta sauceServe it with chickenServe it with fajitasServe it with porkServe it with TofuIt’s a marinadeServe it with fish(We love it with Salmon & any white fish)Serve it with sautéed vegetables over riceA customer emailed in “Its even more versatile than the meat sauces!”

NEW SUSHI EXPRESS

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

PECULIAR FARM

LOS LUNAS, NEW MEXICO

compromising future generations’ ability

to do the same—we call it community.

Celebrate your independence! Thank you,

if you are already a member/ owner!

If not, join us and have a voice in what is

important for a healthy future. Organic food free of

pesticides, hormones, and GMOs; sustainable, fair

and humane ranching and farming practices; local

folks who love what they do and pass it on to the

rest of us. Become a member/owner and help direct

a future where we all can live well! Only $15 per

year—only $1.25 a month! and YOU OWN IT!

Peculiar Farms offers a wide variety of heirloom and traditional vegetables and fruits for the discerning palette. They promise the highest quality in taste and presentation to make the consumer feel as though they just picked the produce outside their screen door.

Peculiar Farms is committed to using the resources of its Los Lunas farm wisely to produce healthy food. This means organic methods of farming, coupled with superior varieties, using only well water. The vision of Peculiar farms is far reaching; fruits and vegetables are only the tip of the iceberg, farming and cooking classes, tours, and expanded product lines like Araucana eggs and a host of meats.

David Ong prides himself on the use of the highest organic ingredients in his sushi. For seven years he has provided the Co-op with over 20 varieties of sushi, freshly made daily, with an emphasis on Vegan and Vegetarian. The sprouted brown rice is always top grade

organic as are most of the vegetables creating a meal low in saturated fat and high in protein and minerals. New Sushi Express works from the Santa Fe Co-op deli (you can catch them in action if you get there early) and delivers to all ABQ locations. Having a party? New Sushi Express caters at customer request. Ask at the Information Desk.

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

great grilling July 2014 10

enjoy the

OUTDOOREATINGseason!

GRILLED VEGETABLE SALAD SUPPERFROM ADRIENNE WEISS • Serves: 4/Time: 45 minutes

Grilling brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables.Uniting these with a variety of fresh herbs helps to cre-ate one satisfying, light, and healthy summer meal. Letwhatever veggies are seasonal and fresh dictate whatgoes into this delicious dish.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil,divided

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar2-3 cloves garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon sugar (coconut palm sugar preferred)1/4 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper3 cups cooked quinoa, rice, or other grain1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped1 tablespoon fresh chives, snipped1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped1 teaspoon fresh savory, chopped1 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices1 yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices1 fennel bulb, cut into thin strips1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced1 red onion, diced1 cup white mushrooms, halvedMixed salad greens

Preheat grill to medium temperature. In a small bowl,combine 1/2 cup oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, mustard, salt,and pepper for dressing. Place cooked quinoa in a largebowl and add tomatoes, parsley, chives, basil, tarragon,and savory. Pour on small amount of dressing and toss tocoat. Set aside. Reserve remaining dressing for later.

In a separate bowl, combine zucchini, squash, fennel,bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms. Add 2 tablespoonsoil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Transfer vegetables to a grill basket and place onto hotgrill. Cook until vegetables are grilled on the outside andslightly tender on the inside, turning as needed, about 15minutes.

Spoon quinoa mixture onto plates lined with a bed ofmixed greens. Top with grilled vegetables and drizzleremaining dressing over composed salad.

GRILLED TEMPEH SKEWERS with FRESHCUCUMBER SALADFROM ADRIENNE WEISS • Serves: 3-5/Time: 1 hour

Tempeh, nectarines, bell peppers, onions, and peanut but-ter combine for a mouthwatering southeast Asian culi-nary treat. Tempeh holds up well on a skewer, absorbingthe smoky flavor from the grill. The spicy peanut sauceacts as a natural fat that encourages cooking andcaramelizes the natural sugars of the fruits and vegetables.This pairs well with fresh cucumber salad. It is a light andrefreshing complement to the smoky flavors of the grilledskewers. Makes 10 skewers.

Spicy Peanut Sauce1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari2 tablespoons rice vinegar2 teaspoons ginger, minced1 clove garlic, minced1 teaspoon chile sauce such as Sriracha, or any

other variety1/2 cup water

In a medium-size bowl, mix together peanut butter, maplesyrup or agave, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, ginger,garlic, and chile sauce. Slowly whisk in water until a bar-becue-sauce-like consistency has been reached.

