La Montanita Coop Connection December, 2012

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

The economic downturn has been especiallydifficult for the non-profit organizations inour community. In this environment every lit-

tle bit helps to maintain the good and important workof these organizations, so critical to our community’swell-being.

Every year the Co-op supports a variety of non-prof-it organizations (see a partial list of this year’sorganizations that received donations on page 3).

This year alone Co-op members have volunteered over5,000 hours in a wide variety of worthy non-profit andeducational organizations as part of our CommunityCapacity Building Programs. Additionally, the Co-opdonates thousands of dollars in food for fundraisingevents to hundreds of groups throughout the year.

Some of these donation funds are allocated in our annu-al organizational budget as part of our commitment tothe co-op principle of “concern for community.” Someof these funds come from the patronage dividendchecks that are not cashed by our members.

DONATE your Patronage Dividend Check to a wor-thy non-profit organization!

BY ROGER ELDRIDGE, BOARD TREASURER

For more than three decades La Montañita FoodCo-op has honored our commitments to our mem-bers and our communities, including the member

patronage refund. Despite the challenging economic envi-ronment, the Co-op completed its 2011-2012 fiscal year onAugust 31, 2012, with sound operational and financialresults. The Board therefore anticipates our 23rd annualmember patronage refund.

As a La Montañita member, you are an owner of the coop-erative. The patronage refund is that part of net earningsreturned to members in direct proportion to the amount oftheir Co-op purchases over the year. Since the patronagerefund was initiated in 1990, La Montañita has returnedmore than 3.4 million dollars to our members. We arepleased that this year’s financial performance will once againpermit us to add to this total.

Patronage refunds are unique to cooperatives. The tradition-al investment model provides a financial return based on thesize of the investment. Cooperatives, too, start with aninvestment (for example, annual membership dues), but basethe financial return (patronage refund) on each member’syearly purchases. The more a member shops at the Co-op,the greater the refund. The cooperative investment model isaccessible to all, sustainable, and supports the entire com-munity rather than a small group of investors. The Co-opexists for the benefit of its members and in return memberstake responsibility for the health of the Co-op by paying duesand buying groceries.

The 2012 Annual Report (see the October Co-op Connectionnewsletter) described in general terms the financial chal-lenges and successes of this last year. Upon completion of thefinal accounting review and financial adjustments, the Boardof Directors announced the exact amount of this year’spatronage refund at its November 20 meeting. The overallpatronage refund includes two parts: 1) A cash refund tomembers, and 2) A portion retained for the Co-op as equity.

This year’s cash refund is anticipated to be 1.30% ofmember sales, up from last year’s 1.12%. The retainedportion is used to fund capital expenditures—major itemslike new equipment or improvements necessary to keepour facilities in good condition—and each year’s amountis based on upcoming needs. This year’s retained portionis anticipated to be 1.13% of member sales, compared tolast year’s 1.80%. Equity is how you as owners providefinancial capital to the Co-op, keeping us strong and ableto provide the range of services and programs that areimportant to the membership. This is one way in whichthe Co-op is able to weather the credit crunches that crip-ple other businesses.

Co-op services and programs set us apart from other nat-ural foods markets. Instead of earnings being sent away toout-of-state investors, we invest those earnings in ourlocal communities. We have members donating time inpublic schools and nearly 50 other community organiza-tions in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Gallup. Our membersdeliver groceries to seniors and homebound people andprovide the essential help that makes our Earth Day,Garden Party and other events so successful. For theirdonated time these members receive a shopping discount;it results in slightly lower net earnings for the Co-op, butfulfills our goal of adding value to our communities. Thisis an example of another cooperative difference: the mul-tiple bottom line, based not just on dollars, but on socialand environmental concerns as well.

Programs like the Co-op Distribution Center (the corner-stone of our regional FoodShed Project), the La MontañitaFund (Co-op member investors pooling resources to pro-vide affordable loans for local producers) and the VeteranFarmer Project are all thriving and improving every day.Each of these programs demonstrates how all of us—localfarmers, ranchers, producers, retailers, consumers, localbusinesses and organizations—can help ourselves throughthese tough economic times by sharing and supporting thecooperative business model as a real alternative to the cor-porate model. La Montañita is acknowledged nationally asa leader in establishing innovative and workable programsin food distribution and grassroots community investing.

Join us at all our Co-ops for holiday festivities, nat-ural foods samplings, craft fairs, music, friends andfun. And don’t forget to take an ornament off our Makea Child Smile Holiday Giving Trees, up at all locationsDecember 1, and make the season brighter for achild in need.

Sat., Dec. 1: Nob Hill Co-op, 4-6PM In conjunction with the Nob Hill Shop and Stroll,activities and entertainment at the Co-op include:4PM: Mosaic Woodwind Trio4:30PM: The Loren Kahn Puppet Theater, for children of all ages5PM: Stu McAskie piano, jazz and holiday favorites

Sat., Dec. 15: Santa Fe Co-op, 12:30-5PM12:30PM: David Dean1:30PM: Holy Water and Whiskey2:30PM: Mosaic Woodwind Quintet4PM: Carlos Aguirre Trio

Sat., Dec. 16: Valley Co-op, 1-4PMAnnual Holiday Local Crafts and Gift Fair in the ValleyCo-op Parking Lot1PM: Cello Classico2PM: Los Trinos3PM: Tradicion Mariachi

There are basically two ways in which you can donate yourpatronage refund to support the work of non-profit organi-zations in our community. You may, of course, sign over thecheck to the organization of your choice. Just endorse it tothat organization and give it directly to them. This is thevery best way, as it goes directly to the organization of yourpersonal choice.

Or you can just refrain from cashing your patronage refundcheck. However, if you do this the Co-op must report theunclaimed patronage as income to the IRS, who will take itscut. This will happen unless you specifically write PLEASEDONATE when you endorse your check and bring it back toyour favorite Co-op location’s info desk. All unclaimedpatronage monies are donated by La Montanita Co-opto the many and varied organizations that request oursupport throughout the year. Visit our website for a listof our community partners.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Co-op Holiday Festivites!

membersmake it

happen!The Board understands that maintaining such ambitious programs canimpact your patronage refund check. The power of cooperation thatcomes from balancing our multiple bottom lines and pooling our finan-cial resources enables the creation of something better than any of us cando alone. Together we can turn our values into concrete benefits forthe whole.

You OWN it! When you think about your La Montañita Co-op, think about being anowner of a local business, because that is exactly what you are. You reapthe benefits of a natural foods grocery store every day and you can look for-ward to a financial return on your purchases from our past fiscal year oper-ations while making a solid investment in the future of the cooperative youown. Congratulations to us all for another great year at the Co-op!

Watch YOUR Mailbox!Your La Montañita Food Co-op Patronage Refund check will be mailedin mid-December. Checks will be issued to all members who receive apatronage refund of $5 or more. If you were a member in good standingfrom September 1, 2011, to August 31, 2012, and do not receive a check,please visit any Co-op location information desk... it may be that yourrefund is less than $5. If that is the case, we will look up your member-ship account and issue you a store credit or cash refund on the spot.

If you have moved and have not yet updated your address, pleasedo so immediately. Watch your home mailbox for your PatronageRefund check in December.

Other Important Seasonal DatesDecember 17:Giving Tree gift return deadlineDecember 24:All Co-ops close early at 6pmDecember 25th:All Co-ops are closedNew Year’s Eve:Regular hours at all storesNew Year’s Day:Co-op hours are 8am-9pm

YOU AREINVITED !

Look for the Annual Holiday Giving Trees

at all CO-OP locationsbeginning Dec. 1

Return gifts to your CO-OPby Monday, December 17

18thAnnualmake a child

SMILE

Co-op Member Patronage Refund

Creating Solutions:Donate Your Patronage Dividend

Watch Your Mailbox!Board of Directors Declares PATRONAGE REFUND!

got the spirit December 2012 2

La Montanita CooperativeA Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

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

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

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

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

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

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

Administrative Staff: 217-2001TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP)• General Manager/Terry Bowling [email protected]• Controller/John Heckes [email protected]• Computers/Info Technology/David Varela 217-2011 [email protected]• Perishables Coordinator/Bob Tero [email protected]• Human Resources/Sharret Rose [email protected]• Marketing/Edite Cates [email protected]• Membership/Robin Seydel [email protected]• CDC/MichelleFranklin [email protected]

Store Team Leaders: • Mark Lane/Nob Hill [email protected]• John Mulle/Valley [email protected]• William Prokopiak/Santa Fe [email protected]• Alisha Valtierra/Gallup [email protected]

Co-op Board of Directors:email: [email protected]• President: Martha Whitman• Vice President: Marshall Kovitz• Secretary: Ariana Marchello• Treasurer: Roger Eldridge• Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn• Kristy Decker• Jake Garrity• Susan McAllister• Betsy VanLeit

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

Co-op Connection Staff:• Managing Editor: Robin [email protected] 217-2027• Layout and Design: foxyrock inc• Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept.• Advertising: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher • Editorial Assistant: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher [email protected] 217-2016• Printing: Vanguard Press

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

Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, [email protected]

Copyright ©2012La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

A Season of Cooperation and Caring

For many of us this has been a difficult year. Ifour difficulties have a positive side it is the recogni-tion that true shelter from life’s storms are found in

cooperation with and caring for one another.

For 18 years, you, our Co-op community, have acted onthis understanding and through our annual Giving TreeProject, during each holiday season, you have shared yourresources and helped fulfill the holiday needs and wishesof children experiencing hardships in our communities.This year we are once again asking for your help in letting somevery special children and families know that we, as a community,will, despite tough economic times, continue to be there for oneanother.

Last year alone we made the holiday wishes of approximately 600children in protective custody and foster care a reality. Over theyears, you, our loyal Co-op members and shoppers, our staff andchild advocates from participating agencies have, through this pro-gram, provided for the needs of thousands of children. When Ithink about what we have done together it restores my faith inhumanity, reminds me of the power of cooperation and gives mehope for the future. We sincerely hope you will help us do so again.

Once again this year the Co-op is honoredto be working with some of our communi-ties’ most dedicated organizations: NewMexico Department of Children, Youthand Families, Peanut Butter and Jelly DaySchool, and Enlace Communitario. Againthis year sustainably grown and harvestedtrees, (purchased from Delancy Street’saddiction recovery program) filled withornaments each bearing the name, age and

holiday wish of a child from these organizations, will go up ateach Co-op location by December 1.

To all of you who have participated; the social workers at all theagencies, many of whom have been with this project since itsinception, Co-op staff, and each and every one of you, whothroughout the years has taken an ornament off the tree, foundthe time during this busy season to share your resources andfind that special gift that will “Make a Child Smile,” from thebottom of my heart, I thank you all. I hope you will find thetime and resources to do so again this year. If this is your firstCo-op holiday season we hope you will help “Make a ChildSmile” with your participation.

