Great Reasons to be a Co-op MemberIn so many ways it pays to be a La Montanita Co-op Member/Owner˜

Your community-owned natural foods grocery store

Why Join?• You Care! -about good food and how it is produced• You’re Empowered! -to help support the local/regional food-shed• You Support! -Co-op principles & values & community ownership• You Vote! -with your dollars for a strong local economy• You Participate! -providing direction and energy to the Co-op• You Receive! -member discounts, weekly specials & a patronage refund

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

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

Join La Montanita Co-op˜

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

˜

january 2012 connection free

stronger togetherLa Montañita’s commitment to local food began over 25 years ago when its produce managers wanted more produce than was available from their regional distributor.

Over the years and continuing today, La Montañita reaches out to consumers providing support and services to farming families and value-added producers to help keep their businesses afloat during rough times. In conjunction with local officials and community orga-nizations, the co-op works to positively impact policy that supports local agriculture.

La Montañita’s growth and commitment to local farmers led to one of their most ambitious projects to date, the Regional Food-Shed Proj-ect, which helps local producers secure markets for their products by distributing them not only to La Montañita’s five stores but to other retailers in the area. This minimizes the carbon footprint of farmers by reducing their transport time and costs and allows them to focus their energy and resources on farming their land and producing food.

While there is still much to be done, the Food-Shed Project is already helping to boost the local economy through a robust, cooperatively based local and regional food system. stronger together. absolutely............co-ops work.

an answer for thechallengesthat we face.

2012 tHe INteRNatIoNal yeaR of tHe

H H H H H H H H H H H H

an answer for thechallengesthat we facemore money stays

LOCALA N D o U r c o M M U N I T Y G r o w s A G A I N .

make history. build a better world.

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

choose a co-op. local. trustworthy. dependable experts.

more jobs are created

t H e I N t e R N a t I o N a l y e a R o f t H e c o - o p

belong to a co-op? wHy Not?.................................................................. co-ops work.

J

Healthy, Happy, Chemical-free Bees: A Guide to Top-BarBeekeeping; Plant Symptoms: What They Tell Us and WhatThey Don’t; A Few of My Favorite Things — AppropriateVarieties for Your Microclimate/Altitude; The OrganicUnderground: Composting with Worms; Maximizing Green-house/Hoophouse Production; Wind Management; Scienceand Grazing Rotation; Soil Quality Test Kit: Carbon Activity;Estimating Nutrient Availability from Differing Cover/GreenManure Crops; IPM: Understanding Biological Controls; Soil101; Home-based Canning; Organic Inspectors Speak Out:Mastering Organic Certification; Evaluating IrrigationEfficiency; Implementing GAPs; Two-ty Fruity: Jujubes andFigs Step into the Spotlight; Expanding into New LocalMarkets: Cooperative Approaches to Selling Wholesale;Farm Labor; Fire Proofing Your Ranch or Farm; The RealScoop on Value-Added Production and so much more!

Dr. Jon Boren, Associate Dean and Director of the NewMexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, andNew Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte will welcomeparticipants to the Conference on Friday morning.OnSaturday, participants will feast on local and organic food ata luncheon where the New Mexico Organic Farmer of theYear will be recognized.

REGISTRATION FOR THE CONFERENCE, including Satur-day’s luncheon, is $100. For more information call 505-889-9921, or look for conference brochures at the Co-op.For hotel reservations, call 1-800-262-2043 by January26th. Say you are part of the Organic Conference to getthe special room rate. SEE YOU THERE!

ORGANIC GRAPE PRODUCTION

Steve and Jane Darland of Old Monticello Farm growgrapes for the production of Traditional AcetoBalsamico of Monticello, as well as herbs, pomegran-ates and figs. Last winter the temperature dropped to16 below in the vineyard (the grapes are rated safe to9 degrees). The Darlands saved their vines with 21straight days of triage pruning. Steve Darland willexplore organic grape production from variety selec-tion to siting to care and use.

NATIVE POLLINATORS

As honeybees continue to struggle, producers acrossthe country are discovering native pollinators and

working to build habitat thatwill encourage pollinators rang-ing from inconspicuous flies tohuge bumblebees. The results arenot only beautiful, but improvepollination on the farm andincrease the diversity of habitatso beneficial insects of all sortscan find a home and help withthe work of farming. And, theydo it for free! Strategies forbuilding habitat and informationon some of the most interesting

species will be provided. Gail Haggard, owner ofPlants of the Southwest, will share insights fromdecades of study of plants and pollinators in thedesert southwest.

SEED GROWING 101Organic Seed is the foundation of organic agriculture.However, most growers just purchase their seed andthink very little about how important their seed choicesare. There is a definite need for many more, knowl-edgeable organic seed growers to make the organicmodel sustainable. This workshop with JoshuaCravens, of the certified organic Jardin del Alma, willcover many seed related topics such as: isolation dis-tances, the importance of population size, how growingseeds can diversify your harvest, what to look for whenbuying seed, understanding the difference betweenhybrids, open pollinated and heirloom varieties, whatseed crops grow best in the southwest, along with astep-by-step talk on how to grow and clean seed. Anygrower can benefit from this workshop and gain insightinto the foundation of our farming systems, seeds!

Other workshops include: Farming with Draft Ani-mals; Bringing ’Em In: Farmers’ Market Marketing;

Coming Together to Build asustainable

future!

BY JOANIE QUINN, NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE ORGANIC PROGRAM

oin the information exchange as organic farmersand ranchers, researchers, and those who helpmove food from farm to fork gather for the NewMexico Organic Farming Conference at theAlbuquerque Marriott Pyramid, February 17-18,2012. This two-day event will deliver practical infor-mation for farmers, ranchers, and market gardenerson topics ranging from soil building and IntegratedPest Management, to marketing and farming withhorses.

The keynote address, “Trans-forming Our Food System: Hono-ring Hope and Hard Work,” willbe delivered by Bu Nygrens, co-owner and Purchasing Manager ofVeritable Vegetable, located in SanFrancisco, California. Establishedin 1974, VV is the nation’s oldestdistributor of certified organicfruits and vegetables. There maynot be anyone more familiar withorganic fruits and vegetables and how they get to yourplate than Bu Nygrens. Speaking from the perspectiveof over three decades as a champion and facilitator oforganic production, Bu will challenge conference par-ticipants to join together to build a sustainable future.

In addition to the keynote address, 36 workshopsessions will cover a wide range of topics. High-lights include:

PERMACULTURE CASE STUDIES ON THE FARM

Whether a small market farm or expansive westernranch, permaculture design can be a useful tool. Wewill be looking at examples of how farms of all shapesand sizes have implemented permaculture design con-cepts to reduce inputs from materials to labor andincrease yields, all while improving farm health forlong-term sustainability. Leslie Buerk of the Perma-culture Institute will lead this nuts and bolts discus-sion of bottom-line benefits and lessons learned fromreal-world examples.

SOIL WHISPERING: MAKING YOUR SOIL DO WHAT

YOU WANT IT TO DO

You’ve probably heard of horse whispering and dogwhispering, but soil whispering? Dr. Ron Godin, organ-ic soil guru, 2010 New Mexico Organic FarmingConference Educator of the Year, and ExtensionAgronomist for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture atColorado State University, will lead you through previ-ously uncharted territory, discussing how to listen toyour soil by analyzing what yield, weed and diseaseproblems are telling you, and how to answer back.

BY MARTHA WHITMAN, BOARD PRESIDENT

Join La Montanita’s Board of Directors in an activeand enlightening way to DO SOMETHING aboutissues that concern you and others. Cooperativesoffer a way to maintain local control over one’s owndestiny while contributing to the economic well-beingand sustainability of the local community.

Your Board of Directors will be hosting a CooperativeStudy Circle using an eight-chapter course created bythe East End Food Co-op in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s ourhope that initiating such study circles will increase theawareness of the cooperative advantages and plantseeds for the creation of new cooperatives in NewMexico. Beginning in March we will meet once amonth and have a discussion framed by that month’sreadings. The chapter titles are Co-op Origins andHistory, Co-op Principles, Values and Philosophy,Cooperative Models, Cooperative Industry Sectors,Cooperatives Around the World, Cooperative Re-sponses to Globalization, Creating the CooperativeFuture, and A Legal Perspective on Co-ops. Eachchapter contains five to eight articles that contributethe latest in cooperative thinking.

SOUND INTRIGUING? We thought so. The Study Circleitself will be free to members. To participate, each

member need only purchase the manual, atcost and available at our stores. We’ll meetin Albuquerque and if there is enoughdemand we’ll run a concurrent Study Circlein Santa Fe. We’re limiting each circle to12 members and will provide lightsnacks for each two-hour monthly gath-ering. If you are interested please emailus today at bod@lamontanita.coop.

THANKS TO YOU, over 500 children in need in ourcommunities had their holiday gift wishes come true.From the bottom of our hearts we thank you again thisyear for your support of this program. We are proud andhonored to be able to serve a community with such a gen-erous heart. You’re the best! Thanks again for your coop-erative spirit. We hope this New Year is one of peace,prosperity and fulfillment, good health and greatfood for all!

WITH LOVE,YOUR CO-OP MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT

THANK

givingTREE THANKS!

YYOOUU!!

THE NEW MEXICO ORGANICFarming Conference

BRINGING VETERANS &FARMERS TOGETHER!• Grow a corps of new food producers• Provide skills, healing and economic

opportunities for Veterans• Build our local food economy

FREE Basic Skills Training to Veterans of ALL Branches of service! See page 2 fordetails.

NEWCO-OPPROJECT!

Americans may not be starving, but WE ARE LA MONTANITA CO-OP

IS PROUD TO BE A SPONSOR OF THE

N.M. ORGANIC FARMING

CONFERENCE AGAIN THIS YEAR.THIS IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH

THE CO-OP SUPPORTS OUR LOCAL

FARMING COMMUNITY.

COOPERATIVE STUDY CIRCLE!

FUN AND INFORMATIVE

A C T I O N F O R E C O N O M I C W E L L B E I N G A N D L O C A L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y!

GROWING THE LOCALFOOD SYSTEM, STRENGTHENINGTHE LOCAL ECONOMY

Once again, you, our fabulousCO-OP COMMUNITY, have comeforward to show just how GREAT you are!

FEB. 17-18in ALBUQUERQUE

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.

sustaining cultural community

The Veteran Farmer Seed Corps:Growing a Community of F-armiesBY ROBIN SEYDEL

For years we have been hearing about how thecommunity of people who are producing ourfood is aging, especially farmers on small and

mid-sized local family farms, with the average age some-where between 57 and 65. If we are to continue to grow thelocal economy with sustainably produced food at its root,the importance of growing the next generation of farmersgoes without saying.

At the same time anyone who has listened to the newslately knows that we are pleased to be welcoming homesome tens of thousands of veterans nationwide. Thiscause for great celebration is also a cause for concern asthey come back to a struggling economy in which find-ing employment could be most difficult.