Skewers16 ounces tempeh or seitan, cubed10 bamboo skewers, soaked for 30 minutes1 yellow onion, thickly diced1 red bell pepper, thickly diced1 green bell pepper, thickly diced2 nectarines, thickly dicedSpicy peanut sauce (see above)Grape seed oil for the grill

Using a stainless steel grill topper is recommended. It sitsdirectly on top of the grill, retaining charred flavor andpreventing small vegetables from falling into the fire.

In a steamer basket over boiling water, steam tempeh orseitan for 20 minutes, covered. Heat grill to medium-hightemperature. On each bamboo skewer, alternate ingredi-

ents, leaving 1 to 2 inches free on both ends. Using abrush, baste each completed skewer with a layer ofpeanut sauce on all sides.

Make sure grill topper is lightly oiled and place direct-ly on grill. Leave grill open throughout cooking toavoid higher heat that can quickly burn skewers. Grillskewers for 7 to 8 minutes, until marks have formed.Turn over and grill other side for 7 to 8 minutes.Spoon additional peanut sauce over cooked skewersand serve immediately.

FRESH CUCUMBER SALADServes: 3-5/Time: 15 minutes

3 tablespoons lime juice2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari1 tablespoon sugar (low-glycemic coconut palm

sugar preferred)1 clove garlic, minced2 tablespoons mint, roughly chopped1 teaspoon jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced2 large cucumbers, peeled, sliced lengthwise, seeded,

and thinly sliced1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts

In a small bowl, mix lime juice, soy sauce or tamari,sugar, garlic, mint, and jalapeño. Add cucumber slicesand peanuts. Toss gently and serve.

NEGIMISO VEGGIE DOG with WASABIOVEN FRIESFROM TERRY HOPE ROMERO • Serves: 4/Time: 50 minutes

The crunch of stir-fried cabbage and the tang of savorymiso sauce top a grilled veggie dog. Accompanied by aside of wasabi-seasoned fries, get ready for a Japanese-style barbecue.

Wasabi Oven Fries4 cups russet potatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil2 tablespoons toasted sushi nori flakes (sheet

crumbled)2 tablespoons wasabi powder 2 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Miso Sauce1/4 cup hot water2 tablespoons white or yellow miso2 teaspoons sugar2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

Veggie Dogs1 tablespoon vegetable oil2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage4 long hoagies or rolls of choice, split4 large plump veggie dogs of choice (Tofurky

or Fieldroast recommended)2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced, for garnish

Preheat oven to 475ºF and line a large baking sheet withparchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, toss potatoslices with oil and spread in a single layer on sheet. Roastfor 20 minutes and then flip fries. Roast for another 4 to8 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer fries back to large mix-ing bowl.

For wasabi topping, in a small bowl combine nori flakes,wasabi powder, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle baked fries withrice vinegar, then with half of the wasabi topping. Tossfries, then sprinkle with remaining topping and tossagain. Keep warm in oven or serve immediately.

Begin the miso sauce while the potatoes are in the oven.In a small saucepan, whisk together all ingredients untilsmooth. Over medium-low heat, cook mixture and gen-tly simmer (don't boil), stirring constantly until sauce isthick and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove fromheat and cover pan.

When you have completed the sauce, heat oil in large skil-let (preferably cast iron) over high heat. Stir fry cabbage forabout 3 minutes or until crisp. Transfer cabbage to medi-um bowl and set aside. Toast rolls.

For veggie dogs, prepare grill by cleaning well and gener-ously applying oil to grates by rubbing thoroughly acrossthem, or liberally spraying with non-stick cooking oil.Preheat grill using high temperature setting. Grill dogs 4 to5 minutes, rolling often to char evenly.

To assemble, place warm dog in toasted roll. Top with 1tablespoon warm miso sauce, 1/2 cup fried cabbage and1 tablespoon chopped scallions. Serve immediately.

great grilling July 2014 11

veggies ofSUMMER

the

Mary Alice Cooper,MD

BY ARI LEVAUX

When Michelle Obama converted part ofher lawn into a garden six years ago,she made it look easy. And lawn killing

certainly can be easy, depending on your gameplan. Or it can be a difficult, frustrating failure.The First Lady's method was detailed in a recent storyon www.theatlantic.com, written by the son of thefarmer who assisted her. Organic soil from a nearbyfarm in Pennsylvania was trucked down PennsylvaniaAvenue and dumped into wooden frames on the WhiteHouse lawn.

This is a perfectly good tactic, if you have the resources,and want to garden in raised beds. Assuming you do, it is without ques-tion the quickest way to convert lawn into garden.

For demonstration gardens, or for gardeners with limited space or littletolerance for mess, raised beds can be a great system. But for large plotsof land, a ground-level garden comes with more options, and less car-pentry involved.