WITH LOVE, ROBIN SEYDEL

Domestic violence affects families from all backgrounds.Unfortunately, women from immigrant communities are oftenat greater risk and are less likely to access needed services.They face cultural and language barriers to police and socialservices, increased threats of becoming separated from theirchildren through deportation or international child abduction,less access to public benefits and less awareness of their plight

by churches, schools and the community at large.

Please contact them at 246-8972 with questions orif you want to support Enlace.

New Mexico Department of Children,Youth and FamiliesBernalillo County Child Protective Services (CPS) is adivision of the New Mexico’s Children Youth andFamilies Department (CYFD). CYFD receives hundredsof reports every month regarding abuse or neglect ofchildren. And while the mainstream media reports theproblems now and again, the thousands of children

helped by CYFD generally goes unreported. Social workersinvestigate allegations and when needed intervene with fami-lies to ensure the safety of children. This intervention mayconsist of crisis counseling, referrals to community resources,or other community supports, or in worst-case scenarios theDepartment requests custody of the children. Children inCYFD custody are placed in a licensed foster home.

Foster parents give temporary care to children while theyare in CYFD custody, providing a protective and safe home,structure, nurturing, and assistance in preparing the child toreturn to his/her home or to be adopted. In New Mexicoeveryone is mandated by law to report child abuse, neglector exploitation. To report child abuse or neglect please call:Metro Area, 841-6100 or Statewide 1-800-797-3260.

Bernalillo County has a group of dedicated foster families, butthe need is greater than the number of available families. Ifyou feel you could provide a safe home for children in CYFDcustody, please call Foster a Future, at 1-800-432-2075.Working together we can make a difference in a child's life.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Day SchoolFor well over 35 years, PB&J Family Services, Inc., has been working to keepchildren safe and help families survive. PB&J continues to pioneer innova-tive approaches to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and the preser-vation of the family through interactive parenting and bonding programs inits Peanut Butter & Jelly Therapeutic Pre-schools, in home-based programs and in itsTEENS program at the Cuba, NM, HighSchool—focusing on breaking the often-gener-ational cycle of family dysfunction.

In a program that serves children with an incar-cerated parent at one of four New Mexico pris-ons; PB&J works to break the cycle of crime.Often angry and feeling abandoned, these chil-dren are six to eight times more likely to beimprisoned than other youngsters. Other pro-grams work with middle and high school youthin the South Valley through the KidPACT program. More than 80 percent ofthe families PB&J works with make progress toward meeting their goals.PB&J’s programs are so successful that with governmental support they arein the process of expanding to serve new communities.

Your gift helps them have a holiday season to remember. Mil gra-cias! For further information you may contact Donna Brew at 505-877-7060.

Enlace ComunitarioEnlace Comunitario (EC) works with Latino immigrants to eliminatedomestic violence and strengthen community. For over 15 years EC hascreated a dynamic continuum of services for both victims of domestic vio-lence and their children including: safety planning; assessment; individualand group counseling; referrals to services (housing, health, financial, etc.);parenting and life-skills classes; legal advocacy; economic development,crisis intervention and community education. EC’s innovative approachgoes beyond providing services to include advocacy, leadership develop-ment and community organizing projects to make long-term systemicchanges and strengthen community.

Make a Child SmilePARTICIPATING AGENCIES

18th Make a Child SmileGIVING TREE

• Trees will go up at ALL Co-op locations by December 1 • The ornaments have wish lists for each child, allowing you to choose a gift youwill enjoy giving and they will enjoy receiving. Please put your name and ornamentnumber on the sheets attached to the giving tree at each store in case you lose theornament.• Please return the gifts to the Co-op by Monday, December 17, so we canget them back to the agencies and to the children in time. Please, Please dohonor this deadline. • Some families and foster families have more than one child in the program. Whenone child gets a gift and another does not (because an ornament is taken but a giftis not returned to the Co-op in time) it can be devastating for that child. • Please tape the “ornament” with the child’s name and agency on the gift. To pro-tect the confidentiality and the identities of the children, each ornament has a codenumber on it. Taping the colored ornaments that have the agency name and an orna-ment code number to the top of the gift will help us get your gift to the right child.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact Robin at 505-217-2027, toll freeat 877-775-2667 or e-mail her at [email protected]

HOW THE CO-OP GIVING TREE WORKSReturn gifts to theCO-OP byDecember 17! Giving

Trees go up Dec.1

got the spirit December 2012 3

As a community-owned organization we feel it is part ofour mission to support the community that supports the Co-op. To that end the Co-op is continually looking for ways inwhich to help local organizations raise the funds they need tocontinue their work. Each year the Co-op gives tens of thousandsof dollars in food donations to support fundraising efforts, freepublicity in our newsletter and other help to many worthy non-profit organizations and schools.

Bag Credit Donations—Thanksto our shoppers’ environmentalawareness and the many of youwho bring your reusable shoppingbags and donate your dime bagcredit, between January 2012 andOctober 2012 (the last month wehad numbers for at the time of this writing), together we raised$21,490.90 for worthy non-profitorganizations around our state. Thanks for bringing your bagsand donating your dime. This year we raised almost double theamount we raised last year, for a variety of organizationsaround the state. When we pool our resources we can do lots ofgood in our communities.

Co-op SCRIP—With our Co-op SCRIP we are pleased to havesupported a number of schools in the Albuquerque and Santa Fearea. The “Co-op SCRIP” program helps organizations raisemoney. Participating organizations make one dollar on everyten purchased as SCRIP, their supporters get to eat local andorganic Co-op food and the Co-op has made a 10% donationto organizations doing good things in our community. Throughthis program the Co-op has donated thousands of dollars overthe years to a variety of schools and other non-profits.

Ongoing Community Support—All year long hundreds oforganizations come to the Co-op for help and support in their

fundraising and educational efforts. Not including all the manyschools in each community we regularly support, these are just afew of the organizations the Co-op has made donations to this year:

Project Share, Keshet Dance Theater, Food Depot, RoadrunnerFood Bank, Meals on Wheels, St. Elizabeth’s Shelter, AlbuquerqueStroke Club, Blue Star Mothers of America, New Mexico Farmers

Market Association, Creativity forPeace, Albuquerque Health Care forthe Homeless, Santa Fe Farmer’sMarket Institute, Pegasus LegalServices for Children, Santa Fe IndyFilm Fest, Crossroads for Women,Amigos Bravos, Rape Crisis Center,Tewa Women United, KUNM, KSFR,Peacecraft, Community AIDS Part-nership, The Horse Shelter, Tradi-tional Native American FarmersAssociation, Truth in Labeling, Center

for Food Safety, Organic Consumers Association, NationalHispanic Cultural Center, Wild Earth Guardians, Wise Fool,National Dance Institute, NM Commission on the Status ofWomen, ABQ Center for Peace and Justice, NM Department ofChildren Youth and Families, Planned Parenthood, TesuquePueblo Seed Sovereignty Project, Roots and Shoots, NAACP, NMAIDS Services, N.M. Wilderness Association, Santa Fe WatershedAssociation, 516 ARTS, National Indian Youth LeadershipAssociation, Quivira Coalition, Trinity House, CommunityFaithlinks, The Open Space Alliance, Cancer Services of NewMexico, Cesar Chavez Foundation, Rio Grande Agricultural LandTrust, Vets for Peace, PFLAG, Rio Grande Community Farm, DineCare, Southwest Pickers, Our Endangered Aquifer WorkingGroup, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Center forCivic Policy, Outpost Performance Space, Leukemia andLymphoma Society, Citizens for Alternatives to RadioactiveDumping, Battered Family Services, and Cooking with Kids, toname but a few!

GIVING SPIRIT... all year LONG!CO-OP’S GOT THE:

Kinship Guardianship: Pegasus provides a range of legal servic-es to kinship caregivers around the state. The Guardianship LegalHelpline, a project of Pegasus and Law Access New Mexico, is astatewide legal helpline that provides information, advice, and assis-

tance to self-represented litigants in kinshipguardianship cases. Pegasus also provides fullservice direct legal representation in contestedguardianship cases in many parts of the state.

Youth Law Project: The Pegasus Youth LawProject provides legal representation to youthages 14-23 on a range of legal issues includingfamily law for young parents, access to healthand mental health care, and helping youth tran-sition from foster care to adulthood. Pegasusprioritizes services to youth who are homeless,or transitioning from foster care.

Child Abuse and Neglect: Pegasus represents children andyouth in foster care as guardians ad litem for children up to age 14,and as attorneys for children 14 and older.

Policy Advocacy: Pegasus works with policy makers to ensurethat children's needs are addressed in areas such as access to publicbenefits including health and mental health care.

Community Legal Education: Pegasus provides training andcommunity legal education to the community throughout the year ina variety of settings. Speakers are available to come to schools, socialservice agencies, shelters, or any venue where children, youth andadults are interested in learning about the legal rights of children.

For help or to make a donation please contact Pegasus LegalServices for Children: General Intake, 505-244-1101.

GUARDIANSHIP OF A CHILD: Albuquerque: 505-217-1660, State-wide toll-free: 800-980-1165. 3201 Fourth Street NW, Albu-querque, NM 87107. Tel: 505-244-1101 Fax: 505-244-0060. Officehours are 8:30-5pm, Monday through Friday.

Bag Credit Donation of the Month

Pegasus Legal Services for Children isa non-profit agency that promotesand defends the rights of children

and youth to safe and stable homes, qualityeducation and healthcare, and a voice in deci-sions that affect their lives. The Pegasus legalteam provides civil legal services to children,youth, and their caregivers, including direct rep-resentation, community legal education, andpolicy advocacy.

Pegasus was founded in 2002 by two Albu-querque lawyers, Tara Ford and Liz McGrath,who had extensive experience representing chil-dren and youth in a variety of legal cases. Both attorneys hadworked as lawyers for children and youth in foster care andhad seen how these vulnerable children benefitted when theyhad a skilled lawyer advocate for them. The experiences ofFord and McGrath led them to believe that children andyouth outside of the foster care system would also benefitfrom access to legal services. Pegasus was incorporated underNew Mexico state law in April of 2002, and received its ini-tial 501(c)3 determination letter in February 2003.

Pegasus Legal Services for Children is a legal resource forchildren, youth, their caregivers and the community, con-cerning the legal rights and needs of children and youth.Pegasus provides a variety of services for children and forthe community, including:

Education Law: Pegasus provides legal representation tofamilies seeking to enforce their children's right to appro-priate public education. Pegasus prioritizes representationto families with children with disabilities. Pegasus also tar-gets the educational needs of children in foster care.

PEGASUS: Protecting the Rights of CHILDREN

CCOO--OOPPPPRROOGGRRAAMM

DONATEyour BAG CCRREEDDIITT!