So when I heard the Veteran Farmer Coalition mem-bers speak at the national Eco-Farm Conference inAsilomar, California, last year, I was totally inspired.Veterans and farmers who spoke at that workshop sharedstories of healing both themselves and the land, and theybrought tears to my eyes. I decided to see if we could organ-ize a similar program here in New Mexico. What a perfectway to find solutions to two most pressing problems; find-ing good jobs for family and friends returning from Iraqand Afghanistan and all other veterans, while ensuring thatwe all continue to get and eat healthy locally produced,fresh food. Finding ways to integrate these two communi-ties seems a natural concept given that both groups needtremendous discipline, strength, courage and resilience inthe face of daunting challenges; and a willingness to serve.

The ProjectFrom the start members of the farming community and Co-op members who work at the V.A. were more than sup-portive. They rolled up their sleeves and dug in. Togetherwe continue to work to put together a series of skills train-

2 January 2012

ing sessions to provide veterans of all stripes, from all areas of service,with the training they need to grow food for themselves and their families,to find jobs in the farm and ranching sectors, or to sell for income at farm-ers’ markets, through Co-op channels and/or other retail outlets.

The V.A. is providing practice garden plots for vets going through variousprograms on the V.A. campus and, thanks to the Downtown Action Team,a series of raised beds at the Alvarado Urban Farm Center at Second Streetwill be worked throughout the Skills Basic Training Sessions and beyondby interested veterans throughout the community. Additionally the

McCune Foundation has offered seed money for—well,you guessed it—seeds, start trays, row covers and otherstart up equipment.

FREE Farm Skills Basic Trainings The Farm Skills Basic Training Sessions begin this monthwith two overview gatherings to introduce teacher/men-tors to interested veterans and a series of beginning class-es to help us all get started.

All interested veterans are welcome to come to these freeskills training sessions. After vets have experienced BasicTraining (pun intended!) the Land Link program of theMiddle Region Council of Governments can connect vetswith farmers/ ranchers in need of help and people with

farmland in need of farmers for funand profit. Also the La MontanitaFund will be available to provide lowcost loans to help new veteran farmersget started producing food for theirfamilies and for income.

One of the most exciting parts ofputting together a program of thisnature has been the tremendous sup-port we have received from all quar-ters, including but not limited to:Deborah Simon, John Shields, JohnRenna and Michael Rodarte at the

Veterans Administration in Albuquerque; Joran Viers, Executive Directorof the Bernalillo County Extension Service (BCES); Craig Mapel, JoanieQuinn and Brett Bakker of N.M. Department of Agriculture; Lora Robertsand of the Mid Region Council of Governments; Kristin Gangwar of LandLink; Chris Goblet and Rick Renne of the Downtown Action Team; ElyseWheeler of the Veteran Integration Center; Shane D’Onofrio of WhatWould You Give; Americans Helping Veterans; and a team of local expertfarmers, ranchers, permaculture educators, master gardeners, master com-posters, business skills teachers and more.

See the first three months of the 2012 Veteran Farmer Skills BasicTrainings below.

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

If we are to continue to grow the local economy with SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED

FOODat its root, the importance ofgrowing the next generation offarmers goes without saying.

FOR LOCAL FOODPPRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN BOOTSPUTTING VETERAN

A ll Skills Basic Trainings will be held atthe Downtown Action Team Officesat First Street and Gold except for

the 1/11/2012 overview that will be held atthe V.A. Campus Education Center. For moreinformation, newly added classes and the mostup-to-date schedules, contact Robin at 505-217-2027, or toll free outside of Albuquerque 877-775-2667, or e-mail her at robins@lamontanita.coop. All classes are at 4pm unless otherwisenoted. FREE TO ALL VETERANS!

JANUARY SCHEDULEVeteran Farmer Basic Training OverviewJan. 11th: V.A. Education CenterJan. 12th: Downtown Action Team Offices, at 1st Street and Gold Jan. 19th: Picking Your Seeds, Brett Bakker, NMDA, formerly ofNative Seed/SEARCHJan. 25th: Building Soil and Fertility, Joran Viers, Cheryl KentJan. 30th: Season Extension, Row Cover Building, Gabe Baker, (BCES)

FEBRUARY SCHEDULEFeb. 9th: Basic Botany: How Plants Grow, Joran Viers, BernaliloCounty ExtensionFeb. 16th: Getting a Head Start: Seeding Start Trays, Gabe Baker orGina Garland, (BCES)Feb. 25th: Permaculture in the Garden, Michael Reed, Farmer,Permaculture Educator

MARCH SCHEDULEMarch 10th: The Blessing of Bees: Learning the Basicsof Pollination and Honey Production, LorettaMcGrath, Coordinator, the New Mexico PollinatorProject March 16th: Boots and Roots Down, More Starts,More Seeds and Transplanting and Seeding Beds,Martin Sanchez, NMDA, East Mountain Organics,Ron Job, Veteran Master GardenerMarch 17th: Growing Compost Part 1: 1pm, MasterCompost program, Omar Sadek, Master ComposterProgramMarch 22nd: Season Extension, Continued, Workingwith Row Covers, Eli Berg, Chispas Farms

March 24th: Growing Compost Part 2: 1pm, MasterCompost program, Omar Sadek, Master Composter

Farming and Gardening Basic Training Sessions will con-tinue in upcoming months. Teachers and dates TBA infuture Co-op Connection news issues. Other upcomingsessions include: Dealing with Pests, Integrated Pest andWeed Management, Tool Use and Maintenance, WaterManagement, Beekeeping, Happy Hens and UrbanChicks, other animal husbandry topics, Feed the Family,the Neighbors and Your Wallet—Marketing Food FarmBusiness Skills, Resource Guide for Veteran Farmers.

For more information contact Robin at 217-2027 ortoll free at 877-775-2667 or robins@lamontanita.coop.

FREE VETERAN FARMER SKILLSBASIC TRAINING

ON THE GROUND

NEWCO-OPPROJECT

sustaining cultural community

January 2012 3

Calling ALL FFARMERS!ARMERS!BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER

In the short, cold, arid days of January, I sometimes liketo sit and daydream about an abundantsummer garden as a way to fend off a looming

case of the Februaries. The early months of the yearprovide a time to not only imagine the abundanceof the year to come, but also to plan for it.

To this end, the Bernalillo County Extension Officeand the Albuquerque Growers’ Market Alliance areco-sponsoring a series on business planning forsmall farms called Financial Success and BusinessSustainability for Small Market Farmers. ExtensionAgent John Garlisch will host six sessions over thecourse of three days in January and six sessions overthe course of three days in February followed byone-on-one consultation for those who need or desire it. Thecourse is limited to 15 participants, spaces are available on afirst-come first-served basis, and classes will be held at theBernalillo County Extension Offices at 1510 Menaul Blvd NW.Specific dates and times are still being set.

This FREE, two-part course will focus on the nuts and bolts ofdeveloping a business plan for a small market farm. Most farm-ers grow vegetables because the idea of sitting behind a comput-er or doing paperwork rank near the top of the list of “LeastFavorite Things to Do,” which means that developing a businessplan, by extension, falls on that list. But according to Garlisch, itcan be the one tool in the shed that makes or breaks a farm.

The course begins with a discussion of possible business mod-els for your farm, and then gives direction on where and howto file the appropriate paperwork to register the business, onceyou’ve decided how it will be structured. Over the course of theseries, Garlisch covers developing good bookkeeping practices,tax forms for agriculture, market research and marketing,financial and human resource planning, exit strategies, andmore. By the end of the course, if you do your homework, youshould have a working business plan to approach possible

funding sources, property owners, or investors to help you start orexpand your farm.

While the national economy continues to collapse, demand for localfood, and awareness about its benefits, seems to be expanding.Farming represents a good opportunity to develop an independentsmall business that fosters a stronger local economy and a healthycommunity. If you’ve ever considered farming as a way to work foryourself and earn supplemental income, now may be the time.

Resources for small farmers, while limitedin dollars and cents, are rich in communi-ty networks, shared resources, and acces-sible information to help launch orexpand a farm.

This year a number of local food and smallfarm advocates have come together todevise ways in which to better supportgrowers. Since July of 2011, a team in-cluding the USDA, NMSU ExtensionAgents, Growers’ Market managers,USDA Rural Development, La MontanitaCo-op, the Cooperative Development

Center of New Mexico (CDCNM), the Mid-Region Council ofGovernments (MRCOG) Agricultural Collaborative, and othershave come together to build networks to support new and existingsmall farms in sustainable success. Last year marked the advent ofmany exciting resources for small market farmers. Just to name afew—the Land Link Program (www.localfoodnm.org) through theMRCOG connects new farmers to mentorship and fields, and landowners to growers; the La Montanita Loan Fund provides low-inter-est, non-conventional loans to small farmers through communityinvestment; and the Cooperative Development Center of New Mexicoorganizes and trains growers to plant arable land for organic farming.These developments mean the demand for local food, the work of trail-blazing small farmers, and committed advocacy groups have createdclearer pathways towards starting a small farm in New Mexico.

Whether you are a gardener looking to take the leap towards a smallproduce business or a farmer looking to strengthen or expand yourbusiness, Sustainability for Small Market Farmers is a great place tobegin putting your plans on paper and making your January farmdreams come true this spring. For more information about thecourse contact John Garlisch, garlisch@nmsu.edu, 505-243-1545, or Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, info@downtowngrowers.com,505-221-6404.

BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME!JANUARY BAG CREDIT DONATIONS: Go to Keshet Dance Company: Providing programs for troubled, homeless and at-risk youth, and dancers of all agesand physical abilities, and inspiring passion and opening possibilities through the experience of dance.

Your NOVEMBER bag credit donations, totaling $1,755.90,were given to St. Elizabeth’s Shelter in Santa Fe. Thanks toall who donated!

CCOO--OOPPPPRROOGGRRAAMM

DONATEyour BAG CCRREEDDIITT!

ALBUQUERQUE’S DOWNTOWN GROWERS’ MARKET ALLIANCE:THE BUSINESS OFFARMING

Co-op ValuesCooperatives are based on the values of self-help,self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity andsolidarity. In the tradition of their founders, coop-erative members believe in the ethical values ofhonesty, openness, social responsibility and car-ing 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 LaMontanita Co-op Supermarket to provide informa-tion on La Montanita Co-op Food Market, thecooperative movement, and the links betweenfood, health, environment and community issues.Opinions expressed herein are of the authors andare not necessarily those of the Co-op.DONATE THE DIME!

Keshet Dance Company was founded in 1996 by ShiraGreenberg as a professional dance company that pro-vides outreach programs for troubled, homeless and

at-risk youth, as well as dancers of all ageswith physical disabilities. Keshet’s missionis to inspire passion and open unlimitedpossibilities through the experience ofdance by uniting professional dancers withthe community.

Offering approximately 60 classes per weekand reaching over 8,000 community mem-bers annually, Keshet programs include anannual season of 3-5 productions featuringthe Repertory company, which integratesprofessional and local artists, an on-going dance school, an inten-sive Pre-Professional Training Program, a variety of outreach pro-grams bringing dance to low-income, at-risk, homeless and incar-cerated youth, and a program for youth and adults with physicaldisabilities.

The professional dancers at Keshet are more than just dancers asthey facilitate some of these programs. They work with the com-munity as instructors and mentors to provide young artists withguidance along a professional career path, increase youth healthand self-esteem, provide a strong base of positive mentorship forhomeless and incarcerated youth and demolish misconceptionsabout individuals with physical disabilities.

