february 2012 connection free

Why Join?• You care... ... about good food and how it is produced• You’re empowered... ... to help support the local/regional food-shed• You support... ... co-op principles and values and community ownership• You vote... ... with your dollars for a strong local economy• You participate... ... providing direction and energy to the co-op• You receive... ... member discounts, weekly specials and a patronage refund• You Own It! ... an economic alternative for a sustainable future

• Pick up our monthly newsletter full of information on food, health, environment and your Co-op.• Member refund program: at the end of each fiscal year, if earnings are sufficient, refunds are returned to members based on purchases.• Weekly member-only specials as featured in our weekly sales flyer. Pick it up every week at any location to save more than your annual membership fee each week.• Banking membership at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union.• Member only discount days: take advantage of our special discount events throughout the year for members only.• Special Orders: order large quantities of hard-to-find items at a 10% discount for members.• General membership meetings, Board positions and voting. Co-ops are democratic organizations. Your participation is encouraged.

Join La Montañita Co-op˜

La Montañita Co-op Administrative Offices901 Menaul Blvd. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87107www.lamontanita.coop

Your community-owned natural foods grocery store

Great Reasons to be a Co-op Member

in so many ways it pays to be a la montañita co-op member/owner

Celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives and help your co-op grow! For each new member you bring in, youʼll get an 18% discount card! Simply bring your friends and family members to the Information Desk to establish their membership and ask for your volunteer discount card. Together weʼre making history and building a better world!

allow us to collateralize larger loans with longer repayment peri-ods. Two of the loans made near the end of 2011, Old WindmillGoat Dairy (fresh and aged goat cheeses), and Los Jardins (aSouth Valley cold frame and economic development project sup-ported by the National Resources Conservation Service) cameabout after state approval of the change in the LaM FUND’sstructure. Loans to Hari Prem Parsons (northern New Mexicovegetable farmer), and the New Mexico Biscochito Company(traditional cookies for local and tourist markets) were smallerand were able to meet the one-year term. Please support theseexcellent producers when you see their products in Co-op storesand throughout markets in New Mexico.

2012 LaM FUND Loans: Here to Help GROW!From the very beginning of the LaM FUND, it was our inten-tion to provide capital to food producers throughout our food-shed region and collaboration with a variety of farming organ-izations will help us achieve this goal. As the New Year beginswe are in contact with Albuquerque’s Downtown GrowersMarket, Mid-Region Council of Governments’ AgriculturalCollaborative, the New Mexico Farmers’ Market Association,and other farming organizations to pro-vide easy access to the LaM FUND loansin these communities. We are lookingforward to talking to farmers at pre-sea-son growers’ meetings, at the annualNew Mexico Organic Farming Con-ference, and at a variety of other venuesto provide access to LaM FUND loans tofood producers around the state.

LaM FUND loans are open to all New Mexicanfood producers, without the requirement of sellingat a particular growers’ market, to La MontanitaCo-op or through the Co-op Distribution Center.

Additionally, veterans who attend our FREEFarming Skills Basic Trainings as part of the VeteranFarmers Project to help Veterans get started pro-ducing food for their families and/or for income, arealso eligible for LaM FUND loans to help them getstarted producing food. Please read more about theVeteran Farmer Project in this issue. PLEASE letyour food producing friends and neighborsknow about the LaM FUND Loan Program!

LAM FUND LOAN APPLICATIONS are available online at www.lamontanita.coop; click on the LaMontanita Fund logo on the right side of the homepage. Or call 505-217-2027, toll free outside ofAlbuquerque, 877-775-2667, or e-mail robins@lamontanita.coop for more information, applica-tions or help with your application.

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

he La Montanita Fund (LaM FUND) is in its second year ofpooling member investments to collateralize loans to localfarmers, ranchers and value-added producers around the state.The first year was both exciting and challenging. While it has beenexciting to have so much investor support, challenges included lastyear’s drought and other weather impacts on food production andthe need to re-structure LaM FUND loans to better meet the needsof local producers.

This year we have a total of $99,500 in the LaM FUND thanks toour Co-op member investors. The Co-op’s commitment of$25,000 to the project is a testament to our unwavering dedicationto growing both the local economy and the regional food systemand provides a degree of risk reduction for the many grassrootsCo-op member investors. In its first year of operation the LaMFUND has $34,200 out in loans to food producers.

Many, if not all, of our investors are invested in the LaM FUNDmainly to support a cooperative investment vehicle that providescapital to grow the regional food system and build the local econ-omy. Still, this year we are pleased to be able to send out our firstincome dividend, albeit it small, to investors who held LaM FUNDInterests in 2011.

Learning as We Go!One of the lessons we learned in our first year of the LaM FUNDwas that many farmers and food producers needed larger loans withlonger repayment periods than we originally envisioned. To rectifythe situation, we re-applied to the New Mexico Securities Division,with an amended Memorandum, so that we could offer three-yearand five-year investment terms. These extended investment terms

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

It took a full year, but in January our VeteranFarmers Project began. It was heartening towork with so many dedicated people to bring this

project into being. It was even more wonderful to seeso many Veterans excited to be able to participate inour free series of Farming Skills BasicTraining classes. It is our hope that atthe very least this project will providesome re-entry community and sup-port as well as the healing opportuni-ties that working with the soil canprovide for Veterans of all branchesof service, especially Veterans of con-flicts in the Gulf, Iraq and Af-ghanistan. There is extensive docu-mentation that working the land isbeneficial in healing the effects of PTSD, and otherconflict-related psychological and physical traumas.

The project’s goal is to inspire Veterans to first growfood for their families and, with a bit of luck, inspirethese disciplined and dedicated people, so used tocommunity service, to become part of the communi-ty of food producers to grow the local food econo-my. As we are all too well aware, our community offarmers is aging, and stimulating the next generationof farmers is key if we all want to continue eatinggood, fresh, local food.

Many thanks to the wonderful people at the V.A.Hospital, New Mexico Dept. of Agriculture, theVeterans Integration Center, What Would You Give,the Mid-Region Council of Governments’ Agri-cultural Collaborative (MRCOG) Land Link Project,Bernalillo County Extension Service, the DowntownAction Team, the McCune Foundation, La Mon-tanita Co-op, faculty at NMSU and individual farm-ers for their support in making this project a reality.

Veteran Farmer Skills Basic TrainingCLASSESFebruary 2/9 Basic Botany: How Plants Grow,Joran Viers, Bernalilo County Extension2/16 Getting a Head Start: Seeding Start Trays,Gabe Baker or Gina Garland, (BCES)

2/25 Permaculture in the Garden:Michael Reed, Farmer, PermacultureEducatorMarch 3/10 The Blessing of Bees:Learning the basics of pollination andhoney production: Loretta McGrath,Coordinator, the New Mexico Pollin-ator Project 3/16 Boots and Roots Down, morestarts, more seeds and transplantingand seeding beds, Martin Sanchez,

NMDA, East Mountain Organics, and Ron Job,Veteran Master Gardener3/17 Growing Compost, Part 1, 1pm: MasterCompost program, Omar Sadek, Master Com-poster Program3/22 Season Extension, Continued: workingwith row covers, Eli Berg3/24 Growing Compost, Part 2, 1pm: MasterCompost program, Omar Sadek, Master Com-poster ProgramApril 4/5 Herding Hens for Protein Production:Jennifer Dwyer, Urban Chicken Coop Tour4/12 Tool Use and Maintenance: Joran Viers, EDBernalillo County Extension Service4/18 Water Management: working with driptape and other water issues, Monte Skarsgard,Los Poblanos Farm

FEBRUARYisVOLUMEDISCOUNTmonth!

Member AppreciationDISCOUNT DAYS!Watch Your Home Mailbox for your VOLUME DISCOUNTSHOPPING COUPON. Bring it to any Co-op location duringthe month of February and get up to 20% off one shoppingtrip at your local community owned Co-op.

The more you SPEND the more you SAVE Up to 20%! CANNOT BE ADDED TO OTHER DISCOUNTS

$0.00-$74.99/ Gets 10% • $75-$149.99/ Gets 15%$150 +/ Gets 20%

The La Montanita FUND: GROWING the REGIONAL foodsystem and the LOCAL economy!

T

M I C R O L O A N S F O R F O O D P R O D U C E R S !

LA MONTANITAFFUUNNDD::GRASSROOTSINVESTING TO:• Help GROW the LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.• Help STRENGTHEN the LOCAL ECONOMY.

LOAN PROGRAM• Quick and easy application process• Loans from $250 to $15,000, or more inexceptional cases• Repayment terms tailored to the needs of ourcommunity of food producers• Applications taken in an ongoing basisTo set up a meeting to learn more or for a LoanApplication or help with your application, call or e-mail Robin at: 505-217-2027, toll free/877-775-2667 or e-mail: robins@lamontanita.coop.

LA MONTANITA FUNDGGRROOWW THE REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM

CALLING ALL VETERANS:FEBRUARY FARM SKILLS BASIC TRAINING

For more information contact ROBIN at505-217-2027, or robins@lamontanita.coop.

Boots onTHE GROUND!

Want to get your volume discount on larger quantities of things?Special order 25-50lb. sacks of bulk items or cases of your favorite prod-ucts at least one week in advance of the day you would like to shop usingyour Discount Coupon. Due to high sales during Volume Discount Monthwe cannot always provide larger quantities without a special order. Toplace your orders call: Nob Hill, 265-4631; Valley, 242-8800; Santa Fe,984-2852; Gallup, 863-5383.

Engage in Scintillating and FUN Conversations onCooperation for Positive Change, COOPERATION FORA BETTER WORLD!

studycircle!

STUDY CIRCLESBEGIN IN MARCHFor more info and to RSVP contact bod@lamontanita.coop

J

farmer who has been waiting for an affordable piece of land. Or maybeyou’re already a producer, but you would like to grow or move yourbusiness, or find interns or partners. You might even be interested inleasing some or all of your property to an aspiring farmer or rancher.

No matter what your interest, land seekers andlandholders alike can come to the Central NewMexico LandLink website to fill out an onlinequestionnaire. This information is then used topopulate our online database of farmland ownersand farmland seekers, and also to match partiesbased on their respective needs and goals. Twentyland seekers and 22 land and mentorship oppor-tunities are currently listed on the site, with prop-erties ranging in size from 1/3 acre to 250 acres.

The Central New Mexico LandLink can alsoprovide lease templates and information about the many options forland transfer (e.g., sell, lease, crop-share, etc.). If two parties decide toproceed and negotiate an agreement, we can provide as much supportas they would like.

If you are interested in filling out a questionnaire or finding out moreabout the Central New Mexico LandLink, you can visit www.local-foodnm.org or contact us at 505-724-3619 or localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov to get started. All of our services are free of charge, and we

would be happy to support you inwhatever way you need.

*The NRCS defines prime farmlandas, “Land that has the best combi-nation of physical and chemicalcharacteristics for producing food,feed, forage, fiber, and oilseedcrops and is also available forthese uses” (Natural ResourcesInventory, 2007). For more informa-tion contact Kristin Gangwer atlocalfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov or call505-724-3619.