BAG CREDIT ORGANIZATIONOF THE MONTH:Pegasus Legal Services for Children. Promoting anddefending the rights of children and youth to safe, sta-ble homes, quality education, healthcare, and a voice indecisions that affect their lives.

Your OCTOBER Bag Credit Donations of $2,009.40went to RoadRunner Food Bank.

THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED!

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

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

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

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

N ancy Coonridge has been making world-classgoat cheese since 1981. Full of superior localflavor and power packed with nutrition in envi-

ronmentally sound reusable packaging, Nancy says, “Weare proving that wonderful taste and nutritional superiori-ty doesn't have to come at the expense of the environment,our goats’ health, or our health. Besides promoting sus-tainable, non-chemical, non-factory farmed animal hus-bandry and cheese making we strive to always live in har-mony with the natural world that supports us all.”

Nancy, her interns and her herd of Alpine, Nubian, LaMancha and Oberhasli dairy goats all live in the wilder-ness at 8,000 feet not far from the Continental Divide. The goats havea barn and barnyard to sleep in at night. Each morning after milking,the goats and their Maremma guardian dogs go off to enjoy their dayfree ranging in the rim rock country of western New Mexico.

“When we say our goats ‘free range’ we do not mean they have a pas-ture, however large. We mean there are no fences and no human neigh-bors for miles and miles. Our goats go where they please with theirMaremma guardian dogs as escorts. These fearless shepherd dogs pro-tect the goats from many predators, including mountain lion, bear, coy-ote and reintroduced wolves. Maremmas were bred in the Italian Alpsfor wolf control.”

holiday foods December 2012 4

Going a step beyond grass fed, Coonridge does notever use hormones, antibiotics or chemical worm-ers, are GMO free, grain free and wild fed onunpolluted rangeland. If there is too much rain or

snow for them to go out

Nancy and staff give them certified organic hay intheir barn. This unique gourmet cheese has beencertified organic since 1998, and has won numer-ous awards including: Farmer of the year from theNew Mexico Department of Agriculture’s OrganicProgram several years ago when the agency was notyet a part of the NMDA and was known as theNew Mexico Organic Commodity Commission.

A Gift that Keeps on GivingCoonridge Goat Cheese is a soft spreading cheesethat comes in a 7.5 oz. glass jar and is covered withcertified organic sunflower seed oil, certified organ-ic extra virgin olive oil and certified organic herbs.Covering them cheeses with oil and herbs seals itfrom the air and allows the flavors to mingle. Thisis a traditional Mediterranean way of preservingcheese. Coonridge cheese can be stored in therefrigerator for months and months, even up to ayear! You can also freeze and thaw, freeze and thawwithout breaking the jar or changing the texture orflavor of the cheese. Serve at room temperature forfull flavor!

The lovely jars of Coonridge Goat Cheese make theperfect holiday gift paired with some crackers, andolives or fruit. It comes in a wide variety of flavors,including herbs and garlic, dried tomato, basil andgarlic, black pepper and herbs, raw milk feta in gar-lic oil, flame roasted green chile, NM raspberrymade with Heidi’s local organic raspberry jam, andmany more. Look for Coonridge Goat Cheese inthe cheese case of your favorite Co-op location.

COONRIDGEORGANIC GOATCHEESE

THE GIFT OF GREAT LOCAL TASTE

a trueGIFT!

SUGAR AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE!

BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER

While some relish the labor of love that isbaking for the holidays, others wouldprefer to skip the work and go straight to

the eating and socializing. Baked goods abound dur-ing the holiday season; and offerwarmth, comfort, and a delicious wayto indulge. This year, Co-op delis offera variety of ways to skip the kitchentime, and offer your friends and fami-ly (even those who are vegan or aregluten intolerant) scrumptious dessertoptions. Whether you’re hosting orattending a party, every Co-op delioffers easy, unique, and delectabledessert options for those who don’thave hours of kitchen time.

Beginning mid-December at the Rio Grande store,you can bring home a loaf of Stollen, a traditionalGerman sweetbread made especially for Christmastime. A buttery yeast bread packed with raisins,almonds, candied orange peel and spices, Stollenmakes a delicious breakfast or dessert. In addition,you will find unusual sweets like Divinity and peanutbrittle, and more common desserts like iced cookies,pecan and pumpkin pies, and banana nut and pump-kin breads. Deck out the dessert table by placing anorder at the deli today!

The Santa Fe deli offers gluten-free and vegan bakedgoods made to order, including pumpkin spelt bread,pumpkin and pecan pies, and green chile cornbread.Host a fabulous party and focus more on the decora-

tions knowing your guests will be full andhappy eating all the amazing sweet treatsyou picked up at the Co-op.

At Nob Hill, you can find incredible cof-feecakes made to feed a crowd. Don’t feellike making breakfast on Christmas orNew Year’s Day? Having a Solstice partybut your oven doesn’t hold a steady tem-perature? Place an order for a pear-applecider or pumpkin-pecan coffee cake today.

Beyond sweet treats, each Co-op deli can help youhost your best holiday get-together ever! Check outthe extensive and delicious catering menus listed inthis issue of the Co-op Connection, (see the menusonline at www.lamontanita.coop or call your nearestCo-op store today to find out what else your delimanager might have to offer. Plan your party todayand place your orders soon!

CO-OP DELIbakery delights!

BY ADAM FISCHLER, NOB HILL FRONT END

Sage Bakehouse’s story is full of unlikely good fortune. AndreeFalls and Amy Cox met in Dallas in the ’80s. Andree was success-fully running a restaurant while Amy pursued a Master’s Degree.

During Andree’s college years, in Paris (France), she’d fallen for artisanbreads. The two wanted to move somewhere beautiful, and on investiga-tion, determined Santa Fe was ripe for an artisanal bakery. They appren-ticed with Michael London, a poetry professor-turned-master baker inNew York, who himself had studied under multi-generational Jewish bak-ers. This explains their famous Rye Bread. They bought an oven from

In terms of success, Sage has built its house at thecrossroads. They distribute in Santa Fe and toAlbuquerque and Taos six days a week, and Los

Alamos four. Where many businesses keepan eye on new locations and farther distri-bution, Andree laughs, “We’re occupied.”

Rarely does bread achieve such alchemy,so solid, bright, fresh. The Farm Bread isrugged and hearty, the Sourdough almostsweet in its sourness, and the Rye like itwas baked for beloved guests. Because thecrew is up and preparing at 4am for thenext day’s bread, it arrives on Co-op

shelves practically just baked. Forget butter and jam;they just get in the way.

Sage Bakehouse bread arrives at the Co-op in theearly morning, six days a week. Take a loaf home, orto the office to share today. Though if you intend toshare, I suggest two—you’ll thank me later. Pairedwith some cheese and olives it makes the per-fect addition to any holiday party!

Staff of Life:SAGE BAKEHOUSESAGE BAKEHOUSE

France, opened the bakery in June 1996, and heldtight through the coming 15-year storm of business.

The response was overwhelming.They worked years of daily 18-hourshifts. In their first month they baked100 pounds of bread. By Decemberthey were moving 1,000 pounds, andChristmas passed in a three-daysleepless haze.

Only nine months went by beforetheir core staff started to form.Andree says they’ve since learned how to say “no.”Though when the oven broke on Christmas Day2007, “no” was about the last word they wantedcontact with. They use the same oven still, heldtogether with duct tape, impromptu parts, and love,capable of 450 loaves at one time. The bread sitsdirectly on stone, and is steam-injected on threedecks, from three sides.

ssaattiissffyyiinngg &&hheeaarrttyy

need the perfect GIFT?From $10 and up, give the GIFT of great tasting healthy FOOD!

co-op gift certificates

DELICIOUSlocal food...

food & health December 2012 5


For the past several years, around the end of December, I findmyself at my friend Michelle Vogler’s house in her rathersmall kitchen, hip to hip with at least a dozen of my favorite peo-

ple, working over a very steamy stove—it is tamale time. Tamales arethe perfect winter food. The small, scrumptious parcels are an idealway to stave off cold and hunger, while working on a rewarding cook-ing project in good company.

According to Alice Guadalupe Tapp, author of Tamales 101, tamaleshave been around for millennia, originating in Mesoamerica as aportable food for hungry armies in the field. Since their origin, cookshave creatively filled and wrapped these “masa filled pockets” with allnumber of edible items. But the basic tamale has persevered close to itsoriginal form—spicy meats or veggies, nestled in masa, and wrapped ina cornhusk.

Making tamales is a multi-step, rather labor-intensive process. Youbegin by making a filling, ideally a slow cooked meat or veggie chile.Masa is mixed, and corn husks soaked to soften. Finally, the fun begins;spreading masa in the cornhusks, spooning a dollop of filling, and re-learning the art of rolling and tying off the wrapper. Making tamales isan undertaking. For this reason they should be made in mass quantitiesby many people, preferably people you love.

Making TamalesThese pork and red chile tamales from ABQ Cuisine Expert GwynethDoland's cookbook Tantalizing Tamales are some of the most commontamales in the Southwest. They can be found in restaurants, cafés, andin coolers toted by strolling vendors. Everybody loves them, so make abunch and freeze any leftovers. This recipe makes enough pork fillingto make a second batch of tamales, but you can always just use theextra pork for burritos or freeze it for later use.

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat6 cloves garlic, peeled1 teaspoon black peppercorns2 bay leaves1 teaspoon saltWater4 cups red chile sauceAbout 2 pounds of masaAt least 36 softened corn husks, plus 36 strips for tying

Arrange the pork shoulder in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomedstockpot. Add the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Add enoughcold water to cover by several inches. Bring the liquid to a boil, thenreduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 2 hours.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and allow it torest 20 minutes. Using two forks, shred the meat. Ina bowl, combine 2 cups of the shredded pork withenough New Mexico red chile sauce to thoroughlymoisten the meat. To assemble the tamales, spreadabout 1/4 cup masa onto

the center of each corn husk. Spoon some of theshredded pork filling down the center of the dough.Fold and tie the tamale; repeat with the remainingingredients and husks. Steam the tamales for 1 hourand serve slathered with the remaining New Mexicored chile sauce. Makes about 24 tamales.

RECIPE COURTESY OF ABQ CUISINE EXPERT: GwynethDoland, www.itsatrip.org/ABQExperts/cuisine

Mujeres en AccionTAMALESBY ROBIN SEYDEL

Nothing says winter holidays like tamales andMujeres en Accion has been making theirtamales in Albuquerque for nearly two decades.Mujeres en Accion is an economic developmentcooperative made up, in part, of immigrant Spanish-speaking women who reside in or near Albu-querque’s South Broadway community. In February1996 a group of eight women from the SouthBroadway neighborhood, trained in domestic vio-lence prevention at UNM Family Development pro-gram, formed Mujeres en Accion (MEA).