To kill lawn for a ground-level garden, you can either take the easy way,which works, or your choice of hard ways, which don't. The easy wayis to cover the lawn with plastic and wait for it to die. A more commonapproach is to dig up your lawn, pulling out the grass as you go. Evenif you use a tiller, this is backbreaking work that usually fails becauseroots, including little pieces of chopped roots, will inevitably stay in theground. Grass roots are extremely hardy and will re-sprout, sendingtheir grassy whiskers throughout your new garden and quickly rebuild-ing a network of roots.

Meanwhile, all the plant material that is removed from the soil representsfertility leaving the garden. To be fair, the pulled-up grass could be com-posted, but then there is still the matter of the roots remaining in the soil.

Another bad tactic is to cut and remove the sod where you want toplant. As with digging the grass, enough of the roots will likely be leftbehind that the lawn will return. And by removing sod, you're not onlylosing the potential fertility of the grass, but the actual fertility of the

farming & gardening July 2014 12

topsoil bound in its roots. And you'll need toimport dirt to replace the sod and bring the gardenup to ground level.

So unless you're building raised beds, tarping is theway to go. After a few months under the summer

sun, the grass and roots will have been transformedinto worm poop, and your lawn will be a garden.

The only downside to tarping is that you have toplan ahead, and then be patient. While it involvesvery little active work, you have to wait about tenweeks. So if you're hoping to turn your turf intotomatoes this summer, it's not going to happen(unless you ignore my advice, use the shovel, and dobattle with an endless parade of grass shoots inyour tomato patch).

The news that you can't, or at least shouldn't, gar-den in your lawn this summer might come as a dis-appointment, but here's a consolation prize: whenyou pull off that plastic in late summer, it will be theperfect time to get ready to plant garlic.

Garlic is planted in fall, sprouts in springtime, andproceeds to shoot up quickly. At the time of this writ-ing, my garlic is knee-high, and gearing up to pro-duce bulbs this summer. If your winters are mildenough, you could also plant hearty greens, like kale,in your former lawn, and let them overwinter.

FLASH IN THE PAN

GGaaiinniinnggggaarrddeenniinnggggrroouunndd!!

HOW TO

KILLYOURLAWN

Whatever you choose to plant in the lawn's wake,the cause of death will remain the same. Blackplastic is ideal. White plastic reflects too muchlight and won't heat up enough, while clear plas-tic can get too hot, enough to kill soil bacteria andsend the bugs crawling to deeper, cooler quarters.

Black plastic is widely available, usually in rolls,at hardware or garden stores—if not, it can beordered. You want it about two to four mils thick("mil" being the unit of thickness used to measuretarp thickness).

Before laying down the tarp, I like to dig a narrowtrench around the perimeter of the garden plot thatI'm envisioning. I toss the shovelfuls of dug sod intothe middle of garden spot. This step isn't necessary,but it helps me visualize the garden to come.

Eventually, the converted lawn is going to needsome kind of border, in order to ensure that thesurrounding grass doesn't re-colonize its formerturf. Such a barrier, like lawn edging, will be easi-er to install once the grass is dead. But keep thisfuture step in mind.

On a non-windy day, place your plastic on thefuture garden spot. If the plot requires multiplepieces, try to cut the plastic as few times as neces-sary, producing as few pieces as possible. Thepieces should overlap one another by at least afoot or two; don't allow any cracks between theplastic sheets.

As you lay out the plastic, cover it with objects toweigh it down. Almost anything with any densityto it will work as a weight, including bricks, blocks,boards, buckets, and bicycles, as well as items thatdon't begin with "B." It's especially important toweigh down the outer edge—fill the trench withheavy items—and along the overlap where twopieces of plastic come together. You want to makesure that no wind can get under the tarp.

Then, sit back and let the microbes, pill bugsand worms do their thing. You may be losinglawn, but hang onto that lawn chair. You'llneed it for sitting, while you sip somethingcold, as your lawn dies a slow death.

for sifting chaff from dry seeds; plastic tubs andbuckets for fermenting/floating tomato, squash,cucumber, and melon seeds; paper plates for dry-ing wet seeds, especially tomatoes; cloth sacks orpillowcases are ideal for drying or storing beans;

coin envelopes for seed packets; masking tape orlabels for marking seed jars—but never ever for-get to also put a small label or scrap of paperinside the jar because the tape/label will fall offeventually. You think you’ll remember exactlywhat’s in that jar? No. You won’t. Don’t argue!