A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

La Montanita CooperativeNob 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 Sunday, 2301 Central Ave. SE Abq, NM 87131 277-9586

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

Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP)• General Manager/Terry Bowling 217-2020terryb@lamontanita.coop• Controller/John Heckes 217-2029johnh@lamontanita.coop• Computers/Info Technology/David Varela 217-2011 tech@lamontanita.coop• Food Service/Bob Tero 217-2028bobt@lamontanita.coop• Human Resources/Sharret Rose 217-2023hr@lamontanita.coop• Marketing/Edite Cates 217-2024editec@lamontanita.coop• Membership/Robin Seydel 217-2027robins@lamontanita.coop• CDC/MichelleFranklin 217-2010mf@lamontanita.coop

Store Team Leaders: • Mark Lane/Nob Hill 265-4631markl@lamontanita.coop• John Mulle/Valley 242-8800jm@lamontanita.coop• William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852willpro@lamontanita.coop• Alisha Valtierre/Gallup 575-863-5383alishav@lamontanita.coop

Co-op Board of Directors:email: bod@lamontanita.coopPresident: Martha WhitmanVice President: Marshall KovitzSecretary: Ariana MarchelloTreasurer: Roger EldridgeKristy Decker, Lisa Banwarth-KuhnSusan McAllister, Jake GarrityBetsy VanLeit

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

Co-op Connection Staff:Managing Editor: Robin Seydelrobins@lamontanita.coopLayout and Design: foxyrock incCover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept.Advertising: Rob Moore Editorial Assistant: Rob Moorerobm@lamontanita.coop 217-2016Printing: Vanguard Press

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

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

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

growing community

feb.17&18BY JOANIE QUINN, NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE ORGANIC PROGRAM

oin the information exchange as organic farmers andranchers, researchers, and those who help move foodfrom farm to fork gather for the New Mexico OrganicFarming Conference at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid,February 17-18, 2012. This two-day event will deliver prac-tical information for farmers, ranchers, and market garden-ers on topics ranging from soil building and Integrated PestManagement, to marketing and farming with horses.

The keynote address, “Transforming Our Food System:Honoring Hope and Hard Work,” will be delivered by BuNygrens, co-owner and purchasing manager of VeritableVegetable, located in San Francisco, California. There maynot be anyone more familiar with organic fruits and veg-etables and how they get to your plate than Bu Nygrens.Speaking from the perspective of over three decades as achampion and facilitator of organic production, Bu willchallenge conference participants to join together to build asustainable future.

In addition to the keynote address, 36 workshop sessionswill cover a wide range of topics. Highlights include: • Permaculture Case Studies on the Farm with Leslie Buerkof the Permaculture Institute will be a nuts and bolts dis-cussion of bottom-line benefits and lessons learned fromreal-world examples.

2 February 2012

• Soil Whispering: Making Your Soil Do What You Want It to Do withDr. Ron Godin, organic soil guru, and Extension Agronomist forOrganic and Sustainable Agriculture at Colorado State University; willdiscuss how to listen to your soil by analyzing yield, weed and diseaseproblems and how to answer.

• Native Pollinators: with Gail Haggard, owner of Plants of theSouthwest, will share insights from decades of study of plants and polli-nators in the desert southwest on discovering native pollinators andworking to build habitat that will encourage pollinators ranging frominconspicuous flies to huge bumblebees. The results are not only beauti-

ful but improve pollination andincrease the diversity of habitat.

• Seed Growing 101 with JoshuaCravens, of the certified organic Jardindel Alma, will cover many seed-relatedtopics such as: isolation distances, theimportance of population size, howgrowing seeds can diversify your har-vest, what to look for when buyingseed, understanding the differencebetween hybrids, open-pollinated andheirloom varieties, what seed cropsgrow best in the southwest, along witha step-by-step how to grow and cleanseed. Organic seed is the foundation oforganic agriculture.

Other workshops include: Farming with Draft Animals; Marketing atFarmers’ Markets; Top Bar Beekeeping; Appropriate Varieties for YourMicroclimate/Altitude; The Organic Underground: Composting withWorms; Maximizing Greenhouse/Hoophouse Production; CarbonActivity; Estimating Nutrient Availability from Differing Cover/GreenManure Crops; Understanding Biological Controls; Mastering OrganicCertification; Evaluating Irrigation Efficiency; Implementing GAPs;Cooperative Approaches to Selling Wholesale; Ruminant PreventativeHealth Care; Setting Up a Cheese Operation; Cover Crop and GreenManure Basics; Mushroom Production on Any Scale and so very muchmore.

On Saturday, participants will feast on local and organic food at a lunch-eon where the New Mexico Organic Farmer of the Year will be recog-nized. Farm to Table, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, andNew Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service are organ-izing the event. La Montanita Co-op Natural Foods Market, LosPoblanos Organics, Rio Grande Community Farm, and the Silver CityFood Co-op are sponsoring the gathering.

Registration for the conference, including Saturday’s luncheon, is$100. For more information call 505-889-9921, or look for confer-ence brochures at Co-op locations.

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

CONFERENCE

NEW MEXICO’S

ORGANICFARMING

2012: The International Year of the Co-op• It’s a great time to become amember/owner…Member/Owners, Be a Good Friend! Turn a friend on to Co-op Ownership THISMONTH, FEBRUARY, LOVE YOUR CO-OPMONTH!• Bring in your friends—when they join for ayear, YOU get an 18% discount shoppingcard! THEY get a Volume DiscountCoupon! 22001122 !! TTHHEE YYEEAARR OOFF TTHHEE CCOO--OOPP

Your Co-op is proud to be a sponsor of the Organic Farming

Conference. Another way in whichthe CO-OP SUPPORTS our local

farming community.

BY KRISTIN GANGWER, LOCAL FOOD NEW MEXICO

New Mexico farmland is taken out of agri-cultural production at an astonishing rate.In fact, since 1982, New Mexico has lost 33

percent of its prime farmland.* The state also faces anaging farmer and rancher population, soaring land val-ues, and many other challenges to maintaining a viablelocal agricultural industry.

To address these challenges, the Central New MexicoLandLink strives to “link” beginning farmers and ranch-ers with agricultural landowners and existing farm andranch operators. By linking landholders and experienced farmerswith the next generation of farmers and ranchers, the LandLinkhelps keep land in agricultural production, provide jobs and men-torship to new farmers, maintain the state’s strong agriculturalheritage, and increase the production of local food.

So why might you be interested in LandLink? Perhaps you are agardener looking to scale up your production, or an aspiring

CENTRAL NEW MEXICO:LANDLINK

important supplemental water source until the Buckman wellfield was brought on line in 1972.

Speaking for the RiverThe SFWA’s goal is to protect the long-term integrity of the Santa

Fe River's watershed. They do this by:engaging in education, research, and on-the-ground projects of restoration; and provid-ing input into governmental planning, per-mits and projects. They strive to find com-mon ground among different points of viewregarding uses of the river and its watershedand advocate surface and groundwaterresource management that balances humanuse with natural resource protection.Finally, they encourage government andcommunity leaders to place high priority on

sustaining seasonal stream flow, yielding hydrologic, recreational,aesthetic and environmental value to the community.

Our dream is a flowing, meandering, tree-lined stream wherechildren can play and that we all can enjoy. A restored river andits tributary arroyos will retain more water during floods, keepmore water in the aquifer and deliver water all the way to the RioGrande. A living river enhances property values and serves as ahighly desirable "waterscape" for cafes, hotels, and residentialdwellings. A living river provides benefits for plants and wildlife,which in turn enriches our human quality of life.

Businesses and community groups are encouraged to support theSanta Fe River and the Santa Fe Watershed Association with tax-deductible contributions. Schools and community groups canbecome Adopt-the-River Stewards, and partner with business"River Sponsors" to keep their stretch of the river free of trashand graffiti. For more information or to make a donationcontact them at 1413 Second Street, Suite 3, Santa Fe, NewMexico 87505, call them at 505-820-1696, or go to www.santafewatershed.org

growing community

February 2012 3

The Santa Fe Watershed Association is a non-profit organization that works to return theSanta Fe River to a living river, from Lake Peak

to the Rio Grande, balancing human uses with nat-ural resource protection and restoring the heart tothe community of Santa Fe. Established in 1999 inresponse to the danger of catastrophic fire in theovergrown upper watershed above the City drink-ing water supply reservoirs, managing of the foreststhat safeguard the reservoirs has been an importanttheme for the Watershed Association. In the pastfew years they have given special attention to themiddle and lower reaches of the river, advocatingrestoration of consistent flow to the river to sup-port vegetation and wildlife habitat while recharg-ing the groundwater.

Historic RiverDescriptions of Santa Fe by 17th-, 18th- and 19th-centuryEuropean visitors refer to the Santa Fe River as a troutstream, and Santa Feans now in their forties and olderrecall fishing in (and skating on!) the river. According tothe hydrographic survey of 1914, the flow of the river irri-gated 1,267 acres from what is now the McClureReservoir to farms in La Bajada that still have acequia-fedirrigation. This amount of irrigation argues that there wasgenerally sufficient flow in the river throughout that longreach to warrant the effort to divert it. At the same time,as early as 1716 it was reported that the flow of the SantaFe River was insufficient to irrigate all of the cultivatedacreage in every year.

The regular dewatering of the Santa Fe River seems to havebegun in the late 1940s. Five wells were installed near theSanta Fe River; they supplied 68% of the City’s drinkingwater in 1951, and from that point forward served as an

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 SARAH WENTZEL FISHER, ALBUQUERQUE DOWNTOWN

GROWERS MARKET

Irecently had lunch with a friend who, like many of us,manages three different part-time jobs to make endsmeet. At the beginning of the year, she lost one of those jobs,

and is now in the process of getting creative to fill the void. Iknew she had a bit of a green thumb, so I suggested that she con-sider expanding her garden this spring to sell veggies.She balked at the idea. Growing a garden is one thing,she said, making it a business is a whole different story.

The reality is, New Mexico has tremendous resourcesfor small market farmers, but they often can be hardto access, connect, and utilize in a timely and mean-ingful way. In the past six months, some of the folkswho provide these resources have put their headstogether to try to streamline the process of starting orexpanding a small farm business. The AlbuquerqueGrowers Market Alliance, the NMSU BernalilloCounty Extension Service, the Mid-Region Council ofGovernments Agriculture Collaborative and La Montanita Co-op are joining forces to provide the resources for existing farm-ers and potential farmers to increase the amount of local foodavailable in our communities.

Further, these groups recognize the need to bring other stake-holders into the conversation to make the local food systemthrive. In addition to workshops geared towards farmers, thesegroups will offer classes for landowners looking for farmers, andfor chefs and other food service professionals looking to sourcelocal ingredients.

Over the next year, seasoned farmers, extension agents, chefs,business experts, and others will offer dozens of free to the pub-lic workshops and events geared towards giving small growersthe opportunity to start or expand their business. These work-

shops will give technical assistance to growers on business andcrop planning, introduce growers to funding streams to start orexpand their operations, connect land owners to farmers, con-nect farmers to other markets like restaurants and institutions,and help wholesale buyers understand the logistics of buyingfrom small scale farms.