Realizing that many women are forced toremain in violent relationships due to alack of economic self-sufficiency, theywanted to address the problem with anincome-generating component. Mujeres’first incarnation was as a ceramics studio,but the making, marketing and selling ofpottery proved somewhat uncertain. Thewomen in the program already knew howto make tamales and Mujeres en Accion aswe know it was born.

Today MEA is a kitchen cooperative withhands-on training projects that teach newjob skills while generating income through

sales of Mexican and New Mexican food, primarilytamales. Mujeres co-op members learn how to run theirown business, use a computer, bookkeeping, English asa second language, time management, quality control,sales, marketing problem solving, cooperative decisionmaking and many take their GED while involved withthe Mujeres en Accion cooperative.

The Co-op has long sold many flavors of their delicioustamales; green chile and cheese, zucchini and mush-room, black bean, meat or chicken and others. As par-ticipants in the Foodshed Project their tamales are dis-tributed by the Cooperative Distribution Center (CDC)and now can be found at fine food markets around thestate as well as at four La Montanita locations.

Expanding the markets for local producers, especiallya cooperative with a social justice mission, is a keycomponent of the CDC and the Co-op’s overall Food-Shed program. Look for Mujeres en Accion tamales atall Co-op locations. Long a traditional food during theholiday season, you are welcome to special order largequantities (dozens) of tamales for your holiday gather-ings. For frozen tamales call the frozen department atyour closest Co-op location or for ready to eat tamalescontact your favorite Co-op Deli.

TAMALES: whether you make your own, or simplybuy them, do warm them and share them withfriends and take time out from the holiday bustleto ENJOY them!

The BASIC TAMALE has beenaround for millennia

and been PRESERVED inclose to its original form!

Hey! It’s TamaleTTTTIIIIMMMMEEEE!!!!

Side Dishes A pound serves 4-6Minimum order: 1 pound• Caramel Pecan Butternut Squash $10.99/lb • Garlic Mashed Potatoes $7.99/lb• Green Beans Amandine $9.99/lb • Wild Rice with Piñon Nuts $8.99/lb • Maple Yams and Cranberries $9.99/lb• Herb Stuffing $6.99/lb • Calabacitas Con Chile Verde $8.99/lb• Cranberry Relish $7.99/lb• Turkey Gravy $6.99/Qt • Cornbread Dressing $6.99/lb

Desserts Pies and dessert breads serve 6-8 Minimum order: 1 • Maple Pecan Pie $13.99 • Pumpkin Pie $12.99 • Vegan Pumpkin Pie $12.99 • Cranberry Walnut Bread Loaf $9.99 • Banana Nut Bread Loaf $9.99 • Vegan Cranberry Walnut Bread Loaf $9.99 • Bread Pudding $7.99/lb

FROM THE CO-OP DELITHE JOYS OF HOLIDAY

FEASTS!

Placing Orders:

No Muss, No Fuss: Just Great Holiday FoodMade Easy by Our Expert Deli Chefs.

Holiday Dinner SpecialsLet our prepared-food chefs create or comple-ment a holiday meal just for you. We’re offeringa special selection of entrees, side dishes anddesserts.

Entrees A pound serves 2-4Minimum order: 1 pound• All-Natural Sliced Turkey Breast $11.99/lb • Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas $8.99/lb

The deli can provide everything for your holiday meal.

To Place a Special Order:• Review the deli’s menu offerings above or pick up an order

form at the deli • Preorders will be accepted up to three days before the

holiday (Sunday for Wednesday pick-up) • Select a pick-up day and time • Order in person or by phone at your local Co-op deli

Planning the MealUse the following estimates to determine the quantities offood you will need. Estimates are per adult.

• Entrée—1/2 to 3/4 lb cooked • Potatoes—1/3 to 1/2 lb• Vegetables—1/4 to 1/3 lb • Stuffing—1/3 to 1/2 lb• Gravy—4 to 6 oz • Cranberry Relish—2 oz

ORDER IN PERSON OR BY PHONEAT THESE

CO-OP LOCATIONSNOB HILL 3500 Central SE, ABQ 265-4631

VALLEY 2400 Rio Grande NW, ABQ 242-8880SANTA FE 913 West Alameda, Santa Fe 984-2852

Let us make your holiday feast

stressfree!

ONLY ATYOUR

CO-OP

$59.99Holiday Dinner Package

(serves 4)

$12.99Holiday Dinner Plate

call your LOCAL

CO-OP Deli

fordetails,orto pre-order

BY SUSAN MCALLISTER

On October 27, at Warehouse 21 in Santa Fe,close to a hundred members, staff, and boardmembers joined together to share the annual

reporting on La Montañita’s financial standing, excellentfood, music and poetry from Warehouse 21 kids. We metthe candidates running for election and/or re-election tothe board, and played an entertaining game to test ourknowledge of the Seven Co-op Principles. The evening wasjam-packed.

Shout outs! Thank you to Warehouse 21, Joseph Stevens(poetry) and David Dean (music). It is a great organization,was a fine location for our meeting, and both young men are very tal-ented. Thanks, also, to Board Vice President Marshall Kovitz for pre-senting for the board, and Kristy Decker for introducing the boardcandidates. And, thank you for the food. Oh, the food! The Co-opstaff and producers outdid themselves again, with fresh, tasty, amaz-ing local food. If I heard one person say how amazing the spinachcakes were, I heard a dozen people say it.

As you read in Board President Martha Whitman’s annual report,(Co-op Connection, October issue) and in this issue, Board Treasurer

co-opnews December 2012 6

Roger Eldridge’s article on the patronage refund,the Co-op had a good year, especially in light ofthe very difficult economic climate we’ve experi-

enced lately. It was heartening to be able to pres-ent such a positive picture to our members. AndTerry Bowling, General Manager, shared storiesabout some of the excellent work the Co-op doesin the community, from the new Veteran FarmerProject to MoGro, from the La Montañita Fundto the Holiday Giving Tree.

And that leads us to the game; a game of skill anddaring, but really mostly of paying attention. We

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE GAME REDUX!!!!asked each attendee to fill out a sheet with the sevenco-operative principles (although we gave everyoneprinciple 4, Autonomy and Independence, becauseit’s a tough one), and then we asked them to worktogether in groups to list ways that La Montañitamanifests those principles in the community, eitheras a practice or a program. The group that came upwith the most correct answers in the shortestamount of time, won. The good news is we had ateam that got everything correct, and they won LaMontañita Co-op hats. The best news is that every-one who played received a gift certificate from theCo-op. If you are interested in seeing what the gamelooked like, the board is happy to send you ouranswer sheet. It lists the principles and examples ofhow La Montañita manifests them.

All in all, it was an excellent annual meeting and wethank everyone who came out and participated. And,just to give an idea of how the game worked, theannual meeting represents both principle 2, Demo-cratic Member Control and principle 5, Education,Training and Information. The annual meeting iswhere the Board of Directors that you elected reportback on your Co-op, and also where we share impor-tant information about La Montañita and where westand in the community with you!

FEEL FREE TO EMAIL THE BOARD at [email protected] if you have questions or would liketo see the game sheet, or find it on our websiteat www.lamontanita.coop.

ANNUALmeetingRRRREEEECCCCAAAAPPPP

CHOOSE FROM:BREAKFAST PLATTERS: The Continental: home-baked muffins and scones,yogurt, granola, seasonal fruit, coffee and juice.$4.99/personThe Schmear (a.k.a., the Co-op Bagel Platter): fresh-ly baked bagels, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, sweetred onion and cucumbers. $2.99/personSweet Morning Tray: includes assorted fresh bakedmuffins, scones and sweet breads, elegantly plated byour pastry chefs. $2.49/personThe Quiches: The Southwest (green chile, beans andavocado), The Mediterranean (spinach and feta), orthe Lorraine (ham or sausage): $3.29/person

COCKTAIL, DINNER OR ANYTIMEGATHERINGS: PARTY PLATTERSBeautifully presented party platters for all occasions!(No more cold, greasy pizza at game time!)

CRUDITES: The freshest in seasonal vegetables anddip. $3.29/personDELI PARTY PLATTER: Nitrate-free sliced meats and/or cheeses. $4.59/personMeat Only: Nitrate-free sliced selection. $4.99/personCONDIMENT PLATTER: All the “fixins” for the meatand deli platters. $1.59/person ANTIPASTO PLATTER: A medley of traditional Italianflavors. $6.99/personMEDITERRANEAN PLATTER: A fabulous traditional“mezza.” $5.99/person

In a rush? Got lots going on? Let yourfavorite Co-op Deli help you put it all togeth-er! Treat yourself and your guests to the bestin fresh, local and organic foods with a homecooked flair, but without the muss and fuss.

Our deli departments take pride in using thefreshest all natural and organic ingredients avail-able and will work hard to ensure a wonderfulstress free catered experience at a fair price. Wewant to ensure your satisfaction, therefore,we request that:• All catering orders are to be placed 48 hours in

advance;• A 50% deposit is required at time of order for

orders over $100;• Twenty-four-hour notice must be given to La

Montanita Co-op for any cancelled order(s), otherwise a 50% fee will be assessed.

CO-OP ENTREES include:Chicken or Veggie Enchiladas: $5.99/person • Traditionalor Veggie Lasagna: $5.99/person • Eggplant or ChickenParmesan: $6.99/person • Crab Cakes: $3.99/person •Poached Wild Caught Salmon: Price varies due to marketprice of fish

SPECIALTY SALADS BY THE POUNDMediterranean Pasta: $9.49/lb • Pesto Pasta: $8.99/lb • Fresh Cole Slaw: $6.99/lb • Potato Salad: $7.49/lb• Carrot and Raisin: $7.49/lb • Tabouli: $9.49/lb • TunaSalad: $11.49/lb • Mango or Tarragon Chicken Salad:$10.49/lb • Quinoa and Cashew: $8.99/lb• Classic Garden, with organic field greens: $2.99/per-son • Southwestern Cobb/Grilled Chicken Breast:$4.99/person • SALADS NOT LISTED CAN BE MADEUPON REQUEST

SANDWICH AND WRAP PLATTERSA selection of fresh breads, tortillas and baguettes and gar-nished with crisp lettuce, green chile, fresh tomato, redonion and sprouts with: Meat and/or Cheese: $6.99/personVegetarian and Vegan Options: $5.99/personHUMMUS • TABOULI • FALAFEL AND TAHINI SAUCE• CHEESE, VEGAN CHEESE or SEITAN

AND FOR DESSERT!FAMOUS CO-OP COOKIE PLATTER: $13.99/dozenBROWNIE PLATTER: $2.99/personCUPCAKE PLATTER: $2.79/personAnd don’t forget to ask about whole cakes and pies.