In 2009, Keshet was one of 15 youth programs in the nation toreceive the prestigious “Coming Up Taller” Award from First

Lady Michelle Obama. This award is the nation’s highest honorfor arts and humanities programs serving young people. In2011, artistic director Shira Greenberg was named New Mexico

Business Weekly’s top performing CEO in the non-profit category. Since its inception, Keshet has pre-sented over 50 productions, and impacted the lives ofover 50,000 children and adults.

This number will increase dramatically upon thecompletion of the new Keshet Performing ArtsCenter (KPAC), a 36,000-square-foot facility slatedto break ground early this year. The facility will belocated in the Sawmill Village, within the SawmillCommunity Land Trust. The Center will house over13,000 square feet of dance space within 5 dance stu-

dios; a 200-seat black box theatre; yoga, Pilates and multi-pur-poses areas; educational and performance support spaces,including an arts education library, costume shop, technical the-atre space, dressing rooms, student lounge, and a box office.

In addition to the administrative office of Keshet DanceCompany, the center will also house the administrative offices ofthe New Mexico Water Collaborative, the New Mexico BalletCompany, and Mother Road Theatre Company, a physical/sports therapy practice, indoor/outdoor community gatheringspaces integrating the greater Sawmill community, and a neworganic food restaurant created by Annapurna’s owner YashodaNaidoo. For more information about Keshet Dance Com-pany, visit www.keshetdance.org or contact us at 505-224-9808 or at info@keshetdance.org.

KESHET DANCE COMPANY:GROWING THE ARTS IN THE SAWMILL DISTRICT

BY JESSIE EMERSON, RN, CLINICAL HERBALIST

The New Year is a time when people tra-ditionally renew their commitments toimprove their health and lifestyle. This

year, 2012, is no exception. Added to the usual con-cerns of not smoking and weight loss is the concernabout radiation released from the Fukushimanuclear power plant. This is a valid concern.

The power plant is still operating and releasingradioactivity into the air, water, and soil. Clean-uphas not fully started and will not start until some-time this year when there is a cold shut down.

According to Michio Kaku, physicist from Japan and author of Physics ofthe Future, "We do not have control, it is still a time bomb. The crises is notsolved or contained." Winds and ocean currents are taking radioactivityaround the world. Whether from Fukushima or not, we are seeing iodine-131in milk in New York, and cesium-137 in Philadelphia's water supply.Activists studying the issue in Albuquerque, after perusal of the data,believe that there is plutonium in the finished water from the diver-sion plant. Water Utility officials will only say that plutonium levels arebelow E.P.A. regulatory concern.

Jeff Patterson, D.O., past president of Physicians for Social Responsibilitysaid, “There is not a safe level of radionuclide exposure. Whether fromfood, water or other sources; period! Exposures to radionuclides such asiodine-131 and cesium-137 increase incidences of cancer." The ReactorConcepts Manual on biological effects of radiation says, "With any expo-sure to radiation there is some risk."

The effects of radiation include cell death, teratogenic mutations (embry-onic mutations), genetic mutations and the creation of free radicals. Freeradicals create a chain of chemical events that can effect a key molecule incellular replication (mitosis) by creating or interfering with the normal func-tion of the affected cell; cancer is one of the results. Those most affected byradiation are unborn, babies and young children (whose cells are rapidly mul-tiplying) those with weakened immune systems and those who are malnour-ished. The health of the individual at the time of exposure is a key factor.

Vitamins NeutralizeThe textbook Medical Radiation Biology, (page 10) says, “Radiation dam-age to organic molecules occurs almost exclusively by free-radical interac-

conscious consumer January 2012 4

tions and not by the ions produced by radiations." Thebody attempts to fight or neutralize the changes causedby free radicals and restore balance. Agents that neu-tralize free radicals are called antioxidants. Vitamins A,

C, and E are antioxidants. When theantioxidant vitamin A is used up in theprocess of neutralizing a free radical,the immune system is weakened. Unlessreplenished, Vitamin A neglects itsother functions; building the immunesystem, protecting the lungs, protectingthe eyes, bone development, cellgrowth, red blood cell production andskin integrity. Symptoms of free radicaltoxicity include premature aging, senil-ity, destruction of DNA, heart disease,arthritis, cancer, cataracts, Alzheimer’sdisease and diabetes.

There is one super plant in the southwestthat protects and cleanses the body of free radicals. Itis Larrea tridentata, (a.k.a. Gobernadora, Hediondilla,Shoegoi, Creosote bush) most commonly known asChaparrel. Larrea tridentata is a powerful antioxidant.It contains NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid) thatworks by stabilizing vitamin A, ending the free radicalchain reaction before vital molecules are harmed.

Native American people of the Sonoran desert haveused it to treat illness for centuries. To the TohonoO'Dom, Shoego, as they call it, is a sacred plant that isused in ceremonies. This plant should be used withrespect—and moderation. It is not for use by peoplewith overt kidney or liver disease or when pregnant.

Plants for HealthA balanced daily diet includes foods rich in betacarotene, the precursor to vitamin A, which is made inthe body. The current recommended daily allowance forvitamin A is 5,000 international units (IU). While thefood that contains the most B-carotene is liver (eat onlyorganic). I prefer to get my "A" in salsa made withcilantro. Besides being delicious, traditional southwest-ern foods are some of the best antioxidant foods.

The Aztec and other natives of the Americas used chili both as food and medicine. Red pepper, paprika,cayenne and chili powder contain 12960 ug. of caroteneand block free radical activity. Cilantro, another muchloved New Mexican food, contains 6748 IU of "A".Crush fresh cilantro, add enough water to make a paste,season with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juiceand sprinkle over salad, grains and beans. One of myfavorite wild foods is the humble and often persecutedDandelion, Taraxacum officinale. One cup of leavescontains more "A" than a carrot (10161 IU ). But besure to collect your dandelions and all wild foods wellaway from roadways and neighbors who might be usingherbicidal chemicals. No garden or greenhouse shouldever be without this power packed plant—and you caneven eat the flower!

Another plant high in "A" which grows just aboutanywhere and everywhere is lambsquarters. One cupcontains 11600 IUs. They can be added to salads orlightly steamed and eaten like spinach. In fact it iscalled wild spinach by most Native Americans. Lastsummer I collected lambsquarters, dandelion leavesand mallow, dried them and made a "Green Powder"that I have been adding to my soups and gravies andsprinkling on my salads.

Green tea is both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.Enjoy a cup daily. Add some mint to the tea and youhave added extra vitamins and minerals to your dietand extra protection form radiation and other free rad-ical-causing agents.

Dark greens and yellow veggies, including all the win-ter squash, also have healthy quantities of A. Eat asmany raw veggies as you can, they contain digestiveenzymes and are living food. Remember in this battleto protect ourselves from radiation, and the other tox-ins to which we are exposed daily, plants are our allies!

Watch upcoming Co-op Connection news issues formore of Jessie Emerson’s Plants Are Our Allies series.Jessie Emerson is a RN with 47 years of experience anda clinical herbalist who received her training fromMichael Moore. She lives in the Santa Fe area.

plants are ourALLIES!

VITAMIN A AND RADIOLOGICAL DDEETTOOXX

this flavor come to mind: one of these is our famouschile and the classic question: red or green?

The chile, as a cultural icon, is facing bigchanges. Larger NM chile farms here(including Bueno Foods), claim that theyare losing out to foreign competitors whoare able to grow and export chile at a lowercost. As a result, NMSU has received about$200,000 to research new ways to competein the global chile market. According to anarticle on NMSU's website, these includenew ways of “...fertilization, plant bed fumi-gation, weed control, and breeding, plus dis-cussions on the possible development of agenetically-modified chile.” Bueno Foods

senior vice president and New Mexico ChileAssociation (NMCA) president, Gene Baca is quotedin the same article as saying, “You cannot be afraid ofscience, you have to understand chile, the genetics, andthen make a decision on what works and is safe forconsumers.” And, according to the savenmseed.orgwebsite, “A GE chile is currently being developed byNew Mexico State University for the New MexicoChile Association. This seed may be available within1-2 years (as stated by a NMSU representative at ameeting of the Economic and Rural DevelopmentCommittee, September 2010).”

In fact the NMCA supports the creation of the GEchile by NMSU. When asked via email if Seco Spice (aNMCA member), whose products are both organicand conventional, supports the creation of GE chile,the response was “I don't know where you wouldhave heard that we support genetic modification ofchile, but we do NOT.” A follow up e-mail was sentwhich explained Seco Spice's support of the GE chileand affiliation with the NMCA. The NMCA supportsthe creation of GE chile; supports NMSU's quest tocreate the chile and also lobbied against a recent billthat would have promoted seed sovereignty in NewMexico and consequently, would have stoppedNMSU's GE chile from being commercialized.Therefore, it logically follows that any supporter/member of the NMCA is in support of GE chile.

BY MELISSA KOCH

New Mexico is one of those rare places thatpeople relocate to primarily for the culture,beauty of the land, and the attitude. New

Mexico has its own feel primarily because of its longand varied cultural history. New Mexicans are a proudbunch. In fact, this may be the only state where peopletattoo the Zia symbol on their bodies, and where it issocially acceptable and even considered cool to wear a t-shirt with the statesymbol on it. New Mexico residents and visitors both agree that our state hasits own flavor. If one takes time to think about it, several things that typify

Threats of GE ChileGE chile poses many threats, including possibly deves-tating problems for New Mexico’s ecology and humanhealth. GE chile is specifically being created to beRoundUp (glyphosate) Ready, meaning that chile plantsgrowing in their respective fields can be sprayed withMonsanto’s RoundUp. This herbicide will kill all herba-ceous plants except chile with the RoundUp Ready gene.

Besides the ecological damage to the land and water-sheds, glyphosate saturated chile can easily cross polli-nate with other chiles via bees and other pollinatorseven though they are classically self-pollinated. Chileseeds have been chosen and saved for generations inNew Mexico and small chile farmers are proud of theirheirloom chiles' distinct characteristics. The threat ofcross pollinated chile with GE chile seed is likely to bedevastating to small chile farmers who depend on theirheirloom chile with its unique taste and traits that areattuned to the climate, soils, canyons and valleys inwhich it has developed over the generations. Thisthreatens a very important aspect of New Mexico's cul-tural heritage.

Unfortunately, in the business world, it appears to boildown to compromises for profit at the expense of theenvironment and human life. Since the NMCA is theonly official chile related lobby group, it is worrisomethat their agenda seems to lean more towards the abil-ity to compete in a global market no matter what thecost to our environment, cultural heritage, or personalhealth. Please join in the effort to educate friends, fam-ily, and coworkers, buy chile from reputable growerswho are not affiliated with the NMCA, lobby theNMCA and its members to stop the bio-piracy inherentin the genetic modification of our precious cultural her-itage and keep our New Mexican flavor strong! Formore information go to www.savenmseed.org.

Red,Green or... RRRROOOOUUUUNNNNDDDD UUUUPPPPREADY?

K E E P O U R C U LT U R A L F L AV O R GE FREE!

The CO-OP Foodshed Project: Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in fresh, fair and local food.

SHOP CCCCOOOO----OOOOPPPP!!!!