Between February and July, the workshopsand events will include:Growing Local Workshop and Event Series

2/8 GET CAUGHT UP ON THE CO-OP: ATour of the New Distribution Facility & InfoSession (10am at 901 Menual NE)2/8 MAPPING AND MINING THE FIELD:Crop Budgeting/Metrics/ Planning2/15 SEED MONEY: Getting Your SmallFarm Financed2/29 BEYOND THE GROWERS MARKET:How to Sell to Other Markets3/7 DIGGING IN: How to Find Land toGrow On3/21 FROM BARREN TO BOUNTIFUL:

Finding A Farmer & Putting Your Land Into Production3/28 MAKING A STAND: Selling at the Growers Market

All workshops will be held at the Bernalillo County ExtensionOffice at 1510 Menaul NW in Albuquerque and will begin at4pm, unless otherwise noted on the website. Detailed informationabout the classes and registration can be found at abqmarkets.org, localfoodnm.org, or bernalilloextension.nmsu.edu. These freeworkshops and events are available to anyone who would like toattend, but participants must register ahead of time.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE WORKSHOPS, call505-369-6758 or email info@abqmarkets.org or localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov.

BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIMEFEBRUARY BAG CREDIT DONATIONS go toSanta Fe Watershed Association: Balancing humanuses with natural resource protection and restoringthe Santa Fe River as a living river.

Your DECEMBER bag credit donations, totaling $1,819.00,were given to Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless.Thanks to all who donated!

CCOO--OOPPPPRROOGGRRAAMM

DONATEyour BAG CCRREEDDIITT!

Sowing the Seedsof SUCCESS

SANTA FE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION: RESTORING ALIVING RIVER

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

This past year I had several dear friends diagnosedwith cancer. My heart aches just thinking about theirsuffering and I am inspired by their determination to

beat the disease and their will to live. As they sought infor-mation and education in all modalities, from a wide varietyof sources, they all came to the same basic conclusions. Theymust avoid processed foods with all their chemical additivesand processed sugars, reduce or cut out sugars altogether,even sugars from fresh fruit, greatly reduce or cut out animalproducts including meat and dairy, reduce or cut out oilsincluding vegetable oils except olive and sesame and eatlower on the food chain—that is make organic vegetables,organic grains and organic legumes the majority of their diet!

EAT ORGANIC!ORGANIC!Some years back it seemed simpler to EAT ORGANIC than it does now—especially with so many big corporations and big box and chain storestrying to co-opt the organic market, “soften” national organic standardsand market and charge for “natural” products as if they were organic.Then too, there has been the local vs. organic debate—with people tout-ing “local as the new organic,” as if they were mutually exclusive.

And while I am in total support of the local foods movement, it hasbecome clear to me that we must reaffirm our commitment to organicfood production.

WHY ORGANIC?WHY ORGANIC?The reasons are many; for starters I am reminded of the very first national,public conference about our exposures to tens of thousands of chemicals(one non-organic piece of fruit can have residues of as many as 12 chemi-cals) and their links to rising cancer rates and other health and environ-mental problems. Held in Albuquerque in 1993 it was organized by LaMontanita Co-op, the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women,Greenpeace and the Women’s Environment and Development Or-ganization. It was inspired by the breast cancer movement of the late 1980sand early 1990s and it brought together doctors, researchers, activists andgovernment officials for education and action on the effects of what werethen known as estrogen mimicking chemicals or “xeno-estrogens.”

eat well February 2012 4

GROW, CHOOSE, EAT OOOORRRRGGGGAAAANNNNIIIICCCC!!!!of GMOs, consumers’ only bastion of safety in themarketplace is the strict refusal of the National OrganicCertification Board to allow GMOs in certified organic prod-ucts, despite the efforts of industry to corrupt the NationalOrganic Rule, (go to www. truthinla beling.org to demandlabeling of GMOs in our food supply).

Lastly (or Firstly?) THE ENVIRONMENTTHE ENVIRONMENTAnd if our bodies are our first environment then this onceearthly paradise is the environment that either supports orharms that primary place of existence. My mind’s eye seesthe ubiquitous pictures of many-legged, multiple- headedfrogs, hermaphroditic fish, birds with unnaturally crossedbeaks and eggs with shells so thin they cannot support thelife within, documenting the environmental ills that havesurfaced since the advent and commercialization of chemi-calized agriculture and the food industry in the 1940s. Justshort of four generations later, every baby on the planet isborn contaminated with a wide variety of known and sus-pected carcinogens and the long-term human health effectsof these exposures have become ever more evident.

Perhaps the most important thing about organic agriculture isnot what it doesn’t add to our environment: those tens ofthousands of agricultural, industrial food processing chemi-cals, GMOs, etc., although that ranks high in its benefits; butwhat it DOES DO for the environment! Organic certificationrules demand that food producers of all kinds, restore, pre-serve and grow: soil, grasslands, pasture, wildlife habitat aswell as encourage ecological balance to provide the finestgrowing conditions possible; conditions that affect the healthand well being of every living thing on the planet.

So if well being—yours, your friends’, your children’s, otherpeople’s, other species’ and the planet’s—is important toyou, please take a moment to re-assess your priorities andchoices, consider doing without that frothy daily $3-$5latte, and choose organic as much as you possibly can.Because even in these difficult economic times, eating organ-ic is well worth the cost.

Non-ionizing radiation is pulsating fields of low-level radiation or electro-magnetic waves. Ex-amples are microwave ovens, cell phone towers,TV sets, computer display terminals, and high volt-age power lines. They can cause cataracts, cancer,

birth defects, brain damage, alteredimmune function, cardiovascular dam-age, nervous system dysfunction, behav-ioral problems and endocrine disorders,including diabetes.

Food irradiation by gamma rays presentsdifferent issues. It breaks chemical bonds,creating unstable molecules called freeradicals. Food irradiation also degradesnutrients by 10-15%. It destroys 25% ofvitamins A, C, E, and K and decreases theamount of cysteine in foods. Cysteine isan essential amino acid that contains sul-

fur in addition to carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, andoxygen. It is important because it is an antioxi-dant, detoxes environmental pollutants such ascadmium, lead and mercury, and blocks absorp-tion of radioactive sulfur-35. If cysteine is given torats before they are radiated, it prevents thedestruction of red blood cells. Cysteine is found inbroccoli, kale, cabbage and all brassicas.

The one important thing we all have to rememberis, “There is NO such thing as a safe level of radia-tion exposure.” The other important thing is thatthe foods we eat can protect us.

Protective Foods and PlantsThe best place to learn about foods and plants thatprotect against radiation is Japan. Of all Earth’scountries, they have the most experience in theeffects of radiation on the human body. Dr.Shinichiro Akizuki was a medical doctor at St.Francis Hospital when the atomic bomb wasdropped on Nagasaki. The hospital was 1.4 kilo-meters from the hypocenter. Dr. Akizuki had beenstudying the effects of the traditional Japanese dieton human health. The doctor, staff, and patientssurvived radiation sickness. The foods in their dietincluded: brown rice, miso, tamari soy soup, sea-weeds, sea salt, pumpkins, sweet potatoes andother root vegetables. They ate no sweets and sug-ars. Let’s take a closer look at these foods.

Pumpkins and sweet potatoes contain high amounts ofvitamin A. Last month we learned how vitamin A pro-tects us. Miso is an aged fermented soybean paste withliving enzymes and friendly bacteria. It is made by mix-ing cooked legumes, usually soy beans, with salt and acultured grain, kozi (a yeast mold), and then aged inwooden vats, sometimes as long as 3 years. It seems thelonger it is fermented the stronger effect it has on cancerprevention and radiation control.

In the Japanese tradition dark miso is fermented thelongest and eaten in cold season, light miso is not fer-mented as long as the darker and is eaten in warmer sea-sons and climates. Red miso is moderately fermented andis eaten year round. Dr. Akizuki says, “Miso belongs tothe highest class of medicines, those which prevent dis-ease and strengthens the body through continual usage.”

Miso contains digestive enzymes, friendly bacteria,essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. It helpsbind and discharge radioactive elements, alkalinizesblood, breaks down cholesterol and environmental pol-lutants. Because it has a high salt content from the fer-mentation process, those on a salt-restricted diet shoulduse miso sparingly.

Fermentation is a process that has existed in our foodsupply long before refrigerators and freezers. It is amethod of food preservation in which natural microor-ganisms feed on the sugars and starch in the food, creat-ing lactic acid. Beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, omega-3fatty acids, and probiotics are also created. This live foodcan also decrease gas and bloating, aid digestion,improve bowel health and improve the immune system.These bacteria are also our allies.

Takashi was 8 years old when the atomic bomb was det-onated over the city of Hiroshima. He survived eventhough his stomach was removed because of cancer.Today he is alive and healthy. He believes this is in partdue to his soup. (See the recipe on the left.) To ensure youare getting the full force of the healing enzymes in miso,which are destroyed when heated, always add miso aftertaking soup or stew off the heat.

radioprotective foods

the IMPORTANCEOOOORRRRGGGGAAAANNNNIIIICCCC

BY JESSIE EMERSON, RN

Natural radiation is everywhere. If you areoutside there are radioactive cosmic rays.If you are sitting on a stone bench you get

radiation from the stones. If you are outside sittingon a stone bench eating a banana, you get a higherdose. Should you light up a cigarette after eating thebanana, you are increasing your radiation exposure.And if you live in an area that has high amounts ofradon, sit on a stone bench in the sun, eat a banana,and smoke a cigarette, you may want to seriouslythink about changing your lifestyle.

However, I am not too concerned with this background radiation. What IAM concerned about is the three types of radiation; ionizing, non-ionizingand gamma rays (which are 100-200 times greater that natural radiation).Ionizing radiation strips electrons from atoms and causes: 1. Damaged chromosomes that pass damage on to the next generation, cre-ating birth defects, leukemia, and other cancers; 2. Changes an element into something new and that something new may bepoisonous; 3. Creates free radicals that negatively affect our health. Sources of ionizingradiation are nuclear power plants, nuclear bomb testing, nuclear weapons,nuclear submarines, and nuclear waste.

ooff bbeeiinngg

Now, two decades later, these chemicals areknown as endocrine disruptors. Research showsthese chemicals do far more than merely mimicestrogen; they cause a cascade of effects in all ourbody systems and are linked to everything fromcancer to cognitive disorders. However, the chem-ical industry and the conventional food industry,with their legions of lobbyists, continue to doeverything they can to reduce access to informa-tion and prevent state and federal legal action thatwould limit use of the over 70,000 untested chem-icals currently allowed in consumer products.