CALL YOUR FAVORITE CO-OP DELI today for your specialorder. NOB HILL: TIM at 505-265-4631, email: [email protected] • VALLEY: ROBIN at 505-242-8800, email: [email protected] • SANTA FE: JEFF at 505-984-2852, email: [email protected]

callthe

CO-OP!

HEALTHY FOOD FOR FUN TIMES!

HOLIDAYENTERTAINING...

madeEASY!

Local FOODHHeerroo!!!!LA MONTANITA CO-OP!Thanks to you!JUBILEE – A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION OF LOCAL FOODFriday, December 7, from 4-7pm at the South ValleyEconomic Development Center.

La Montanita Co-op was voted best local food retailer inthe edible Santa Fe’s Local Food Heroes Awards! Thanksto all our supporters and partners for recognizing ourefforts. We know it is thanks to the support of our membersand shoppers we can build our local food system and cre-ate a richer and more robust foodshed.

We invite you to come celebrate with us, and many ofour local food partners and collaborators, at the LocalFood Heroes Awards Ceremony during the Jubilee—AHoliday Celebration of Local Food on December 7 from4 to 7pm at the South Valley Economic DevelopmentCenter. The actual award ceremony will take place at6pm, but over the course of the evening you can sam-ple the wares of dozens of artisan food producers, lis-ten to live music, including neighborhood carolers, andbuy tasty treats for a holiday party or as gifts.

The South Valley Economic Development Center islocated at 318 Isleta Boulevard SW, Albuquerque,NM 87105. FOR MORE INFORMATION give them aring at 505-877-0373 or visit www.ediblesantafe.com

friends,food&

fun!

TURKEYS AND LARGE TURKEY BREASTS,

DUCK, QUAIL, ROASTS, BONELESS

HAMS, RACK OF LAMB, PRIME RIB,

SEAFOOD, F ISH, ELK, BISON AND

THE VERY BEST LOCAL SWEETGRASS CO-OP BEEF!BEEF!

C O - O P S P O T L I G H T O N

MEAT!Your Co-op has a variety ofspecialty meats available foryour holiday celebrations!

FOR SPECIAL CUTS OR SPE-CIAL ORDERS call Dave at NobHill: 265-4631, Elena at theValley: 242-8800, Grace inSanta Fe: 984-2852, Alisha inGallup: 863-5383.

spotlight onmeat!!

co-opnews December 2012 7

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

The shorter days as we head towards winter sol-stice are made brighter by the colors and flavors ofwinter citrus. Their power packednutrition is the perfect antidote to allthe bugs that get passed around dur-ing cold weather. There is nothingmore delicious than hot water, freshsqueezed Meyer lemons and a dash ofhoney. The weather may be chilly, butthanks to the Co-op DistributionCenter you can keep yourself warm,snug and healthy with terrific, nutri-tious, and delicious produce fromyour Co-op.

This year the CDC will be bringing us delicious red RioStar grapefruits, Hamlin oranges and Meyer lemons.Look for other citrus, including a wide assortment oftangerines: Clementine, Satsuma, Tangelo and more.Look for traditional holiday fruit favorites such as mel-low pears and tart cranberries. Don’t miss great apples,

including the always delicious Winesap apples fromCider Mill Farms that are a CDC special.

All this fruit sits alongside a bounty of hearty root veg-etables, warming squashes and savory fare likerutabagas, butternut squashes, parsnips, pump-kins, radishes, bold beets and flavorful sweetpotatoes to keep you warm and well fed. ThisDecember we are lucky to have a cheerful har-vest of local English walnuts and deliciouschestnuts, just in time for early winter roasting.

Also, through the CDC Foodshed project lookfor White Mountain potatoes from Paul New’sWhite Mountain Farm in Alamosa, CO.

And any of your meals can be made even better withdelicious ciders, ideal for mulling or drinking fresh.Look for the one and only Big B’s Fresh Cider and alltheir delicious apple and other juice/tea combinations.Best wishes for great holidays and a happy andprosperous New Year from your La Montanita Co-op produce departments.

HOLIDAY PRODUCE: CITRUS!Foodshed UPdate

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.

December 1: Shop and Strolland Co-op Holiday Party, see page 1.

12/15 Santa Fe Holiday Party12/16 North Valley Holiday Party

and Craft Fair12/17 Giving Tree GIFT RETURN

DEADLINE!12/18 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

decemberCalendarof Events

The Co-op can make giving healthy sustainablegifts easy. And should all else fail, give the gift of goodhealthy food in the form of a Co-op gift certificate,available at any Co-op information desk.

Also to make gift giving easy we tapped“women in the know” who head ournon-food section and have selected awide array of great gifts that family andfriends will enjoy. Thanks to Chris ofNob Hill and Cynthia of Santa Fe, checkout these great gift ideas.

Lucuma Gourds—Handmade gourdsfrom Peru beautifully carved into manydesigns. At Nob Hill, we especially like the animaldesigns, including cats, owls, and penguins.

Embudo Fabric Design potholders—Made inDixon, New Mexico. You won't find potholders likethese anywhere else. The designs are uniquely NewMexican and/or uniquely quirky, featuring images likethe New Mexico map, red chile ristra, Tecate beer can,and coffee Guadalupe. A great addition to any kitchen!

Andes Gifts—Andes Gifts proves that high quality,handmade products can be sourced ethically and sus-tainably benefiting the individuals and communitiesinvolved. Look for lovely scarves and hats and mittens,handmade with alpaca wool that come in both stylish

and fun designs. Our favorites are the ani-mal hats: the owl, cat, koala beer, andbeaver. Not only are they warm and com-fortable, but adorable as well.

Sparrow Hawk Farm—Look for SparrowHawk Farm Natural Beeswax Candles,handmade in Sabinal, NM. Beautiful candlesand beeswax ornaments in holiday designs

such as Santa Claus, Cat inKitchen, angels, and pinon conesare the very best candles one canget. Not only are they all madeby hand from locally sourcedpure beeswax, they give off themost delicate and soothing sweethoney scent.

Speaking of candles, PacificaSoy Candles or Aroma Naturals

Candles are a great buy for the price andare both clean and natural. Pacifica SoyCandles are made from generously scentedvegetable soy wax. Pacifica's signature fra-grance blends with essential and naturaloils and have lead-free cotton wicks, arelong-burning and always phthalate-free. Orlook for Aroma Naturals candles in a vari-ety of scents.

Love & Toast is one more perfume housefounded by Margot Elena, owner and per-fumer known as the inventor of luxuriousformulas in the previous decade.

Co-op staff picks

HolidayGGiiffttss

You probably have noticed several refer-ences to this year’s patronage refund inthis month’s newsletter! We are thrilled to

be able to return $265,000 to our members; this is$16,000 more than last year. It is your support thathas made this patronage amount possible.Given the state of the economy, to be ableto return over a quarter of a million dollarsin patronage refunds is a testament to yoursupport of the Co-op you own and the co-op economic model.

We did have an issue at our Santa Fe storethat added an extra calculation to our usualpatronage refund work.

In early January 2012, our computer system experi-enced a server failure at the Santa Fe store. Aftermonths of efforts to retrieve this data we could notrecover the lost data. It included member sales for thetime period in which the server was not working. Weconsulted an outside certified public accountant toassist us with the best method to address this lostdata to make sure all Santa Fe shoppers received allthe patronage refund that was due to them.

To rectify the situation, this year’s patronage calcula-tion for members who shopped at the Santa Fe storewas done by looking at each member’s purchase datafor the 256 days we did have purchase data during

our fiscal year of September 1, 2011, to August 3,2012. We then divided each member’s purchase databy 256 (the number of days we have data for), thenmultiplied it by 366; days in a year plus one leapyear day (256/366). This is the same as multiplying

each member’s purchases for theperiod we have data for by 1.43, tocome up with the total purchasesused to calculate each member’spatronage refundable amount forthe full fiscal year.

This server glitch only affects theSanta Fe store member purchases.We did not experience any member

purchase data collection issues at the other Co-oplocations. As with any problem the key question ishow do we prevent this from happening again? Weare installing a new POS (point of sale) system at allstores. This new system is far more reliable than thecurrent system and has multiple points of backup.I’m confident that the above calculation is fair andjust; and that everyone will receive the full patron-age refund they have earned.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Ican reached at [email protected] or byphone at 505-217-2020. Thank you for anothersuccessful year for our Co-op. TERRY B.

THE INSIDE SCOOP

PAT R O N A G E R E F U N D

CCOO--OOPP CCOOMMIIXX

GET A FREEGIFT FOR

THE KIDS!La Montanita is proud to announce the release of our first ever comicbook! The book is divided in half, telling the story in English in onedirection, and Spanish in the other. Drawing from the comics featuredover the last year in the Co-op Connection, the book tells the story of amodern day family discovering its cooperative roots. The Co-op Comixoffers a fun and engaging way to remember all the reasons you shop atthe Co-op. Available at your Co-op!

Pick up your free copy of the CO-OP COMIX today!

Co-op’s CLOSED on December 25

Our La Montañita Staff celebrates freshFAIRLOCAL for the holidays!

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Sarah / Membership: A wide variety of Winter Squash, from $1.29/lb. 100% Wool Hat by Sunday Afternoons, $36.99. Heidi / Nob Hill: Fair Trade 100% Alpaca Wool Animal Hat, Mittens and Socks by Andes Gifts, from $23.99. LOCAL! Provence, France Lavender Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts, $11.99. LOCAL! Sandia Soap, 6 oz, $4.99. LOCAL! Freshly Baked Vegan & Gluten-free Cookies Fresh Daily at Co-op Delis, from $1.39. Aaron & daughter, Aislynn / Nob Hill: Fair Trade 100% Alpaca Wool Hat and Animal Scarf by Andes Gifts, from $23.99. Vegan & Dairy-Free Whipped Soy Topping by Soyatoo, $5.69. Fair Trade, Everyday Shea Lemon Lavender Bubble Bath, $13.99. Ramon / North Valley: Oven-safe Ceramic Bowl by Gibson, $21.99. Wooden Spoon by Down to Earth Basics, $13.99. LOCAL! Hand-Screened Original Art Hot Pad by Embudo Fabric Designs, $13.99. Acupressure Massage Eco Mat by Spoonk, from $39.99. LOCAL! Scarf by Rainbow Designs, $24.99. Fair Trade & Organic Chocolate Bars by Alter Eco, from $3.49.

Our La Montañita Staff celebrates freshFAIRLOCAL for the holidays!