If you’re serious about saving seeds but evenmore serious about sharing seeds, you owe it tothose who get your seed to accurately label them.If they want a tomato paste seeds but you actu-

farming & gardening July 2014 13

BY BRETT BAKKER

O kay, it’s July. Most everything in yourgarden has been planted. It’s time tokick back. Eee!, just kidding! Got any

deep shady spots that you can keep moist? Sowmore radishes (just be sure to pick them before theyget too large and pithy). And even though it’s hotout there, plant some mixed mustards and lettucesfor young greens picked quite early. In full sun, it’snot too late for a few more summer squashes, greenbeans, small/pickling cucumbers and a second (orthird if you’re really good) sowing of beets and car-rots. Just remember as the season gets later, plantsmaller and faster varieties; for example, a compact,tough and forgiving Chantenay carrot rather than thelonger season Imperators or Danvers types. Oh, anddon’t forget to prep some beds for fall greens that youcan plant in that tiny window of opportunity betweenthe blazing heat of August and the cooling nights ofSeptember.

Once you have all the planting done, it’s imperative toplan for harvest. Do you have enough baskets and steelbowls, sharp scissors/garden knives, drying racks (makeyour own or scavenged old window screens), and aclean airy place to hang herb bundles, garlic braids, andchile ristras? Also, don’t forget clean canning jars, lids,and enough pots to cook sauces and fruit butters.

If you’re saving your own seeds, there’s more to con-sider: Tarps for thrashing dried seedpods of beans ormustards; different size screens, sieves and colanders

ITCHY GREEN THUMBally give them a slicer by accident, you just messed up their gardenand canning plans.

Speaking of tomatoes, processing their seeds may sound complicated,but is is actually simple and messy fun. Gather the fruits from which youwant to save seed. Pro tip: use a bunch, not just two or three. The morefruits, the more diversity, and when it comes to seeds, diversity equals

strength. Scoop out the seeds with the “gel” included into atall plastic tub. It’s best if there’s enough juice to fill the con-tainer at least four or five inches. If not, add some water, butas little as possible. Write the name of the variety and dateon a paper plate (in pencil only; ink will run if it gets wet).Keep it with the tub in an undisturbed place indoors, prefer-ably far from your living quarters. The reason for this is thatyou’re going to let that tomato goo rot. And bubble. Andmold. And ferment. This is a good thing. A layer of moldscum will form at the top. If things are really working, it willbe a thick white layer that you can then just peel off and tossinto the compost. Carefully pour off the juice and anythingelse that hasn’t sunk to the bottom of the container. Thelightest and weakest seeds will have floated away but thebest and strongest seeds will have sunk.

As a bonus, during the fermentation process certain seed-borne dis-eases are killed off. Rinse the seeds well. Let drain in a sieve for anhour or so then dump onto your labeled paper plate. Put back in thatundisturbed place and let dry. The seeds will neatly dry in a clump butcan be easily broken apart before packing away.

While fermentation is not necessary with watermelon, the seedsshould be floated the same way. Work the seeds a bit with your fin-gers to loosen any residue on them. The best seeds will sink immedi-ately, second best will sink within ten or fifteen minutes. The rest usu-ally aren’t worth bothering with. The best part is, if you’re careful notto use too much water, you can drain it off, chunk in the watermelonflesh and add sugar to taste for the an extremely refreshing aqua fres-ca. You’ll enjoy this so much you won’t worry about thosestinky fermenting tomato seeds on the kitchen counter.

DEEPsummerin thegarden

Serious about SAVING ANDSHARING SEED...

be sure to label accurately

BY DOUG FINE, CHELSEA GREEN PUBLISHERS 2014REVIEWED BY ANN ADAMS

Iwas somewhat leery about reviewing Doug Fine’s latest book,Hemp Bound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the NextAgricultural Revolution. I was concerned that it would be a varia-

tion on corn being the biofuel of the future and a proclamation to plantmillions of acres of it with no regard for farming and soil realities.Given that he is a great investigative journalist and dedicated locavore,I shouldn’t have worried. As the back cover notes, hemp is “the billiondollar plant that is going to change our diet and farms, help restore oursoil, and wean us from petroleum.”

While Doug (a New Mexican) could excite a generation of farmers totransform every acre of soybeans and wheat planted into hemp (indus-trial cannabis as it is called), he also gives enough airtime to cautiousfarmers who have grown the crop in Canada, and businesspeople fromaround the world who process and create value-added products, tomake this book an excellent agricultural crop vertical integration casestudy for any budding entrepreneur. Ultimately, it is his insistence ontelling the whole story (both the challenges and the opportunities) thatsold me on this book.

Doug’s writing style is both entertaining and educational. He covers alot of social and political ground as well as the more germane agricul-

BOOK REVIEW:

tural and business issues. What wasmost exciting about this book wasthe focus on improved soil health asthe main reason that hemp has such potential as acash crop ($250 net/acre) in the US. It needs con-siderably less water than other commodity grainsand actually improves soil health because, as a“ditch weed,” it has a long taproot that brings upminerals and stabilizes soil.