Then there is the issue of GMO food!Purchasing certified organic products is theonly way that you can be sure that you havedone your best to reduce your exposures tothese altered substances with their antibioticmarket genes and/or pesticides like Bt, engi-neered into every cell. When you consumeany non-certified organic product that has;corn meal, corn syrup, corn sugar, cotton-seed or canola oil in it, you can be 99% cer-tain that you are getting a dose of GMOs.Indeed, since there is no mandatory labeling

P L A N T S A R E O U R A L L I E S S E R I E S :PROTECTION FROMRRAADDIIAATTIIOONN

to prepare:

Cut and sauté the onion in oil. Addcut shitake mushrooms and contin-ue to lightly sauté. Meanwhile soakKombu seaweed and cut into smallbite size pieces. Add the shitakeand onion and kombi to the soak-ing water and cook it for 10-20minutes. Just before serving, cutup the green leafy vegetables,cilantro and garlic and add to thebroth. Remove from heat and sim-mer for 3-5 minutes. To each indi-vidual portion, add a tablespoon ofmiso, mixing thoroughly.

ingedients:

OnionShitake mushroomsCooking oil for sautéing (sesame or sunflower oil)Kombu seaweed, 2 sticksFresh green leafy vegetables:chard, kale, spinach, lambsquartersCilantroGarlicWhite miso

Takashi’s misosoup

SAVE THE DATES! • April 22nd, 23rd Annual Nob Hill Celebrate the Earth Fest• April 28th, Earth Day, Santa Fe!• May 5th, 11th Annual Valley Garden Party

BE THERE !

BEYONDBACKGROUND

BY LISA MASÉ

Food is life. Barbara Kingsolver writes in Animal,Vegetable, Miracle that “all living takes dying.”She would know. Her book chronicles one year of

her family’s life spent eating food raised either on their farmor within a 50-mile radius of it. From growing and pre-serving vegetables to raising and slaughtering poultry, theKingsolvers did their best to re-connect with their sourcesof nourishment.

Yet, the current food manufacturing system consumes morethan it produces. As Michael Pollan argues in TheOmnivore’s Dilemma, large-scale food production hasgrown beyond its capacity to sustain itself. As Pollanexplains, “what’s at stake in our eating choices is not onlyour own and our children’s health, but the health of theenvironment that sustains life on earth.”

Technology allows humans to produce vast amounts offood. However, the raw materials required to do so arebeing depleted more quickly than they can be replaced.According to The Center for a Livable Future (jhsph.edu/clf), “the average U.S. farm uses 3 kcal of fossil energyin producing 1 kcal of food energy, and this does notinclude the energy used to process and transport the food”.The workers who prepare this food may develop illnessesfrom chemical exposure. Waterways are contaminated bythe pesticides and fertilizers used to make these enormitiesof food. Oceans are polluted with the waste from foodpackaging.

gram “furthers understanding of the links between farming, food, healthand local economies” (farmtotablenm.org). It ensures that local producereaches school cafeterias, restaurants, and communities in need.

When a factory produces our food andships it to the supermarket for us, we forgetwhere it came from and how to use thestrength of our bodies to raise it, cook it,and savor it. The more food we buy, themore money we must earn in order to pur-chase it. How can you divest yourself fromthis cycle? Try one of these ways to reduceenergy consumption when acquiring food.

• PLANT A GARDEN. Visit santafecom-munitygardens.org to learn about starting acommunity garden plot.• SOURCE LOCAL FOOD – Come to

your community owned Co-op and find between 1,100 to 1,500 localproducts every day, depending on season, or go through the The SantaFe Farmers Market and Institute (farmersmarketinstitute.org) to findfarmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms.• HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS! Meet those whose gardens grow abun-dantly and work with them in exchange for vegetables. • PRESERVE FOOD. Visit Rodale.com or purchase a copy of StockingUp to gain tools for preserving the harvest. • GET INVOLVED. Volunteer with the Food Depot (thefooddepot.org)to collect and distribute local produce.

Lisa Masé is a food educator, author and translator. She is pas-sionate about local foods, traditional recipes, and the language offood. Visit lisamas.blogspot.com for details.

THINK GLOBAL, EAEAT LOCAL!T LOCAL!Finding Truenourishment

Food has grown global. Grapes from Chile and ricefrom Thailand reach our grocery stores. A “foodmile” is the distance food travels from productionsite to purchase location. Trucking, flying, andrefrigeration all require fossil fuel, the combustionof which releases carbon dioxide and other pollu-tants into the atmosphere. It is estimatedthat food travels an average of 1,200 milesto reach the dinner table (EnvironmentalHealth Perspectives, Vol. 110, #5, May2002). How does the intake of such foodsaffect human health? The World HealthOrganization releases studies linking indus-trial food production and consumption tochronic illnesses and resistance to antibi-otics (Who.it/factsheet).

Even though large-scale food productionputs all beings at risk, it can be challengingto shift from a perspective of daily survivalto one of effecting change. The SustainableAgriculture Network educates to “understand agri-culture from an ecological perspective— in terms ofnutrient and energy dynamics, and interactionsamong plants, animals, insects and other organismsin agroecosystems—then balance it with profit,community and consumer needs” (Sare.org/htdocs/pubs/explore.htm). But few of us have the time orfinancial stability to ponder the effects of society’sconsumption patterns.

By learning about the impact that our food choiceshave on the people and places which provide thatnourishment, we may begin to notice how foodaccess, or lack thereof, affects our communities andour health. The New Mexico “Farm to Table” pro-

BY ARI LEVAUX

When I met Debrilla Ratchford, she was sell-ing sprouts at a farmers’ market in theparking lot of Albuquerque's University

Hospital. A former flight attendant, Ratchford holds thefirst patent on rolling airport luggage. Few could denythat patent #4,094,391 has made their lives easier. Andshe hopes to make an even greater impact with her newoccupation.

Most of today's health problems, including so-called dis-eases of civilization like diabetes, heart disease and cancer,are diet-related, and the farmers’ market where I metRatchford was purposefully set up so that hospitalpatients, visitors and employees would have to walkthrough it on their way in. Legions of fat, sick peoplewaddled and wheeled past Ratchford's stand en route toexpensive medical interventions for problems they couldhave avoided by eating fewer corn dogs and more veggies.

I bought a bag of Ratchford's "seven bean sprout mix,"which includes mung, adzuki and soy beans, four typesof lentils, and wheat berries. Lightly salted, they were al-dente and earthy, with a vibrancy I normally associatewith sushi and raw oysters.

Local produce can be hard to find in winter. Gardens die,farmers markets’ close, local growers hibernate, andlocal food snobs are forced to choose between their prin-ciples and bodily needs. But it doesn't need to come tothis; fresh produce is available from sprouted seeds anytime of year, and it's as local as your kitchen sink.

Dormant seeds are equipped with the energy suppliesand building blocks they need in order to grow to thepoint where they can get what they need from the sun, airand soil. These nutrients can be locked in forms that aredifficult for the human body to digest. When dormantseeds absorb water, their metabolic activity increases.Complex proteins, starches and lipids are broken downinto simple compounds that are easier for baby plantsand humans alike to digest. Vitamins, chlorophyll andother nutrients are synthesized, while phytates are neu-tralized. Phytates, which are present in lentils and grains,inhibit nutrient absorption.

Different sprouts offer different benefits. Bean and alfal-fa sprouts are especially high in protein; adzuki beansprouts contain every amino acid but tryptophan. Alfalfa

stay healthy February 2012 5

with weakened immune systems are advised not to eat sprouts. Those same hi-risk groups are also advised against eating sunny side up eggs.

A finished sprout is a miniature plant, complete withroots, stem and leaves. If you're growing your sprouts athome, especially leafy sprouts like alfalfa, radish, broc-coli and clover, you might want to finish the job with afew hours of sunlight to encourage the little plants tosynthesize some green chlorophyll for your aesthetic andantioxidant pleasure.

Because the metabolism of sprouting begins as soon aswater is absorbed by the seeds, it isn't necessary to fin-ish full sprouts before enjoying the benefits. Soakingbeans or lentils before cooking not only reduces their

cook time, it also makes them more nutritious—even if they get cooked longbefore they sprout. Along these lines, sprouthouse.com has several sproutmixes designed to be soaked overnight and eaten for breakfast, like cereal,the next morning.

Fully sprouted seeds can be cooked as well. And while they lose some of theirlive enzymes, cooked sprouts are still good food. The Vietnamese beef soupcalled Pho is usually served with a pile of mung bean sprouts, which areadded to the hot soup at mealtime, while the Thai noodle dish Pad Thaiincorporates a mountain of stir-fried mung bean sprouts.

So before you fork over your hard-earned green for that jetlaggedCalifornia chlorophyll, remember, you have options. Sprouts, even par-tially sprouted sprouts, are the locavore's secret weapon of winter. Andall you have to do is add water.

sprouts are high in chlorophyll and miner-als. Sunflower sprouts are a good source ofomega-6 fatty acids.

Broccoli sprouts contain practically every-thing good but winning lottery tickets,including sulforaphane, which acts on DNAto stimulate production of certain enzymes.This action has been shown to fight cancerin humans, and research suggests that it'sgood for the heart, brain, lungs, prostate,and other organs.

Enzyme activity is one of the main characteristics of liv-ing foods. Since enzymes start dying at 120 degrees, liv-ing foods are by definition raw. But living food meansnot that the whole organism is alive, only that biologi-cal activity continues. After a lettuce plant is pluckedfor salad, the organism as a whole might be dead, butleaf cells are still alive. If you expose those leaves to car-bon dioxide and light, they'll spit out oxygen. Sproutstake the concept of living food to the extreme, becausethe entire organism is alive when you eat it.

"When you eat a sprout, it's one living being commu-nicating with another," explained Ratchford. "Whenyou eat a cooked food, it's dead. There's no commu-nication."

Sprouts don't require fancy gear to grow. Simply soakseeds overnight in plenty of water. Within minutes ofsubmersion, little bubbles of waste gas start streamingtoward the surface. In the morning, drain and rinsethe seeds and keep them loosely covered in a darkplace, rinsing three or four times daily. A colanderworks for large seeds, like Ratchford's mix, allowingfor easy rinsing under the tap. Cover the sproutingseeds with a damp towel between rinses. Bean sproutsare ready when white shoots are just emerging fromthe bean seeds. Sometimes the shoots wrap aroundthe beans, making them look like sperm doing yoga.

Split lentils and peas won't sprout, because the seedsare broken. Whole lentils and peas, as well as mostother seeds you might sprout, are available from web-sites like sunfood.com and sprouthouse.com, and yourlocal Co-op bulk bin. Ideal conditions for sproutingalso tend to favor bacterial growth, which is why cleanseed and frequent rinsing with clean water are impor-tant, and why the young, old, pregnant, and people

HEALTHY

FOODS!LA MONTANITA CO-OP

COOKING seriesTime: 6:30 to 7:30pm. Cost: $15 per class or $40 when you register for all three. To Register or for more info go to lisamas.blogspot.com or call 802-598-9206 or emaillisamase@gmail.com.

Space fills quickly so farmers,

Feb. 15th - Making LocalFoods AffordableLearn ways to stretch your foodbudget, cook nourishing wintermeals, and select seasonal produce from local vendors.Understand which food combinations are most healing,fulfilling and affordable.Takehome recipes and taste samples.