Louisa / North Valley: Fair Trade, Hand-knit Finger Puppets, $2.99 each. LOCAL! Hand-crocheted Hair Clip by Martha Todd, from $3.99. Fair Trade African Market Basket by Alaffia, from $13.99. LOCAL! Candles by Bruce McCallum, Tapers, $1.79, Fatboy, $4.79; California Sage, $4.99; Hand-painted African Art Market Candles, from $4.99. Peg / Santa Fe: Preserve Mixing Bowls, $22.99. Fair Trade 100% Alpaca Wool Animal Hat and Fingerless Mittens by Andes Gifts, from $23.99. Citrus + Mint Everyone Lotion, 32 oz, $9.69. Coconut + Lemon Everyone Soap, 32 oz, $9.99. Authentic Aromatherapy Candles by Tru Melange, from $14.99. Mona / Santa Fe: LOCAL! Agapao Coffee Kona Blend and Organic Wicked Espresso, 12 oz, $11.59. All Natural Gingerbread Acorn Cookies by Dancing Deer, $4.99. 100% Organic Cloth Napkins for Kids by Fabkins, $18.99. Fair Trade 100% Alpaca Wool Animal Hat by Andes Gifts, $25.99. John / Santa Fe: Skincare Discovery Kit by Pangea Organics, $39.99. Cucumber + Lemon Everyone Lotion for Every Man, 32 oz, $9.79.

holiday food December 2012 10

Swiss Chard Gratin

This recipe from The Art of Simple Food byAlice Waters is a rich and delicious addition toany holiday table. Serves 4 to 6

3 bunches chard, washed and stemmed (save half the stems)

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs5 tablespoons butter1 large onion, dicedSalt to taste4 teaspoons flour1 cup milkFreshly grated nutmeg

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil.Thinly slice the reserved chard stems, add themto the water, and cook for 2 minutes. Add theleaves and continue cooking until tender, about3-4 minutes longer. Drain and allow to cool,then gently squeeze out the excess liquid andcoarsely chop.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F. Melta tablespoon of butter and toss in the bread-crumbs until the butter has been absorbed.Spread them out on a small baking sheet. Toast,stirring occasionally, until lightly browned,about 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons ofbutter over medium heat, then add the onion.Sweat until translucent, about 6 minutes, then

stir in the chard and a couple pinches of salt. Cook for 3minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the chard and stirwell to coat. Add the milk and nutmeg and bring to aboil. Simmer for 5 minutes as the mixture thickens. Thechard should be just moist, but not overly wet, or else thegratin won't brown properly. Taste and season with salt.

Butter a baking dish and spread the chard mixture even-ly in the dish. Dot with the remaining butter and topwith the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling,about 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes,then serve.

Citrus and Beet Salad

This recipe was taken from the food blog Fork, Knife,Swoon. It combines the delicious winter season flavors ofcitrus and beets in an amazingly simple, tasty, and color-ful salad. Serves 4

4 golden or red beets, washed and trimmed2 medium Cara Cara navel oranges3 blood oranges2 Satsuma tangerines 2 cups baby arugula, loosely packed1/4 cup fresh chervil (or parsley), roughly chopped1/2 cup goat cheese, roughly crumbled1 tablespoons fresh lime juiceExtra virgin olive oilFresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle beets with olive oil andwrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast for an hour, untilbeets can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove fromoven and let cool, still wrapped in foil.

Meanwhile, cut off the tops and bottoms of oranges.Using a sharp knife, remove peels and white pith. Slicethe oranges crosswise into thin slices. Peel the tangerinesand separate the segments. Place the tangerine segmentsand orange slices in a bowl. Juice the remaining orangeends and add to the bowl along with fresh lime juice.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, remove theskins and slice the beets crosswise 1/8-inch thick.Arrange the beets, oranges and tangerines on plates, lay-ering to create texture. Top with arugula, chervil andgoat cheese.

Drizzle with remaining citrus juice and olive oil and sea-son with freshly ground black pepper. Find more recipesand stories at www.fork knifeswood.blogspot.com.

FOODSwithspirit

Classical Homeopathy in Albuquerque since 1992.Specializing in Visceral Manipulation & Lab Analysis.204 Carlisle Blvd. NE Albuquerque NM 87106

(505)266-6522 [email protected]

Mary Alice Cooper, MD

Roasted Brussels Sprouts WithAlmonds

This vegan recipe comes from Nancy LopezMcHugh, writer for the food blog SpicieFoodie.com. This recipe makes an often-unpopu-lar veggie delectable to even the most ardentnaysayer. Serves 2 to 4

1 lb. fresh raw, brussels sprouts3 garlic cloves, minced3 1/2 ounces blanched almonds1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil – adjust to tasteSalt, to tasteGround black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Properly rinse the brusselssprouts, remove any damaged outer leaves. Cutoff bottom stem, then cut in half. In a large bowlgently toss the brussels sprout halves with theremaining ingredients. Making sure to evenly coatthe brussels sprouts.

Place in center of oven and roast until desiredfirmness, usually about 20 minutes. Note thatovercooking brussels sprouts will cause them torelease an unpleasant odor.

Rosemary Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup

A simple syrup from seasonal ingredients can bea great base for any number of hot holiday bev-erages and party cocktails—you can add sodawater for a homemade soft drink, add yourfavorite spirit for a delicious cocktail, or mix itwith a steamy cup of green tea to ward off cold.Below is a recipe for a basic citrus and herb sim-ple syrup adapted from the blog Shelterrific(www.shelterrific.com). Try other citrus andherb combinations for a variety of simple syrups.Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup sugar1 cup water1 Meyer lemon, zested and cut in half

(remove the seeds)1 handful rosemary (or any fresh herb)

Put all your ingredients in a small pot over medi-um heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Let themixture come to a boil, then remove from heat,cover the pot and let it steep for 30 minutes to anhour. Uncover and squeeze the lemon, releasingall of the juice. Remove the lemon halves and therosemary. Pour into a jar. The syrup can keep forup to a month, covered in the refrigerator.

For a rosemary-lemon vodka gimlet:Fill a highball or short drinking glass halfwaywith ice. Add 2 shots of vodka and 2 spoonfulsof syrup. Top off with soda water and stir untilcombined. Garnish with a rosemary sprig orlemon slice.

For rosemary-lemon soda:Pour 3 tablespoons of the syrup into a tall glass.Fill with soda or tonic water and stir. Add ice.

For rosemary-lemon tea:Make your favorite cup of green, black, or herbtea. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons simple syrup to taste.

Spaghetti Squash Fritters

Adapted from Mollie Katzen’s The VegetableDishes I Can’t Live Without. For a holiday meal,this dish can serve as an appetizer, a vegetarianmain course, or a side dish for everyone.

1 large spaghetti squash (4 lbs)1 medium onion, finely diced (approximately

1 1/2 cups diced)1 large garlic clove, finely diced1 tablespoon olive oil1/2 cup flour4 large eggs1/2 teaspoon salt (generous measure)Unsalted butter for the pan

Garnish Sour creamChives, mincedRoasted squash seeds, reserved from squash,

instructions below (requires canola oil, paprikaand salt)

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat oven to 350ºF. Cut the spaghetti squash inhalf lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds(consider keeping and baking for a tasty snack).Bake the squash halves face-down for approxi-mately 30 minutes on a lightly oiled or parchmentcovered baking sheet. You should be able to piercethe skin with a fork. Remove from oven, and setaside to cool. Reduce oven heat to 200°F and inserta medium or large baking dish for keeping frittersonce they’re cooked.

While the squash is baking, place a skillet over medi-um-low heat, and add a tablespoon oil. Add dicedonion and garlic, and cook until softened, approxi-mately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once the squash has cooled to room temperature,or is at least cool enough to handle, use a spoon toremove the flesh. Place flesh in a strainer or colan-der and use your hands to squeeze out excess liq-uid. When you first begin doing this, it may seemlike there isn’t much juice, but stick with it.

Place drained squash in a medium bowl, and use afork to separate spaghetti strands. Add flour, andstir well to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk eggswith salt and cooked onions and garlic. Add eggmixture to squash mixture, and stir to combine.

Melt enough butter to coat a large skillet at medi-um-low heat, until the butter barely begins tobrown. Use a 1/4 measuring cup with a handle toscoop batter into skillet. Use the back of the scoopor your spatula to gently flatten the fritters.

Cook fritters for about 8 minutes on each side untilthey are golden brown, flipping between sides afew times to make sure fritters aren’t burning.Place cooked fritters on a dish in the preheatedoven to keep them warm while you continue cook-ing additional batches.

Serve fritters hot or warm, with a dollop of sourcream, chives, roasted squash seeds, and a squeezeof fresh lemon juice.

holiday food December 2012 11

HOLIDAY ARTSANDC R A F T S FC R A F T S F A I RA I R DEC 16FROM 11-5 VALLEY CO-OPSupport Local Artists, Give BeautifulGifts. For more information call 217-2027 or 877-775-2667, OR e-mail:[email protected]

Come check usout and see what

we’re about!

sweet&healthy

Winter FoodshedAbundance:Look for citrus, root veggies, goat cheese and other local foods AT ALL CO-OP LOCATIONS!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


Holiday time can be a celebration ofabundance, or a time of extreme excessand waste. This year as you celebrate look

for ways to reduce your budget and waste, reusecreatively to dress up your gifts and events, andrecycle old stuff into clever decorations or presents.

According to the Use Less Stuff Report, edited byBob Lilienfeld, between Thanksgiving and NewYear’s Day Americans generate 25% more waste perweek than during the rest of the year. We produce anadditional 1.2 million tons per week, or an extra 6million tons, for the holiday season.

Some other interesting statistics from this report are:• According to the USDA, Americans throw away 25% of food purchased—52 billion pounds each year, or 170 pounds per person! When you add in foodwaste from restaurants, retailers and other commercial purveyors, theUniversity of Arizona estimates that the real amount wasted is closer to 50%.• If every American family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by just onegallon a week, the result would be an annual reduction in greenhouse gasproduction of 13 billion pounds (6.5 million tons) of carbon dioxide.• If American households reduced their holiday ribbon usage by just 2 feet,the result would be a savings of 50,000 miles, enough ribbon to circle theEarth twice.

Do a little fall cleaning in preparation for the holidays. Clean out closetsand drawers, keeping friends and family in mind who you plan on sending cardsor gifts. Is there a box of scrap paper or fabric you can use for wrapping giftsor making decorations? Can you re-appropriate last year’s gift cards by cuttingthem in half, or gluing the front to a blank piece of recycled color paper? Hereare some suggestions from the EPA website on really easy ways to reduce yourholiday footprint.