At the time of this book’s publication, the questionof legally growing hemp in the US was still up inthe air. Since then, with the signing of the 2014Farm Bill, growing hemp has been made legal andthe 60-year-old ban that had kept American farm-ers from growing a valuable product is now ended.If you’ve never heard about all the incredible prop-erties of hemp, this book is a treasure trove ofinformation about hemp with even more resourceslisted in the book to explore.

Hemp has many uses if it is grown and harvestedproperly. It can be used for its incredibly healthy

oil—the seed has the highest and mostbalanced ratio of all seed oils (omega3 and omega 6). It has an incrediblystrong fiber that can be used to replacecotton (an environmentally challeng-ing fiber) as well as a high-insulating,strong building material when mixedwith lime to reduce the need of theenvironmentally challenging cement.These are clearly the best uses for a

product that America depended on for many yearsbefore the ban began in the 1930s.

While there has been some experimentation using hempas biofuel, it makes little sense to use any cropland forgrowing anything but food or fiber. However, by usingthe fiber (after harvesting the seed) for building and man-ufacturing materials that are currently created from fos-sil fuels, it can certainly help with the petroleum wean-ing Doug mentions in his book.

It isn’t often that a book about an agricultural productreads like the most exciting start up business opportu-nity in over half a decade, but that’s what Hemp Boundwas for me. If you are looking for a book that demon-strates, with humor, the intertwining of business, poli-tics, and agriculture, Hemp Bound will meet thatneed and educate you about one of the up-and-coming stars of US agriculture. To purchase thisbook, order it from your local bookstore.

Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Next Agricultural Revolution

HEMP BOUND

itchygreen tthhuummbb

In the US, the crops preferred by spotted wingdrosophila include raspberries, cherries, and blueber-ries, although it will also attack other soft-skinned

fruits such as blackberries, some grapes, figs,and wild hosts such as elderberry. Eggs and lar-vae may also be found in harder-skinned fruits(e.g., peaches, plums, and even tomatoes) if theskin has been damaged by other means (e.g.,birds or other insect pests). Windfall apples andpears may support larvae if allowed to softenand rot where they fall; home gardeners canhelp reduce the build-up of this pest by collect-ing and disposing of fallen fruit.

Spotted wing drosophila are difficult to managebecause pest control has to be directed at the adultflies, and few insecticides are safe to use on fruit soclose to harvest. Pollinator protection is an addi-tional concern in crops like raspberries, where bothflowers and ripening fruit may be present at thesame time. In addition, the fly can complete its lifecycle in less than four weeks (depending on temper-ature), so that many generations are possible in a

BY DR. TESS GRASSWITZ, NMSU

Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophilasuzukii), a small fruit fly that originated inAsia, has rapidly become a very damaging

pest of soft-skinned fruits in both Europe andNorth America, reaching as far north as parts ofCanada. In the US, it was first detected inCalifornia in 2008, and was found for the firsttime in New Mexico last summer in the LosLunas area (Valencia County). This tiny pestposes a new and formidable challenge for our soft-fruit growers. Unlikemost related fruit flies (which are a problem only on over-ripe fruit afterharvest), the females of D. suzukii are equipped with a saw-like egg-lay-ing structure, the ovipositor, that allows them to cut slits and lay eggs inhealthy, ripening fruit before it is harvested. The eggs hatch into smallwhite larvae that consume the fruit from within, while the cuts made bythe egg-laying females can allow fungi and bacteria to enter, resulting inrots and further losses.

single summer. As a result, populations tend tobuild up towards the end of the season, makinglate-fruiting crops particularly vulnerable.

New Mexico growers of susceptible fruit cropsshould be vigilant this summer; in other states thispest has spread extremely rapidly in the year fol-lowing its initial detection, so careful monitoring isadvised. Traps (or homemade equivalents) can beused for this purpose. They are usually baited withapple cider vinegar and should be placed close toripening fruit just before it starts to show color.Check the traps every few days for the presence ofthe flies—males are easiest to recognize as theyhave a distinctive spot on each wing. Females lackthe wing spots and are hard to identify withoutmagnification. Anyone finding this pest thissummer is urged to contact his or her localCounty Extension office for help and advice.

NEW PEST FOR NEW MEXICO

FRUIT GROWERSSPOTTED WING DROSOPHILA

have youSEEN THISFLY?

BY MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS

First there was Westland Development Com-pany. Then there was SunCal. Now there isWestern Albuquerque Land Holdings (WALH).