Feb. 22nd - Start Your Day RightUnderstand why eating a balancedbreakfast can help you lose weightand gain energy. Learn simple waysto cook ahead so that breakfast isready for you in a flash.

Feb. 29th - Four Meals in OneCooking with whole foods. Thisclass will show you how to mixand match simple ingredientswith sauces and spreads toshorten cooking time and addvariety to your meals.

winter greens secret:Sprouts!

Ask for NEW MEXICOgrassfed, grass finishedBEEF!

Ask at your favorite locally owned neighborhood restaurant FOR GRASS FED BEEF BURGERS. Support your Co-op’s Foodshed work with our LOCAL BEEF producers.Ask for Local Grass fed Beef Burgers!

co-op news February 2012 6

BY ROB MOORE

Your Co-op DistributionCenter has moved into abig new space, a much-

needed change and a great oppor-tunity, and already the benefits ofhaving a larger storage area—tohold bigger purchases and takeadvantage of great offers—is pay-ing off.

Your Co-op is proud to bring you a wonderful crop oforganic pinto beans from Fox Den Farms, grown in SouthwesternColorado, in a region long-known for raising excellent pintos andother dry beans.

Fox Den is located near Olathe, at the base of the San JuanMountains. Jim Heneghan began growing at Fox Den in 2001,mainly with vegetables for the local farmers’ market and some rowand rotation crops. Jim mentions a childhood vegetable garden andthe immense sense of satisfaction that came from feeding peoplefrom his small plot as factors that drew him to farming. “The grati-fication from growing food for people is a strong lure. So, after yearsof growing larger and larger gardens and getting hooked on organicmethods, I decided to try organic farming on a larger scale.”

Given the rural locale, Fox Den is also a green-minded concernwhen it comes to power sources for the farm operations, and100% of the electricity used in growing the crop comes from solarpower. “Living off-the-grid makes you very aware of energy consumption; and powering engine block heaters and adequaterefrigeration in the winter can be a challenge,” Jim notes.Ultimately, though, the sustainable nature of solar power makes adifference.

After Jim got a few seasons under his belt as a producer, he decid-ed to push ahead with planting certified organic crops, a movethat requires a different approach and a bit more effort and carethan conventional growing. Pintos are rather small plants and notespecially bushy, traits that make weed-management a particularnecessity. Fox Den grows a pinto variety known as Othello, whichprovides a good yield and a relatively short amount of time to har-

vest. As for flavor, thebeans fit squarely and hap-pily into what you expectfrom a pinto bean, a nicemellow flavor. Fans of drybeans and the heavenlycontribution they make toMexican and New Mexi-can food will be as pleasedas possible.

Cooperation Among CooperativesBeyond being tasty, the Fox Den farm beans are alsoa great instance of cooperative principles in action.Your CDC manager, Michelle Franklin, is keen toemphasize that the beans are truly a Co-op product;they were bought directly from the farmer, and thenshipped to be cleaned and packaged by the folks ata producers’ cooperative near Olathe. That cooper-ative was established to help farmers pool theircrops for processing and distribution, allowingmember-growers to access better facilities and tools,as well as enabling member-owner participants toreach larger markets with their harvests. In this case,the crop that the CDC has purchased is being dis-tributed to stores and restaurants throughout NewMexico and adjoining parts of our foodshed. Ratherthan traveling from as far away as India, these pin-tos are much closer to home, and thus have a lowerimpact footprint.

Cooperation among cooperatives is one of the co-op principles, and as such serves as a guidepost forthe types of enterprises your Co-op does. By work-ing with other Co-ops, economies across the boardare deepened and strengthened, and of course moremoney stays in the communities that the co-opsserve. In the case of Fox Den Farm, Jim’s commit-ment to organic farming, his participation in thelocal producers’ cooperative, and his linking withyour Co-op Distribution Center, is born of princi-ple as much as convenience. It’s the next best thingto growing your own, and certainly better for oureconomy and our environment.

While Jim is proud of what Fox Den has done sofar, he is also focused on giving the farm a strongfooting for the future. Says Jim, “Fox Den is placedin what is termed a conservation easement whichensures the farm will not become a housing subdi-vision or developed in any similar way. My hope isthat the land will play an important role in sus-tainably growing food for the region for a longtime to come.”

FOODSHED PRODUCER PROFILE:PROFILE:Fox Den Farm: Farmer Jim Heneghan

Get Fox DenPINTO BEANSAT YOUR CO-OP!

Have a favorite New Mexico restaurant?Ask then to purchase and serve FoxDen Farm pintos. Have them contactBob at the Co-op Distribution Center for wholesale prices and to order, bobh@lamontanita.coop.

COME SEE YOUR CO-OP DISTRIBUTIONCENTER’S NEW HOME!All CO-OP Members Are Welcome!February 8th, 4pm-6pm • For members that are curious to seethe Co-op Distribution Center’s new home, we are hosting anopen house! Please come by and see our new digs and have a lit-tle house warming beverage. 901 Menual NE, 87107…east of theMenual School, across from Sunset Memorial Park.

OPENHOUSE!!!! FEB.

8TH

4-

6PM

co-op news February 2012 7

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.

Calendarof Events

The next logical step in my mind is a new store. Weare looking at the East Mountains as a possiblelocation. The relocation of our warehouse andoffices had put this effort on hold, but we are now

ready to begin to consider this locationagain. We have done some financial mod-eling but still have work to do.

I look at possible locations at least twotimes a month. We want to best positionLa Montanita where we can have a posi-tive impact on our communities andremain financially strong. As this work

progresses I will keep you updated. Please contactme anytime with any questions, comments or con-cerns; my phone number is 505-217-2020, or e-mail at terryb@lamontanita.coop. Thanks for allyour support. -TERRY

February is Member Appreciation Volume Discount Shopping MonthBring in a friend, they join for the first time:

• You get an 18% DISCOUNT Shopping Card!• They get a Volime Discount COUPON!

2/8 NEW CDC Warehouse Open House/Tour, 4-6pm2/21 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

2/27 Member Engagement Meeting

THE INSIDE SCOOP

Are cooperatives an answer to current chal-lenges and frustrations in our society? Joinother members in a study circle and

let’s explore the possibilities through readingsand discussions. Cooperative stories are richwith people taking charge of their lives andwe can learn from them as we determine ourfuture.

Your Board of Directors is hosting a Co-operative Study Circle by utilizing an eight-chapter course created by the East End FoodCo-op in Pittsburgh, PA. Beginning in March we’llmeet once a month and have a discussion framed bythat month’s readings. The chapter titles are Co-opOrigins and History; Co-op Principles, Values andPhilosophy; Cooperative Models; Cooperative In-dustry Sectors; Cooperatives Around the World;

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CO-OP: GROWING CO-OPSA STUDY CIRCLE Cooperative Responses to Globalization; Creating

the Cooperative Future; and A Legal Perspectiveon Co-ops. Each chapter contains five to eight arti-cles to contribute the latest in cooperative thinking.

The Study Circle itself will be freeto members; to participate eachmember need only purchase themanual, at a cost of $10, andavailable at our stores. We’ll meetin Albuquerque and if there isenough demand we’ll run a con-current Study Circle in Santa Fe.We’re limiting the circles to 12

members and will provide light snacks for eachevening 2-hour monthly gathering. (We’ll set theexact day and time once we know what will workbest for everyone.) If you are interested, pleaseemail us today at bod@lamontanita.coop.

BY MARTHA WHITMAN

BY KRISTY DECKER, BOARD MEMBER

MMEMBERS: THANK YOU foryour vote of confidence bypassing our bylaw amend-

ment allowing for online electronicvoting. Now the real work begins; weneed your help! We have nine months tocollect approximately 15,000 email ad-dresses in order to run the November2012 board elections.

Online voting requires the household's pri-mary member's email address. We will askfor it: • When you renew your membership.• On the February Volume Discount Couponmailed to your home this month (and again inOctober). Please put your e-mail address in thespace provided on the card and give it to the cashieras you do your usual Member AppreciationVolume Discount Shopping.

• There will be a place for it on the Annual Junemember survey as well.

If electronic voting isn’t anoption for you, we will down-load and print your ballot at anystore and provide the prepaidenvelope for mailing or providea computer terminal that youcan use to vote.

YOUR PRIVACY WILL BEPROTECTED! Your email ad-dress will be used for Board of

Directors election communications. You can alsochoose to receive the Co-op Connection news orweekly and bi-monthly sale flyers. Besides beinggreen and saving money, we hope more membersfind it easier to vote during the annual Boardelections.

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT OF DEMOCRATIC PAR-TICIPATION! We can’t do it without you! Formore information contact the Board atbod@lamontanita.coop!

The Next ExpansionWe have just completed moving our warehouseand office to 901 Menaul Blvd NE. The movewas well planned and went as smoothly as couldbe expected. We are now in afacility that will serve us and ourcommunity for years to come. Inmy mind the next question iswhat comes next?

We have the La Montanita Fundprogram up and running. Withrecent changes this program hasbegun to create more impact andgood for our local producers. Mo-Gro will becoming back into operation within the next fourto six months. Mo-Gro has just hired a newExecutive Director to lead this program; it’s greatto see these programs move forward as designed.

ELECTRONICVOTING AT THE CO-OP

NOTED HERBALIST offers FREEFREE consultations! SUSAN FEAVEAYEAR, founder and owner of Artemisia Herb Co., will give freeherbal consultations at the Rio Grande store on Sunday, Feb. 5 from 2-4pm. Susanis a clinical herbalist with over 18 years experience wildcrafting, growing, prepar-ing, and formulating herbs from New Mexico and beyond. She studied with MichaelMoore, Daniel Gagnon, and a host of others in the field of herbal medicine. Last fallwe expanded the Artemisia products we carry to include their fine tincture formu-las and herbal oil infusions. We are privileged to have this distinguished herbal-ist offer her expertise FREE to Co-op customers!

GREAT CO-OP DEAL!Get 15% off ALL Artemisia Herbal Products at the Valley location in Feb.! Feb. 5/2-4PM

NORTH VALLEY CO-OP: SPECIAL EEEEVVVVEEEENNNNTTTT!!!!

greatdeal

505.865.8813 gardengatespa.com Los Lunas, NM

Roses are Red Relief package (couple massage)You and someone you love will receive Champagne and Rose

Scented Relaxing Massages and the following for FREE.

Intro to hot stones $90 value freeSoothing eye compress $40 value free

Aromatherapy foot soaks $60 value freeTea & Dessert for two $10 value free & day use $40 value free

Total package value $399 Your Special Price $159

MARCHLAND & CO CPA’S PC

We offer services to Businesses and Individuals

TAX PREPARATION

TAX PLANNING

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

BUSINESS CONSULTING

IRS REPRESENTATION

BUSINESS ACCOUNTING

ELDERCARE FINANCIAL SERVICES

WORKOUTS & BANKRUPTCY

AUDITS

Robert Marchland CPAOFFICE 505-892-2907CELL 505-710-5401

1512 DEBORAH RD., RIO RANCHO, NMRobert@marchlandcpa.com

the CO-OP’SLove Our Planet Festivalscoming soon!

celebrate spring!withyourCO-OP

• EARTH DAY at Nob Hill, Sun.,April 22nd• EARTH DAY in Santa Fe, Sat.,April 28th • VALLEY GARDEN PARTY,Sat., May 5th

Contact Robin at 877-775-2667 or robins@lamontanita.coopfor information.