BY AMYLEE UDELL

Baking bread was once a far-reaching,romantic idea. So far off, I didn't even letthe thought of doing it myself cross my

mind. Bread from scratch involved kneading withboth hands for lengths of time during which one of mychildren could climb in, out or onto or disassemblesomething. I just couldn't imagine the time involved."I'll just leave it to my trusty bread maker," I decided."That bread's OK." Then, in late 2006, came theadvent of No-Knead Bread.

The New York Times article by Jim Lahey intriguedme and I had to try the recipe right away. It rocked myworld. I completely messed up my first batch. With noexperience baking bread, I didn't know what "wet"dough meant. I made a pourable batter instead of adough. But it still turned out delicious! This recipe isquite forgiving: once I put the bread in the oven, nursedmy baby to sleep, feel asleep myself and left it in 2 hourstoo long. We still ate it!

This method can also be easily adapted for pizza dough,cinnamon rolls, sweet breads, and more. It is so easy,forgiving and delicious, I gave away my bread maker.The best part was that I could control the ingredients inour bread. If you go to a grocery store, pick up a loaf ofbread. Some have quite a list of ingredients, includingvegetable oils and lots of other unpronounceable ingre-dients. This recipe, as I make it now, contains onlywater, 100% home-ground, whole wheat flour, sour-dough starter and salt.

So, what makes this method so "revolutionary" yet so easy? 1. Instead of kneading, doing the work of aligninggluten molecules to help them bind into a strong, elasticnetwork, time does that work. A long, slow ferment notonly "kneads" the bread for you, but helps make theflour more digestable.2. A preheated, covered baking dish helps cook the crustquickly and seals in the rest of the dough’s moisture.3. A VERY small amount of yeast or sourdough starter4. No special equipment!

Finally, it's flexible and forgiving. Don't have a full 18hours? You'll probably be fine at 12. Forget you set itout and leave it too long? It'll be OK. Too wet? Leave itin too long? It will still be yummy! I've worked this

great grains January 2012 5

recipe down to bare basics: no dirtying of hands at all! I don't knead,I don't coat a towel, dust with cornmeal or bran, or coat with anyextra flour. I use varying amounts of whole wheat flour and my fam-ily is used to dense, hearty 100% whole wheat. But it is still wonder-ful that way. The method still plumps it up.

Many people are also discovering a similar method out-lined in the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Italso uses time to produce bakery-quality bread. I'veenjoyed a few loaves, but find myself returning to my No-Knead Bread. The Five Minutes method uses a lot of yeastand other ingredients (especially in their "healthier," wholegrain versions) and it hasn't worked as well with usingonly whole-wheat flour. It also calls for more long-termstorage space and more strategic, precise timing.

If you are interested in making your own bread but, like me,were intimidated, do try one of these methods. You can fillyour house with the inimitable aroma of homemade breadand your bellies with a wholesome food. If you would liketo try making a loaf of No-Knead bread with a littleguidance, join me for a No-Knead Bread class on Sat.,Jan. 7, at 4pm at www.abqoldschool.com.

AMYLEE UDELL is a mother of three children and is usually foundin her kitchen. In addition to teaching at Old School she also ownswww.InspiredABQ.com.

T H ET H E R O M A N C ER O M A N C E O FO F

BREAD BAKING!

BY LISA KIVIRIST AND JOHN IVANKO

Winter is a season wrapped in contra-dictions. Cold outside andwarm inside! After the

chaotic rush of the fall harvest and hol-iday season, we crave hibernation andcuddling with a book around the wood-stove. But by the time we pack the tin-sel after the holidays, the groundhogreminds us we still have a long stretchof winter to go and cabin fever hits. Thelooming weeks before we can get backinto our growing fields can feel like an eternity.

But don’t despair! A dash of freshness can thawwintertime blues. Here’s how we break free andenjoy those slower weeks leading up to the flur-ry of spring activity:1. PURGE: Undoubtedly there’s something in yourhouse right now that could use an ambush purge.Create some needed breathing space by decluttering,donating or freecycling your old stuff. You’ll feel likeyou lost ten pounds instantaneously. Top areas thatcould probably use a purge: kitchen drawers, bath-room cabinets, clothing closets. 2. REKINDLE: Now is the time to revive and finishprojects that have been floating half-mast for awhile, things we started with good intentions andnever had time to finish. To keep from getting over-whelmed, just pick one thing to complete. Finish thatcross-stitch project, paint the bathroom, or add sten-

cils to the hallway. We rekindle cooking ideas mis-placed on the back-burner, such as making home-made yogurt or perfecting our sourdough bread.Or get that beer brewing in anticipation of sum-

mertime parties and potlucks.3. EXPOSE: Depending on whereyou live, you may need to buryunder layers of clothing this timeof year, but we can still think ofways to expose and open up ourmind to new perspectives. Ourfarmsteadchef.com website offersideas of books to read, movie doc-umentaries to watch—like “KingCorn”—or organizations leading

the way to a healthier food system for all. 4. PLAY: Sprinkle some silly into your day with anunexpected surprise. Garner giggles from yourkids by serving popcorn for breakfast, setting upcamping gear in the living room for a fun sleep-over or hosting a “soup night” like the Carusfamily does in our town (a “Kitchen Table Talk”in Farmstead Chef) by getting three pots of soupgoing and inviting over friends. Or play with yourfood with an evening making pasta from scratch.

The above article is adapted by the authorsfrom themes found in Rural Renaissance,ECOpreneuring’s latest cookbook, FarmsteadChef (farmsteadchef.com), filled with storiesand recipes to nourish and inspire.

BEABEATINGTING THETHE WINTERWINTER TIMETIME

BLUES

eeaassyybbrreeaaddMAKING!

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, Time: About1 hour plus 14 to 20 hours rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast1 1/4 teaspoons saltCornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast andsalt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir untilblended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl withplastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. Dough isready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour awork surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a littlemore flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loose-ly with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to worksurface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough intoa ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with

flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seamside down on towel and dust with more flour,bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cottontowel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it isready, dough will be more than double in sizeand will not readily spring back when pokedwith a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready,heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart

heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceram-ic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefullyremove pot from oven. Slide your hand under toweland turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it maylook like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once ortwice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straight-en out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 min-utes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 min-utes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One, 1 pound loaf.

NO KNEAD BREAD!BREAD!

MEMBERS put your name, member number, and phone

number in the glass fish bowl ateither the Nob Hill Co-op, the

North Valley Co-op or the Santa FeCo-op and WIN A COPY OF THE

BOOK, FARMSTEAD CHEF byLisa Kivirist and John Ivanko.

Look for the BOOKFarmstead Chefat your favoriteINDEPENDENTbookstore

WIN A COPY OF

FARMSTEADCHEF!

Unbalanced, high doses of alpha-tocopherol havebeen linked in scientific studies to an increase in allcauses of mortality, and can negatively affect anti-inflammatory chemical production, cause general-

ized muscle weakness, decrease thy-roid hormone levels and slightlyincrease fasting triglyceride levels.Like high-dose vitamin C, high-dosevitamin E may also become a pro-oxi-dant — and be counterproductive toits antioxidant function.

Beyond Organics Daily Vitamin CComplex, Immune Complex, andDaily Multiple are made using certi-fied-organic foods to obtain the fullcomplex of natural nutrients. In addi-

tion to containing the specific vitamins, such as Cor E, they also contain all the associated vitamins,minerals and phytonutrients normally found in thefoods as they occur in nature. Beyond Organics isalso one of the only C supplements on the marketthat is verifiably non-GMO.

If you are used to grabbing the closest box of high-dose synthetic vitamin C off the shelf in case ofemergency, think again. Make the switch to asupplement that has raw, organic, whole-foods as the source of vitamin C. That’s BeyondOrganics-a New Mexico Company. Ask for it inyour favorite Co-op Supplement department.

BY ANNA BIAVA, BEYOND ORGANICS

If you take a vitamin C or E supplement, it’stime to trade it in for the real thing; foodbased supplements! Vitamin C is found in rel-

atively high concentrations in certain foods, includ-ing acerola berries, citrus fruit, blueberries, broccolisprouts and others. This important vitamin isaccompanied by hundreds of phytonutrients thatwork with it to improve health. In citrus, for exam-ple, familiar compounds include rutin and hes-peridin, but more potent ones include naringin, tan-geretin, and limonene, just to mention a few.

Potential dangers of synthetic Vitamin C (ascorbicacid) in doses as low as 200 to 500 mg includeDNA damage (which can be a first step in cancer production),increased risk of atherosclerosis, and its conversion to a pro-oxidant —just the opposite of a beneficial antioxidant. Oxidation puts unduestress on the immune system and speeds the aging process.

In addition, Vitamin C in foods is better absorbed than synthetic forms.Vitamin C from citrus, for example, is much more efficiently absorbedand utilized than synthetic vitamin C. In addition, synthetic vitamin Cis more quickly eliminated by the body than natural forms. Finally,ascorbic acid is synthesized from conventionally grown corn which isalmost always genetically modified.

Vitamin E is called alpha-tocopherol. However, alpha-tocopherol is onlyone of eight compounds in the vitamin E complex. The alpha-tocopherolfraction of the E complex does not normally exist alone in nature but usu-ally occurs with three other tocopherols — beta, delta, and gamma, andfour tocotrienols that include alpha, beta, delta and gamma.

These other components of the vitamin E complex can be more impor-tant than alpha-tocopherol alone. For example, gamma-tocopherol isvery common in natural foods and is more effective than alpha-toco-pherol as an antioxidant, especially in relation to controlling the oxi-dation of unsaturated fats. Additionally, tocotrienols are powerful sub-stances that have potent anti-cancer actions, reduce cholesterol andperform other vital tasks.

LOCAL PRODUCT SSPPOOTTLLIIGGHHTTco-op news January 2012 6

Beyond Organics: Don’t Go

SYNTHETIC!

DETOXIFICATION:MICHAEL’S ULTIMATE DETOX & CLEANSE: A

two-week program which sup-ports the cleansing of colon, liver,blood and fat. Use three packets aday, prepackaged, convenient andan excellent formula.

HEEL HOMEOPATHIC DETOXKIT: 3 bottles of liquid homeo-pathic drops which you pour intoyour water and sip throughoutthe day for the elimination of tox-

ins and the stimulation of cleansing. Very conven-ient and gentle!

HEALTH FORCE NUTRITIONAL ZERO-FORCE DAILY DETOX: An earthen clay whichhas a negative charge to bind with toxins for safeelimination. It is also an alkalinizing supplement forthe body.

BY CHRIS HARTSTOCK, NOB HILL HBAMANAGER

IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT:NEW CHAPTER LIFESHIELD IMMU-NITY CAPSULES: The fruiting bodies,spores and mycelium (roots) of 10 differ-ent medicinal mushrooms. The combina-tion of all of these goes deep to supportthe immune system at the cellular level.

GAIA QUICK DEFENSE CAPSULES:Use as a rapid response at the onset ofsymptoms. Includes the herbs echinacea, adro-graphis, black elderberry and ginger root. Peoplewho try it swear by it.

HERBS ETC., IMMUNO-BOOST TINCTURE:Supports a fast-acting immune response for bothupper and lower respiratory symptoms. Containsall echinacea parts, astragalus and osha root.

IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT AND NEW YEARDETOXIFICATION

Nob Hill Staff Picks:

co-op news January 2012 7

Calendarof Events

Veteran Farmer Skills, Basic Training ClassesVeteran Farmer Skills, Basic Training ClassesSee page 2 for a complete schedule!

1/17 1/17 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

1/23 1/23 Member Engagement Meeting, 5:30pm, TBA

BY KRISTY DECKER

Congratulations to our new board membersSusan, Lisa and Jake! Also, thank you to Lonnfor running and for your previous board work.

NEXT YEAR ELECTRONIC VOTINGThe board is excited to begin getting ready for nextyear’s electronic voting option. Please go to the infodesk and provide us with your email address so youcan participate electronically, thus reducing paperuse and saving trees! You can be assured the Co-opwill keep all your personal information confidential,as usual.

Finally, a big THANK YOU to those members whovoted! Your participation is an expression of thedirect exercise of your rights and responsibilities asan owner of our Co-op, a democratic, community-owned organization. It also shows your support of

the alterative economic business model that ourcooperative represents. GO CO-OP!

2011 ELECTION andBYLAW AMENDMENT RESULTS*

Susan McAllister 640Lisa Barnwarth-Kuhn 612Jake Garrity 599Lonn Calanca 566

Bylaw Amendment #1: Electronic VotingFor 803/Against 58

Bylaw Amendment #2: Spelling/Grammatical ErrorsFor 847/Against 19

*Results are Pending Board Approval

BOARD OF DIRECTORSElection Results

THIS JANUARY IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR US!We are settling into our new office/ware-house space! The lease of ouroffice/warehouse space located atColumbia Drive ended December31, 2011. We could have renewedour lease but it had become toosmall to house our growing Co-op.We made the decision mid- 2011 tosearch for a new location that willgrow with us. After months ofsearching, we found an ideal spaceat 901 Menaul Boulevard NE, in Albuquerque.

This new space expands our warehouse capacityfrom 7,000 square feet to almost 18,000 squarefeet. We have increased our freezer and cooler

space to better accommodate our growing pro-duce, meat, dairy and frozen business. Our new

office space has not increased in size butwill be more efficient and pleasant towork in. This new warehouse and officespace will enhance our ability to serveour communities, provide more localfood to our membership and positions uswell for future growth.

Please drop by for a tour. We are stillorganizing but welcome your visit. As

always, contact me anytime at terryb@lamontani-ta.coop or by phone at 505-217-2020. Thanks foryour continued support!

-TERRY

THE INSIDE SCOOP

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

Sweet GrassBeef Sticks & Jerky

NEW! At Your CO-OP…Sweet Grass Co-op Beef Jerky and Beef Sticks! Delicious, grass-raised, coopera-tively-made, and on your La Montanita shelves right now! Treat yourself toPeppered or Chile Pequin Jerky or enjoy an original or Jalapeno Beef Stick: FRESH,NATURAL, AND OH SO TASTY!

Santa Fe’s Gonzales Elementary: Life Skills LessonsGonzales Community School’s Life Skills class islearning more about the value of fresh foods, theirpreparation and taste thanks to a generous dona-tion by La Montanita Co-op. The Life Skills class islearning mathematics, reading, new fine motorskills and organizational skills through meal prepa-ration. Planning for and preparation of healthyfood has been an engaging task in which all stu-dents in the Life Skills class can participate.Students have real life experiences in using a budg-et, planning meals, organizing the food preparation,purchasing food and cooking. Using the Co-op forshopping gives the students experience in catego-rization of different food groups. They do pricecomparisons and look at the ingredients of the

foods they purchase. Most importantly it givesthem a connection to the community at LaMontanita Co-op.

-THANK YOU LA MONTANITA CO-OP

KATHY GLASER-BLOCK

Native American Community AcademyTHANK YOU! The Native American CommunityAcademy deeply appreciates the generosity of LaMontanita Co-op and its members. Your bagdonations benefited our school and students great-ly. With your support we were able to provide cal-culators for our students to better prepare forhigher level math, a community cultural event withfamilies engaged in our culture and served over700 people at the Annual NACA CommunityCelebration and Feast Day. We are grateful foryour partnership! Ahe'hee!

-WITH DEEP APPRECIATION, KARA BOBROFF, PRINCIPAL NATIVE AMERICAN

COMMUNITY ACADEMY (NACA)

LETTERS TO THEEDITOR

BY ROB MOORE

The years have been kind to the Co-op,thanks in greatest measure to the sup-port and patronage of you, our mem-

bership. In the over two decades we have grownfrom a single store in Nob Hill, to five (count ‘em!)locations throughout the state, including our won-derful neighborhood spot on Rio Grande, a terrificstore in Santa Fe, a bold little outpost in Gallup, and our newest presence, astore servicing a very hungry and very aware good-foods group of studentsand faculty on the UNM main campus in Albuquerque. And of course theNob Hill store continues to be a cheerful and welcoming anchor at Carlisleand Central.

This positive growth has come with some challenges, to be sure. Part of LaMontanita’s work toward developing the community and enriching ourfuture has been our Co-op Distribution Center, which has served as the hubof your Co-op’s efforts to develop a robust and expansive regional food net-work. Only a few years into the work and the CDC is helping to connectsellers, growers and producers to markets in and around New Mexico. Theprogram has been developing nicely, and while the CDC has been doing

increasingly well over time, expansion andimprovement has been limited by the size of ouravailable warehouse space.

But as of this issue, your Co-op DistributionCenter and our administrative offices have a newhome, in a bigger and better space, at 901 MenaulNE, in Albuquerque. This new space will not onlybe an improvement for the folks who work behind-the-scenes to keep your Co-op humming along, butwill also give us much needed room to grow.

Distribution Center Manager, Michelle Franklin,described some of the advantages of the new location,and highlighted some of the opportunities the movewill bring.

“The setup of the new location will allow us toincrease our refrigeration space and capacity, which inturn will enable us to increase the amount of food wecan buy from suppliers. If there is an opportunity tobuy a large amount of local produce, for example, wewill have the ability to take advantage of it, thanks tothe new space.” Michelle was also excited about the

new location’s proximity to freeway ramps and the “pull-through” warehouse space, both of which will enabletrucks to load and unload much faster than the dock atthe old location allowed.

The increase in space and capacity also means that LaMontanita’s CDC can focus on developing new marketsfor the items we distribute. The CDC already sells toevery single food Co-op in New Mexico (something thatmakes me very proud) as well as a number of other gro-cery stores and retail outlets. A new part of the venture isfurthering our supply role with area restaurants, some-thing that is already in progress but now has room togrow thanks to the new location. The increase in spacewill enable the CDC to accept and process larger orders,a benefit for both your Co-op and restaurants alike.

The larger space will also allow us to better tend theMoGro program, the mobile grocery project that servesfood deserts that otherwise have little or no access tohealthier, non-processed foods. The new location allows theMoGro truck to be stored inside the building when needed,which will protect the trailer from unnecessary wear andsave energy, as well as make it much easier to stock.

Like any move, this one has carried an element of melan-choly… the “old” space, after all, was base to our officesand operations for long enough to feel homey and com-fortable. But like the best of changes, this move will bringgreat advantage and opportunity and a chance to begin anew path into the New Year and well beyond. Your Co-op continues to grow stronger and better, and that sort ofchange is well worth the move.

NEW HOME for the CO-OP Distribution

CENTER

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warm it up January 2012 10

Winter Melon Soup

For broth1 (3 to 3 1/2-lb) whole chicken1 bunch scallions, halved crosswise2 oz cured country ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating

1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, smashed

14 cups water1 tablespoon salt

For soup5 (1-inch-wide) large dried scallops1 (2-lb) wedge winter melon2 oz country cured ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating and cut into very thin match sticks (1/2 cup)

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled andcut into very thin matchsticks (2 table-spoons)

3 scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

Make broth:Rinse chicken inside and out, then stuffcavity with scallions, ham, and ginger.Bring water with chicken and salt to aboil in a deep 7- to 8-quart stockpot orpasta pot, then reduce heat and cook at abare simmer, uncovered, skimming offfroth occasionally, 3 hours. Remove anddiscard chicken, then pour broth througha fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Letstand 5 minutes. Skim off fat. (You willhave about 10 to 12 cups broth and needonly 9 cups for this soup; reserve remain-der for another use.)

Make soup:Bring 2 cups broth to a boil in a 1-quartheavy saucepan, then add dried scallopsand remove from heat. Soak, covered, 15minutes. Return scallop mixture to lowheat and simmer, uncovered, until scallopsare soft and pale, about 15 minutes.Remove from heat and cool in cooking liq-uid. Transfer scallops with a slotted spoonto a bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Shredscallops into "threads" with a fork or yourfingers, discarding tough ligament fromside of each scallop if attached.

Bring remaining 7 cups of broth to a sim-mer in cleaned 7- to 8-quart pot withscallops and reserved cooking liquid. Cutoff and discard rind from winter melon.Remove and discard seeds, then cutmelon into 1/3-inch cubes (about 5 cups).Add to broth and gently simmer, uncov-ered, until melon is transparent, 20 to 30minutes. Stir in ham, ginger, scallions,and salt to taste just before serving.

Winter Squash Soup with FriedSage Leaves

The technique used to make this soup canbe repeated for other soups, the season-ings—be they sweet or spicy—varied tosuit your tastes. Although the soup isgood without it, the cheese adds a flavorthat punctuates the natural sweetness ofthe squash.

2 1/2 to 3 pounds winter squash1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for the squash

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled12 whole sage leaves, plus 2 tablespoonschopped

2 onions, finely choppedChopped leaves from 4 thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup chopped parsleySalt

freshly milled pepper2 quarts water or stock1/2 cup Fontina, pecorino, or ricotta

salata, diced into small cubes

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Halve thesquash and scoop out the seeds. Brush thesurfaces with oil, stuff the cavities withthe garlic, and place them cut sides downon a baking sheet. Bake until tender whenpressed with a finger, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the 1/4cup oil until nearly smoking, then drop inthe whole sage leaves and fry until speck-led and dark, about 1 minute. Set theleaves aside on a paper towel and transferthe oil to a wide soup pot. Add the onions,chopped sage, thyme, and parsley andcook over medium heat until the onionshave begun to brown around the edges, 12to 15 minutes. Scoop the squash flesh intothe pot along with any juices that haveaccumulated in the pan. Peel the garlic andadd it to the pot along with 1 1/2 tea-spoons salt and the water and bring to aboil. Lower the heat and simmer, partiallycovered, for 25 minutes. If the soupbecomes too thick, simply add more waterto thin it out. Taste for salt.

Depending on the type of squash you'veused, the soup will be smooth or rough.Puree or pass it through a food mill if youwant a more refined soup. Ladle it intobowls and distribute the cheese over thetop. Garnish each bowl with the friedsage leaves, add pepper, and serve.