HOLIDAY gifting December 2012 12

• Thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags endup in landfills every year. Reduce the number of bagsthrown out by bringing reusable cloth bags for holi-day gift shopping. Tell store clerks you don't need a

bag for small or oversized purchases.• Wrap gifts in recycled or reused wrap-ping paper or funny papers. Alsoremember to save or recycle used wrap-ping paper. Give gifts that don't requiremuch packaging, such as concert ticketsor gift certificates.• Send recycled-content greeting cardsto reduce the amount of virgin paperused during the holidays. Remember torecycle any paper cards you receive.You can also try sending electronicgreeting cards to reduce paper waste.• About 40% of all battery sales occur

during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteriesto accompany your electronic gifts, and consider giv-ing a battery charger as well. Rechargeable batteriesreduce the amount of potentially harmful materialsthrown away, and can save money in the long run.• Turn off or unplug holiday lights during the day.Doing so will not only save energy, but will also helpyour lights last longer.• Approximately 33 million live Christmas trees aresold in North America every year. After the holidays,look for ways to recycle your tree instead of sendingit to a landfill. Check with your community solidwaste department and find out if they collect andmulch trees. Your town might be able to use chippingsfrom mulched trees for hiking trails and beachfronterosion barriers. • To help prevent waste from cutting down and dis-posing of live trees, you can buy a potted tree andplant it after the holidays.

BECAUSE THE PLANET MATTERS!

BY ARI LEVAUX

Based on the variety of ice cream scoops on the market—1,529available from Amazon alone—one mightconclude the world faces a crisis of

improperly or inconveniently excavated icecream. I think it's more a symptom of our loveaffair with cooking gadgetry. Today's kitchens arebigger than ever, and can easily accommodatetoys like turkey fryers, pizza stones, bread-mak-ing machines, and drawers of little hand tools.Every day we're inundated with images of pic-ture-perfect food, and some people actuallybelieve that an adjustable tip on their bulb baster,or a chef jacket with their name embroidered onit, will help them reach the next level. But at somepoint, even in the most super-sized of kitchens,the returns from accumulating this stuff will even-tually diminish. Keep that in mind as we prepare for another seasonal roundof buying each other more crap to deal with.

Every piece of cooking gear you give someone effectively takes away spacefrom their kitchen. If he or she doesn't have a lot of space to work with thatcan mess with their cooking flow. Just because, in the moment of present-opening, someone is pleased at the sight of a new set of egg-poaching bas-kets, doesn't mean it's in his or her best interest to keep it.

What I want for Christmas is an uncluttered kitchen, with just the tools Ineed to do what I do. And when I'm at home, in private, what I do is pret-ty simple. I'm not after style points, or photos to post on my Facebook time-line. Food usually goes in a bowl ungarnished, spiced with some form ofcapsicum and greased with cheese or mayo if desired. I'll take good ingredi-ents over kitchen gear any day. I can improvise from there. What I can't dois move a dough mixer out of the way every time I want to chop an onion.I can't untangle the spatula from the avocado slicer in a clattery, cluttereddrawer. I can't waste my shelf space with gravy separators and pancake por-tion pourers.

I'm not saying folks should go ill-prepared into meal prep. If you frequent-ly enjoy soft-boiled eggs at home, you should probably own one of thosemedieval-torture-device-looking things that constricts a ring of bladesaround the tip of the egg with an easy squeeze of the handle, scalping off theshell and allowing your spoon easy access to the slimy innards. I do not needone of these devices, hence I do not have one.

But given how often I write about food, I am admittedly shocked at timesby how primitive my kitchen is. Until recently I was opening cans with ajackknife. I still don't own measuring spoons. My whisk gets more action asa mallet for a certain little drummer boy than I ever give it. Not one pieceof my silverware matches another. But nobody leaves my table unfulfilled.No one can taste that the meal was cooked on an electric stove, or that myknives are dull.

We finally found my cro hiin at a stall in a market under-neath an elevated highway. I bought both sets the guyhad, because they were absolutely perfect: well-craftedfrom smooth, heavy stone. They were the size of tea ket-tles and about 20 pounds each—5 for the pestle, 15 forthe mortar. Flying home, I didn't want to check them forfear they'd bounce around and destroy each other, andthe rest of my luggage. But the airline wouldn't let mecarry them on the plane, fearing I might use one to smashopen the cockpit door. Luckily, airline personnel couldsee what was at stake and helped me package themappropriately.

When I finally got my mortars and pestles home, I putone set straight on my counter, where it proved wellworth the trouble. It pulverizes everything, large andsmall, hard and soft. The heavy pestle does all the work,and the mortar doesn't budge. The bowl is deep enoughthat stuff doesn't fly out and all over the kitchen. It con-sumes a bit of space, but it's worth it. That cro hiinremains one of the most important tools in my primitivekitchen.

I gave the other cro hiin to friends as a wedding present.What better way to symbolize a marriage than thegrinding action of pestle in mortar? As for presents tocelebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, solstice, Kwanzaa, theretail economy, or whatever they're calling it these days,remember: Your friends probably already have an icecream scoop. It's called a spoon.

Shopping, Wrapping&Giving

• Have a create-your-own-decorations party! Invitefamily and friends to create and use holiday decora-tions such as ornaments made from old greeting cardsor cookie dough, garlands made from strung popcornor cranberries, wreaths made from artificial greens andflowers, and potpourri made from kitchen spices suchas cinnamon and cloves. • Consider the durability of a product before you buyit as a gift. Cheaper, less durable items often wear outquickly, creating waste and costing you money. • When buying gifts, check product labels to deter-mine an item's recyclability and whether it is madefrom recycled materials. Buying recycled encouragesmanufacturers to make more recycled-content prod-ucts available.

Holidays should be about quality, not quantity.Consider buying a little less than you think you need,and you might be surprised at how far you can make alittle stretch. Plus you might be pleasantly pleasedwhen you have less to clean up afterwards and whenyou look at what you have spent for the holidays.

Celebrate the abundance of good company, intan-gible blessings, what you can do for others ratherthan what you can give them, and what youalready have—HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

tthhee ggiifftt ooffFFOOOODD

REDUCEyour

holiday footprint!

Knives, in fact, can serve as a barometer for some-one's obsession with kitchen tools.You can spend a lotof money on them, or almost none. Any knife can bekept sharp, or get the job done dull. If you are reallyinto fancy knives, you probably have at least one icecream scoop. If you're a pro, you pretty much need tospend money on knives. Otherwise, you really don't.It's interesting that Japan and Germany, our World

War II enemies, seem to have the worldmarket for fine knives cornered. Japan, atleast, I can understand, because it has awe-some food. But Germany?

Japanese chefs say they need yanagi, usuba,and deba knives in order to properly floatmy boat of sushi, and I fully support them.But I also know full well that if I tried to usethose knives at home I'd probably just hurtmyself. I don't need knives like that.

My favorite knife ever is one I got inThailand. It's rectangular and very thin,with a wide, flat tip I can use as a spatula. I

picked it up while on a motorcycle—taxi tour aroundsome of Bangkok's widely dispersed open-air kitchen-supply markets. My driver was helping me find a crohiin, Thai for "big-ass stone mortar and pestle." I saidcro hiin so many times that day it remains one of thefew bits of Thai I remember, along with hello andthanks.

Flash in the Pan: Holiday Giftsfor an unclutteredKITCHEN

GIVE thenecessary utensils!

Your donation of non-perishablefood items will help the Food Depot

provide meals to those inneed.Thank you for your

kindness! Donation box byRegister 1 at the Santa Fe

Co-op Location.

HOLIDAYfoodDRIVESANTA FE CO-OPLOCATION

La MontanitaFUND!

• Investor enrollment period now open• Investment options begin at $250• Loan repayment terms tailored to the needs of our community

of food producers• Loan applications taken on an ongoing basisTo set up a meeting to learn more or for a Prospectus, InvestorAgreement, Loan Criteria and Applications, call or e-mail Robin at:505-217-2027, toll free at 877-775-2667 or e-mail her [email protected].

LA MONTANITA FUNDGROW THE REGIONAL

FOOD SYSTEMGRASSROOTS INVESTING ANDMICRO-LOAN PROGRAM

HEALTHY holidays December 2012 13

the pressure of perfectionBY AMYLEE UDELL

This time of year often comes with many expectations. By look-ing around, you can easily see the industry built around setting theperfect table, decorating the perfect tree, wearing the perfect outfit

and giving the perfect present. TV commercials show smiling,peaceful families sitting by the fire sipping perfectly warmed andseasoned beverages. So much perfection is bound to create an infe-riority complex in many of us. We've heard about magazinesspurring body image issues. This is somewhat similar.

While women and mothers tend to take the pressure of per-fection to heart, we are ALL susceptible in different ways.

HOLIDAYS I mentioned some of those issues above. It's easy towant to go overboard with holidays and birthdays because weLOVE our families and friends. So try to remember that memoriesare made by the people we are with, not the matching mugs orfancy recipes.

FOOD Even if you're not "on a diet," many of us do subscribe to a food phi-losophy of some sort. And people often want to eat perfectly within that dietor philosophy. This is a well intentioned goal, but for most of us, difficult tomaintain. Some people MUST eat a certain way for health reasons. But ifyou occasionally falter, think of it more as a splurge, not a personality flaw.And if you are feeding children, feed them well but show them that fast foodhas a place and don't judge it beyond that. Food can nourish bodies andsouls, but not if it's eaten with guilt.

ENVIRONMENTALISM Is the weight of the world on your shoulders? Canyou out-recycle your neighbor? Do you wish you had a grey water system,earth batteries, reclaimed-built house and solar everything? While we can allprobably do a little more to help our planet's future, we can each only do somuch. If you find your heart heavy with worry, easing up is probably betterfor your health. Worry is normal, but acting positively to make changes witha joyful heart shows everyone else that making improvements is manageableand something they might want to try, too.

FINANCES Would things be perfect if you had just a little more? Do you feelguilty that your friends seem to have less and suffer for it? Do you wish youcould follow a better budget or get out of debt or save more or figure outbetter investments or pick the best retirement options? Whew. Gettingfinances in order can be exhausting! It is very easy to feel defeated by moneyissues. You might consider changing your goal from getting finances in per-fect order to at least developing a manageable, loose, long-range plan. And

that money is not the root of all evil. But that "the loveof money is the root of all evil." (1, Timothy 6:10)

GARDENING Does your friend have an amazinggreen thumb? Does he grow ALL his tomatoes for theentire year during the growing season and put them upfor the rest of the year? Do you know people who areable to grow exotic varieties and who have the secretto squash bugs?

Do their gardens look luscious and organized whileyours looks like a neglected desert jungle? Or do youNOT have a garden while everyone else is improvingthe world with theirs? Gasp!

Whatever you are able to grow is great. It helps. If youcan't or don't want to grow a garden, don't despair.Support OTHER gardens! Join your local CSA orforge relationships with the farmers at the local mar-kets and let that guilt go!

EDUCATION This can be divided into two areas:yours or your kids. Sometimes choosing the right edu-cational program or school can weigh heavily on aparent. We feel like this one decision determines ourchild's entire future! What if we mess up?! When I wasmaking this decision, I told myself repeatedly, "Thisisn't irreversible. We can change course at any time."And then there are the adults I've known over theyears who live with regret over NOT finishing adegree program. It's like a scarlet letter that only theycan see. I have no advice here. Your value is not in thatdegree, although finishing it may make those unseenletters a source of pride in the end. Still, you are no lessperfect where you are right now.