Internat iona l Yea rof Cooperati ves:

Cooperat ive Enterprise s Build a Better Wor ld

The cooperat ive movementbr ings together over1 bil lion people

around the wor ld.

During 2012, the International Year of Cooperat ives , people all around the wor ld wil l celebrate a business model which puts people fi rst, innovates to mee t membe r needs and provides local service while fuel ing an important partof the global economy.

From credit unions to

housing co-ops

to food co-ops,

cooperat ives are al l

around you.

In the Uni ted States, more than 30,000 cooperatives operate in every sector of the economy and in ever y congressional district.

At lea st 100 mill ion people around the world are employed by cooperat ives, which is 20% more people than those employed by multinationalcorporat ions.

Farmer-owned

cooperat ives prov ide

over 250thousand jobs

and annual wages of over $8 bi ll ion- not

to mention great food !

More than 50,000 famili es in the U.S. use cooperat ive day care centers,gi vi ng co-ops a crucial role in the

care of our chi ldren.

Amer icans ho ld over350 mill ion

cooperat ive memberships.

More than 6,400 housingcooperat ives exist in the U.S., providing 1.5 mi ll ion homes.

Over 8,300 credit unionsprov ide financia l service s to

near ly 100 mill ion members.

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international flavors February 2012 10

Golden Succotash

3 tablespoons butter1 1/4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled red-skinned sweet potato (yam)

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided1 yellow bell pepper, 1/2-inch dice1 cup frozen corn kernels1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Stirin sweet potato, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1tablespoon water. Cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes.Add bell pepper. Cover; cook until sweet potato istender, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add corn and tar-ragon. Sauté, uncovered, until corn is tender, 2minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, and 1tablespoon lemon juice, if desired.

Coconut-Lime Rice

1 cup light coconut milk1/2 teaspoon salt1 1/2 cups uncooked jasmine rice1 teaspoon lime zest1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Bring coconut milk, salt, and 2 cups water to aboil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in rice;cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirringoccasionally to prevent scorching, 20 to 25 min-utes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.Stir in lime zest and juice.

Spinach and Kale Turnovers

2 teaspoons olive oil1 cup chopped onion1 garlic clove, chopped3 cups chopped kale (about 1 small bunch)

6-ounces fresh baby spinach1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese1 (11.3-ounce) can refrigerated dinner roll dough Cooking spray2 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat olive oil in a large skillet overmedium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or untiltender and lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes.Add kale and spinach; sauté 8 minutes or until kale istender. Stir in pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Remove fromheat; cool slightly. Stir in feta.

Separate dough into 8 pieces. Roll each dough piece intoa 5-inch circle. Spoon about 1/3 cup kale mixture on halfof each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold dough overkale mixture until edges almost meet. Bring bottom edgeof dough over top edge; crimp edges of dough with fin-gers to form a rim.

Place turnovers on a baking sheet coated with cookingspray. Lightly coat turnovers with cooking spray; sprin-kle each turnover with about 1 teaspoon Parmesan. Bakeat 375° for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Let standat least 5 minutes before serving; serve warm or at roomtemperature.

Kale, Potato, and Onion Frittata

Vegetable oil cooking spray1 yellow or white onion, sliced1 pound kale, trimmed, blanched 3 minutes in boiling water, drained, squeezed and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped2 cups boiled diced potatoes2 whole eggs2 egg whites1/2 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)

Heat oven to 400°F. In a medium skillet coated with cook-ing spray, cook yellow onion over medium heat, stirring, 5minutes. Add kale and garlic; stir 5 minutes. Add potatoes.Whisk eggs, egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and paprikain a bowl. Stir in kale-potato mixture. In a cast-iron skil-let coated with cooking spray, cook egg mixture overmedium-low heat 1 minute. Transfer skillet to oven; bakeuntil eggs are set and center is slightly runny, 6 to 8 min-utes. Broil until top is golden, 1 minute.

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Onion Soup with Thyme and Gruyère Crostini

1 pound yellow onions, halved and thinly cut lengthwise

3 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme1 bay leaf1/4 teaspoon sea saltFresh cracked pepper1 teaspoon all-purpose flour1/2 cup dry white wine2 cups beef stock1 cup water1 1/2-inch-thick slice of ciabatta bread cut in half

2 tablespoons unsalted butter1 1/2 cups grated Swiss Gruyère cheese

In a heavy 5-quart pot melt the butter over lowheat. Add the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and saltand pepper to taste and cook until the onions aredeep amber and exceedingly soft, stirring occa-sionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the flour and cookfor 1 to 2 minutes, then add the wine, increase theheat, and let the wine bubble away for 2 to 3 min-utes. Add the beef stock and water, and let thesoup simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, allowing theflavors to meld together. Season with salt and pep-per to taste.

Preheat the oven to broil. Arrange a rack in themiddle of the oven. Place the ciabatta on the mid-dle rack of the oven and toast until crispy, about2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the bay leaf andthyme sprigs from the soup and discard. Pour thesoup into two ovenproof bowls, float the toastedciabatta on top, and cover it with a thick layer ofthe Gruyère. Put the soup bowls under the broileron the middle rack and cook 3 to 5 minutes, oruntil the cheese is fully melted and golden.

Finger Caesar Salads

1 oil-packed anchovy fillet, finely chopped3 tablespoons (packed) grated Parmesan cheese2 tablespoons mayonnaise2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard1 small garlic clove, minced1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil3 tablespoons olive oil2 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened8 1-inch cubes crustless sourdough bread2 hearts of romaine lettuce, leaves separated6 cherry tomatoes, halvedParmesan shavings

Using the back of the spoon, mash anchovy topuree in small bowl. Whisk in grated Parmesancheese, mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, Dijonmustard, minced garlic, and Worcestershiresauce. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil.

(Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover andrefrigerate. Bring to room temperature and rewhiskbefore using.)

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in medium nonstick skilletover medium-low heat. Add flattened garlic andsauté until golden, about 4 minutes; discard garlic.Add sourdough bread cubes and sauté until goldenbrown and crisp, about 9 minutes. Transfer breadcubes to paper towels and drain. (Can be made 1day ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight atroom temperature.)

Arrange 4 large romaine lettuce leaves on each of 2plates. Top each with 4 smaller leaves. Top lettucewith tomatoes. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Coverwith plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Drizzle saladswith dressing. Top with croutons and Parmesanshavings. Season generously with pepper and serve.

Pinto Bean Enfrijoladas

3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil2 cups chopped onions4 garlic cloves, minced2 15- to 16-ounce cans pinto beans, drained1 1/2 cups (or more) whole milk1 1/2 cups (or more) water1 teaspoon minced serrano chile with seeds3/4 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano1/8 teaspoon ground cloves12 5 1/2- to 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas2 1/4 cups crumbled queso ranchero*Chopped fresh cilantroSour cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil 13x9x2-inch glass bak-ing dish. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet overmedium-high heat. Add onions and garlic andsauté until onions are golden, about 8 minutes.Add beans, 1 1/2 cups milk, and 1 1/2 cups water;simmer until onions are tender, stirring occasional-ly, about 10 minutes. Mash beans coarsely in skil-let. Mix in chile and all spices; season with salt andpepper. Add more milk or water by 1/4 cupfuls tothin bean mixture to slightly soupy consistency.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in another large skilletover medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla at a time;cook until tortilla softens, about 30 seconds per side.Transfer tortilla to work surface. Place 1 heapingtablespoon cheese in center of each tortilla; fold inhalf. Place in prepared dish, overlapping tortillasslightly. Top with bean sauce. Bake until enfrijoladasare heated through and sauce is bubbling, about 20minutes. Sprinkle with remaining queso rancheroand cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

*Mildly salty cheese that crumbles easily; alsolabled queso fresco or queso casero. Queso cotijaor mild feta can be used instead.

international flavors February 2012 11

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BY BRETT BAKKER

Last month we were waxing poetic aboutseed saving and why you should plan earlyrather than after you’ve planted thirty-

two different peppers. Here’s some nuts and bolts(or should I say, stamens and pistils) info for keepingpure seed of common crops. For the full scoop,Suzanne Ashworth’s book Seed To Seed is by far thebest guide.

Generally, isolate crops that will cross-pollinate bydistance. A completely different location is best butnot always practical. Plant as far apart as you pos-sibly can for best results. Two hundred feet is betterthan twenty-five but not as good as a quarter mile.Make use of barriers such as fences, tall crops, trees and even housesbetween plantings. Barriers are not the complete answer (especially in insectpollinated crops) but do help to minimize cross-pollination.

For crops that pollinate only once rather than throughout the season, youcan isolate by time: planting different types of corn a few weeks apart forexample. This method does not always work, however, because flowering(i.e., pollination) may be triggered by environmental factors rather than theage/life cycle of the plant.

Keep in mind that the cross occurs in the seed and—with rare exceptions—not in the appearance of the crop you harvest. For example, plant a hon-eydew melon and a cantaloupe in the same garden this year and the har-vested melons will look as they are supposed to. But if you plant saved seedfrom either one next year, you will get a cross between the two.

BEANS (AND PEAS) do not readily cross-pollinate but keep them at leastten or fifteen feet apart. Lima beans do cross-pollinate, so grow only one.Black-eyed peas are not related to garden peas (or to other common beans)and will not cross with them. Carrots cross but are biennial so you canplant as many as you want for fresh eating and then leave only one varietyto overwinter so it flowers and produces seed next year. The same is truefor beets, although beets will cross with chard.

farming & gardening February 2012 12

CORN is wind pollinated and all types (dent, flint,flour, sweet, pop) will cross easily when within a quar-ter mile of one another, so be careful. Dent/flint/flourcrosses won’t affect usage all that much since they are

all used for grinding. Sweet corncrossed in dent/flour/flint will eventual-ly make grinding a gummy mess. Anycrosses into sweet corn will reduce itstenderness and eventually render it use-less as sweet corn. Popcorn must bepure in order to pop. If you’re lookingto conserve full genetic diversity of avariety, grow no less than one hundredcorn plants.

HARD SHELLED GOURDS (rattles,dippers, etc.) will cross-pollinate witheach other, (but not with squash) soplant one variety.

LETTUCE will cross-pollinate, including with wild let-tuce which grows all over NM. Make sure you find outwhat wild lettuce looks like so you can weed it out.Hint: it doesn’t look like edible lettuce at all but morelike a tall spikey dandelion.

MELONS such as cantaloupe, honeydew, Crenshaw,etc., all cross easily. It is possible to hand pollinate ifyou can wake up before the insects. And this meansearly.

The MUSTARD family is way too complicated to gointo here. But includes broccoli, cauliflower, mustardgreens, mizuna, bok choy, cabbage, Chinese cabbage,etc. Arugula is in the mustard family, but it will notcross with any others.