The prize: Full-scale development of 55,000 acres of landwest of Albuquerque reaching to the Rio Puerco. (Source:Albuquerque Business First, bit.ly/SLmIfJ)

Bernalillo County is now nearing the end of reviewing aMaster Plan for Santolina, which represents about 13,700acres of the total holdings. As with earlier efforts to devel-op the land, the investors proclaim a new era forAlbuquerque and Bernalillo County, with visions—thistime—of creating 75,000 jobs and homes for 90,000 peo-ple. More than a few concerns arise with this plan: water,transportation, sprawl, and what, if anything, do localgovernments “owe” to speculators.

ATRISCOThe land was once the Atrisco Land Grant, established in 1692. In 1967,Westland Development Company was formed with the heirs as stockhold-ers, although this process was highly contentious, with many grantees notwanting to see the land grant privatized in this way. SunCal Companiesbought the holdings in 2006 for $250 million. This deal was also highlycontentious among the Atrisco heirs. A few years later, creditors, includingBarclays Bank, placed all of SunCal’s various company properties into fore-closure and, in late 2010, Western Albuquerque Land Holdings bought theAtrisco lands for $148 million. (Source: www.bernco.gov/Santolina)

The proposed Santolina Master Plan includes residential and commercialuses along with some open space. The developers “anticipate” that fullbuild-out of the Santolina site will have 38,000 households and approxi-mately 75,000 jobs. At the current average household size of 2.4 people,Santolina could have over 90,000 residents.

CONCERNSSantolina raises some serious concerns:• ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Santolina is just 13,700 acres of devel-opment; there are still more than 40,000 acres north of I-40 that theinvestors will want to develop. Those impacts are not being considered,even while WALH and its developer, Garrett Development, are selling offsmall parcels in the northern section, including APS’s new Sports Complexand associated developments just across I-40.• WATER: The Santolina plans say that at full build-out the project will useabout 43,000 acre feet of water. This is nearly the entire permitted amountof water that the San Juan Chama project supplies to the AlbuquerqueBernalillo County Water Utility Authority (WUA). Santolina supporters saythat they will rely on groundwater permits that the WUA has.

However, the WUA cannot expand its groundwater pumping within itscurrent service area. When it was pumping upwards of 100,000 acre feetevery year, significant and in some cases nearly irreversible land subsidencewas beginning to occur. The pumping was also depleting the river (causingthe river to lose water into the lowered aquifer). Use of the San Juan Chama

agua es vida July 2014 14

water from the river has brought pumping down tonear 60,000 acre feet a year and water levels are risingsomewhat. Supporters say they will access deep wellsfor their water, but these are almost certainly brackishand will require substantial treatment to make themdrinkable. In addition, any pumping will require buy-

ing water rights to offset depletions to the river andthis will put pressure on farmers in the valley to selltheir water rights, which will take the land out of pro-duction but not make it attractive to sell because newbuyers will not have the water to go with the land.• TRANSPORTATION: The Master Plan indicatesthat at full build-out, traffic congestion on the WestSide north of Santolina and heading east across theriver will become severe.• INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS: The developerspromise that there will not be any burden to theCounty from the development. We heard this fromSunCal, too, but it turned out that their plan was tohave the legislature approve a private bond measurethat would have allowed SunCal to fund the project. • ALL THOSE JOBS: Mesa del Sol also promised lotsof jobs; they aren’t there. SunCal promised lots ofjobs; they weren’t there. Now, Santolina promises thesame! SunCal’s own analysis showed that alreadyexisting local employers would move to the new devel-opment, meaning little if any net job growth. Some

outside employers might be enticed to locate there, butit would come at the cost of “incentives” that wouldreduce the benefit to local and state revenues whileincreasing the demand for their services. And thosebusinesses have been notorious for leaving the area. • EASTSIDE “DENSIFICATION:” There have beenand still are plans to incrementally redevelop majorcorridors and centers in Albuquerque east of theriver. This process has been going on for some time,but is expected to increase as parts of the City agebeyond their useful life. This activity would buildon existing infrastructure—and incorporate neededinfrastructure renewal. It would spread the devel-opment along existing traffic corridors as those cor-ridors and traffic centers are themselves renewed. Itoffers the opportunity to create “livable walkable”communities.

“WE OWE THE DEVELOPER SOMETHING”Developers are always among the most powerfulpolitical forces at the local level. But the interests ofdevelopers, which hinge on constant expansion ofland acquisition and building, are not inherently the

same as the interests of the wider community. Inother words, developers do not necessarily promotehealthy and sustainable development. It is, therefore,both unsurprising and disturbing that at least someCounty planners and officials have said that, “Weowe the developer something.”

NO, WE DON’T!