Wild-Mushroom Bread Pudding

4 cups (1/2-inch) fresh bread cubes(preferably brioche or challah; about 5 ounces)

1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, cremini,and oyster, trimmed

holidayUSoupstravaganza

1/2 cup finely chopped shallot2 tablespoons unsalted butter1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped2 cups half-and-half4 large eggs1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-ReggianoEquipment: 8 (6-ounce) ramekins

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in mid-dle. Bake bread cubes in single layer in alarge shallow baking pan until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Tear or cutmushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thickpieces. Cook shallot in butter in a 12-inchheavy skillet over medium heat, stirringoccasionally, until beginning to soften,about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepperand cook until liquid mushrooms give offhas evaporated, about 15 minutes. Addparsley and garlic and cook, stirring, 2minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together half-and-half, eggs,cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 tea-spoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir inmushrooms and bread cubes until coatedwell and let stand 10 minutes for bread toabsorb some of the egg mixture. Mean-while, butter ramekins, then put a roundof parchment in bottom of each and but-ter parchment. Spoon mixture intoramekins and bake on a baking sheet untilfirm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes.Unmold puddings and discard parchment.

Parsley-Root Soup withTruffled Chestnuts

1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 large)3 garlic cloves, chopped5 tablespoons unsalted butter3 pounds parsley root (about 4 1/2

pounds total with tops), tops discardedand root peeled and chopped

3 (4- to 5-inch) sprigs thyme1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California1/2 teaspoon white pepper

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6 cups water3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil8 to 10 peeled roasted whole chestnuts (from a 7-ounce jar)

Make soup:Cook onion and garlic in butter in a large heavypot over medium heat, stirring occasionally,until onion is softened and golden, 6 to 8 min-utes. Add parsley root, thyme, bay leaf, whitepepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirringoccasionally, until parsley root begins to soften,8 to 10 minutes. Add water and broth and sim-mer, partially covered, until parsley root is verytender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Discard thyme and bay leaf and stir in oil. Puréesoup in batches in a blender until smooth (usecaution when blending hot liquids), transferringto a bowl. If soup is too thick, thin to desiredconsistency with water. Season with salt, thenreturn to cleaned pot to keep warm, covered,until ready to serve. Shave chestnuts with anadjustable-blade slicer or sharp vegetable peeleras thinly as possible over each serving.

Winter Wheat Soup

1 cup wheat berries or spelt1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise,

and cut across into thin slices2 medium parsnips, peeled, cut in half length-wise and then across into 1/4-inch slices

1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into thinwedges

2 large leeks, white part only, split in half lengthwise, washed well, and cut across intothin slices

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into1/2-inch cubes

3 medium ribs celery, peeled and cut acrossinto thin slices

1/2 cup celery leaves, coarselychopped

2 tablespoons coarse salt1/2 cup cilantro leavesfreshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium stockpot, bring the wheat berriesand 13 cups water to a boil (for added flavor,replace some or all of the water with GarlicBroth). Lower the heat and simmer, partiallycovered, for 50 minutes, or until the wheatberries are almost cooked through, but notmushy. Stir in the carrot, parsnips, turnip, andleeks. Return to a boil. Lower the heat and sim-mer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the sweetpotato and celery. Simmer for 10 more minutes.Stir in the celery leaves and salt. Simmer for 1minute. Add the cilantro and simmer for 1minute. Season with pepper.

White Bean Soup with Chile Paste The beans and the chiles need to soak overnight,so start this the day before.

Chile paste:2 dried ancho chiles stemmed, seeded1 dried chile de arbol stemmed, seeded1 1/2 cups water

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1 tablespoon dark brown sugar3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Soup:2 cups dried Great Northern beans2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter2 celery stalks, finely chopped1 large carrot, finely chopped1 large white onion, finely chopped1 large garlic clove, minced8 cups (or more) water2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin2 teaspoons ground coriander1/2 cup whipping cream

For chile paste:Place chiles in bowl; add enough water to cover.Let stand at room temperature overnight. Drain.Boil 1 1/2 cups water with the sugar and chiles insmall saucepan until 2 tablespoons liquid remain,about 15 minutes. Transfer to processor; pureeuntil smooth. With machine running, graduallyadd oil. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD:Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill.

For soup:Place beans in large pot. Add enough water to coverby 4 inches. Let soak overnight. Drain beans. Meltbutter in same pot over medium-high heat. Add cel-ery, carrot, onion, and garlic; cook until soft, stirringoften, about 15 minutes. Add beans and 8 cupswater. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and cookuntil beans are soft, stirring occasionally, about 11/2 hours. Stir in cumin and coriander; cool.Working in batches, puree soup in blender, addingwater by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick. Return to samepot. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Miso Soup with Carrots and Tofu

6 cups water1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice1/3 cup shiro miso (white fermented soybean

paste)1/2 cup 1/4-inch dice of silken tofu (3 oz)

Bring 5 1/2 cups water with salt to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add carrot, then reduce heat andsimmer, covered, until tender, about 3 minutes.Remove from heat. Whisk together shiro miso andremaining 1/2 cup water in a small bowl untilsmooth, then whisk into carrot mixture. Add tofuand serve immediately.

RECIPE ADAPTED FROM epicurious.comand allrecipes.com.

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warm it up January 2012 11

Ode to the Tomatowith apologies to Pablo Neruda

Pablo,I'll be the first to admit that I do not have your way with words,but the first tomato from my first gardenexploded in my mouthin a rush over the sides of my tongueso that my teethfelt bathed in red,and the seeds wallowedin their own juicelike a pig in a mudbath,or a dog in a dead carcass.If you've seen either one of those actsyou know that both are in ecstasyand the seeds were in ecstasy tooand were rewarding me,my taste buds,the warm welcome of my throat.

Pablo,this tomato was fine,was my grandfather's hopes for me revealedin popping,bursting,explosionof flavor that even moments later I still can't describe.

What kind of writer am I Pablo?That something as simple as a tomato,freshly picked and rinsedcould leave me speechless, wordless,a writer that is trying to steer clearof words like enchanting, heavenly, or divine.Language says so little about tomatoes, Pabloabout what it means to grow one,to watch the slow redding of green fruitand guiltI didn't share it with my love,but relished every single drop,every seed,every light crushing of skinin my mouth,not hers or yours or the people who may read this,cause this tomato became minein the moment I bit down.

It was molars that did the work Pablo.This was no hunk of flesh that needed tearing from incisors.No this was pressure,the slow wait as the skin struggled to keep it all intact,but then just burst........like a tomato.like a tomato.It burst like it was supposed to, Pablo.

By Don McIver

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beneficial insects have mouthparts of various forms andsizes, as well as differing life-cycles and nutritionalneeds, a mixture of flowers of different sizes, structures,colors and bloom periods will benefit the greatest possi-ble number of beneficial insects. The aim is to provide adiverse array of blooms for as long a part of the grow-ing season as possible.

In addition to growing flowering mixtures, those inter-ested in encouraging our native bees could considerincreasing the availability of nesting sites for them – forexample, by leaving undisturbed patches of soil forground-nesting bees, or providing simple “bee houses”for bees that prefer to nest in dead twigs or similar cav-ities. The bee house at Los Lunas has been readilyaccepted by several different species of native bees andwas literally a “hive of activity” throughout the summermonths. Guidelines for constructing such nesting sitesare readily available (see the resources listed below).

Adopting these types of practices can yield other bene-fits: at Los Lunas, the pollinator plantings haveattracted various native butterflies (not important pol-linators, but attractive to look at!), as well as birds thatappreciate the shrubs and trees as nesting sites – andwhich may also prey on insect pests. Adding nativeperennial grasses to the plot has also provided over-wintering habitat for ground beetles and other preda-tory insects that further contribute to natural pest con-trol. The basic principle is simple: the more diversity,the better. You don’t even have to have a huge area atyour disposal: even small backyard gardeners canadopt these principles, help our native “good bugs”,and benefit from their services as a result.

Resources:Bee Basics: An Introduction to Our Native Bees by B.Moisset and S. Buchmann. Available from thePollinator Partnership website at http://www.pollina-tor.org/PDFs/BeeBasicsBook.pdf.

Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting NorthAmerica’s Bees and Butterflies by E. Mader, M.Shepherd, M. Vaughan, and S. Black. Available fromthe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation athttp://www.xerces.org ($25 for members, $30 for non-members).

BY DR. TESS GRASSWITZ, NMSU

In the past 5 years or so, a sharp decline in the num-bers of domesticated honeybees has been observed invarious parts of the world. As a result, much research has

been directed not only at trying to determine the underlyingcauses of this so-called “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD),but also on finding ways to enhance populations of both hon-eybees (a European species) and native U.S. bees. Althoughonly the honeybee (Apis mellifera) produces honey, the loss ofthe essential pollination services provided by bees is potential-ly much more serious. Think of all the crops that need bees topollinate them – apples, pears, peaches, almonds, beans, squash, eggplantand cotton, to name just a few. In the U.S. alone, the estimated value of beepollination exceeds $3 billion each year.

Good News: Native BeesThe good news is that, in most cases, native bees can fill the pollinationgap when domesticated honeybees are in short supply – provided thattheir basic needs (food and nesting sites) are readily available, and thatthey are protected from toxic pesticides. There is increasing interestamongst both farmers and home gardeners in growing flowering plantsthat will help sustain our native bees, honeybees, and other beneficialinsects – such as those that feed mainly on pest insects, but which may alsoneed nectar and pollen for at least part of their life-cycle.

Federal programs now exist that can help farmers with the cost ofinstalling such plantings, but until recently little guidance has been avail-able on the best plants to use in New Mexico. For the past two years, aproject has been underway at the Los Lunas Agricultural Science Centerto meet this need by assessing more than 80 species of (mostly native)plants for their survival, ease of cultivation, and ability to attract andretain beneficial insects. Jointly led by entomologist Dr. Tess Grasswitz ofNew Mexico State University and native plant specialist Dr. Dave Dreesenof the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the project now includesthree other sites in New Mexico so that the performance of the variousplants can be compared in different parts of the state.

Other bee friendly habitat modifications – such as artificial nesting sites –have also been installed in Los Lunas, and in the short time that the proj-ect has been running, the results have been extremely encouraging. Thediversity of native bees that have been attracted to the plantings hasexceeded all expectations, with more than 50 species detected so far. Someof these native bees have also been recorded visiting the flowers of variouscrops at the Los Lunas Center, including apple, cherries, blackberries,beans, eggplant, tomatillo and sunflowers. They have also been observedon flowers of carrot, dill, fennel and arugula, and are therefore potential-ly important where these crops are grown for seed. Depending on thecrop, installing pollinator plantings can yield considerable benefits togrowers; a recent study in Michigan revealed that pollinator plantingsnext to commercial blueberry fields increased fruit set by 10-15%, repre-senting a net increase in value to the grower of $600-$900 per acre.

farming & gardening January 2012 12

Biological Pest ControlAs an added benefit, some of the flowers in the NewMexico trials are also highly attractive to manyspecies of predatory wasps; while “wasps” typicallydo not enjoy the most favorable of public images,the species that visit flowers are often importantpredators, using the nectar and pollen from flowersto fuel their hunting activities – different species willtake caterpillars, white grubs, grasshoppers and var-ious other pests to provision their nests. Other bio-logical control agents for pest species will also feedat flowers – including minute pirate bugs, someladybeetles, lacewings, hoverflies and soft-wingedflower beetles.