PEPPERS are easily cross-pollinated. For absolute puri-ty, plant only one (a sad thought, I know especially for

New Mexicans). By the way, hot and sweet pepperswill readily cross. Sometimes a sweet pepper willexpress some hot pepper taste the same year the twoplants cross, but this is not always common.

POTATOES, ONIONS, GARLIC are idiot-proof sincethey reproduce asexually. Woo-hoo!

RADISHES cross-pollinate so only let one variety go toseed. A tall stalk is produced first so you’ll know whichplant is about to flower in plenty of time to harvest allthe other varieties.

SQUASH crosses very easily but there are four distinctspecies which cross-pollinate more rarely. You canhand pollinate as you would for melons or pick onlyone of each of the following: Cucurbita pepo—zucchini, yellow crookneck, yellowsummer, Halloween pumpkin, acorn, spaghetti, patty-pan, small colorful decorative gourdsCucurbita maxima—hubbard, banana, turbanCucurbita moschata—butternut, TahitianCucurbita agyrosperma/C. mixta—cushaw (usuallyfound in southwest and southeastern US)

SUNFLOWERS will cross with each other. They alsocross with our native weedy types, so it’s pretty toughto keep them pure here.

TOMATOES—plant at least twenty-five feet apart butfurther is much better.

TOMATILLOS will not cross with tomatoes. Hurray!

WATERMELON—you guessed it. Same as melons.Hand pollinate or plant just one.

seed for common CROPS

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MARCH 28/BAG IT Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every five minutes.But where do these bags go when we’re done with them?Where is “away?” BAG IT follows the journey of aver-age guy Jeb Berrier when he resolves to stop using plas-tic bags at the grocery store—and ends up learningabout much more than plastic bags. Discover the un-

AT THE SANTA FE FARMERS’ MARKET PAVILION!

E njoy the most entertaining, educational andstate-of-the-art feature documentaries oncurrent issues related to food, sustainable

communities, “green” growth, the environment andthe political and health implications of all! More thanjust movies, these Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute (SFFMI) EVENTS include speakers, discussions, exhibits, and opportunitiesfor moviegoers to meet, greet, and collaborate—all while enjoying locallygrown foods specifically chosen and prepared for the theme of the night.

The Wednesday Movie Series also supports the work of the Santa FeFarmers’ Market Institute to maintain and enhance local sustainable foodproduction and the preservation of small farms in northern New Mexico.SFFMI Wednesday Movie Night continues with:

FEBRUARY 29/CARBON NATIONCARBON NATION is a dynamic film that explores innovative approaches

known consequences of rampant plastic use—fromdegradation to the risk of cancer and other human dis-eases. BAG IT makes it clear that it is time to questionhow we produce and consume “disposable” objects.

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LOCATION: Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Pavilion, 1607Paseo de Peralta. TIME: 7pm. Admission: GENERALADMISSION: $12; Institute Members, Seniors andStudents: $10; Under 18 and Santa Fe Farmers’ MarketVendors: Free. MORE INFO: 505-983-7726 or www.farmersmarketinstitute.org.

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F U N A N D E D U C AT I O N A L!

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The Xeriscape Council of New Mexico wasformed in 1986/87 after green-industry pro-fessionals interested in the use of native plants

attended a Xeriscape Conference in Los Alamos. TheXeriscape Council is education and project oriented;hosting annual conferences on water conservation andlandscaping. The Council brings high-level globally-oriented experts andspeakers to Albuquerque for the two-day conference, and free public semi-nars held at a two-day Expo followingthe conference. The public sessionsfocus on more practical “how to” sem-inars on design, plant selection, irriga-tion and maintenance. This year don’tmiss Stephen Kress and WilliamDuBuys, two speakers at the conference, and a widevariety of excellent how–to seminars for water conser-vation at the Expo.

The Council also produces books, materials andreports and conducts other general consulting activi-ties on the topic of conservation to fulfill its main goalof educating New Mexicans and others about usingnative, low-water plants and landscaping/irrigationmethods as a means of water conservation. TheCouncil continues to work with the City of Al-buquerque on conservation efforts, including a waterconservation ordinance and associated rebate pro-gram for installation of indoor and outdoor water sav-ing technologies.

The ConferenceStephen W. Kress is Vice President for Bird Con-servation with the National Audubon Society and an expert in seabird conservation. He has pub-lished several books, including the Audubon Guideto Attracting Birds, Audubon Pocket Backyard

Birdwatch, and North American Bird-feeder Guide. Steve will explore waysthat innovators can work together tountangle pressing problems using hisexperiences in bird conservation as exam-ples of collaboration for new solutions.

William deBuys is the author of A GreatAridness: Climate Change and theFuture of the American Southwest, a

work that addresses the impact of climate changeon the Southwest ecosystems and people. Be-ginning in the late 1980s his efforts led to the per-manent protection of over 150,000 acres of wildlands in North Carolina and the Southwest andfrom 1997 to 2004 he developed and directed theValle Grande Grass Bank, a cooperative effortinvolving ranchers, conservationists, and publicagencies in the rehabilitation of rangelands innorthern New Mexico. From 2001 to 2004, heserved as founding chairman of the Valles CalderaTrust, which administers the 89,000-acre VallesCaldera National Preserve. His book, A River ofTraps, captures with great sensitivity the spirit ofthe land and culture of New Mexico.

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concerned consumer February 2012 13

Ready for DISRUPTION?BY AMYLEE UDELL

People do not like to imagine themselves in the midst of adisaster. A natural or man-made disaster makes a job layoffseem mild and safe. Yet losing a job is often disastrous for a fam-

ily. The same goes for an illness. These are, unfortunately, not uncom-mon reasons a family may consider stocking food. Other reasons a fam-ily may want a solid supply of food on hand are trucker/transportationstrikes, natural disasters in OTHER regions or anything else that maydisrupt our food supply. Most stores would run out of their stock inthree days or less. Or what about utility disruptions? Just one year ago,tens of thousands of New Mexicans were without heat and gas for aweek. A loss of gas and electricity may shut down businesses and alsoaffect food supplies.

I've previously written about doing a Pantry Challenge where you try toeat only from your current pantry supplies for a limited amount of timeto either save money or clear out older food (see Dec. 2010 issue). Mostof us do have a supply of food on hand. But could you comfortably liveon it? What if there were a short-term or long-term emergency and youcould not leave your home or access a store?

There are many people who invest time and energy into emergency pre-paredness. Most would point out that water is the most important thingto have on hand in case of emergency. The accepted amount is one gal-lon per person per day. If you think about it, that's a lot of water to store.But having clean water is vital, as we can only live a few days withoutwater. After that, you need three days of wet food storage (canned goods)that you would be able to consume without cooking. You may alreadyhave this in your pantry. After three days you would move to dry storagegoods, which we'll discuss later.

The next consideration is a heat source for warmth and for cooking. Ifyou have a fireplace and source of fuel, you can use that for both.Outdoor grills, camp stoves, solar ovens and emergency stoves are othereasy to use cooking options. A good supply of blankets (wool is great)would be needed in cold months for warmth. Light sources that shouldbe easily accessible are flashlights (with batteries), head lamps, camplanterns and long burning candles. Knowing where these are is importantas it could be dark when you are looking for them.

Paper products make life more pleasant and can also be useful to havestocked. Toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, diapers and paperwarewould quickly disappear off shelves in an emergency. Be sure to havegarbage bags for disposal of these paper goods.

Having plenty of kid-friendly activities on hand will make everyone'slives more bearable if any outages were to occur. Other items that youmight find useful are radios, cell-phone chargers and many people evenhave generators. And don't forget basic first aid supplies, as well as pre-scription medications.

What if an emergency were to last longer than a fewdays? Or an income reduction were to hit your fami-ly? How would your family eat? Gardening and pre-serving your own food are fantastic ways to be morefood-independent. Having your own viable seeds onhand would be important.

Having "comfortable" foods in supply during times ofdifficulty is important to a family's well being. Eachfamily's food needs are different, but stocking up tosome degree is probably a good idea for most families.The biggest obstacles most families face when consid-ering this idea are:

1. COST. The easiest way to begin is to buy one moreof a non-perishable item that your family already eats(peanut butter? tuna? canned tomatoes?), or to stockup when these items are on sale. A few bulk buys willgo a long way toward food storage. Another methodis to set aside a portion of your food budget towardstorage items. Since you will ultimately eat what youstore and rotate through the food, these items are notwasted but ARE indeed a part of your food budget.Many people will begin by targeting the most basicitems needed first (for many, that means flour, sugar,powdered milk and salt).

2. STORAGE SPACE. This is an issue for most families.In truth, we are able to find space for our priorities. I'malways surprised at how creative people can be when itcomes to storage! Under the bed and in closets are greatplaces to store food. Garages are often used, but alwayskeep in mind that temperature and moisture greatlyaffect food quality. And for most of us, reorganizing ourpantries and storage spaces often yields much morespace than is currently available.

3. KNOWING WHAT AND HOW MUCH TOSTORE. Most of us don't know how much we actuallyeat in a given time nor how much we would need in anemergency. There are books on food storage that showyou how to calculate this and you can find out how

online as well. Some food storage compa-nies also have calculators that show youhow much you need, tied in to their ownproducts. This can be a great option if youare wanting to purchase your food alreadypackaged properly for long-term storage.And if you are starting with nothing, it'seasiest to only calculate your most basicneeds and slowly add extras.

4. FOOD QUALITY. Powdered milk?White sugar? Dehydrated meals? That'swhat you'll see a lot of if you begin explor-ing long-term food storage. But those arenot your only options! I know the Co-opConnection readers will be more discrimi-

nating about food quality. You CAN incorporate organ-ic food (or food of any other quality you deem impor-tant) into your food storage. Grains, legumes, sweeten-ers, stable fats and more can be purchased in bulk forfuture need. You will need to research how to preparefood for long- term storage. Even if you decide not tostore organic foods, you can choose dehydrated orfreeze-dried foods that are not health diminishing. Mostdehydrated "meals" include many preservative chemi-cals, vegetable oils and other questionable ingredients.Buying individual ingredients is probably a betteroption. You can continue to make your family's mealsusing those individual ingredients. Freeze-dried foodsoften maintain very high levels of vitamins and miner-als, as well as color, giving them a more appetizingappearance than many canned and frozen goods. Youwant to aim for variety in your food storage, if possible.But again, start with staples and slowly add on.

I have friends who feel that preparing for possible dis-asters is a troubling way to live. I can understand thatmindset. I have friends who enjoy the security of know-ing their family will be safe and healthy should a smallor large emergency occur. I can also understand that.But we can all agree that winter utility outages and jobchanges are a reality and at least considering how we'llhandle them and having a plan is a reasonableapproach. Future articles will go over very basic disas-ter and evacuation planning for families.

To learn more about basic emergency preparationand food storage, register for the Feb. 5 class atabqoldschool.com.

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The CO-OP Foodshed PPrroojjeecctt::Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in FRESH, FAIR AND LOCAL FOOD.