The investors behind Santolina are taking a risk;that’s their choice. The County owes the developers,as landowners in the County, only a process to heartheir plan. The County does not owe the developersa particular outcome. The County owes all the restof us a process that takes all of our needs intoconsideration, that takes a holistic and long-term approach, and then assesses whether aparticular project makes sense for the entirecommunity.

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT RAISES CONCERNSJOBS! HOUSING! SCHOOLS! DEVELOPMENT!

BUT SHOW METHEWATER

A C T I O N A L E R T

C I T I ZENaaccttiioonn!!

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BASED ON A CITIZEN ACTION MEMORIAL, the NM Legislature requestedthat an independent scientific task force be established for an immediateemergency response to the jet fuel problem. Public support must be givento that effort. Another Citizen Action request was for Kirtland to be placedon the National Cleanup Priorities List; that request is pending. Additionalhistory of the spill can be read at www.radfreenm.org.

CITIZEN ACTION is organizing a public education meeting with as manyneighborhood associations and other concerned organizations and indi-viduals as possible. Contact Citizen Action at www.radfreenm.org,email: dave@radfreenm.org, call 505-262-1862, or write to PO Box 4276,Albuquerque, NM 87196 to participate.

largest contamination of a drink-ing water aquifer in US history.Albuquerque deserves better thanwhat we have at present for ad-dressing the problem—agency dis-array and personnel turnover, officials with conflicts ofinterest misinforming the public and excluding the publicfrom participation that is required by law to be "early,open and frequent."

BY DAVE MCCOY, CITIZEN ACTION

Citizen Action and other concerned citizensare working to create an action plan to getgovernment regulators to respond to the terri-

ble calamity facing us from the jet fuel contaminationin our drinking water aquifer. At an estimated24,000,000 gallons, the Kirtland jet fuel spill is the

We believe the public must come together to demand action onthe characterization and remediation of the fuel spill. The sadtruth is that the Air Force really doesn't intend to spend the nec-essary money to clean up the contamination, even if the regula-tors want it cleaned up.

Why do we have a governor-appointed Environment DepartmentSecretary who is also employed by the Air Force? Why was theHazardous Waste Bureau placed under the Health Divisionunder the leadership of a person who admits to no prior experi-

ence with remediation of such spills and no prior knowledge of haz-ardous waste law Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)?Why are "draft models" released, showing long arrival times forEthylene Dibromide (EDB) even though the models admit to serious datagaps that prevent rational use of the models for prediction? Why hasn'tthe Environment Department ordered full characterization of the EDBplume to know how long, how wide, how deep, and how fast it is mov-ing? That characterization is legally required before a remediation plancan be adopted.

The 2012 Citizen Action Resolution that was passed 12 to 14 by theWater Authority has not been complied with. This resolution asks thatmonitoring wells be placed as near as possible to the Ridgecrest munici-pal wells. Without such "sentinel" wells for early warning, the publiccannot know if EDB has reached the Ridgecrest wells or not.

K I RT L A N D A Q U I F E R C O N TA M I N AT I O N

ABQ DESERVESbetter!

ACTION alert !The Bernalillo County Planning Commission (CPC) will hold its final meetingon the master plan on July 30 from 9am to 1pm in the City/County Chambers,One Civic Plaza NW, Basement Level. All Master Plan documents are available at:www.bernco.gov/Santolina. Here are a couple of Albuquerque Journal articles:Approval Sought to Start Santolina Community (bit.ly/1kjbPbp) and ProposedSantolina Development Focus of Hearing (bit.ly/UrDfaf)

The Southwest Organizing Project www.swop.net/505-247-8832 and Organizersin the Land of Enchantment OLÉ: www.olenm.org/505-796-6544 are coordinat-ing community reaction to the Santolina Master Plan.

PUBLIC HEARINGSINFORMATIONORGANIZING!

JJUULLYY3300AATT 99AAMM--11PPMM

For more information, contact Michael Jensen atmjensen@amigosbravos.org

DONATE yyoouurr BBAAGGccrreeddiitt!!to a different worthy organization each month.See page 3. Donate the dime, it adds up!

WWhhaatt isHHEEAALLTTHHYY,, SSUUSSTTAAIINNAABBLLEEGGRROOWWTTHH??

The problem is that samples taken from the Ridgecrest wellsare from 800-foot-long screens that are pumping 2,850 gal-lons per minute, allowing tremendous dilution especiallywhen looking for something on the order of parts per tril-lion. A monitoring well has 15-foot-long screens and takesvery discrete samples. The public should demand moni-toring wells be immediately installed.

www.radfreenm.org

BY VALERIE MARTINEZ, LITTLEGLOBE

During the weekend of July 25-27, Littleglobe and resi-dents of Albuquerque's International District (ID) willpremiere five co-created works of art, film, and perform-

ance, the result of seven months of community engagementbetween a Littleglobe artist team and more than 130 communi-ty members.