A second project at Los Lunas has been helping todevelop an “insectary mix” of annual flowers thatare particularly attractive to these species, andwhich can be used for inter-planting with vegetablecrops. Plantings intended primarily for pollinatorsare generally considered a long-term, stable compo-nent of the farming system, so emphasis is placed ongrowing relatively long-lived plants – floweringperennials, shrubs, and trees. The trials aimed atattracting biological control agents to vegetablecrops has focused instead on developing a quick-maturing mix of readily available annual flowers;these offer the dual benefits of quick establishmentand the flexibility to rotate the mixture in differentareas of the farm. The main thing that the twoapproaches have in common is the use of a mixture ofdifferent plant species: since bees, wasps and other

AND OTHER GOOD BUGS!

HEAR Dr. Tess at the Organic Farming Conference

DIE HARD Seed Savers:PLANNING FOR EXPRESSIONBY BRETT BAKKER

By this time, most New Mexico farms and gardenshave been frosted out and put to bed for the win-ter. You’d think that growers would settle down to

enjoy the hard earned fruits of their labor. Wrong! Now’s thetime to think about what to do for next growing season whilethis year’s lessons (good and bad) are still within memory.

This goes double for seed saving folks. Seed catalogs—fullof enticing new offerings—will soon be delivered to yourdoor by the person in the snappy postaluniform. Wow, you think, I really wannatry planting this newly discovered heir-loom pepper from Tierra del Fuego but Ialready have thirty-two other peppers inmy seed collection that I need to replant.Whatever shall I do?

If you don’t mind collecting seed nextyear from a pepper that will express char-acteristics from thirty-three different vari-eties, go ahead and plant it. Otherwise the answer is “PlanAhead.” In the early days of the heirloom seed movement,we all thought things like tomatoes and beans rarely crosspollinate so separating varieties by a few feet was no prob-lem in maintaining purity. That’s not actually the case.

For example, work by (among others) Jeff McCormack ofSouthern Exposure Seed Exchange (formed in 1983) hasshown that tomatoes can cross when planted as close astwenty-five feet. In general, such crossing is minimal butover many years, your saved seed will begin to drift awayfrom what you started with. That’s fine if you want to adapta variety to your own microclimate, but be aware that theMortgage Lifter tomato you started with ten years ago maybe a different Mortgage Lifter than what you end up withten years from now.

That’s the nature of heirlooms. Native American farmersand Amish farmers and Hmong farmers who have raisedthese crops for hundreds of years didn’t hand pollinate orcage their crops for purity. When we speak of evolution wetend not to include domesticated crops, but that is false.Saving seed from only the biggest tomatoes will eventuallynet you a strain that only produces big tomatoes but youmay be inadvertently breeding out characteristics that are

genetically linked to the smaller tomatoes. Could bea pest resistance quality! Could be a germinationfactor! No one knows for sure except genetic scien-tists and even then much is guesswork based on theevidence at hand. Evolution is easy to see when youhave the luxury of looking back on hundreds ofgenerations but a few years in your garden is bare-ly a snapshot in the long feature film archive of theseed you’re saving.

It all comes down to, what is your goal?If you are a diehard seedsaver who wantsto ensure that the precise bundle of genesfound in the Panicum sonorum collectedby Mr. E. Palmer in Colonia Ledro,Mexico, in 1889 remains available forbreeding and scientific study, you’ll bemuch more huffy about your neighbordeciding to plant some Panicum over thebackyard fence. Lucky for you, though,nobody knows what Panic Grass is and

how important it was as a food crop to Sonorantribes long ago.

But if you want an approximate version of the cropyou started with and to be a part of plants and peo-ple evolving together (as we always have, along withour four-legged-and-winged and creepy-crawlyfriends) just keep an eye on how your crop looksfrom year to year. Keep notes, take photos. You’ll besurprised at how much you learn just by the act ofwriting something down because you have to observeclosely if you want those notes to mean anything.

One simple rule of thumb: keep a portion of youroriginal seed. After a few years of saving your own,plant a few of those originals from your saved batchso some crossing of the “old” bundle of genes canoccur. There’s more exacting and scientific ways todo this (backcrossing) but I’ve always been a moreseat-of-the-pants guy.

PLANTINGfor Pollinators NNAATTIIVVEE

BBEEEESS

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BY ROBIN SEYDEL

For so many of us the holidays are not just a time of family, friendsand glorious celebration but a time of sweet treats, mulled wine andother adult beverages and days and nights filled with rich party foods.

If you are anything like me you party as hard as you work and now may feelan overwhelming need to clean up and clean out.

Perhaps you have a cold that just won’t go away or your “aller-gies” seem worse that ever, your nose drips, you sneeze regularly,have chronic nasal congestion, or indigestion after you eat justabout anything. Are you chronically tired and irritable, regularlyget muscle pains, have a grayish or yellow winter pallor, dizziness,headaches or constipation?

All these symptoms and more are typical of toxic overload. With adiet of steaming soups and stew, whole grains and beans and somedelicious herbal teas, cleaning up internally could be easier andmore delicious than you think.

Good Food and the Detox EnzymeEating a diet that focuses (as much as possible) on organic fruits,vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts is an important startingpoint, and instrumental in the detox process. Studies published in the Journalof Nutrition and the Journal of Food Science as far back as the 1970s haveshown that the pectins found in apples, bran (rice, wheat, oat), citrus, pota-toes, strawberries, green beans, alfalfa sprouts and burdock root protect thebody, especially the gut, from the effects of common food additives, preserv-atives, and other chemicals. They help by binding with toxins for more effi-cient removal from the body. The fiber in grains, beans, bran, whole graincereals, carrots and cabbage absorbs water, increasing bulk and helping thosetoxins pass through your body more quickly. A natural foods diet also pro-vides higher amounts of the vitamins and minerals needed to maintainhealth. Using a 3-4 day rotation, eating foods that you seem especially sensi-tive to once every few days can help greatly and also help you identify foodsthat might be setting off your reactivity.

Vitamin C is especially important in the detoxification process and is one ofthe most cost-effective methods of raising glutathione levels. Glutathione is adetoxification enzyme produced by our bodies and available in fresh fruit,vegetables and cooked fish. Composed of the three amino acids; cysteine,glutamic acid and glycine, it binds with fat soluble toxins, converting themto a water soluble form allowing efficient excretion by the kidneys. This is anespecially important part of the detox process, as most toxins are lipophillic(fat loving) binding with fat molecules and remaining embedded in our bod-ies. Toxins also are stored in the fat of animals, concentrating as you go upthe food chain. Reducing animal fat intake reduces exposure to toxins andthe demands placed on the detoxification system.

Herbs Help HealingOne of the liver’s primary functions is to filter toxins out of the bloodstream.It processes almost two quarts of blood every minute. When properly func-tioning the liver removes 99% of toxins, whether they are from our pollutedenvironment or those our body naturally produces. Milk thistle seed is a pop-ular booster of liver function and has even been shown to help a damagedliver regenerate cells. My favorite, (though unconventional) way to accessmilk thistle’s healing properties is to suck on whole seeds one or two at a timeuntil the seed coat softens then chew slowly and swallow. An easier way is togrind them up, with a little flax seed (for a dose of healthy omega fatty acids)and toasted sesame seeds (a good source of calcium) and sprinkle on cookedgrains, morning cereal, on salads or in dressings.

Dandelion, a most modest, but powerful and gentleherb is one of the plants most capable of healing ourtoxified bodies. How ironic that conventional garden-ers have declared a massive chemical war upon it. Ahealthy liver will produce approximately a quart ofbile a day. Bile serves as a carrier of toxic substancesuntil they can be bound with fiber in the intestines andexcreted. Many diseases can be linked to bile insuffi-

ciency and resulting toxic conditions. Research inEngland, France and Germany has shown that dande-lion can enhance the synthesis of bile and increase itsflow. Dandelion dramatically reduces liver congestion,bile duct inflammation, improves gall bladder functionand has been used in clinical trials in Europe to treatchronic hepatitis, gall stones, swelling of the liver andjaundice. Both a tonic herb and a healer it has beenused to improve functioning in healthy people and foracute and chronic problems.

A delicious spring green, dandelion leaves are richer inVitamin A than carrots and exceed the Vitamin B, Cand D of most other greens. As a nutritive tonic, it canbe used as food in salads, lightly steamed with othergreens, or dried and made into tea. Due to the afore-mentioned chemical war please be very careful whereyou harvest dandelion greens or roots. Purchase onlyorganics or plant a patch in your yard far away fromcar exhaust or herbicidal neighbors.

Alteratives: Blood CleansersTraditional herbalism calls alteratives “blood clean-sers”. They include burdock root, red clover, yellowdock, cleavers, nettles, mountain grape, and blue flag,to name a few. These herbs gradually restore the prop-er function of the body by helping to rid the blood ofaccumulated toxins from waste products, bacteria andother microbial poisons. More than merely“cleansers”, these herbs also help the blood balancevital salts and strengthen and enhance important plas-ma substances. Burdock root is about as good a “puri-fier” as you can get. It produces gradual changes bypromoting the excretion of wastes in both urine and

As reported in the Italian newspaper, LaStampa, Prosecutor Guariniello chargedmanagers of Bayer and Syngenta with

crimes against bees! The familyof neonicotinoid insec-ticides are a deadly killer of bees andother insect species. Beekeepers cam-paigned throughout Italy in 2011,for the extension of the ban on prod-ucts with the active ingredient cloth-ianidin that expired on October 31,2011. Beekeepers’ fears have less-ened during the years of the ban butthey did not disappear, because,although used in smaller doses, thesame kind of insecticide is used toprotect grapevines. If clothianidin is allowed to be usedagain on corn it would resurrect the colony collapse dis-asters of the early 2000s and threaten the very survivalof beekeeping.

Prosecutor Guariniello has over the years quietly con-ducted an investigation into the causes of the massacreof bees, and sent the managing directors of BayerCropScience in Milan and Syngenta Crop Protection inItaly warnings based on the conclusions of his investi-gations for crimes never previously mentioned by mag-istrates: the spreading of diseases (or mass-killing) ofanimals and plants, posing a danger for the nationaleconomy. Guariniello has charged two managers, fromBayer and Syngenta, with these offenses, alleging cul-pability; the penalty, if they are found guilty, rangesfrom one to five years in jail.

The plant protection product which ended up in thecrosshairs of the magistrate is called ‘Poncho’. On

Bayer's website it is billed as "the new insecti-cide for seed treatment of seed corn”.Successfully marketed already, in the UnitedStates and other countries, it is very effectiveagainst several parasites and is particularlyuseful against difficult-to-control pests. It kills

insects by blocking the transmissionof nerve impulses. Bayer produces it,Syngenta sells it.

Guariniello collected reports frommany beekeepers in the province ofTurin and examined pathology analy-sis from bee post-mortems, which,after 24 hours show no traces ofneonicotinoids. So they went furtherand "field testing" confirmed the

cause and effect relationship between the deathof bees and the nicotinoid insecticide.

"Systemic and persistent in the environment,neurotoxic and lethal to many life forms,"notes an old report, from the National Unionof Italian Beekeepers Associations (Una.Api).

Guarinello's advice - to the layman - is that beesare not contaminated at the time of pollination,but from “lethal doses of the pesticide con-tained in flying dust from corn fields duringplanting.” For this reason, the impendingOctober 31 deadline to reverse the ban on theinsecticide is a cause for major concern andprotests among beekeepers. In Italy the plantingof corn takes place in the autumn.