FRESHDDEELLIICCIIOOUUSSORGANIC

BY RONNIE CUMMINS, ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION

SSince 2006, Martek Biosciences, owned bymultinational biotech giant DSM, has been sell-ing its DHA (docosahexaenoic

acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid),synthesized versions of the essentialfatty acids that are naturally found inbreast milk, to companies manufac-turing organic infant formula, babyfood and other food products. Nowthe National Organic Program saysthe 2006 approval was illegal andthey're conducting a formal review ofthe Martek products for the first time.

The Cornucopia Institute has been warning since 2008that the DHA and ARA might be made using genetic engi-neering, an "excluded method" under national organicregulations. The OCA has confirmed the CornucopiaInstitute's concerns with our own research and we'velearned:• The DHA and ARA used in organic infant formulasand baby cereals is manipulated using microencapsula-tion to transform it from an oil to a powder.Microencapsulation is specifically listed as an "excludedmethod" in the organic regulations, one of a "variety ofmethods used to genetically modify organisms or influ-ence their growth and development by means that are notpossible under natural conditions or processes and arenot considered compatible with organic production."

• In addition, DHA and ARA are produced from mutantstrains of algae and fungi with unnaturally high DHAand ARA levels. "Mutagenesis" is not specifically men-tioned in the organic regulations' definition of "excluded

methods," but it certainly fits the category def-inition listed above.

Mutagenesis involves exposing cells to radiationor mutagenic chemicals to create a variety ofmutant cells from which desired characteristics

can be selected. DSM, Martek's newowner and the long-time producer ofits ARA, boasts the invention of mod-ern extensions of this process. DSMscreens the vast numbers of microbialstrains produced by random mutagen-esis and selects for improved proper-ties using a robotic High-ThroughputScreening (HTS) facility and high-techflow-injection Nuclear Magnetic Re-sonance. Then, they use recombinant-DNA technology to combine multiple

mutations in a single organism.

Products of microencapsulation and muta-genesis DON'T BELONG IN ORGANIC!

Get these GMOs out of organic baby food!Please contact your favorite baby food compa-ny and make sure they are not using theseingredients in their products, especially BrightBeginnings, Organic Infant Formula withDSM's DHA and ARA, Happy Bellies OrganicBaby Cereals with Microencapsulated DHA,Earth’s Best Organic, Parent’s Choice Organic,Similac Organic and Vermont Organics to makesure they are not and will not use these geneti-cally modified ingredients in their products. GOto www.organicconsumer.org for moreinformation and to send an e-mail letter tosome of the above businesses!

GETTING G M OG M O SS OUT OF

BABY FOOD

F E E D I N G B A B Y

We can all agree that winter utility outagesand job changes are a reality and at least

considering how we'll handle them and having aplan is a REASONABLE APPROACH.

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SPRING 2012 HIGHLIGHTS

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with

BY MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS

TT he winter has been dry and the snowpack for spring runoffdoesn’t look good, which means that as of now the outlook is foranother year of low flow in the Rio Grande. But there

is at least one piece of water news that’s positive: the levels inthe Albuquerque aquifer are rising.

Each year, the US Geological Survey (USGS), which has anoffice here in Albuquerque, publishes a report on the level ofthe aquifer that supplies much of the water we use. The latestreport, Water-Level Data for the Albuquerque Basin andAdjacent Areas, Central New Mexico, Period of RecordThrough September 30, 2010, which came out in mid-2011,covers the year from October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010.

The short narrative section provides a technical description ofthe aquifer and a detailed description of the methodology usedfor the annual reports, which involve 124 monitoring wellsfrom the southern edge of Sandia Pueblo to Tomé – with mostmonitoring sites within the Albuquerque City limits on both sides of the river.

The value of the report is in the graphs for each well. The graphs includethe entire time period for each monitoring site; from the late 1970’s throughthe early 2000’s. Cumulatively, the graphs give a clear picture of what washappening to the aquifer. It was being “mined”, meaning more water wasbeing pumped out than nature could put back in.

The result was the creation of several large “cones of depression”. Thesecones of depression, located under the Northeast Heights, the West Mesa,and Rio Rancho, were caused by extremely large amounts of overpumping,dropping the water table (the top of the aquifer) by as much as 180ft.

Cones of depression do two things. First, they upset the natural flow ofwater underground because they draw water into them from surroundingareas, including more “depletion” (leakage) from the river than would nat-urally be the case. This excess depletion violates New Mexico water lawand has to be replaced by whoever is responsible for the overpumping.

Second, by removing water from the ground, cones of depression can causethe ground to contract or settle, leading to subsidence at the surface or evensudden collapse of the surface into sinkholes. However, the graphs make itclear that slowly, starting in the early to mid-2000s with a few sites andspreading to more and more, the aquifer began to recover.

community forum February 2012 14

The reason is clear. People began to conserve water.Until the early 1990s, the general perception of theaquifer was as a giant “Lake Superior” of drinkablewater. Then new hydrogeological studies were donewhen wells began to run out of supply. These studiesled to a completely different understanding: the aquiferis made up of many layers that are fractured and shift-ed in relation to each other, with only a relatively smalldrinkable portion and a large and hard-to-extract

amount of brackish water.

rising water in Aquifer!

AGUA ESVVIIDDAA!!although a couple of monitoring sites show rises in therange of 10 or 20 feet. Some locations still have sig-nificant declines, particularly in Rio Rancho. RioRancho conserves, but is still growing rapidly and stillgets all its water from the aquifer.

The rise, while real, may still not entirely reflect an actu-al rise in the aquifer. That is, as conservation and the SanJuan Chama project kicked in, less water was beingpumped from wells. This is giving natural recharge achance to start filling cones of depression. To someextent, what we are seeing may be more of a “rebound”of the cones than the aquifer rising.

Still, the monitoring wells show rising levels over a widearea, which is a strong indication that the system is start-ing to get back into balance. What we need to do nowis continue to work for increased conservation. 150gpcd is a good goal, but Santa Fe is around 110 gpcdand El Paso is around 135 gpcd. With continued lowflows in the Rio Grande – inhibiting the full use of SanJuan Chama water, conservation is the surest way tokeep the taps – and the river – flowing and still restorethe aquifer.

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

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The City of Albuquerque and then the AlbuquerqueBernalillo County Water Utility Authority (WUA)began a campaign to get people to conserve. Cityresidents had been using as much as 240 gallons percapita per day (gpcd) in the late ’80s and early ’90s,but the City got that down to around 175 gpcd andthe WUA customers are currently around 160 gpcd.The current WUA goal is 150 gpcd by 2014.

In December 2008, the WUA began using the SanJuan Chama water for the Drinking Water Project –taking water from tributaries of the San Juan Riverthrough pipes to the Chama River and downstreamto Albuquerque. The use of this surface water fromthe river now supplies about 40% of total water usefor WUA customers, meaning even less groundwa-ter from the aquifer is being pumped.

So far, the gains are relatively modest, with somesites rising a few inches and others a few feet,

this non-profit, public interest law firm to introduce alocal “Community Bill of Rights” that defines citizens’rights within local communities that are threatened by

state-sanctioned corporate development.

Without authority within the current lawsto say “no” to hard rock mining, GMO seedplanting, oil and gas extraction, factoryfarming or large water withdrawals, citizensare faced with the challenge of exerting theirinalienable rights over corporate rights. Wefought a revolution over this in 1776, andwe continue to seek our own destiny. TheDaniel Pennock Democracy School is aboutteaching and empowering local people totake back their communities from state

sanctioned corporate development, (http:// celdf.org/section.php?id=149).

Over 140 communities have passed CELDF’s rights-based ordinances that give citizens the authority todetermine their destinies. Community rights-basedordinances consist of a bill of rights, protecting citi-zens’ rights to clean water, air, health and safety, andprotection from corporate harms. Corporations’rights are written out of these ordinances and are ren-dered non-persons. Local self-governance and localsustainability are at the core of the ordinance. Thefirst Bill of Rights in the world protecting Nature,was written by CELDF for the Bolivian andEcuadorian Constitutions which “granted Nature theright to exist and persist. ...under the law being rec-ognized as rights-bearing entities.”

In the words of CELDF:"The [community rights] ordinances turn the myth ofpopular sovereignty into reality. With the fracking

Elevating COMMUNITY RIGHTSAbove Corporate RightsFeb. 2-4BY KATHLEEN DUDLEY, DRILLING MORA COUNTY

Two events in Albuquerque have the possi-bility of transforming our lives through thework presented by the Community En-

vironmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF):• Thomas Linzey presents "Protecting New Mexico:Elevating Community Rights Above CorporateRights," Thursday, February 2nd, 7pm at UNM SUB in ABQ.• The Daniel Pennock Democracy School, Friday and Saturday, February 3-4th, presented by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund(CELDF) with Thomas Linzey and Ben Price and sponsored by DrillingMora County.

As the Occupy Movement grows across the United States, a civil rightsmovement is gaining momentum through the past two decades of work byCELDF. Citizens across the continent and around the globe are working with

boom, large water withdrawal, GMOs, factory farmcontamination in full swing, and our communitiesbecoming resource colonies for a gaggle of corpora-tions, if the time isn’t now, then when will it come? Ifour communities are not the ones to lead the way, thenwho will? How long will we continue to allow corpo-rate directors, abetted by traitorous legislators, to gov-ern our communities?"

Today in New Mexico, countless communities are“managing” the devastation from corporate develop-ment sanctioned by the state. Counties that are face-to-face with the destruction corporations render to theecosystems and citizens’ health include—CatronCounty, facing large water withdrawals by an Italianwater corporation threatening to deplete its aquifer;Otero County, hard rock mining for rare earth miner-als; San Miguel and Mora County, mineral leasesamounting to nearly 200,000 acres from oil companies(water grab?); San Juan, Rio Arriba, Eddy and LeaCounties, oil and gas development; Chaves County, fac-tory farms populated with 85,000 dairy cows; uraniumand copper mining in Grant County; GMO contamina-tion in Dona Ana County chile fields. It is endless!

Join in the evening with Thomas Linzey, Thursday,February 2nd, at 7pm, and hear what citizens can do totake back control of our democracy within our com-munities. Find out how you can organize a CELDFDemocracy School and change the tides from destruc-tive corporate control to sustainable local communityautonomy. There is nothing more transforming thanunderstanding we have rights in this democracy.

For more information, contact: Kathleen Dudley,Co-founder, Drilling Mora County, drillingmoracounty@gmail.com, www.drillingmoracounty.blogspot.com.

Protecting NNNNEEEEWWWW MMMMEEEEXXXXIIIICCCCOOOO

DDEEMMOOCCRRAACCYYSSCCHHOOOOLL

F E B R U A RY 2-4 C O M M U N I T Y B I L L O F R I G H T S

conserve, CONSERVECONSERVE

GET A FFRRIIEENNDDTO BECOMEA MMEEMMBBEERRANDGETADDIISSCCOOUUNNTT

co-op comix February 2012 15

STORY AND PENCILS BY RAS ELIJAH TAFARI, INKS AND LETTERS BY CHRISTOPH KNERR

TO BE CONTINUED

HASTA LA PROXIMA