HOUSE/HOME Not big enough, not clean enough,unmatching furniture, old carpet, pet stains, child"decorated" walls, cracked tiles, barren backyard.While our homes might be our castles, no one told methe castle floors don't clean themselves! So, I lookaround and try to weigh the importance of a cleanhouse with the importance of playing board gameswith my kids. Or accept that dishes piling up are theconsequence of making real food for my family. Maybedirty dishes = LOVE?

BODIES Many essays have been written on theimpact of media on body image. No one has a perfectbody. If supermodels complain about their perceivedflaws, do any of US mere mortals stand a chance?

Aim for health. Ask yourself how close to perfect isgood enough for you? And if you're bummed aboutyour butt or glum about your gut, remember thatyour body does amazing things. If you're overallhealthy, that is a blessing for which many peoplewould gladly trade a round butt or gut.

PARENTING I saved this one for last. As someone"in charge" of the safety and development of little

people, there are a plethora of ways I can mess up. Icould overindulge, be too strict, expose them to toomuch media, deprive them of movies and turn theminto screen junky adults, poison them with sugar, notgive them enough responsibility, yell at them, ignorethem, jump in too soon, wait too long, drive them toohard, neglect fulfilling their potential, not nurse them,nurse them too long, and more. One person's idea ofloving a child is another person's ruining them. Butthere's no turning back, is there? There is no perfectparent. We've all cried because of our parents and wewill all cause our child to cry. So expect to mess up!

And when you do, apologize. Preserve your relation-ship. Then, I hope the mistakes will fade like scars andthe relationship will remain. What do you still holdagainst your own parents? Forgive them for not beingperfect, because you sure won't be either.

And so, as the year closes with celebrations, gather-ings, the warmth of love and the joy of family andfriends, let your RIGHT NOW be perfect. Let yourflaws be perfectly you. Or just let go of the idea ofperfect and focus on what is already right in your life. For more information contact: www.InspiredABQ.com or find Amylee at www.facebook.com/inspiredbirth.

LETTINGgoofEEXXPPEECCTTAATTIIOONNSS

3) Better for the soil—soil structure is maintained,which helps build humus and keeps nutrients inthe soil.

4) Healthier food—most perennials contain highermineral content than annuals because of larger,

permanent root systems. The same is often truefor vitamins and protein content.

5) Extension of harvest system—perennials alreadyhave a head start on the annuals because of thatroot system, and not having to take the energy togerminate at the beginning of the growing season.

Crawford also provides great information abouthow to set up these gardens to maximize space andfunction—simple instructions on polycultures andpermaculture design as well as detailed instructionson planting, care and harvest of the plants as wellas sources for seeds.

So whether you are considering a standard peren-nial vegetable like asparagus, or want to add somesheep sorrel into your garden, or are consideringallowing your chard to become “perpetual,” Howto Grow Perennial Vegetables will be a valuableresource in your explorations. Ask for it at yourfavorite locally-owned bookstore.

Ann Adams homesteads on Happy Goat LuckyFarm in the Manzano Mountains.

BY MARTIN CRAWFORDREVIEWED BY ANN ADAMS

W ith the winter months before us, it is time tobegin thinking about what you’ll plant inyour garden in the spring. However, if you have

a perennial garden, it is the gift that keeps on giving beyondthe annual production of plants like tomatoes or lettuce. Thinkof the years of production one gets from asparagus plants,nopale cacti, or chives and garlic. That’s not to say you can’thave both a perennial and an annual garden, but some peoplethink that perennial beds are for fruit or herbs. MartinCrawford’s How to Grow Perennial Vegetables really broad-ens that picture considerably, as he talks about how gardenerscould get their full vegetable diet from a perennial garden. Healso explains the multiple benefits of such a garden not onlyfor the gardener but for the soil and the planet.

While Crawford’s primary experience is in temperate climates, such asthe United Kingdom, this book is laid out well to help a gardener knowwhich of these vegetables are good for poor soils, dry soils, full sun, andwhich hardiness zones they can tolerate. In looking through the bookthere were many plants that would be suited for zone 5-6 (the moun-tains) and even more for zone 6-7 (Albuquerque). Granted, it would begood to check with local native nurseries, to get their input, but thisbook really helped shift my paradigm about the variety and quantity ofperennial vegetables that could be grown to reduce dependency onannual vegetables. Why worry about that?

As Crawford points out, the key benefits of growing perennials:1) Less work—you don’t have to cultivate the soil either for planting

or weeding (at least not as much)

GREAT GIFT IIDDEEAA!!community forum December 2012 14

How to GrowPERENNIAL

VEGETABLES

HOLIDAY BIRD COUNTSThe National Audubon Society began the “Christmas Bird Counts” in 1901. Thesecounts provide important information about wintering bird populations. There areclose to 30 counts held in New Mexico and the Sangre de Cristo Audubon Chapterparticipates in about 10 counts between December 19 and January 10.

In February the 16th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count is sponsored by the RandallDavey Audubon Center of Santa Fe. Please go to www.birdcount.org for more infor-mation and to find out how you can participate.

The Santa Fe Audubon Society and its Randall Davey House run on volunteer energy.Please contact Carl Beal at [email protected] to find out how you can get involvedand connect with the community. For more information and schedules, check withthe Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society at www.NewMexicoAudubon.org.

AAUUDDUUBBOONN SSSSOOOOCCCCIIIIEEEETTTTYYYY

2) Fewer carbon emissions—because youdon’t have to cultivate the soil (possiblyeven storing carbon in the soil rather than releasing it each year)

BY PAMELA HEATER AND MARIANNE DICKINSON

An old farmhouse and fieldin Albuquerque’s NorthValley is about to be trans-

formed into a “pocket neighbor-hood,” with eight new homes clus-tered around a central plaza tuckedbehind the renovated farmhouse. Theacequia that once fed the long-fallowfield is being put to use for an enor-mous community vegetable and herb garden and a dozenfruit trees. (The subdivision’s name in Spanish, AcequiaJardin, means ditch-irrigated garden.)

Acequia Jardin is an innovative form of community beingdeveloped in what the creators refer to as a “hybrid”cohousing development. To save time involved in puttinga cohousing community together from the ground up, theteam decided to take ownership for initiating the land pur-chase and design of an infill housing compound. They arethen bringing in the homeowners to define and create thecommunity. This method has been well received. Five ofthe ten homes are already reserved and the homeownersare busily creating community through email and plan-ning meetings and classes.

This “hybrid” was specifically planned as a way to meetthe needs of empty-nesters ready to change their priorities

from maintaining large homes to having greaterpersonal freedom while living in a vibrant com-munity with varied interests. The project, due to acity zoning change, had to be approved by

Albuquerque’s Environmental PlanningCommission. Unanimously approved, itwas praised as being "the most innovativeand necessary project to be presented to ourcommittee in years."

Acequia Jardin incorporates key elementsbased on the needs of an intelligent anddemanding boomer population: smaller

houses designed to encourage sociability amongresidents while maintaining privacy and person-al home ownership. That means having frontporches, shared spaces like courtyards or greencommons, clustered parking instead of attachedgarages, community gardens, common activityspaces and even guest rooms for visitors.

The compound is located at 2334 Rio GrandeBlvd. NW, adjacent to the North Valley Co-op.Construction is expected to begin by Januaryand completed by mid-summer 2013.

Contact PAMELA HEATER at 505-710-0021 [email protected] or www.acequiajardin.com.

INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY FORMING: C O O P E R AC O O P E R A T I V ET I V E

LIVING TODATODAY!Y!

BY ELEANOR BRAVO, FOOD AND WATER WATCH, N.M. CHAPTER

Food and Water Watch is a non-profit organizationthat advocates for commonsense policies that willresult in healthy, safe food and access to safe and afford-

able drinking water. In 2011, we opened a field office in theAlbuquerque area. Our main issues in New Mexico are frack-ing and food issues.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, injects a mixture of water,sand and chemicals under high pressure into dense rock forma-tions — shale, tight sandstone or coal beds — to crack the rockand release natural gas. Fracking has been around for decades,but the techniques, technologies and chemicals used to reachnew, remote gas reserves are more intensive and riskier than conven-tional gas drilling. We advocate for an immediate ban on this dan-gerous process.

FOOD ISSUESRight now, we are working for legislation in New Mexico that willrequire the labeling of Genetically Engineered (GE) or GeneticallyModified Foods. Most GE crops are designed to be tolerant of spe-cially tailored herbicides such as Monsanto’s Roundup. Un-fortunately, weeds become resistant to these herbicides and become“super weeds.” There is no high-yield advantage, drought toleranceor any consumer benefit to using GE seeds as the biotech companiesclaim. Many countries in Europe require labeling of GeneticallyEngineered Foods. Despite the loss suffered by Prop 37 in Californiain November, 23 other states are pushing for legislation that wouldrequire labeling.

We believe that consumers have the right to knowwhat they are purchasing and feeding their families.Please lend a few hours a week prior to the next leg-islative session, which begins in January 2013, tomake labeling of GE foods in New Mexico a reality.

Food and Water Watch is a public interest organiza-tion that remains independent of corporate and gov-ernment influence. Funded fully through our mem-bers, individual donors, and foundation grants, weengage and mobilize citizens politically through on-the-ground organizing, educational campaigns andnew media technologies. We believe grassroots polit-

ical involvement is critical for holding governmentsaccountable to their constituents and for creating poli-cies that ensure safe food and clean water.

We believe access to clean water is a human right, nota commodity. We believe in a sustainable future— one

that ensures access to essential resources forfuture generations while protecting the quality ofour environment. We are all dependent on sharedresources like clean water, safe food and healthyoceans. Food and Water Watch has staff locatedin 15 offices throughout the United States, work-ing with a range of constituencies to inform andhold policymakers accountable. Internationalstaff in Latin America and the European Union(Food and Water Europe) work with coalitionpartners to track the global impact of US corpo-rations on public policy.

Please help us now with our GMO RIGHT TOKNOW Campaign in New Mexico. The January

2013 legislative session will be here before we know it.To get involved contact Eleanor Bravo, Food andWater Watch New Mexico, 7804 Pan AmericanFrwy. East NE #2, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Call 505-633-7366 or www.foodandwaterwatch.org.

community forum December 2012 15

MEMBER TO MEMBERGMO RIGHTTTTTOOOO KKKKNNNNOOOOWWWW NNNN....MMMM....

food and waterWWAATTCCHH

CLEAN FOODAND WATER:

A HUMAN RIGHT!

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Documents

La Montanita Coop Connection December, 2012