The ID of Albuquerque with its population of 60,695 is four-square-miles in the southeast heights, between Lomas and Gibson and SanMateo and Wyoming in urban Albuquerque. The ID has been afusion of cultures since the 1970s. In 1975 the State of NM IndochinaRefugee Resettlement Program sponsored nearly 500 Vietnameseimmigrants who settled in the area. Since then, families and individ-uals have continued to migrate from Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

In the past five years, the district has become home to a significantnumber of refugee families from Iraq, the Congo, and Afghanistan.The ID is also home to the largest population of Native Americans inthe city as well as African-American, Hispanic/Latino and Mestizoresidents. It is the most diverse legislative district in New Mexico.

The people who reside in the ID are rich with stories of place, land,culture, and history. At the same time they face a range of criticalchallenges, including: a 39.5% unemployment rate; 42% of residents

living below the federal poverty level; three timesthe national average for crime; high infant mortali-ty (7.8 per 1,000); and areas of significant urbanblight.

As a New Mexico-based nonprofit consisting of ateam of seasoned, professional artists, activists, andfacilitators from diverse cultural and artistic back-grounds, Littleglobe is committed to interdiscipli-nary, collaborative art projects that foster life-affirm-ing connections across the boundaries that divide us.The Littleglobe ID LIVE! project utilizes arts engage-ment to establish and renew community connections,catalyze individual and collective capacity, transformneighborhood spaces, and encourage neighborhoodrevitalization. ID LIVE! is the culmination of the firstphase of the "Stories of Rte 66: The International

District" project, a large-scale arts engagement andcreative place-making project.

Please enjoy a joyous weekend festival of eventsin the ID, celebrating the diversity, creativity,people, and place of the International District.All events will take place between Lomas and Gibsonand San Mateo and Wyoming boulevards inAlbuquerque. Activities and events include: fourworks of public art—an art garden; a shade structure;short film festival; portrait show and performancesthat premiere on the weekend of July 25 to 27.

For more information and detailed event sched-ule go to www.littleglobe.org, email info@littleglobe.org or valerie@littleglobe.org or call 505-980-6218.

JULY 25-27 INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF ROUTE 66

T his year the Fabulous Felines (FF)Annual Party will be held on July13 at the Jewish Community Center

on Wyoming Blvd. in Albuquerque, from 2to 5pm. The Fabulous Felines friends aretremendously excited about this year’sparty thanks to the return of University ofNew Mexico Professor Ray Hernandez-Duran. His talk on The Representation ofthe Cat in Global Art was the hit of last year’s lecture series.This year, Ray will speak on Symbol, Guide and Familiar: TheCat & Human Spirituality Through the Ages.

Merry Stubblefield started Fabulous Felines in 2006, with thesupport of friends and family. She had been working with alocal feral colony, providing food, vet care, and other assis-tance for several years. She started FF to help with raisingfunds, getting volunteers, and engaging the community.

Their work with ferals remains a central focus, but they rec-ognize the overwhelming need for rescue, education, andassistance in the community. In light of these community

needs in 2007, FF started a small foster houseto assist in rescue efforts. Thanks to a smallbut dedicated team of volunteers, the organi-zation has grown. FF is a strict no-kill organi-zation. This means they will not euthanize anycat for a treatable illness. They also spay/neuter and microchip all animals that passthrough their system. This no-kill commitmentis central to their organization, and derives

from their decades-long commitment to non-violenceand animal rights.

Spend a cool afternoon with cat lovers, sharing food,conversation, a silent auction, and other entertainmenton July 13. If you help by reserving your place at theparty before July 7, they will enter your name in adrawing for a special prize!

For more information, tickets to the event, to make adonation or volunteer, go to www.fabulousfelines.org, email fabulousfelines@comcast.net, or dropthem a line at Fabulous Felines, PO Box 14841, Al-buquerque, NM 87191.

INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT

LIVE!CO-CREATION GROWS COMMUNITY

community forum July 2014 15

ANNUAL PARTY: JULY13FFAABBUULLOOUUSS FELINES!

BOARD ELECTIONSCALENDARCANDIDATE PACKETS AVAILABLE: July 1NOMINATIONS OPEN: July 20NOMINATIONS CLOSE: August 20ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: October 18:BOARD ELECTIONS: November 1-November 14

• WATCH FOR INFORMATION on the ELECTRONIC VOTINGprocess in upcoming CO-OP CONNECTION issues.

YOU OWN

IT!

JULY13