I TA LY C H A R G E S B AY E R A N D S Y N G E N TA W I T H M A S S

BeeDeaths

K E E P I N G B E E S H E A LT H Y!

healthy nnnneeeewwww yyyyeeeeaaaarrrr January 2012 13

DETOX TIPS for aHHEEAALLTTHHYY YYEEAARR

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CHILDREN’S BRAIN AND BODYBALANCINGWORKSHOP

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Clean up, Clean out...

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sweat and has proven restorative effects on the liverand gall bladder. A stable in macrobiotic cooking andthe famous Ojibway cancer therapy tea, Essaic, madefamous by Marie Cassais, it is a delicious addition toany stew and research has shown it to have anti-bac-terial, fungal and tumoral properties.

Red clover has been used for eons in Europe as adiuretic to treat gout and as an expectorant.Laboratory screening has shown its acidity against

several harmful bacteria, the most significant ofwhich is the pathogen that causes tuberculosis. Itsmild estrogenic activity, due most probably to itsconstituent Courmerol, makes it an important pro-tector against the effects of the many environmen-tal estrogenic chemicals to which we are dailyexposed. Its ability to block our estrogen receptors;preventing the uptake of synthetic endocrine dis-rupting chemicals has gained red clover a reputa-tion as an anti-cancer herb.

Both nettles and yellow dock enhance the func-tions of the liver and related organs and have beenused to alleviate anemia, due to their high iron,Vitamin C and calcium content. Take yellow dockas a tincture or capsule due to its strong bitter

taste. A powerful tonic tea could include dandelionand burdock roots, red clover, nettles and mint (for afresh taste) or cinnamon (to help balance blood sugarlevels) used daily as an aid to a detox program or justas a delicious and healing daily herbal beverage.

Dandelion, burdock, red clover, mint and nettles (plantin the shade) are all easy to grow perennial herbs thatwill happily beautify your backyard gardens andimprove your health. Simmer the dandelion, burdockroot and cinnamon bark gently for 10-15 minutes,pour over the red clover, nettles and mint, and let steepfor at least 15 minutes. Add other tasty herbs as yourtaste buds dictate including ginger (great for digestion)cardamom, clove, or licorice (do not use if you havehigh blood pressure). Drink hot or cool, daily, and addlocal honey (to taste) to begin to build up your resist-ance to the annual spring allergy assault.

THIS INFORMATION IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.Please seek the help of an experienced health care pro-fessional. For more information check out these pop-ular herbal education books.

SOURCES:1. The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, by Daniel Mowrey2. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, by Drs. Michael Murray and Joseph PIzzorno3. A Complete Herbal, by Maude Grieve4. The Complete Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffman5. The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine, by Simon Mills

Herbsthat heal andbeautify

our precious planet January 2012 14

BY MICHAEL JENSEN, AMIGOS BRAVOS

Over the holiday season, I watched a documen-tary called, If a Tree Falls, which came out inJune 2011. The film follows the trajectory of one

member of one cell of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) inEugene, Oregon, in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

However, the film is really a discussion of several inter-twined ethical and political questions: since the ELF arsonsdidn’t cause any injuries, can they really be called terrorists?(Just prior to 9/11, the FBI considered the ELF the US’s #1domestic terrorist organization and several members of theEugene group were arrested and tried under the post-9/11terrorism laws.) When is violent protest justified? Doesproperty damage really work to stop corporate practices?

As a local Eugene police officer said, “One man’s terrorist is another man’sfreedom fighter.” But is the message really that simplistic?

People in the Eugene area attempted to use traditional, peaceful protest:going to public meetings, signing petitions, blocking roads and equipment,all the things normally associated with the environmental movement. Theresponse from officials was to subvert the political process and call out largenumbers of well-armed police to douse protestors in pepper spray, forceful-ly open protestor’s eyes to rub irritants in them, and to use nightsticks.

Anyone watching the Occupy Wall Street protests will be familiar with therelative levels of “violence” from the two sides.

Given the failure of traditional environmental protest, Eugene ELF mem-bers began planning and then committing arson. In the film, we see attacksagainst a meat packing plant that routinely overwhelmed the wastewatertreatment facility, a car dealership selling SUVs, a timber company head-quarters building, a research farm involved in genetic engineering researchfor the timber industry, and a research facility at the university also doinggenetic research. In the last cases, it turned out that the information on thefarm was outdated and the fire at the university spread beyond its target.

So, were these people terrorists? It seems clear that equating these arsonswith terrorism of the sort that Timothy McVeigh or the 9/11 hijackers used

is absurd. But doing so allowed the Bush administra-tion to claim several successful trials in the “war onterror”. In fact, this particular cell broke up when

some members began dis-cussing the possibility of

moving to attacks on individual people – so-called“captains of industry”.

Were the attacks successful? Although the meat pack-ing plant went out of operation, all the other facilitiesreopened and are still operating. None of the peoplerunning the facilities expressed a change of heart aboutwhat they did for a living. And the point of the attacks– that companies were engaged in harmful environ-mental activities – was completely absent in the mediacoverage, which focused on the “eco-terror” messageof the police, the FBI, and the Bush administration.

Corporate TerroristsWere the attacks justified? If you look at the history ofcivil uprisings and civil war across the globe, it is quitestriking and readily apparent that in almost every casepeople first tried to resolve their grievances through thepolitical process, but were met with varying degrees ofviolence, from mass arrests to mass killings. The failureof the political process – and specifically violence fromthe political elite – is what led to violence by members

of the community. In one of the most significantmoments in the film, coming at the very end, the localFBI agent in charge of the investigation admits that oncehe got to know the people involved, he could begin tounderstand why they had done what they did. He was-n’t condoning it, but he could see why people hadresorted to arson and he could see why some people leftthe local cell when the possibility of personal attacksrather than attacks on property began to surface.

There is one question that the film only deals with indi-rectly, but which is really the other half of the film’s cen-tral question: if the ELF is a terrorist organization, thenare corporations also capable of committing acts of ter-ror? If individuals and groups are surveilled and arrest-ed or broken up because of attacks on private property,what ought to be the response when corporations (andtheir political supporters) cause harm to public lands, orto a “public good” like the environment, or to individ-ual and collective health and well-being?

Where is the massive show of force and the arrestswhen a mine collapses and kills workers because theowner continuously disregarded safety rules and ordersto improve? Or when coal-fired power plants spew outtons of mercury and sulfur dioxide and other contam-inants that cause asthma, acid rain, and toxic riversand lakes? Or when politicians dismantle environmen-tal and public health regulations at the behest of pow-erful corporate interests, knowing (because they’vebeen told) that doing so will increase deaths and illnessor environmental degradation?

The former chief of police in Eugene concluded that hedidn’t like the term “terrorist” for his job because itwas too charged a term and too complicated. He likedto deal with crimes, in this case, arson. Maybe it’s timethat we started dealing with bad corporate actors ascriminals, and bring the full weight of the law down onthem, too.

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

On Corporate Crimes andECO TERRORISM

A SUPER CHARGED TERM?

BY JANET GREENWALD, CO-COORDINATOR OF CITIZENS

FOR ALTERNATIVES TO RADIOACTIVE DUMPING

Ihave been a fan of Martin Heinrich since hisCity Council days and supported his run for JeffBingaman’s Senate position. However, I recently

found out that he is co-sponsoring a bill (HR 2367)introduced by Rep. Steve Pearce which would allowNew Mexico to become the nation’s dump for com-mercial nuclear waste.

New Mexicans were promised by Presidents, Congresses, their FederalRepresentatives, and the Department of Energy (DOE) that if a militarynuclear waste dump was sited in New Mexico (the Waste Isolation PilotPlant (WIPP)), that commercial waste, including spent fuel rods fromnuclear power plants, would go elsewhere. The law now states that com-mercial waste cannot be placed in WIPP, but not for long if Pearce andHeinrich have their way. They are promoting WIPP as the depository for

WIPP-bound trucks. The Western Governors’ Associationand other groups have stated that the WIPP transporta-tion system is totally inadequate for high-level waste. Tomake matters worse, high-level waste is also hundreds tothousands of times more radioactive than the waste thatalready comes to New Mexico.

Now is the time to let Martin Heinrich and Steve Pearceknow that radioactive waste is an environmental andhealth issue that we care about. And that we do not wantour state to be the nation’s nuclear waste dump. We havedone our part by hosting WIPP.

If Martin Heinrich cares about New Mexico as a wholeand not just financial benefit for a few businesses, he willwithdraw his co-sponsorship of the Pearce bill. ContactMartin Heinrich: by phone at 505-346-6781 or 505-877-4069; or e-mail him at Martin@mail.house.gov.

LET MARTIN KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE ON WHICHYOU WILL BE VOTING! For more information contactCitizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping at266-2663, or at contactus@cardnm.org.

non-defense commercial waste. This bill,enabling WIPP to accept some commercialwastes, opens the door to other changes allow-ing WIPP to accept commercial spent fuel rods.Since the Federal government and nuclear util-ities are looking desperately for a high levelwaste dump, WIPP will rise to the top of thevery short list of two states; Nevada (whichhas already rejected the Yucca Mountaindump) and New Mexico.

High Level Nuke DumpIf New Mexico becomes the United States’ high levelwaste dump, wastes will be coming from all direc-tions, on all of our major highways and by rail. In themeantime concerned citizens from the villages andtowns along the heavily used north-south WIPP route(US 285), on the eastern side of the state, have notbeen able to get DOE to implement even minimalsafety precautions with regards to waste transportand overnight parking in their communities.

There are no studies that show what impact repeatedexposure to the radiation given off by the trucks canhave on women, children and the unborn. Also, notall first responders along the route have been giventraining in case of a nuclear accident or spill from

DUMPING NUKE WASTE ONNEW MEXICO?

The Paul Ré Peace PrizeDa Vinci Laureate Paul Ré is recognizedinternationally for promoting world peaceand harmony through his art. In keepingwith these ideals, the Peace Prize is given tothat UNM student, faculty, staff member orretiree who has promoted peace, harmonyand understanding among people of the world, both withinhim- or herself and outwardly through tangible works. Theseworks may be on a local, regional, national or global level.

Emphasis is on promoting both internal and external peaceand fostering discussion of what really constitutes peace.

The recipient of the award may be an artist but may alsobe an individual in any field who has pursued peaceand harmony with creativity and dedication.Possible projects may be environmental, involveindividual or social healing, integrative medicine,sustainable energy or green architectural design, art creation or preservation, human population con-trol and family planning or any positive endeavor.Included is Conflict Resolution, but Conflict Pre-

vention is to be particularly strongly emphasized.

For nomination forms or other information please goto www.paulre.org.

NOMINATIONS NOW BEING TAKEN: PAUL RÉ PEACE PRIZE!PRIZE!

DON’TDUMPDUMPON US!

CCoorrppoorraattiioonnssAASSTTEERRRROORRIISSTTSS??

The CO-OP Foodshed Project: Bringing local farmers together with Co-op shoppers for the best in fresh, fair and local food.

co-op comix January 2012 15

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

TO BE CONTINUED

HASTA LA PROXIMA